Yes I owe any readers out there an apology for waiting a couple of weeks to wrap up my tournament experiences, thoughts and comments. I’ve been busy playing poker online, several hours a day (and doing quite poorly).

In an effort to make this easier on me and maybe quicker for you, i use the ever popular TOP list:

Top 5 Tournament Tips

1. Dress Comfortable, layers, bring drink, snack, entertainment, etc.
2. Play some live cash games or tournaments to reduce your nervous engery.
3. Plan on having short breaks infrequently - seat, do your lavatory planning with that in mind.
4. Be polite, friendly, but don’t push the quiet guys to speak, they’re quiet because they want to be, just like you want to talk.
5. Play slowly, you can’t win on the first day (of a multi-day event), but most people will lose on the first day.

Top 5 Cruise Highlights

1. Card Player Cruises largest poker room at sea.
2. A veranda cabin, especially if you smoke.
3. Grand Cayman, what a vibrant place, with a beautiful bay for diving/snorkelling
4. The Spa - buy the packages when you board, don’t wait till the last 2 days to check out.
5. Getting off the ship and heading home. Even a great trip needs to end.

So, I’ve played my first big, multi-day tournament and finished in the money. I’m one of the top players in the world according to Poker Pages. Don’t believe it! Playing a tournament like this is a bit stressfull, especially the first time you play. Once you get over your nerves, you’ll find a tournament is like any other event that brings strangers together. Most people look to find a “group” inside of the crowd to hang out with. Poker players are of all sorts, some loud, some quiet, some smokers, some drinkers and unfortunately some dickheads. In general, you’ll find most people are pleasant. The first group people find is the Smokers group, which when i’m gambling, i’m usually part of. On the cruise i met a lot of Danes, Americans, plus some Canadians and Swedes, everyone was friendly and trying to have a good time.

Top 5 Cruise Tips

1. Remember that card you hand the bartender is attached to your credit card
2. Check BEFORE you pack if there is really a formal night, we had 1 “optional” formal night. Didn’t need the suit.
3. Don’t forget just because it’s winter and cold at home, it’s sunny in tropics and sunscreen costs $10 on the ship
4. Don’t plan on using the internet, the ship has service, which cost 50 cents a minute and is slower than the worst dial-up speed you can imagine.
5. If you need to be in contact with land, by phone, rent a satellite phone. Ship to Shore Phone is about $15 a minute.

You Heard Me Right: F L O P!

 Linda Johnson is truly - The First Lady Of Poker. As the Lead Partner at Card Player Cruises (if you love poker and/or love cruising Try a Poker Cruise! ) Linda Johnson is the face of the cruise event itself. Throughout the cruise, if she’s not speaking to the crowd, she is meeting people individually or involved in helping manage the largest poker rooms ever to set sail. On the final evening of the cruise, the Party Gaming prizes for their Poker, Blackjack and Slots tournaments were handed out. I then learned a bit more about the Party Poker Millions Tournament cruise and the people involved. At the first PPM Cruise, and award, in honor of long time amateur player Brian Saltus, who was onboard playing, despite his declining health. Then it was time for the 2006 award, who would it be? Only Linda and a few other members of her team knew had been chosen. Linda stood next to Mike Sexton (poker legend and Party Poker Host) aa she was in the process of announce the name…. but it would not be allowed to happen. Mike Sexton grabbed the microphone and annonnce “The First Lady of Poker: Linda Johson”! Talk about catching her off guard - a great laugh for everyone and a nice honor for someone who was playing poker before there was an internet, let alone an online room. Well the whole trip is over and i’ve nearly gotten everything back in the swing of things. The cruise was fun, it was my first, i’ll likely go back. The best part was the poker, dozens of tables every night and a lot of great fun. My plans are to play more live poker, including the first week’s Limit games at the World Series of Poker. I’ll have a final wrap up of the Party Poker Tournament and my experiences at the tournament in the next few days. 

Well, i’ve just awakened after 7 hours sleep, the most time i’ve slept in  over a week.  The Party Poker Millions V is over and the players have headed back to their homes.  Soon the promotion for the Party Poker Millions VI will underway. The final stats on the tournament are out and this will list all those who finished http://blog.partypoker.com/partypokermillion/day4/the-final-6.html

 I’m now planning to enter a number of WSOP Limit events and am excited to head to Vegas (june 29th) to both play and catch up with some new found friends. On of these buddies is Tomo Honda, who i put All-In, early on “cut” night, he came back, played strong and finished the tourney 19th. Mr. Honda, a engineer with a PhD, will be showing up in the money at other events in the future.

In the next week or two, i’ll be talking a bit more about the tournament, Card Player Cruises and my Prep for the World Series.

Mike Schneider, a 22 year old American, won the Party Poker Millions V tournament and walked away with the $1 million first prize.  The final 6 players of the 528 starters, began play at the final table at 2pm EST aboard the Holland America Lines ship Westerdam.  The final 6, all American males, included Kenna James, Drew Chitiea, Scott Buller, Richard Joel and Devon Miller.  Miller was the short stack going into today’s play and was knocked out within the first few hands.

Richard Joel went All-In with pocket 8s on the turn, but lost to Drew Chitiea who drew a 2nd King on the river. Joel finished 5th winning $250,000.  Chitea in turn went down to Kenna James, when he went All-In with Q-10, but lost to James 3 kings, finishing 4th. Scott Buller finished 3rd winning $500,000, when his All-In was called and won by Kenna James.  James, is reported to have not had “the cards” throughout the day, when he lost when he was Blinded “All-In”, giving the 22 year old from Minnesota the big win.

Mike Schneider’s contingent of over a dozen, loud and loyal friends cheered him on. These same friends spent much of wednesday night hooping and hollering about how their friend was going win it all.  Schneider sat there, throughout the evening, listening, contemplating, but not saying much at all. Whether just his personality or his game face, Schneider brought the same, quiet determination to the table and walked away a winner.

I guess student loans won’t be a problem for this “Man from Minnesota”.  I never came up against Mike and am grateful. As the 5th Party Poker Millions final ended, it was clear that another exciting tournament had pleased almost all those who had entered.

Personally, I met a lot of great players and nice people in the tournament. Despite my sloppy play (mainly from lack of sleep) the vast majority of players, though tough competitors, are just nice, friendly people.

Finally one word about www.CardPlayerCruises.com: Excellent. Linda Johnson and her staff of dealers and floor people have kept dozens of tournament and money game tables going nearly 24 hours a day.  These folks are not just top professionals, but friendly, helpful and on top their game.  Look for the finals on TV soon, but when you see David Lamb announcing from Table side, realize that he was not just announcer, but the tournament director and a man who is a true poker professional in Reno and a regular member of the team that runs the WSOP every year in Las Vegas.

We’ll I’m off looking for some dead money…..and hoping that it’s not sitting in MY pocket.

AllPokerPlay

Yes, I busted out before midnight and will not be playing for the $1 million at the final table.

BUT - I FINISHED 89TH and in the money! This is my first major, live tournament and and the biggest money I’ve ever come back from the casino with.

I’m tired and a little sad, but having set my original goal as finishing in the top 25% (2005’s payout line) i’m happy to say, i finished 89 of about 525 players (forgive my looseness with the numbers, it’s not really easy to get accurate numbers as the tournament is running), about the top 18%, better than my original goal.

The funniest moment of the tournament, to date, was when one player introduced himself to another palyer “I’m labor lawyer from Toronto, what do you do?” To which a loud, but friendly voice replied: “I’m a prosecutor”………The room became silent….. “Don’t worry, this isn’t my jurisdiction!” The room then broke out it laughter. Well as we all know there are many debates about whether online poker is legal or not in the USA, so having an American prosecutor in the game was quite amusing.

Well off to the bar and then to bed. More on the last round and final table in the next couple of days.

AllPokerPlay