Well I’m home. Woke up early and even though I am sleep deprived I wanted to get home in time to pick up L and S from school.

Los Angeles was interesting and will become more so as we get closer to the Main Event on the 23rd I believe it is. First there’s the WPT invitational which isn’t much real poker but is a nice congenial group. Then the big one. Played two megas last year for seats and won them both (they cashed out the second one) was 21st in the big one for $44k. I want to best last year’s win, obviously. As much as I beat myself up over this play or that one, bad reads, ill timed moves … I am (finally) proud of my game. I look at what I set out to accomplish in my game three short years ago. I wanted to be taken seriously as a professional poker player (I am) I wanted to make good decisions and reads (that is now my strongest poker asset) and I wanted to win at it (doing pretty good). Now to set it all into motion, connect all the dots, and see where it takes us.

Well. Let’s see, showed up at Commerce this morning to play some cash and have some breakfast before the tournament. Made $580 at cash in a few hours then headed upstairs. The $335 tournament drew 242 players. I went out 20th. Third cash this week but no big wins. Frustrating. Headed home tomorrow. Need a break and a dose of reality before returning for their big one.

Well, it was one rough poker day. I was second best all day long, in some unbelievably vicious hands. The tournament was just rough and the final blow was my AK gets cracked by A4 who gets a straight on the river.

Played cash and the second hand I have middle set against top set on a rainbow board of J 8 4. Lost my stack, then I turn a full boat only to run into a straight flush. Miserable but let’s get these bad beats out of the way now.

New day tomorrow … always another day in poker. Ha.

Well I’m out … It was tough starting short stacked. Finally get AK and push only to run into AA, not much more to do when so short in chips. Was officially 48 out of 2,200 players … another day tomorrow.

As frustrated as I get from being bumped, later, I have to put the whole tournament into perspective. We started with 3,000 in chips, I got down to 800 in chips and came back big. Here’s what happened … was just getting killed on every premium hand and couldn’t win a pot. A pre flop raise by a very tight player was only 300 to me, I only had 800 and was dealt 9/8 of diamonds, a hand I like. Figured I’d have to shove no matter what, I see an 8 in the door and was going to go .. but then saw another one on the flop. I check and the other two players check. The turn is a blank (figured if it was an ace I was in trouble) so I tossed my last 500 chip in the pot. Pre flop raiser tosses in a 500 chip and flips over aces, only to see my set of 8’s … so I was saved and was able to parlay that into a final 3% of the field .. not too bad Queen I should tell myself more often, not too bad.

Today is Hayden’s 19th birthday, hard not to think about what we would be doing. I know I would be calling him at Stanford trying to get a little Mom time, but that would be allright. Thought about what best to do today to keep my mind off of him not being here with me, and decided to do the one thing I’ve done the last four years which has kept my mind off my loss. I registered for the $220 $250,000 guarantee at Commerce.

Started at 1 p.m. and had a rough day. Had KK cracked early by 77 with four clubs on the Board. Got down to 800 chips but managed to push my way back up to $95,000, chip average, at 2 a.m. Lost with a raise with A J suited on the button of $15,000 (blinds $2500/5000) and the big blind calls. Flop 8 K 8, he had checked dark so I had to see where I was, bet $20,000 … he calls. I had to abandon and he did show a king.

We go back Sunday at 2 p.m Down to the Final 54 over two days play and over 2,000 players. Top 27 from each day return Sunday … wish me luck.

Poker in LA has been interesting. The heads up match didn’t last long. Had AK on a AK3 board. I fire, he calls, turn a 3. I fire, he min raises and I call. On the river he moves all in. I have to fold. This was half my stack. Then I turn a straight, push to protect it and he calls with top pair and a four flusher and rivers the flush. Nice hand sir was all I could say.

Played cash and ate. Had worked up a few hundred dollar profit and getting ready to leave when in big blind I have K 9. Small blind makes it $15, I’m in for $5 already and another player stays in. Flop is 5 5 9, original bettor makes it $35, I make it $100, just making a move, and the original raiser throws Aces away face up. He was NOT happy when I turn up K 9 as the other player who only had $40 behind calls my raise with A 9. I hit the K on the turn to win and to begin a torrent of abuse by the guy to my right. He went on and on and said what did you think I was betting with? Finally I said “look buddy, I was making a move, you folded the best hand, its poker. But if you want to keep me from outplaying you bet more than $15 with those aces.”. I left shortly thereafter with his money in my pocket. Play today at 1 pm. $250,000 guarantee.