Wednesday, July 11, 2007

"Don't Fear The Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult

Ah my first venture in the blog-o-sphere and it feels gewd. I guess I should start off by introducing myself.

My name is Brian and I'm 27 years old and live in CT. I've watched the WSOP for years and seen the movie Rounders without ever seriously considering of becoming a poker player. Right around the time Varkonyi was winning his bracelet I began visiting the local poker places Fox woods, and Mohegan Sun here in CT. MS closed down its poker room in 09/2003 so I continued playing at Foxwoods. At one point it seemed like poker was my full-time job, I was going to Foxwoods Monday thru Friday from noon-5:15. I'd take my gf to work, drop her off, go to Foxwoods then come back and pick her up at 6. My real job, a wedding dj, only usually occured on Sats and Suns so it left plenty of free time to poker it up.

Maybe it was begginer's luck but I had a very profitable year in 2003, while not rich enough to afford fancy things like "new" glasses and prescription (for my very bad eyes), playing straight up poker I found I could turn a profit to buy things I needed.

Eventually I found myself wanting to break away from the 2/4 fixed slump and tried my hand at Act 1s for Foxwoods World Poker Finals. On my 2nd attempt at an Act 1 I finally got a break with a free buy-in to an act 2. I promptly made it to the final 2 of the Act 2 and lost when my opponent's pocket 6s held up against my K-Qo. I bought in again at the act 1 and promptly made it straight through to the Act 3 (after setting a foxwoods record at the time of turning a table satellite into a 4 hour heads up marathon).

The Act 3 was an awesome expierience I paid only 60 bucks to get there. I met Mike Sexton and shook his hand (before I even knew who he really was, he started the WPT broadcasts a year later. Previously I had known him as the guy who won the inaugural WPF at Foxwoods in 1992.) Out of 96 people i placed 17th. With the blinds/antes increasing I pushed with 9-9 and got called by K-K, my dream was over. 7 away from some money, and 8 away from a $10,000 seat. I was proud of myself being that was my first multi-table tourney. My gf and her dad were there to watch me and it felt special. I didnt attempt to enter an act 1 until 2 years later, I again made it through to an Act 3, but I finished in a more disappointing 23rd out of 92. I had 7-7 vs J-J vs A-K. A-K took er down.

After that first Act 1 I started to grow bored with limit, and irionically Foxwoods starting offering a 1-2 NL game max buy-in $100. I tested this game out with mixed success until 09/07/2003. That day I won my first huge pot. I was up to $400 from my original $100 buy-in and got As-2s on the button. 2 spades on the flop and grudingly I donkey called to the river where the 9s made my Flush the nutz. Maniac at the table who had been making big bets to scare everyone out bet $200. I almost pooped myself. 2nd guy called maniac's bet. I could barely contain myself, I'm sure my face was beat red from all the screaming going on inside my head. My turn to bet, somehow I managed not to yell out "all-in". Maniac looks at his cards, pauses for 15 seconds and folds. 2nd guy calls the extra 250 I put in. He turns over pocket Qs for a set and I show my nut flush. It took me about 5 minutes to stack all my chips, made much harder by the fact my hands were trembling. Maniac managed to let out this tidbit, "I had a flush too but I was trying to scare out a higher one." I highly doubt he flushed from the way he had been playing all afternoon, but it didnt matter after that. I racked my chips, tipped the dealer 10 bucks and called my gf's mom to inform them we are going to an expensive dinner tonight on me.

I think thats enough for one post, I'll get to online poker and my middle poker phase in another one.

Take it easy and may the deck always hit you in the face.

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