I dealt to a pair of Michelles in back to back games during my four-hour dealing stint last week. The first one was in the $8-16 game and noted already. The second one was in a $4-8 game and plays in our room regularly. Why he plays there is a mystery to me. He’s obnoxious, swears all the time in a foreign language, glares, stares, and gestures all the time he’s playing. Of course he thinks he’s very funny. He’s not. He’s obnoxious and most of us have heard it a zillion times.

He couldn’t wait to start on me, “What did you do with all the money I gave you when we got a divorce?

I laughed.

His motor slipped into high gear because he wasn’t sharp enough to figure out I’d kill myself before I let him breathe on my neck, let alone marry him. If he missed a hand or won it, he gestured at me and kept muttering as he eyeballed me. The guy next to him would look at Michelle and then back at me. I’m sure Michelle was calling me names – thinking he was endearing himself to me – just from the way the guy looked at me. Unfortunately I couldn’t hear what he was saying or I’d have called him down on it.

I pushed into another $4-8 right by the one Michelle was in. About ten minutes later, Michelle walked up behind me and put his arm around my neck, putting his face next to mine and telling me how bad I dealt to him but he still loved me, blah, blah, blah. He walked away with a friend of his and as he did, he said something in the foreign language.

The guy in the 9s said, “That wasn’t very nice. Do you know what he just called you?‿

I replied that I did not and I’d rather not know. The 9s said that I was right; it was better if I didn’t know. The 9s took a walk a few minutes later. When I was waiting to push into my next game, the 9s came up and told me that while he didn’t want to get into the middle of it, and didn’t want Michelle to know that he understood the language, he’d gone to the Supervisor and reported Michelle. Woo Hoo! Thank you, Sir!

*****

Friday night I cruised into work and signed the E/O Play. BOOM! I was seated in a $4-8 game within about ten minutes. Michael, doc_4u on the forum, found me a few minutes later. A seat was open at the other end of the table…conveniently another one opened…we got to sit by each other, visit, and play poker. Sweet! I ended up off the clock within an hour and we had a few beers together and socialized. I have to admit…I was having more fun socializing than I was playing poker.

Sylvia, my buddy, my after work walking pal, my confidante, and way high on my list of co-workers has switched to days. Sniff! Sob! Wah-h-h-h!!! Hell yes I’m happy for her…just sorry for me. She was off at 9 p.m. and I ordered a drink for her when I ordered my last beer. It looked like I was setting up a bar instead of playing poker, two Ultras, a Red Bull and vodka, and a bottle of water. I almost couldn’t find my cards around the chips and drinks in front of me.

Finally Sylvia was off the clock. It was good night to Michael, (we’ve become good friends in a short time…just the right energy), and Sylvia and I were walking up Heart Attack Hill after a stop in Mangia. It was our last walk together to the Employee Shuttle – although we will always be friends, it was like closing another chapter in a book.

Saturday found me heading for a friend’s house to install a Print Server so they could network to a printer. It was a gas…kids talking while I argued with the main computer and printer. The kids and I play the same computer games so it’s always a ‘game talk’ when I get there as in “What’s the highest level…??? Have you played…??? How do you like…??? Finally! Success! The printer was printing from all computers and I was out the door. My sweet boy Riot was spending the night with me and my card-playing friends were coming over. Of course Riot had preference over the world…the card game was second place. Presenting his sweetness!

Sunday was the big event at Poker Stars. I have a lot of thoughts about how I got busted. I started out really strong. Ended up breaking four people in the first round of blinds. I was in the 4s. I picked up 9-9 and popped it up to $200. Not sure how or why but I got two callers. One had K-10 off. The Flop was K-9-little. I bet $600 and he/she went all-in. My stack doubled.

The next hand I played was 10-9 D. I called the Blind – $20 – and a player behind me raised it to $200. Four to five players called and so did I. The Flop was 10-9-7. I bet $600, one call; the raiser went all-in for around $2,000. I called and so did the other caller. They were both all-in. The Turn was a 10. The raiser had 9-9. The other caller had Q-J. I had a lot of chips now.

Then I picked up J-J about mid-position. UTG raised – I think it was $200. The Flop was K-J-9. UTG checked. I bet $600, UTG called. The Turn brought a blank. UTG bet – I believe it was $800 – I raised all-in. UTG thought for a long time and called with Q-Q. No help for them and I had a helluva lot of chips.

I basically went card dead for a long time. It was ok…I had coasting chips.

I had rooters. They jumped into the chat to let me know they were there. Nice!

The Tournament started with 3,307 entrants. I finished at 920. Arghhh!!!! Here’s the part I question. We were two hours into the tourney, I believe the blinds were $300-600 but things were happening so fast (and I was keeping track of chip counts and remaining players) so I could be wrong on the blinds. The antes were at $50 and I was card dead. I picked up the blinds a few times with a hand but no one called my raise.

There were a lot of beats taking place. The 7s ended up heads-up with the 5s, all-in. The 7s held K-K, the 5s had A-Q off. The board came 5-4-?-3-2. Ouch! The next hand the 5s went all in for $2,000 odd. I look at J-J. I called, having a little over 9,000 in chips. I felt I had the best hand and it might just be a steam raise. The 5s showed A-Q off and a Queen popped right off. I lose that hand. The 5s went bust within two hands – not that that has anything to do with the game but it was like they were on self-destruct after losing with the Kings.

I picked up a few blinds and within a few minutes I look down to J-J again. I was four out of the Blind. UTG raised it to $1,200. I called, hoping to escape on the Flop if it came badly for me. The 6s called and the 8s raised it to $2,400. I had this instant flash that I should either ditch the hand or just go all-in. I made the decision that I would be all-in. I honestly believed I had the best hand at that point. The Blinds and UTG folded to me, I made it $7,000 odd more to go, all-in. The 6s folded and the 8s called, leaving them with about $2,000 in chips. The 8s held A-K off and an Ace popped right off, just like it had FUCKING eyes. I was out.

I’ll admit I did a screamer mode after I left the table.

I’m still questioning as to whether I should have just pitched the Jacks in both cases or did as I did. I don’t know the answer. Players were dropping like flies at those limits and I wasn’t going to make too many more rounds before the blinds would kill me. I also wasn’t going to coast into the money by folding, I would have to beat out 600 players to reach a payout. I’m posting this on the forum so if anyone has any thought that might help me progress to winning the WSOP, please help. J

Thanks, Anthony, for checking back on me and for the email…nice to have buddies.

*****

I’ve been scanning in old family memories – my heritage from my mom and grandparents – and I found this on an award my mom received for spelling. This award/document is dated July 1927. I love this…and note how strong the color is. Better than SWEET!

And Michael, go to http://blogger.com and start that blog. LMK the address when you do.