Ted Forrest Bits & Pieces

In my clouded, illness mind of pre-Commerce, I forgot to bring my notebook to record details of interest. Therefore, I have no notes to share with you, and make into long, interesting (I hope) stories.

There were lots of neat things that happened, though, and some of them didn't even need recording, because they are things I'll never forget.

One of the funniest, long stories I can share happened with Ted Forrest.

On our way to Commerce, Glenn and I were talking and making fake, little wagers about things we were assuming would or would not happen at Commerce. I made mention that Ted would most likely not show up until the final event, if that. I reasoned that he didn't come to the small Stud events last year at the California State, so why would he show up this year, when he has a 4/8k mixed game at Bellagio, right at home? I said that given his past record of smaller buy-in tourneys (who would have thought 10 years ago we'd be calling $500-2500 events "small buy-in's?") he most likely would skip the first few weeks.

So the next day I'm sitting at my tourney table with about two minutes before kick-off, when who walks into the room and starts waving at me from the registration desk? Yeah, you guessed it, Ted, lol. So much for that wager...one of the hundreds I lost at Commerce!

After we both busted out, I saw Ted downstairs again playing 400/800 Razz. It might have been 300/600, but I think that first day was 4/8. Anyway, we started talking like we'd been talking every day since last year at the WSOP. That's Ted. He doesn't give out info about himself, and keeps his private life private, as well as his poker life, but he is very friendly and makes a person feel special each time he speaks with them. Over the next week, I spoke with Ted as much as I could, and still have the same impression of him being a wonderful guy I'd like to get to know.

Now, I can skip over most of our conversations, but one of them was too hilarious not to write about.

A couple of days after the first Stud 8 tourney, I saw Ted downstairs again. He gave me a big thumb's up and waved me over. I went to his table to find him playing 300/600 Razz.

He congratulated me on the Stud 8 victory, to which I sadly had to correct him that I hadn't won. Another woman won the event, but she sure wasn't me. The mix-up came when Ted heard someone say a woman had won the event, and he asked the guy, "Was it Felicia?" to which the guy responded affirmatively. Obviously there was some mix-up, lol.

Anyway, we started talking again and he was telling me about the Razz game. I don't have the bankroll to play in that game, nor would I even if I did, because I'd surely be dead money. Although I love Razz, I think it may be a few years before I can compete in Ted's game ;)

So Ted then proceeds to say, "Felicia, you could play in this game, seriously. I guarantee that you would be one of the top three players at this level, if you were to play this high!"

I started cracking up, waved my hand over the table and said, "Um, of course I'd be one of the top three players in this game, Ted, YOU ARE PLAYING HEAD'S UP!"

Ted turned five shades of purple and started protesting that it wasn't what he meant. I know what Ted meant, but it was so hilarious that I there was no way I couldn't take advantage of his unintentional joke. He kept saying over and over again that he meant if it was a full table, not just at the Commerce, but in a full game anywhere, etc.

The whole thing was so funny, and I love being the butt of accidental jokes like that, that I told everyone I knew at Commerce, repeating it as often as I could, because I thought it was the funniest thing that had happened to me in a year.

Thanks for cheering me up, Ted, and for always being there as an encouragement to me!

Felicia :)

(PS: more Ted stuff to come)