WHAT.....A....FREAKING....WEEK!!!!
Two circuit events in a row...where I have not cashed ONCE. It has been a very disappointing, depressing, and deflating month, one that has left me almost never wanting to never play poker again. And as many idiots as there are at the tables down here, I really haven't been their victim ALL that much this trip. Oh sure...the cash game has seen some incredulous plays by these goofballs that have left them looking like geniuses on the river...but for the most part, its just mostly been a shit ton of bad luck.
Yesterday didn't start out too hot. I mustered up the courage to go play the 2pm $575 Mega...and upon arriving learned we were playing 10-handed. When inquiring as to why we were playing the tourneys 9-handed but the Mega's 10-handed the answer I got was akin to the answer you got from your parents when you were a little kid and asked why you couldn't do something you wanted to do: You remember the one, right? "Because, I said so, that's why!" In this case, it was...."Because, it's a mega, and that's how we do it for the megas." Huh? Is that really an answer? I hate....HATE HATE HATE...playing 10-handed.
I busted out of the 2pm Mega. It was at that critical stage...200/400 in a very speedy structure, and I was hovering around 5500-6000'ish. This whacky older black guy with really dark glasses, who'd been acting very erratic since he sat down...raised to 900. The button calls...and I flat with Ah9h. The flop comes Ad-Kh-7c. Ahhhh....this could be good. I check. Original raiser bets 2000. Button folds. And I'm left to ponder...hmm....is that a c-bet? Does he have anything? An ace? A better ace? I look at him. Try to find anything that will lead me to think he has something less than an ace. Flatting the 2k seems like a bad move. Because if I don't turn a nine, or a heart...what is my next move going to be? Folding is a nice option. But moving all in will make him have to fold if he doesn't have an ace...and give me a nice pot. I pull the trigger. I jam it in. He waits....waits....and I'm thinking "Hell yes...I have him beat...good move!" Then he calls. I turn over my cards. And he flips over a king...leading me to, again...conclude that I'm ahead. Then the asshole slowly turns over the other card....and ace. Oh....what a douchebag. I bust.
I dejectedly go outside to the outdoor blackjack table...which is just outside of the poker room and play some $10 BJ by myself. I contemplate taking a trip to Wells Fargo to withdraw the money I need to play the Main on Saturday (today). I also think about going to get a haircut...and maybe sitting alone in a movie theater. Then my friend and roomie, Christian walks out of the poker room holding a buy in ticket for something. "What is that?" Tells me he's going to go play the $1120 Mega that starts in 5 minutes. Huh? Oh wow. He tells me I really should play it... as one in five win a seat. I mull it over. $1120 for the chance to NOT have to plunk down $5300. Appealing. But my luck in Megas lately has been total shit. I cave in. And buy in.
I'm just going to give you the quick version. I had two monster, critical hands that basically propelled me to the win. On one...with the blinds at 600/1200...guy under the gun ships for 4800. The guy to my right flats. I look at QQ. Good 'ol queens. Do I put my faith in them? Or tell them to fuck off as they have ruined me so many times before? Screw it. I re-raise another 10k. After tanking....the guy moves all in. Well, I only had another 5k or so behind that bet...so I had to call. He has 10-10. Flashbacks to last year's Main Event and Elisabeth Hille's pocket tens raced through my mind. For the smaller, main pot...the all in guy had AK. I HELD! And won a huge pot.
On the other huge pot, coming at the perfect time....when we were 4 away from the seat and I was dwindling down...was when a guy raised in early position with 77....and the guy to my right just shoves about 24k. I look down at AA...wow! Yeah, I call. Sevens folds and I'm up against AK. I held there. The bubble seemed to take forever...but finally, at around midnight we got there, and FINALLY....I had won something on this god-forsaken trip. Main event seat...LOCKED UP. Over $4,000 SAVED. My shot at the 1.5m or so for first...solidified. I could not have felt any more relieved, like I'd just gotten a 1500-lb gorilla off my back. I wasn't happy...I really wasn't....I was simply relieved. Unfortunately, both my roomies busted earlier...Christian busting after amassing a ton of chips early, but then running into some really shitty luck. And Joe just couldn't get anything going at all, or get any cards...and he went out about 8 from the seat. He's been running just as bad or worse than I have this week.
Now for the super intriguing news. Remember the 'situation' that got me 86'd from Hammond? And subsequently from ALL Caesar's properties? The girl? The dealer? From Belarus? And the allegations that I had somehow 'harassed' her? Well, she is here. And on the first day I saw her, I went straight to the tourney director and let him know that I was a bit nervous and uneasy about having her deal to my table. He understood. Furthermore, we discussed the situation a little bit, since he'd been working the event up there that I got tossed from. I learned a lot in that discussion. Well, they took her out of the rotation every time she was getting close to my table all week, so that she wouldn't deal to me. I didn't ask for that to happen, but I guess I appreciate the floor guys looking out for me.
So two days ago...I decide I needed to try and use a little diplomacy and attempt to talk to this girl, not having ANY idea how she will react or respond. Once upon a time in 2005, I attempted to approach this bitch named Roxy Rhodes (I think that was her last name) who had stirred up a lot of shit in Lake Tahoe and gotten me into a pinch, so much so that Jack Effel had informed me to just stay away from her and not talk to her. Well...me being someone who likes to 'solve issues' and not them persist...I was leaving the casino for the day and I see her sitting in the hotel lobby. I decide to try and make a peace offering. But when I approached and asked her if I could have two minutes of her time...she stands up and starts screaming for security...just freaked out. Saying "He's harassing me! He's harassing me!!! I want security over here, call the police!!!" Holy shit! What the fuck!??? I was shocked...and kind of panicked. I turn around and see two of the tourney guys standing there...one on a smoke break...and they just shake their head....one of them telling me to just get the hell out of there NOW. So I do. I leave...freaked out as hell.
Well, that led to Jack 86'ing me from the rest of the Lake Tahoe circuit event. And a month later, he tried to keep me out of the Main Event...in Vegas, which I'd won a seat to on Pokerstars. This was the start of my troubles with Jack Effel. After numerous pleas with him to let me back in...all to no avail, I finally appealed to Howard Greenbaum, who sits higher on the totem pole at Caesar's. Mr. Greenbaum allowed me back in. This, obviously, rankled Jack. And so began...the decade-long mission by Jack to 'get me back.'
So...that memory fresh in my mind...I was very apprehensive about approaching this girl Yana. But I did anyway, catching her on a break. We talked for about ten minutes. She was very open to talking to me, and admitted she'd spoken to a lot of people about me, and about our situation since it had occurred. She said she felt bad that it got me banned...that she had no idea that would happen. By the end of the conversation, I apologized to her for anything I may have said or done to make her feel uncomfortable, we shook hands...and she offered to write a letter to help my case. I felt SO much better after talking to her, and hoped that maybe I'd enjoy a little good karma from that point on. I also informed the tourney guys that her and I had worked things out...and that they could put her back on my table to deal. She literally asked me "So do you think now maybe I can deal to you? Because they take me out whenever I am coming up on your table."
So...in the Mega yesterday? She shows up to deal my table. I am floundering...having seen hardly any hands at all. I was at about 12k with the blinds now 400/800. It's getting critical. She gives me AK. Guy raises ahead of me. I re-raise. He folds. She gives me one good hand after another. Suddenly I am up to 18k. Then the hand with the QQ happens, and I win a huge pot. When she left my table...I had 42k chips...and was ecstatic...as we were now just 12 from the seat, and I really had a shot. I smiled inside at the irony of having her be the dealer that would seemingly rescue me from the scrap heap. All during her down she was so pleasant towards me to. I'm so glad we hashed things out. We exchanged information...and, well...I guess we will see what happens if she writes a letter to the right people to have my ban lifted. But something in my gut tells me Jack Effel will NEVER let it happen. No matter how much she tries to rescind her complaint against me. But to be honest? I really don't care all that much. But it sure felt good to work things out with her.
Okay....so...Main Event starts in half an hour. I am super excited. I'm not crazy about finding out that rebuys/re-entries are open until the dinner break, and NOT level 4 like I thought they were. So a lot of crazy gun slinging might still be going on until then...guys trying to get that BIG STACK to do work with.
My fantasy football drafts start tomorrow....continue Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I have ONE damn team left to sell in my $400 Big Money League (15 of 16 teams sold) and ONE team left in my $200 League (15 of 16 sold)...then 11 of 16 teams are sold in the other $200 league. My rotisserie league is struggling to fill...with only 5 teams sold. I really need at least 8 to have decent league.
Okay....I have more to say....but I have GOT to get outa here. I will write more later.
MONKEY
Two circuit events in a row...where I have not cashed ONCE. It has been a very disappointing, depressing, and deflating month, one that has left me almost never wanting to never play poker again. And as many idiots as there are at the tables down here, I really haven't been their victim ALL that much this trip. Oh sure...the cash game has seen some incredulous plays by these goofballs that have left them looking like geniuses on the river...but for the most part, its just mostly been a shit ton of bad luck.
Yesterday didn't start out too hot. I mustered up the courage to go play the 2pm $575 Mega...and upon arriving learned we were playing 10-handed. When inquiring as to why we were playing the tourneys 9-handed but the Mega's 10-handed the answer I got was akin to the answer you got from your parents when you were a little kid and asked why you couldn't do something you wanted to do: You remember the one, right? "Because, I said so, that's why!" In this case, it was...."Because, it's a mega, and that's how we do it for the megas." Huh? Is that really an answer? I hate....HATE HATE HATE...playing 10-handed.
I busted out of the 2pm Mega. It was at that critical stage...200/400 in a very speedy structure, and I was hovering around 5500-6000'ish. This whacky older black guy with really dark glasses, who'd been acting very erratic since he sat down...raised to 900. The button calls...and I flat with Ah9h. The flop comes Ad-Kh-7c. Ahhhh....this could be good. I check. Original raiser bets 2000. Button folds. And I'm left to ponder...hmm....is that a c-bet? Does he have anything? An ace? A better ace? I look at him. Try to find anything that will lead me to think he has something less than an ace. Flatting the 2k seems like a bad move. Because if I don't turn a nine, or a heart...what is my next move going to be? Folding is a nice option. But moving all in will make him have to fold if he doesn't have an ace...and give me a nice pot. I pull the trigger. I jam it in. He waits....waits....and I'm thinking "Hell yes...I have him beat...good move!" Then he calls. I turn over my cards. And he flips over a king...leading me to, again...conclude that I'm ahead. Then the asshole slowly turns over the other card....and ace. Oh....what a douchebag. I bust.
I dejectedly go outside to the outdoor blackjack table...which is just outside of the poker room and play some $10 BJ by myself. I contemplate taking a trip to Wells Fargo to withdraw the money I need to play the Main on Saturday (today). I also think about going to get a haircut...and maybe sitting alone in a movie theater. Then my friend and roomie, Christian walks out of the poker room holding a buy in ticket for something. "What is that?" Tells me he's going to go play the $1120 Mega that starts in 5 minutes. Huh? Oh wow. He tells me I really should play it... as one in five win a seat. I mull it over. $1120 for the chance to NOT have to plunk down $5300. Appealing. But my luck in Megas lately has been total shit. I cave in. And buy in.
I'm just going to give you the quick version. I had two monster, critical hands that basically propelled me to the win. On one...with the blinds at 600/1200...guy under the gun ships for 4800. The guy to my right flats. I look at QQ. Good 'ol queens. Do I put my faith in them? Or tell them to fuck off as they have ruined me so many times before? Screw it. I re-raise another 10k. After tanking....the guy moves all in. Well, I only had another 5k or so behind that bet...so I had to call. He has 10-10. Flashbacks to last year's Main Event and Elisabeth Hille's pocket tens raced through my mind. For the smaller, main pot...the all in guy had AK. I HELD! And won a huge pot.
On the other huge pot, coming at the perfect time....when we were 4 away from the seat and I was dwindling down...was when a guy raised in early position with 77....and the guy to my right just shoves about 24k. I look down at AA...wow! Yeah, I call. Sevens folds and I'm up against AK. I held there. The bubble seemed to take forever...but finally, at around midnight we got there, and FINALLY....I had won something on this god-forsaken trip. Main event seat...LOCKED UP. Over $4,000 SAVED. My shot at the 1.5m or so for first...solidified. I could not have felt any more relieved, like I'd just gotten a 1500-lb gorilla off my back. I wasn't happy...I really wasn't....I was simply relieved. Unfortunately, both my roomies busted earlier...Christian busting after amassing a ton of chips early, but then running into some really shitty luck. And Joe just couldn't get anything going at all, or get any cards...and he went out about 8 from the seat. He's been running just as bad or worse than I have this week.
Now for the super intriguing news. Remember the 'situation' that got me 86'd from Hammond? And subsequently from ALL Caesar's properties? The girl? The dealer? From Belarus? And the allegations that I had somehow 'harassed' her? Well, she is here. And on the first day I saw her, I went straight to the tourney director and let him know that I was a bit nervous and uneasy about having her deal to my table. He understood. Furthermore, we discussed the situation a little bit, since he'd been working the event up there that I got tossed from. I learned a lot in that discussion. Well, they took her out of the rotation every time she was getting close to my table all week, so that she wouldn't deal to me. I didn't ask for that to happen, but I guess I appreciate the floor guys looking out for me.
So two days ago...I decide I needed to try and use a little diplomacy and attempt to talk to this girl, not having ANY idea how she will react or respond. Once upon a time in 2005, I attempted to approach this bitch named Roxy Rhodes (I think that was her last name) who had stirred up a lot of shit in Lake Tahoe and gotten me into a pinch, so much so that Jack Effel had informed me to just stay away from her and not talk to her. Well...me being someone who likes to 'solve issues' and not them persist...I was leaving the casino for the day and I see her sitting in the hotel lobby. I decide to try and make a peace offering. But when I approached and asked her if I could have two minutes of her time...she stands up and starts screaming for security...just freaked out. Saying "He's harassing me! He's harassing me!!! I want security over here, call the police!!!" Holy shit! What the fuck!??? I was shocked...and kind of panicked. I turn around and see two of the tourney guys standing there...one on a smoke break...and they just shake their head....one of them telling me to just get the hell out of there NOW. So I do. I leave...freaked out as hell.
Well, that led to Jack 86'ing me from the rest of the Lake Tahoe circuit event. And a month later, he tried to keep me out of the Main Event...in Vegas, which I'd won a seat to on Pokerstars. This was the start of my troubles with Jack Effel. After numerous pleas with him to let me back in...all to no avail, I finally appealed to Howard Greenbaum, who sits higher on the totem pole at Caesar's. Mr. Greenbaum allowed me back in. This, obviously, rankled Jack. And so began...the decade-long mission by Jack to 'get me back.'
So...that memory fresh in my mind...I was very apprehensive about approaching this girl Yana. But I did anyway, catching her on a break. We talked for about ten minutes. She was very open to talking to me, and admitted she'd spoken to a lot of people about me, and about our situation since it had occurred. She said she felt bad that it got me banned...that she had no idea that would happen. By the end of the conversation, I apologized to her for anything I may have said or done to make her feel uncomfortable, we shook hands...and she offered to write a letter to help my case. I felt SO much better after talking to her, and hoped that maybe I'd enjoy a little good karma from that point on. I also informed the tourney guys that her and I had worked things out...and that they could put her back on my table to deal. She literally asked me "So do you think now maybe I can deal to you? Because they take me out whenever I am coming up on your table."
So...in the Mega yesterday? She shows up to deal my table. I am floundering...having seen hardly any hands at all. I was at about 12k with the blinds now 400/800. It's getting critical. She gives me AK. Guy raises ahead of me. I re-raise. He folds. She gives me one good hand after another. Suddenly I am up to 18k. Then the hand with the QQ happens, and I win a huge pot. When she left my table...I had 42k chips...and was ecstatic...as we were now just 12 from the seat, and I really had a shot. I smiled inside at the irony of having her be the dealer that would seemingly rescue me from the scrap heap. All during her down she was so pleasant towards me to. I'm so glad we hashed things out. We exchanged information...and, well...I guess we will see what happens if she writes a letter to the right people to have my ban lifted. But something in my gut tells me Jack Effel will NEVER let it happen. No matter how much she tries to rescind her complaint against me. But to be honest? I really don't care all that much. But it sure felt good to work things out with her.
Okay....so...Main Event starts in half an hour. I am super excited. I'm not crazy about finding out that rebuys/re-entries are open until the dinner break, and NOT level 4 like I thought they were. So a lot of crazy gun slinging might still be going on until then...guys trying to get that BIG STACK to do work with.
My fantasy football drafts start tomorrow....continue Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I have ONE damn team left to sell in my $400 Big Money League (15 of 16 teams sold) and ONE team left in my $200 League (15 of 16 sold)...then 11 of 16 teams are sold in the other $200 league. My rotisserie league is struggling to fill...with only 5 teams sold. I really need at least 8 to have decent league.
Okay....I have more to say....but I have GOT to get outa here. I will write more later.
MONKEY
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