I.P. has begun, Great room, good turnout...and a Final Table

This is going to be rather brief because I am SO tired, and because I have to get to the IP by 11.

The one thing that they are doing that I DO NOT like at all, that I hope they change immediately, and am sure they will if they get anywhere near the crowds I THINK they are going to get....is not closing registration the night before events at 7pm. And then not opening until 10am? I predict a huge cluster fuck today.

Oh, lest I forget, the turnout for the (I get a kick out of this name) 'Magnolia' State championships up in Tunica were just as I predicted they would be...for anyone who contacted me about wondering if they should attend. Paltry. Its very entertaining to me how they make NO attempt to market those tourneys up there. The averaged well under 100 for every event. Thats just pathetic. I remember a couple falls ago when I went up there, when I asked why they didnt advertise the event in any trade mags or on cardplayer's website their response was "We are really just trying to promote it to the local players." Huh? Go figure. Hey lets run an event, and ONLY market it to those who live within 20 miles of us, and only then through the use of billboards. So stupid.

My day started with a trip to the chiropractor. Whoa. First time ever for that. Guy did X-rays. Asked me if I was hit with a baseball bat when I was younger. Um....really? Are you implying that I am stupid? No? Okay good. Well, yes...I was actually. He told me it was obviously a long time ago, that my vertebrae was all smashed on one side. Wow. Couldn't believe I hadnt had more trouble with my neck. Well he did a bunch of adjustments to me...and then I went and played poker for 10 hours...but you know what? I just woke up, and my neck feels 100 times better today. Thats awesome!

So then I headed straight for the I.P. Walked through the second floor and headed toward the convention room where they are holding the event. Wow! First, I didn't know they had done all that renovation up there. That whole floor looks killer. And TIEN, the restaraut? What a cool looking place! I can't wait to try it out with Squirrel.

Well, when I walked into the poker tournament room, I was shocked. Wow! 40 tables, all nicely spaced apart from each other. Big huge screens, 2 on one wall, and 2 on the other. TV's up and down the walls, about 5 of them. And a kickass Final Table area complete with bleachers that looks just like a WPT Final Table area. Got me pretty fired up to make it up there.

Then I saw a ton of dealers who I know to be very good dealers. Wow...I liked how this was starting. So I decide to play a SNG. Well, there were only 3 tables worth of players there, as it was early...and they were only running $45 SNGS. Yikes! Get into one and can't get ONE player to do a last longer. You gotta be kidding me. About 5 hands in I flop a set of 5's and with a board of Q-5-3-Q-2 get this old guy to completely pay me off holding AK. What? Yeah. I manage to keep those chips...and build a chiplead until we get 3 handed. Its a one winner SNG. Then I go card dead and start to blind down. Probably should have been pushing the button a few times, but folded. Then the ONE time I decide to make a 'play', I shove with 56 and get snap called by KJ...and it holds up. Shit! Out, 3rd and no money.

So I find another one, and talk them into making it a $65 SNG. They all agree, and we have a $20 last longer with 5 players. Okay, things were looking up. Then...about 15 minutes in, I raise with 10-10. This fat guy wearing an Alabama jersey looks me up. Flop comes 9-9-7. With two clubs. Gross. I bet the pot. He flats. Oh great. The turn makes a flush. I just check to see what he does. He checks. Thats strange. The river is a J. I have no idea where this guy is but Im almost positive I'm fucked. I check and he fires out $500. Jeezuz, I fold 1010 face up. And what does this asshole do? My favorite little move. He shows me a bluff! Yeah...shows me 56. A GUTSHOT, is what he called me with on the flop. Then shows it to me. I went into "I want to kill you" mode ....just seething!

Well, I would go card dead and sit there waiting, waiting, waiting for a good hand. So when the button limped for 200, the SB calls and I look down at AK...it all goes in there. Both the button and SB (shortstacked) both call...and I am up against AJ off and A4 off. AJ would hit a four card flush, on the river of course...to beat me. And now I was mumbling to myself off in the corner.

As this is happening they are trying to start another $45 SNG. Please! And I ask the two players there if they would be willing to do a $65 at least. Kid sitting there tells me he can't afford it. Lovely. But then as I was bitching about my AK debacle, he overhears me and starts in with "can I ask you a question? Do you feel like you could have played it any different? It doesnt sound like it...so you shouldn't let it bother you." Um....excuse me...who the fuck are you? Mr, "I cant afford to play a $65 SNG?" Please, do me a favor, save me the feel good lecture. I was probably rude, but oh well, this guy was a retard.

I decide I am not going to sit there and drive myself  nuts dicking around with $45 SNGS, so I go play cash game. And had it not been for flopping a straight and the guy next to me (who was actually a very nice guy, so I wasnt THAT upset about it) flopping a BIGGER straight, I would have actually cashed out +425 for only 2 hours played, but instead I had a relatively decent profit of $165. While I was playing in there Johnny Grooms and Ken Lambert happened by to, I don't know...check out the competition I suppose. I have no further comment on that.

But then Larry Barnett from New Orleans Harrah's also happened by, and we had a pretty constructive conversation regarding that BS over there. He was very understanding of my position, didn't know a couple other things I told him, and pledged to help get me back in there for the December event, so that was cool.

I would cash out at 7pm and go play the first event, a $120 NL tourney. When I walked back into the Tourney room I was delighted to see a nice field...it drew 179 players. Outstanding. I had earlier predicted only 88, since it was early and no one seemed to have arrived yet. I was way off. And glad!

I had decided to turn this into a drinking affair. And usually when I do that I play well and get deep. Well that occur. And I wont get into a bunch of hands, but lets just say I flopped sets three times and got paid off on every one of them by bad players...which is always our wish, right?

Late in the tourney I had Wild Bill at my table...and he was doing pretty good. I was just kind of hovering around the average. We would get deep...and then he ran AK into KK. Bummer. And of course, the kings held. Then I would get a nice double up...with AQ in the BB...guy shipped on me, had me covered...and I called. Him holding tens. On the river I needed an A, a Q or a 3 for a gutshot straight. I got the 3. Sweet.

I would then turn into a bubble bastard when we got to 22, raising about every 4th hand...and running my chips up to well over 80k. I was in good shape. When we finally got into the money I ordered the ceremonial Red Snappers, got 7 to drink them....tipped the waitress $20...and continued on.

With 11 left, I made a stupid play. Holding J10 at cutoff (Squirrel's favorite hand) I decide to honor my wife and try a raise here. Well, I made it 17k to go. (at 2500/5000) And just like always when I try to take blinds with a marginal hand...I get caught! Guy shoves. Dammit. But its 19k to call....and I am getting a little better than 2 to 1 to call, plus as I am looking at him...and thinking about how he made the move, I am putting him on either Ax or a middle pair. I had already made some very sick reads early in the night...and frankly, a lot of the players were freaking out at how dead on I was...so I was really kind of trusting all my reads last night. So I make the call...just hoping to be live.

I was. But he nowhere close to what I thought he had. He turns over A8 offsuit. Wow, the guy has 33k at 2500/5000 and he decides, 2 from the money...to make a move with THAT? Weird! Incidentally, this guy...who's name was Wayne Burnett, and is a friend of a guy, Kevin Veach...from Destin, who plays in all my pools...was actually a really nice guy. I just hate how he played this hand.

Well, I felt better when the flop came J-10-8. Nice! Now hold. Will it hold? Will I become a huge chipleader? Hell no. And ace hit the damn river and I got knocked down pretty big.

Well, two more would lose, I would pick up a couple more pots by shoving A9c and KJs...and I was back to semi-healthy but needing one more big pot to really be a factor. 1st place was going to be $4700 and I wanted it. And wanted it ALL!

Then we go on break. And one of the funniest things I've ever seen (or just fucking weird) happens on my way back from the bathroom. This older black guy...maybe mid-fifties, and short...like say 5'8...come walking in my direction. Well...most of us, when someone is walking on a path directly for us, we tend to kind of vear to the right, correct? Which is what I did. And I was listening to my iPod. Well as I veer to avoid him, I feel something jab me in the side. What the fuck was THAT? I turn around, and the guy is just stopped, turned around and glaring at me. I pull off one of my earphones and say to the guy...."Did you just elbow me?" "YEAH! I did! You were about to run into me!!!!" "Oh my God, pal...no I wasn't! In fact, I veered to avoid you! What is wrong with you!??" And he starts telling me he is going to kick my ass! I was just standing there, jaw agape....just kind of in shock! I mean...what in the hell do you do here? What exactly are the options? I just looked at him...and said "sir, you clearly have mental issues man...really, find some help pal..." and walked away. I told a security guy what happened and asked him what I should have done. "Well, really the guy assaulted you...and if you want we can run back the surveillance and have him arrested." Wow. Really? Well, I didn't pursue it. Why bother...the guy clearly has big enough problems in life. But how weird was THAT?

I go back for the final table...which was up on the cool final table stage. So nice...first event, and I made it to the promised land. Well, I wouldn't last very long. When I got there, these guys were all chirping to do a chop. I had no interest. I didn't play 8 hours to get to the Final Table...and then quit and take $1500. Screw that. I wanted it all! And felt like I was the best player at the table...so I was willing to go for it.

Stupid decision. Shortly after putting on the Final Table Monkey beads, and ordering a round of SNAP MONKEYS...the ceremonial FINAL TABLE shot...for the table...and watching another player (very cool move) get the $20 tip this time I decide to so something really assinine. I decide to play the devil....K10. In bad position. UTG+1...and I thought about raising, but it would be 75% of my stack. Nope, if I'm gonna play it, I gotta jam it...for 43k. Blinds were now 4k/8k...so picking up a pot right here of 17k would REALLY help me out. So I shove all in. Oh...and I get looked up...by the one guy at the table who is going to fold to me about 97.5% of the time...so I KNOW I am fucked. Just hoping I have live cards. I have live CARD. A 10. He has AK of course. And it holds. And I am out. 10th. For a whopping $354. Nice play Monkey. Retard. And as soon as they get me out...what do they do? A nine-way chop, of course. For like $1600 each. Wonderful. And of course...as every Final Table player at this event wins a seat into the WSOP freeroll they are holding at the end...I missed out on that as well. Shit!

Very bad way to end the night. But...on the bright side...I started out the tourney with a Final Table...well sort of. I have a hard time counting 10th place as a Final Table...but I guess I WAS sitting up there! And I did play very well all night, up until that J10 and K10 hand. Dammit. Oh well...my neck feels better, I got some sleep, and I am ready to go kick some ass at noon today.

I expect a big field. Saw a lot of the old faces last night. And though I started getting a little boisterous and had to be shushed a couple times by Chris Sparks, I had a great time, and I know a lot of the other players had a lot of fun last night too. It was a great time...and I really look forward to having a great week! They have some of the best dealers working this event so it should run very smooth! I hope to see all of you! If you are a reader, and come by to play...make sure to come by and say hi! I had one guy who reads this regularly watching us for a couple hours...and one point defended my ability to write. Not sure how that came in to play....but it was nice of him to have my back!!!!!

Good luck to all of you....YOUR GONNA NEED IT!!!!!!

MONKEY