We all Donk sometimes – at least I did

Last night was the final game of Season 3 for the Twitter Poker Tour – Euopean edition which started at 2pm ET or 7pm BST hosted by the Twitter Poker Tour and played onFullTilt poker.

There were 13 entrants for the final game. After the first hour of play, I had gained the lead and after two hours there were just five of us left with me still having the lead. I was the under the gun player and was dealt Qs 9s and opened with a raise of 800 chips. The blinds were 200/400 with an ante of 40 at the time. I got one caller heads up. The flop was 9h Qh Js.  I put in a C-bet of 800. After a couple of seconds my opponent shoved all in for the remaining 5,080 chips. I thought about it few a few seconds, which as you will see, was an error, and I called.  I turned over my Q9 and my opponent turned over KK.  This should have been an easy fold. Pre-flop, I did not have a made hand but just a draw.  I had only hit top pair and did not consider what my opponent could possibly have such as AA, AK, KK, KQ, QQ, etc.

There really was no reason for me to jeopardize any of my chips or my lead with just a drawing hand. Donk. Donk. Donk.  What was I thinking? Not, of course. But wait … the turn was an eight … I was saved … two pair … wow … I could just coast to my fifth TPTE win .. WooT.

But the river did not forget my Donk call and a King hit giving my opponent trip kings and about 7,000 of my chips moved away from my stack to my opponents. From that point on, I made a series of bad moves designed to give away the rest of my chips. I was not patient enough to recover and regain the lead. I finished in fifth place.

When ever I make bad decisions like these, I usually beat myself up for about 24 hours or so. But, I can go on to the next game and not let it effect my play. After busting out, I joined in two H.O.R.S.E sit and go’s and placed second in one and next to last in the other. Currently I am not a good H.O.R.S.E player and need the practice.

Have you ever donked in a tourney? Did you ever make a move that did not have a positive? Did you go on mini-tilt afterward? How do you handle making bad decision?