Taking stock

So now I'm down $1253. I'm not thrilled at the tally but I really wouldn't change a lot about what I've been doing.

Yes, I've donked off some of my chips. I should have reasoned that I was putting my money in bad a couple of times but I was reviewing how I got stacked and here is a recap of how I lost my money:

* Pair of Jacks versus flopped set. I slow down enough to not get felted.
* Pair of Queens loses to a backdoor flush that the player didn't realize he had.
* Dominating AJ to A7, flop trips and get all money in before he rivers a house.
* AJ verus AA on an A high flop.
* Go out in tourney trying to get lucky with 9h Th and am dominated by pocket Tens.
* Pair of Kings, overpair to the board, to flopped straight.
* Chasing with outs. I am 40% to win on the flop and have am getting 2:1 on my post flop bet. 30% to win on the turn and push with the rest of my stack for my claim to a $500-ish pot. Draw a two-pairing "blank" on the river.
* Lose with top pair top kicker to turned straight.
* Donking off chips seeing too many flops.
* Bust out of tourney trying to make a move which I should be doing with any two cards but do with suited connectors to improve my odds. Run into AKos.
* Lose with top pair second kicker and open ender to flopped straight.
* Get felted with the third nuts on the flop losing to a flopped straight.
* Lose with top pair second kicker.

Can't say that I'm really unhappy with my play. Yes, I donked off some of my chips. But I have also played very very patiently. I've waited for premium starting hands. I have even foregone some of my favorite junk hands! ;) For a stretch played only super-value hands where I could see flops for the minimum. I have known when I am starting with a less than ideal hand like KQ. Got in trouble with them but at least I'm consicous of going in light. Thanks Marsh for recommending "Zen and the Art of Poker" which I reviewed on the flight down. I can probably count on two hands the amount of hands I willingly entered today at the MGM. I was not put off. I didn't feel that the deck "owed me" better cards. I didn't mind folding in the SB with crappy cards. I have lost with some great second best hands and have gone in way ahead and gotten drawn out upon. I cut WAY back on donking chips today. I guess overall, I wouldn't really change my play so the rest just comes down to the cards falling my way or not.

Sounds like we're going to party down at Mandalay Bay tonight so I'm going to try to find a game and meet up with the guys after they have dinner.