When you wake up for a poker tournament and want to go back to bed, and then before you even get in the shower find yourself thinking about what you'll do that day if you bust out ...

Well, you should probably take the day off. In fact, showing up to a tournament that day is much like setting money on fire.

Well, I set two grand on fire today. I didn't really play poorly, but I also didn't bring my A game. I picked up a huge hand in a multiway pot during the first level ($25/$50), when I had A♦ Q♦ on a Q♣ Q♠ 8♦ J♦ board.

Unfortunately, I got no post-flop action there ... a common problem when you have the deck crippled like that.

Then I defended my big blind in a five-way raised pot with the 4♥ 7♥ getting 6.5-1. I bricked after flopping a gut-shot straight flush draw, which cost me almost a quarter of my $4k starting stack.

I missed another big opportunity later on. After calling a raise in position with 5♦ 5♥, a short stack moved in behind me. The original player moved in to isolate, and I folded.

They had Q♠ Q♦ and J♦ J♥, and a five fell on the flop. Obviously this hand is totally standard and I didn't get unlucky or anything, but it was just one of those days.

Anyway, I hung around on the short stack for a while afterward until I had blinded down to $2,100 at $100/$200 with a $200 ante. I pushed on the button with J♦ 8♠, and was tank-called by the lady in the small blind.

I was (relatively) happy with my position when she showed A♠ K♦. Of course, that changed quickly after the flop came A♠ Q♣ A♥. The K♣ on the turn put the final nail in my coffin, and I couldn't tell you what the river card was because I was already looking for the nearest exit.

Hopefully I won't be trying to find the exit during the $1,500 NL Six-Max tomorrow, except for a smoke break or two...

-- Matt Stout

"All In At 420"

More Blogs from Matt Stout:

• WSOP Event 5: $1,000 w/Rebuys No-Limit Hold'em
• WSOP Event 2: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
• Monte Carlo Part 2: How to Play AA?
• Monte Carlo Part 1: Extracting Value

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