The cruelest game

Decades ago, I was interested in backgammon, and bought a book called "Backgammon: The Cruelest Game". Its awesome title has stayed with me all these years. I'm here to tell you that there are moments when poker usurps the mantle of cruelest game. I experienced such a moment last night. On the final hand of the only tournament I entered, I was two spots out of the money. I'd been dealt pocket eights, and was up against an opponent who'd been dealt KJo (king jack offsuit). The flop came 9s 8d Kc, giving me a set of eights and my opponent a pair of kings. At this point, I was a 94.85% favorite to win the hand. My opponent bet 5,700 chips on the flop, and I smooth called. The turn was the nine of clubs, giving me a full house, and my opponent kings up. At this point, I was a 90.91% favorite to win the hand. My opponent bet 6,000 chips on the turn, and I called all in with my last 4,825 chips. My opponent only had 4 outs - he had to hit one of the two remaining kings in the deck, or one of the two remaining nines. I had 40 outs. Disastrously for me, the nine of diamonds spiked on the river, and that was all she wrote. Definitely a cruel, cruel hand; one of the cruelest in recent memory. My blue distance is now in shouting distance of $10,000,000.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    87      55   12    14        0

delta: $-250,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,769,500
2018 balance: $-612,000
balance: $44,901,260