It’s after three in the morning and I find myself tossing and turning in bed. I’ve decided to put the time to good use and update my blog. I played the 1k rebuy event today and was in for a total of 5k. The 879 player field was a really strong one in spite of the 50k Horse event starting today.

My tables were extremely tight and it was difficult to find a spot to gather some loose chips off the felt. So I played a deadly patient game of” wait for the premium hands and see if they show up.” With 140 players left I was dealt my biggest hand of the day. KK. A late position raiser moved in on my re-raise from the BB and after my call tabled AK. An ace flopped and I lost the 60k pot and any hope of winning this event. Still, I took away some important lessons.

It seems I’ve been faced with a lot of adversity on the felt as late. Losing AA’s twice in the Mixed event to send me home. In the 1k Bellagio event losing A8 to A4s who called my big re-raise all in move and gutted me. But I don’t report this as a grievance of bad beats. I report it to say that I have learned more from this adversity then perhaps I would have learned had I won the event. It just doesn’t feel as nice.

I cashed in the 1500 NL the other day, finishing 142 out of a field of over 2700. But with no day threes as yet it was pretty disappointing. Still, I feel as though my reads are good and I’m getting my money in most of the time in the best situations. It’s just the fact that you can’t count on short term results to satisfy your ego. You have to be able to see the big picture and take pride in your play along the way. The thing I took away from today is not the cash but this understanding;

“If you’re not responsible with your good fortune then it will be squandered away in the same wreckless manner in which it was attained.”

I realized this after losing a big stack a couple of times in bad situations. Today, I corrected myself and maintained the discipline and patience that it takes to win in the long run. This accomplishment will give me a better opportunity to succeed in the upcoming tournaments. I really settled in today and I plan on doing the same thing tomorrow even though it’s a six handed event. Maintaining composure in the face of adversity is so important and is so much easier when you have the discipline to wait for the right hand for the right situation.

Enjoy the Journey,

Kenna James