Ugh...So Close!!!

Horseshoes and hand grenades.

Yesterday almost turned my whole week around...and heading into today's Main Event...it would not have come at a better time. But it just didn't happen. 

After posting the blog yesterday, and then doing my 20 minute spot on the radio show...I made it down and got into the $1K Mega on time. The good news was that we all came in on a new table with the same 6k stack.

Got off to a decent start. Then lost a couple hands...and was sitting on 4400 chips when the blinds went to 200/400...the sickest jump that Mega has...from 100/200 with 25 ante to 200/400 with a 50. So if you are sitting on 4000-6000 you go from a relatively manageable 20-25 big blinds to suddenly 10 or 15 and realizing you need to be even more cautious. So when Nam Le limped for 400 and I looked down at 10-10 I figured I better raise and try to get heads up with him...knowing he would never fold probably. I made it 1500.

That's where this old guy, who was very erratic...froze up in the big blind...and after a long Aqua Man impersonation...shoves all in. Jeezuz. Nam Le did a little moaning and groaning...claiming he was going to re-raise me too...but then folds. Well, my raise left me with less than 10 BB's if I folded. And it was pretty possible this guy was doing this with a smaller pair..or something like AJ. The other thing that was going on was the 2pm $235 deepstacks was about to go on break...which would be the last chance to buy into that event. 

I didn't think I had much choice but to call. So I did. The buzzard had QQ. Wow...that blows. And I did not hit a 10 or get any other kind of help...and was out. So I darted over to registration and got into the $235.

I had about the most seamless tourney that I've played this year....I was never short on chips. Nearly all my good hands held up. The three bluffs I laid all were successful. I actually hit a draw twice...both on the river. And I had a relatively good time. Their were 847 players...making first place worth $33k...which would once again create a great 'chop value' tourney. Almost all of these tourneys have been chopped...because once you get down to 3 tables, the chip average is right around 7 big blinds...which is ridiculous. It's not often that I play to get in position for a 10-player chop deal..but that is what I was thinking. Walking with $10k on a $235 buy in is a pretty nice return on investment.

We made the money at 90. I had about twice the average at that point. I knew they would drop like flies after that...and they did. We went from 90 down to 63 in 30 minutes. And we got to 48 pretty quickly as well. I got QQ twice, JJ once and KK....during that time...and never got action with any of them...which kind of sucked. This big, bald, brash guido got moved to our table...with a pretty healthy stack of chips...and sat down, assuming the big blind...with a dead small. I look at QQ under the gun and raise from 8000/16000 to 45,000. It folds around to him. He just insta-shoves. Whatever, I call.

He turns over A5 off. Oh yeah. Nice play. This is the play I've been seeing all year...when I get deep, that usually results in Mr. Bozo hitting his weak ace and sending me to the rail with closed eyes and sick feeling in the stomach. But not this time. Instead I doubled up to 400k in chips. I would finish that guy off when a short stack went all in....and he overshoves...with me holding AK in the big blind. I called. The other short stack also had AK...and bozo had AQ...again missing. He tells me 'nice catch' as he's getting up...which made no sense, since NOTHING hit the board...and he was behind preflop. I asked him what it was he thinks I caught...and he got pissy.

"You know what I mean man...why do you gotta be an asshole?"

Actually I did NOT know what he meant. But whatever. Have a nice night guido. We re-drew at 27 players...and I was now sitting on 605k and was in excellent shape to either make a run for the win or get in on a 10-way chop deal. Cue the disaster.

With 23 players left...I pick up AK. I raise to 75k at 15k/30k. This guy who was at my table in the first level of the tourney...and who doubled me up when he overplayed 55 against my AK (hitting a king on the river) smooth calls. It kind of feels like a spite call. The flop brought nothing but small cards. Knowing how this guy played...if I checked the flop I knew he would try to steal with a big bet...so I led for 150k. He calls. What's going on here? The turn was another small card. It's not common for me to keep putting in bets with air...but the pot was so big, and the situation so unique that I didn't feel like I could stop betting...but starting to wonder what the hell he was calling me with. 

So when I bet another 150k on the turn...it left him with only 27k...now I just started thinking maybe he flopped a set...or maybe we had the same hand...and he was just being stubborn. At any rate...I couldn't fold the hand now....not for 27k. Turns out...he had AA. He played it great...to his credit, and milked me like a fucking cow. Leaving me with 255k...and needing to make a comeback. 

I get moved to another table. And on the third hand I pick up AQ. All in...I get called...by a guy with pocket queens. Shit! Need an ace here! No ace. I bust. 23rd place...out of 847 players. For a not-so-helpful or satisfying $1050. I haven't even cashed the payout ticket yet. I was so tired I just went to my room...passing the last person who still owes me for shares ($950 total) and who's money I really need before I go register this morning...who told me he'd call me in about 20-30 minutes after he finished meeting with someone. He never called...and I passed on my couch in the hotel room...waking up around 3am and moving to the bed. Tried to call him this morning, and didn't get an answer. Hmmm...well...he's one of the more reliable people I know, so I'm not going to sweat it too hard. [see! Told you...he just called me back, was in the shower when I called]

I can only assume that line is going to be a bitch today...since they are expecting about 3000 players for today's Day 1C session. But since I have a ticket to get paid...I should be able to register on the side that has the faster line where 7-stars and Diamond card holders are only allowed to use. 

Someone left a comment, asking me if I have burned through half of the $15,200 shareholder raised money I collected, and having to come up with $2500 to buy into the Main...if that is going to affect my markup. I am constantly astounded by the attention being paid to my 'markup' and the scrutiny with which a lot of these guys have placed on me. So the question....will it affect the markup? No. Why would it? Bottom line is that I had a couple of hits in the cash game and a few other ventures. Has nothing to do with what I raised from my shareholders. Just has to do with my cash-on-hand and means I have to snag some dough from my bank account today. What DOES suck is that the cage always drills you for a hefty fee for cash advances. And since I don't have a car here...I can't drive to a Wells Fargo.

I do feel pretty good heading into the Main. Cashed that 10pm the night before last. Then came damn close to making a nice score last night in my deepest run in quite some time. Of course I woke up to more annoying (like a mosquito you can't get out of your car on a road trip) messages from the Houstonian Troll, calling me every name in the book and telling me how 'pathetic' I am for posting Twitter updates last night for a 'measly' $235 buy in tourney. Yeah Chad...we get it...no one is as cool as you. Funny that he is sending messages from 1500 miles away, though, and not here in Vegas...where if he was a 'real' player he'd be here playing in the Main Event, right? What a dick. I seriously am rooting for some kind of flesh-eating disease on that twerp, or that one of you folks in Houston finally get tired of him once and for all and treat him to a dirt nap.

Okay...so there you go boys and girls. That's two blog updates in two days...I'm trying hard to make up for the previous 6 days. Send me your 'good vibes' today...lets see if we can't bag up about 100k in chips tonight, then take tomorrow off with a nice relaxing day at the pool!!!!

Monkey