Coming up after the plunge

There's the anticipation of a big event.  The waiting for the excitement, exhaustion, and unknown to take place at a future date.  Much like intaking a deep breath before plunging off the high dive, the thrill of letting gravity do it's thing before crashing thru the cool water and remaining under the liquid until the lungs burn for some air.

For some time now there was two weeks blocked off my calendar as it was last year during the Spring Championship of Online Poker or SCOOP as it may have been mentioned 15 millionteen times here.  While it was just another gig for my friends, for me it marks the two times during the year that I get to hold my breath and play a part that while it becomes increasingly familiar still is foreign and exciting for someone who usually spends a day doing very rote work on set timetables.  My name next to theirs is like a list of words and you're supposed to find which one is different or doesn't belong in the string.  They are professional writers and rightfully so as time and time again their craft is appreciated with our admittedly small niche market of poker fans who still get the thrill of having those hundred thousand dollar turn cards described to them.

So what am I doing there?  An accounting dunce by trade, but a degenerate gambler and lover of cards/poker after the parenting pants come off at night.  Maybe it's because my writing comes out fuller when speaking about subjects that touch me a little to provide a tiny spark for words.  Yes, I still go "DAMN!" when someone busts on a nasty beat (but when writing final table wraps you secretly cheer for those eliminations).  As with my prior experiences with SCOOP and WCOOP at PokerStars, this one was no different, I have the same happy exhausted face today after writing up 23 wraps and helping with Short Stack Shamus on a quick final table live blog for the Main Event (won by toetagU for $1.1 million).

Heck, I even played a little playing in four events and won a few a bucks after cashing in the PLO rebuy and the Main Event-Low all for a total of $30 in buy-ins thanks to a free ticket to two events and a satty win for a HORSE tourney. 

Now there's been time to exhale, for me at least as my friends are already gearing up for their biggest assignment for the year with a little thing going on in Vegas for the next month and half. (according to the Harrah's countdown clock, just 10 days away?!?!). I wish them the best on their journey to the Rio this summer and hope they continue to entertain us with the sights and feels of the massive Amazon room filled with poker players playing chess while holding chips and other playing a slot machine with the five board cards to come.

I of course wouldn't be here if it wasn't for a certain G-Vegas suburban warrior who plucks me from the bullpen, hands the ball over and gives me a swat on the ass with some encouraging words as I stared down the next final table wrap like a middle reliever coming in mid-game.  While I do not possess skull and crossbone imprinted glasses, I akin it to this:




Hey they even get the number right.