I don’t have a gigantically long, chatter box filled HORSE report.  Mainly because we had two tables and I would have to have someone at the other table request the full history of their table – which means I would be able to see their hole cards during the whole play of the tournament (And this ain’t Poker on TV), and I did try to keep up with chat at both tables in jumping into the foray now and then but we did had 11 players.  Yes, ELEVEN!  Sweet!

Charlie ‘cmacc85’  brought Trademaster to the tournament – and he had all the chips for awhile.  I’m not sure how Tom Bayes or GoIrish89 (if you have a link, send me an email ‘geenen -at-pokerworks.com’ and I’ll link you) found us but they were all very welcome.  And so are you!  We crank the next one off on the 10th of January.

It’s really nice to have a group of regulars that always show, you know who you are and I can’t tell you how much I enjoy seeing all of you at the tables.  It’s a great way to catch up in chat and smack talkin’ with each other’s lives during the two weeks when we are apart and it’s also fun to try and win.  I never have, I placed 3rd in one and almost got beat out of that enviable finish by Grupper who was SITTING OUT!  Kee-rist!  djhomeschool has promised another podcast coming soon – and ain’t it about damned time?

Alcanthang, Charlie, Tom Bayes, Grupper, and eventually trademaster made it in through late registration, were at my table.  PokerHack was first out, you can read the trials and tribulations of trying to play poker with an uncooperative wifi and a very ill spouse at her blog.  The last HORSE tournament that alcanthang played, he knocked me out, this tournament I knocked him out, he was out in 10th place.

grupper was out in 9th, he went in to sit-out mode because he was more interested in watching a football game – his words in an email we exchanged, “I was really into that football game – and to show what kind of poker player I really am, I’d rather watch the game than the game. ::))”

djhomeschool is rarely at a loss for a rambling dialogue in the chat and this was no exception, he expressed a certain fear that he would be out before grupper.  Tom Bayes taunted dj about bringing burritos for Tom, and the chat rolled with hilarity. grupper went out in 9th and the rest of us made the final table. Much easier to stay up with the chat flow as this point.

Why, oh why does JB end up behind me so often?  UGH!  As it played out Tom was out in 8th, I was out in 7th – no bubble girl finish this time, and trademaster did his share of ribbing his friend Charlie.  It was an ongoing taunt war.  Charlie is putting the pressure on me about writing that damn book I’ve always talked about writing, even coming up with a title for me – although I have a few of my own in mind – and I’m going to email him about being my main support group in motivation.

The following is the end result of the tourney:

PokerStars Tournament #129305016, HORSE
Buy-In: $5.00/$0.50
11 players
Total Prize Pool: $55.00
Tournament started 2008/12/28 21:00:00 ET
Tournament finished 2008/12/28 22:54:31 ET
1: jbharshaw (FPO), $27.50 (50%)
2: clearspine (Boulder), $16.50 (30%)
3: trademasters (brunswick), $11.00 (20%)
4: cmacc85 (waycross),
5: djhomeschool (Denton TX foo!),
6: GoIrish89 (Denver),
7: PokerWorks (Las Vegas),
8: Tom Bayes (Murray),
9: grupper (((*))),
10: AlCantHang (Phoenixville),
11: PokerHack07 (Red Bluff),

jbharshaw kept with tradition and kicked our butts.  Clearspine has managed to keep afloat quite well in these tourneys and MOI simply plays for the sheer fun of it and the company, no bragging rights here.  But yes, I can hardly wait for the next one!

This was a poker, super poker day for me.  I played a lot in the PokerStars Super Record Week, including the World Record Breaker (hell I made a straight someone else made a flush) and watched PokerHack get into the $$, and also watched our super Strategy Writer Aaron Hendrix bust out (when he was in the money) with K-K and had the opportunity to chat with him as the hand was in progress and how he played and why he played it that way. I almost – almost – talked him into play the HORSE tourney with us.  *sigh*

Cat, you little PokerTart, come back, we miss you!

And that is the HORSE wrap for this session!

Next is Happy New Year.  Tonight I will be going to Howard and Suzie Lederer’s 5th New Year’s Eve Bash and Suzie’s Rule Poker Tournament (it’s a charity event this year to benefit Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas).  I’m taking youngest son with me, possibly one more party goer will attend the fest with us.  Leaving in a few hours for Vegas, I have plans to spend the night at the old digs…OMG!  Riot is going to his siter’s place (yah, she’s 22) and should be gone by the time I hit town.  I am taking my camera, well charged battery and a spare memory stick so expect pictures soon.  GAWD I hate putting up pictures.

And in less than 12 hours we will be skipping into the year 2009.  I wish all of you the best of everything that life has to offer and that you find peace and contentment within yourself, learn to love yourself if you don’t already, and that we find a way to bring peace to the world, erase starvation and disease, find a home for everyone with plenty of food on their plate, and that everyone learns the true value of a friendly game of poker, including the US government.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!