GOOD START IN ST LOUIE!

Well, as much as I would have liked to win the first tourney up here...the first EVER WSOP event at St. Louis Harrah's...I didn't. I came close...240 started...and I coasted into the money...then got rivered a couple times to lose a lot of chips or I would have probably steam rolled to the Final Table. But I got 12th for $850...so I have to feel okay. After all, I had two pretty monster suck outs early in the tourney...so I was kind of freerolling, afterall!

Everyone is very excited up here. I saw a lot of people I know....spent some time eating before the tourney with some of the other players. Saw Jack Effel from Harrah's...who came out to make an appearance at St. Louis Harrah's first ever WSOP event. He was very nice, we shook hands and he wished me luck. That was a good way to start the trip.

They are talking like there will be somewhere between 1000 and 1500 today. I am sure happy I registered last night! Got a good table draw too....table 29, seat 6. I LOVE seat 6! There are a few things about this place that concern me. And make me realize I need to be VERY careful about how I carry myself.

They have rules here. Lots of them. The dealers...the regular dealers who work the circuit, and some of the 'unnamed' floor people privately told me..."Monkey, if I had seen all the rules BEFORE I got here...I would never have come! Its pretty intense!" So it sounds like they have their work as cut out for them as the players do.

They have a representative from Missouri gaming...who I was quick to go get chummy with in level 2...who walks the floor watching...mmm...not sure. Watching something. But in most casinos...when someone from 'gaming' comes by...its usually for just a few minutes. This guy was on the floor of the poker tourney ALL NIGHT. Very bizarre. I could tell he was monitoring me and how I was doing. Not in a bad way...I mean he was watching me play...how I was playing...and even could hear him commenting on certain hands. I don't know...maybe hes a newbie poker wannabe and is just excited to watch the tourney?

Drinks up here are NOT free! Nope...they all cost money. Water and soda is free. But make the money...and want red snapper shots? You are going to pay through the nose! That sucks! And then...they stop serving I think...what did they say? 1:30? Maybe it was 3:30? Not sure. And the casino literally shuts DOWN at 5:30am. So were this tourney to run that late...I don't know what they were going to do...but it sounded like they were going to just do a chip chop. Wow. That would be kind of shitty. But I mean...what are they going to do???

On the first down...the first level of the tourney...I manage to nearly get in trouble...and I'm like, "come on! No way is this happening!"  I mean, I have come here...to show all the Harrah's people that I am a 'Good Monkey' now and no threat to anyone, anything or any event. I really am committed to that. So when this dealer, 'Billy' starts out the action...it is clear right away that he has issues.

I am later told, by other players...by other dealers...and even by floor people, that he is a complete control freak...always snaps at the players, and always has to be right...I didn't feel as bad or nervous anymore.

It starts with me making my bets. I like to spin my chips in the air, making them land in a way that they 'bite' and flip backwards. I don't know...kind of habit, and I never thought of it being a 'problem' with the dealer...especially since, well...no one has ever made a comment about it. If anything...dealers have occassionally commented on my precision with which I am able to land it anywhere on the table. Guy raises me from the 8 seat, and Im in the BB...in the 3 seat...I decide to fold, collect my BB, the other guys' SB...and spin toss it to him...landing it right in front of his spot. He smiles, the dealer smiles...and the world is a happy place. Right?

Not Billy. This act seems to be a problem for Billy. Where some dealers have been heard saying "Please dont splash the pot sir" which is a perfectly enforceable act...Billy lets fly with this one..."please don't splash your bet!"  Huh?

Cue the next one. Guy next to me is busy paying the waitress. Him and I have been getting along well. He is in the SB, I am in the BB. I gesture to him to post his SB, and he nods. So I grab 50 chips and place them up for him. Billy snaps at to get my hands off the other player's chips. Couple players looks at me with that..."Wow dude, what is THIS GUYS problem!??" face...and I'm like...."Billy, I was helping him out...he gave me a nod of approval as he was dealing with the waitress..."

"I dont care! You NEVER touch another player's chips. EVER!"

Sigh.  I didn't say anything else. Just put my iPod back on.  Wow...do I need this? No! I most certainly do NOT. Just breathe....breathe Monkey...no big deal... no....big....deal....he will be gone soon.

Then...guy next to me decides to raise. As he is putting his bet out, I go to fold my 45 offsuit...and the cards flip over as they hit his chips. Billy immediately retrieves them and turns them over...thus depriving the rest of the players the chance to see the exposed cards. I tell him he probably should show the other players the exposed cards...

"Well, they are in the muck now!"

"Actually, they aren't they are right here....." and as I go to point to them...he smacks my hand away....

"YOU arent allowed to touch MY muck!!!!!"

Oh my God.....okay, enough is enough...a floor guy is standing nearby and hears the ruckus and comes over. Asks what the problem is. Billy, of course puts another spin on it...telling him I was trying to GRAB the cards. Haaa...why would I need to grab them? I don't care about the hand...I'm just acting out of respect to the other players...as I have folded anyway, right? Tell him, all I did was merely point to the cards so he wouldnt pull them into the muck...and he smacked my hand out of the way.

By now I was getting really pissed at this guy, but was STILL trying to stay calm and control myself. DO NOT GET CRAZY HERE MONKEY! Floor guy orders him to turn over the cards...tells him I was within my rights to do what I did...and to calm down and quit snapping at me. I literally saw him whisper in the guy's ear to chill out! That made me feel a little better.

And then...when I thought he was done being a horse's ass...he pulls some MORE BS. I limp in UTG...with A10 offsuit...and when the guy next to me 6x's it with a raise...and it folds all the way around to me...I fold A10 face up and say nice hand. Billy freaks out AGAIN! Literally calls the floor over! Why? Tells the floor...he just folded his hand FACE UP!

The floor asks him..."was there action pending?"

Billy...."well...the player who raised!"

Floor:  "Are you kidding? So Monkey was last to act? Behind the raise? And he folded face up? There is nothing wrong with that. Sorry Monkey...."

Monkey:  "No problem...sigh. Thanks."

Jeezus!

After that guy left...I was pulled aside by the floor guy. He told me I handled myself great. That he couldn't believe I didn't lose it. That the dealer is always like that.

Wow, and I get him on my FIRST level of my FIRST tourney here! Almost felt like a setup. Like they sent him in to see if they could get me to snap and go postal. But I know the guys who run the tourney...so I know that couldnt be the case. But it was just strangggggggge. Incidently, every other dealer we had was fantastic. Just that one hiccup. But what a hiccup.

All in all it was a good night. Had some really cool guys at my table. Phil from Indiana...Smiling Don from here in St. Louis...guy who has the nicest set of teeth this side of the Mississippi and reminds me every time I see him that I need to go to the dentist for a cleaning! And several other guys I play against a lot in places like New Orleans and Tunica. For about two hours we had a really, really good table. Its always pleasant to play at tables where the players are good.

This tourney today should be interesting. 8000 starting chips and 40 minute levels I think? Not a great structure...the same one they were using in Reno. Now the structures though in the $550 and up? Awesome...just great. Can't wait for those events. But today...I think the right strategy is to play a reasonable amount of hands in level 1...at 25/50...dont raise a lot...try to hit a 'gin flop' and get one of the bad players to give me all his chips....a little CDU (courtesy double up) early...then sit back and watch the field lose about 70% of itself...and play super tight....top ten hands primarily...and get it down to 25% of the field, let the chip stacks catch up to the structure...then go to work. That, in a nutshell is how I am going to approach today I think. I expect a lot of people to gamble and go out early. This is the first time they have had a tourney like this up here. I know there are a lot of strictly cash game players here...and I expect them to demonstrate that early...trying to win the tourney in the first two hours. Patience is key today. The payout at the end will justify it.

Now...if you are thinking about coming up here...I have worked out a good deal for all my loyal readers!!! I got them to match the price of the place I was going to stay originally...that was 6 miles from here. And I asked them yesterday if they only were giving me that price...or if I could help them get more customers at that price. They said..."Sure!" So I told them I know quite a few people ....and I will refer them to this place. We worked it out so that if someone calls this place...all they have to say is that they would like the "Poker Monkey Rate" and they will get a room for $49 a night...which is about $30 to $50 (depending on the night) off of their usual rate. Its called WINGATE by WYNDAM...their local phone number is 314-209-0001. Its only about a half mile from the casino. And they have a shuttle that takes you over there if you need transportation. The rooms are great. King size bed. Very spacious...with a microwave, refridgerator and safe. Oh..and free wireless internet. Pretty good deal. So come on up...and gethcha a cheap room compliments of Senor Monkey! And no...you haters out there...I am not getting any kind of a 'kickback' for this! Just trying to help people with budgetary concerns thats all!

I think that is it for today. Going on 11:30 now...and I am going to be on time today! I will send a mobile update and let ya'all know how many they get today!

MONKEY