WSOP - TP makes the final table!!! And then...

[Talking Poker]

One more quick thing to add here.... You would not believe how many times I tossed hands like AJ and even AQs, depending on the situation. I have no way of knowing for sure about all of them, but some of the laydowns I made were BIG.

I just checked. I have 8 pages of notes from the $1500 event (where I got busted with AQs, I might add) and 30 pages from this event. This is a small notebook, mind you, but still. There are a lot of hands I want to tell you about. One of them was, IMO, the best call I have made in my life. I called a helathy river bet with second pair and a flush on the board. No way would I make this call against a weaker player, but this guy was solid, and I was near certain I knew the move he was putting on me. And I was exactly right.

Oh, one more thing... I really enjoyed the people I got to play with. It's funny, online, people are so rude to each other, but in person, it's usually a totally different atmosphere. Robert Williamson III is an awesome guy, who I really enjoyed playing with, and learned a thing or two from too. He can go from being chatty and laughing and having fun to literally a blank expression after he looks at his cards when it's a hand he wants to play. It's really something.

I also got to play with Drew Dean - Matt Dean's brother (Matt finished 7th in the 2004 WSOP).... nice guy. I was rooting for him to go deep, but he got knocked out sometime today at a different table.

And lastly but not least, I met our very own (well, 2+2's very own, really), O Doyle Rules. You know, the guy who played 120,000 hands at True Poker for his WSOP buy in. I asn't at his table long, but he noticed my TP.com gear and introduced himself. Very nice guy.... Hopefully he'll come around these parts a little more often.

[O Doyle Rules]

Hey Talking Poker Guy,

Congrats on your win! Very impressive!

And thanks for not blowing my cover at the table. I wish they hadn't broken up our table so quickly. I felt it was one of the easier tables I had been seated at as far as the level of competition. (Except for you of course)

Again congrats and hopefully I can catch up with you at next year's WSOP.

[Talking Poker]

Hey, no worries. I wanted to tell them about it, because I think it's such a cool story, but of course I respect your privacy... that's why I asked first and dropped it when you said you'd rather keep it out little secret.

I had been moved twice relatively quickly BEFORE getting to your table, but I agree with you. I had strong reads on pretty much everyone there in no time. I wish I had taken better notes during the tourney (I have enough as it is). I think you and I only butted heads in one hand, if memory serves, and you folded to my continuation bet

It was nice meeting you. If nothing else, I hope you had a great time!