$3000 WPO NLHE EVENT

Okay,

After a poor start to the WPO, I brilliantly decide to dedicate the remainder of my cushy 2005 tournament bankroll to winning the $3000 NLHE event. I drive down on Friday night, meet up with the Weasel and we discuss the decision over a $330 single table satellite. Of course I promptly go out third with him taking second. Oh well, lets try another. After a while I felt like Jimmy Buffet in "God's Own Drunk," and I downed another and another and another and before you know it I proceeded to do the Bear Dance. Four single tables at $330 a pop. Zero seats. Ego bruised, bankroll decimated, I went to bed.

Got two hours sleep and go down to try one more $330 satellite. Clonie Gowen and a couple of other familiar faces were there. Down to four, I have the chip lead, so naturally I finish fourth. Sigh. But I am playing well, so what do I do? Yep, I buy into the event with 385 other runners. $4750 invested into a $3,000 +100 event, my bankroll management definitely needs some significant attention. Well good thing is an unknown player won the event. Bad thing is, it was not me. I very uncerimoniously finished well back in the pack around 260th. Two hands of interest included me laying down 99 to a clear steal move and getting knocked out with 77 against a 553 flop.

Hand One. WARNING - BADLY PLAYED HAND DESCRIBED HERE. NOT FOR THE TIMID OR WEAK AT HEART. Initial table was relatively soft. A lot of feel bets and very few raises. I hover around 3,000 until this hand comes up in round two, blinds 25-50. I open in mid position with 99 to 200. Get one caller from late position from an active player that has me covered. Flop comes 235 rainbow. I bet 500, slightly more than the pot (475). He makes it 1500. I make a horrible decision and just call his raise leaving me 1500. The turn is a J. I check, he shoves, I fold. See I told you it was badly played. I should have folded or pushed on the flop. Still think it was a clear steal, but I would like to have some comments. I rank this hand as the worse played hand of tournament poker I have played all year.

Hand Two. New Table, ten minutes after the first break. blinds 50-100 I have 1100 when the hand begins. Mid position, I limp after two other limpers with 77. Six way action on the flop. Flop comes 553. First limper bets out 300. I go all in for 1000. It folds around to him and he goes into the tank for a few seconds (10 or so) and finally looks up and says "oh sorry I was thinking about something else, I call, I have a full house and turned over 33." Oh well, slow rolled out of the tournament by my own stupidity. Again poorly played and this one cost me any shot at the money. Sigh. Bad playing really hurts more than bad beats.

The only good thing was that I got out in time to sign up for the $200 event at the Shoe with the Weasel. Now something you should know, the weasel and I have a standing $20 last longer in any event we play in together, and I really like taking that beer money from him, especially in this one because I was drinking and raising and having a blast. I made it deep and got crippled with three tables left with 99 v. KJs. I need to stop playing 99, I really do. But if Phil H. can win with that hand, hey anyone can I say.

I bust out of the Super Satellite that night after investing my new maximum in supers, $400.

That was the end of my WPO this year. It really was a bad start to a year that held a lot of promise, and probably still does, but a sour taste that has lingered well into the summer. The cushy $4000 tournament bankroll is now gone, plus some, and I must grind out the entries for big events in the cash games in Nashville, which unfortunately become less available thanks to certain people in the community, mainly the police and bad guys wanting to rob games.

My congrats goes out to Buzz, Earnie, Mark and the others for a successful culmination of the unfortunate run in with the authorities in February. Without specifics, they got off with a slap on the wrist and an opportunity to keep it from ever showing up on their respective records. Ah finally some common sense in the legal community here in Nashvegas.

Next post, the annual trek to Vegas for the Super Bowl with Kentucky Rock. Please remember before you read the next post that poker and alcohol, especially marguaritias and rebuy events, do not mix.

Good Luck and See You at the Felt.