Finally! A WSOP RING!!!

Now I think I know how John Elway felt! After several 2nd place finishes, and multiple heartbreak river beats...I finally got to watch everything come together, fade the beats, make the right calls, and be the last one standing at the end. This is the picture, and those are my trinkets! With the most satisfying one of all...the WSOP circuit ring!



A chop was never even discussed. From the minute I sat down I was 100% focused on getting each and every last chip from the Asian guy I talked about earlier. He was terrible, and terrible doesn't make it to first place in these things. I started the day 5th out of 7 with 70k in chips. After half an hour I had 185k...and never looked back. In fact, I started making my stack into an impressive little castle, almost positive that I wasnt going to let this one slip away...getting it ready for the victory shot!



I got heads up with Bret Allelo, who was a pretty entertaining dude. We swapped Facebook info halfway thru. Then he started losing big pots...and slowly started berating me after every hand. Comparing me to the Asian guy who was in every hand, chasing every draw, never folding. Well, I tried to explain to him that (a) heads up was a bit different than 7-handed and (b) I had a lot more outs than he was seeing on each hand. Then I just realized it wasn't that he was a jerk...it was just a knee-jerk reaction to watching it all slip away. He was very gracious in defeat and has actually sent me a couple very nice messages on 'The Book since then...so props to Bret.



I have to say...winning my first ring on my home turf, with several of my good friends and even more of my good poker acquaintences in the house was very special. I have no idea how many people left their table and the tourney they were in to walk over and shake my hand. It was cool. And then my phone started blowing up. Then I had two guys actually approach me wanting my autograph. Really? Weird! But.....well, okay! Then I was asked to do an interview with the guy from Harrahs...and did that. Woke up to see my mug on the front page of WSOP.com...and that was also pretty cool. And I slept with the ring that night! I did not, however...wear it the next day. A lot of people found that surprising. But I've always said I wouldn't wear a ring if I finally won one. I don't feel its necessary. Plus its pretty uncomfortable on your hand. I just figure...most of you know me enough to where I don't have to try and 'earn' your respect by sticking my ring in your face.



Before I go any further, I have to congratulate my good buddy, and Las Vegas roomie last February for 3 weeks, Tim Burt...who also picked up his first WSOP ring, a day after I did, in the H.O.R.S.E. event. Going out third in that was GCP.net's own Scotty Clark. A pretty good showing by our crew so far.



Something I didn't even really think about until we were down to 4 players. Three years ago, I showed up in a Gorilla costume for Halloween and won the NL tourney at IP for my first-ever outright win...and $15,000. Then last year...on Halloween again, I also won the Omaha H/L...a day after getting 3rd in the Pot Limit Omaha H/L...but without a costume. But Squirrel was there, dressed as a sexy pirate. And then this year...in a ring event, because last year there was no ring on the line...I win the same tourney. Not sure what it is about me, the I.P., and Halloween, but its a pretty damn good combination!!!



After we were done, Adrian comes over and half-jokingly tells me there is one seat left on a $65 sit n go. Oh what the hell...I'll take it! We add in a $100 last longer with 4 of us...and a $20 last longer with 8 of us...and it was on. I end up getting down to 3...winning the $100 last longer, and the other two guys wanted to chop. Sure. So picked up another $480 there. Which just about covered the $600 I gave to 'Captain Tom' Franklin, since we had swapped 10% on the Omaha tourney. Tom and I are getting pretty close to even now...as he connected on a couple big scores earlier in the year...one in Tunica and one in Reno...that scored me some cash.



I jumped into the 7pm nightly, and got a seat next to my buddy 'Westside Bobby from San Francisco' who would be celebrating later after his Giants would beat Texas to win the World Series in 5 games. I would end up going out with QQ vs. 45...after the kid flopped 3-4-6 and check raised me all in, hitting a 7 on the turn. Good game. Went home...to see my dogs, and wait for Squirrel to get home.



She was very happy...and proud of me. That felt good. And, due to her work continuing to suck...I gave her a little more money. That also made her happy. Fellas...I have to tell ya, when the wife is happy with you, things don't get much better at home! I even think my dogs might have given me more love than normal!



I played the noon yesterday...with 278 other people...and was rolling along very smooth. In fact, I even allowed myself to start fantasizing about going back-t0-back. We were down to 65, just 35 from the money...and I was moved to a table of players that offered a little bit of everything. A tough table. I don't think there was one player at the table who wasn't capable of winning a tourney. But the one who really made me nervous was "The Crazy Scandanavian," so titled by me in Tunica two years ago when he snapped off my 10's with 4-7 three or four from the money in the nightly.



Well, he didn't disappoint. He raised in early position with 6-8 and got re-raised by this guy who was testing the limits of my OCD, and making me think that maybe 40mg a day of Celexa isn't enough. You guys know those players who do the Mr. Roboto-style of betting? If you do, then you know just how annoyed I was getting. He re-raised T.C.S. with AA. The flop came 4-6-8 and I think you know the rest of the story. Bye Bye Mr. Roboto.



Then it was my turn. I raise in middle position with A10h. And with the blinds now at 600/1200...I am sitting on 28k. I raise to 3500. I get called by the button...and T.C.S. in the SB. The flop comes J-2-3 with two hearts. It checks to me, and I announce I am betting half my stack, thus pot committing myself to the rest. Button folds, and T.C.S. tells me to put the rest in. Oh great. And I do...and he turns over 2-3 offsuit. What? Jeezuz. I pick up a non-heart Q on the turn for a straight draw...then brick the river, and was out..instead of doubling up to over 60k. Shit. Out.



And that was the end of that little dream scenario. I went home.



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Bad beat of the day. On dinner break went to go eat at Sidelines, or Highlites, or whatever that little sportsbar is called. First indication that things were NOT going to go well, should have been when I asked the waitress, after waiting 20 minutes for her to appear, was if she could get me out of there in 35 minutes, watching her nod yes....hearing what I was sure were rocks jingling around in her head as she nodded, then noticing her name was, of all things, PROMISE. Yes. Her name was Promise!



I Promise, promise to make your dining experience one you will never forget.



"Sweet ice tea, a dinner salad with 1000 Island to start, and a steak quesadilla please"



Is that all? Huh? Yeah...jeezuz, is that not ENOUGH? Is everyone that eats here a member of the Jerry Springer audience...80-100 lbs overweight and ordering everything on the menu?



I make a bold prediction to Gene, our boss from GCP.net...that my salad will NOT show up before my quesadillas do. Here comes Promise...and my ice tea has been empty now for 4 or 5 minutes. She offers to accept more food orders. "Did you want to order anything else?" Is this seriously happening?



"ka-tunk, ka-dunk, ker-plank" The rocks in the head roll round and round......



No, Promise...but may I please have more Ice tea...and will I be getting my salad before my quesadillas?



"Um...I'm not sure, but probably not."



Gene laughs...and right on cue...here come my salad and quesadilla's at the same time...with very little room on our circular bar table to put them on. Monkey sighs in disgust. 8 minutes later she finally brings me another ice tea. Now I have 4 minutes to get back to the tourney...so I ask for two to-go boxes and another salsa. She finally delivers those. Then takes 5 minutes bringing my check, which makes me late returning to the tourney. So on the way home...I decide to eat my remaining quesadillas. Guess what she brought me instead of salsa? Freaking cocktail sauce. Ever had a steak quesadilla with cocktail sauce? If not, I really do NOT recommend it. Nice dining experience.



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I almost logged on for a little online poker when I got home...but for some reason, didnt. I guess I decided, since I have been running fairly well, I didn't want to contaminate my world by getting online and running like shit for an hour or two...might just change everything to bad. So I fell asleep instead!



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Today is the 6-handed tourney with a $550 buy in. I got very deep in the 6-handed in Chicago...then ran into Claudia and her...uh, shenanigans, and it was all over for me. I am hoping for a different outcome today.



I was going to try and take Squirrel to the LSU-Bama game this Saturday, but I see it is at 3:30pm...and that will make it tough...since I now pretty much HAVE to play that 10am $50 rebuy psycho-fest satellite into the $1600 Main Event on Sunday...as I have managed to accumulate 6 $50 vouchers now for it. Safe to say I will be rebuying a LOT in that thing.



I really want to win the all-around for this event...so I figure I need to make one or two more final tables. For a look at the current standings in the WSOP National Championship standings...CLICK HERE.



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Bad Beat #2. This promo that the IP is running right now has me absolutely befuddled. And on tilt. Every day I walk in I am surrounded by posters and video boards of dorks. I don't get it. Don't get it at all. And this one in particular features a video of this dork making all these faces that you just want to punch. I spent an entire 15 minute break the other day just standing there staring at this spaz. Who casted this thing? What actors lined up for this gig? What marketing person came up with this? And why? Is the dork demographic the new target audience? I am absolutely speechless when I walk in every day and see this. Can someone explain it to me? How long does this 'promo' last? Please tell me it ends this Friday...to be replaced by the 'Snow Bunny' promo, or the 'Santa's Sexy little Workshop Honey's' promo. Or maybe 'Biloxi Beach Babies in Winter' promo.

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Okay whoops. Its now 11:42am...looks like another day of being late to the tourney. The lengths I go to making sure you all have fresh content. Oh by the way...not sure if it was Gene or Bill who did the front page update...nice of them to post the picture from one of my nightly wins at IP back in the spring...when I was coming off 4 days of very little sleep. Then flubbed it by saying I have clinched the entry in the National Championship freeroll. As you all know, I hope...that is NOT the case. Hopefully soon, but not quite yet.

Okay...I must come visit you folks now. See ya soon!

Monkey