November 5, 2011. This day has been marked on every football fan's calendar for months. April 26, 2011...this was a day that has also been etched in every Alabamian's memory forever. Today...something will happen in Tuscaloosa that may serve to heal a lot of the scars left behind by what occurred on that day.
For 7 months now, the town of Tuscaloosa and the football team from the University of Alabama, led by their coach Nick Saban, formerly the coach of the LSU Tigers...have been working together to rebuild a community torn apart by the devastating tornadoes that rocked the state of Alabama on that terrible day this past spring. The Crimson Tide have been on a mission to bring the National Championship back to T-Town...and at 8-0 stand poised to do just that, if only they can get by the #1 ranked LSU Tigers tonight.
If you are a football fan...this is what you live for. If you happen to be lucky enough to be in that stadium tonight, you are about to witness history. The excitement of this game has been building for two weeks now...just like the lead up to the Super Bowl every year. Already sworn rivals...the cocky swagger from Tiger fans and Bama fans alike have been on display all week long. If you live in the south...this is what the weekends in the fall are all about. The flags flying on the cars, the 'Roll Tide' exchanged with fellow Bama fans. This is it....the day we have all been waiting for!!!!
7pm! Tonight. #1 meets #2. The winner with a clear path to the BCS Title Game. The loser...another year to contemplate what went wrong...and how to avoid having it happen again next season. And now, I give you...my fearless prediction.
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE 27 LSU TIGERS 20 ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!
Meanwhile, on the other side of life...we have a little thing called the I.P. Biloxi WSOP-C Main Event starting today. We had two choices. Playing flight 1A at 11:00am....yikes! I know...that's early! Especially for this Monkey! Or waiting until 7pm (or playing and LOSING in 1A) and playing in flight 1B. Well, obviously the game plan here is to play 1A, assemble a healthy stack of chips...bag up at 6pm...and go watch the game with my Squirrel. Perfect-World-Planning.
Initially, the plan was to play the $1k yesterday, and if eliminated...which happened, go with Chip Irvin...who offered me a free ticket to join him at the 'Bama game. Unfortunately, Chip's father was involved in a horrible car accident on Thursday night...and Chip has been at his father's bedside ever since. I checked on him throughout the day and he appears to have gotten through the worst part and is stable enough to undergo surgery today for all his injuries. Cheryl and I have been praying for Chip's Dad and ask that all of you do too. Hopefully 'Bama can him something to smile about today in his hospital bed!!!
Yeah...yesterday started out really crappy. I was really fired up for the $1k...after ending the night on Wednesday with a couple of SNG wins...one with Tim Burt and David 'The Lurker' Nicholson...the other with Kenny Milam...who I got heads up with in a two-winner SNG, and then played it out for Pride and Glory! I beat the mighty Milam!
The $1k was a disaster. I would flop a set early and get nothing out of it. Then on the other two nice hands I got...same result. Barely a whimper. But I was busy getting smoked by the two seat in particular....flopping top pair and turning top two to give me enough reason to pay off his set on the river. Then I was lucky enough to run my AKh into a short stacks AA. Found AA again with my 88. It was one of those days we as poker players refer to as 'Complete and Total Shitstorms' where seemingly nothing you could have done would have prevented you from falling into a pre-planned pit of hell. What I needed, was to be strapped down in my bed and refused exit from my home.
I would enter the 5pm Mega...which cost $70...and had $50 rebuys. But the good news as that I had 3 rebuy vouchers from the week. And since I was on fire during the rebuy period, I only had to put in $50...part of my double add on. Things were rolling along great...I was at around 15k in chips. Then Michael Downey...who is currently auditioning to be the 'New Mark Cain'...showed up as our dealer. Not that too many dealers have missed out on the opportunity to deal me doom at this event, but Michael has been especially effective at ridding the tables of my presence.
He succeeded once more. On the first hand...this toolshed in an Auburn hat...who had already put this guy decked out in 'Bama attire on the verge of homicidal rage when...with Bama guy raising UTG with JJ...he shoved all in (for a lot) with Q9...and hit the queen. Yeah...so this douche limps for 400, Rahul from Atlanta...who is a good player, has made a final table on this trip and has been at my table a lot....also calls. I look at KK in the BB. Mention that I have to raise with this hand...to which Rahul tells me "Monkey, 1600 is probably a good price to steal it."
I tell him I actually HAVE a good hand, that I am not stealing at all...and make it 1650, which makes him laugh a bit. Now...he, of course, would fold. But Auburn clown, with his QJoff, would NOT. Give us a flop Michael!
J-4-J. Lovely. I checked, to get a feel. He checks. Uh huh. Turn is a freaking Q. I bet 2000. He calls. I smell a rat. Fortunately for me an ace hit the river. I'm done here. I check. He bets too much. I fold. He shows me QJ. I start building a mental effigy of this guy...hanging from the tree at Toomer's Corner.
Next hand. In the SB with 10-7h...I limp. Guy in the BB...also with QJ...checks. The flop comes 10-10-3. Nice. I check. He checks. Grrrr. Turn...8. I bet 1200. He calls. Huh? Club draw? River is a nine. I bet 2000. He merely calls. OMG! Come on! Back to back QJ debacles? A few hands later...he gives ME the QJs...and at 300/600...a new guy at our table raises to 1600. What the hell...its working for everyone else, I call. The flop? Oh...this is a nice one....Ks-10s-8h. Oh! Yeah...just open ended straight flush draw. That's all. And yes...all the chips got in...as this guy had AA. Ouch...two blockers. Turn...BRICK! River....BRICK! Monkey...OUT!
Off to the final mega of the night. The $345....oh and another $10 for that staff appreciation! It had already started an hour ago...so when I got in, I had 15 BB's. Fun times. I won't bore you with a long story. When I need a win...bad...and especially in Megas...I like to turn to my long lost friend to provide me with the winning edge. Alcohol. And with the always-entertaining Matthew Colvin at my table, it became a bit of a festival at our table. And despite losing most of my chips at the 400/800 level...I managed a massive comeback...and ended up becoming one of the lucky 7 winners of a seat. So thankfully, I will not have to sit on the sidelines for this WSOP Main Event.
Regarding the structure, I was told to inquire of Jimmy (Somerfeld) or Jack (Effel) as to why the structure for the Main Events are so much speedier than all the prelim events...so to be fair, and not offer up a lot of hyperbole, I went to Jimmy and asked him yesterday. His response? "I have no idea. You would have to ask Jack. I submitted the structures...and the ones I got approved were for the preliminary events (which we all love!) but he gave us his structure for the Main Events." So...if you know my history with Jack...me asking Jack why their is such differentiation in the two structures and getting an answer is about as likely as me winning the election next fall for President of the United States. So if you guys were looking for me to dig up the answer? Sorry, you will have to dig on your own. As for Main Event strategy? Well, there are just going to have to be different benchmarks that need to be hit at every level. Which will require a different kind of style of play to a certain degree.
Okay...so...here we are, at 10:15am...just enough time to get showered up and down to the I.P. on time. Table 4, Seat 4. I like it. Time to go do work, and hopefully....HOPEFULLY, get this miserable 2011 turned around. And if thinks go askew? Well, I have a great ball game to watch tonight!
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1 comment:
gl in the main, monkey. As the second supplier of your misadventures against QJ ("guy in the big blind" and, by the way, thanks for not calling ME a douche) I just want to correct your recollection of the hand: I was open-ended at the turn. I merely called your river bet as I didn't want to see a reraise and have to figure out if you were steam-raising or if I had to give you credit on a paired board. Here's to playing with you again on Monday for a shot at bling and some nice cash.
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