Going into the main event i'd say I had a productive series, when you look at the hard numbers I had a nice profitable series, but it was emotionally draining all things considered. I grossed around $94k in winnings before the main event on $38k or so in buyins, and since I had half of myself I profited a little under $30k. I'm freerolling for more profit on the main event, of course, but profiting is certainly fine with me given the insanely high variance of these things.

Some things I'm going to look to change for next year:

- Going to get a place at CityCenter or Panorama Towers during the main event instead of staying at a house or the Rio. I feel like Panorama is the perfect compliment in distance to the Rio while at the same time not feeling trapped in casino hell.

- I will probably be cutting 9handed NL tournaments completely out of my schedule. I feel like half my time this WSOP was spent folding with 20 big blinds, ten handed, on a crowded table filled with the unwashed masses. I also ran bad at table draws during smaller buyin fields, I think (not a large amount of incredible fish, I guess). I feel like if I limit my schedule to 6max NL, PLO, and a random mixed game tournament if I'm in the mood, will keep my mind fresh for each individual tournament, keep me happy at the prospect of playing tournaments I enjoy playing (I hate tenhanded $1500 tournaments and they put me in a bad mood) and I won't feel so mentally bogged down coming into the main event. It's pretty rough right now trying to refresh my head with only 3 days before the main event. My brain is zonked. I might go to the Venetian spa tomorrow.

- Hire a chef during the WSOP next year. The WSOP in general forces your lifestyle to get really unhealthy, and the foods available in the Rio that are healthy are kinda scarce (just random fruit and sandwiches which gets monotonous and its hard to avoid the temptation of a cheeseburger and a pepsi when you're really hungry in a hurry). Next year I'll look to hire a chef to just make me some healthy meals and store them in containers to put in my bookbag and eat during breaks. I feel like I've gained 5 pounds or so this month and feel like a huge slob. I'm looking forward to San Diego, where I'll be able to decorate my own apartment and have a personal gym.

On that note, San Diego goals:

- Find a cool pad with carrotsnake. Hopefully some friends can let us crash on their couches as we scout the internet for some cool apartments, and hopefully we run good and find a cool apartment soon. I plan on staying in San Diego for at least a few years barring something random happening.

- Buy a new wardrobe. I look like a hobo half the time in Vegas (which isnt too bad since everyone else looks like a hobo, lol), and I donated most all of my clothes in Athens. When I get into San Diego I'm gonna do a bunch of research on which places to go to and what clothes to get. Some people would say just go out and shop, but I don't consider myself well versed in clothing or style so having someone else (be it a person who works at a nice clothing store or a guide on the internet) is always a help with me.

- Buy p90x. I've heard very good things about this program, and combining the DVD with a home gym and a general nutrition plan should get me into cut shape by December. That's the goal, anyways. There's no more excuses re: my health.

- No more soda. I took a break from my no-soda thing while in Vegas, because frankly it's just too hard to avoid for me the way I prepared coming in, but getting back into San Diego I will look to just drink water and fruit juices and protein shakes. That's an extension of personal health/fitness I guess, but whatever

- Cash out once a month, on the first of the month. I'm going to get way more responsible with my poker accounts with regard to logging for my CPA. The government is getting increasingly nitty with poker players, and accordingly if I get audited I'd like to have everything out there. I will keep most of my cashgame play to PokerStars (since they have the most secure login system + they can give you an account audit if you request).

- Internet dating. For a long time in Georgia I had put dating on hiatus since I knew I was moving to San Diego and I was just uncomfortable starting any kind of relationship knowing that was on the horizon + I'm a college dropout in a college town. I had multiple relationships that came as a result of mutual friends, but coming into San Diego and only knowing people through poker will probably hurt those prospects. Since I'm just not the kinda person to approach random girls I don't know at all in certain situations (eg "The Game" or whatever) or hit on girls at clubs, then I have to work with what I know, and internet dating looks cool. So, I'm excited at the prospects of this.

- Learn to surf. Hopefully Cosmo gets me the hookup for some quality surf instruction. As is I'm not very coordinated, but if I learned to surf that would be a huge plus.

I'm running out of ideas so that's all I've got for now. On the Leggo front, I just made a PLO video which I thought was excellent and hammered on concepts of playing fewer tables to make better decisions, and starting deep tables because ratholers can die in a grease fire. It's been an hour or so and the video is only 10% rendered, though, so I'm gonna have to wait a while for it to get finished. When that finishes, I'm going to redo the 109r sixmax (which seeing it now months later I think I misplayed a ton of spots which Im embarrased to show but whatever), and when that finishes I will do the hand replaer review of the handhistories submitted to me by Leggo member "Kirkdiese"

Hopefully my next Leggo entry talks about how I'm crushing the main event, but if I don't then I'm at peace with that. I think I care less about this tournament than anyone else entering. I mean, I'll play fine, but I won't be the slightest bit disappointed when I bust. Just like my 6max, I'm just accustomed to busting on the very next hand, and if I don't, then I'm freerolling to the next hand. It's a very cynical approach but then again tournament poker is a grind and to get really excited about any one tournament is a pretty shallow way to look at things.

1time though, amirite? lol...

-c