Tampa -- Sith Arts

I'm actually back from Tampa, and it was a fun trip. I lost a little bit, but I'm not complaining. I'll just make it back!

Some thoughts:

_I actually like the single table sit n gos at the Rock. I played three for $120 each time. The payouts were $450 for first, $300 for second and $200 for third. The blinds started at $25/$50, and the initial chip count was $1,500. Blinds went up every 10 hands. It was very Party Poker. I think it's fun to throw your chips up in the air and see who catches them. Good for the poker economy.

_Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods apparently played the $1,060 buyin sit no gos on Friday night at the Rock. I didn't find out that they were right there until just after they had left.

_A few hands were really fun. I liked catching a flush with 86s at Derby Lane, and then catching another with 96s at the Hard Rock Seminole but losing to a higher flush. At that last table at Hard Rock Seminole, I also had sets of Aces and Kings cracked, which didn't bother me. It was funny. I mean, I figure suckouts don't hurt at all when they're at $2/$2 limit.

_At one of the sit n gos, this frat guy player started arguing with another player about whether you have to say "raise" or not when when it's your turn to act and you throw a bigger chip into the pot (you do, otherwise it's just a call). Then the player questioned the dealer a little, and the dealer flipped out. "I'm in charge of this table, and I'll fucking explain the rule after the hand is over," he said. He could have gotten in trouble if the player had complained to management, but the player apologized instead.

_Only one of the three dog tracks had its poker room open (Derby Lane). I think the dog tracks rotate which poker room is open depending on which one is having races.

_I love implied odds.

_It's hard to keep track of pot size when there are eight people in the hand for multiple bets every round.

_You can have an ungodly win rate at a super fishy $2/$2 limit table. Think as high as 50 big bets per hour.

_I like XM Satellite Radio on Airtran.

_The Hard Rock Seminole has a club atmosphere at about 3 a.m. early Sunday morning. One guy was spinning around on his head.