FullTilt strikes back

So I win a 45-seat NLHE Sit & Go on Sunday night.  Just a $1 buy-in event so I'm not exactly quitting my day job after this, but it's still nice to take one of those down.  I was the short stack as the final table started, made some good moves, got some good cards, and always found myself in with the best hand - and they held up.

 

Afterward, I'm feeling pretty good about myself.  I'm learning more and more how to play the game - specifically how to play these online events.  But the thing is that just when your confidence is the highest, something happens to make you realize that you're really just a pawn in the game. 

 

Last night, in a bit of a time pinch, I sit down at a one-table, turbo NLHE event.  Again, just $1 at stake.  And what a difference a night makes. 

• I like to try to limp in with low-to-medium pocket pairs early on in these events.  Every time I called the blind, someone after me would pop it and I'd have to get away from the hand.  Every time it was the right move, but these added up. 
• Every time I called for a half-price flop out of the small blind, the big blind would pop it. 
• I paid to see a couple of other flops which turned out disastrous.

I got away from all of these, but they cost me.  So at Level V (50/100), I'm down to about 900 chips and haven't taken anything down yet.  The good news - I've once again established a tight reputation.  The bad news - I've only got 9 big bets left.  Something needs to happen, and happen soon.

And it does.  In the big blind, I get J-J.  I figure it's time to push.  Well someone in middle position pushes all-in and that has me covered.  The player to his left goes all-in as well.  I figure it's do or die on this hand, so I join the fracas as well.

 

First raiser: 88

Second raiser: AQo

Me: JJ

 

I'm just slightly worse than 50/50 to take this pot down.  Until this happens:

Flop:  Q-J-x

 

BAM!  I'm now 95% likely to win the hand and *triple-up* to about 2400 chips.  Right back in the mix.  The initial raiser needs runner 8s to survive.  The second raiser needs a Q, two As, A-Q, or runner straight cards (K-10).

 

Turn: A (NFW...eh, still 90% to win it)

 

River: Q

 

So the first caller gets a boat - Qs full of As, which trumps my Js full of Qs.  And I ride off into the sunset, once again a victim of the magic that is FullTilt Poker.