Running Bad Part 1

Whenever I take a hiatus from writing, the same thing happens ... I feel less and less inclined to play "catch-up" by the day.

But looking at the PL.com blog homepage, it seems as though I'm not alone. Lots of writers here seem to be on a hiatus as well. Alas, I seem to not be the only one suffering from post-WSOP life tilt!

With about two weeks left until the end of the World Series of Poker, I decided to fly back to the Borgata for the $5k main event of their annual Summer Series. I still have this tournament, five WSOP prelims, and the WSOP Main Event to blog about.

Fortunately, I've gotten into the habit of writing notes on every hand where I voluntarily put a chip in the pot.

I have every hand recorded for these tournaments and will (hopefully) write these blogs soon ... I guess since I've already written about every event I've played this summer, I might as well finish it off.

After that, though, I hope to change my writing style slightly to focus less on the specifics of hands I play. This writing thing has me wanting to actually try to be a writer instead of another nearly illiterate pro who writes a blog. Imagine that.

OK. So I've been writing for PL.com for a while now and haven't written a single blog where I'm bitching about running bad. Well I had a miserable WSOP, have been running like battery acid overall, and need to vent.

I used to hate listening to young poker pros complain, so I figured I'd warn you if you'd rather just skip the rest of this blog right now =).

Stout: Highs and lows of 'gambling' for a living take their toll.

There is an element of truth to the old saying "It's a tough way to make an easy living." I admit, my job is more exciting and enjoyable than that of the average person. I get to travel the world and play high-stakes tournaments at the age of 23.

Regardless of where this road takes me, I'll remember this opportunity, the people I've met, friends I've made, and these experiences for the rest of my life. I could go broke next year and never regret a thing.

But at the same time, all of the travel and the highs and lows of *gambling* for a living take their toll as well. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining about my situation as a whole. I remember being a broke college student and grinding out $5 MTTs while reading blogs from pro players.

A guy who had a huge six-figure score a month earlier would be whining like a baby about a bad beat in a $1,000 preliminary tournament and bemoaning his luck ... despite a string of suck-outs he laughed about on the way to that six-figure score!

I have been able to grind out a very comfortable living for a couple years now, almost solely in the area of high-variance multi-table tournaments, without ever going broke. I take a great deal of pride in that, and in the victories I've had and in the final tables/deep cashes I've made along the way.

However, despite the money I have made and the recognition I have received from both the online and live poker community, my biggest career cash remains $59,280 for winning a $500 WSOP-Circuit prelim in Atlantic City earlier this year.

Ironically, my two other biggest cashes were much more bittersweet. In fact, they were consolation prizes after I missed my shot at the score I've been waiting for my entire life.

Despite a few close calls, Stout's WSOPC prelim win is still his biggest cash to date.

The first of these two came in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event. You would never know it from the TV coverage (gfy ESPN), but I finished 118th after being one of the chip leaders for a good portion of Days 1a, 3 and 4.

In the first three days of play, I'd gotten into exactly zero pre-flop all-in showdowns. Zero. With the blinds as low as they were, I usually had a set or better and was only getting it in post-flop in the first few days.

I was able to play small pots and only get the money in once I was pretty sure I had a huge edge ... which is an especially good strategy when your opponents are the weakest group of players you will ever find in a $10k event.

On Day 4 the blinds started off at $4k/$8k, so I knew I'd be in for more "push and pray" poker than I had had to put up with on the first few days of play.

I had a grand total of four pre-flop all-in showdowns during the day. The first came when I raised to $27k at $5k/$10k ($1k) from middle position with J J. The chip leader called on the button, and Mike Laing decided that it was time to squeeze all-in for over $250k with 6 9.

Although they decided to flop him a gut-shot and turn him a club draw, I managed to fade it all and bust him.

Things changed quickly, though. Two players at my table decided that they were going to start open-shoving 25-30BB stacks anytime they played a pot because they had folded in huge pots post-flop earlier in the day.

TexDuke: Flipped over A-Q.

The first time I called was with Q Q after the UTG player moved in for $267k at $5k/$10k ($1k). He held A K and flopped an ace to double up.

The next came during the $6k/$12k ($1k) level. John "TexDuke" Armbrust open-shoved almost $350k UTG+1. The fact that he had done so three times in the level compelled me to believe J J was good, so I just called nearly two-thirds of my stack from late position.

Remarkably, the chip leader folded Q Q from the button because my flat-call of over half my stack looked so strong he thought I had AA or KK. John flipped over A Q ... ::rolls eyes::. But worry not, the case queen came right in the window for him to double through me.

My final flip came during the $8k/$16k ($2k) level. Kevin Farry opened to $40k UTG. He had been fairly loose in his opening requirements, especially with his huge stack. I moved in for my final quarter-million chips from middle position with A Q.

He called and showed 7 7. I picked up a gut-shot and outs to double-pair the board and win with ace-high, but I bricked everything and finished 118/6,358 for $58,570.

All told, I'd lost nearly $2 million in the last three pots with an average of 57% equity against my opponents' hands and the blinds a *mere* $5k/$10k to $8k/$16k.

The next huge shot I had was the 2008 Aussie Millions. With 36 of the original 780 entrants remaining, I held $1 million of the $16 million chips in play at $5/$10k ($1k). Unfortunately, I decided that it was time to make some hero calls and donk off my stack.

Stout: Another near-miss at the 2008 Aussie Millions.

I'll try to keep this slightly shorter than the WSOP story. A very aggressive Asian player two seats to my left was reshoving on several of my pre-flop raises. I got sick of it and called off $172k more after opening to $27k at $5/$10k ($1k) with 4 4.

He had Q Q, of course, and I doubled him up. Then a guy who had been opening the button every time it folded to him opened to $30k with a $250k stack. I three-bet him with A J and committed myself to his shove. He had J J and it held, costing me about a quarter of a million.

Then I got moved to a new table. Shortly after, a young player whom I assumed to be an online player raised on the button. I called from the big blind with K J and check-called on a K 7 3 flop.

The A hit the turn and I check-called two more streets like a stubborn idiot, despite the gut feeling that he got there. He showed A Q for a naked three-outer after continuation betting with air. I was unlucky, but completely wrong in calling two more streets.

Finally, the same player opened for $25k UTG six-handed at $5/$10k ($1k). He'd been opening a lot of pots, so I decided to move in for $174k from the button with K Q.

Yet another misread, as he showed J J and it held. I finished in 24th place for AUS$65k, which was about USD$57k.

Once again, I had come so very close to a score that could really set a financial foundation for the rest of my life. First place in that tournament was about USD$1.4 million. First place in the 2007 WSOP Main Event was $8.25 million.

--Matt Stout

"All In At 420"

Check out Part 2 here.

More blogs from Matt Stout:

• Running Bad Part 2
• WSOP Event 32: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
• WSOP Event 29: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Part 1
• WSOP Event 27: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em