Still Recovering

So little sleep this past weekend.

No sleep (with the fishes) and dinner for the whales is a more appropriate blog title for me.

Let's get the recap started with Friday night, I got off on the wrong foot (a foot fetish joke comes to mind) when I played on the last chance table with several friends and a few solid players from around the country. I was immediately wary of Cleveland's own Greg Rauch who came into battle with two loaded guns. One was the chip stack he amassed the other was the Vodka he brought. He shared it with Houma's Summerall as the rest of us milked beers. I played fairly tight to start.

Adam from Nantucket seen in the pic got short stacked pretty early on after yet another bad beat. I think Adam has made every Dead Money Tournament since winning a seat in the second one. Every year on the last chance table I watch him suffer a bruttle beat. It looked like this year would be no different. His day started miserably. Booking his travel way in advance, he was slightly tiffed when he got to Philly for his connecting flight and was informed it didn't exist. Oops. Showing the ticket to the imaginary flight did nothing for the a-clown at the gate. They shuttled him to Charlotte. When he got there he was asked "Why would they send you here? We got nothing."

Somehow, despite being 14, 15, and 16 on the waiting list for loaded flight, the Nantucket crowd made it just under the gun. All that travel for naught, I thought, as I got it in good against him and then I saw his luck change. He hit. From a selfish standpoint I wanted a player of his caliber out but part of me was happy for him (that part of me being the lying part, that also says "No, you don't look fat in spandex").

Rory O'Brien, who won last years last chance table, also joined in and though he's limited to playing opportunities in Atlanta I knew he was a threat. Another college friend Eddie B has played a lot of last chance tables but I don't think any final tables. His record of near misses is close to my own. He brought a former final tabler Crebs down with him and I was wary of the big fella from the get go.

Lance from Houston was the third spider at our table. Lance is no Ryan Daut. In fact, the last chance table was only his second time playing. So why not bully the table and take an early cheap lead by dragging the first three pots.

I doubled up through him when he called my pocket Ks with A8 suited. A little more practice and he doesn't make that call. Considering how inexperienced he was I'd have to say he played great. The last chance table also welcomed the Bethesda boys, both final tablists in the past, who gave me worry. The cards ran away from them, unfortunately, and they couldn't get started. Really felt like Taylor and Summerall were having one of those nights when the cards just weren't complying.

At some point I became the chip leader and I thought it'd come down to me and Greg. Then I got it in good with short stacks who'd reraise my raises all in. My hands while not great, were all ahead, and I went 0-3. Probably should have just waited until we got three handed TJ Cloutier style but didn't.

I think I got busted with 5 left. Rory went out right after me, and then Ed, Adam and Greg battled it out. Adam took it down and I was happy for him.

Then we met up with PureHank to hit Bourbon street, and despite the miserable cold and rain, found it fairly lively. The piano bar at Pat O's was our second destination after hand grenades at Tropical Isle left many of us the walking wounded. At some point Austin Martin convinced me to head out to Harrahs.

To say the shrapnel from the hand grenade was still in my hip, more accurately in my now bleeding wallet would be an understatement. I gave away money to plenty of folks, you're welcome if you are reading, and probably acted like a jackass. The Dead Money tournament was certainly well named that night.

Anyway, congrats to Adam. And thanks again to David Akers, Taylor Ainge, Martin Tyson, Daniel Rush, Ed, and others who helped me get everything finished. When I get a chance I'll cover the final table and try and think of anything Philly Tom might have missed in his assessment.