Day 1 at the IP WSOP Event

Day One had some highlights and some lowlights. First the highlights. For 14 weeks now, me and Squirrel have been sitting on a secret. Why? Well, cuz back in 2008 we got pregnant...and we extremely excited about the prospects of bring the world's first human species of SquirrelMonkey into existence. Then, on a night when I would take a utterly stupid beat from a guy who I never see anymore (David Robbins) from Atlanta, knocking me out two people short of the Main Event in Tunica, and follow it up the next day by getting killed on the Super Bowl between Pittsburgh and Arizona, I then get a frantic call from my wife, informing me that we had lost our baby.

It was, without a doubt, one of the worst two days of my life. So when we got pregnant again after I got home from a rather dismal summer in Vegas, we decided to be real cautious about how many people we told this time. If I had a nickel for every player or dealer who asked 'how our new baby was' after we lost it...well, yeah, I could buy something that cost a whole bunch of nickels.

So we agreed that we would only tell our family and close friends...until we got past that 12-week barrier. And so this morning, we went to the baby doctor to take another peek at our rapidly growing SquirrelMonkey...and once again, he/she was in there moving all over the place. Seeing that heartbeat...and this time hands, a spine, ribcage...and one very long arm (wonder where he gets that!) brought a tear to her eye...and a smile to both our faces. That was how my day started, so really, nothing could ruin it.

I only got the tourney a wee bit late. I had loaded my incredibly comfortable office chair in the car earlier in the morning, having already gotten permission from the tournament guys to use it during the week-long event. But I decided to wait until the first break to get it out of the car, choosing to ask the guys at my table if any of them minded. No one did. In fact, they thought it was a great idea. 

The first tourney...much to my surprise, actually drew pretty well. For a Thursday, the $355 tourney pulled in 272 players. For three levels I kind of hovered around 8k-10k...and I had this one pest in the two seat (I was again in the 10-seat, by virtue of being late) who every time I would limp...would raise, and if I raised, he would re-raise. Didn't help that he was one of those guys wearing dark shades. So when I raised to 525 (at 100/200) with AcKc and he re-raised to 1300, I decided it was time to put my foot in this guy's ass. It folded around to me, and I made it 3500 with a nice little 4-bet in his face.

What does he do? Insta-shoves. Ugh. Wonderful. But then I kind of started staring at him...in his stupid welding glasses. And I got this feeling that he had QQ. That and I had him covered, granted, by only 950...but I was also sick of this guy. And it was getting to that point in the tourney where I was going to need to take stand sooner or later or blind out. So I called. He had JJ. Ah...close. And the dealer puts out a flop of A-A-7. Magical. And it held. And he left. Bye Bye pain in my ass!

But that would be my last big pot. I made it to dinner break, but with only 10BB's. Why? Well, I decide to call the min raise of 1600 (from 400/800) with A8d...then flopped A-10-8 and decide to check-raise. Only the guy didn't bet. Shit. Then the turn brought a K...of hearts...creating two draws...oh boy, and I decided to play it slow....he bets 2000. I call. River? Damn Jack. Wonderful. I check...and for some reason he doesn't bet...and turns over AQ. Straight. Runner Runner. Shit.

Came back from dinner. Oh! Awesome. Tyler Smith is coming to our table. With...well, about 68k...which became about 100k when he quickly whacked our table's biggest stack...raising with 3-5off and rivering a gutshot. He then went into his 'Poker Robot' mode...where he unemotionally starts raising about 87% of the time...we saw him show down 2-7...vs. AJ...yeah he won. That was a fun hand. And he just sat over there continuing to build a wall of chips, while congratulating me on the baby and lamenting his disdain for poker. Kind of know where you're coming from there, Tyler.

I decide to raise in early position with QJs. Mr. Hellmuth poser in the 4-seat decides to look me up. As does the BB with a pair of 5's. Yes...fives. Mmmm...the new nightmare hand? Apparently. Mr. Hellmuth poser and Tyler had been playing a lot of hands against each other...and all of them were taking about 8.2 minutes each on the average. White hat, white Sony headphones, black Bustout hat (grrrrrrr!!!) and these ultra thin lips that he pursed every time he was in the midst of a decision. And...as an example, it would be checked to him on the river, heads up...and he would literally sit there....just sit there....staring blankly at Tyler. Why? Tyler had checked? Minutes would roll by. Oh my God...for the love of French Toast you idiot...DO SOMETHING!!!!

Anyway. On our hand, the flop comes K-10-5....two spades. Yeah...not folding here. BB checks his set of fives. I bet 7500. HP (yeah, you figured it out) tank poses for a bit, then folds....and BB ships all in with his set of 5's. I call of course. The turn is the 9 of hearts...giving me a straight, and a brief moment of joy...but the river was a 10 of spades...giving me, yes...a flush...but also giving him a full house. 

"Oh wow. You beat me. Then I beat you. Then you got someone to defib you...and then killed ME. Nice hand sir. Bye guys." And that was it for the nooner.

But...I was just in time to get into the 7pm tourney...already an hour old. I had to wait for the damn button to go all around the table...and on my first hand, in the BB...what do I get? QQ! No bullshit. Guy raises early. And since they only give you 3000 chips in that thing...I had no choice but to go all in. He calls with 99. And somehow, I won. Nice way to start.

Well, we had 'That Guy' at our table...who despite blinds of 100/200, felt the most impressive way to play every hand was to go all in. So I limp with AQ...wait for him to shove...which he does, for 6800...and I call him. He had 78. The flop comes 8-10-A. Okay. Cool. Turn is a 10. Perfect. Yeah, he can only hit one card to beat me. What was the river? What else? An 8. Everyone waited for me to snap, and expressed shock and disbelief when I didn't.

"No big deal. He is going to give me all those chips back." And he did. I pick up my favorite hand...K9, on the next hand, and move all in for 1950. He calls me...this time with AQ. The flop comes Q-4-Q. Hmm...pretty good flop for him, eh? No problem. King on the turn...King on the river. Monkey wins...and the Legend of K9 grows! I dinged him one more time after that and then put him away. But that is where the happy story ends.

Dude goes all in for...mmmm....quite a bit, at 200/400. I think about 7500. I wake up with QQ again. I call. He has KJ. First card I see, fucking king. It holds. Wonderful. I bust with 56c on a board of K-4-7-....pick up a club draw on the turn...and then brick the river totally. SNG-Land was dead...it was 10:30pm...the World Series was tied in the 7th inning...and I decided to make a beeline for home and watch the rest of that game.

And wow. What a game it was. If you watched it I don't have to explain it to you. I think it goes without saying that St Louis is riding quite a wave of momentum and adrenaline into tomorrow night's Game 7...and you would be out of your mind to bet against them now. Texas now looks poised to be the runner-ups two years in a row. That was easily one of the greatest World Series games I have ever watched...and I have seen a lot of them! Every since they made the playoffs on the last day of the season, St Louis has just kind of felt like a team of destiny. I guess in 24 hours we will know if that is the case.

Tomorrow is a $355 at noon, and its that re-entry format...where if you brick the one on Friday, you can try again on Saturday. Now this might get interesting...because Pensacola Dog Track is having their big $1k tourney on Saturday, and I know a lot of people are going to play it. Me? I am not one of them. I will be staying as far away from that place as humanly possible. But I just wonder how much that event will hurt this event? Maybe guys will play day 1B at the IP then go over there on Saturday and play that one. Who knows?

I was really pretty pleased with the turnout today. I hope it keeps up, I really do. These guys really do try hard to put on a good event. The tourney room is among the nicest of all the poker tourneys we play. Big...very spacious seating, and even the tables themselves are big. You don't have to deal with cigarette smoke at all, or the loud, annoying sounds of slot machines and all that other BS noise. Plus they give you food vouchers which is really cool of them.

Had Claudia "The Claw" Crawford sitting behind me all day in the noon tourney. That is always good for some entertainment. Then Gabe came along and shared with me that he has joined the ranks of the 'Unable to Perform his Craft at the Beau Rivage' like myself...but his had nothing to do with, well, whatever my reason is. Nope, Gabe took a beat he wasn't too fond of, and decided to rip up his cards and toss them. They invited him to leave and not come back. He didn't seem too torn up about it. No pun intended.

Ah yes...I finally got motivated tonight and did something I'm sure will keep you players giggling to yourselves tomorrow (well, today now) while playing the noon event. See, I got a whole string of nasty, vile, irritating Facebook messages (not on my wall, but messages) from 'Ol Orange while I was in Chicago. He informed me that he 'had just booked his hotel at the IP for the upcoming event.' So of course, I had my eyes peeled for him all day. No sighting. And it was obvious a lot of people were looking for him besides me. 

Well...here you go. Pouncing Monkey Productions was hard at work tonight coming up with these beauties for you all. Enjoy. And with that...I am calling it a night and trying to steal a few precious hours of sleep! 

MONKEY