WSOP NOLA UPDATE...Home for Mother's Day

Hey folks!

The first four days of the WSOP-C event in New Orleans have been met with mixed results. But, nonetheless I am sitting here on late Sunday night, in Biloxi, on my couch with a dog on both sides of me...and my mom, and my baby's mom, all in bed for the night...and a smile on my face.

It's the first time my mother has ever been 'down south' to visit us. We have always flown out to Seattle, or Montana...or Hawaii, to spend time with my mom. It's nice to have her here. And she was so happy to see Carley. As everyone else has been. She really is quite an amazing little baby. And I know maybe I'm biased, by hey...I think I'm supposed to be!

I got in my car last night at 9:04pm...after watching the 3rd period of Game 7 between my favorite hockey team, the NY Rangers...and the Washington Capitals. The Rangers closed them out and advanced to the East Finals against longtime rival New Jersey...who surprised the surging Flyers in 5 games. It's a rematch of the East Final when the Rangers last won the Stanley Cup in 1994...a year after I surrendered my season tickets and moved to Atlanta (from NYC) to open a bar with friends. I have managed to convince myself that the Rangers are going to do it this year. In the year of my only child's birth. 

Before watching that game...I played a SNG...after having busted out of both the noon $565 (yeah, they are seriously charging $65 juice) and then the 5pm $355 PLO tourney. We got 3-handed (2 winners) and both guys were kind of panicking about losing. I didn't have the chiplead....and the one younger guy wanted to offer that I got first place money ($550) and the two of them split the other $550. I was like..."Huh? Why would the old guy EVER do that?" And he didn't. But then after I raised on consecutive hands at 200/400...and took down both pots...he suddenly decided he was cool with that. Wow! I kind of consider that the ultimate compliment as a player...when that occurs.

I promised my wife after I busted the tourney that I was going to play one and only one SNG...and then would be home. So even though a seat was open on a table next to ours..and I would like to stay hot in SNG's...where I am now 3 for 4 on this brief trip...a promise was a promise...and plus my Mom had just flown in...and I was really, really wanting to see Carley Grace!

So while I am 3 for 4 in SNG's...my tourneys have not been going so well. On the first one...I started out great. From 10k to 15k at break. Then 22k at the next break. Then right before dinner, I raise with KK. A guy calls me. Short stack shoves 8k. Then the big blind just open shoves 30k. No way I was folding KK. Not to that guy. I was up against QQ and 66. I held. And at dinner had 46k. Sweet. The average was 23k. Was feeling pretty good...and knew it would wind up having about 1000 players...what with day 1b's players the following day.

Came back after dinner...and went card dead. As shit. Blinded down from 46k to about 25k. In three hours. Couldn't even find any spots to pick up a pot now and then. I might have raised twice in 10 orbits and picked up some B&A's. That was it. Then I get the dreaded penalty.

Not sure why the fuck these tourney directors can't cool it on the stupid 'exposed card' rule...but they just won't give a centimeter. The players all hate it with a passion. We all feel like we are being treated like children. For the guy who carelessly folds, and has his cards turn over? Or the player who doesn't care...and frustratingly shows his cards...sure, give them a penalty. And a ten-hand penalty is brutal. Especially late in a tourney. But to give out these penalties to a player who has their cards turn over in purely (and obvious) accidental fashion? There just HAS to be a certain amount of judgment and/or discretion used by either the dealer and/or the floor person. They have decided to go with a ZERO TOLERANCE policy on it...and its ridiculous.

So, while folding, in the midst of an 8-orbit deep freeze...my cards slide up the mound of chips in the middle of the table and flip over. I cringe. Fuck. I know its coming. Even while the players at the table tried to defend me. No matter. Ten hands. Son of a .....!!!!!

I spend half an hour steaming. Come back. Remain card dead. Was now down to about 23k...and time was running out on day 1. We had started with 368 players and were now down to 53. Finally...they announced..."One more hand dealers!" Great. I'm not going to lie...I wasn't thrilled about coming back with 23k. Especially after having chips ALL DAY. But whatever. The blinds were 1000/2000...so if I was coming back with 10 BB's, so be it...at least we would almost be in the money.

So what happens? Mr. Aggressive UTG guy raises to 4500. It folds around to me. I look down at two aces. Wow. How nice. I re-raise to 10,000. He goes into a big dramatic production. I am accused of thinking he was just trying to pick up the last hand of the night. I'm not sure what I want to tell this guy...tell him too much and he might fold. Not enough and...well, coupled with the fact that I was tired, and wanted to have the next day off so I could go home, see my baby, and welcome my mom to town Saturday before having to be back for the restart on Saturday at 2pm.

He shoves all in. I snap call. "Oh shit" he says. I'm looking at KQ. Dealer flops K-3-4. Ugh. Never want to see them hit the flop there. The turn is a 5...giving me MORE outs...just in case...but not really relevant I guess. River? Fucking Q. I feel that sinking feeling in my gut. Fuck. No way! 11 hours. Poof! Gone. No day off. No drive home. No 55k+ chips going in my bag. Damn. Walked over to SNG land...won one and lost one. Then went to my buddy's house for a short night of sleep. Before having to come back and try again in Day 1b.

They have been juggling the Sit N Go area, between the theater where the events are held...and out in front of the noisy cash game area. You can make arguments for liking both places. The theatre, because its quiet, and smoke-free. The casino area...because you get a lot of overflow from players waiting on the cash game...players who don't play many SNG's or tourneys...and who's style is very easy to identify. They are impatient. They overbet a lot. They are trying to chip early or get out. I am only to happy to try and help them with that. If I get good cards, I slow play/trap their asses into chip suicide...and if I don't get any cards...I just sit and wait for it to get 4-handed...which, with those players...it tends to get to that point pretty quickly. So...I guess I kind of prefer them to have the SNG's in that loud, noisy area for that simple fact.

As far as turnout? I don't think anyone was every doubting that there would be a good turnout. Add to the fact New Orleans always draws well for the final WSOP-C event of the season...and you have all those Freeroll point chasers, of which I am one of, albeit, on the lower end of the scale. The $565 event on Saturday ended up getting over 350 as well, to go along with the 975 or so for the first two-day event. The bottom line? There is good money to be won in Nola this week.

I will head back tomorrow morning with a renewed vigor, after having spent a nice Mother's Day at home with my mom, and my wife and Carley...and of course, my dogs...who always miss me when I'm away.

I would write more...and oh...there is a LOT more to tell you...but I came to bed when my laptop was about to die...and I now have Squirrel laying over there doing that deep sigh through her nostrils over and over because my pecking on the keyboard is driving her nuts. Combined with the noise the dryer is making from my jeans and sweatshirt...I think she is about to lose it.

GOOD NIGHT! See a lot of you tomorrow!

Oh...and in case I didn't mention, I really appreciate all the nice things everyone has said over there about us having the baby. It's nice to know so many of you care enough to mention her. Now how bout y'all let me win a tourney so I don't have to stress out about money for a while!!!???

Monkey.