Tales from Tunica...Hanging out with Moneymaker

I have been playing in Tunica all week as I am working out of my Memphis office this week. I have been running fairly well, but its the "What If's" that are killing me. My main weakness has been playing on a clock here. I am not staying in Tunica this trip, so i have to drive back to Memphis every night. I get there for the nightly tournament at 6 or 7 every night, and then hit the cash games after. I usually like to play until 10 or 11 so I can get back to the hotel at a decent hour for some sleep before work. For the past 2 nights, I mucked on the last hand that I played UTG, and would have hit big hands. I have talked to Davey recently, and he is right that I need to open up my game more and if I am in a good game...stay...Don't leave.

There is a "6th Degrees of Separation" situation I caught myself in recently, where I got to meet Chris Moneymaker and hang out with him at my friends house. I got a call several months back from one of my top salespeople in Memphis...Jeff. Not only do we work together, but I am also proud to call Jeff a good friend and confidant. We talk often and Jeff has been a social poker player for years himself. He called me months back on a Saturday night and said, "Hey Man...you aren't going to believe who is moving in next door to me right now". We went through the game of ,"No Guess...No Guess"...etc. Well, I think you guys have figured out who it was. The man that started the Poker revolution, Chris Moneymaker. Jeff and him have since become close friends and are rivals as Jeff is a big Memphis fan and CMM is a big Vols fan. When I went to Jeff's house, CMM was in the street at the front of Jeff's driveway putting a Vols magnet on Jeff's mailbox. Really nice guy and down to earth. We hung out at Jeff's and chatted about College Basketball, Bay 101 and Jeff's new pool. He is one hell of a nice guy, and said for me to look for him at this years WSOP. He could not make this years Bay 101 because he just had a baby (He got 2nd there several years ago). Chris...if your reading this..."Congratulations again on that 2 week old baby girl...and GO VOLS" ;-)

I played in the $125.00 buy-in event at the Gold Strike Monday night. There were 43 people in it and I bubbled in 8th place...they paid 6. I played the whole tournament with this young phenom on my right named Grant Watson. He had just got back from Vegas, and we started talking. He cashed twice at the WPT World Poker Open in January at the Gold Strike. One was 5th for around $10,000 and the other one was 8th for $6500. We cut a deal when we moved to the final table, and he got 4th place so I picked up a small bone.

Played in the cash game at the Horseshoe on Tuesday and booked a decent win. I got in the game for $330.00, and got that up to $685.00. I kept looking at the clock as the chip was moving around to my side the table, and I wanted to get out without hemorrhaging any chips. Well, they dealt the cards when I UTG, and I looked down at pocket 9s9h and I quickly check hoping to see a cheap flop and hit my set. Villain in the 2 seat fires out $35.00 and gets 2 callers around to me. I go in the tank for a second...My last hand of the night...raiser with 2 callers...one of them has to have a pair bigger than nines...I muck. Flop comes out 9d4h5c. Original raiser jams with the last $120.00 he had in fron of him and shows the pocket tens when everyone folds. I convinced myself on the ride back to Memphis that a 10 was coming on the turn or river...yea...It was coming.

Saw some terrible tournament play here. It amazes me the way some people play. Here's one I saw. 2nd level with the blinds at 50-100. Girl in the 1 seat raises to 500 from UTG. She gets 3 callers. Flop comes out Kd10s2h. She jams...gets 2 callers and show QsQh and her 2 opponents had KhJh and Ks10h. She walks away mumbling to her friend, "I never get lucky in these things".

The next night, I am in the same situation where I have booked a winner. I am again contemplating leaving. I decide that this is my last hand and look down at KsQh. the flop comes out 10c4hAs. There is a bet of $15.00 with a raise to $30.00 to me. GSSD...nah I pass and start to rack my chips. Don't you know the Jack ball comes on the turn, and the 2 guys left get all of their chips in, and they show down a set of 4's against a stone cold bluff...Yea...its time for me to leave.

Watched the last episode of "The Wire" last weekend. I must say that I think that this series may have been better than "The Sopranos"...I know ...I know ...I am reaching here, but it was a good show. Now it is over.

"SSSHHHHIIIIITTTTTTTTT" Isiah Whitlock as Congressman Clay Davis on the "The Wire"