Back from a weird weekend in Vienna

That weekend went a little unexpected but it's one I will remember for a long time. After busting out from the Staatsmeisterschaft I was of course dissapointed. But there's not much I could have done different so no regrets.

It still amazes me how often people like to take coinflips very easily. I know myself that AK is a tough hand to fold. Especially from the blind. But it still isn't a made hand and most times it's a coinflip at best. So in a deepstack tournament (fast structures are a different animal) what sense does it make to commit 5,400 chips more (to the 600 from the BB) in exchange for a coinflip and giving up the right to act depending on the texture of the board? To be honest I was delighted to see that I had live cards, a flush draw and wasn't running into a made hand. Losing that hand sucked but that was the best possible spot for me to come back.

The next morning I looked out of the window and it was a grey, foggy and cold day in Vienna.  But I wasn't really unhappy  that this wasn't a day for sightseeing because I had an appointment with a book. A book I had started on my train ride to Vienna and that caught my attention so much that I was kind of happy to have the time to continue. So I went to Starbucks and continued reading Mike Matusows "Check-Raising The Devil". If you haven't read it until now I suggest you do. It's not the usual poker book and if you are an emotional person it will go deep under your skin. Of course it teaches you that you should avoid drugs (and it does it the hard way) but between the lines there's are so many lessons about poker and live it's unbelievable. But you have to be open minded to find that little gems between all the darkness in Mike's soul.

It may sound very strange but as depressing the book is in general it is indeed a great motivator too. I went to the Montesino for the 7pm tournament (which was played in the not so cosy 3rd level room due to the Poker Grand Slam running upstairs) and was really pumped to play. I was already well motivated before the Staatsmeisterschaft but I was even more that evening. And amazingly I had a great run until the first break. Unfortunately that run ended after the break and I wasn't able to keep up with the fast structure. At the end my timing was way off when I went in with AQ and was called from AK and QQ. I had even outs for a lucky straight before the River but a third King sealed my fate.

61st out of 158 wasn't a great result but there was more for me about that tournament. The great feeling about a rush at the table was back. The enjoyment when you are able to push people around. Of course good cards and good hits help a lot. But even more does help the right attitude and the passion of trying to take another one down. It didn't work out that weekend but it's just a matter of time until the next big hit. I had a horrible year so far but that doesn't matter anymore as I am now looking just forward again.

The next morning I almost missed my plane as I got a wrong schedule about the first subway leaving at my hotel for some reason. But again things turned out the right way as I reached the nightbus stop right on time to make my flight back to Munich.

I didn't cash that weekend but I won back a lot of confidence. And confidence can be worth a lot. So I don't count this as a losing weekend ... in some way ;-)