7/11/06 $2,000 Pot limit

This was a frustrating tournament. I started out playing really well, and accummulating chips through raw aggression without ever having to show a hand. Then a hand came up where I took a chance to become a monster stack. This is what happened: folds to the SB, who limps in, I look down at 94o and I check (blinds at 100/200). Flop comes Tc, 8c, 7s. He quickly fires 400 and he seemed like a fairly passive player, so I thought he probably hit the hand pretty big. He also seemed like the type of guy that might hold onto hands a little too long, but we were also the two big stacks at the table (probably 7k each at this point), so I also thought the bluff equity would be large if clubs got there. Basically this all added up to a call to see what he wanted to do on the turn. Turn came a 4h. Not quite the card I was looking for, but who knows, maybe now a 4 on the river, or even possibly a 9 on the river might make my hand superior if he decided to limp with an overpair and hope that I raised in the BB (as I had been showing a lot of preflop aggression at the table). He fires out 900, and I can't wait to get my money in the pot, as he will A) pay me off if I hit, and B) be really scared if a club comes and the pot will most likely be bought by the fish. Unfortunately, however, the river bricks with an offsuit 2, and he immediately puts 1,200 chips in. I fold, a little disheartened, as I had so many "outs" to win the pot. He then showed J,J and I realized that if I hit my J he was going down for the rest of his chips.....so painful! Later, after being moved to another table, I folded what must have been six consecutive rounds, then finally woke up with AA in 2nd position. I make it 600 and John Gale flat calls behind me, everyone else folds. Flop came 8s, 2s, 2h. I bet 700 and he immediately "pots" it. I go all-in, and he insta-calls with Js9s. Turn and River bring no help for him, and now I'm up to 7,300. A few rounds later, after continuing my extremely tight play a guy in 3rd position (7 handed) raises my blind to 700. This must have been the eigth raise this guy made in three rounds, and the fish was getting sick of it. Especially because I felt people were taking advantage of my tight table image to steal my blinds repeatedly. I pretend ot look at my cards, then make it a cool 2k. He immediately "pots" it, and I sadly look down to see a measly 74o. He and I have identical stacks, and I take a while to fold, but eventually give it up. He shows K,K and said he would have folded Q,Q to me, but not that one. Shortly thereafter I get moved to a new table where the shortest stack at the table looks to be 10k, bleh! I pick up a few small pots shortly after moving there. Then UTG "pots" it, folds to me on the button, and I look at A,Q. I call and the flop come 9,9.Q. He immediately "pots" it, and I move in for a fraction more. He thinks for what must have been two minutes, and finally calls his last 300 after putting 4,000 into the pot. He shows A,T and I'm in good shape. The turn brought a scary J, but no help on the river and the fish is up to a high for the day at 8,000. However, after a few pots where I siphoned off a good number of chips and blinds eating my stack, I shortly found myself at 1,500. This is where I'm not sure exactly where my focus went, possibly due to a lack of sleep, but I was in great shape and just didn't want the tournament bad enough I suppose. There was one pot where I moronically made it 900 in mid position with KTs, which normally is a fine play, but I had an extremely aggressive re-raiser to my left by the name of Jon Bonetti, who I could have told you even before the action got to him that he would re-raise me with just about any two cards. Another horribly played hand by myself was when I limped UTG with 9,9 (with the intention of "pot"ing it if anyone decided to raise me), one caller on the button, and both blinds check. Flop came Ax, Ah, 3h. I bet 700 (blinds at 150/300) and everyone folds but the BB. Turn came the Td. Check, check. River came a 3x and he quickly fires 2,000. I convince myself that his thought process would be the following: "If he has the A, it is a chop pot anyway (unless, of course he has the T with it), so assumming he doesn't have the A, why not check it and hope he bluffs at it." Also, I thought a 3 would be too scared that I had the A, limping UTG and all, and would probably check/call. Therefore, since I didn't think a T would bet 2k here, I thought he possibly missed his hearts and decided to call. He showed me the flopped nuts, and I felt like a jackass. Shortly after, I decided to limp UTG with QJs and the guy directly behind me moved in with his short stack, and the siphoning continued as I had to fold, not getting nearly the right odds. Then, I made it 800 in the cutoff with AcJd, and was called by the SB. Flop came Qc, 9c, 3c. He checked and I have a 4k stack. I could move in, but if he calls with a Q, which I thought he would call with in a heartbeat, I would be in a lot of trouble, expecially if he had an A with it. I decided to check behind him. The turn came an offsuit 2 and he checks, and I have a bad feeling about getting check-raised and decide to check again. The river brings a J and he quickly fires out 1,500. At this point I think he is putting me on AK and trying to get me to laydown and decide to call. He confidently flips over KTo and I can't help but feel like a jackass yet again, as I let him get there. To end the day, Billy Baxter limps UTG and I look down at KTo and decide it's time to shove to pick up the valuable 750 in chips (as I only had 1,500 in chips). It folds back to him, and he instantly calls with J9s. I was pretty upset with the call, and, though the flop came K high, he turned a flush and I was drawing dead on the river. I'm upset with how I went out, but I'm equally upset with myself for losing my focus and siphoning off way too many chips. I have to get my act together for the $2,500 short hander tomorrow. What I learned? It may sound cliched, but you have to want it. You really do. That is what I believe the Moon has going for him. I can see it in his eyes that he truely wants it, and I envy that desire.