Campfire Stories

Commerce Casino Holiday Bonus Tournament, Day 0

Weird memories from this place... I made the drive last night from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to play in the Commerce Casino Holiday Bonus Tournament. My friend Melissa Poff drove down with me last night, John Fruitkin is driving down right now to join us, and several of my MInnesota friends are here too: Mike Pickett, Kirby Rogers, Mike Carlson, and CMO. These tournaments are so much fun when you are here with a bunch of friends.

Last night I played for a couple of hours in the 40 game and won $996. I quit when I saw Pickett walk behind me and I spent about an hour and a half watching him play 20-40 NL. Gawd that kid is good. I watched him throw out a $5k chip and say "raise" over his opponents $1500 turn bet. The board read Q 7 3 , 9 . I did not see Mike's cards. His opponent went into the tank and finally folded. Mike drug the pot and returned to his spaghetti and meatballs on the white tablecloth covered food cart behind him. After a noodle vanished into his mouth he let out the slightest little shit-eating grin that nobody in the world but me noticed. He had nothing. We talked about the had later and he said, "I knew what he had, and I knew he couldn't call a big raise." Damn this kid's good.

I've been surrounded by a weird emotion returning here to the Commerce. I attended school at USC, just about ten minutes up the freeway, and this was the first joint that I snuck into before I was 21. The first time I played here was in a 6-12 game at the tender age of 19 without any fake ID. This is where I learned this game of poker. It is where I took three $300 cash advances off of my credit card and promptly blew them all in the 9-18 game, the biggest game that I had ever played at that point. I just paid off that credit card this summer for a little over $3k. This is where I played in my first 15-30 game, and I will never forget my first hand ever. I posted behind the button and saw a flop 4 ways with the A2o. It came A23 rainbow, I bet and raised the whole way, and lost to A3. I went broke that night too. This is where I came really close to probably getting my ass kicked for being a 20 year old involved in a jackpot. I had AQ on an AA2, A board. Here any pocket pair plays in a jackpot. I had no idea what to do - because I knew my one opponent had a pocket pair. I bet the turn and a K came on the river counterfiting my kicker. No jackpot. PHEW. I have not played more than a couple of goof-off sessions here since the fall of 02 and all those dark days of my early poker career.

But, here I am. I'm planning on playing all the events while I am here and either staying through the main event or heading to Foxwoods with a bunch of kids for the main event there. Tonight is the $250k guarantee $300+30 multiple rebuy NL event. First prize is expected to be around $120k. I will let you know how things go as the trip progresses, and as always, thanks for reading.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

posted by Devo @ 7:38 PM |