Texas Holdem Tournament

As many of you know I went to Las Vegas last Friday.  Since I was arriving several hours before any of my friends I decided to get in to a Texas Holdem Tournament.  Here is the story on how that went: 

Ever since our little group had kids we have been playing cards most Saturday nights.  It is entertaining, inexpensive, and we don't have to worry about getting babysitters.  We often play Texas  Holder  and I enjoy it.  We have also played with groups of other people and I have done well.  I had also played in a cash game in Las Vegas last time we had went and I had won $200.00.  So when I had read on the Imperial Palace web site that they had a Holdem Tournament every day at noon I wanted to get in.  So I budgeted an extra $60.00 just specifically for that tournament. 

My  plane got in as planned right around 10:30 AM.  I walked all the way through the airport to where the shuttle busses were picking people up.  It was about 10:50 AM at the point that I got my shuttle ticket.  The shuttle driver told me there were no more seats, and I would have to wait for the next one.  I gave him my best boo boo face, and he told me if wanted to sit in the front seat next to him I could get on this one, he said it would be a bit bumpy and uncomfortable, but I said I would take it. 

Unfortunately the Imperial Palace was the next to the last stop and by the time I got there it was 11:20 AM.  When I got there I went right the poker room to get signed up for the tournament.  I was tired and hungry, but there was not much time to rest or eat.  After I signed up for the tournament I went and checked in.  By the time I was able to get my luggage up to my room I had just 15 minutes to get back down to the poker room before the tournament started.  I gobbled down a handful of snacks that I had brought on the plane with me, but did not eat on the plane, and then I rinsed it down with some water for the sink and headed quickly towards the elevator.  Luckily the Imperial Palace is not as big as some of the other hotels, and I made it down to the poker room with 5 minutes to spare. 

The lady pointed to the table I would be sitting at for the tournament, and I sat down, and assessed my competition.  I managed to get in conversation with the 3 gentlemen who were there, and attempted to try to sum them up.  That is when I found out I was at the wrong table, either the lady told me wrong or I misjudged her pointing.  I am thinking Oh, great I am already looking like an air head now. 

Now I didn't really have that much time to get a bit acquainted with my new table.  I did talk a little bit with the guy seated next to me who happened to be quite cute, and who I am sure was flirting with me.  But I am a married woman and did not really have time for that.  The room was full of men except for one other woman and myself.

I made it through the first level before the blinds were raised.  The first blind raise was pretty significant.  Shortly after the blind raise I made a mistake that I will forever kick myself for.  I had a decent hand and decided to stay in.  Everyone else folded except for one other guy.  The bidding came back to me and I checked.  The guy bid 500 which was pretty high (we were given $3000 in chips for $60.00), I thought that since he bid so high he was trying scare me off, and that he was bluffing.  Then it was back to me again and I checked.  I should not have done that, and I knew I should not have done that the minute after I said it.  This showed weakness or a lack of confidence in my hand.  So this jerk bets 1000 on me.  I am completely sure he is bluffing now, because this was ridicules amount of money, I was sure he was just trying to scare me off, so I through in $1000 dollars worth of chips.  Guess what he wasn't bluffing. 

That little blunder along with blinds had left me short stacked, and now I only had $400.00 in chips left.  This is not a good position to be in when the big blind is $300.00.  At this point I was dealt 2 Aces.  This is a very good hand, and I thought I might have a chance to come back if I could just win that hand.  A guy in front of me bid $500.  So I did the only thing I could do and I went all in.  Meaning everything I had.  It was not to be for me.  The flop did not reveal any more Aces, and the guy next to me ended up pulling two pair and beating me.  I was not ashamed of that play though, I did everything right there, it was my earlier mistake of being taken for $1500 chips in one hand earlier in the game that was my downfall. 

I chop it up to the fact that I was hungry and tired and a little on edge from having to rush.  The mistake I made was one I never would have made under normal circumstances.  I was angry at myself, because I made a mistake that most men would expect a woman to make and I did not represent very well for women when I did that.  I have been playing cards for years, and I know darn well the worst mistake a woman can make is show weakness at a table full of men.  Had I not checked and had indeed at least re-bet the same as the last bet the guy probably would have just matched my bet.  Instead he saw a lack of confidence in my hand and bid high, and I mistakenly thought he was bluffing me.  His hand was not that much better than mine and had I shown any strength at all he would have backed down.  I still would have lost $1000, but I still would have had $900 left which would have put me in a better position.