Tournament Update

Metropolis, more than the fictious hometown of Superman. It is the home to some of the worst poker players in the world.

Tournament, Saturday, September 24, 2005. $450 +50 NLHE.

Get to the poker room, or poker corner (four tables only) and pay the entry fee. Sit down with 2,000 in chips. Blinds start at 25-50 and double every thirty minutes. 37 players vying for 4 spots in the final on Sunday night. The winner was guaranteed $20,000 in cash and a WSOP seat. Note to Harrahs. If you are going to put the WSOP name on a tournament, you might ought to do two things.

1. Improve the structure ALOT.
2. Teach both your floor people and dealers the correct protocol to use in tournaments.

The structure was bad, but I knew it was before I went. So I cannot complain too much. I will say that I will not play another tournament there unless they GREATLY improve the structure. As for the personnel, just a training session with Johnny Grooms would be very helpful. That's enough to mention now.

On the bright side, the players in the tournament were clueless. They did not know how to play, nor did they seem to want to learn. That was good for me, until the last hand. Lets back up just a little. Five hands before I was knocked out (you knew I could not bad mouth this tournament if I won the damn thing do you?):

Hand one, early in level three with 1100 chips (lost 60% when I had to muck my set when a clueless player paid for and then received his obvious rivered flush at the end of level one - sigh). In the BB with 62. Two limpers and I see the flop of 245 rainbow. I check, mid position guy checks, button throws out 200 in what is possibly the worst steal attempt I have ever seen. I check raise all in for 700 more. He mucks and looks angry about it.

Hand two, five hands after Hand one. Same player that folded his steal attempt limps in EP, I look down at them. Yep my cursed hand at the WSOP, AA. I raise to 800 (100-200 blinds). Folds to him, he looks over at me and says "All in." I beat him into the pot and flip those beauties over. He has ................

K10 of spades. Of course they are good. I told the dealer to flop him his draw, she did. I told her to give the flush to him on the turn, she didn't, but she did river it for him. Sigh. What an idiot. I thought all really bad players were on line. I was wrong. I laughed and walked out.

I chilled out with $100 on let it ride and went back to play 2-5 no limit with BV, a player that I grew up playing poker with in high school and college. He had told me the game was soft, but oh my. While I may not play one of the tournaments up there, I will definitely be back for that NL game, and soon.

Bad players make the world go round. Until next time.................

Good Luck and See You at the Felt