FINALLY! WSOP...Million $$ Freeroll...Vegas....Here I Come!!!!

This will come as breaking news to EVERYONE....who isn't either on my Facebook, isn't a good/decent friend, family member, financial backer or Twitter follower. Because they all found out yesterday at about 3:47pm...when I received a phone call from a Harrah's rep (and all people in this will remain 'anonymous' at their request) in New Orleans, telling me that after a handful of phone exchanges between tournament personnel and Harrahs/Caeser's corporate/legal department...that my status for the upcoming WSOP...and $1M National Freeroll, has been updated to 'active.'

That's right. The 'Ban on Monkey' is hereby lifted!!!! I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I am F(*@#!()W@ psyched!!! We were on our way to North Alabama...where today we are attending a wedding. We had just hit a wall of cars...as a petroleum tanker had overturned on I-65...completely closing the highway in both directions for 5 miles. Yeah...it sucked...we sat there for four hours. But I was so enlightened by that phone call...that nothing was going to come close to dampening my mood.

I am in a bit of a hurry right now...as I have to get showered and get ready to leave..but I simply had to put SOMETHING up! As cool as everyone has been about taking up my cause...putting 'in good words' where you thought it would help. The fine folks who run New Orleans Harrah's who were really the ones who brought this to the attention of the 'higher ups' at Harrah's...which in the end resulted in the 'proper course of action' being followed.

Yes...there are conditions. Of course there are. Pretty predictable. I am now carrying around 2 strikes...and the third will spell doom. I have to sign something when I arrive at Caeser's Palace for the freeroll next Friday. Obviously I am nervous...as are others for me....that certain people will attempt to orchestrate some kind of 'situation' with me that warrants the assessment of that 'third' strike. I realize I am now a marked man. On the other hand...upper management now sees the effort to keep me out as a Herculean effort undertaken by one or two guys...without any knowledge of it themselves...and that any attempts to sabotage my return could blow up in their faces just as easily. 

So...I will continue to be the well behaved, non-drinking, non-berating (which I really haven't done in 2 or 3 years now, anyway) non....well...I really can't think of much I did that was so 'horrendous' other than just having a good time and being overly chatty. And since I have lost most of my zeal for the game...I really don't engage people all that much anymore. So...yeah, I don't see any problems. But I will, of course, be 'watching my back' at all times.

Jubilation doesn't even begin to describe how good I feel about this. I was already pretty pleased with the outcome of the week....I got to see my good buddy Allie take a 2nd place money chop in the 1k...then see him get deep in the $1500 Main before taking a cooler with KK against AA to min cash...and now he is back for Day 3 of the 10k Main Event.  I would love to see him make a huge score. I got to watch my other good buddies, both from Tuscaloosa...who I just stayed with up there, BJ McBrayer and Brian Hepinstall...make deep runs in the $1500 Main before coming up just short of solid scores. Brian was super nervous...as he'd never played a Main Event before...and was staked by a good buddy of mine. I told him to just relax and play good poker. Which he did. Very proud of him, and his effort.

And then....after winning just one sit n go on the trip....and finishing in third place SIX times....I'm not kidding...SIX times...I played the last $550 of the night on Tuesday...with a $500 last longer...and a lot of really solid players...and don't you know I won that sucker!??? I was ecstatic! It was a perfect thing to have happen to me heading into Vegas.

As far as accommodations go...I have settled on staying at the Riviera again...I have a friend who works there, plus I stayed there in February for three weeks...and they gave me a GREAT rate....its really close to Venetian...so its really a can't lose, since I wasn't able to find anything in the house category. I am really, really excited now for the summer! This 1,876 mile drive to Las Vegas now is really going to be pleasant.

As for the freeroll. There will be 100 total players. I figure 1st will win about $280,000 and 9th will score about $35,000 or so. What better way to start off the summer than to make that final table!???

Once again...I just wish to THANK ALL OF YOU for your unwavering support through these hard times. It has been a mental struggle for sure...but I feel (or hope anyway) that I have come out of this a much stronger person for it.

Take care and hope to see you all very soon!!!!

MONKEY