Mohawk Casino

I went down to the Mohawk Casino in Akwasasne on Saturday. I played in their $87 freezeout tournament. We started with five tables, and I got knocked out when we were down to 3. Things went well early, as I build up my $10,000 to around $18,000 in the first hour. But I then misplayed my small straight to love half of that.

I was eliminated when I tried to steal the blinds with :Qh :3h,
and was called by the big blind who had :Kc :Qs.

To the cash game I went. The smallest no-limit game they offer is $2/$5. So I sat down with $300. Again, things went well when I got my stack up to $500 in the first half hour. But then, this hand came up.

I'm the dealer, and I have :Ac :Kc

There are 3 limpers, so I make it $25 to go. Two of them call.
Flop comes :As :6c :5c.
I'm thrilled, I have top pair top kicker, and the nut flush draw.
One player bets $45. The other calls, I raise it to $125. The original better calls, the other folds.
Turn is :6d
I still think I have the best hand. He checks, I bet $200. He calls.
River is :4h
Board is now :As :6c :5c :6d :4h
The other player has only $50 left, so I bet out the $50.
He says he has no choice but to call, since he hit.
He shows :7c :3c
... he hit his gut shot straight, when he was really chasing a small flush that I would have crushed.
So I lost a big pot (around $850), when I was a 93% favorite before the river.

Later, I have about $220 in front of me, and I'm dealt :5s :6s.
There is a raise to $15, and 2 players call, so I call too.
Flop is :7d :8d :9h.
It goes check, check, I bet $40. I get one caller.
Turn is :3h
I don't want anyone outdrawing me, since I think my hand is best (I didn't put anyone on the big straight). So I go all-in for $175.
The same player that outdrew me on the big pot earlier, says he can't fold because he has top pair.
So he calls with :9s :Jc.
He needs a 10 to beat me, so I'm pretty happy, until I turn over my cards and see that I actually had :6s :7s, and not :5s :6s...
So I needed a 4 for the straight, or a 5 or 6 to win, and I didn't catch. Costly mental mistake.

I re-bought for $200, and went up and down - coming back to my original $500 3 or 4 times. I was thinking of leaving, calling it a day when I was dealt :Ah :Ac.
There are 2 limpers, so I raise it to $25. The two blinds, and the two limpers call.
Flop is :9h :Th :2c.
One of the blinds leads out for $75.
Two players fold. Now I have the gut feeling that I'm beat, and I should have thought about it and decided to fold - I should know not to risk my whole stack when my gut tells me I'm beat. But I acted quickly, and raised to $200. The other player quickly goes all-in for $175 more. So now, I know I'm beat. I think he has two pairs. So it's costing me $175 to win $525 if I catch my two pair, or a set. I reluctantly called, and he shows :9s :Ts. My hand didn't improve, and I was now down to $130.

I went all-in with :9d :9h after one player raised to $20, and one called. They both called.
The flop came :Kh :Td :7c.
One of them went all-in, and the other called.
They showed :Kc :Qc, the other :Kd :Th.
But a miracle came on the turn, the :9s.
So I tripled up to $370.
But I was still steaming from the AA hand, and on the very next hand, I lost patience and gambled.

I'm dealt :6d :8d. A very agressive player makes it $25 to go, and a new player min-raises to $50. I call from the BB. The agressive player also calls.

Flop is :4h :5d :Ad. So I have a gut shot straight, and a flush draw. I check, thinking I'll go all-in over the top of anyone who bets. But they both checked.
Turn was a :Th. I thought they were both afraid of the A on the flop, so I bet out $75. The agressive player goes all-in, the other folds. I decided this was it, I was going home win or lose, and I called. I didn't catch and I was broke.

I have to stop thinking like that... gambling for no reason at the end of a session. I should have kept the $300 or so I made on the 99, and just left. Instead I have this mentality that I need to either make money, or lose money - not being satisfied with breaking even or losing a little. It's always all or nothing.