Crusher Pride: Our own Guru at 2007 WSOP!

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 17.07.2007, 08:42

My dear Poker Crushers!

Before I even give the individual thank-yous to all the Crushers to whom they are due for their cooperation and actions in my absence, I am going to cut right to the bottom line.....to what I THINK you all are most interested in finding out: How did I do in this years WSOP? Am I correct in guessing that is what you first want to know....for those of you who have not (in some way I could not figure out how) already know?

Okay. Here are the bare, unadulterated facts: I came closer this year even than last year in bringing that World Championship home to where it belongs -- to my loyal Crushers, especially the Poker Crushers, but to all the Crushers in the CRUSHER KINGDOM! Casino-Crush as well as Poker-Crush. After all, we are ALL loyal Crushers!

Of the more than 8000 players who made it all the way to the final event, just as I did, I managed to beat out ALMOST 8000 of them! All by following my own rules in my own lessons to a "T", without exception.

At the end of Day 3B, which was actually the 6th day of playing extremely long hours, we played until after midnight and when the day was called to a halt, as unbelieving as I was, I WAS STILL IN THE REMAINING GROUP OF PLAYERS! Scheduled to start again the next morning. Which I did. All of us remaining did.

I had seen in the last couple of days some of the best players and biggest names in poker eliminated! Some of them pitched a fit, but most lost graciously and walked out with their heads still high for coming as far as they had.

After a too-short break around noon, there had been more eliminations, but, miraculously, I was still hanging in there. I was in the last approximately 900 players from all over the world who had not yet busted out, as had far more than 7000 others who had started this main event with me ... the last event.

I was exhausted. Everybody was. It is an agonizing test of endurance!

THEN....late in the afternoon, the hammer fell. And your Guru was the one it hit. After 6 days of playing, I busted out... and lost all chances of a gold bracelet or the championship for the Crusher World in 2007!

I am truly very, very sorry. To come that close....and then lose..... Well, I can only say I'm sorry. I don't think I had made a single mistake until then. And I was actually beginning to think that this year just might be the year for the Crushers to claim it all!

But I did lose graciously, congratulated the S.O.B. (joking, almost) who beat me, had a few Margaritas, my first drinks since I had been there, walked back to my room, and collapsed onto the bed where I slept for almost 24 straight hours. The lovely lady who had accompanied me for the duration of the entire experience was at her wit's end as whether to awaken me or not. I am very glad she let me sleep until I awakened on my own and naturally. I am a believer in one's body knowing best what it needs most and first!

Now. For those of you interested in the details of how I lost....I will never forget that hand we played!

I had a pair of Kings in the hole. My third King came out in the flop....with all the rest low cards of differing suits, including a pair of fives which gave me a full house! Kings full of fives. No other face cards and no Aces!

Everybody folded except one cowboy who called All-In. And myself. I knew he could not have 3 of anything higher than my Kings, no matter what he had to go with them. I knew he could not possibly have a straight. I knew he could not possibly have a flush. I knew he could not possibly have a higher full house. Now let me ask you: Would you have folded at that point? Of course not, and neither did I! I figured he probably had, with the two fives on the table, two pairs: Aces and fives. And so I called.

He was holding the other two fives and beat my beautiful full house with four 5's.

And that, my dearest friends, was it. The end of the trail for me.

Last year, Orange Crush dried away my tears and was a great comfort when I busted out. Bless her.

This year, I have no tears; only sadness that I have disappointed you, my faithful ones. As far as my own state of mind, I am all-in-all generally happy with my playing. And I know I did give it the best of everything I had to give. Never lost patience, never lost the ability to think, not even when the extremely bold ESPN TV cameras were EVERYWHERE and seemed so often to be right in my face when I was trying to think. I didn't mind the close-ups, but it sure tested my powers of concentration.

So here I am, presenting myself back to you, my rising flock with guilded wings, with my tail a little bit between my legs, but a hopeful wish in my heart for a better year still coming. I thank my Creator that it is you -- my Crushers and scholars -- to who I am returning. If for no other reason, just to show you well in a truly good lesson, that you should never succumb to depression for ever losing a game!!!! It just happens. The numbers and odds do go awry some times and.....well, chit happens!

To Geno, my everlasting gratitude for a contract that allows me to leave at any time on a moment's notice or even no notice at all! A marvelous and highly principled English gentleman! With never-ending innovative talent that keeps him in the vanguard of modern technology....and ahead of it in generosity!

To OrangeCrush and RoyalCrush....whatever would I do without their constant assistance and their willingness to take on my share of the behind-the-scenes work with my every absence to pursue that elusive dream? And with never a word of complaint, but always more than a word of encouragement.

To our dedicated member Spookth, who posted (and I quote) " It falls upon us, in the Guru's absence, to encourage the new members" and many more responsible words and actions.

And to ALL of you, my beloved members, who not only do exactly that, but also manage to always come up with ways of keeping our site moving onward and upward in such an excellent way, that new members are bound to wonder what value one more missing member, called a Guru, could possibly offer!

I am indebted to all of you and not one individual Crusher's value will I ever overlook or forget!

This is OUR family-style, proud, and highly regarded forum, with its doors wide open to anyone who is willing to make an effort to live up to our standards, set by the members themselves!

Thank you for taking the time to read another one of my personal episodes in the life of a player of the game!

Your ever-lovin' PokerGuru

Posts: 3276 · Posted: 17.07.2007, 15:21

Welcome home and congratulations on your great showing at the WSOP.
You did us all and yourself proud.As for your final hand you played it perfectly,just as you taught us.He had the only 2 cards in the deck that could beat you.You went with the percentages just as any great poker player would.
In response to"You should never succumb to depression for ever losing a game".Playing the way you taught us we never "lose" a game,we just don't win them all.We win at every game we play by learning more.

Posts: 846 · Posted: 17.07.2007, 16:02

Wow......what an experience and waht a great showing amongst the best poker players in the world. And certainly no shame in losing Kings full to 4 fives. Who could get away from that hand?! You must be so proud of yourself Guru despite the disappointment of getting so far and not bring home the gold. Congratulations on a phenomonel tourney!!!!

P.S. You know that hand will have to be the Degree Allin Moment on ESPN....lol.....Norman Chad and Lon MacCarren (spelling????) will be going nuts!

Posts: 654 · Posted: 17.07.2007, 21:26

Our dear Guru ~

I have never been prouder to be one of your scholars -- and I have never been prouder to be a Poker-Crusher!

CONGRATULATIONS! You were fantastic in your performance at the WSOP!

P.S. Thank you for allowing me to name the title for your report to us.

royalblush

Posts: 505 · Posted: 17.07.2007, 21:29

Poker Guru...first and foremost you are NOT in any way a dissapointment!!! You are striving for greatness and sometimes it takes scholars a lifetime to achieve it... you are great just for hanging in there year after year,,, hour after hour trying to achieve the ultimate goal of winning the WSOP and I KNOW one day you will!!!

I was reading an article today about winners in the past that have gone through all of their millions and are now broke... very sad!

I am very proud of you and WELCOME HOME!!!

Beckie

Posts: 1740 · Posted: 17.07.2007, 23:47

A Dissapointment??more like an IDOL.you are in my thoughts and your lessons are in my thoughts in any poker game I play in..Sounds like you could not have done any better and way to go to how far you did make it Very Happy

You are the best Very Happy

Posts: 484 · Posted: 18.07.2007, 00:50

Guru.....you absolutely have NOT disappointed any of your faithful Crushers. Exactly the opposite is true in fact. You have made us the proudest poker forum anywhere. You made it through 6 full days and one part day of the most gruelling poker tournament anywhere on the planet.
I can't imagine any poker player anywhere ,that is worth his salt, that would play that hand any differently.
Guru, we all wait patiently while your poker career must take priority. The reason we all wait and try to keep PC running while you are away is because all of us have profited tremendously from your lessons.
GURU....you are absolutely the best!!!!

Posts: 44 · Posted: 19.07.2007, 06:33

Congrats Guru!
You got in the cash then...how much you got?
As 621 got paid this year and about 350 started Day 4...So you must've been eliminated around 200th-150th? Correct?

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 20.07.2007, 09:23

TO:

Bower50

Allight

Royalblush

Beckie33

Char1984

Spookth

Ergopro

My dear Special Ones!

Your words in reply to me about my report on WSOP mean more to me than ever being there did!

THANK YOU!

Your Guru

Posts: 44 · Posted: 20.07.2007, 15:00

You got in the cash then...how much you got?
You played day 4, so you must've been eliminated around 200th-150th? Correct? Very Happy

Posts: 44 · Posted: 23.07.2007, 11:26

Anyone know answer to this one?
It seems Guru is too shy to reply this one Very Happy

Posts: 510 · Posted: 23.07.2007, 20:51

CONGRATULATIONS Poker Guru Exclamation

You were fantastic in your performance at the WSOP Exclamation

Posts: 44 · Posted: 24.07.2007, 03:47

I'd still like to know what that performance was? Very Happy

If it was day 4 he made, how much cash he won...as then he would've been around place 200th to 150th? Anyone?

Posts: 496 · Posted: 24.07.2007, 11:12

I can understand your curiosity on what # he finished and how much money he won ...ergopro....Maybe will just go with what u said 150th to 200th place.

All I know is he played an EXCELLENT game and will always be placed at #1 here at Poker Crush!!

Please Be Proud For Yourself Poker Guru ..Because We Are All Proud Of You

Congratulations To You ....You Are Truley An INSPIRATION To Us All!!

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 24.07.2007, 15:23

Kaska

and

Mojo

Thank you so very much for those words! They mean the world to me!

My Poker Crushers have become my greatest inspiraion to always try my very best. I thank you for that!

(And Mojo was serious!!!!!!!!!! What a shock! LMBO!)

Your lovin' Guru