The "streak" is over

Since the inception of the bar poker league "Poker Challenge of America", I have always made it to the final day of the season finals tournament and only one NOT made the final table.

Well that's done now. For the first time I got knocked out on day 1. I did see some spectacularly bad play at my table as well as some solid play. I was getting short stacked, 2 people limped in for 400 and I pushed all-in for 2200 with K-Q off-suite. Only the under-the-gun limper called me so I expected a big ace or a small pair. He called with A-3 off-suite. I was actually happy with the call because it was virtually a coin flip (58-42 in his favor) his ace high won the hand and I was done.

What gets me is that many players in Florida both in bar leagues and in casinos, consider hands like A-3 off-suite premium hands. I have seen a player call a preflop re-raise (the raise was to 7 dollars with 4 callers) of $50 with a suited A-3, then call an all-in bet of $135 with bottom pair (I had a set of Queens) and a backdoor flush draw. Yes he hit his flush.

I guess God smiles on the stupid and mentally impaired.