Satan Revealed

If you've read the very first post I made to this blog; "Lies, Alibis and Running Scared", you know I was well on my way to a great finish in a big tournament at my casino last year, ran into a super-aggressive player I affectionately nicknamed "Satan", got all my money in as a nearly 3:1 favorite (AKs vs A9), and lost when he flopped two pair on me. I was a bit disappointed at that outcome.

I was watching a 2005 U.S. Poker Championship broadcast on ESPN the other night when I saw a familiar face. Yes, it was HIM!!!!! His name is Eric Crain, from Murphysboro, IL. An internet search revealed he'd finished 76th out of 1072 players in 2005 WSOP event #29, a 2000.00 buy-in NLHE tournament.

He will go on to finish 7th at the USPC, winning 258,500.00. He's also made a final table at an Ultimate Poker Challenge event, which has yet to air. I don't know yet how he finished. Good for him.

While I will surely hate him forever for busting me out, the truth is I got EXACTLY what I wanted in that situation. All you can do in this game is make the best decisions possible and get your money in good. The rest is up to Lady Luck; and she was the one who screwed me in that situation. Anytime I can get in as a 3:1 favorite, I'll shove my chips in the middle so fast you'll see burnout marks on the felt.

Over and above that, he played with class. It's really easy to get angry at super-aggressive players. They push you around, they bully you, they force you to fold hands you KNOW are the winner. I've come to believe, however, that it's CRITICAL that you not attach personal, emotional labels to gameplay; it induces bad decisions on your part. Even when I wrote that post, with an ass still red from the beat he threw on me, I acknowledged the class and good sportsmanship he displayed.

Last week, we had another big tournament at my casino, and I saw him again.. I walked up and said hello.

"Hey guys", he said to the other people in the group, "This is the guy I was telling you about. He should've won the Wild West Shootout, he outplayed the SHIT out of me. If I hadn't sucked out on him, he would've had the chip lead."

Whether he really meant that or not, it was a nice thing to say. So, good for you, Eric. I'm a fan, even though that hand still plays out in my head over and over.

and over

and over

and over

and over






and over