The best seat in the house is the view from the couch

World Series Success

OK, Let me explain why my “2005 Red Sox Home Opener running journal” stopped after the fourth inning.

I got bored. No other reason than that. The game was 7-1 Sox and I got bored with watching, so I made a snap decision.

It paid off.

On the same day that I was able to celebrate my team’s World Series success, I also got the opportunity to celebrate a little World Series success of my own…

Two months ago, I uninstalled all online poker software from my every computer I own because I was tired of getting outdrawn by people who would play any two cards because they knew eventually they’d get lucky. I can beat good players – I can’t beat people who get lucky. No one can. That’s why it’s called “luck”.

Somewhere around the fifth inning yesterday, while trying to find a less uncomfortable position to sit in on my couch in order to take the pressure off my hip, I decided to look at my bank account online. Much to my surprise, I had an extra $50 in my account that I had not accounted for, plus an $80 check that is hopefully floating around my car somewhere. I decided “What the hell – I’ll give it another go”.

I re-installed the software for ParadisePoker.com, the only top-level site I’ve found that hosts 1-on-1 tournaments at which I’m pretty good. I deposited $40, and away I went.

I played a $10+1 head’s up and won. Plus $9. I played another $10+$1 head’s up and won. Plus $18. I played a $20+2 head’s up and won. Plus $36, $76 in my account. I played one more $10+1 and won. Plus $45 - $85 in the account.

Then I looked at the bigger tournaments around, and I found a WSOP satellite tournament. For every 50 entries, they awarded 1 seat into another satellite later in the evening. $20+2 entry. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that there were re-buys and add-ons allowed until it was too late.

There were only 64 entries, but there were over 100 rebuys and add-ons (including a combined 3 by me, leaving my account pretty empty), meaning that the top 3 finishers got the satellite entry, and 4^th – 6^th place got paid in cash ($128, $192, $320).

Truth be told, I wanted to finish fourth. I wanted the guaranteed $320 rather than have to sit through another tournament for three more hours. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my wish.

I finished first.

45 minutes later, I was in a $1000+$100 buy-in tournament having only spent $82 in the satellite entry. There were 15 entries total in this particular satellite tournament (9 people actually paid the $1100 entry), meaning that the top four places got paid, with #1 getting the $10,200 entry fee to the 2005 WSOP main event in Vegas in July, along with $1400 cash to pay for the flight and hotel and a $600 entry into the Paradise Masters II tournament in May (with a guaranteed prize pool of $1.5M).

Three hours later, I booked my flight to Vegas.

Funny thing is, I tried to un-register from the first satellite. I didn’t want to play a re-buy tourney, and I certainly didn’t want to play for nothing more than another tournament entry. Then I started hitting hands. Then I started playing people better than I’ve ever played them online. Then I got a big lead and backed off, knowing that I only needed to finish top three…

In the second satellite, I jumped out to an early lead after flopping trip-9’s before drawing out the quads on the river (I was behind to start, 9-9 vs. J-J, my only outdraw of the day). With 7 people left in the tournament, I held almost 55% of the total chips in play. I just couldn’t miss.

I thought I was having a good poker weekend when I busted up a cash game in Chelsea for a couple hundred bucks before having to leave so I could get to bed for work the next day. I guess this qualifies as better.

I would love to have every single one of you come out and watch me play, especially if I make it to the end. July 7^th – July 15^th. Yes, it’s 9 days long – this is what happens when you’re anticipating 6000+ players in a tournament (and over a $10M first prize, to boot).

posted by Big D @ 7:59 AM