WSOP 2006 - TP's Updates...

[Talking Poker]

So, my friend Tim and I met up with Zybomb last night. The three of us went to the UB Party, which was much bigger than last year's. The VooDoo Lounge on top of the Rio is pretty cool, but I think I preferred the smaller venue at the Palms last year (I didn't even see Phil Hellmuth this year, let alone get to bust his chops). They had an open bar for us, and a sweet spread of food too - from fancy schmancy finger foods to a turkey and pork carving station to a huge desert table.

Eventually, we met up with my friends the Stolzman's, and the group of us hung out for a while and kicked back some drinks. I also traded 4% of myself in the Main Event with Steve for 2% of him and 2% of his son, John.

We hung out until a bit after midnight, but then Tim's back started bothering him (he was in a car wreck last week - got rear ended by a guy doing like 35 and eating), so we called it a night.

The plan for today is to head over to the Rio and check out the Poker Expo thing some more, and the Main Event of course, and then meet up with Zy, 2Tone and lightfungus tonight.

It's 11:15 here now, so I guess the Main Event is under way!



Wow... I can't wait to see what the final numbers are going to be. Alternates??? Oh my - this could make for some long Day 1s.

[omahilo]

sounds like alot of fun...

didnt one of the Stolzman win or do very well in a WPT event awhile back? if so that 2% could end up being worth alot...

their 4% could end up being worth even more tho

[Talking Poker]

Im hoping the 4% I give them ends up being worth a lot more...

And yes, John won a WPT Event (Tunica) for about $1.6 million in 2005. It's a GREAT episode if you missed it. He's at a STACKED table (Grinder, Negreanu, Chau Giang, Scooty Nguyen) and a huge underdog, but he played great and pulled it off.

[MathBabe]

A few of the things I've seen seem to imply that the ".com' restriction is because of them not being able to advertise onling gaming sites on TV. Since TalkingPoker.com doesn't offer online gaming, you might be okay and not need your tape!

Of course that relies on someone there knowing the rules and being able to intelligently apply them.

[Talking Poker]

I'll have a nice update for you guys tomorrow. Need sleep now though.

Highlights include:
-More from the Poker Expo thingee
-The Poker Players Alliance meeting
-Drinks/dinner with 2Tone, lightfungus, and fungus' pilot friend (Zybomb stood us up)
-My first session of poker
-Wicked expensive ATMs

(Yes, those last two items kinda go together)

[Talking Poker]

So... I played online for a bit yeserday, having to set up and customize PT, PAH, etc on my laptop - what a pain. I was down early, but ended the session a winner, thanks mostly to Suckout #3 (of my last nearly 7000 hands). I'll post that one later with some others I've set aside.

I drove down to the Rio in the mid afternoon. Did I mention how hot it is here in Vegas??? It was 111. And my rental car's AC sucks. It usually starts to cool off (to like a cool 98 or so inside the car, if I had to guess) about the time I'm pulling into the Rio parking lot.

Anywa, I bounced around the Expo thingee for a while, got some more free loot, and then went to the Poker Players Alliance thing. They had free food (I didn't eat) and drinks (I drank). Speakers included Ferguson, Lederer, Raymer, and the dude who runs the PPA. If you guys aen't members yet, you really should be. It's $20, and they even send ou a nice tshirt:

At 7:30, I met 2Tone at the Irish Kilt bar in the Rio, as planned. Lightfungush and his frind Rob showed up a while later, and Zybomb sent a few text messages saying he was running late. Running late turned into standing us up - jerk! hehe... Anyway, we had a nice time chatting, drinking, and eating.

The four of us then went down to check out the Main Event, and Rob left us. We got on the list for some cash games ($4/8 limit for 2 Tone, and $2/5 NL for fungus and me). After a good 45 minute wait (ugh) we finally sat down.

Stupid me only had $600 in his wallet, so I bought in for the max. After folding every hand for two orbits, I lipmed in from the button out of boredeom with T6s. One of the blinds raised (to $20), another guy called, and I called. The flop came 234 with 2 spades. The SB bet $45, the other guy called and I called. The turn was a blank and it checked around. The river was a K and they both checked again. I bet $120, the SB folded and the other guy called with KQ. Well, that play didn't quite work.... just bad timing, but an annoying start.

I reloaded for my last $100, and continued to not win a single hand for a while. I took a walk to find an ATM so I could reload properly, and it had a $31.99 fee on a $500 withdraw!!! No thanks - I'll play short stacked, even though I hate it.

Well, eventually, after taking a beat or two but mostly being card dead, I get 64s in the SB. I flop a 4 and 2 hearts and bet. One caller. The turn gives me a flush and I bet again, and he calls gain. The river pairs the board and I check/call, and sure enough, he shows me a bigger flush. This left with with a whopping $55 in my stack.

I literally laughed and said it would be stupid for me to stay, but then I jokingly said I'd play until the BB (why not, right?), expecting to get AA and double up to a whopping $110. Ohhhhh....

Well, first hand on the button, I limp in after a few others with QT. The flop comes Qxx, I check raise all in and get no callers. The next hand, I am dealt AA. Are you kidding me??? There is a raise preflop, I reraise, the button and original aiser both call. The flop is 3 rags, it checks to me and I push in. The button calls and the other guy folds. the button shows KK! I double up.

The very next hand, I call a raise from the CO with KQ. The flop is QQx with 2 spades and the raiser bets. I call. The turn is a K - he checks and I check, hoping he'll catch a flush or something on the river. The river is a J and he bets about half of his stack, so I push in and he calls, showing JJ for Jacks full of Queens. I flip of my Queens full of Kings and actually take his entire stack, as I had him covered. Note that this was THREE HANDS IN A ROW from when I almost left with $55.

The very next hand, I continue to play my rush and limp in with T9. I end up flopping an open ended straight draw AND a T high flushdraw (with a Q on the board), but I let it go on the turn, because I'm all but certain he has a bigger heart than me and I don't have nearly as many outs as it looks like. He later told me he had KK with the Kh, meaning I had 6 outs, and not 15. Good fold. The rush is over, but I'm back to having a reasonable stack, in the $400ish range.

I play for another hour or so, and finally leave a bit after 3 with..... $602, for a sweet $2 profit! The Main Event was still going on when I left, so it looks like I can expect to be playing until about 3:30 AM Sunday night, give or take.

BTW - 2Tone left an $11 winner and fungusboy was up when I left him, so hopefully he had a nice session.

Ok, that was a long update.... More later. No poker or alcohol for me today, so don't expect anything too exciting from me. Tomorrow is the big day!!!

[Brijac]

Sitting here at work at 4pm on a Saturday, I am daydreaming about watching you kick ass tomorrow. Good Luck!