Live, from Table 25...in the Borgata Main Event

How bout we start with what just took place here in Level 5 and me sitting around 40k and just kind of operating in cruise control.



Walking behind us is what appears to be the 5pm Dealer Coordinator...with a gaggle of floor people trailing behind her...in that all-to-familiar 'Jersey-ish' or maybe 'South Philly-ish' way she is hollering to them to "Get rid of all the dealers that are making $16 an hour and keep all the ones that are making $10!!!"

Can I translate that statement for all of you who are currently not up here and know exactly what she just said, excuse me, HOLLERED, in front of all of us $3500 Main Event players?

"Um. Hi. Even though you all have paid $3500 to play in this tourney for the chance at close to a million and a chance to change your miserable lives for the better...I don't care. Because I am trying to make sure I save us as much money as possible, even though you all have more than adequately rewarded us with the $200 entry fee each and every one of you has paid. So...instead of getting our in-house, experienced, professional poker dealers sitting at your table and increasing your chances to play in a 'clean' game...you will get our scrubs, our temporaries that we had to hire to accomodate the onslaught of players who showed up for this event. The ones who only make $10 an hour...while the 'real' dealers will be ordered to clock out!"

I wish to God I had taken out my camera and taken the picture of every players'
face at my table. It was pretty amazing. And I still cannot believe I had just witnessed that.

I mean, how many different things this lady violated by doing that...I have no official count. Pretty sure the tournament directors, the casino managers...you name it...didnt want one of their supervisors announcing to the whole room what they are paying staff members. Then to openly admit to running off the good ones and keeping the 'blue shirts' do to budgetary concerns? Un-fucking real. I am pretty positive you are going to read about, or hear about this from someone else somewhere. Just astounding.

I mean...from a professional poker player's perspective...it really does NOT get any more disrespectful than that. I'll tell you one thing...if I make a deep run and cash for a sizeable sum, they will likely be getting the worst tip I have ever handed out.

Meanwhile....I am in the room on dinner break. Things were going very smooth for the first 3 or 4 levels. I had gotten up to about 43k at one point...then got on one of those streaks.....raise, raise, raise.....get called every time.....airball the flop and have to fold. Or raise...get called, called, called and have some dude put a GIGANTIC re-raise out that we all fold to.

I got down to 32k and was getting very irritated and annoyed. But I stopped myself when I was getting close to tilting.

"Monkey! Chill the fuck out! You have PLENTY of chips. Structure is AWESOME! Relax. Patience. We need this. This is a house. This is a baby. This is a vacation with your wife. This is respect from a WPT cash. CHILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

So I chilled. Then...I sort of thawed out. It was getting real close to dinner break...and I wanted to win a pot to change my momentum a little. I pick up Ac3c in early position. Screw it. I raise. To 750 (at 150/300). I get called by the guy who ALWAYS calls me. Then the BB makes it 2000. DAMMIT! Again! Okay, I'm calling this time. The other guy calls as well.

FLOP...... Qc-10c-5h. BB's face tells me he is not wild about the flop. He bets out 2k. I tank. Count stack. Tank some more. Make it a raise to 11k. Yep...I have decided to hitch my horse to this hand. First guy folds. Now this guy tanks. Forever. No doubt in my mind he is likely folding...and if not...he's jamming. Either way...I'm not folding. My bet should have told him that.

What does he do? HE SMOOTH CALLS! Oh...you're maybe asking..."how many chips did he have?" Very, very close to what I had. Which is what has made his flat call so freaking bizaare!

But he does. And the turn is......come on......a club! Thank god....cuz I had no freaking clue what I was going to do if it wasnt. Jack of clubs hits the turn...he shoves all in, I call of course...and he shows JJ. Wow. Weird play calling the flop raise. But now I just have to avoid the board pairing.....which, thank god, I do! Why? Cuz its September...the Month of The Monkey!!!!! And now....with 8 minutes left in the dinner break...I have over 70k!

We only have to play two more levels tonight then we bag up and call it a day. I am on the button right now so I'm not panicking to get back on time. I will try to update tonight.

Monkey