Finally....A Win!!!!

Well, that only took 41 freaking days! And once again...when the dust settled, and there was no one left at the table...it wasn't elation or joy, or happiness that I felt. Just relief. And that feeling of confirmation. That I actually know what the hell I'm doing!

The day started quite irritatingly. Arrived on time and very excited for the $550. There was a nice field of around 450 players. I had a fun and friendly table...and won a few hands before our table broke. Then I got moved to 'hell' also known as Table 51.

On the first hand...holding K10h...on a limped pot...I flop a straight. By the time the river arrived, there was now a paired board and a possible flush, so when a guy bet 3200 and the other went all in for 5200 I felt I had to fold. Then I flop trip aces with A10d...having called this Euro's UTG min raise (him with 59c) and by the time the river arrived, the guy had himself a flush. I was starting to lose it.

Finally, Mr. Raise on My Button every time...did it again...and I woke up with KK...I re-raise him...from 400 to 950...and he puts me all in...for 8k! Um..okay. He had 44. I won. And was back in it. Coming back for Level 7...and sitting on about 12 big blinds...the guy UTG min raises. I'm in the BB with AK. I call.

The flop comes K-7-4. I check raise the guy all in. Oh...he calls. Why? Because, he has AA. Gross. I'm out.

Go to play a SNG. Start out by winning a nice hand. Then I call this guy's raise with A2h. Why? Well, lets just say I have a bit of a read on this guy. I flop 4 to the wheel AND the flush. I'm not going anywhere. He bets big again. I call. I turn a wheel...a 3....giving him a set. I check again. He puts me all in. I call. He sees my hand and grimaces...until the last 3 in the deck hits the river. Yeah. Quads. Out. Fun Times.

This is the 'stand in' monkey...filling in for the Kidnapped Raising Monkey. He had a bit of a rough start yesterday before finally stepping up and earning his keep in the nightly!

 See this below? Yes...it's a comic book. This is what cool readers and cool poker friends do. They give me cool shit that are monkey-related. In this case, Charlie Townsend found these three kick-ass comic books...called HIT MONKEY...which, is along the lines of HIT GIRL...from KICK ASS...which I watched on NetFlix again the other day during a tourney. Love that little chick in her purple outfit.

Anyway...right about now I am in the frame of mind where I am about to go 'Hit Monkey' on whoever has my monkey! Yeah, I've been reading and posting all of your comments...suggesting a conspiracy theory regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Raising Monkey. NO! I do not think a friend is hiding him from me. Nobody I know is that stupid.

This Monkey is a BADASS! And if you stole my monkey...you can bet he is coming to get you!!!!

So I go buy into the nightly. And Kai shows up to play it as well, even though he hates nightly's. I get off to a good start. Then I limp with AKd. Knowing, at this aggressive ass table that someone will raise. Someone does. From 200 to 750. He gets FIVE callers...so with 9000 chips, I decide to shove. Only the original raiser calls...with 10-10. I flop an ace....yes! Wait! Ten on the river! Boooom! Busto! Fuck!

I go rebuy. Thankfully. And that was the beginning of a 7 hour roller coaster ride. Get a big stack. Lose a big stack. Have the chiplead, lose the chiplead. Guy shoves all in with Q10. I call with 10-10. River...flush. Guy shoves all in with 55. I call with 77. River? Flush. Granted...I cracked AA with AKd....flush....and KK with AKc...flush...so I did my share of slapping some bad beats on people too. When we got to the final table...the chop-badgering began. Did I say badgering? You know who DOESNT give a shit? About ANYthing? Including chopping? You guessed it! The Honey Badger!

And like the Crazy, Nasty-Ass Honey Badger...Monkey don't give a shit about chopping...especially with a bunch of shitty players who are too afraid to play it out. So I said NO! When we were 7 handed, when we were 6 handed...when it was 5, then 4...and finally...3. And mostly, it was the same twerp who wouldn't shut about it. At one point...when we were 5-handed...they wanted to take $3k each...and he literally says:

"I mean...dude...seriously, what's the difference between $3k and $6k? Really?"

Huh? Did you really just ask that? The answer to your question is:  $3k!!!!

Yeah...the interest wasn't there. So I get heads up on the kid who earlier sucked out on me with his 55 vs. my 77 on a miracle runner runner flush BS suckout. This kid was NOT a good heads up player. I mean...I think I'm just average...but against this kid I was like a machine. We were even when we started...then over the course of an hour...I managed to get him down 3 to 1...and was looking for a hand to put him away. But then I raised with 78...and he shoved on me. I had raised to 150k. He was all in for another 275k. I had 1.4m. Seemed like a good place to get in with a live hand and just hope he had ace-something. So I called. Oh he did have ace-something alright. AA. Whooops. So after doubling him up...we were back to virtually even. Damn!

At that point...and at 3am...it seemed like a good time to NOT fuck around...first was $6200...second $3800. I did NOT want to walk out of there with $3800. So I relented, agreeing to both take $5000 and calling it a night. I tipped out $200 to the dealers and $100 to the floor...and Kai, who had also cashed, a min cash...but still a cash...took off for Denny's, our newest favorite late-night place. 

It felt good to finally win something decent. Yeah...I know its not a $15k score or more...that will really help me with a LOT of issues in my life...but its a start. And it felt good to outlast the largest nightly field they've had all summer at Venetian (273).

Today is the day I have to try and get my Main Event seat locked up. I really hope I get that out of the way on the first try...I really don't want to have to take a bunch of shots at it. But on the other hand...to NOT play the Main Event would be the ultimate kick in the balls, too. 

As usual there is a lot of shit to write about...but I am going to get over to Rio and get into the $1k Mega...those are the ones I like the most. They are also running $500's (which I hate...one out of 20 win...bad odds) and $2000's...one out of every 5...best odds, but not crazy about paying 1/5th of the actual buy in...but might have to play that anyway. If I win my seat, I'm not sure which day I want to play...probably either the FIRST day...or the last day. Really doesn't matter. Its nice  if you play Day 1a though, and survive...because then you have 4 days to play other shit...and goof off, maybe chill out at the pool...knowing you have advanced. Guess I'll just play it by ear. 

See ya guys.

Monkey