Day One - Levels Five and Six

I am staying disciplined through the first four hours of the tournament.  My poker buddy Bill “The Banker” told me many years ago that he did the same thing every hand he played: cover the cards in front of you with a card marker and wait to look at them until it is your turn.

It’s a very basic principle: don’t expose your reactions until you have to, don’t give information to people acting before you.  And almost no one waits.  The allure of the unknown calls out to you, and while your eyes may not bug out like Roger Rabbit’s, your involuntary reactions - the way you reach for chips and look around the table, your posture, your skin tone - these are all in play when you see your cards.  Don’t look and no one can know what you have.

At some point, however, I may backslide and start looking.  It’s human nature.  I will try to put that off as long as possible.

New player has replaced the gray haired guy on my right.  Jean Colinet, two cashes.  He looks like a wiry version of John Oliver, and looks like he’s wearing really expensive gray jeans.  He has about 16,300.

Fultz just felted another player.  I overheard his backstory: he is a retired Secret Service agent, twenty years, now working for a deputy sheriff.  Can’t get a read on his politics, however.

New player: Frank Crandell, four cashes. He looks like the old Packers coach Mike Holmgren, and is wearing a shirt open to mid-chest, exposing a thicket of gray chest hair.  His arms are crossed and he is glowering at the rest of us.

I’m folding just about everything because everything needs to be folded.  Good gravy.

A guy at the next table is wearing a red Adidas tracksuit.  Genius!  I have one of those and will wear it to the Super Seniors, assuming it still fits (a big assumption).  

Finally played a hand.  A4h, called a 1600 bet by Cuehlo, who seems to play a soft game.  Flop had an ace, we both checked.  On the turn, I bet 3000 and he went away.  And with that pot, I cleared 40,000 - double my starting stack.  Woo hoo!

After a lull, I get A5s.  I raise to 1500 and Murray comes along.  Flop is AKQ.  I bet 2500, and Murray comes along.  I check the turn, and I check the 5 that comes on the river.  Murray shows AJ and is a little irritated that I caught the two pair.  I don’t apologize.  And now I have 45,000.

Fultz just felted the PTA mom, who was playing a low ace on an ace board, while Fultz was on a draw to a third six or a spade flush.  He hit the 6 on the river and she hit the road.  She will be missed.  (No, she really won’t: that’s just another poker politeness thing to say when someone leaves the game.)

We are very close to having our table broken up and sent to fill empty seats elsewhere.  22 minutes to the dinner break.  Not sure which will happen first.

We did not break before the break. I took a little hickey, chasing a flush that did not come.  Now at 34,700.  I have some work to do after the break.