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Hodgepodge...

Instead of blogging about winning the KPT Season 10 Championship and about my newly purchased Digital SLR and a friends trip to LA, i have decided to combine it all into one entry. Because, as you'll find out throughout the blog, it is all related...

As i have stated many times before (to my Poker peers), the eventual KPT Champion usually emerges midway through the Season. And i'd like to mention that, once again, the leader through the first four tournaments (despite a huge lead this time around), as history has proven time and time again, did not end up winning the Season. That said, i wasn't quite sure i would contend in the waning tournaments-- yea that was quite a nice surprise for me. And it wasn't me that emerged to be the favorite to win it midway through... It was Jerome, he snatched the lead from Jonathan and seemed to be fairly safe from being overtaken. Except, though a long shot, the trend from tournament # 7 and thereafter was myself finishing ahead of both of them. This trend and momentum would prove to determine the KPT Champion...

For seven straight weeks i was able to place deep enough in the tournaments to have a chance at either winning or at least finishing in the top three. That's kind of a remarkable feat for me... In tournament # 13 i found myself in 2nd place (after winning the tournament) and just 6 points shy of tying the lead as a result. Suddenly, the Championship was within my grasp (and not to mention the surging momentum). Though winning it was becoming realistic, i couldn't allow myself to over-think the situation and possibly lose momentum. I mentioned in one of my earlier Poker Blogs (in Slowblind.com) that i didn't focus too much on a championship, thus i had the advantage (Published before Tournament # 13). And i had to stick to that mind frame. Besides i had already attained my goal of finishing in the money in a bunch of tournaments...

I think probably what got me over hump was the idea of possibly using the would be Season Purse to make a nice toy purchase, which usually works for me. I like toys... So, as we approached the final tournament of the Season (Obviously i still had to clinch it...), i thought i might as well try to win the Tournament itself along with the Championship. It is a pretty handsome payout... Handsome enough for a $1000 Digital SLR!

Unfortunately for Jay he did not make the final table in tournament # 14, handing over the lead to me and effectively the Championship win. He finished 3rd place in the final tournament of the Season, one place behind me...

Yes, a Digital SLR was my inspiration. I wouldn't normally spend that kind of money for a Camera (although it is worth the purchase if you're willing to spend it...) but thanks to my poker winnings all i had to spend out-of-pocket was $300 for the mandatory accessories (Fortunately i came in 2nd place in Tournament 15, adding a cool $260 to my DSLR fund). Because as such, these expensive toys come with just the basic things (Such as a minuscule 16 meg flash memory. I mean come one, 10.2 mega pixels!!!). So when buying such things, upgrades are a Must! Oh did you know that Digital SLR's have no preview option on the LCD? Yep you gotta look through the lenses, old school...

What do i need a DSLR for you might wonder? Well right now i am not so sure. I don't really have the knack for taking really good pictures or anything like that. I just thought i might give it a whirl... The Camera is replete with insane features so it should be fun. Hey who knows, i might surprise ya! (And i did buy the biggest tripod i could find in Best Buy, so prepare...)

Interestingly enough a friend of mine from Denver (Her name is Mellisa aka porn star. She has been mentioned here before...) was visiting from Denver. So I played tour guide for her and took the opportunity to take some photos where ever we went. Like tourist! Oh, before we continue i just would to say that Erik is an ass. But i digress!.... Since she is the Whitest person i know, i made sure to take her places where white people is scarce. We had lunch in China Town (Hop Soy? Can't remember the name) where we encountered one other white human being. I joked around asking if she wanted to get assimilated with her kind (lol). Naturally, for lunch, she ordered the dullest perhaps safest dish known to Chinese cuisine, some kind of Lemon Chicken Breast. She did agree to have dumplings for appetizers but not before gagging at the site of a beheaded duck at the entrance area. Odd because that is a common thing among Chinese Restaurants (At least the real one's). I must say though, it was very interesting to see her being served with a mountain of fried Rice. There was something not right about that picture ya know?. It was like a really bad joke lol. And her face said it all too-- "Is it because i am white?". My work was done... I appreciate that though, because if i were a server in China Town i would totally mess with white people too haha.

On her last night i decided to go ethnic on her one more time. I did check with her first though. "Do you want to have something Dull or something Adventurous?" i asked... She chose the latter... At the risk of being, well, dull, of course she had to! She didn't have much of a choice really, not with me at the helm. Hah! Asking her was just trying to be polite really (haha).

So we waltz into this place called Shabu Shabu in Studio City. This place is great! Adrian took me there a couple of years ago on the Jersey Girls last night in LA who is now with a White Guy (There's a reason why i added that). And maybe somehow in a Parallel Universe kind of a way, that has something to do with me being there that night with a White Girl (on her last night in LA). Coincidentally enough (remarkably so...) the only other customers in the restaurant was an inter-racial couple. Yes you guessed it, a Filipina and a white guy. For some odd reason it felt befitting, ya know? Maybe she was showing him around and perhaps is in the same situation as I. Maybe she is fond of white people as i am but won't necessarily date one, or maybe she was married to one as I was. I don't know, maybe i am putting too much meaning into this insane coincidence-- but i truly was a bit bothered by their existence in the same restaurant. And especially because she had a hint of that unmistakable Filipino accent which she tried so much to conceal you know what i mean?. And if you're wondering how i know, well because it became increasingly annoying the more and more she tried to talk... Her bad accent crescendoed into an outrageous and almost unbearable voice that reverberated in my ear... And oh, I overheard her explain to Cathy (the server/host) that it was her friends first time there, as Mellisa. It was just odd...

Well it has been an interesting and very eventful week for me, to say the least. Once again, Erik is an ass, i have a new Digital SLR, and it was fun hanging out with Melissa...

Posted by: Marc Gabay
Thursday, October 25, 2007