Hello all that may be reading this. Well, last night was the regional’s for my bar league at Free Poker Network, freepokernetwork.com and I was at the White Bear Bar in WBL, MN.

Well, I was nervous, even though this was just a bar league tournament, it was the most important live tourney I have ever played. So, here are the high(low)lights of last night.

Chips started at 3000, with one person who qualified in two sessions so he gets 6000 in chips but the rest of the table has 3000. Started off with blinds of 25/25 and I folded the first 4 hands to establish a tight table presence and also, because they were crappy hands. I’m in the BB and I catch KQh and I’m thinking that everyone has been playing pretty tight, except for IR woman (she has a black husband so IR means Interracial) and but she folded so I was thinking that this is gonna be an easy pot to score. It checks to me and I raise 3x BB and toss in 75 more. Last position calls, SB folds. Flop comes Jh 8d 4h, I have my flush draw, check to me, I bet 150, he calls. Turn comes 5c, he bets 25, I raise 200, he calls. River comes 3s so I’m pretty sure I have this won because he hasn’t shown any strength at all. He checks, I check and he has a friggin Q5 unsuited. I’m pissed but all I do is take a sip of my beer and say nice hand.

So, the next 45 minutes or so is me folding hands. I caught a A6s and called a 200 bet but folded after the flop when Bad Back guy pushed all in after a flop of Kh Qh 8h and then again, for another 30 minutes, I didn’t do anything but fold hands. Even on my BB’s, I caught nothing and players were getting really aggresive and I wasn’t feeling it so I would just fold.

Got down to 700 in chips and pushed with A7 and caught nothing.

That was my night and it wasn’t pretty.

With that said, I think part of my problem was that I was scared to lose and that is what made me timid…I put too much importance on this tourney and that is what I think led to my not playing well at all. We are in another session now and I have to get back to playing my game the way I play my game. I’ll be posting more and more, and hopefully soon, I’ll be moving this blog to a one of the local poker sites. I’m not going to say which one yet because I haven’t heard that I’ll be writing for them officially yet.

See ya at the tables.

Michael Hughes has been married for 12 years, is a father of two boys ages 5 and 3. He works as an IT professional and is currently working on his B.A. degree in Philosophy with a double minor in Morals and Ethics and Urban Education. He is relatively new to poker, but his goal is to eventually win a seat or qualify for the WSOP. You can find him primarily at Cooper's Bar in Eagan, playing in the Free Poker Network bar league. Contact Michael at MichaelLHughes@gmail.com