My Family makes me lucky

Posted: June 16, 2008 09:42 AM

Final Table; family makes me lucky! Big comeback after realizing I'm blessed.

OK my wife is here and Friday Night we went to "Carne Vino" with Scott Ian and Pearl Aday where we were hosted by co-owners, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. The food was amazing! From steak, to ribs, to lamb, to salmon, to deserts and special wines, everything was top notch. We were treated like royalty, and Joe even put up with me drinking my "Milwaukee's Best" beer all night! When they put your picture on 12 million beer cans, then that's what you drink, and that's all that you drink! After we left the Venetian we went to "Green Valley" casino where we watched "Metal Skool" and Scott went onstage and kicked ass playing the guitar. I really love hanging out with Scott and Pearl, they are great people. At the concert we hooked up with my friends and UB pros Shawn Rice and Debo. It was a fun group! I arrived back at my hotel at 5:00 am, and was tired for the $1,500 buy in no limit Hold'em, but who cares? I felt good…I busted out, but played the 5:00 pm pot limit Omaha Rebuy tournament where I told my wife, "Honey, I will buy in for $5,000, and take no rebuys and no add ons, and because of this I figure to be out before the two hour rebuy period ends, in which case we can hang out for the evening." Somehow I ran well, and played well, and made it until 10:00 pm at which point I was down to $20,000 in chips. I was steamed up at the thought of being busted sometime between then and midnight and blowing the night of hanging out with my wife for a non-cash! Then I rallied and ended Saturday (4:00 am Sunday) with a ton of chips.

Sunday I came back with 52 others and played great poker all day long. There was an Internet player that played hands like 9d-6d-2d-2s and 4-4-2-9 and he crushed me for hours!

With 14 players remaining I was down to $28,000, with the blinds at $4,000-$8,000, and the break began. I went into the VIP room almost in tears as I talked to Mike Matusow on the phone. I kept repeating, over-and-over again, "I don't deserve to be out of this tournament!" Then I asked myself, "Who decides when I get eliminated, or win it all? The universe, or God, or what?" Finally, I realized that I am absolutely blessed, period; and that I should stop whining to the universe and start thanking it for all of my blessings. Thank you universe, thank you universe, thank you universe! Wonderful family (thank you), great kids (thank you), great wife (thank you), perfect health for all of my family and parents (thank you), fortune and fame (thank you), 11 bracelets (thank you), my face on 12 million beer cans (thank you), best selling book, all of the WSOP records (thank you), and so much more (Thank you!). Hearing my sons voices wishing me a happy Fathers day, and having my wife in town make me lucky!

So I walked back into the tournament area resolved to be happy no matter what the outcome. On the very first hand I moved all in on the button with Ah-Ks-6h-5c, and both blinds--John Juanda and David Benjamine--called me, and I made the nut flush and tripled up. I was never all-in and called in the whole tournament except that once. I somehow moved up and made the final table-which is shown live at 3:00 pm pst on ESPN360.com. For WSOP lifetime results this was my record 64th cash, my record 40th final table, and hopefully my record 12th bracelet.

Johnny Chan is also at the final table and he has a chance to win his eleventh bracelet which would tie me for that record. Negreanu, Juanda, Benjamine, and some other talented players are there as well. I only have $119,000 in chips, which is the short stack by far, and the blinds are $8,000-$16,000, but I'm not giving up! Maybe, just maybe I can pull a rabbit out of my hat (again!). Either way, I'll be happy as I understand clearly that I am blessed beyond measure.