Pocket 8's

I have been playing just tourney's and sit n go's lately. I have been getting pocket 8's a lot. I don't have specific stats on the hand but if I had been getting Aces as often, I probably would be purchasing lottery tickets. The thing is I can't win with the 8's. I have played them all different ways and only won for the first time last night while heads up, uncontested. I have had them easily 10 times a day for the last 3 days. One tourney, I had them 5 out of 20 hands. I am probably being conservative in my count here. The thing is I have yet to flop a set with them. In fact the set has not gotten there on either the turn or river as well. The only hand they would have won was to a raise and re-raise AK vs AQ that never improved.

My question is this. When a scenario such as this occurs, how does it affect your play concerning the individual hand in question? Do you get to the point that you fold it immediately? Or do you play it hard? Just knowing that the set, or even the quads must be coming. You are due, aren't you? Or do you play it just as always? Like the weak middle pair it is.

I know the answer is that results should never affect the way you play the game. But come on, we are all human. The answer is in the margins. It is the gray part of poker that may or may not make us winners or losers. I would bet that if you could look at your play objectively, you would see that you tend to drift one way or the other. I am in the camp that says I am due. I will pay steeper prices to see flops. Float bigger bets for just one more card. Even call all in pushes in 2 spots.

I know this is a leak. And the fact that I have not gone broke with 8's in the last few day's tells me it is a small leak. I can live with that. I can live with that because if I were to go the other way, I shouldn't be playing the game. Overplaying an individual pair because you think it is due speaks to aggression. And we all know you need aggression to win at this game.

I played in the 1 p.m. tourney at Harrahs yesterday. I took fourth for a nice little win. My first table I sat next to a really nice twenty something guy who really livened up the table. He talked about hands he wasn't involved with a little too much, but other than that he was fun to play with. If checked to him, this guy never looked at his BB and always checked. A check in the dark always followed if the SB did not raise. He said it was because he always loses with his BB. This is so bad and we all know why. He let past results dictate his future play. He gave up the greatest advantage that playing the BB gives you and I am sure it has cost him money.

He is a glass half empty guy. I guess that makes me a glass slightly fuller guy.