I played at the tightest table I've ever played at before - Internet and live. I mean, seriously ... almost 2 of each round of blinds went uncontested to the BB ... except when I had the BB.

Here's the funny thing. When a table tightens up, it often is quite beneficial to open up and play aggressive. After about 10 minutes of absolute crap, I got my first playable hand ... 75hh in mid-late position (I think I was two off the button). I raised it 600 to go (200 was BB) ... and immediately get reraised 1000 more. I fold it.

So I decided that maybe it's not so smart to make plays at the pot ... I have zero table respect and too many new players for me to get a handle on how they play. So instead I decide then to play supertight. I will wait for the monster hands, pick up the blinds and maybe a call... and grind out to the final table.

The poker gods decide that this would be the best time to blast me with the worst string of cards ... ever. I was there for close to two hours, and I saw exactly two legimitately playable hands: AQss and 88. I get the 88 UTG (duh), so I simply call it and hope to flop a set or flop all low cards. Three overcards hit, and I fold for the price of BB. No big loss.

Then I start picking up cards like K6s, A3s, 74o, 23o, 59o, 94o, 78o ... just horrible horrible cards. If I could pick up something remotely playable in LP I could raise the pots and pick them up, except I'm not getting ANY cards.

The one time I pick up AQss (the other playable hand), I raise it 4x the BB from EP. BB calls with K6s and catches two pair off the flop. Ridiculous. Luckily I folded it off the flop before getting my chips in the middle ... I don't ever want to get busted again with a bitch in my hand.

After that, I get nothing. Nothing at all. Eventually blinds get to be 600, and I pick up 47o in the BB. MP limps in, and SB completes. So there's 1800 in the pot. I have about 2200 (I believe) left ... flop comes 843. Looks like a great flop to me (MP can't possibly have that 8). I go all-in (the pot) and get called almost immediately by MP with 66. Great.

This is a world record tonight: I did not win a single pot tonight; not even the blinds!.

I have now become a statistical anomaly ... how long can a soul go on without catching some cards? At a table where I have no respect I cannot win. Let's hope Thursday brings a change in fortune.

Oh yeah, this is mainly for Terrence, but Alex's left vein in his neck pulsates noticeably when he's bluffing. I didn't notice this before; I'm not sure how I didn't notice this ... but my god. What a tell. Next time you play at a table with him, observe the left (left to you) vein as he bluffs.