My Aruba Trip...

Talking Poker · #1 09-19-05, 03:23 PM

I'm starting to get excited about this. Here are some useful links for anyone who wants to know more details and/or to follow along from home. Maybe I'll make this "Sticky" before I leave.

My Trip Details: I leave from here on Saturday (the 24th) and return on Sunday, October 2nd. I'll be staying here (it sounds amazing):

They have high speed internet access, so I should be able to give you guys daily updates, or at least check in now and then.

This is the official web site for the tourney:

Here is the event schedule:

I also get to play in this - 330 people won entires to the tourney, so that is the maximum number of people who will be playing in this. I'm guessing it will be more like 300 (it ended up being 189):

Here is the official blog, where you may be able to get updates from the tourney:

CardPlayer Updates:

More info on the tourney:

The tourney structure can be found here:

Here are the payouts:

That's all for now... I'm pretty psyched

Talking Poker · #2 09-19-05, 03:28 PM

More key info I left out...

I'm in Flight 1, which means I'll be playing on Monday. My Day 2 (hopefully I will make it to Day 2) won't be until Thursday. In a way, this is a good, but in a way, it's bad. On the plus side, I'll get some rest in between poker days. Also, if I am eliminated on Day 1, I will have the entire rest of the week to just relax and not have to worry about the tournament. I'm not planning on letting that happen, but you never know. I have to say, being in Aruba for a week is a pretty decent consolation prize, should I get unlucky early.

eejit101 · #3 09-19-05, 03:30 PM

Wow, that hoel is famous over here, really really nice. That become a pro tourney looks fantastic, if you win we all want invites to come watch, hell, id take the train down to paris from the UK, only $50. WTG TP! have fun

Quint · #4 09-19-05, 04:05 PM

Hope you get to enjoy some of what the island has to offer (not too much though).

Reel Deal · #5 09-19-05, 04:16 PM

Sweet TP... have fun, safe travels and good luck!!

Talking Poker · #6 09-19-05, 04:25 PM

If anyone is interested, I have decided to sell up to 20% of myself (in 1% shares) for this tournament. Details are here:

eejit101 · #7 09-19-05, 04:55 PM

whats the actual "buy in" or the equivalent of it for the main event??

Talking Poker · #8 09-19-05, 09:05 PM

$5000+200. If you followed any of the links above, I'm sure you would know that

I will explain how I came up with the $100 per 1% share in the other thread shortly...

eejit101 · #9 09-19-05, 09:14 PM

I did read them all, just been a long day of playing, and im only $15 up

Couldnt find the buy in anywhere, must have missed it, sorry.

....People seem to be picking on me......

Talking Poker · #10 09-19-05, 09:42 PM

Not picking.... I just have serious trouble you opened any of those links, since I see "$5200" plastered all over the place when I do.

Being up $15 beats the hell out of being down $15. Or $1500 for that matter.

Talking Poker · #11 09-23-05, 02:17 AM

I'm making this thread sticky... for any new members/lurkers and of course, our very own, drewjax.

Talking Poker · #12 09-23-05, 03:33 AM

Interesting. I was just looking at last year's tourney, because I was curious how many entires there were. Check this out:

647 players. And 200 places paid! That's awesome. If they do it like that again, I really like my chances of cashing.

Aequitas58 · #13 09-23-05, 03:57 AM

Seriously - if there are under 700, you have an excellent chance of cashing if they pay out like 29% of the field. LOL. I don't want to be the downer, but I'm guessing it will be a large field... over 1000.

GL. Please keep us posted!

Talking Poker · #14 09-23-05, 12:52 PM

I don't mind. That's more money in the prizepool!

drewjax · #15 09-23-05, 05:18 PM

Man, I thought you might have been going to cover this event. Now I see (ya I looked around, lol), you're playing. "You're killing me Smalls" If I wasn't on my way to Baltimore to hit the booze and see the Sox/Orioles this weekend, I would be even more jealous.

Good luck siiiir.....

Talking Poker · #16 09-24-05, 01:26 PM

Aiight. I'm outta here.

See you all at the final table!

Talking Poker · #17 09-25-05, 02:16 AM

I'm heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere.

Man, $17 per day for the slowest "high speed" internet connection I've ever seen. Anyway........

Uneventful flight(s) - I had to fly to Atlanta (from Florida) to fly past Florida again and come here. That's the price you pay to fly from you hometown airport.

I would guess 80% of the people on my plane were poker people. Annie Duke must have been on my plane without my even knowing it because I saw her at the baggage claim.

Shared a taxi with a few other poker players, checked in, walked around a bit, had a few beers at the bar and chatted with some dude for a while... Saw Howard Lederer, the Jetts, Alex (whichever one won last year) Brenes.

That's about it. I need to egister tomorrow AM. There is some "Pro Seminar" thing at 10:30, and then the Become a Pro tourney is at noon. There is a Welcome Reception tomorrow night.

More updates to come............

Thanks to those who have decided to back me. If anyone else is interested, I'll accept transfers tomorrow too, now that I know for sure I can get online.

Aequitas58 · #18 09-25-05, 02:44 AM

Do you know of a site feeding live updates? It'd be cool to see how things are going .... kinda as they happen.

Cardplayer? PokerWire?

lightfungus · #19 09-25-05, 04:56 AM

Shoulda hollered when you trounced through ATL, maybe on the way back. Anyhoo, goodluck and win that poker pro thing, except it seemed like most of the buyins you could win have already happened...I think I missed something somewhere. Keep us posted.

Talking Poker · #20 09-25-05, 10:50 AM

I think so too. 2006 haven't even started yet, my friend!

As for live updates, check CardPlayer, plus the UB links above - they have a blog, etc...

BlibbityBlabbity · #21 09-25-05, 11:03 AM

Talking Poker · #22 09-25-05, 04:50 PM

I'm out of hte "Become a Pro" tourney. There were 168 players in total, includingan estimated 20 or so who didn't make it and got blinded off. Maybe even 30. I finished around 50th, which pays exactly the same as 2nd does, btw.

My first table was great - really nice people... We were having fun and I was playing well. I got moved to a new, much quieter and much less fun table just before the break (after level 3). I had a decent amount of chips when we returned from the break, but probably not much above average.

One interesting hand came up where the BB (absent) was all in, and I was involved in the hand wih another player. I flopped top pair, and he led out at it. I decided to call and make a play on the turn. Well, a flush hit the turn and he fired again. This is a guy who I watched lead at a flop with a set of 9s on a completely uncoordinated board, so as I was about to fold, I said, "Well, at least I'll get to see his cards" (thinking the all in guy could contest for the pot). Apparently that's not how it works though. My mistake, no problem. Well, then some other guy at the table starts waving his hand in a "come on, let's go" type of way. I said, "What? I'm not allowed to think about my hand?" He said, "It's obvious you're going to fold." (It was). I said, "Well, I don't like you rushing me, especially when I'm not a slow player," so I capped my cards and sat back in my chair. I didn't want to be a ass to the rest of the table though, so I folded after about 5 seconds or so.

Moving on.... The antes kicked in and I got cold decked and lost quite a bit of my stack without even getting a reasonable hand (or opportunity) to open with. Just under the original 2000 starting chips, my buddy (see above) opened for a minimum raise (to 400). I reraised all in from MP with 99. He decided to call 1500+ more chips with his AJo. He hit an Ace on the flop, and that was that. I tapped the table, shook a few hands, and headed out.

Other than that one guy, most of the people were really friendly though, and I enjoyed meeting them. I got to play with a few big name UB players, P0ker H0 and I forget the guy's name that starts with an S. Hopefully I'll get to know some of them better as the week goes on and maybe we can get some fresh blood around here...

Now it's time to relax in Aruba. 7:30 is the Welcome Reception ($50 if you don't have tickets - I have 2), but other than that, there is nothing on the schedule for me today. The big one starts for me tomorrow.

To Be Continued......

Talking Poker · #23 09-25-05, 10:52 PM

Had a nice time at the Welcome reception tonight. Got to see Phil Hellmuth jump in the pool for a $3000 donation to Katrina victims. I bought a book off of him and he signed it to "TalkingPoker.com" - That will be a prize in an upcoming contest.

I also met a really nice couple tonight. Turns out they are John Stoltzman's parents. I really enjoyed talking to them... John's Dad is a firefihter who makes a good bit of money playing online poker too. Definitely an inspirtion.

Ok, back to the festivities...

omahilo · #24 09-25-05, 10:58 PM

John Stolzman and his dad went half and half with each other in the WPT event that he won so he gave his dad half of the money he won off the WPT event.

Him and his dad seem like nice people.

Talking Poker · #25 09-25-05, 11:14 PM

Yup, that's the jist of it. I can actually tell you the entire story (and I will when I have more time - remind me when I get back)... I didn't meet John, but his parents are great.