2009 WSOP, Day 7: Arm Yourself, Bomb

Tuesday was the first day of the WSOP that I did not stick my fedora into the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Instead, I mostly just hung out at the home-away-from-home, catching up on some reading and writing, and heading out just to grab a few groceries at the Food4Less. Oh, I did run on the treadmill, too. Am keeping that up, having only missed one day thus far (Monday) in favor of that cheeseburger discussed in yesterday’s post.

Tried to stay up a little later last night than usual, since my workday won’t be starting until later this afternoon when I begin covering the first day of Event No. 10, the $2,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha event. Probably looking at working at least until 3 a.m., so it’ll be a late one for yr humble gumshoe.

In order to stay awake, I hopped online a little after midnight looking for a movie. Actually considered David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977), which I last saw at a midnight movie screening some two decades ago (or more). (Available here.) Watched the first five minutes and decided maybe I wasn’t quite in the mood for the little chickens that you cut up just like regular chickens, the lady in the radiator, the baby (shudder), and the rest.

Instead I opted for Dark Star (1974), John Carpenter’s hilarious sci-fi comedy which can be seen online over at AMCTV. Seen it a hundred times before, of course, but it still cracks me up. Was weirdly identifying with the characters, too, stuck in space all alone, away from family and friends, performing their tasks. Might’ve also been identifying with Bomb #20 there at the end a little, too, who ultimately decides “the only thing that exists is myself.”

When the movie was done, I checked in once more over on Poker News’ Live Reporting page to see how the WSOP was going without me. Kind of a weird day over at the Rio, schedule-wise, in that there were five events going on, but no final tables. Indeed, we’ve completed a full week of play (seven days), but only three bracelets have been awarded.

And today the big pile-up occurs. I remember noting a few weeks ago how June 3rd looked like an especially crazy day, with seven different events scheduled, including three final tables. Apparently somewhere along the way the plan was revised to try to finish Event No. 4, that $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em “Stimulus Special” event, yesterday, but it was already 10 p.m. or so when they reached the final nine there, so they are going to do that one today.

Two other final tables will play out today as well -- Event No. 5, the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, and Event No. 6, the $10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud. The plan had been to do the live streaming of the final tables for both Event No. 4 and Event No. 5, but I don’t think they’ll be able to do that, since both of those final tables are set to begin at 2 p.m. this afternoon. Gotta believe they’ll go with the hold’em event and thus the PLO guys are SOL.

The stud final table was never going to be televised anyway, so they actually stopped with 11 players remaining in that one. They get going again at 1 p.m. today and will play it to the conclusion.

Meanwhile, four other events will be playing, too. Both Event No. 7, a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event, and Event No. 8, the $2,500 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Lowball event, will start their second days today. They both appear set to begin at 2 p.m. as well. Event No. 9, the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event, begins its first day of action at noon. And as I mentioned, my event starts at 5 p.m., Event No. 10, the $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha event. Or, as some call it, “HA.”

“HA” might be what we’re saying later today when contemplating where the hell to put all of these players (never mind the reporters). Seems to me we’re looking at a 99%-plus probability that the Series is going to deviate from its normal orbit and spiral toward the sun, causing an eventual supernova.

All very intriguing. I wish I had more time to discuss this matter before I detonate.