The hot springs and mild boozin on St. Patricks Day was a nice day off from poker from me, but the following morning I was up at 9:55 to make it for a 11:30 flight.  I was already packed and ready to go, but by the time I got to the airport things started going wrong.

I drove right past the parking entrance.  Drive through the terminal, try it again.  Success.  Park, walk in to check in, and the self checker in-er thing told me to see an agent.  Flight at 11:27, it was 10:45.  She tells me that I missed my flight.  I'm confused.  Isn't it at 11:27?  Yes, but you have to check in 45 minutes before.  Give me a break, it's 43 minutes before, I spent the last three fighting with your kiosk.  Sorry sir, you've missed your flight.  No I haven't, the plane's still here.  You won't make it through security in time.  Try me.  If I'm not at the gate, leave.  Sir, go to the special needs desk.  

FML.  The lady says the same thing, I start losing my mind.  Apparently it's new airport policy to not check in domestic flights less than 45 mins prior to departure.  Not just Delta.  She said that the Cincy airport is the same.  Sigh.  So dumb.  She says that she's going to look for another flight for me.  She does the whole Meet the Parents thing and hammers out about a thousand keystrokes, then says, "I have good news and a little bit of bad news."  I'm listening.  A spot just opened up on the 12:30 direct flight.  This thing was like twice as expensive when I looked at flights so I opted for the layover in Detroit sacrificing about 2.5 hours of life for $500.  The bad news is that I have to charge you a change fee, although you are going to get some credit back saved from the Detroit airport taxes.  I'm expecting 1-200, she says $39.40.  Bitchin lock it up.  What's the bad news?  I have to charge you.  But I get there two hours earlier and it's direct?  Yes.  So what's the bad news?  Are you checking bags?  Yes, one.  $25.  Sigh why doesn't Southwest fly to Cincy.  

So, after all that, I walk to security, take my time, and clear it at 11:05.  Mmmhmm.  My boarding pass said <strong>15C</strong>, so I went through the C gates security, took the C gates tram, bought a breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, and cheese on a plain bagel, as well as coffee and OJ, and then went to look for gate 15C.  Found 14.  Found 16.  Hmmm.  Try the other side.  Hmmm.  Walk around.  No 15C.  Look at boarding pass.  Sigh.  15C is my seat.  I'm in the D gates.  

Back on the tram, back to security, now try to get to the D gates tram.  Way easier than expected, just got a funny look from the door guard dude.  I pop into the tram through the exit door just before it closes and squeeze into a packed tram.  I have wallet, ID, boarding pass, and OJ in one hand, bagel bag and coffee in the other.  I'm standing next to this couple and she whispers, "So random..."  I laugh and explain that it's been an interesting morning.  At that point I manage to dump the loose contents of my wallet on the ground, basically a dozen random players cards and old hotel room keycards.  I spill coffee on myself picking them up.  She asks me if I want to grab a pole so I don't fall over, I say I'm fine, and then I fall over, spilling more coffee.  Holy hell I'm a train wreck today.  I finally get situated and we end up laughing our asses off at me, good people from Seattle.  

As I'm waiting for my plane I get paged.  God now what.  In approaching the counter I see Billy Kopp.  Nice hey bud.  He says I heard your name and can't imagine that there's many of those around.  The counter guy says, "You wanted to switch to an aisle seat?"  Huh?  I'm in an aisle seat.  I show him my boarding pass.  He laughs.  I don't know what happened, but I put another lady in your seat.  But I got you an aisle seat.  Here.  He hands me a new boarding pass for seat 14C.  Shrug whatever.  

Delta was pretty sweet.  Interactive touch screen monitors in front of every seat and wi-fi.  Southwest doesn't have that.  The flight went fast to Cincy, I read a bunch of "Sex Lives of Cannibals" by J. Maarten Troost, a travel writer who I enjoyed very much while reading "Getting Stoned With Savages."  And the kindle is amazing.  Landed, hopped in a cab, came to the Hollywood Casino, the cabbie didn't know where was going and took me into the parking structure, I basically hand guided him to the hotel front entrance.  I went down to play some cash, biggest games were 2-5 nl and 1-3-5 plo, I played both and made about $450 net folding a bunch of hands.  

Today I played a mega satellite this morning, ran terribly when it mattered.  Flopped top set of kings, lost, get left with 600.  Shove and win.  Shove A5o, get called by 99, win.  Double up with AA.  Then 3 limps to my BB at 50-100, I have AQdd and make it 750 like 4k effective, everybody folds to the last limper who calls, flop T87dd, I bet 1k, he hems and haws, makes it 2k, whatever I'm all in, he snaps with J9o, I get there.  He bitches about what a bad beat it is.  Then things went south fast.  At 100-200/25 I had about 10k, dude limps in EP, BB limps, I shove for 18bbs eff with A7dd, get called by KQo, but KQ is really good and obv won.  Then got it in AK v AT, he rivers a ten, and I called off the rest blind with the worst hand, flopped him to 7 outs, and lost.  Shrug.  

I feel really good about this place though and the competition is pretty weak.  I'm playing another mega in about an hour and then the main starts tomorrow on Saturday, 5 day event, $10k WPT televised.  Sweet.

Peace and good luck,

Devo