While Jen was slaving away covering the WCOOP on the PokerStarsBlog this weekend, I was extremely busy playing in a $1,000 freeroll on PokerStars (12 players max). I’m sure it won’t make her extra-happy to know that I overslept for this special-invite tourney and logged in with an M < 1. But that's what it took to make the final table -- playing tighter than ever. My stats en route to finishing 9th:

During current Hold’em session you were dealt 122 hands and saw flop:
- 0 out of 21 times while in big blind (0%)
- 0 out of 22 times while in small blind (0%)
- 2 out of 79 times in other positions (2%)
- a total of 2 out of 122 (1%)
Pots won at showdown - 1 of 2 (50%)
Pots won without showdown - 0

The series of events is called The Run Good Challenge — mad props to our friends at PokerListings for putting it on. 10 independent typists and two professional bloggers from Listings … duking it out in a game of online hungry-hungry hippo for real American cash:

Event 1: NLHE, regular Stars Structure (Sept 6)
Event 2: NLHE, turbo structure (Sept 13)
Event 3: NLHE/PLO, regular structure (Sept 20)
Grand Final: NLHE Deep Stack structure (Sept 27)

For the three prelims the top three spots will pay: $600, $300, $100. Grand final will consist of top five performers from external bloggers plus best of Dan or myself and will pay all six spots: $1,000, $650, $400, $200, $150, $100.

Sweet, no? Be sure to click below for “live” chatlog coverage from the feature table — kinda interesting to see how entertaining poker can be when you eliminate the hands. (And gives you disturbing insight into the sick minds of bloggers competing in a tournament that couldn’t happen at the WSOP without the entire final table being sent to the penalty box.)

Good mishmash times with Amy Calistri, Change 100, Pauly, the Entities from Wicked Chops (um, inverse multi-accounting?), Spaceman, Poker Shrink, Kid Dynamite, Shamus, Michele Lewis, and Matt & Dan from PokerListings.

UPDATE: Wicked Chops were no-shows.

As mentioned, I arrived a little late for this one, despite setting my poker alarm by going to sleep with Stars running a mere two feet from my head. Alas, pacific time, man … had 95 chips with blinds 50/100 when I arrived, waited a few hands and moved in with KQs … King on the river to triple me up … pushed again the next hand with A-10, but ran into Spaceman’s AA and didn’t suck out like i was supposed to. In the end (of Event #1), Pauly got heads-up with PL Dan … and upon learning that the PokerListings guys couldn’t win any money so their cash would be forwarded to the next prize pool we all insta-became big Dan fans … and during their lengthy suck-and-resuck mano-y-mano we did what you would expect any good poker writers to do: We tried to see what cuss words and sexual euphemisms we could get through the PokerStars chatbox censor.

Congrats to PL Dan for taking it down (and carrying it over!) and thanks to him and Matt for making this sort of poker party possible:

USERID	CHAT	SEAT
LFISBRTL	what it do	3
Blue123	hey y’all	6
ZClub	Poker Shrink here	1
LFISBRTL	pl strategy writer dan skolovy here	3
Blue123	amyc here	6
LFISBRTL	just finishing up my other tables	3
Blue123	just got out of my rockin’ .10/.20 razz game	6
ZClub	I assume that Michalski asleep in seat 7	1
Blue123	yeah - Dan can’t really be awake yet	6
Blue123	lol	6
mcornman	what is the password for this event?	Observer
LFISBRTL	lol	3
mcornman	??????	Observer
ZClub	you called it Amy	1
Blue123	you’re going to have to come over me to get his blinds however	6
LFISBRTL	can not confirm or deny any password for this even	3
LFISBRTL	t	3
ZClub	someone is missing	1
ZClub	must be a west coaster	1
LFISBRTL	i think there are a couple people	3
LFISBRTL	free blinds in seat 9 there	3
ZClub	11 signed up but someone is completely awol	1
ZClub	I think it may be the Wicked Chops entry	1
Blue123	naughty girl	6
LFISBRTL	i see how it is	3
LFISBRTL	too busy for free money	3
ZClub	change is too aggressive, its Pauly double accounting	1
ZClub	call the press!	1
LFISBRTL	multi accounting is all the rage these days	3
ZClub	it always is good for a couple of interviews	1
ZClub	damn, observer chat is off, I can’t harrass the other table	1
LFISBRTL	well its on for the guy begging for the pw	3
ZClub	hmm, must be me	1
Blue123	wanted to see that one	6
LFISBRTL	cib	3
RaiCanada	registration closed	Observer
RaiCanada	someone can tell me the password ?	Observer
LFISBRTL	shit i am playing in a bunch of late stage turbos	3
LFISBRTL	almost open shoved the sb there with trash	3
ZClub	lets buy Dan in to a couple of more tables, maybe heads up	1
LFISBRTL	im down	3
RaiCanada	where i can got the password ?	Observer
ZClub	Pauly is playing from the floor of the Borgata that should help	1
ZClub	is WCOOP still going on? change could be working too	1
change1OO	I was up until 7 AM blogging it	4
LFISBRTL	thats brutal	3
TNSpaceman	lookit these crazy people	Observer
ZClub	fast play means more sleep	1
DrPauly	hello all	Observer
Blue123	hey pauly	6
DrPauly	good luck everyone	Observer
ZClub	Hey Dr.	1
Real Texan	hey everyone	Observer
LFISBRTL	howdy	3
Blue123	hey gf	6
LFISBRTL	royal draw	3
mooninjune	good luck peoples	Observer
mooninjune	<– shamalamus	Observer
ZClub	Hey Shamus	1
Blue123	hey	6
mooninjune	spaceman thinks he can take my blinds	Observer
Blue123	i’m such a calling station today	6
TNSpaceman	i can, sometimes	Observer
ZClub	today?	1
Blue123	lol	6
Blue123	I mean they’re not suited or anything today	6
mooninjune	he did with the hammer once	Observer
LFISBRTL	TEN HIGH SHIP	3
ZClub	strong	1
Blue123	sweeeet	6
LFISBRTL	im gonna raise your limp everytime z	3
LFISBRTL	nobody limps my sb with t2	3
ZClub	political talk at the other table, this could get nasty	1
ZClub	yes sir	1
ZClub	I think you are in more danger to the left	1
ZClub	you two like a private room?	1
Blue123	these two love to tangle	6
Blue123	tango	6
ZClub	dance	1
LFISBRTL	nh	3
change1OO	lucky catch	4
LFISBRTL	sick	3
change1OO	aii ya	4
Blue123	yikes	6
change1OO	well that’s what i do on 2 hrs sleep	4
mooninjune	oof	Observer
LFISBRTL	lol the way ive been playing i have to get that in pre everytime	3
ZClub	a little private heads up match over there	1
LFISBRTL	no difference	3
LFISBRTL	only this way my money gets to go in good	3
LFISBRTL	rather than the satisfaction of sucking out	3
Blue123	grrr	6
ZClub	Ah the pokerlistings ringers can’t win the cash	1
LFISBRTL	gr	3
ZClub	no wonder they are so loose	1
LFISBRTL	yeah	3
LFISBRTL	well no	3
LFISBRTL	i always play like this	3
LFISBRTL		3
ZClub	me too	1
ZClub	poorly	1
ZClub	those that can’t do, teach	1
ZClub	those that can’t teach, write about it	1
LFISBRTL	lol	3
ZClub	and if you can’t do either, you manage	1
change1OO	jesus	4
ZClub	change, you guys cover one WCOOP from beginning to end?	1
LFISBRTL	gg	3
change1OO	gg, good luck all	Observer
Blue123	gg	6
ZClub	yikes!	1
change1OO	no, we do two shifts. i blogged 8 pm until it finished around 5:30am, then wrote the recap	Observer
ZClub	still brutal	1
LFISBRTL	lfisbrtl	3
ZClub	this will be interesting	1
Blue123	lol	6
LFISBRTL	pauly fall asleep?	3
KidDynamite4	he is working at Borgata	Observer
ZClub	he is working at Borgata	1
LFISBRTL	ah oh yeah	3
IndomacK	dan, you’re killing it	Observer
LFISBRTL	steamrolling	3
LFISBRTL	lol	3
IndomacK	take it down for the home team	Observer
MSeasons	life is brutal	Observer
LFISBRTL	aye	3