Just returned from a fabulous dinner (courtesy of my generous friend Mark) at Craftsteak, consisting of heirloom tomato salad, asparagus, potato and leek gratin, Foie Gras with cherries, charcuterie sampler, seafood sampler, Kobe skirt steak (actually 2 – one for me and one for Mark), 2.5 lb Main Lobster (for Rachel), chocolate soufflé, and an ice cream & sorbet sampler. I’m getting ready for a little poker reading (Vanessa Rousso recommended the small-ball chapter from Daniel Negreanu’s new “Power Hold’Em Strategy” as good main event preparation, so Mark – generous again – went out and bought me a copy) and hopefully a good night’s sleep, room service breakfast and the short trip over to the Rio for my Day 1 of the Main Event. I’m feeling pretty good about the recent good turn in my poker fortunes and hopefully that will translate into comfort and confidence at the table tomorrow. My change in plans for the choice of Day 1 (tomorrow is the fourth and last Day 1) has good and bad sides – it will certainly be the biggest day 1 field, and I’m hoping that will mean it has the highest concentration of random amateurs who either flew in or drove in from L.A. today to take a stab at the big event, or who finally managed to win a satellite today after trying for the past week. The downside is that I’m moving (from Caesar’s back to the good old Gold Coast) tomorrow, so that’s poor timing, and Rachel is flying home tomorrow so she won’t be there to watch and meet me on breaks. The other minor drawback is that those of us playing on day 1C and 1D who survive the day will then play on day 2B, and then, if we survive again, will not get a day off between 2B and day 3. I guess that’s a problem I’ll be happy to deal with.
Once again, I’ll be reporting my progress by texting to the live updates service on PokerXFactor, which you can check HERE
Eleven hours from now, Noon Pacific, I take another stab at the main event. I’ve lost the WSOP-event-cashing streak, but the Main Event streak is still alive at 2-for-2, and I’ll be very happy to extend that. Cross ‘em if you’ve got ‘em.
-huge
P.S. in late breaking news, I just read that Dmitri Nobles was eliminated a few hours ago. All I can say is “SEND HIM OUT ON A STRETCHER!”