Final Event, then home tomorrow

This event went about how I expected it to when I saw the structure and set up.

I am not a big fan of quickly elevating blinds, and that was how this one was set up. 30 minutes blinds with 11 players per table is closer to a lottery than a poker tournament. I started out like a house afire, but lost to all ins to short stacks. I battled back but eventually had to make a move with a sub-standard hand due to escalating blinds and got by a bigger stack with JJ.

Oh well.

One neat thing was running into a few stars. I saw Roger Federer in the levator as well as Andy Roddick earlier in the week. I actually chatted up Maria Sharapova in the lobby after sharing an elevator ride. Very pleasant girl, that Maria. I didn't notice, but apparently some people find her to be mildly attractive.

I have no idea why she is here, but I saw Michelle Wie walking with her parents in the Crown down by the stores.

I am not going to mention all the poker stars here, but most of them were here.

I am glad to be heading back home tomorrow and am really looking forward to seeing Nadia, Jack, and even good old Tom. It was also really weird not seeing my dad for a movie two weeks in a row and not being able to field neurotic calls from my sister Debbie asking me if I was okay for no apparent reason. I really missed Tom's goofy ass this week and saw only a few people here wearing socks and sandals, though they did make me homesick. I am also way overdue for a cup of java with my pal Mark (who owns the label of the sunglasses I wore during the tourney) and Debcat, whom I haven't seen in ages.