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Showing posts from 2016

Students crushing it.

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I should probably piece together the emails I sent to my investors for the WSOP and my summer. Some good nuggets in there that are not here.  Wow, I'm really behind in updating. Fast forward to this past month where I played the Beau and the IP.  I want to give a quick shout-out to both staffs, for carefully planning two series at once that I think helped each other out rather than competed to the detriment of the other.  Genius of Henry Garrison, Paul Dutsch and the decision-makers at the Beau to stagger their re-entry event and Main Event with the IP's.  Personally, I think having these tournaments at the same time can draw better than having them back to back.  I know this year scheduling kind of forced both casinos in the same slot.  However, if possible with a little coordination and co-operation (which I realize could be more difficult then it was this year going forward) they could both really benefit.  It's not unrealistic to think two big events at once could mak

Red Rock Day Off Trip Photo Essay

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So, feeling like this after I busted the Main Event: I decided to go touch the mountains, that for the last few years I've only looked at from the windows of the Rio, way off in the distance under a haze. We headed to the Red Rock Mountains.  So named because the iron in the rocks have oxidized red. Red. Went Hiking. In and around the mountains. Saw some big vistas. And little critters: Little Hands: Plant life: Hidden streams: Natural Monoliths: Trees: Trees: Trees: Big Critters: Teeny, tiny, hidden chip 'n dale critters (look by the tree): Sunbathers: Mine shafts: People: Lichen: Old West balconies: Melting Mountains: Mining Towns: Old Wagons: More ranges: Soaring Opera: Quick Nevada Wedding Chapels: Quick Nevada Burials:

Main Event Blood Bath

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At the Cabana at Mandalay the day before Monkey and I were talking about how bad you'd have to run to bust the Main Event early.  I said I'd need a lot of coolers/bad beats.  Maybe three or four massive ones.  Don't tempt the poker gods with hubris.  They showed me exactly how many I'd need to run through a 50k starting stack. This will not be me this year. ( Another bit of hubris, I've had friends post hand histories usually turning monster stacks into crumbs late in a tournament, and I admit I suspected they were somewhat made up or at least exaggerated.  Part of me just didn't believe they could run so bad.  Well, now I'll believe anything.  This run bad may sound unbelievable but I did live it.  Just gross). I had to Curb My Enthusiasm What a day.  Crushing spiritually.  Kept saying this will turn-- it has to turn.  And part of me loves running bad early, because if I survive, and I keep surviving the potential is there to run great late.

Main Event Blood Bath

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At the Cabana at Mandalay the day before Monkey and I were talking about how bad you'd have to run to bust the Main Event early.  I said I'd need a lot of coolers/bad beats.  Maybe three or four massive ones.  Don't tempt the poker gods with hubris.  They showed me exactly how many I'd need to run through a 50k starting stack. This will not be me this year. ( Another bit of hubris, I've had friends post hand histories usually turning monster stacks into crumbs late in a tournament, and I admit I suspected they were somewhat made up or at least exaggerated.  Part of me just didn't believe they could run so bad.  Well, now I'll believe anything.  This run bad may sound unbelievable but I did live it.  Just gross). I had to Curb My Enthusiasm What a day.  Crushing spiritually.  Kept saying this will turn-- it has to turn.  And part of me loves running bad early, because if I survive, and I keep surviving the potential is there to run great late.

888 2016 Wrap-UP

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Bullet number one of the 888, the first big tournament in my package started out rather nondescript.  You get 5k in chips and 30 minute levels.  Essentially, the Harrahs weekly I grind all the time with just a little bit better structure.  Should be in my sweet spot. We started five handed, max in this tournament is 8 handed, and a guy I recognized on my left seemed to be the best player of the other four.  I hit some big early hands, turned a straight and flopped a flush, both times my opponents showed and had nothing.  Hate getting monsters too early. An older gentleman at the table I decided to target kept hitting hands so maybe a bad choice.  I tried to bluff him once after he bet pre, he c-bet the 9 high flop and then he checked turn and river.  I had A10 and some back door possibilities.  I thought I had some showdown value but there were also some small pairs and better Aces,  I might be able to fold out so I bet.  He called with JJ.  Based on what he had I was happy with my

Suggestions for Fellow Minions

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Here are my unsolicited suggestions for Monkey's Minions candidates that I'll pass on to the Monkey himself: So, in no particular order here are my endorsements of players that I know who have submitted or probably will submit. Gene D , alright, I lied, this first one is in order.  My man's always going to be my first recommendation. This is the guy that got me into poker and steered me in the right direction when I thought "Big Slick" was the nuts no matter the board. Any of my future, my current and  my past successes in the game wouldn't have come without him listening to me in the early years and steering my learning process. Gene, my partner at GCP (and there would be no GCP without a fateful conversation years ago), is a family man, poker advocate, all around great guy, and a player with the style and patience to succeed in the WSOP main event.  Coolers, bad beats, and bad luck aside, he's got to be a favorite to cash.  He's not going to

Monkey's Minions, WSOP Thoughts...

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hat they gave everybody that cashed the main event Wow.  I'm honored and humbled.  For the third year in a row, I've been selected to be a minion.  Huge thanks to Will Souther who runs this little investment group and to all the people that buy shares of the players.  It's the high point of any poker player's year to play in the WSOP Main Event and to have a seat locked up in April is thrilling, awesome, and comforting.  Thank you so much everybody! My first two years I lasted the longest of the Minions (that's why I got asked back) and last year did the same cashing as I made making a run to almost the top 200 players.  (Btw, had they paid the top 15% the first year, as they do now, I  would have cashed then too).  In the aftermaths, I don't think I realized how well I ran to go pretty deep both years. Last woman standing Kelly Minkin, me, and tournament chip leader at the time on my left. This table also featured 2015 November Niner Thomas Cannuli w

Spring Poker Classic

I'm here at the Golden Moon one of the two casinos that make up Pearl River's Resort in Choctaw, Mississippi.  The room is modern and new.  Plenty of amenities to make the three hour drive from New Orleans worthwhile.  None moreso than the possible overlay in the Main Event tomorrow. Gene D and I are finally at the same poker tournament at the same time.  Ruling out the rumor that we have merged into one GCP mega person.  Course we've yet to play the same tournament at the same time so perhaps that strange theorem still has legs. Downstairs Gene has already won a mega for the this Main Event and will likely play tomorrow if he can get his ticket changed from his six pm start time tonight.  I'll play a mega later and join him tomorrow.  No idea if we'll have any company because the first flight only had 30 or so players in it.  While I'd prefer an overlay and fewer people to battle it out with... we told Paul and Eric, two of the guys running the tournament, t

Beau Rivage Update--Bubble Madness

At the Beau Rivage in yesterday's noon event I ran bad on the bubble to be the bubble boy.  Oh well, that happens.  Not even that big of a bubble, so I'm not bitching about that, however, the way things went down I've never, ever seen before and I will bitch about that.... So we are hand for hand and it's taking forever, even with just three tables.  The rule is players that are all-in have to wait until the floor gives them the okay to turn over their hands.  A good rule that keeps players at other tables from making all-in decisions based on exposed hands next door.  Of course if it's executed correctly, it's a good rule. I go from a medium stack to a short stack as the bubble doesn't seem to stop.  I have two smaller shorties on my left.  The two short stacks in the blinds limp to the flop.  They check it and a third diamond hits the board.  They check again and straight card his the river.  Small blind bets small.  Big blind raises.  Small blind shov