The WSOP circuit event ends

The circuit event running at Harrah's ended last week, and a friend of GCP's...Dan Walsh picked up 50k for finishing 5th. Dan has played some great poker in the past few months, and he deserved the good score...even though he was a little disappointed by the finishing 5th as well as the hand he went out on. I had the pleasure of joining Dan and his wife Amanda for a celebratory dinner at Dickie Brennans steakhouse. There was alot of poker talk (Sorry Amanda), and the things that I tried to get Dan to understand above all else is...the below hand history's from Kaelaine Minton coverage:

On a flop of Q T 3 rainbow, Dan Walsh and Shaun Deeb got all in. Shaun held pocket Aces but was crushed by Dan's pocket 3s (bottom set). The last two came 6 4 and Dan doubled up to over 300k. Shaun was still a bit over 200k.

Shaun Deeb didn't learn his lesson earlier. This time he ran AQ into Dan Walsh's pocket Aces...and this time Dan had him covered...and this time the Aces held up. Dan has now chipped up to almost 600k

Taking on the best online player in the world (at the time...he has since moved the 2nd). He got him to put his chips in the middle with AQ with the blinds at 500-3000-6000 when he still had close to 200k…and he took out the defending champion along the way…Dan…Great job…and Thanks for taking me to dinner with you and Amanda…I had a great time!!!

I was able to pull off a min-cash in a $340.00 buy-in event, and I feel I played the tournament well. I was able to chip up early, but then had Dana Diephouse (Dealer/Supervisor at the Belle of Baton Rouge…and a final tabler in this event years ago) on my left who also chipped up…and took the chip lead for some time. I had to be careful and I was trying to play as “Robotic” as possible as Dana has dealt to me many times in the past. I was able to keep my stack healthy until he busted out. Wild Bill got moved to my table after the dinner break, and we both cruised into the money. I got moved to another table about 15 minutes after the bubble burst, and got seated to the left of Mark Wilds. I had 20k left and on the 2nd hand with me in the SB, I glance down at KhKc. Mark makes it 10k to go from the button and I figured he was raising light here…but I also new that he was not going to fold to a min-raise which is all I had left (20k)…I ship it…he call with K-10o with one of the them a diamond…I don’t remember what card…I am sure that comment gave away the ending as the flop came out with 2 diamonds…runner-runner diamonds and GeneD hit the rail. I don’t think Mark did anything wrong here…The hand was going to play itself…I knew he could never fold here and I just got beat by the cards. I can live with that…I got it in good.

Tilt fading during this tourney? There was a guy sitting between Dana and I for more than 6 hours that I swear…did not bath in a week. His BO was sooooo bad…people at the other tables were commenting on it…People…take a bath will ya!!!! On top of that …on break I saw 2 people at my table use the restroom and not wash their hands…sickos.

What else is happening? We are trying to help TK to get staked in the 40k event…see the post on our webpage. We do have a significant amount committed already…but we still need some more stakers to step up.

I got to go sweat TK, Fish and Tyler Smith in the FTOPs main event. I got to hang out and do some hand evaluations…eat some philly cheese-steaks…and just chill with those guys. I learned a lot, and got to see just how sick Fish’s game is…That guy can do deductive reasoning as good as anybody I have ever seen. TK and his wife Karol have a beautiful home in the French quarter also…Good people…and good times…Thanks for having me over.

There’s kind of a funny story behind how I got there. TK told me that it was “A Hike” to walk from Harrah’s, so I was going to grab a Taxi. I walked out the casino and there were no cabs, so I started to walk and got a little ways before I stopped at a Tourist Booth to see how far it actually was. The guy asked me where I was going and I told him the address…he says, “Ah…your going to see Brad and Angelina’s house right?”…uhhhh…no. He tells me that it is pretty far, so I step outside and grab a cab…give the cab guy the address…you guessed it, “You going check out Brad and Angelina’s house right ace”…that would be a negative sir…just going visit some friends.

I have been working on the “Emotional Factor” lately and I have been trying to stay as calm as possible…no mater what happens at the table…win or lose…just keep the same demeanor. I was able to keep my emotions even keel the whole circuit event, even though I got fussed…well…more like yelled at during the 6 handed event over nothing. The floor guy, literally, was yelling at me and another guy at the table over some very minor table banter…all I could say was, “That was weak man…weak…we didn’t even do anything”…oh well.

So I make it through the circuit event without any major tilt issues …and then I get in a 2-5 cash game at the Belle of Baton Rouge last week and some Mofo “Slow Rolls” me like you have never seen before. I flop top 2…and fire post flop…villain flats…turn is a brick…I fire out…villain flats again…The flush gets there on the river so I knuckle…Villain fires a ¼ size pot bet…I say, “I call”…and the Villain says, “Good call man…your good”…so I say “what?”…he says again…louder, “Good call”. I table my top 2 pair. The dealer pushes out the cards on the table, and starts to pile the chips and push them in my direction…dipshit says, “Hold on”…and tables the K high flush. I blew up…and we went at it verbally. Oh well….back to square one.

A little …“Old School” vs “The Sheltered”… incident last week. I am driving in my car with a co-worker (She’s about 26 years old) in Baton Rouge last week coming thru Denham Springs when there are cars coming at us that are flashing their lights on and off. The girl is asking, “Why are all these cars flashing their lights on and off?”…I ask, “You don’t know what that means?”…of course she doesn’t. I explained, “Well…it probably means that there is a cop up the road that is set up trying to give out tickets…everybody knows that”…she doesn’t believe me…I siiggggghhhhhhhhhh as we pass the said cop…and I start to flick my lights on and off to warn people coming the other way…

"Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is" Clint Eastwood as Josey Wales in "The Outlaw Josey Wales"

Circuit event in New Orleans kicks off...

The circuit event in New Orleans is in full steam, and it looks like it might bea pretty good series. Harrahs has went above and beyond to accommodatethe players and the chatter is all positive. Some of the other bloggers mayhave commented on it, but I wanted to also on the IPod issue.

FINALLY...FINALLY...They have listened to the masses and acknowledged that their "Interpretation" of whatever law they thought was banning ipods at the table ...was F'ed up.
I actually got into another debate yesterday
...even after the ban was lifted...with a dealer about this crap. I have my same argument
I have been spewing for years, "How can it be against any state law to listen to ipods at the
table when Uhhhhhhh...lets see...you can listen to them in Lake Charles...uhhhh...Baton Rouge...or how about Shreveport. The guy says, "Yea...but those are all boats...theres different laws for land based casinos"...well then kind sir...I listened to my ipod at the 7 Clan Tournament series in Coushatta a couple of months back...then I stopped him, "Oh ...I know what your going to say now...its an Indian Casino"...yea...right. Annnnnnnyhooooooow!!

My Play...not happy with it. I have been making mistakes that are really frustrating and I continue to have the "Hero Call" mentality. I was at break even so far for the series but it took a down turn yesterday. I also have been making mistakes on my bet sizing and value bets where I could have extracted more chips in certain situations. I plan on playing the 6 Handed event today which is the event I hit for 3rd during the WSOP in 07' at the Binions Poker Classic running in parallel to the WSOP.

Congrats going out...Damn...where do I start? There are several people I know that are doing well. Lets start with the GCP bloggers:

"The Honest Player" AKA Parfait-
Biggest score so far goes to Parf who made a strong showing in the 5PM $340.00. We started at the same table and he got to see me chip up quick...and then spew them off. Im not sure exactly what place he got but I think he got $2400.00

Cobra Kia-
The venom spewer was also at that same Final Table with Parf. I think he was the chip leader at some point, but couldn't hold on...I think he went out 7th

Southpawrounder (SPR)-
Cashed yesterday in the $500 nooner...got it in good with QQ vs KJ...2 jacks hit the board....yuck!!

Poker Monkey-
Has cashed already in the first event...and as of yesterday he played in 3 tournaments for a total of 35 hours...frustrating going that deep and not getting a solid score I know.

Monk and I ate lunch yesterday at Bamboo with Jacob "Nocko" Naquin who has come out from semi-retirement and is planning on playing some more events. Nocko is known as a cash game specialist, but if the way he played the first event is any indication...he could burn it up this circuit series.

We have a long way to go...another whole week...and alot more poker to play. Hopefully all our bankrolls grow... instead of shrink...were at the midway point.

"Peter, do you know where you are? Above 24,000 ft, you're at the vertical limit, you're already dying. Look at you. You can hardly stand" Scott Glenn as Montgomery Wick in "Vertical Limit"

Finally a small tournament score...Fleetwood Mac

I was able to break out of my tournament funk last Monday night in the $50.00 freeze-out at the Amelia Belle. The bad play was somewhat astonishing ...as well as welcomed. I saw some very strange hands. I became the chip leader at the FT when we got down to 6 handed with the following hand.

There is one lunchbox at the table that is the chipleader in the 1 seat, and the rest of us are all hovering around 12-13 bbs. I am in the 6 seat and there is only one person at the table I am remotely worried about and that was sparky on my left in the 7 seat. blinds are at 1000-2000 and the lunchbox min-raises to 4000 from utg. I ship it for 25k with 7c7h, and everyone folds to said lunchbox. He tank-calls my shove with J3o to double me up. Yeeeaaaaaaaaaa...thanks buddy.

We wind up getting 3 handed with me, sparky and LB, and the blinds got so high that we decided to chop 3 ways. We (Sparky and Me) offered a chop 4 handed with us each taking 30% and the other 2 splitting the remaining 40% of the prize money...even though the LB was still the chip leader...but they balked...oh well. The LB agreed to the 3-way chop, and I agreed just because of the fact that this F'eer was just toooooo unpredictable...he had no range at all. He still had the chip lead, but he knew he was the worst player left. I was in for $50...out for over $500.00

Played in the Harrah's weekly and got there to sign in a little late...right behind Wild Bill, SPR and Mayor Ed. I wind up in the 10 seat with SPR in the 1 seat. I got chipped up early and ran into a couple of coolers...and made a couple of bad "Hero" calls...I was out before the first break.

I have a nice stack when I flop a set of 10's on a 9-10-J rainbow board. I bet out after the flop...villain flats...I fire on the brick-turn...He flats again...I check the brick-river as red flags were going up and he fires a nice bet..."I call"...he tables K-Qo...yuck. I get it in with 10 bbs left with A-9 and someone has A-K...see ya.

My wife and I went to see the Fleetwood Mac concert for her Valentine's Day present this week, and it was amazing. We had so much fun. I really didn't know much about Lindsey Buckingham, but oh my...can that dude play the guitar. It was probably one of my favorite concerts ever behind U2 years ago when I saw them for the "Rattle and Hum" tour. The crowd was electric and they came out for several encores...good stuff. Stevie Nicks is rocking that cougar look even near 60 years old.

Speaking of cougars...oh my god. I saw more Stevie impersonators at the show than Elvis impersonators in "Honeymoon in Vegas"...they were everywhere. I think even Virge could have gotten laid that night. You actually saw a whole spectrum of fans encompassing the hard core 50-60 year old hard core fans...too the parents with their teenage children...the concert was great.

Made a small score on the Kentucky Derby today. I went in for $25.oo with $10.00 each on my wifes 2 picks..."Desert Party" and "Chocolate Candy". I decided to go ahead and throw $5.00 on a long-shot for shits and giggles ...and took "Mine that Bird" in the 8th spot for 50 to 1...ship it to the colonel!!!

"Players...only love you when their playing" Fleetwood Mac lyrics in Dreams