Here in San Remo for the week playing the EPT event then heading to Monte Carlo for the EPT Final. Super nice area of the world is the Cote D'Azure and I'm loving is so far. Today was not my day though, busted just before dinner, nothing went well etc but I did get to play the craziest and possibly best hand of my life.

Ok, blinds are 75/150 in level 3 and I have 15k in chips after just doubling up a couple hands earlier. UTG opens to 400, UTG+1(online tournament reg and strong player) flats, I flat 1010, fish calls behind me on button and Annette calls in the BB. Flop comes, Qc8C8s and the PFR checks, UTG+1 checks, I check hoping to peel a nice safe turn and look to bet and take it down with a bet if checked to again, fish checks and so does Annette. Turn is the 10 of spades, I now have a BOAT and the board is two tone, tons of draws. Things now get crazy. I have Tens Full and have dreams of Vegas and the ****in Mirage. Annette leads 1500 into the pot, UTG/PFR calls, UTG calls as well. Sweet Jesus things are looking great to win a huge pot. I make it 5150 after a couple minutes of tomfoolery and posturing, that's what like to do live, always take my time even if I have total air sometimes. Fish behind me goes into the tank for 5 minutes, really in a tough spot with what I assumed was an eight even though I'd expect everyone even fish to bet trips when checked to on that board. He eventually shoves 10k or so, Annette folds her hand, PFR folds, but then the very solid and good thinking online tournament pro shoves 18k. Snap shoves BTW. What I thought was the nuts, now looks like I am somehow beat. There is just no way solid tournament pro shoves a worse hand. Possibly 108? No because he isn't flatting UTG's open with 108s. So he either has Queens full, or quad eights. I tank for 5 minutes. A crowd gathers to take in the hand. I show my hand to the onlookers behind. A bunch of Italian dudes start snickering and whispering about how I can't fold among themselves. I come to the conclusion that solid tourney pro has me beat via the quads or the Queens full and I fold my hand face up. The crowd of 50 or so that has gathered is in shock. I feel good about my fold but even better when the solid tourney pro shows 88 for quads and the fish shows up with j9o for a turned straight. It isn't that crazy of a fold when I think about it and I felt good about the fold at the time. It is just tough to fold a hand of that absolute strength, with less than 100bbs and getting an insane price on the turn call. Oh and it's a tournament. Again, not that crazy of a fold given the action and the players involved but I am very pleased that I was able to realize that I was beat and let my hand go. I wasn't tilted by my fold or rattled in the slighest, more so pleased with myself but I couldn't recover. I lost a bunch of tough pots when strong hands couldn't hold up and that was it. W/e.

Met Erik Frieberg of 2007? WSOP Main Event fame at dinner and I now have an in to play in some private high stakes games this week, although I'm not exactly super flush with Euros over here.

If any Leggo Members are here in San Remo or are going to be in MC, give me a shout.

Cheers.