Won another one...and almost ANOTHER ONE!

Okay so now its just kind of getting funny. It's really fun when you leave the house with 'X' amount of money in your pocket and come home with 'X-times 10' in your pocket. Of course its even funner when you come home with 'X-times 100' but not much I can do about a small turnout. Still, every night has been a blast. Well, last night...not so much, thanks to our stupid cocktail waitress. But whatever.

I guess I am already getting kind of behind here. Lets see, when we last left off I was telling you how I won on Friday...then fell short on Saturday...and I think was going back to play on Sunday. Right? Well, Sunday I won again. And sure there were only 21 players...but whatever...I won! And when I got heads up, it was with Ross Leitz...this guy I met in New Orleans last month and who has been popping up on my Facebook a lot. Ross is this mountain of a guy who plays a lot of cash game. He played very well at the Final Table. Have to give him a lot of credit. When presented the opportunity of chopping heads up, I declined this time. I wanted it all. So we played it out...and after about 20 minutes or so, he raised me a little too much...I looked down at AK and shoved on him...he called with A8 and that was all she wrote. Winner of $2100. Which the dealers got $250 of.

Then I proceeded to the cash room with Ross. After about 2 hours and close to what I started with...I flopped open ended and tried to bet my ass off and get Ross to fold...check raise flop, pound the turn...crush the river...and he called with just a pair. Ugh. Asked if I was mad at him. NOPE! Not at all pal. But I am going home now! No big deal. I am trying to get in a total of 15 hrs in cash this week, because they are doing a 10k freeroll for all players who log 15 hrs. of play this week...to run on Sunday. Would like to be able to play that.

Spent all day yesterday trying to get on top of all my pools and Fantasy League payouts. Got a bunch of guys waiting to get paid. But its a bitch kind of...making sure I pay the right people the right amounts and everything. Got a bunch out...more to get out today....and then trying to work the mail...as I have payments pouring in for my NFL Playoff Pool..that got a record 139 entries this year...and then my always popular Super Bowl Squares...that are already rapidly filling up. Busy time of year for me!!!

So last night...I put the check book down at 5:37 and make my way to the IP. Get there only 10 minutes late this time. Started slow. Lost a few hands. Won a few. Was at about 5k. Then on a 7 high flop with all hearts and me holding A8 withe A of hearts...SB bets out 250. I make it 750. Other guy makes it 2250. Okay...figure he has like a J or Q-high flush already. First guy folds and I decide I'm going for broke....I was right..he had J9h. I turn the 10 of hearts. Nice! Thanks dealer! And I was on my way.

Got that up to 12k...then I raise...get re-raised by this guy Zach (cool dude, made a Final Table with him in the  Omaha tourney here in Nov.)...and since I have JJ...and Zach is pretty aggressive...and he has enough to where I think I can make him fold, and I secretly think he has 10-10 maybe...I re-raise him all in. He starts tanking....okay good! So I know he doesn't have AA or KK. Thats good. But just when I think he is about to fold? He calls. And turns over QQ. Ahhhhh shit. Damn. Nice hand, man. It holds...and I was crippled. Bad.

But I didn't give up. Nope. Kept my cool. Blinds were still only 150/300 so I still had a chance with $2450 in my stack. I would battle my way back. Picking up little pots here and there....until finally I got back to 9k...and just hovered there for awhile. We got down to the Final Table finally...and just sat and let bad players make some bad plays...until we had 6 left. And then...I just kind of took over. It was only paying 3 so I had to be real careful.

This guy Justin and I decided to start drinking snappers...as I had been holding off all night. Well, we get the dumbest waitress I think that works there. They have this 'policy' where you aren't allowed to get two drinks at the same time. Duh, we all know about it. My wife is a cocktail waitress too. But its just 'one of those rules' that is there for the casino's protection...so people don't get tanked. There is a certain amount of discretion that can be used on that one. Like...you know, drop off the shots...go serve your slot customers...then come drop off our beers. But oh no...she made a big deal about it...telling us she can't bring another drink for 20 min's? What? Come ON! I mean...all week in here I have been shooting this girls (me and the table combined) at least $80-$100 a night...pretty much MAKING their night for them...and now we get this lady? It wasnt like I NEEDED a drink. And frankly she just kind of killed everyone's buzz. So then the Beverage Manager comes out and informs Bill Bruce of the policy...so now the dumb dumb waitress had REALLY screwed things up. So that was it...I just quit drinking em.

We get down to 4 and this guy on my right....Larry, a guy all decked out in Florida Gator gear...who I have never seen before, is very shortstacked. Him and this older guy I play with a lot...both short. Cant think of the older guy's name...but hes really nice. I really didn't want him to bubble. Just like I didn't want Justin to bubble...but when Justin went all, with 5 left, and in my BB I look at Ad6d...it wasnt much more to call. I flipped a coin. Heads I would call. It was heads. He has 99. Nice. Then I flop two 6's. Ugh. I felt bad, and gave him a hug. Then I gave a hug to the other guy when he bubbled. They were really good sports about losing. Now its just me, Larry and Zach...who has the chiplead...but I'm close behind. I had made the mistake of telling Larry when he had 2 BB's left that I had a feeling he was going to make a huge comeback and cash.

Well, yeah...I was right. Oh by the way...Larry has a major hole in his game. He pulls his cards up OFF the table...then turns them so you can clearly see them. Oh. Thanks. So early in the tourney...with him in seat 6 and me in seat 7...he would show me his cards....KJ one time and A10 another...and both times I had better hands...so I would either flat him...see the flop and react to the flop...or I would just move in on him. And of course every time he would fold. He really needs to fix that little problem. He's really new to the game so I assume he will.

Well, Larry ends up taking out Zach. And now has a shit load of chips. But I am not too far behind. He offers to chop. Its $2100 for 1st and $1250 for 2nd. Nope! No thanks. He even tells me he will let me sign for 1st place. Nope! Not the same. I want to win. Make it 3 out of 4 in these. Its not the same if you just quit playing and 'say' you won. I didnt care much about the extra $450 I would get either. Just wanted to win.

Well, I would get nothing but garbage hands heads up. And when I did try to make button raises, stealing with shit...'ol Larry would inevitably ship on me. Ughhhh. It was a trainwreck...and Larry just silently dispatched me rather methodically. I lost. 2nd place. I hate 2nd place!

I then went downstairs...to put in some more hours in the 1/2 game. Bought in for 4 hundred. It was a pretty soft table. And I was not drinking. And being patient. Finding spots. Would run 400 up to 700. Then with KK...this black guy from Atlanta who had just sat down was talking all kinds of shit to everyone who would listen to him...within 5 minutes the whole table hated this guy....would call my raise...flop a Q...then when I bet big he moved in on me. I called. River was an ace...and he turns over AQ and starts chirping. I didn't say a word. Not a single word. Everyone is looking at me, waiting for me to go off on the guy. Nope. No need. I will get him.

And I did. With him now holding 450 chips....most of them MINE....I would get KK about 6 hands later. Yep...Kings again! I raise to 15 and get 5 callers. Standard. Flop comes K-9-4. Yahtzee. I check. He bets 45. Nice. Everyone else folds. I min raise him to 90. He insta-shoves. I call. He turns over KQ all proud...I don't turn over my hand yet. Turn is nothing, river is a Q. He does a mini-celebration....I'm giggling inside...and turn over my set of K's. You had to be there to truly appreciate the stupid look on his face. And his quote made the whole table laugh...."nice catch, man." Yeah....sure glad I caught that K! Cuz I sure needed to catch there!  He would end up leaving about 10 minutes later....after sitting there very quietly for the last 10 minutes. I would later see him playing $5 blackjack!

My favorite play of the night though...came after this girl sat down. I was feeling...I don't know....like 'playing poker.' I was in for $5 live straddle utg. I look down at 7-9. Everyone calls...and when it gets to this girl she says..."I have to raise." And she makes it 15. Well...had I known how the board was going to play out? I would have just called. But I'm thinking...and I said..."well, if I call you....EVERYONE is going to call your $15, and I just don't want to play this hand 7-handed...so in an attempt to get you heads up...I will raise it another $60." And predictably they all folded, except her....no, she moved all in. Uh oh. And I WAS putting her on AK. But now I'm not so sure. But I have also created a situation where I am now getting 2.5 to 1 to call her all in. And though I know its a bad call....I make it anyway. And when she turns over AdKd I breathe a little easier. I don't turn over my hand yet...if at all possible I don't want to HAVE to show it! Flop comes 9-5-5...nice! Hold baby! The turn? 9! She's drawing dead! Sweeet! And then, just for good measuer I river the last 9! QUADS. And I felt her. She wasn't too happy. I offered her $100 back...she declined. Cool. At least I tried! She was actually really a nice girl too, I had nothing against her at all. Just felt like making a play...and got really lucky.

Well, I would end up cashing out with a +800 session...so in essence, I might as well have won the tourney upstairs, right!????

So in other news...I'm getting various reports from the Bad Times casino...but nothing real news worthy. A couple good players who I like have either won or gotten deep. Makes me real happy for them. And the trophy that they are winning is cool looking. Like the ones up at Goldstrike last fall. I don't really have the need or the desire to do any bashing of them. Why? Cuz I really could care less. I am doing great over at IP this week...I am having a fun time, and I have a huge event at Venetian coming up, as well as some LAPC and Reno events...that should give me plenty of shots at some huge payouts. In case anyone missed it, The Venetian has struck up a deal with Pokerstars...NICE! Under the tab of NAPL...which I think stands for North American Poker League...you can now satellite into the Main Event at the Venetian. Cool, should really increase the numbers there even more. And now...every Main Event Final Table there is going to be televised. This could finally be my shot at some real exposure. Could make for an exciting event.

As I am typing this...my wife here is getting ready for work, and ranting. She has had to work every day this week..and a lot of that in the poker room. One thing about her...you will NEVER see her not smiling at work. You will NEVER hear her complain on the job, or say anything snyde to a guest. But at home. Whoa...I get it all! You assholes who demand two or three bottles of water...and then give her a buck?  Gee thanks man. And the principle concern seems to be people's hygiene. And its been confirmed for her by a couple of the players that she knows well, that are friends of mine. She said she walked into the poker room the other night and about threw up. I gotta take her side on this. One thing I am pretty good about it bathing. In fact, one of the things I'm big on is taking a hot bath, or at the very least...a shower...while on dinner breaks. Mainly to get and feel refreshed heading back...but also out of consideration to my fellow players. There is one certain dealer...and I have witnessed it myself on three seperate occasions...I won't say his name...but he strikes a resemblance to Elton John if you look at him right, and loves to spout personal stories while dealing...regardless of the importance of what is going on at the time (ex: blinds 500/1000...a raise, re-raise and an all in.....and him just continuing to blather on...) and he happens to smell horrendous nearly all the time. Well, two players were telling her two days ago about this very dealer. "Oh yeah sweetie, I know exactly who you are talking about."

Yo! People...its not that hard to bathe every day, is it? And if your shirt stinks? Man...please wash that shit! Wash it in your bathtub...then hang it to dry. Quit making us all suffer the pain of smelling your awful B.O.! Its not cool!! And look, I know that I take care of the waitresses better than 92% of you...and thats fine, I don't expect ya'all to go broke tipping out...but quit being so effing cheap! Times are tough..and a lot of these gals are single Moms. Quit insulting them with your DOLLAR tips!

Um...I have me a...what shall we call him? Oh I don't know...he is the President I think of the "I hate Monkey Club." I haven't posted his last two comments. And now he's telling me its because I am a coward and have no balls. Well...I think you all know just how big my balls really are, and that I am the furthest thing from a coward. This guy tells me if I want him to come up to my face and tell me the shit that he has been posting on my message board...that I have refused to publish...that he will. Really? Okay...you know what asshole? Come up to my face and tell me who you are...since you claim your reasons for posting anonymously aren't because you arent man enough to sign your name to it. No? Prove it. Come up to me. Tell me that same shit face to face. Then when I invite you out to the parking garage to break your jaw...don't say no. And no...there really isn't anything to discuss. You are nothing but a punk. I win. You don't. You have a problem with my beads and my crystal monkeys. Who cares? I don't. You think the Bust The Monkey Bounty idea was stupid and self serving? That no one would care? Ok. You're opinion. But when 10 or more players thought it was brilliant...and even the tourney directors liked it...gosh, maybe, just maybe its a good idea. Its not about me thinking I am anything special, loser. Its just the fact that I do happen to know about 85% of the players down here...and they all know that I would make it a lot of fun as they tried to bust me out.

But you are one of those lonely souls....those sad, jealous little pricks...who gets his momentary flash of joy and/or excitement when he posts a message slamming me on my blog. And then...probably ten minutes later...you moment is over. And its back to your miserable life. It sucks for you pal. And no, I will NOT post your stupid messages...not until you show yourself. But I do like the fact that you are reading my blog. Must mean that secretly, there is something lacking in your life that you need to find...and reading my blog is a place you are looking. Thanks buddy.

Good luck to all of you...whatever and/or wherever you are playing this week! I hope to see a lot of you over at the IP at 6pm every night this week. Its a lot more fun when a bunch of you show up.

MONKEY