Donkey Poker

This trip was somewhat painful, but it was only due to one Donkish play on my part in Friday's 250+30, no AO, no re-buy 12:00pm tourney at The Borgata.

I played in Thursday's morning's 50+10, 1 AO, no re-buy 11: AM tourney and did somewhat well finishing 25th out of a field of 130. My demise was hastened by giving too much credit to my opponents' all-in moves late in the tourney. On several occasions with semi-strong pushing hands I held back when I would have doubled or even tripled up which would have given me an excellent chance of cashing considering the top 18 players cashed.

So I find myself at the 2/5NL cash games and my short stack game continues to pay-off when I finish up a little over $300. Winning this sum seems to be alerting me to the fact that Friday's morning tourney at the Borgata is a 250+30. no re-buy, no AO tourney. Since I'm up that amount I decide to play it. This is the biggest tourney I have played and it has the biggest payout.
1st place is about $9500.

I start out good increasing my stack a few thousand and finding myself with about $6500 chips with 70 players left. The blinds are 100/200 with a 25 ante when I look down to see KQs with 2 clubs in first position. I limp in, possibly my first mistake, and it becomes a family plot with about 6 others limpers. The flop comes Qs 4c 7s. I bet 1000 leaving me with 5300. All fold to the button who raises to 3000 costing me another 2000 to call leaving me with 3300 if I call. The raiser is very loose and had recently built up his stack to chip leader at my table. I put him on a flush draw with possibly a small pair. He did have a small pair but it was in the pocket with his 44. I re-raised all-in thinking he was semi-bluffing to win the pot, a donkish move and terrible habit which I thought I had overcome. I do hit another club on the turn which gave me a flush draw bringing me up to 11 outs on the river but it was not to be when he filled up for a boat.

It was a good experience that taught me a lesson that I will remember for a while.

I ate at an excellent noodle bar at The Borgata called NOW. The Beef Chow Fun compares to what I would expect at a restaurant on Canal Street in Manhattan. The room at The Borgata was also very good and the bed was so comfortable that I actually slept 7 hours which is a record for me in a casino.