Ugh...before I begin, let me say that this is a tale of misery from a trip in about May of 2009. However, I feel like maybe if you read and commiserate with me, my trip in June 2010 might not have this bad beat again.

To preface, I'm in about day three of my trip, and up about $300 (thanks to a straight flush at TI for a quick $200 bonus), and now a few buddies and I are playing at the Rio post-buffet.

I sit at 1/2 NL with about $100 (I'm a low-roller). I am not real impressed with the players at the table, but they don't seem bad enough that I can't take advantage. I build up about $250 off of just playing solid poker and taking advantage of mistakes. Then the hand that haunts me:
I am on the button, UTG (a very tight guy hardly played a pot) goes all in for something like $120 preflop, UTG+1 goes all in over the top for something like $250, folds around to cut-off who calls the $250. For those of you scoring at home, we're looking at about $620 in the pot pre-flop before I look at my hand and clearly I'm thinking 1 or more of these guys has a high pair (KK or AA). I look down at the dreaded AK off. I go into the tank, summon Sklansky and Harrington and try for the life of me to figure out what to do. Figuring, I'm in a world of hurt if I'm up against AA or KK, and not in great shape against other high pairs, I fold (still the right move...the post-mortem proves it). All three flip their cards, and UTG shows JJ, next shows JT, and CO shows a middle pair (I think 88). I'm fairly happy I didn't play until the flop comes K-K-A (I almost fall off my chair)...only thing at this point that could have beat my AK (had I stayed in) was running 8s for quads. Instead, turn comes J, river comes...wait for it...the 4th K. I don't remember if there was any Quad jackpot, but it was definitely the dagger. I had to take a short walk through the casino for about a half-hour after that one.

I come back from the walk, throw another $100 at a different 1/2 NL table (one my two friends are at). I normally don't like playing at my friends tables, but what the heck. The short of this story ends about 5 minutes in when I am something like 4th to act with KK. I bump it to $15, my buddy calls. Flop is A-Q-T. I figure I'm good unless he's got an A so I make it $20 more. He puts me all in. I think about it...(I have 2 of the K's, and I come to the conclusion that he's messing with me and he doesn't have an A, and even then I have two K's and 4 J's if I'm screwed). He has big slick and I'm stuck $100. Looking back on this one...not a very good move, but sometimes head-to-head preflop you gotta believe the guy doesn't have an A (or K-J...which was pretty unlikely since I had two of the K's). Big slick 2, me 0.

Playing a deep stack tourney at Harrah's a few days later, about 8 left. One guy on the opposite seat of the table is making a sick run of catching cards with crazy momentum (I usually stay away from these guys unless I have a monster...at least until they cool off). I can't remember exact position of this one...but I bump it up about 5X big blind with...you guessed it AK (off)...mostly hoping to steal or see a reasonable flop since I'm about mid-level stack. Uncle Mo' (we'll call him) calls me...head-to-head with Uncle Mo' (always a losing proposition). Flop comes A-K-7 rainbow giving me two pair. I want this pot right now to stop him from making a straight or something more ridiculous, so I shove (maybe a little overzealous, but I had maybe 2-3X the size of the pot in front of me). I'm hoping his A-J or K-Q is getting killed. He turns over my worst nightmare...the walkin' sticks themselves for a set of 7s. Grr...I bleakly watch hoping for my 2-pair to make a boat much to no avail and wander back to my hotel down 0-3 to Big Slick. Post-mortem on this hand...I don't think I really played too poorly...I probably would have called his all-in either way. That's poker for you sometimes! Still ended up about even for this trip, and I can't wait for my June trip!!