Lots of other things to talk about, but time is short. One quick note about Memorial Day. I’m not the most gung-ho, patriotic person around. But Memorial Day is a little different for me because of my grandfather. The story of his WWII experience deserves its own post, and someday I’ll write it. But if you know anything about the Bataan Death March and Japanese P.O.W. camps, you can begin to get the idea. He was taken prisoner the day after Pearl Harbor. He was freed after the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He was very much like a father to me. He died in 1999 and I miss him daily.
Vegas is fast approaching and the recurring theme in all of the anticipation posts focuses on four things: storming the castle, the tourney, the post-tourney tequila massacre, and being sucked into the soco hurricane that is the alcanthangexperience. As I’ve had the pleasure of knocking back soco with Al at Commerce earlier this year, all I can say to those of you who have yet to have that experience is that you owe it to yourselves to make sure you do. I’ve also played the spread limit game at Excalibur, and it is wild even without the added insanity of being surrounded by 100 other bloggers. I can’t imagine the craziness to come this weekend.
As for the tourney, I suspect I’m near dead money, though I do think the socal region is in good hands with Hdouble and Obituarium (provided they don’t make it deep into WSOP #2), the Pokergeek, Brini, et al. Hell, even lkim, host of the infamous home game, is coming. I’m actually rooting hardest for him, because if he makes if far into the tourney it will mean two things: 1) there will be a lot of bloggers peeved that an unknown reader is making a splash and 2) with his “style” of play, he will be putting the bad beats on a-plenty. Prepare yourselves for that. For those sitting at his table, I suggest three thick layers of tilt-proofing.
Speaking of lkim, Friday night was another edition of the infamous home game, birthday edition. We went small this time with 11 players and an amazing homemade birthday cake for yours truly, courtesy of Tien. Luckily ahem, Hdouble, lkim and I all busted early, and they twisted my arm until i agreed to hit Commerce for some late night $100 NL swimming, with Brini promising to meet us there once he busts out of the ihg. Everytime I play the $100 NL game at Commerce, I drive home lighter in the wallet, swearing that I’m not going back, but old age makes the memory go, I guess. I won’t get into too many details, except to say when the total mackerel in the 3 seat raises me all-in drawing to 3 outs and then hits on the turn… lets just say it was an expensive night for the birthday boy. Its a very beatable game, but one must have the bankroll to withstand the swings.
With Vegas looming, this is likely to be one of the longest three-day work weeks in my career. I’m in Friday, staying at the Plaza, out Sunday. See you all there.
