Dry Hole at Binions.

Well that sucked! 10 hours....then splat!

But honestly, I really didn't have too many regrets. I had a table that would never break...so I knew I could settle in. I had a very likeable group of players too...and most of them were pretty skilled.

Christina Lindley was at my table. Made a few astute observations about her, about her game. Most of which I would never post here for obvious reasons. But one I will. On break I approached her about one little 'flaw' as I see it, in her repertoire. When I told her....she tells me she refers to a poker mentor for almost everything, and that he disagrees with my assessment. Hmmm. Tell me what YOU think:

Three or more people limp into a pot with the blinds at 150/300 or less...and you are in the SB. Are we completing the BB there with ANY two cards or not? I didn't think it was even much of a debate. When I first started playing poker tourneys in 2004, I was pretty naive. There would be hands at 100/200 when 5 or 6 people would limp in, and I would fold for 100. People would shoot me looks of disbelief. Some would even snicker. Some would even ASK how I can fold there.

"hey man...I have a lousy hand...and I value my chips!"

Nice comeback Noob Monkey. But wrong...as I would later find out. Or learn. I mean...when you are getting 8 to 1...or 12 to 1....sometimes, to complete...with upside being hitting a magical flop and winning a huge pot for that 100 investment...it makes ZERO sense to fold there. Anything. And I suppose after watching my 2-6 folded hand attract flops like K-2-2....or J-6-6...I started to come around. Now its just automatic. As I am pretty sure it is with most experienced players.

However, after tellling her this, she conferred via text with her 'mentor' and reported back to me that he says 'fold' in that spot. Hmm. Well, okay then. To each his own.

He has apparantly taught her another move...that a handful of players seem to be doing a lot of. It involves masking their physical tells. Moving like a slug when making their bets. Sloooowwwww....methodical....blinking in slow motion....showing the facial expression of a dead person....and for someone like me, with my O.C.D. issues...after about 5 hours of it...it becomes a real irritant. The guy sitting next to me...Steve something...Bramlett? He appeared on Poker After Dark last season...after winning the Howard Lederer Benefit Tourney at Golden Nugget...him and I became pretty chummy, and were both cognizant of the 'roboto' pattern. But it got really funny when this other kid came to the table, sat in the 10 seat...and started doing the same thing. He would later lose on a bad beat. Well, kind of.

I started really well. Got QQ early...raised light. Got smooth called by the German guy behind me with KK. Flop came Q-9-7. Led out. He called. Turned a boat. Led out. He called. River was not a K. Bet. He called. Nice pot. Then my AA held up. I turned my 30k starting stack into about 42k. Things were rolling along and looking good. Then I got clipped. Old, tight guy in the 4 seat raised from 150-300 to 850. I looked at KK. I decided not to re-raise. I flatted. All the others folded. The flop came Q-7-7. Should be a good flop. He bet 500. I raised to 1500. He just called. Hmmm. AQ? JJ? KQ? No idea. Turn was a 8. He checked. I bet 3000. He called again. Now this was maybe where I should have got a little cautious..but for some reason, I'm still thinking AQ. River was a rag. He checks AGAIN. Wow. I have to be good. I bet 4000. Now he min raises me to 8k. WTF? Now I get that sick feeling. Kind of hard to fold now. I pay him off. HE has a set of Queens! Almost a carbon copy of the hand against the German...only in reverse. That really stung...and sent me down to below the starting stack.

I would hover around 24k for several levels. Then I would have the level from hell, right before dinner break. Raise UTG with AQ. Get FOUR callers, including Christina. Flop comes A-Q-J. Two clubs. Rough board...kind of. With 5400 in the pot I lead out for 5200. Christina does her slow, robotic....staring at me...dramatic......smooth call.....great! All others fold. Turn is a 4...of clubs. Great. Flush draw? Got there. Set of Jacks? King freaking ten? I check. She fires...wait! Fires? That would suggest she acts quickly. She...gradually easessssssss....8500 chips into the betting zone. I have to be beat. FUCK! I fold.

Then on the last hand before dinner, it limps around to me in the BB. I look down at JJ and raise. I get called by the first limper...a notorious bluffer and over-bettor who would later get busted...by Christina...on a call that should have been an insta-call...but took her about 8 minutes to finally pull the trigger. Well this clown calls me with a weak ace. Flops an ace. Raises my C-bet...and I was done with that hand...and went to dinner struggling with an 11k stack. But the blinds were 400/800 when we came back, so I wasn't totally dead.

When we came back, I picked up AQ...raised. Got a walk. Then picked up 99. Raised, got a walk. Cool. Coming back. 14k now. Right about now...this guy in the 1-seat had worked my last nerve. I had slapped the nickname of  'Twitchy' because he twitched a lot. And talked really, really, annoying fast. And to top it off, he had a toothpick dangling from his mouth...which ALWAYS drives me nuts. Steve next to me was having a good time with it too. We both wanted to bust him so bad. He was sitting over there not-so-discreetly flirting with Christina the whole time he was there. He was...how do I explain him? Like one of those guys who gets all decked out in gear to go play softball. Know the guy I'm talking about? Ugh....die Twitchy....die!

I have to say...the turnout for the event was impressive. They only got 108 last year. Yesterday they got 214. I don't know if my promoting here and on Facebook helped, sure it did...since I got several inquiries from people about it....and saw a lot of good players that I know real well show up. It was a very talented field of players, which I always enjoy. We weren't busting anyone from our table...so our table was sitting there with about 35-40k average stacks...while mountains of chips were rising all around us.

I picked up AKs utg at 600/1200 and raised to 3300. I got called by the button. The flop came A-4-5. Rainbow. Decided to check raise the guy, because he is super aggressive...and regards me as super tight. I checked. He bet out 3500. I only had 12k behind. Rerasing to 8k and leaving 4 behind would look awfully fishy. So I went all in. He called and turned over AJ. Okay...cool. Then the dealer slaps a J out there...and before I can get the sentence out of my mouth...."there ya go...2010 in a nutshell" he puts a King on the river! Wow! Really? Could this be where we turn it around? Is this the start to a late charge this summer?

Nope! I would be at 33k after that hand...and felt pretty good now. But things would turn bad. A couple of raises with middle pairs would go up in smoke. Then a long period of being card dead. Then finally, sitting on 6 BB's...in the SB...I got raised for the millionth time by the same guy...and shoved. He had AJd...I had A2s. I didn't hit a 2 or a flush or a wheel. In fact, he made a flush. I told everyone good luck. And I left. At 10pm.

I had no regrets. Felt like I played well. Had a good table. Had a fun day. Met some cool people. Just didn't get the breaks when I needed them. Didn't get paid off on certain hands. Just wasnt my day.

Then I go to O'Sheas. Buy in for $200. And within two hours had run it up to $750. Then it all went south. Throw in a wacko black guy who showed up at our table...wearing these ridiculously dark glasses that he had to peak over every time it was his turn to act. His main priority was making sure he had a cocktail. He slowed the game down immensely. And then...he started getting lucky. A lot. And against me every time. Then he starts talking smack. A lot. I never said a single word back to him. Not a word. But the other players, you can tell they were getting uneasy. And I think some of them were expecting me to snap. But I didn't. I could care less.

"Hey bigshot! Mr. Chipleader! Look at you man. Your losing chips now! Where did your chips go!??? I knew you had nothing! I knew it! I'm gonna get all you chips! Your not so bad now are ya Mr. Chipleader!"

Oh boy. I was actually kind of just laughing inside...at how hilarious this place is. About that time a fight broke out. Over the singing of the Jimi Hendrix tribute band...which was actually pretty great...this Marine, who had just come in with his new bride...who was carrying a handful of roses...apparantly had one of those moments that I wish enlisted me would learn how to deal with a little more maturely...you know that type?

Marine: Hey man...what are YOU looking at?
Drunk Guy/Pervert: What do you mean what am I looking at? Whats YOUR problem!?
Marine: I'm about to be your problem!

Then one thing leads to another...fists start flying...guys get arrested...another gets thrown out...roses get shattered into a thousand petals...new wife is crying...Marine husband looks foolish...and their wedding night is essentially ruined. Welcome to a life of living with a raging maniac maam.

I love our military. I love what they do for us. But what I really love, are the soldiers who come home, and respect the uniform they wear enough to treat it with dignity and the honor it is supposed to convey. To look past the idiots, the hecklers, the assholes. To carry themselves with class. Instead...I all-too-often see these guys go into bars in their uniforms...and end up acting like complete wanna-be badass assholes, and making our military look shameful. It kills me.

So about 15 minutes after that happens...and without a single word from me...three security personnel show up, approach the crazy black guy in the Obama T-shirt...and tell him he is being 86'd from all Harrah's properties. Apparantly, this guy has a long history of causing shit at all their casinos.

"As a duly sworn representative, I am hereby letting you know that you are being trespassed from this establishment and all Harrah's properties...if you do not abide by this.........blah blah blah....."

See ya later psycho boy.

I would then go on to lose all the remainder of my chips to one of the most annoying little idiots I have ever met, who was sitting to my left, and thought we were buddies. He also thought everything he was saying to me was interesting, when in reality I was either not listening, or asking him to quit to talking so fucking loud. But then he goes on this ridiculous luck box run...which ends with him turning a full house to beat my made flush...with a straight flush draw to boot...and I was done for the night. Shit.

So this morning I spent two hours at the pool, and was going to give Don a ride up to Binions, where he actually made it back for Day 2...with a healthy stack...but when I got to the room he was already gone. Whooops. He's running damn good this summer. I hope he lands a big cash today.

Meanwhile, I am going to go over to Golden Nugget and play their Mega in hopes of satelliting in to their Main Event that starts...mmmm Friday I think. Okay...thats your update for today. Im outa here!

MONKEY