Felicia: The Hypocrite

[Cliff Notes for the mentally impaired: I might play in the Orleans Open, I might write a few lines about the series for 2+2. Read no further, you idiot.]

Okay, I kept saying I was working on something, but never posted about it. I am learning to be more and more gun-shy as I get older. People make big promises, and most of them never deliver. Or they deliver in a really crappy way. Like a casino promising players who play over 40 hours per week for a year will get a brand new 'Vette. Then on the closing day, give them the keys to a CheVette, lol ;)

So the two things that have been going on in the past week with me are the Orleans Open and 2+2.

The deal with the Open, is that the Orleans puts it on every year, and it's a total piece of crap festival. Tons of juice, no structure, 30 minute levels. It's like expecting the Wynn and being handed the El Cortez. It's a total dump.

Last week, I somehow stumbled upon the Open's schedule. Don't ask me how. I'm sorry if someone directed me there and now I can't remember it. If you did, thank you very much!

Okay, so there is the deal. This year they decided that instead of waiting until the series was over, they were going to plant the Open right in the middle of the series and take them head-on.

Although this seems like suicide, there are a couple of reasons that they gave me for going this route. First off, they are hoping for the overflow crowd. It seems like everyone is benefiting from the Rio overflow, and they thought they may as well get some extra business, too. Second, they know that not everyone can afford 1k buy-in's and up. With the juice on satellites increasing every year (thanks Harrrah's, love ya, NOT), satellites may not even be a viable way to get in anymore. The cost of the Open events, however, are about 10%-20% of the series events, so players can afford to just buy their way in, if they want, or play some very low buy-in sats.

Older and elderly people might also be very intimidated by the chaos and mile long walks at Rio. The Open is much less crowded per square foot, and easily accessible once you find the correct entrance.

Now that I've addressed the reasons that they put the Open right in the middle of the series, I'll give my best guess on why they think they might draw some players this year versus the last few years where they've gotten the well deserved reputation of a pit of dung.

They have expanded all of the levels to include one hour limits. One hour versus thirty minutes is a real switch. Also, all of the starting chips have gone up multiple times, while they are still using the same structure that they have always used!!! So let's say 2000 starting chips for a $300 tourney. Plus you start at 15/30 and go up very gradually. That gives you 66 big bets to start with (a huge amount in this day of poker) and you won't even get to 2000 as the big bet until 13 hours of play later!!!

I can't remember exactly what we got in starting chips during the past three years, but it was more like 1/4-1/2 of that, with 30 minute levels. Plus the juice was more last year.

So anyway, I talked to one of the TD's, and they know I'm very unhappy with them, as a whole, but they said they are really trying to do the right thing. So I said I'd give them one chance. If they screw with the structure or give less starting chips after the first event, having taken 15,920 hours to get to the final table and not liking it, then I'm outta there. They brought it on themselves, I even warned them that this structure was LONG, and given their past history of wanting us poker scum outta there in a nanosecond, I figured they'd never stick with the longer structure.

But here I go again, two years later, entering the den of hell called Orleans.

I'll give it a shot at the first O8 event. If I haven't heard that they screwed with the structure, that is. Heck, I figure I can fold my way into the money! I don't even have to play for the first eight hours, lol :)

So there ya go, I'm hitting the Orleans a few times this month, if it turns out okay. And I'm sure no trip will be wasted. No matter how Orleans FUBAR's the Open, there is always the Razz game over in the cash games section. I loves me some Razz.

That was the first thing I've been working on. The second is another thing I've gotten burned on before. So naturally I'm jumping right back into the pit. I love to torture myself. Or be tortured. Masochism is my thing. Come see me sometime.

Anyway, I've written before for tourneys. I hated it. I wouldn't go back. I do, however, think that 2+2 has kind of missed the ball on big tournaments. They have always been all about cash games, and that is fine, that is great. I actually agree with that, pretty much. But new players like tournaments. They don't see them the way we old timers do. They don't see tourneys as a way to get new players into a cardroom to play cash games. They see tourney life as a separate entity, completely self-reliant in some cases. And in some cases, they are correct. It can be done. Variance is a mother, but if you have a ton of discipline and bankroll management (along with many other qualities), you can succeed.

So 2+2 has never been big on tourney forums and tourney books. Just now they are biting the bullet and really getting into things more. With the Harrington books and having Raymer as an original member, it's kind of hard to ignore it.

But they still didn't prepare for what was going to happen at Rio this year.

I was talking to Ed about the magazine (I have been for a while now, both he and Mason, in fact), and thinking of some ways to make it better. Ed had some really good ideas on Sunday night. He said that the ultimate mag might have some tourney stuff in it, too. He also named several other components that he thought would make the magazine more interesting. Right now it's kind of technical, serious and dry, IMO.

While I'm a real 2+2er at heart, and have no interest in reading about who Clonie is sleeping with now, and which mistress is on Moneymaker's arm this week, I can see a great benefit in providing tournament information more regularly on 2+2 and in it's magazine.

It doesn't have to be boring, either. Just because I'm not into gossip or rumors, doesn't mean I can't be interesting. Writing about successful 2+2er's in the tournament arena, profiling the many players who have already cashed or gotten to final tables (and we are truly representing already this year!), finding out what is being done to better the structures, the environment, the food. There are lots of 2+2er's who can write, and write well.

So since 2+2 has never been about tourneys, they never bothered to get a press pass for the series.

After I talked to Ed on Sunday night, then saw that chaos at Rio on Monday, suddenly this idea got into my head. Although I will not be at Rio during the whole of the series, I can still write down things when I am there. Kind of a "man on the scene" type stuff. Just light, and very interesting, not dry or technical.

Right now we've applied for a pass, but who knows when and if Rio will even bother to get back to us, this late in the game. We'll see.

So those are the two things that I've been busy with the past week. Just little things, things that would cause virtually no ripple in my life in years past, but are big for me now. Funny, two things that I thought I'd never do again (play at Orleans and write about tourneys), are the very things I'm planning on for this month.

But nothing heavy, just keep it simple, stupid. Keep it light. I'll only do as much as I can manage, and rest often.

Glenn is playing for his replacement seat today. Gary, my giant friend, also got in for the final. Hopefully one of them will win a seat.

Have a good weekend,

Felicia :)