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Well, I finished 12th. It got really crapshooty at the end there. When I busted the average stack was about 25 blinds, and I had about 15 blinds. I wish tournament structures paid more attention to the rate the blinds increased and the length of the levels, and less attention to the size of the starting stack. Sure, we started with 400 blinds in this thing, but the average stack was 25 blinds, ten minutes into Day Two!

Anyway, I’m pleased with the way I played, and with the year I’ve had in brick-and-mortar tournaments. My next event should be the Borgata Winter Open next month. Until then, Happy Holidays all!

I got through the day in reasonable shape. Average is around 100k and I have 171.5k. 36 players are left out of 179 (what a downright manageable field size!). My traveling buddy Bill Gazes is currently the chip leader.

I’m pleased to be where I am, considering I got down to 7k shortly after the dinner break. Man, I won a lot of showdowns after that.

They’re playing down to the final table on Day Two. Hope I’m still around by the end.

Before I talk about my current trip to Atlantic City, I have to mention a great charity tournament I recently participated in. The MS Turek Charity Classic has helped raise over $100,000 for multiple sclerosis research in its four-year existence. There are great prizes available to final table participants, including a WSOP main event seat. The tournament is professionally organized, professionally dealt, and allows guys like me to actually play poker for a worthy cause. If you live in the NY area, try to get this event on your calendar next year.

OK, so I’m here in Atlantic City awaiting the start of the $5,000 buy-in main event of the Harrah’s WSOP Circuit series. I won my seat in a super satellite yesterday (I was going to play regardless), which helps defray costs a little bit, especially since I failed to cash in the $2,000 event, also yesterday. You can follow my progress after each break via FTSweat, or daily in this space. This tournament will likely be my last brick-and-mortar event of the year, so here’s hoping I go out with a bang!