On the Road Again

I recently made two poker trips, and I would like to give a recap of them, especially since I booked money finishes at each stop. My first trip was to visit my friend and student, Greg Carelli, in Boulder, Colorado. I flew into Denver, where Greg picked me up, and took me to an excellent restaurant and then to a private home game. We started out playing a two-table tournament that had a $200 buy-in. We chopped up the prize money three ways, and then I went on to the cash game, which was no-limit hold'em with $5-$10 blinds. I won about $800, and no, I won't reveal the host, since the game rotates each week to a different location. My friend Greg busted out early in the tournament but knocked off the side game for about $1,800, and we called it a night. Greg lives in a fabulous house that he designed himself, in one of the prettiest locations I have ever seen. Boulder is known for its many days of sunshine, as well as its beautiful scenery. Greg is also a world-class chef and owns a fine-dining Italian restaurant named – what else? – Carelli's. I took a day to explore Rocky Mountain National Park, which is a place that everyone should visit at least once in his life. Since this is a poker column, I won't describe the scenery or the wildlife; you'll have to see it for yourself.



I came back home after a five-day visit with my batteries recharged, only to leave two days later for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I stayed with my longtime friends Buddy Ashmore and Candace. Buddy is very active on the Canadian Poker Tour; yes, they have their own poker tour in Canada. Buddy and I met in Reno at a backgammon tournament in 1987. I trounced him in our match, and he has returned the favor ever since. Oh well, at least I beat him once. Buddy was voted the best-dressed player on the Canadian Poker Tour, and his trademark hat looks like something from the 1940s. I accused him of wearing it so that he could look intimidating – kind of like a gangster from that era. Unfortunately, he is too well-liked and kindhearted to scare anybody who knows him.



My trip to Edmonton was not just a social visit. Casino Yellowhead was hosting the sixth annual Canadian Poker Championship. There were four events: limit Omaha high with a $220 buy-in, limit hold'em with a $320 buy-in, no-limit hold'em with a $110 buy-in and multiple $100 rebuys (more on that in a moment), and the championship event, no-limit hold'em with a $1,050 buy-in. These buy-ins were Canadian dollars, which were worth about 83 cents on the U.S. dollar. I busted out of the first two events about halfway through the field, and then disaster struck in the third event. I was at a table with two maniacs who were gambling like crazy. I, for once, decided to gamble with them. The result was a personal record of 16 rebuys plus an add-on. Since I went broke immediately after the rebuy period was over, I promised myself that I would play better in the final event.



I came back the next day for the championship event with a clear mind and heart. My friend Buddy had given me a card to put on the table to give me encouragement. Since I was asked to give a small speech before the tournament, I decided to share these affirmations with the players. Affirmations are something that Mike Caro, the "Mad Genius" of poker, has recommended for years. These affirmations are: Think before you act. I am playing well. I am prosperous. I am making good decisions. I deserve to win. I give myself permission to win. I am focused. I feel very lucky. I am flowing and positive.



After reading them to the audience, I said I was ready to play and they had better watch out for me. I played my best game throughout the tournament, and came very close to winning. Ultimately, I had to settle for second place and a little more than $27,000 in Canadian money. One of the best players in Canada, Dave Klassen, took a terrible beat at the final table. He trapped his opponent before the flop when he had pocket aces. He was up against A-K, and lost when a runner-runner flush beat him after all the money was in. The tournament was extremely well-run by Tournament Director Joanne Jost. Table Games Manager Neil Hironaka was also on hand to watch over everything and make all of the players feel at home. I definitely recommend this tournament and hope I can return for the next one.

Tom McEvoy is a representative of PokerStars.com. He also is the voice of ProPlay, a service of My PokerBiz. For more information, go to www.Proplaylive.com/tommcevoy.