Nruns for the wcoop main event, ept London and napt LA. I've never really tried the step process, but you inspired me to give it a shot. Can't wait to read more.

More please!

Looking forward to reading more. However, I gotta ask......

Are things like this commonplace nowadays for middle-aged adults?

BO

i hope your not facebook friends with your students, then you would be a the creepy old guy.

well, either way would like to here more

don't click spoiler if you want to be suprised:

come on OP. lets here the rest.

I'm pleased to have provided at least part of the inspiration for your inaugural TR and I'm flattered to have been included in this small cadre of authors that have also done so.

You're off to a fine start and I look forward to vicariously accompanying you during your rememberances of this year's ME.

This is one of the reasons I come to this particular forum, to read about things I can never accomplish. So, M O R E P L E A S E...

HAHAHA, first post....

3nd - more please.

The AA vs KK set over set, heads up for $12K, is utterly sick. Imagine being the other guy...

Wow not only your fist post but your first post in 5 years.

Point 1 - yes Facebook is now huge among people my age. It is how we plan things like 20th hs reunions and reconnect with long lost friends. Old people are taking over the internet. My mom and dad have FB pages although they think its just fancy email. But hey, I have them emailing so that's good.

Point 2 - I do not "friend" current students. It is creepy and against school policy and an all-around bad idea. I do however stay in touch with past students via FB. I started teaching at age 22 and had students who were 17-18. So they have become some of my very good friends as adults.


I will be posting the next installment later today after I get out of these faculty meetings that I have all day today.

Cheers and thanks for the encouragement. I'm sure the flaming will ensue on the first bad hand I recount.

What can I say, I am the true meaning of the word "Lurker"

Great read A+ so far

FAIL. The oldest player in the November 9 is Cuong "Soi" Nguyen, a 37 year old salesman. Our hero is a 38 year old teacher. Thank you for playing.

come on, love can turn to hate real quick on 2+2, more plz

I've warned the OP about some of you fickle bastards. I also told him that making a stellar post- like giving the wife a present when she's mad at you- generally restores harmony and goodwill.

I took Leo Doc's advice and chopped this entry up into two parts bc I got long winded. Sorry, but hope you like.

Day 1C -- Part one – Getting to the Rio and My first big hand

What was I thinking scheduling to fly in the morning of the tournament? Well, I was thinking I would maximize the 3 nights hotel stay that FullTilt was providing (although they would extend it if I was still in the tourney after the 3 nights were up). If I got knocked out in the first level at least I had three nights in the Rio as consolation prize (Ha!). But flying out the morning of? Not real smart. What if the flight is delayed?

As we sat on the tarmac at DFW, waiting for maintenance to replace a seat cushion, (yes, I said seat cushion, if they had to replace something vital like a wing, I would not have gotten annoyed, but a seat cushion? Really?) I started to realize this was a bad idea. We were scheduled to land in Vegas at 10:00am giving me two hours to get to over to the Rio, finish my registration (I had preregistered online, but still had to sign things in person), get my FullTilt swag, get settled into the hotel, and prepare to play. We didn’t land until 11:05.

I left my wife to handle the bags and I ran through the airport, jumped in a cab and said, “Rio, as fast as you can!” I felt like I was in a scene from a movie. My cab driver asked if I was in town for the big tournament. I told him that I was and that play started in less than an hour and I still needed to get registered. He said he would get me there in under ten minutes. I am not very familiar with Las Vegas and I have never played in the WSOP, so I have no idea really where I am going and what I will need to do when I get there. I thought about arriving two hours late in a boxer’s robe accompanied by scantily dressed dancers, but then I thought that might be a distraction to the other players and a bit disrespectful. Oh well, maybe next year.

My cab driver made out like Dale Earnhardt, and sped me to the Rio. He was weaving in and out of traffic seemingly ignoring all laws of traffic and physics. I started to regret my request as the fear of dying and my almost instant car-sickness from riding in the back seat reared their heads. We did arrive at the Rio in 9 minutes and 56 seconds. I looked at the meter and it said $22 so I gave Mario $30 and said, “wish me luck.” As I got out of the cab I resisted the urge to rush up the red carpet like a kid late for class. “Stay cool, act like you’ve been here before.” No point in making it obvious to everyone around that I was a complete noob.

I entered the Rio Convention center and was immediately aware that I was performing on a big stage. I quickly found the registration desk and was surprised to find no line and only one or two forms to complete. That’s it. I didn’t have time to second-guess the decision. I then headed up to the hotel room where I was to receive my Fulltilt gear. I needed to look official as I represented the company in case I made it to the feature table, or… the final table. I wanted to make sure I would get some sponsorship money.

I entered the room to find that it was about 90 degrees inside and there was one guy sitting in front of a laptop sweating (not sure what was going on with the air conditioning, but it was not cool. I was instructed to get a bag, a couple of shirts, a jacket, a hat, and a handful of stick-on patches. I was told I could wear the shirt or jacket, or that I could wear my own shirt and just place the sticker on the chest. I was also told to wear the hat, but that they wanted us to wear the hat backwards. (There is a logo on the front as well as the back.) I asked of this was necessary as I didn’t want to look like a tool. The kind gentleman said that if I were more comfortable wearing it forward, then they would probably just dock me 10%. I agreed to wear the hat backwards when the TV cameras came around.

On the way back to the convention area I started to really appreciate all of the cardio work I had been doing. I think I covered a few miles at Olympic caliber speed walking pace. When I finally got back down to the tournament area players were filing into both the Pavilion and Amazon rooms. I made my way to the Amazon room, found my table and my seat just in time to hear and watch Joe Cada, say “shuffle up and deal.”

Holy @#%^. Did I just set fire to $10K?

I settle in and do some quick calculations. With 30,000 in tournament chips and blinds at 25/50 I have 600 big blinds and two-hour levels. There is no need to play big hands without great cards, but speculative hands in position are a great value. Patience wins. I spend the first hour or so trying to evaluate my tablemates. So far everyone has been solid with no one getting out of line. It seems like everyone at my table has the same game plan as me. However, I am hearing the call, “all in on table ##,” from time to time and I wonder how you manage to get all in with 600 big blinds for 10K.

One reservation I had about choosing to play Day 1C was that it would cause me to miss Spain vs Germany in the World Cup Semis. Luckily there was a big screen TV right beside my table and sitting in seat 6 I had a great view. I find myself more interested in the game than my cards. I find I am not alone as the room erupts with cheers as Spain wins.

My first significant hand of the tournament occurred about at about 1hr 15 min into the tournament. Here is the Facebook post I made from my phone shortly afterwards:

“Just won my first big pot. Almost pooped my pants. Stack up to 45k from 30k starting. Set of tens on ace high board.”

An early Position raiser was called in two spots before I looked down in the small blind to find 10 10. I call. I thought briefly about raising, but this early in the tournament I felt I should play a pair of tens to set mine. If I do raise here I may get one or more callers, I would have built a big pot out of position with a hand that is no good if the flop comes with paint, and of course I could be behind already. So I decide to play it safe and just call. The flop came A 10 x. I tried to stay calm, but inside I am really excited and wondering how I can get 600 big blinds in the middle. I have to decide to check or lead out. I decide that leading out was better. I figure at least one of my opponents has an ace and will call or possibly raise me. However, if I check and no one bets I’ve let drawing hands get there cheap on the turn. I lead out for about half the pot. I have one caller, who seemed to consider raising. I cannot remember the turn or the river (it been a long time since day 1 and I accidentally deleted the note I made on the hand) but I lead and was called on both streets. I show down the set of tens and my opponent folds saying “two pair.” I didn’t get 600 big blinds in, but I now have 900 BBs in my stack.

At the first break my chip stack is up to 48.5K. I am playing very conservatively and have only shown down big hands. I am feeling comfortable with my table image and have made two really good lay downs based on my reads.

During the break I catch up with my wife, who has checked us into the hotel and scouted out the Rio. We head in the FullTilt Pro Players hospitality room to get a drink and sit down. I look around and see some big names. Lederer, Elezra, and others. I don’t have time to be star struck as I replay hands to my wife who only understands that I have more chips than I started with and I that I am serious but in a good mood. She slaps me on the ass and says, “go get em.” As I head back into the fray.

Awesome job so far secret! I can't wait to see what happens (I really hope you don't turn out to be MW from Copenhagen!!!).

Thanks for the plug, I appreciate it.

Leo doc is the Yoda of TR's...listen to him and you can't go wrong!

pic of wife or it didnt happen... jk good read need more

good reading itt, please continue op

Another great read Secret! Looking forward to the next installment.

Good stuff! Nice avatar by the way.

2nd part was too short!

Great read so far