Distractions

We are closing on our new house on Tuesday. At that point, for the first time in my life, I will own two houses. Odd thought. We move in one week, and close on the sale of our current house at the end of August.

Things have been crazy busy in my non-poker life. House showings, offers, negotiations, packing, loan arrangements, moving companies, new house insurance, new carpet in the new house, basement improvements. And then there is work, which has been extremely busy. The economy and the legal work is in a slump -- except for me. Every project for nearly every client that I have is active. Meetings, contract negotiations, speeches, e-mail, phone conference calls, court documents, conferences.

Its a wonder that I manage to keep on top of everything. At least I think I am.

So I went to play some poker tonight. Poker remains my get-away from my non-poker life. Unfortunately, life distractions cause lack of focus at the table.

Early on, at the $2-5 NL feeder table, I ran my starting $500 stack up to about $1200. Good start, things going smoothly. By the time I got moved to the main game, I was around $800. Then I play this train-wreck of a hand:

I have about $750 at the start of this hand. I raise UTG with A8-hearts. Mega-rock re-raises to $60. Everyone else folds but me, and I just call.

Flop is Kh-Qs-8d. I check, and Mega-Rock checks. I think he missed.

Turn is (Kh-Qs-8d)-4h. Now I have a pair and a flush draw. I lead for $80. Mega-Rock raises to $300. He has about $300 more behind, very close to the rest of my stack. He just has me covered. I go into the tank and then emerge with this conclusion:

He has AK and is overplaying a one-pair hand, and he will lay down to pressure for the remainder of his stack. He re-raises PF, checked the flop because he had only one pair, and is scared I might have a set. At the feeder table, he gave the appearance of an extremely scared player in several occasions, and I pegged him as someone that could be bet off a hand.

So I push. He quickly calls, and I have that "Oh shit moment." I immediately know I made a bad read. I know what he has even before he shows -- a set of KKK or QQQ. I need a heart to win.

The river bricks out, no heart, and he shows a set of Kings. I have managed to cough up my entire stack on a third -pair, flush draw hand with one card to go when he was already pot-committed and had top set.

What the fuck was I doing? I should have lost only $60 in that hand, and not $750. Clearly I was unfocused and upon reflection I can't imagine ever playing this hand this poorly under normal circumstances.

Yuck.

Strangely, I think the aggravation of not being able to make it to Vegas this year is also causing me some sort of odd poker frustration that I have not experienced before. I am ready to take the next step in poker, but continue to dink around in the local $2-5 NL game, which is the best my little slice of the poker world has to offer. I see some of the players still in the WSOP Main Event, and I so want to take my shot.

Some day.