Wake me up when it's time please.
I didn’t follow the play last night from 27 down to 9. I was busy railing my wife giving birth to my son.
The lion cub gave up a mighty roar as soon as he could. A good sign and the doctor was impressed.
She was rewarded with a spray as my son tested his hose. Another good sign apparently and the whole crew laughed.
He Ate Until He Puked
They put my son in my arms and he looked into my eyes. Happy with where he was he shut them again.
So I looked in a big plastic bowl instead. I shouldn’t have, but it’s my poker training that has conditioned me to always look for information.
It was the placenta – a visual memory I could have been without.
They wanted to weigh and measure the lion cub but he didn’t have time. He wanted food.
He ate until he puked. Daddy was proud like a peacock and canceled the DNA testing.
My son went to sleep like a baby and I tried to get to the Internet to update myself on the results from the Main Event.
Without being too persistent of course. I didn’t want the nurses to think it was a big deal compared to just having a son.
That Someone is Completely Wrong
Back to stuff you want to read about - like Daniel Negreanu. Just like in 2001 he finished 11th. I feel for him. That's got to hurt.
On the other hand he had won a few flips before he lost the last one and it's hard to be more set up for life than him. He will survive.
I also have to compliment him on his outfit. He wore his smart casual style to perfection.
Shirt, belt, trousers, socks and shoes – everything matched beautifully and perfectly together. He should give his stylist a raise.
The competition isn't exactly fierce in the poker world when it comes to being a sharp-dressed man but Negreanu completely owned the last three tables.
I read someone’s opinion that it didn’t matter PR-wise for poker that he didn’t make the final table because he already had the platform to market poker for years.
That someone is completely wrong and grossly underestimates what Daniel could have achieved with the backing of the biggest brand in poker behind him.
This is the November Nine
Negreanu bubbled with two tables left. I have done it many times. There's nowhere to raise and nowhere to fold when it’s six handed at one table and five handed at the other.
I’m sure the short-stacked Negreanu longed for the real final table and 10-handed play.
German Alexander Turyansky was knocked out in 10th. If I were him I would tell people that I made the final table, because he did.
For many years only six players came back for Day 4 and constituted the “Final Table” contestants.
That changed in 2001 because the field had grown so big that it was not practically possible to play down to six anymore.
The game could go on for most of the night before the last stage was set in the earlier years.
This is the November Nine this year:
Joseph McKeehen, USA, 63,100,000, 158 bb
Zvi Stern, Israel, 29,800,000, 74,5 bb
Neil Blumenfield, USA, 22,000,000, 55 bb
Pierre Neuville, Belgium, 21,075,000, 53 bb
Max Steinberg, USA, 20,200,000, 50,5 bb
Thomas Cannuli, USA, 12,250,000, 31 bb
Josh Beckley, USA, 11,800,000, 29 bb
Patrick Chan, USA, 6,225,000, 16 bb
Federico Betteroni, Italy, 6,200,000, 15,5 bb
A Million is Sweet but Not Compared to Whole Enchilada
If you read the hand history you’ll see that chip leader McKeehen was leaning on the other guys like a heavy Doyle Brunson.
He was raising most pots and chipping away at a nice pace. If they had kept on playing until six players I think the others more or less would have forfeited the bracelet to him.
Like the field did to Huck Seed in 1996 when he raised a ridiculous 16 uncontested times in a row or something silly like that.
Now the rest of the November Nine have a chance to rest, regroup and revise their tactics for catching up to McKeehen.
I find it very interesting how they will chose to prepare for a chance of a lifetime. Yes, the million dollars they all are guaranteed is sweet and probably life changing.
But not compared to winning the whole enchilada.
Hard Work Begins Now
Will they go all in like Martin Jacobson last year and exercise, eat healthy and get a bunch of skilled friends together to simulate 50 final tables?
Or will they go far out like Ylon Schwartz in 2008 and go to Mexico, buy a bottle of tequila and lay in a hammock on the beach, resting in form?
Will anyone bluff about his preparation? I probably would.
The hard work begins now - anyway they choose to prepare. So does the adventure.
About Ken Lennaárd:
Sweden's most controversial poker blogger Ken Lennaárd has been around the professional poker circuit for almost 20 years. Among his numerous accomplishments are Swedish Championships both live and online, three WSOP final tables and over $1.5m in live earnings. He's now bringing his singular poker voice to the English world via PokerListings.com. Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Note: Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not represent the views of PokerListings.com.
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