Well, it's been another eventful couple of days poker wise.

Yesterday was the $2k NLHE, it was a strange tournament.

I don't really feel like going too much into that one so I'll just give the cliff notes:

I won my first ever flip in a WSOP NLHE tournament outside the rebuy period, and had 3x starting stack at the first break.

Then I bluffed off 50bb in a spot that was fine vs a bad player but bad vs a good player (live misread by me on player type - he called me down with ace high).

I still had average stack after that though, and I made the dinner break again!

But then I went card-dead over that crucial 3-4 hour period in the mid to late part of day one where your stack goes from double average to under average if you don't luckbox some double-ups, and we all know I would never actually fucking cooler someone in one of these things ever.

So my stack went short over time and I got it in good and chopped then got it in bad and lost.

Today I went down for the 2500, and for some reason I felt really tilted and angry at my starting table... you know when live players just get on your nerves sometimes.

It was the first time I'd really felt tilted/frustrated this trip - despite having had 9 losing days in a row or whatever I have been in pretty good spirits.

So I went and found Stevo on the break and had him prescribe me some herbal medicine to relax a little bit, as I knew I needed it (not trying to glorify smoking but my god it helps cope with being stuck in a donkament).

Came back inside feeling relaxed and focused, found a masseuse when I got back to the table, and got settled and ready to grind.

And I started playing well. Really well.

I was seeing things so clearly, making all the right moves, ducking and weaving as well as attacking...

One hand I threebet a button opener from the BB with A8o, he called, and the flop came AKQr.

I checked quickly, he thought for not long and bet half pot.

I said 'really?' with a frown, and while he was in the middle of replying 'well i know you dont have anything' I folded the Ace faceup before he got all the words out.

He had JT and spent the next 20 minutes going on about it, I mean, there's nothing special about the hand but I really was seeing things very clearly....

I didn't even bother kidding myself that I might be giving him action.

I busted anyway though of course, lost QQ vs KJ and then A3 vs KJ zzzzzzz.

I walked out of the room in frustration initially, but then as soon as I got into the sun I felt completely different.

I started to feel like I was healing, being revitalised.

So I decided to go and just sit in the sun and listen to music for a while to unwind.

While I was doing that I decided that I would in fact play the $2500 6-handed LHE later on that afternoon, and to best prepare for the event I would go to the gym first.

So I worked out, then I went in the sauna for ages, and by the time I was done I really felt like a new man.

Come 5pm I sat down at the table ready to grind.

By the first break I had double my starting stack. In Limit Holdem.

By the second break I had triple, and was possibly the chip leader.

I played a few hands quite well I thought.

One hand I opened the SB with Q7o, BB called.

Flop came 763r, I bet he called.

Turn came a 5, I check-called.

River came an Ace... I decided a donk-bet would look ultra full of it and could induce a raise from his air, plus I can valuetown worse 7s and other pairs, so I led out.

He raised and I snap-called. He mucked.

Another hand I had 76s, raised from cutoff, BB defended.

Flop A62, he check-raised me.

I called, turn paired the 6.

He bet again, and whereas I'd usually insta-raise, I decided best line was actually just to think a bit and call to try and induce a potential river bluff... because everything else I beat only puts in two more bets anyway, and I can value-raise the river and get him to wtf call.

So yeah, similarly to before, nothing amazing about those hands or anything but I just really felt like I was playing my A game.

But then of course, when the blinds got huge, I started running so bad

First I had KJ vs QJ vs AQ on QJJxx for millions.

Then I threebet AA from bb vs cutoff, he called, and then he raised my flop bet on 875hh.

I called with the plan of calling down on bad cards, check-raising the turn on blanks.

Turn came 6 obviously, I check called.

River... Th.

I checked planning to call, but then when he bet it really felt like he had it, so I started playing the game 'think of one single plausible hand he can have here that you beat'.

And there were none....

Flush draws got there, T9 JT type hands made a pair and he wasn't good enough to turn those into a bluff, he would have just checked them back.

So no missed draw makes sense.

So what is he supposed to have? KK? QQ? He just wasn't that good.

So I folded and he said he had a flush and I believed him.

Then I had KQdd on the button, and threebet a gentleman's open.

The BB coldcalled 2, and the PFR 4bet.

I just called as did the BB, and the flop came Q 7d 3d...

We got 4 bets in (BB folded), and the turn somehow peeled off the 2 of diamonds...

PFR check-called.

River... 4 of diamonds. PFR bet out.

So sickening lol. AAd obviously.

So from those 3 hands 80% of my stack was gone, and then I ran AQ into AK cutoff/button 4bet pre flop A42 get it all in by showdown.

It was incredibly disappointing to get punished so badly after trying so hard to do all the right things, and feeling like I was playing so good!

I know I just have to keep doing it, doing the right things to take care of myself so that I can keep playing well even through failure.

It's so important to stay positive, but it's also important to stay realistic and aware of the bigger picture.

So I've been making a real effort to eat well and exercise, spend time in sun, etc, so that if I do end up blanking everything for example, I can still go home feeling good about myself in other ways!

Last year was pretty brutal cos I lost a lot of money but also gained like 5 kgs, and went home feeling bad about pretty much everything.

Not going there again.

But yeah it's only been 7 events - such a long way to go, plus I already made 3 dinner breaks!

That's practically day 2, which is practically in the money, which is practically the final table, which is practically a bracelet.

Tomorrow is the first $5k event, I'd do anything to day 2 it... gl me ;[