Going Back In Time

I was listening to the latest podcast of Cash Plays with Bart Hanson and a great question was asked.

If you could send yourself a brief message back in time to when you started playing poker, what would it say?

That's a great question. At first thought I might say don't even start to play but I love playing poker too much. Another answer I could come up with is to not take as many shots at bigger games as I have done in the past. I think the best answer I can come up with though is Learn Pot Limit Omaha as fast as possible. I could have had a jump on the game. All this time I spent playing Razz back in 2005 and 2006. Damn it!

Let's take the question one step further. If you could change the way you played one hand in the past, which would it be? That one is unfortunately all too easy to pick. Back to the 2006 main event. Late in the second level I had just doubled up to 32k (back then you started with 10k). In the same lap I am in the big blind with 8,7 and see a flop 6-ways for free. 600 in the pot and the flop comes down A,8,7. I lead from the BB with a pot sized bet of 600 and only the UTG player calls. He had around 20k to start the hand and was playing very loose and moderately passive. The turn is pure gin, another 7. With 1800 in the pot I lead for 1200 and get called. With 4200 now in the river is a Jack. I lead for 2000 and get raised to 5000. What the fuck just happened. The one thing that came to mind was A,7. Not sure why you would play that UTG though. Before I called I said this is the greatest just call I have ever made cause I am not folding. He flips over, wait for it.........

J,7!!!!!!!

What the fuck just happened? If I fade the 3 outer on the river and conservatively say he just calls my river bet there I am up to 37k in chips with the blinds at 50/100. With that stack I could almost walk into day 2 and see what happens. I know I would have tightened up a ton cause that's how I played back then. Instead I am down to 25k. Keep in mind that 250 bb's is plenty of chips here. I however never recovered from that beat and was knocked out in level 4 when KK<QQ all in pre-flop for my last 10k. I actually thought about it before calling my opponents 3-bet shove, lol!

The simple answer is to take a walk after I won the pot. Go get a soda, go to the bathroom, whatever.

Still kills me to this day.