My WSOP moment

My un-creative writing for Badblood's creative writing request.


After taking the flop blind, I looked down to see my favorite hand of two red nines. The flop brought out 9 A 9 knew this was it, my fifteen minutes of fame were coming and I thought back on how I got to the final table in the WSOP's first event.....

It was 1am central standard time, my feet freezing from the cold basement and the space heater I used was smashed into a jillion piece from Iggy bluffing me earlier for half my chips at the final table with 34o. I silently scolded myself for playing not to lose instead of playing to win. The Yahoo chat group and railbirds were in full out gossiping mode as the final two, myself and Iggy, were squaring off for the free ride to the Rio for the first event of the 2005 World Series of Poker. Knowing I was outclassed by the diminutive online poker pro, I had to pick a spot and get lucky.

And lucky came in the form of two red nines.

I had a slight chip lead over the blogfather as he led out for over half of his chips, tired of getting pushed around I shoved my virtual chips to the middle and he insta-called, sigh. I turned over my Gretzky while Iggy showed... THE HAMMER! Seeing that I was a 72 to 1 underdog, I cursed the poker gods for tempting me to stay up this late (knowing I'd only get 3 hours of sleep till work the next day) and losing ever so close to completing a life long dream.

Flop came out 7 7 2

Turn 2

Before the river card came down I remembered where we were playing and managed a snister Dr. Evil laugh as a lovely 9 turned over. Elated from winning I woke up the wife to tell her the good news. She promptly wished me death and threatened to make me walk to work. Thanks hon.

Fast forward to June.

After a night of pressing reverse-implied-tilt odds upon the local rocks on the $2/$4 tables with the ACHE and several shots of SoCo for him (rum and coke for this lush). I floated to my seat in the spacious Rio the next day. My wife, not happy with my drunken actions last night before coming to bed stated she would not be viewing my demise but rather going to the Forum Shop to spend the rest of my $200 of gambling money that I'd brought.

I sat down to look up at 9 players all wearing PartyPoker shirts. Iggy slinked back to the rail after seeing that my table already had invoked the power of BONUS CODE IGGY, and further shilling was not necessary. Seeing that my table was a glorified bingo hall I'd decided to gambOOOl with them with hopes of making it big fast.

And I did.

The hammer crushed my opponent's JTs and 77 all-ins pre-flop with an A 2 2 flop. With a steady stream of chips coming my way it was announced that I was the chip leader for day 1 of the event. The lovely chick from ESPN's Cold Pizza tapped me on the shoulder and asked for quick interview.

I obliged.

She first asked about the rowdy following I seemed to have on the rail. "Rowdy?" I replied "wait until Al gets on his 4th bottle of SoCo, then rowdiness will occur". She then went on to ask about my twice confirmed huge junk, I calmly explain she should talk to the guy with the huge guns with a 72 offsuit on his shirt.

Pointing towards towards Badblood arm wrestling Gus Hansen, "you mean him?" she inquired.

No, no, the other one wearing the same shirt as I pointed out Bob who was holding a half empty 40oz. Colt 45.

"Hmmmmm" she purred as she forgot about the rest of the interview and lustfully made her way to Bob.

The next day I showed up at the Rio to finished what I started. But instead of busting out in record time, my hands actually held up!

Down to the final table and me with a commanding lead over Daniel N. and the lovely Evy Ng, I held my temper down when Daniel hits a runner runner royal flush to beat my flopped quads. Immediately I asked about the bad beat jackpot, Norman Chad makes a snide comment about how PartyPoker players should just stay home and play for nickle and dimes.

Daniel uses my chips to eliminate Evy, and we're heads up for the title. I offer a chop to Daniel but with me getting the bracelet. Daniel almost passes out laughing. Sigh.

I peeked my hole cards 9 and.... another 9. Knowing this is the best hand in hold em (as seen on PartyPoker many times), I smooth called Daniel's 4XBB raise. Flop comes out 9 A 9. Shit. I'm only slight favorite to AK that I've put Daniel on. Correctly he pushed all-in. I get up and start pacing like an expectant father in a hospital delivery room. After two minutes and 4 rum and cokes. I call.

Daniel gives me the stink eye for taking so long to call with quads, but I explained my luck with having the flop favorite. Just as I finished explaining, the dealer dealt an Ace.

Sigh.

I curled up into the fetal position waiting for the proverbial kick to my twice confirmed huge junk.... and a King was laid on the table. And suddenly the mob of bloggers flood the table like rabid North Carolina basketball fans taking the floor after defeating Duke.

Still numb from winning, I hear my wife yelling in the background.

She was yelling because she just hit the bonus game on her penny slot she had been playing the whole time and I was watching Otis at the real final table.