Monday, July 24, 2006

Vegas/WSOP Part 1

Wednesday 10PM: Slot machines in the airport-what a town. Theresa and some other FCPers are on a table at Binion’s when I arrive. I walk into a ghetto-ass room, in the old section of the hotel. Whatever, that’s why it’s so cheap. We head over to the Rio; Johnny Chan is walking out as we are walking in. Meet up with Mike from FCP to pick up my gear. Thanks Matt-the button-down is smooth, lemme tell ya, and so is the polo! Enter the WSOP room and head over to the PL HE event going on, where we meet up with another couple from FCP. Freddy Deeb is standing behind us, talking to another fellow (wow, is he tiny). At the tables we see Mike Sexton, Kathy Liebert, and DANIEL!!! He gets up immediately at his first opportunity to come over and greet us. Greg even snuck in a handshake before DN realized what he was doing (see DN's video blog)! Daniel knows me by my screenname at FCP and my avatar (of bouncing breasts) and apparently his mom didn’t necessarily approve of such. Showed him the one-of-a-kind Oker hat. My first impression of Daniel in person is “what a nice guy.” Really. I mean, he is in the middle of a WSOP event but comes over to the rail to talk to us-repeatedly. I watch him for a few minutes when he goes back to his table and he keeps an eye on us, really giving me the feeling that he does genuinely care about his fans. Or he’s just making sure we’re not (real) crazies. You the man, Danny Boy. Glad to see you back at the Rio bruddah. Next stop, the Venetian. Meet up with yet another FCPer, grab some grub and open up a $3/6 Omaha 8/b table. Not my first choice but I go along. Play like a retarded monkey with a cash donation but at least it’s amongst friends. Worth seeing the one “outsider” who dared join us squirm in frustration in response to a lot of my stupid play though. And learn a whole new ballgame with the “Mississippi Straddle,” where the button raises in the dark and is a live straddle and the SB acts first. The rest of the crew calls it a night.

Thursday 3AM: I switch rooms to the newer section. It’s like a whole different hotel on the other side-my new room is a deluxe suite compared to what they first tried to stick me in. Even got a little mini-fridge. Head back downstairs for some HOLD EM. 2 hours of short-handed $4/8 sticks me for a good beating, as I’m constantly run down: turn a flush, beat by the boat on the river; trip 6s, A kicker, beat by J6 when a Jack falls on the river. Or 3 players chop a huge pot with AK, the case K on the board. I am obviously weaker at Omaha Split, and just Limit games in general. Poker room rate ($30/50) for my hotel room at least and a comped breakfast in the café-thanks Benny. No Limit here on out.

8AM: Head to the Rio again for some morning satellite action. Cabs suck out here BTW. 5th in a $125 10-way and 8th in a $175. Guy flops quad Aces in my 1st one (TG it was someone else in the pot and not me!)!!! Too fast of a structure for me-like a Turbo SNG-and a crapshoot at best. I decide to just buy-in directly tomorrow.

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