Why is everybody always picking on me?

"Poker... an elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you could find outside an advertising agency."- Raymond Chandler

I have always considered myself a pretty good poker player. I have read several books on the subject, and have played for a few years with decent results. Lately though, it seems that every $50 deposit I make at Party Poker is money pissed right down the toilet. It isn't so much that I feel I am making very bad errors. On the contrary, I think my knowledge of the game is at a higher level now than it ever has been. I used to be an extremely aggressive player, and would occasionally win SNG tournaments by simply running over the whole table (balanced with some flame-outs). Now, I play a more conservative game, tightening up my starting hands on the early levels, value betting, not bluffing as much, etc.. I still shift gears as necessary, and bully blinds later in tournaments when I think its justified, but as a whole, I play far more "by the book" hold 'em than I used to.

The problem is, it seems like I have been the victim of more bad beats lately than ever before. Granted, I am well aware that by tightening up my game you are always more suceptible to "bad beats" because more often than not, you will be getting your money in with the best hand. But some of the beats I have been taking are really starting to piss me off. For example, I was playing $25 pot-limit omaha yesterday, a game that I have found to be fairly soft as most people have no real clue how to play omaha. I call the blind with K,Q,10,7 with the Q,10 of spades. Flop comes J,8,4 with one spade. The 5 or so players in the pot all put in another $1, and I decide to call hoping for a 9. Of course the turn is the beautiful 9 of spades giving me the nut straight and a straight flush draw. Three people try to limp in for another $1, but I am not having that, I go ahead and raise it up to $10. Everybody folds except for one guy who raises me all-in. Beautiful, I'm just hoping that a spade doesn't fall as he may be on the ace-high flush draw. The river comes with a red 8, and the chips all go his way as this monkey was going all in with 8's and 9's, and just filled up his boat on a 4 outer.

Also yesterday I played two party poker step 1 tourneys, finishing 4th my first try, then winning and playing a step 2. On the step 2 I limp in middle position with J,10 off and see a flop with about 4 other limpers. 8,9,J is the flop with two spades. Not bad as I have top pair, an open ended draw, and the J of spades. I may have overplayed my hand by getting into a raising war with someone holding Q,10, but nevertheless that is how my luck has gone as of late- another $50 goes bye bye.

Other beats that pissed me off this weekend: My AA loses to AK (all-in preflop)
My KQ loses to Q,7 (all-in preflop.. bubbled out of the money in a tourney)
Guys unimproved AA,rag,rag wins an Omaha pot where I had 18 outs twice to scoop a $80 pot.

I think I'll stick to yahoo spades.