We're Not there Yet?

Last night I spent all of three hours grinding away at the tables in a large multi-table tournament. True, this is my nightly ritual and I enjoy playing this particular tournament. I have acahsed several times and made the final table a few times over the past 2 months or so. I thought last night I was finally going to reach my goal of getting tot he final table with a substantial amount of chips.

Seriously, when you get to the final table and have a large chip stack it gives you that added boost of confidence knowing you are not simply looking for a hand to push with. No, this time it was going to be different. I was playing a bounty tournament and had knocked out four players on my way to the final eighteen. Now I am an average stack and the hand of my tournament is dealt to me in the form of [Ad][Td].

The action folds around to me in the cutoff and I decide to limp into the pot knowing I have an aggressive player to my left. This time he just calls and the blinds complete and check.

The flop comes down [9d][8d][J]!

I couldn't have asked for a better flop. The button bets out $8k. I immediately push all my chips in the middle and he insta-calls with [J][2].

Yes, he immediately called with Jack Deuce. I was shocked but happy for the call. I was in a great spot with so many outs in the deck. But as the first card came out it seemed like they were being dealt in slow motion. Then the second card came out and neither one of them got me the double up I so badly desired. Before I knew it I was out of the tournament wondering what had gone wrong. How could I not get there?

Unfortunately, it happens in this game of poker and last night was one of those times. I can't wait to do it again in tonights tournament. But this time I am going to hit that card!