Day 2 Summary

I went in prepared to be patient even though I was very low on chips. I was patient. So patient, I didn't voluntarily put chips in the pot for over an hour. Unfortunately they have these things called blinds and antes. Can you believe they force you to put chips in the pot before even seeing your cards????? The nerve. I didn't think it was possible to have worse cards than I did at the end of day 1, but today I did.

First hand was 3-4 offsuit and it didn't get any better. Next hand 5-3 offsuit. It was unbelievable. The best hands I had were As7s in the blind after a middle position raise and A-5 offsuit under the gun (first to act pre-flop). If I push with those hands, I will only be called by a hand who is a 3:1 favorite over me. Any big Ace or reasonable pocket pair will have me drawing to 3 outs (or miracle flush or straight possibilities). Unfortunately, I would have flopped 2 pair with A-5 on an A5K board. My chips would have been in the middle, but I'm actually not even sure I would have won the hand as a guy ended up going all in on the turn.

The other unfortunate hand was when I was in the big blind with J-2 offsuit. There was a middle position raise and a call. Obviously that is a shit hand so I threw it away. Flop was 228. I might have tripled up there or at least doubled with the post-flop action.

Soon thereafter is the J-7 hand I texted in that knocked me out. That was literally the only hand I played. I was in the cutoff seat (1 before the dealer button) and nobody had entered the pot to me. I moved in confidently, but there is no way a guy is folding 8s with the number of chips I had. He had to call. Flop was no help, but I turned the Jd and everybody said, "You can sit back down!" I was now more than a 3:1 favorite to stay in the game with 1 card to come, but.....Damn it, they jinxed me, cuz the river came another diamond to give us both a flush. But his was 8 high and mine was 7 high. I'm out.

I sit down in a cash game soon after busting and pick up pocket QQs twice in the first half hour. Come on....where were those in the tourney!?!? Of course I lost big pots both times.....[who calls a 6x BB raise with K-7 offsuit in the SB?]

In addition to the pros I played against, I was able to chat with several pros including Chad Brown and Gavin Griffin. Right after I got knocked out, Chad and I recounted some poker war stories side by side at the urinal. Gavin Griffin is doing a charity walk for breast cancer in Long Beach, which I asked about as my mom is a survivor. He dyed his hair pink as a symbol of support for breast cancer survivors. I thanked him for his efforts.

Overall it was a fantastic experience and a great time. I wish I had a chance to play more poker as my stack size and lack of cards dictated my actions of folding or pushing all in for the last 4-5 hours of play. I really want to do it again next year......you Syndicate members best watch it, cuz Jakey-O is hunnnngggrrrry. [In my head that was in a Humberto Brenes voice]

After I get these pics transferred off the camera, I will post some of the good ones. Thanks for your support and thanks for reading. The Syndicate is only getting stronger, so I really look forward to [winning it] next year.