In my last blog, "Bahamas: Trouble in Paradise," I outlined how a beautiful vacation in the Bahamas can start to go to crap (Cliffs Notes: girlfriend cancels last minute, suitcase lost for two days, local weed is beyond bad).

Fortunately, I managed to get my suitcase back just in time to play Day 1B of the PCA $10k main event ... almost two days after arriving. Apparently it had been left in Orlando during my layover and didn't get to the island until the next day.

I even managed to get a little REAL (ie green, containing reasonable levels of THC, glorious, unlike the putrid Bahama Brown I wrote about in my last blog) ganja from a buddy. I'm not sure if he would want his name publicized here, but in case he doesn't I'll just say THANK YOU, MINI-ME!!!

The pieces were coming back together and everything was starting to look up again...

I found a lot of unfamiliar faces when I got to my starting table.

I soon learned that one of them plays as "CPT CRUX/Colonel Mustard" online when he introduced himself to me, but didn't know any of the others...and probably couldn't pick any of them out of a lineup now since I spent so little time at the table and so much trying to forget the tournament.

We started with 30k stacks at 50/100. I'm pretty sure I lost every significant pot I played for the first three levels of the tournament, which is a pretty bad idea. I don't know why I would do something like that....I probably should have won some pots.

Atlantis resort

 

Every draw missed and every time I had a medium strength hand someone wanted to jam a bazillion chips down my throat.

I had about ~18k left during the 4th level, 150/300. Nine-handed, UTG+1 raised to 750 and got called by the hijack. I called on the button with 7♦ 7♠, and both blinds came along. The flop came 2♠ 3♣ 4♦, and everyone checked to me.

I decided to bet, but thought the pot was 2,750 when it was actually 3,750 (a mistake I rarely make at the table, but definitely did here). I bet 2k, and wanted to puke when I got flatted by THREE of my four remaining opponents.

I was completely finished with the hand and almost sure I had to be in terrible shape against at LEAST one of the three. I was mentally checked out of the hand when the 7♥ fell on the turn.

GIN!!!!!!!!!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAHTZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well, you get the picture...

Anyway, I stacked off on the turn against the small blind's 5♠ 6♦ and failed to complete my "boat draw." Allow me to rephrase my previous line...

GAH!!!!!!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, I wished everyone luck and wandered out of the tournament room feeling a little dazed and blindsided.

I'm definitely not shocked/upset that I ran so bad in the tournament after what a heater I've been on recently, but I haven't busted a $10k+ event that fast since the first one I played almost four years ago when I was 21.

Little did I know, the worst was yet to come...

Matt Stout