SATURDAY

Yesterday was the kids' final day of school, so I was eager to squeeze in a lot of poker. I read Otis' PokerStars blog and realized that Wil Wheaton has joined Team PokerStars. He is billed as a writer and blogger in addition to the well-known roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Stand By Me. I cruised over to his blog and gave a listen to all the audio entries dating back a few years while I played $10-$20 limit hold'em. I prefer to play limit games when I am multitasking. I have decided that any poker player worth his salt needs to be able to make money at limit hold'em, so I've been "getting back to basics" lately and taking back my limit game.

There was a message on my machine concerning my draw for Day One of the WSOP. I will be playing the second day - July 8th. This is the ideal draw. I will drive to Vegas on the 6th and acquaint myself with the hotel and casinos, and enjoy the cocktail parties that evening. The next day will be restful - I can spend the day at the pool, devouring buffets, or playing cards as I see fit. Then comes the marathon day one, for which I should be well-rested. Then, another day of rest before launching into day two, should I be so fortunate. From there, it is round-the-clock cards, but I will gladly put in the hours, as each passing hour gets me closer to the money.

I ordered Super System 2 and Dan Harrington's second book, which will be good reading leading up to the event. I have also been watching Phil Hellmuth's DVD series - I'm totally inundating myself with poker, trying to get my mind right. I've also been working on the body - I cut out carbs for two weeks and dropped ten pounds. Yes, it is true I have not had a beer now for two weeks. That probably accounts for eight of the pounds; no pizza, no pasta, no bread, tortillas - it's amazing how the pounds drop when you trade these for tuna and sirloin. Marci found these great fudge bars made with Splenda that taste great and are less filling. I've been choking those things down two at a time. I am not getting hungry since my insulin level is stable, but I am getting bored. I've been eating a lot of minced chicken lettuce wraps. I've been doing a lot more shopping for fresh foods every other day and stocking up, realizing that the box and microwave chow I normally prepare is carb-laden.

Today, I played in the WPT Stage 3 event and finished 19th of 62. I was making slow progress, then I tried to steal a pot from a wiseguy who had called in first position. It folded around to me on the big blind, and I raised it up with A4. The flop came Qxx and I bet two-thirds the pot. He raised me, and my instincts said he had nothing. In hindsight, if I had raised him back, he would have folded, but I called instead. Then a rag came off and we both checked. A jack came on the river and I put in a big bet to steal the pot. He called with JT, putting me under the initial starting chip stack. From there, it got ugly for a good long while as I was magnetically repulsed from hitting a flop. I waned down to $725 and was in last place, just waiting for my walking papers, but I didn't give up. I doubled up and then went on a rampage with kings, aces, lucky flops, lucky rivers, and ballsy bluffs, and soon I had about $9000 and was in the top five.

Of course, then I went card dead for a very long time and wound up under $4000 and getting desperate again. I debated going all in with ATs in first position, but settled on a nice raise. It folded around to the big blind who played back at me. I had just folded about 42 hands in a row, so I was hoping my early position raise would get some respect. This guy was pot committed, so I figured he must have a hand, and I folded. Now I was around $3000, so after some more folding, I found 99 in first position and went all in with it. I was called by that same ATs, which was a marginal call, but he was not a big underdog as it turned out. He picked up a gutshot straight draw on the KJ7 flop. I hit my nine on the turn but only on the way to losing to the miracle straight when the 8 came off on the river. I was down to $175 just as the five-minute break arrived.

Funny enough, I was in the big blind coming off the break, so I was all in with J5. I flopped two pair and wound up with a full house. Oh, to have chips when that happens. So, I tripled up, then a few hands later, I went all in with tens and tripled up again. I was the Cinderella Kid. I was still far from comfortable, and was looking for some paint so I could push all in again. I folded all the cards I got while in good position, waiting for something worthy. The only face cards I saw were J2 and Q3 in early position, which I folded, allowing the blinds to eat $900 out of me. The next time around was no better, and I never got a hand I was eager to play, so I was forced to play whatever I wound up with in the big blind, and wouldn't you know it - it was the old seven-deuce offsuit. There was only one opponent, and I actually flopped a deuce, but he held T6 and found a 6 on the river to end my day.