2010 WPBT in the books.

Thanks PokerStars for running the Luckbox Last Longer Challenge again!

Recess let me know Tuesday night that he would have to back out of joining Gnome and I in defending title. Last year Recess had filled in once Schaubs bailed last year and despite being informed of snark potential he did not change his mind.

Fate decided Thursday at IP Pai Gow table that Garth would sit to my right and was looking for a team. If I had known at time that Garth's blog had become Top Chef foodie blog rather than poker blog I may have made arrangements to join for dinner rather than on team.

A historic Pai Gow hand occurred when my 98 defeated dealers 97 and my J6542 defeated the dealer's J6532, sadly I would later lose to a J9 Pai Gow with a J875432 which I set poorly. New Pai Gow theory once best low hand is 87 it is time to play 32 and pray for the high.

Douchebag Harrahs Caesar's Entertainment hit a new low while Brad, Speaker, G-Rob and I were playing $15 Blackjack at only 3:2 Blackjack table in IP. Pit Boss came over and changed sign to $25 table but did inform us that we were grandfathered in until the end of the next 6 deck shoe.

Early in next shoe 1st base got a black jack and dealer paid him 6:5. We had failed to notice that Blackjack payout now read 6:5 and dealer said payouts were not grandfathered in prompting immediate cashout from the 4 of us. To new other pit boss credit the payout was changed to 3:2 but what the fuck does that say about IP that obviously from dealer reaction this is not the 1st time that IP has made what I feel is fundamental change to the game with limited notice.

Friday I talked to a few bloggers in MGM poker room and was tempted to sit into $1/$2 game until Brad mentioned he was still stuck with ~$1300 in chips in front of him. I made the worse EV move of going to MGM craps table. There was a dude that I saw sign for 2 $5k markers who would do nothing for long periods of time then bet $2k-$4k on Don't Pass. I was amused at first as 1st time I rolled I hit so many numbers he decided to pull the bet off and make it a place bet which he collected, then he waited for next shooter. Unfortunately his douchebag son would come up to table occasionally and shout "SEVEN" when a bet was down. Table would thin out and I would move to different table only to have this dude walk up later.

I went by poker room on craps tilt and could not find any bloggers so wandered North to blow off craps steam. When I got to Paris I decided to give craps another chance. Overall had a good run and saw something I had never previously seen at a craps table.

A dude who walked up to a $15 table bought in for $100 disrupting a decent run using 10x$1, 6x$5, 2x$10 and 2x$20 that had to be spread out for count. Shooter crapped out 2nd roll later.

Stick shoved the dice to same dude who immediately grabbed 3 dice and rolled. Dealers and Boxmen looked stunned but stick smoothly shoved back two of the dice and said "The point is 16 sir"

Saturday I had a nice leisurely walk to Aria had a bagel not really feeling on my game for poker.

Tournament started and I got dealt hammer in 1st BB. The addition of the Hammer Challenge led me to try to defend for the $50 prize snapped me into more focused play and also may have led to Alan calling me down when I flopped then showed down the mortal nutz two hands later, 887 flop Alan was torn on whether I had pocket 7s or was trying to win a 2nd hammer and failed to fold KK (if he had read my blog previously he would have known KK is a shit hand in tournies). It has been a while since I played live poker so sadly my hand was a bit trembly when my 87 sooooooooooted had gotten a pretty good flop.

I won a few hands early with 87s but really did not pick up a premium hand at my 1st table but had chipped up with a few steals and some connecting on flops.

I moved upstairs to 2nd table where I could check on Garth and Gnome at adjacent tables and watched Poison deliver some brutal beats accumulating a menagerie of bounties and a mountain of chips. The AJ > AQ after AQ flop sent Mattazuma searching for gnad ice. With ~45 left BuddyDank mentioned to me that team Dank and team Roach were only intact teams left. Soon after a relatively short Numbono shoved on my BB and I called thinking my KQ was sooted. I was honestly shocked to learn that they were both just black but happy when I cracked his A rag.

At this point Recess received a text "Team Roach last intact team"

I heard Joanada busted next and checked quickly on Garth and Gnome. Gnome had previously been around 6k but had closer to 100k as we broke, I was around 30k and Garth was still healthy at 18k which was a little above average at time.

Garth busted about 40th and took his fanboy self over to Craftsteak for a Kobe beef feast while Gnome and I ground forward. CJ came by and mentioned to Poison that Gnome or I had to go for her team to have a chance at the Last Longer so I could not raise her monstrous stack nor armada of bounties off a hand, but did accumulate a few chips against shorties jamming my blinds.

Have no idea who the bust out was that prompted CJ to come over and congratulate Gnome and I on our repeat last longer. We did quickly agree Garth should have trophy. Soon after MiamiDon did make comment that Gnome and I would play soft against each other sadly I may have made a strategic mistake by informing him we had already been paid.

I also remember little from the ~ 3 levels it took to get from 12 to 11 to finally 9.

The dynamic of 4 teams still being in contention for 2nd and 3rd brought roaching to new heights at other table as well as staggering number of shortie river saves.

Final table brought an unfortunate A-rag loss to Drizz' JJ, Buddy's A-rag rivering me after I made a 4:1 call and Dawn 4 flushing me out on river when she was a must call BB.

Lessons learned from tourney are I like Aria poker room and although many thought wine bottle was cool bounty, not everyone likes red wine.

Grats to Miami Don for making field I left behind say 'no mas' and declare him winner.