Reallllly Testing my Meds!

Uggghhhhh....Deep sigh.....breathe Monkey....breathe!!!!

I'm telling you, I am really, really being tested to the full limits of my tolerance this week.

Today is Sunday, and I will not be going to the Beau Rivage today. I have some tournaments at my favorite online poker room to play and I have two fantasy football drafts. That and I hope to clear my head from the brutal beatdowns I have been taking the last three days.

I really felt good going into this week...really did, and was confident that I would fatten up my bankroll. Wrong.

I was 0 for 8 in SNG's before I finally chopped one last night before the 7pm nightly tourney. I played 5 yesterday. In 3 of them I finished 4th. Irritating. And in two of them I was out on the first HAND! Once flopping trips only to be outkicked and once flopping top two (AJ on an AJ10 board, to a guy with AQ who rivered a K) only to lose to a straight.

Two nights ago, I admittedly made a bad play in the nightly. It was one of those deals where I was up and down all night...and at 300/600 and a guy raising UTG to 1800, I looked at JJ and totally misplayed it. I re-raised...to a number that was way too high, 5500...so that when the guy three seats down went all in, and I looked at 7500 left in my stack...and close to 20k in the pot...I was in a sticky spot. Shit. There was NO WAY I was good. I knew it. All I could hope for was that he had AK. No really a nice spot to be in. Had I raised to 3500 or 4000 and left myself 9k or so behind, it would have been a lot easier to fold. Or just freaking flatted...which is something I do a LOT with JJ vs. an early position raiser. But this guy raising had been very active...so I thought re-raising was the right move against him.

Well, I decided I didn't feel like going back to grinding a shortstack...and made a stupid call. He flipped over KK...yep, knew it. I did pick up an open ended draw on the turn...but I don't ever hit those, and wouldn't there. I was out. Booo! And went home.

My noon tourneys have been a joke. In the first one...I got chips early...then got blinded down to almost nothing (6500) before getting two huge double ups...and seemed to be coasting with 30k when we had gotten to 600/1200. Then I lose three hands in a row...all of them ahead preflop, got two outed on two of them, and rivered on the 3rd by a flush. The 3rd one put me out.

Yesterday, I sit down, have 3 maniacs at the table, including this guy from the day before who had taken a liking to me...but the feeling wasnt mutual, based solely on the simple fact that he is one of those guys who never folds. This guy put more stupid beats on people, it was just disgusting. Myself included. He told me he only played cash game...this it was the 4th tourney he had ever played. I didn't 'dislike' him per se...I just got sick of him beating my good hands with total garbage....like K8 vs. my QQ.

The tone was set early when this lady...who at first I thought was an older fella...but then discovered...whoops, not a fella; she starts the action by raising from 25/50 to 600! With just one limper in the hand. Then on the button, with NO action behind her...raises 500. Huh? Then after everyone folds says "I was hoping someone would play with me there." Really? Like who? The guy with AA? Cuz thats the ONLY action your getting there with that hairbrained raise.

I have had more players come up to me with "Monkey...dude...you are NOT going to believe this hand I just saw on my table!!!"

Um, folks...yes, yes I will! Because I have spent three days watching it over and over myself. There is nothing you can tell me that will shock me. In the nightly last night...which again I got deep in before this, ahem....g-e-n-t-l-e-m-a-n decides to call my flop bet (heads up in the blinds) with King high....I had top pair...then my all in (with two pair) when he picked up a flush draw....only to hit his flush on the river. Oh, he had just felted Dan Walsh on the previous hand so I think he was feeling chip drunk and just felt like he was bulletproof. So instead of have around 60k and being able to cruise to the 10% of the field finish line, pocketing $1800 and being back above even for the weekend, I was instead sitting out in the lobby, on that couch...alone, scratching my head.

Earlier in that nightly....at another table, again with Dan Walsh...he gets into a hand with this lady I have never seen before. Looked like an eagle kind of...with a sharp pointy nose and beady eyes. Dan flops top pair with a decent kicker...and after an exchange of earlier betting, decides the right move on this lady is to go all in. So he does. She calls. A huge all in. With....yeah....AIR. Nothing. No pair. No flush draw. One over to the board. She turns a straight draw....gutshot albeit...and rivers...tada, the straight. Dan handled it like a champ. Sitting there in silent astonishment. Four other guys at the table were also sitting there with their mouth agape...trying to figure out, "How in the hell did that lady call there?"

Yeah...we ALL wanted to know the answer to that one.

Oh but then Dan gets even MORE screwed on another hand. We had some very um.... i-n-t-e-r-e-s-t-i-n-g players at our table last night. Dan opens with A5d. Old guy who has something on his arm that kind of resembled a flesh eating disease...yeah I can't figure out what it was but it captured my attention and would not let go...I just sat there transfixed on this guy's arm all night. Oh...the hand..yeah...he calls with KJs. Fair enough. He bets out when he flops a flush draw. Dan had flopped an ace. With one diamond. He raises...to 4200. This guy SMOOTH CALLS...and leaves 575 behind. Yep!

Turn is the 4 of diamonds...pairing the board...and giving damn a flush draw to go with his aces up. Old guy stuffs his 575 in there, duh. Dan calls...old guy rivers the 5 of spades! Standard.

Back in the nooner...that lady who resembled a guy...was pissing off the table. At one point, she had, after an unbelievable suckout with a terrible hand...now had all the orange 1k chips on the table. They started us out with (1) 5k chip, and only about 3 or 4 1k chips. And since we didn't lose any players on our table...we had a shortage of 1k chips. So I needed to break up my 5k chip to make a BB and when I asked Danielle (the dealer) if she could ask that lady to give me change... Danielle did. Or tried to.

"NO!"

Yep. No explanation. Just "NO!!!" Danielle looks at me with the funniest look on here face. Now, I know I have a thing about making change..some of you know about it. But its mostly due to my O.C.D. situation and liking to keep my stacks relatively uniform in appearance. However, if there is a situation where I have all of, or the majority of...one particular color of chips...I will ALWAYS make change, especially if the dealer asks politely. Sometimes, there are those dealers who (especially when you are in the 1 or 10 seat) will just reach right into your stack and make change. I hate that. Its just rude. Anyway...this lady is adamant. And so when someone at the table told her she had all the orange chips and we wouldn't be able to play pretty soon if she didn't make change...she had a good comeback.

"I don't ever make change. I'm superstitious."

Who do you think busted me? You know it! I mean...what is up with 2010? Can't there ever be just one day when there is some poetic justice? I raise with AQ. The crazy guy from the day before...who is, again, sticking bad beats on people...calls me of course...and so she jumps in there too. Wonderful. This was at 300/600. I raised to 1800. Flop comes Q-J-4....two clubs. She checks. I bet 2200. He folds (thankfully!) and she thinks about it...and calls. Turn is the 6 of hearts. She checks again. I go all in. She tanks. I have NO CLUE what she has...but I am thinking KQ might be a possibility, in which case I hope she calls. She finally asks....."How much is it again?"

"$4275 maam"

"Ohhhhh......alright, I call"

And turns over......drum roll.... KING EIGHT....clubs.

WHAT????????? 1800 preflop raise? Come on.

River? Whatcha got for me Roz Jordan? Oh! The 5 of clubs? Sweet!

Goodbye folks!

*(@#*(&@#$#*&!@#*&(!)(!@&*$#*&()

Trip to lobby. Visit couch which is becoming a little too much my buddy this weekend.

No fewer than 12 people walk by...."Hey Monk...hows it going?" "You still in?" "No way...you can't be out already!" "What happened?" "Are you happy to be back at the Beau?"

From now on...after I lose, and bust out the way I keep busting out this year....I think I need to go to the bathroom, lock myself in a stall...and just sit in there. Because, a lot of those people who try to talk to me...and I know, make me feel better, are YOU GUYS who read this. And the last thing I want to do is be rude to you folks. I love that you guys read this crap I throw out at you...and it means a lot to me when you see me at tourneys and tell me you read this and enjoy it. So I try really hard not to do anything to alienate you guys or piss you off. So after I lose ugly, that situation is tested mightily. So if any of you happen to say hi to me, and you can kind of tell that I am looking 'not so pleased' about something...trust that it has nothing to do with YOU...and everything to do with one of these previously described situations.

Last thing I want is someone running around telling anyone who will listen to him that "Man, that guy Monkey is a total asshole! I used to read his blog, but I tried to talk to him and he just stormed right by me like I was nothing!"

So yeah...I think from now on...cooler beat, donkey suckout...whatever....I'm making a beeline for the head.

I've played three of those nightly survivors. I have won NONE of them. I should have won two of them...and maybe three if I don't make that assinine play with the Jacks. I should have won at LEAST two other SNG's. So instead of being down about 2k on this current event, I should be UP about 3k. Its amazing how a miracle river here and there for my opponents can make such an impact on my bankroll.

As far as the event itself goes...the room is great. Love that huge space they have with all the tables. They have once again brought in some great dealers. We had this guy I've never seen at ANY event complaining about the dealers last night and I just looked at him like he had 4 arms....

"You think the dealers are bad for this event? Where do you usually play?"

He literally told me "I usually just play poker at people's house."

Really? Wow. This guy needs to take a trip to Atlantic City one week and sit down at a table up there...I would pay money to watch that!

Actually, despite what this retard says...the dealers are very good. The floor people have been very attentive and lenient on stuff like texting at the table while NOT in the hand...and have even allowed us a little freedom with talking to our opponents while in the hand. I love that. My only gripe is having to play 10-handed. I just can't stand it. I just wish if we have to pay decent money to sit down for 12 hours or more and play a game that requires a lot of focus and concentration that we should be permitted to do it in relative comfort. A lot of people who play poker are, to be polite, a little heavier than they should be (myself included!). And to someone who is a bit of a 'space-a-phobe' like I am...its potentially really irritating. Primarily if you get one of those people who just flat refuses to move to where they are supposed to be...or 'squaring up' as directed by the dealers. I'm not sure why they make us play 10-handed. Maybe someday they will stop doing this...I will be thrilled when that day arrives. Thats one great thing about SNG's...you are only 10-handed for a few minutes usually.

Oh...man...got a buffet comp from the poker room the other night and went to the buffet with a friend. Hadn't been to the Beau Rivage buffet in quite a awhile. They changed some things. The one thing I really noticed was that instead of serving the food in those big metal chafing dishes, they are now using nice ceramic serving trays that are about a third of the size. A really nice touch. Why? Because it assures that the food stays fresh, and hot. And it just looks better. I was really impressed. And the guy who was taking care of our table was really attentive and helpful. The food was good. You all know I typically hate, and avoid the buffet usually...but I'm glad I decided to dine there Friday night. It was really good.

My lawn is literally underwater. Nice weather we're having! And here comes some hurricanes. Should be a fun month!!!!

All my fantasy teams are filled! Yah! And today I have two fantasy drafts. Pretty excited for that.

Ran into Captain Tom Franklin and he handed me the 5% save money I got from him for his final table cash up in Tunica. That was a nice little boost to the bankroll. Thanks Tom! For not being a welsh. Like SOME people out there!

A certain guy who has owed me $1000 for over a year, who promised on several occasions to 'get with me' but never did...managed to find $350 to play yesterday's tourney. Then completely avoided the topic when I attempted to talk to him about it. A guy I really thought was 'good people' when I was buddies with him. Is there anything worse than being screwed by someone you think, or thought...was a good guy? Its very disappointing.

I can't believe its been 5 years since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Five years? Wow. Its amazing how the older I get the faster that time goes by. Best wishes to those who are still recovering from that disaster.

Well I think that is about it. Are you kidding me? My wife is calling me...no, no...not as in...shouting my name from the bedroom. She is CALLING ME ON MY PHONE! I am in the living room!

Bye guys!

Monkey