The Ultimate Beat.

It is 12:10am.

The Main Event is probably now down to about 14 players.

At 11:35pm, my tournament ended. After 11 hours of play.
With ACES. I didn't get cute. I didn't limp. I didn't min raise.

In fact, under the gun, I raised 3 times the big blind. Two doors down, was Dan Walsh, a guy I have been buddies with for about two years now. Dan had just managed a couple of huge double ups before coming to my table with around 90K. I raised with 28K...and still needing to chip up to get to average (about 35K). On our previous break, I had talked to Dan out in the hall...about strategy the rest of the way, and about the other players at our table. Dan told me, and I quote, "if YOU raise Monkey, I am only going to play back at you with TWO hands....AA or KK...." so when he started eyeballing me after I raised UTG...I literally told him "Dan, I have the kind of hand that I will give you $100 to re-raise me with!" That isn't new for me, I say things like that all the time, to everyone. Obviously, I wasnt afraid of getting action holding AA! In a tourney here last year, I raised UTG with AK and when it folded around to the BB I offered him $100 to put me all in. HE DID! With A4d. He made a flush. Talk about embarrassing. I had to laugh though...I got what I deserved! Well, in this case, it was a little bit of both...sort of my warning shot across the bow, as well as an invitation to double me up. I know that Dan percieves me as a VERY tight player...especially this LATE in the tourney and this CLOSE to the money. And him telling me (maybe he was kidding, or setting me up, who knows) he would only re-pop me with AA or KK was interpreted by me as him not wanting to donk off the chips he had just acquired. At 90K he was in really good shape. No idea what was going through his head when he looks down at JJ and decides to push on me. No idea at ALL. I have always thought that Dan was a bit like me...when I get chips late...and it is way above average, I go to great lengths not to lose them. Whats ironic is that in the previous round I had just folded JJ in the BB...to an UTG limp, and a late position raise. The raiser on that hand showed QQ. Another big/good laydown.

So what does he do? He puts me all in. Great right? Remember two weeks ago at the Beau Rivage...when, at the Final Table I raised, and dude looked down at JJ and moved in on me? And promptly flopped a JACK? Remember that? First place that day was $4500. First place today? $104,000. In a year where I have been getting SLAUGHTERED.

I have just played maybe my best tourney of the year. 122 players started. In the first two levels I got AA, KK, AK, AK, JJ, JJ, and QQ. I won all of them all except the two JJ. I still only had 14k to show for it. We had us an old guy, GENE...you would know his face if you saw it....COULD not be expunged for the life of me. I doubled him up shortstacked with my KQ vs. his 69 offsuit. Then he moves on me again behind my AK raise....his 77 gets called by me....I flop a K....he rivers a damn 7, and instead of having 15K right there...I drop to 4500. I keep it together. I work my way back up to 13K again. He continues to get low and suck out on the river with his banzai all in plays.

Finally, after the dinner break, he busts out. THANK YOU! Now maybe I have a chance. I get QQ and raise UTG. Middle position guy moves all in. I tank forever, and finally fold. Face up. He shows me QQ. Great. I still don't tilt. I pick up a couple more hands to raise with. I keep hovering around the average. They are dropping like flies. I start ordering Red Snappers. I am feeling it. Things are coming together. I get JJ. Guy behind me raises. I move in on him. He folds to me...shows 99. This is it. Things are clicking. Everything is FINALLY going to come together. I am going to keep picking up pots. People are going to continue to lose. Before I know it...we are going to be down to the Final Table. I am going to go home...all excited. Get some sleep...prepare for tomorrow. Go back all fired up with a chance to win 100K!

So, Dan...my buddy, goes against his claim...and moves all in on me. I am obviously not folding AA. He turns over JJ. Can I fade the two outer? Can I double up to around 70K? Which would put me in GREAT shape 11 from the money! Can I possibly FADE this one time and get 2009 back on track?

What do YOU think?

Another dealer who is on my Facebook...Jim Peck...slides the flop out...and its Q-J-5. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Do I hit an ace on the turn or the flop? Of course not. And that feeling befalls me, the kind where you feel like someone just ripped out your insides. I collect my shit. I don't even look at Dan, who I want to KILL right now. I am filled with so many emotions I can even describe them. I go down the escalator, and just fall to my knees.

I just do NOT get it. WHY? Why is this happening? Over, and over, and over this year? What did I do to deserve this? Who did I screw over? What act of bad karma did I commit? I go find Squirrel, who is working in craps. To let her know the bad news. I fight off tears. I know that sounds totally gay. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. I am completely devastated by this one.

So...here I am, sitting in my bed, with NOTHING to cling to that will make me feel better. I was having the perfect day. Had a great table. Never got moved, not once. Had a great table image. Got great hands to play. All my laydowns were good ones. All my calls were good ones. Had a fun time cutting up with Johnny Groomes all day. Everything just seemed so perfect. And then I get two freaking outed by JJ. Again.

My backer is on a plane right now...flying back from Spain to the US...after her 2-week cruise. All I could think about was sending her a text message "WE ARE AT THE FINAL TABLE!!!!!!" But instead she gets this crap. Again. I wonder how much of this she will take before she gives up on me.

To those of you who sent me your encouraging emails and texts all day and this past week...thank you. It does mean a lot. I think I may go into hiding for a few days, maybe a week. Who knows. I don't think I have much else to say....other than this. Whoever put this GINORMOUS CURSE on me, please tell me what I have to do to get it taken off of me!!!! Please!!!!!!

MONKEY