The Bat Cave

The bad news is I went to Chinook Winds in Lincoln City, Oregon this weekend to play their amazingly structured $575 Main Event. You start this tournament with 40K in chips, blinds at 50/100, and 50 minute levels. If you’re lucky enough to make it to level 7, you can add on another 30K in chips for $200. It’s super deep. It’s honestly hard to mess this one up before the add on.

I lasted 2.5 hours. I lost two big pots on the river and missed a flush draw in another big one. I was in level 3 with around 10K in chips when this hand came up:

Blinds 200/400/50, I open with JJ for 1000 from middle position and only the big blind defends. Flop is Q53, I bet 1200 and they call. Turn is a 4 and we both check. River is a jack and she bets 5K. I only have like 8K total left, so I put the rest of it in and she snaps with A2. Good game.

It wasn’t even 3 PM yet. I had a hotel room booked for the night. I checked out with no refund and drove home.

To recap my trip: I drove 8.5 hours round trip and spent $785 (plus gas and lodging and food) to play less than three hours of poker and see Phantom Thread!

The good news is I was home by 8:30 PM on Saturday night and saw that there were 18 names on the list for $30/$60. I’m #19. If history is any indicator, I’m going to get in my car in about five minutes, drive to Palace, and start the $30/$60 game at 11 AM.

11:06 AM: Amazing. 2 of 20 names on the list were here for the $30/$60 game start. There’s obviously a disconnect somewhere. The only way I can think of to solve this problem is to either have a later game start or just have an interest list every day and fire it off when we can. It boggles my mind that 90% of the list doesn’t understand they need to be here at 11 to start the game.

Or move the game. A Friday night game seems more plausible. Two Fridays ago there were enough $30/$60 players here to have two games – and two $15/$30 games. Can’t say I really want to start a $30/$60 game at 6 PM though.

I don’t really get it. I guess people just want other people to see their names up for $30/$60 but don’t really plan to play it?

I’m currently playing $8/$16, but seeing as how I haven’t unpacked and I have a big mess at home, I might head out of here soon and come back around 4.