So Close...Yet So Far Away

As you might expect, we had several later arrivals in the freeroll. Eight handed in all including celebrity guest Dr. Pauly.

We started with 1,000 chips and 15/30 blinds so I knew this would be a quickie. I managed to chip up when I shoved my 980 stack with AQ with blinds of 50/100 and got called by AJ.

I had about 2,800 when a short stack shoved with T3, another player with decent chips went all in with AT and I called with AdKx. The flop was gin in the form of Kd2d3d. Of course T3 caught up with the T on the turn and the river bricked. I ended up winning a few chips on the hand by beating the AT, but if my AK held against short stack I would have had 5K out of the 8K chips in play four handed. As it were I lost with K9 vs. Pauly's K5 and got sort of short myself. I luckily chopped with a couple of outkicked aces against Pauly and ended up heads up against my T3 nemesis, who sucked out big on TimTern to get there.

Not much to report heads up as he had a 3-to-1 chip lead. I just wanted to double so I could play a little poker with 4K chips and 100/200 blinds, but my Q7 went down to A7 and I got the second-place prize of $0.

Honestly, it would have probably cost me $500 just to get to Vegas so I guess it's all for the best.

I want to thank RISE Poker and Hustler Casino for putting on the event. This is one of those subscription based online poker sites that is legal in the U.S.

Heads-Up Freeroll for WSOP Seat?

Doubtful, but with 75 minutes to go before registration ends in a freeroll put on by RISE Poker today I can report that only two people are signed up to play at this time, myself and TimTern from PokerRoad fame.

The winner gets a $1,000 entry in either Event 53 or 54 of the WSOP at the end of the week. My Vegas travel dates are July 8-12, but that could change with a win here. Of course, the cost of a flight might be as much as the tournament entry so I might have to pass even if I won. Another post coming later...

Vegas, Here I Come :)

The title sums it up.

As the Series began I hadn't necessarily planned on going this year, but the streak will continue...eight WSOPs in a row for me. This trip will be a short one, though, and late in the game...from July 8-12.

Last year I went to work on a project I was beginning with American Casino Guide. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as I had hoped. My lovely wife, Amy, however, has encouraged me to build the website I want to start so I'm following through -- this time on my own. (And you can guess that she also encouraged me to thank her profusely on my blog for allowing me to hop on a plane to Vegas.)

The time of the WSOP main event is a great time for me to network, both as a writer and the purveyor of this website project (the details of which I am not ready to divulge just yet). It also allows me to gather research for the site. Yes, that involves playing poker all over town. Sucks, doesn't it?

As usually seems to happen before I head off to Vegas, I have been running hot at the poker tables. Incredibly hot, in fact, as (please don't curse me for bragging poker gods) I am up about $3,000 on the month. May that fun ride continue on to Sin City...