It’s the last day of the wildest month in recent memory for me. After a -$557 day mainly at NLHE, I’m in the hole $338.97 for the month. I’ll either try one last time to make it up or just call it a down month.
I’ve been eagerly following the LAPC, and three of my six picks are still alive lead by JC Tran in first with 3.46mil in chips with eighteen players left. Jason Strasser is in third with 1.196mil and Kristy Gazes is short stacked in sixteenth with 307k. I’m pulling bigtime for Jason to get to the final table and get heads-up with JC Tran in what could be one of the best WPT battles ever if it gets to that.
I couldn’t be a bigger fan of anyone in this poker world than I am of Jason. Otis knows him very well from his time qualifying for events through PokerStars. Jason is a regular 2+2′er in the HSNL forum, and he’s definitely a regular of the 8th level thinking school. He’s more impressive because of his lack of passion for poker. That may not be the best description, but he’s able to compartmentalize poker while remaining just an excellent player. He’ll pop into a WCOOP tourney and take down a $400k score, then he won’t be heard from much until he pops onto a couple $25/50 NLHE tables. No live play since the WSOP except for the PCA and now the LAPC, and he sits solidly in 3rd with 18 left. None of this guarantees he’ll be sitting without his headphones at the TV table, but I’m absolutely pulling for him to get there.
As you probably know, IGGY has left PokerWorks to head back to his own domain, a casualty of the changing dynamics of poker as well as a big stumble technically by this site. I’d never met IGGY before he came here, and I had a chance to spend some time with him in December. He’s absolutely as good and as bright a guy as I’ve met in this poker community. One of the things I miss in my life is being around people that you have to sprint with, where the level of talent around you makes you stay on your toes as well as creates a constant community of stretching and learning. I don’t see that much anymore, mainly due to my isolation as well as my current mix of clients. In IGGY I see that. I’m hoping that we’re able to stay connected.
New banner for March in honor of two Duke buddies: Doug Kim (l), 7th place and $2.39mil richer after his WSOP ME final table, and Jason Strasser, who hopefully will be playing in Commerce while we’re playing online. If he can take this down, he wrests top earnings honors away from Doug with $2.4mil going to the winner of this WPT event. Come on out to our battle in CC’s Thursday Bash after watching Survivor. I normally give a free seat to this event every week, and this week will be a bit different: nominate someone you’d like to see join us. I just need you to leave me a comment or email me at csquard@gmail.com with who and why you’d like them to receive the freeroll. I’ll select the winner sometime tomorrow.
The big question I’ll be exploring over the next week or so is a bit of a doozy for me personally. What with IUGEA, NETeller, Party, and personal liberties, one fundamental question hits me very, very hard. Am I better because of poker? I’ll answer that question for me over the next week, but feel free to give your thoughts in comments or email me at csquard@gmail.com.
Have a good day, and hope to see you Thursday night.
What happened to Tuesday’s CC’s Partner Contest post? Has that fizzled out?