Imperial Palace Classic

Well we are off and running in the Imperial Palace Poker Classic. It's funny, and cool I guess...when I go to an event, its 85% all the same faces. I've missed them, they've missed me....(or so they say!) and before you know it, we are trading blows. I love poker! Its nice too, to get off of my computer.

Although, I must say, I was enjoying the best month of poker online in over a year. I will end up in the Top 1000 for the month on Pokerstars Tournament Leaderboard and get to play their Top 1000 Freeroll sometime next month. That's cool. But I was ready to 'log off' and get started at the IP. Ronnie and Jim Sterling really worked on the structures, as I mentioned in my earlier blog posting. The sit n go's are much better now too. More chips, better levels.

I have played 5 sit n go's already in two days. I won two of them, though I really should have taken down 3 and probably 4. Just can't seem to get my good hands to hold up. Although I did have 'one of those sit n go's' where nothing could go wrong. First hand of the game....dude raises UTG to 150. Know his game from the Beau, but not his name. Always forget. Used to like him. More later.

Anyway, crazy dude on my right calls. He always calls. Past nemesis from the Beau. Weirdo. I look at 99. Hmmm..think about raising. Better not. I call. This old lady in the SB decided to make it 500. WHAT???? Come on. Its a $60 SNG. We started with 1000 chips. Well the first dude calls. That's right. Just calls. The second guy calls. Well, I am not FLAT CALLING 500! Screw that. Lets just either fold or SHIP IT! And honestly, on the FIRST HAND of the game...I don't CARE if I lose. IT means I am either going to have a HUGE amount of chips early...or get OUT and on to the next game. TIME IS MONEY BABY! I move in!

The old lady calls. Slicked back 80's style hair guy who only puts on his shades way after I have already gotten the read off of him calls. And knuckleheaded weirdo boy folds! FOLDS! yeah...$3600 in the pot...half his stack in there already...and he folds! NICE! Old lady has QQ. Okay. 1st guy...Rick Springfield...has KQ. NICCCCCCE! Nice hand. And he immediately starts clowning ME! "how do you make that call, Monkey!???"

"I don't know but I would sure rather be ME than you right now, especially since I am gonna spike a 9"! Which I do, on the turn...and I never looked back. I MOWED that sng. And everyone was in the last longer.....another $200...which I slam dunked. Got heads up and had the cagey old veteran from Ceasers Indiana about 4 to 1. It was over in 4 hands. Thanks for coming out.

The next SNG....last of the night...a $110. We get down to 4. Its paying three spots. I ask Jim if it's okay that we take a 3 minute 'piss break' if no one disagrees. He says SURE THING MONK. Well, Greasy Rick Springfield dude decides to screw me and announces "I don't want to break up my momentum" and the 'piss break' is denied!

Alright fucker! I move on his blinds 3 of the next 4 hands and become chipleader. "Hey Monkey, if you want we can take a break now." Um.....fuck you. Then it happens. I raise this other guy with AK. HE shoves. Whatever, I call. He has Q10 off. Flop? You know it. Q-10-7. I don't improve. Now short. Move in with J9.

Run into the same guys A9. Lovely. Brick out and bubble to end my night. SHIT. Oh well. The tourney fields have been....mmmmm...lets call them....adequate. 84 the first day ($240) and 81 yesterday (also a $240). The chip counts and the structure are great. Very, very pleased with the job they did on that. The play has been decent. I cant seem to get AA to hold up. Have lost against 55, 77 and KJ with em.

The first days tourney...I got about halfway in....couldn't get paid off on my big hands....hovered around the average. Then in the BB...on a four-way limped pot I flop top two pair...but with a flush draw and possible straight draw looming....and almost half of my stack (amount $1600) in the pot. I move in...andddddddd I get called....by the guy who flopped a straight. How nice. SEE YA.

Then yesterday....I hover around the average again for 4 levels. Then I make a big move/gamble...with a LOT in the pot...and kind of misreading a guy for a hand I thought he MIGHT have had....until he called my all in move with a nice straight AND flush draw and of course, overs to the board......when he insta-called I knew I was up against a set...which I was. I bricked everything and was crippled. Doubled up one time. Then Mr. Aggressive on my right decides to raise my SB AGaaaaaain...and I look down at AK suited....I re-raise. He says "Well, I think that you THINK I am just stealing....hope I'm right." No sir..you aren't, but I'm sure your A8 will probably win. It did. 8 on the turn. And I was done for the day. A

hhhhh but then we had a fun little $100 rebuy tourney to get jiggy with starting at 6. After frustratingly losing two SNG's that I should have won, I decide to take a journey on the wild/rebuy side. Again....great structure. Starting chips...3000....1/2 hour blinds....two levels to rebuy. I end up NEVER rebuying...the action was NOT crazy...so there weren't a lot of rebuys...again, endemic of our current economy I think, well that and we aren't in Vegas!!! I do take the add on for $100. Come back from break and get AA UTG. Decide to limp. Get 4 callers. Uh Oh. Flop J high. I bet 300.

Chick calls. Turn J....lovely. Check, she moves in for 800. Great. Whatever...I call. yep. JK. whatever..next!.....play for another 3 hours, picking up an occasional pot...but really just slowly getting shortstacked. We get to 300/600 blinds...and the first hand in...I'm in the SB...dude makes it 1200. I look down at AA. Hmmm..not the worst thing to look at. OR IS IT!??? I ask him...."do you have any fold equity sir?" I have another 2600 on top of that." "No that's not enough to get me to fold." He calls with 77. Not sure why, but I start gathering my stuff....right about the time I see a 7 hit the flop.

Mmmmhmmmm...typical. I'm out. Irritating. So after two days, I am down a little bit. But I am playing pretty good...and I can feel the respect is there for me at just about every table I sit down at. I know I am finally starting to drag pots based on that alone. Indeed, I have had to bluff about 35% of the pots I have dragged so far. Shhhhhhhhh!!!!

And right now Cub and Gabe are off gallivanting on the plains of Oklahoma playing in Scotty "All in Baby" Nyguyen's deal at Cherokee...so its my chance (9 more by my count) to catch those two for overall final tables and maybe Rounder of the Year points....although, I am pretty sure catching CUB is going to take about 3 1st places and at least 3 other final tables.....gonna be a tough task to pull that one off! But I want to at LEAST TRY to make it interesting!!!!!

Its Halloween today and I didn't get a damn costume together. I really feel like a loser. Because I am usually very festive...and I really feel like I am letting everyone down. I will be taking a bowl of candy with me though. Maybe I will see some trick-or-treators while I am there today!!!! A big shout out to the Phillies and their fans for ending their semi-long run of frustration and taking down the World Series...I have a lot of Philly buds, and I know they must be awfully proud. Good job by the TB Rays too...they had a great season!

For those interested...and assuming Wild Bill gets this update up SOON...my MIDSEASON SURVIVOR POOL starts THIS WEEKEND...deadline to get in is SUNDAY right before kickoff. If you are interested in getting in shoot me an email at ThePokerMonkey1@aol.com.

Also, I had the boys throw Crescent School of Dealing and Bartending ad banner on my blog as kind of a favor to those guys. Great bunch of people over there running that show. About a year ago I almost started attending classes there to maybe line up a gig as a dealer...then all of a sudden I got hot...and now I am able to put those plans on the back burner. In fact, I even gave them $75 to get the license-application process started...not sure where that went...but hey! OH well!!!! So for those of thinking about becoming a dealer or bartender....give those guys a shout....they are good guys, and run a good program. Okay...I'm off to try and take down today's $340, $50K guarantee! I hope to see a LOT OF YOU make your way down to the IP this week to join me at the Final Table for some RED SNAPPERS and/or SNAP MONKEYS!!!!!!!! Depending on how froggy I'm feeling!!!! MONKEY