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Yep.....I finished 30th out of 250 people in my first round.....in the Degree Poker Cahmpionships.
It was announced that over 20,000 people entered for 1600 spots in two Regional tourneys. Each Regional tourney had 1000 people in it, with 800 seats given away in the internet contest, and 200 from the host casinos. There were four tourneys in Round one on Monday, with 20 from each going to Round Two on Tuesday. Tuesday's round had the 80 players playing down to 20 players, with those 20 going on to the finals.
The day started at 6 am. We had to be there to register two hours before our round started. I was in Round 1A at 8 AM. While we were waiting to be let into the room, I was sitting on this bench near the ballroom. There were two other guys that came and sat down beside me. There was a guy in a suit at the far end of the bench, making notes in a notepad. The one guy, with the Unabomber persona going, kept going on about how he was winning about $1000 a week online, and how he was going to kick ass in this tourney. He figured out that the suit was a TSN guy, so he started grilling him about when the tourney was going to be on TV (September sometime), and how much of the early qalifying rounds were going to be on (not much probably). The TSN guy asked him a few questions about his strategy, etc., and Unabomber wouldnt shut up. TSN guy, trying to get away from him, points out that I'm one of the few women there (there might have been only five out of 250 that I saw), and decides that he wanted to ask me some questions. Unabomber wouldn't shut up, so the TSN guy drags me away to ask me questions. I tell the TSN guy that Unabomber will be out in less than 20 minutes, but he says that it won't be that long. TSN guy was right - Unabomber didn't last more than three or four hands, AND he was yapping about finding the TSN guy on his way out.
We finally start the tourney. Three of the four or five women in the room are at my table. One of them went out in the first hand. At least that wasn't me!!
There was this guy doing commentary with a microphone walking around. Every time someone went all-in, he would announce it as a "Degree All-in moment". It was really distracting. Most of the players wanted to smack him.
Blinds started at 25/50, then went up to 50/100, 75/150 then 100/200 with a 25 ante, then 150/200 with a 50 ante, then 200/400 with a 75 ante and so on. At the 500/1000 point, there were three tables left with about 30 people. I was big blind. I had a pair of 7s. When the betting got to me, I bet $3000. Two of the other players left in betting fold, the other calls. The flop is 7 Q 9. I decide to slow play and check, and the other guy left bets all in. I look him up and down to see if he is beating me, decide he isn't and call. He has a pair of Kings. I am beating him at this point with three 7. The next two cards J 10, giving him a straight, which of couorse beat my three 7s. I think he was more surprised than me. Given that I get rivered all the time, I wasn't really as surprised as I should have been.
As players left, they were given a gift bag featuring a tshirt, a Degree deodorant, and a CD with a poker game. The Casino threw in some ad brochures.
I stayed at the Sheraton. I got a good rate because I have one of the Casino's players cards. I didn't have a falls view room, but this was the view from the window at the elevator...
TTFN,
