Our first tournament of the year kicked of with a BANG! , as 24 (count 'em) 24 players jammed inside a crowded and toasty garage on Pepper Street. This was a record attendance, and I hope it's a sign of things to come for the year!
First order of business, Marc F. - the 2009 Player of the Year, awarded Mike P. his bracelet for the 2010 POY. Well done Mike, and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy, really.
Part of the reason the garage was so full was because we had new players along for the ride, an old co-worker of mine Christie W.G. as well as her husband Jeff G. We also had Josh, a friend of Marc F.'s. I hope they all enjoyed themselves and will come back soon.
Most players seemed to be playing pretty tight, as it was well after the break when we had our first casualty, the good Dr. David (my brother) who succumbed to be the first out of the year.
I was a little concerned thereafter, because it seemed that the bust outs were happening really slowly - it was almost 10 pm and we still had three tables! But eventually, the structure kicked in and did it's job, swiftly eliminating those who had failed to accumulate, so that by just after 11 we were down to our final 8.
With an extra paying position this year, it was Allen Q. who found himself the recipient of a DVD bubble prize - he took home "The Verdict" starring Paul Newman, in my opinion one of his strongest performances.
The official "bubble" player (who this year gets his buy in back) was Dan I. who seemed content enough with a full refund for a full nights entertainment.
Next to fall was long time Pepper Street player Dan G. who saw his monster stack decimated quickly in a few key hands and took home $85 in 5th place.
Long time cash game enthusiast, who probably hasn't been at a tournament in close to 2 years, Stuver, pocketed $115 for fourth place. Hopefully his deep run will encourage him to come back for more donkament action.
Amy L., who had devastated the field and amassed a huge stack of bounty chips in her wake, was next to fall - receiving $150 for third place.
Then it was heads up, and it see sawed a couple of times before Noah P. finally relented and took home $215 for second place. Since he is a WSOP Side Game participant, he gladly traded in ten dollars of his winnings for 2000 more in chips for the January 2012 championship. Well done Noah! You are off to an early lead in the race for a WSOP seat.
When all the dust had settled, it was Gabor V., who had taken it down; scooping up $335 for first place and the gleaming PSP trophy! Congrats Gabor!
All in all a fantastic night, despite your hosts pathetic showing - a big thanks to those who stayed late to help out and show support, especially Marc F. who did the lions share of dealing and shuffling when it got 3 handed and heads up.
Hold on to your hats and glasses, our next tournament is right around the corner - it's in this month as a matter of fact, Saturday, January 29th at 7pm. Stay tuned for the imminent evite.
