Top Third

Hello everyone. It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that after 9 hours of playing the most intense and stressful poker in my life, I placed 79th out of 263 in the tournament. I was less that 2 hours and 19 people away from making it to the next day. I got a pair of 10s. I was on the big blind for 1200 with only 10,000 left in chips (and the average was more the 30k). The button raised 3000. He played tons of hands and I had a rep as a tight player. I pushed. He called. He had K6 off suit. The flop came and he caught a 6. Then on the turn he got a K. No 10 on the river so I was out of the tournament. I was a 72% favorite and I should be down there right now with 25K in chips waiting for a tier 1 hand or until we were down to 60 and I was in the semi finals. I'm so bummed, I can't even tell you.

Scotty Nguyen was at my table and he busted out at about 150 something on a bad beat, he had KK, went all in, AK off called and caught an A on 5th street. The winner of the Speed Poker tournament sitting to my right busted out as well at about 140 something. Mike Sexton was still doing well when I left.

All in all, it was fun. I finished in the top third in my first big tournament. I'm all for trying to win a seat in the next big event now.

I guess it's back to the books and snow for me. I miss everyone at home and if I could fly out tomorrow I would.

Jen

Jen's Progress

Jen is still in the tournament. There are about 150 left and she is still there. The guy who won the speed tournament got out who was sitting next to her. And Scotty Nguyen is out too. He was at her table when he got out.

She has about 7,000 chips left, and the average is 18,000 chips. So she is doing ok but is looking to double up a few times to really have a chance to stay in for awhile.

Sarah

Jen's Table

Well, Jen looks like she is off to an ok start. Not much has happened so far. The guy to her right won the speed tournament though, so she is a little intimidated. He's some guy from Sweden.

Also, this other 20 year old guy from America who made it to the top 18 on the Speed Tournament is at her table as well.

I'll write more later.

Sarah

Today's the day!

We're going to shuffle up and deal in 2 hours! I don't think you can watch it live until the 3rd day, today they're just going to do lead up shots here and there. I'm getting ready now and Sarah and I are going to go have a big meal and buy some healthy snacks. Check back later (hopefully much later) for day 1 results! Sarah might make an interim posting.

Day before the big tournament

Well Sarah and I went to the partypoker.com party and got some free drinks. I'm in a photo they're going to put on the internet right in front center next to Mike Sexton. He's a nice guy, I got a picture with him and talked to him a little bit.

Then I played more poker and won some money. I got 2nd in a 10 person tournament, which was nice. I also played some 6/12 and won, but lost on 4/8.

Today Sarah and I went shopping. They have incredible shopping here, I got a cute outfit for the tournament.

I made friends with the guy filming the tournament, and he's going to try to get me on TV. It's going to be on in the US either on Fox or on the Game Show Network.

I'm getting nervous for tomorrow. Right now I'm playing 6/12 and I'm up over 100. I just hope I make it until the 2nd day.

Rams

They had the Rams game on all afternoon because apparently one of the players on the Rams is from Austalia, so they put on all the Rams games down here (but they don't usually put on any football). So unfortunately I didn't get to miss the Rams stinking it up today.

Penguins, koalas, celebrities, kangaroos and other animals

Yesterday Sarah and I went on a tour to Phillip Island. We went first to a farm where we got to feed and pet the kangaroos. They're so cute! Then we went to a Koala park where you walk on the boardwalks up in the trees and you can see the koalas right in front of you. One had a little baby koala, it was just adorable. Then we went to Phillip Island where we watched thousands of tiny penguins come out of the ocean and walk up to their burrows. It was neat to see.

As far as poker goes, I played a session of 6/12 and was down 90, and then I just played a session of 4/8 and I was up 100. I talked to Mike Sexton, he was in an Omaha tournament here today (and was one of the first out). He seemed nice, he's coming to the party that Sarah and I are going to in a couple of hours. I hung out a little more with Scotty Nguyen too, he's still a character. I told him about the penguins and he's going to have his brother and sister and law and nephew go on it tomorrow.

It's still so fun and nice and warm here. I miss everyone, but I'm not looking forward to going back to snow and ice and law books after all this, let me tell you!

The Speed No Limit Tournament

Hey everyone. Well, I played in the no limit speed tournament today (or yesterday now technically). It was really intense. They had this music playing and they timed you if you didn't act immediately they started saying 5 4 3 2.. and if you didn't act by 1 you folded automatically. It was intense. There were 204 people in the tournament and they split us into 2 groups of 102. I played and played and kept making it to the next blind level. I was almost out and then I doubled up 4 times. The big stack kept raising my big blind every time for 3 hours. I kept folding. Then, there were only 31 people left and I was the big blind and the short stack and I had a pair of 8s. He once again raised me and I raised over the top of him. He put me all in. If I didn't call, I would only just over what I would need to call the next round of blinds. So I called. He had AQ of clubs. The flop came 992. I was fine. Then 7. Still going good. Then the stupid queen came on the river and I was out of the tournament. If I had doubled up I would have made it into the top 18 and been in the finals, which is on TV. I was disappointed. It was fun, though. There were tons of people watching (and Sarah said a bunch of guys were talking about how I was a hot poker player and debating whether I was married). The announcer kept coming over and announcing things when I was in a big hand "Jennifer from America, folks, there's a lot of fight in that one." I was the last woman in the tournament and people recognize me even more now since so many were watching. it was a blast. I can't believe I came so close to being in the finals. Maybe my luck will hold up more for the big tournament. It starts on the 18th and I heard it will be broadcasted live on an internet channel. I'll try to get the details of that in case anyone wants to watch. I'm having fun and meeting tons of people. All the pros busted out before me like Scotty Nguyen and this girl Rosa that they call "the Princess of Poker" and this other pro named Marcel, and the big players locally were busting out as well. You need luck in this game too. Wish me luck for the main event, I'd love to go home a millionaire!

Wild Day

Yesterday was quite unusual! Sarah and I went shopping, and then we went to the Party poker hospitality suite to get more free Party Poker merchandise. When we were walking out of the suite, we ran into Scotty Nguyen! Well, he started talking to us right away, and asked what we were doing. We said shopping and he said he wanted to come along.

Anyways, he registered with Party Poker and signed some autographs and then went with us. He said he needed to go to the Poker Room to get a limo arranged to go meet his little brother, whom he had not seen for 30 years. He asked Sarah if we would come in the limo to the airport to pick him up. We tentatively said that we maybe would. When we got to the poker room, we arranged the limo and then everyone was like "Hey Scotty!" and wanting him to play in a tournament with him. Well, he said he would play only if Sarah and I would and he staked both of us in the tournament!

I got 4th and Scotty got 3rd, we both got knocked out in the same hand. Sarah got 8th, Scotty knocked he out with 8 3 offsuit, which was crap.

We went later in a limo to pick up his brother, who had never talked to a white girl before or ridden in a limo. He was so excited to see his brother, it was really cute.

Then we went back and went to a very nice restaurant in the hotel for dinner. We had steaks and seafood and lobster, it was great.

Then we went to the party for all the tournament players. We had a great time.

I'm playing my tournament in 4 hours so I've got to start getting ready for that. It's Speed no limit holdem. There will be 2 dealers at each table (so no shuffle time) and you only have 15 seconds to act. There are only 6 at a table too. I've got to think about my strategy. Tune in later for tournament updates (and maybe more Scotty Nguyen wild night details).

Posting from Sarah

I am currently on the poker room computer. I can see Jen right now playing poker. She looks like quite the player with her sunglasses on guarding her big stack of chips. Mark, I am sorry I can't give you a play by play, but there isn't wireless here. Maybe I should start taking notes from the table side and then I could transfer them to the website every hour or so. But I will wait for one of her big tournaments to do that.

Cheers everyone.

Sightseeing

Sarah and I spent the day taking the trams all around Melbourne. We went to the zoo and saw some extremely lazy Koala bears and tons of other animals. Then we went down to the beach and walked around. The people here are extremely nice.

There is a newspaper article that says Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire are expected to play in the tournament, and all the players are talking about it! I may be at a table with one of those guys, wouldn't it be great if I knocked one of them out? Scotty Nguyen (a professional poker player) is registered for the tournament. There are some other actors and pros rumored to come, but I'm not sure which ones.

Well, I just showered and I'm heading down to play a night of cards. I have a cute outfit on just in case a movie star shows up. (and because all the guys here yesterday were wearing dress shirts and slacks and stuff like that, and I felt underdressed in my t-shirt and party poker visor).

I'm reading all the comments everyone posts and I'll keep all the advice in mind! Everyone send good luck wishes my way!

First Day

Well, I said goodbye to Brant today and Sarah and I headed to Melbourne. The hotel had our room ready for us, it's really nice. There's a huge mall and a big casino and dozens of restaurants in the "Crown Complex". Then we went and met with the party poker people and they gave me an enormous bag of merchandise they are encouraging me to wear. The Speed Tournament (the smaller one I'm in), which is Friday, is going to be on TV in the States on Fox Sports! The Main Event most likely will be as well, though they don't know what network will carry it. I had to sign consent forms so that they can use my name and likeness any way they wish. I've got to pick out some cute outfits. We walked around Melbourne for a couple hours but it was so hot and muggy we came back. I played cards all night. I got 3rd in a satellite and it was fun b/c people were surrounding our table watching. Unfortunately, 3rd didn't get me anything. There is a stage set up for the final table, and I'm going to try my best to get there. Amazingly enough, I ran into several people in the tournament that already have the money allocated and spent in their heads like me... don't they know I'm going to win? It's going to be tough, these guys are so quick with the outs and pot odds and stuff. There are extremely few women players, but apparently 4 of the 102 from Party Poker are women, myself included. I met many people playing cards tonight, a ton of which are from Party Poker. It was fun. So far no winnings to report, but I'm having a great time!

The Day Before Melbourne

G'Day mates! Tomorrow I head from Sydney to Melbourne with Sarah to stay at the Crowne Promenade Casino to register for the Aussie Million Poker Tournament! Check back here for updates on my Aussie Poker Adventure.