Mistakes in the $3k Triple Chance

For the first time this summer I felt like I misplayed multiple hands in a WSOP event.

Hand one:

Karlo Lopez (new to the table) limps in early position. I limp on the cutoff with 98o. Blinds complete. Flop JTx two diamonds. I do not have a diamond. Check, check, Karlo bets 225 into 400. I call. Turn 8d. Karlo checks, I bet 525, Karlo calls. River offsuit ace. Karlo bets 675. I should raise to 2k here I think. Karlo's most likely holdings are KQ with a diamond, AJ, AA. He could have a flush. I think he, being a veteran, thinking player, is going to have a hard time calling with anything but a flush. The way the hand played out, it makes a lot of sense for me to have a flush and not much sense to have anything else (if I raise on the end).

Hand two:

Internet guy raises to 525 mid-late position at 100-200. I call with JhTh right behind him. All others fold. Flop A9h2h. He bets 700, I snap-call. Turn offsuit king. He bets 1600, I tank pretending to have an ace and call. River x he checks quickly. He will have an ace and call here a lot of the time, so I should just make a small value bet bluff in case he was bluffing himself. He can definitely be bluffing if he has been paying attention to me, as I peel most flops in position heads up in raised pots. I should just make a small bet of like 1600 but I totally dogged it and checked behind. He announces "you got it, sevens" and wins.

I was so upset with myself after this hand. The day before, in the $1500 event, I felt like I played some of my best tournament poker ever and was evolving from a decent player into a really good one. But then today I dogged it on those two bluffs and am very disappointed in myself.

The $5k six-max event is on Tuesday. Traditionally, I have used this event as a measuring stick in evaluating my tournament game. I feel like success in that tournament, playing deep six-handed poker, can be achieved unless you really get unlucky. In '05 and '06 I elected not to play it because I felt like I wasn't good enough. In '07 I was starting to feel pretty good about myself after my final table but I got owned by Sorel Mizzi and realized I had a long way to go. In '08 I thought I played it well but looking back I know there was more I could have done. I will be very disappointed on Tuesday if I walk out of the Rio feeling like I made mistakes.