If I can make it here...

Today I played probably the most challenging game I think I've ever played. The stakes had nothing to do with it. The opponents were probably of below average skill. I probably learned more about myself and my game than I learned in the 100 hours I played before this one and a half hour tournament.

To set it up, I've been having a horrid run lately. Right now I'm lucky if I can even win a 60/40 at all, let alone 4 or even the mathmatically dictated 6 of 10 times. I had played in almost exclusively sit n go's for the past couple of days due to a small roll. I had gone through 5 of them without even making the money, something pretty unheardof for me. Finally it looked like things were turning around for me, I was hitting flops, playing well and I had developed a chip lead early. I made it to heads up against a far weaker opponent with a chip lead and felt confident in my chances of winning...

Then I found myself in the god damned twilight zone... here's the first hand.

Full Tilt Poker Game #859804418: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (5736004), Table 1 - 150/300 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:44:47 ET - 2006/08/03
Seat 4: Zacus (1,125)
Seat 8: ColdE (12,375)
ColdE posts the small blind of 150
Zacus posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ColdE [Ah Tc]
ColdE raises to 900
Zacus raises to 1,125, and is all in
ColdE calls 225
Zacus shows [5d Jd]
ColdE shows [Ah Tc]
*** FLOP ***
[Ts 9h Qd]
*** TURN ***
[Ts 9h Qd] [9s]
*** RIVER ***
[Ts 9h Qd 9s] [Kd]
Zacus shows a straight, King high
ColdE shows two pair, Tens and Nines
Zacus wins the pot (2,250) with a straight, King high
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 2,250 Rake 0
Board: [Ts 9h Qd 9s Kd]
Seat 4: Zacus (big blind) showed [5d Jd] and won (2,250) with a straight, King high
Seat 8: ColdE (small blind) showed [Ah Tc] and lost with two pair, Tens and Nines

Ok, now that was NOT cool... but it gets worse...

Full Tilt Poker Game #859809938: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (5736004), Table 1 - 150/300 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:46:50 ET - 2006/08/03
Seat 4: Zacus (3,450)
Seat 8: ColdE (10,050)
ColdE posts the small blind of 150
Zacus posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ColdE [As 3h]ColdE raises to 900
Zacus raises to 3,450, and is all in
ColdE calls 2,550
Zacus shows [Kd Tc]
ColdE shows [As 3h]
*** FLOP ***
[5d Ks 9s]
*** TURN ***
[5d Ks 9s] [4s]
*** RIVER ***
[5d Ks 9s 4s] [8d]
Zacus shows a pair of Kings
ColdE shows Ace King high
Zacus wins the pot (6,900) with a pair of Kings
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 6,900 Rake 0
Board: [5d Ks 9s 4s 8d]
Seat 4: Zacus (big blind) showed [Kd Tc] and won (6,900) with a pair of Kings
Seat 8: ColdE (small blind) showed [As 3h] and lost with Ace King high

Ok now that one isn't that bad, but this next one was the one I should not have been able to recover from...

Full Tilt Poker Game #859838384: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (5736004), Table 1 - 250/500 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:57:11 ET - 2006/08/03
Seat 4: Zacus (3,250)
Seat 8: ColdE (10,250)
ColdE posts the small blind of 250
Zacus posts the big blind of 500
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ColdE [4c Tc]
ColdE calls 250
Zacus checks
*** FLOP ***
[6c 8c 2c]
Zacus bets 500
ColdE raises to 2,500
Zacus raises to 2,750, and is all in
ColdE calls 250
Zacus shows [Kd 6h]
ColdE shows [4c Tc]
ColdE: gg
*** TURN ***
[6c 8c 2c] [2h]
*** RIVER ***
[6c 8c 2c 2h] [6d]
Zacus shows a full house, Sixes full of Twos
ColdE shows a flush, Ten high
Zacus wins the pot (6,500) with a full house, Sixes full of Twos
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 6,500 Rake 0
Board: [6c 8c 2c 2h 6d]
Seat 4: Zacus (big blind) showed [Kd 6h] and won (6,500) with a full house, Sixes full of Twos
Seat 8: ColdE (small blind) showed [4c Tc] and lost with a flush, Ten high

Eventually, I came back to win this tournament. By all means, I should've have tilted and it probably, while not acceptable, would have been understandable. The biggest problem with my game has always been patience, I managed to come back and win this game by not letting these beats get to me, (though the last one was close), playing my game and waiting for my opponent to make critical mistakes while not letting myself make them. Hopefully I learned a permanent lesson with this win, and will be able to apply this experience for success in the future... I'd say it's prolly a 60/40 that I do.