Friday, February 27, 2004

I didn't feel so hot on Friday. The cold was over, nothing to fear there, but I just wasn't 100%. Go figure.

James was in the poker room, talking to April about some new procedures and passing out new rules for tourneys. I asked him about the change to 20 minute levels. He had forgotten that they were only 15 minutes, and accidentally put up 20. I was happy about it, but the happiness didn't last, as he said he would fix that immediately. He feels the tourneys are too long as it is, it hurts the cash games afterwards (too late to play), and is considering adding antes once we get to the 200/400 blinds. I am actually in favor of this. It is the 2nd hour that kills us, not the third. If we can survive the 2nd hour, we are usually going to get to the final table, or close.

The Belle cut off James' access to my journal. He was reading it a home, but during a storm his PC died, so he hasn't read any of my entries for a couple of weeks. Now I know why he has been so lax about the abuse going on in the room. He usually acts a bit more tough, but I hadn't heard about any reforms. Well, it is because he didn't know any of this was going on in the last couple of weeks. Glen certainly wasn't going to tell him. That might mean a change for Glen, and Glen hates change (the evening floorman).

James wants me to send him some of the worst of it. He was cringing when I told him some of the things that have been happening at the Belle, and the fact that I've been publishing them on the Internet. He really wants to have the best cardroom in the world.

I was assigned table one, the crazy table. It was crazy. Every hand I played was pretty much all-in, if I was still there on the river. Even at the first level. Those guys will cap of every round of play regardless of their hand, in Omaha.

I usually had at least 1/4 the pot, if not half. I am very careful during the first hour of play, since the rebuys aren't such a hot deal compared to the add-on. One hand I got rivered both ways and had to rebuy. At least I got away with just one rebuy.

Betty was actually being nice to me. I can't figure it. She was cheering me on and complimenting me like nothing had happened last week. She was very cold, as table one always gets a draft from a huge AC vent outside of the poker room. Glenn gave her his jacket. It was my suggestion, but she thanked Glenn, since I never said anything out loud and she thought Glenn noticed her shivering. I don't mind, I would rather keep it that way. I don't want her to know I'm concerned about her in the least, lol.

During the first hour of the tournament, I got hot and started having these strange sweats. Before this, I was cold. I'm always cold. So I knew the sweats meant something. I was in the two seat, which is usually very cold. Everyone else was cold and I was sweating and feeling weird. I got some water, got this diet pineapple julias drink that Janet, our fantastic server, makes for some of us diabetic players. I started feeling better. Suddenly, I was 100% again, after feeling bad all day. It was like I had a fever, then it broke, I started sweating, and I was fine. I have to be the most strange person on earth. Janet thought maybe I was going through those changes that women go through in their 30's, but I assured her and everyone at the table that I don't have those troubles anymore, that I was "spayed." LOL, everyone got a good laugh out of it.

Larry was at our table and it seemed like he and Ionizer Bob got into an all-in war during the second hour. They seemed out to get each other after Bob sucked out on Larry's all-in, and Larry only got 1/2 the pot. Once that hand put Larry on alert, they started battling it out back and forth. Bob has the wrong impression of Larry. I'm not sure if I should tell Bob what Larry is all about, because I don't think Larry wants me to ruin his tough guy image, lol.

Eventually Bob did knock Larry out of the tourney. He thinks it's so cute that Larry stomped off. He thinks Larry was really mad and upset. He is going to get burned badly if he keeps this false image of Larry in his mind while he is playing. Then again, he's probably been burned by Larry lots of times, before Glenn and I even showed up in Laughlin. Go Larry!

Glenn got seated at my table when we were down to the final two. He got knocked out before it got close.

I hung on for a long time. I think the accidental 20 minute levels helped quite a bit. It gave me an extra hand or two before the blinds increased, per level. I was able to make more plays, before making desperation bets.

I had to fold trash after trash, which landed me on the bubble, in the BB, all-in for my last chip. C'est la vie, things are getting better!