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I just finished up Day One here at the Borg. It went well. I’m probably in the top ten in chips with my 124,775 (we started with 30K). They got about 775 players, maybe 60% of which will come back for Day Two at 11 a.m. Average stack, therefore, is around 50K.

It’s late and I’m tired, but I have to relate to you all just one hand–possibly the most ridiculous hand I’ve ever been involved in.

Blinds are 100-200 with a 25 ante. A loose/bad/crazy player limps UTG+2 for 200. It folds to the hijack, who is also a loose-aggressive type, but not nearly as insane as the limper. The hijack makes it 775. I decide I don’t want to give up my button, and make a loose call with the 5d3c. The small blind calls, and we see the flop four ways with 3550 in the pot. The flop come Ad4s2d. I have the nuts. The small blind checks, and the wild player bets 2,000. The hijack folds. I make it 6,000. The small blind folds, and the loose/wild guy calls quickly. The turn is the queen of diamonds, putting a three-flush on board. Loose/wild leads out for 6,000 into the 15,550 pot. I choose to just call (possibly a mistake). The river is the nine of diamonds, putting the fourth diamond on board. (Remember, I have the five of diamonds.) Loose/wild bets 8,000 into the 27,550 pot. I reluctantly call. He says, and I quote, “you’re good; you have a flush, right?” I roll over my hand. He shakes his head and says, “yeah, I can’t win.” He flips his hand over. It’s the seven of hearts…and the eight of diamonds. He says, “wait, I win?” He then jumps up from the table shouting, “I played the hand blind! I played the hand blind!” I hope so, sir, given that you put 6,000 into the pot on the flop with 87o on a board of A42.

Outside of this hand, I ran exceptionally good today. I flopped five sets and won with all of them. I rivered the nuts late, and got a big raise paid off. Obviously getting those hands made things easier, but it’s clear based on the above play and many others that this tournament was a great investment, regardless of how it turns out. If I run half as good in Day Two as I did in Day One, I’ll be OK. I’ll give it my best shot.