collected my admittedly fading wits now...
collected my admittedly fading wits now...
Jack's end in big event went slow and fast....
His table was right on the rail, crowds thin today. Ctown and I strolled into tourney room with less than hour of play before break. Jack had been moved and took a while to find him, Ctown spotted him right by rail.
After watching play peering between and over shoulders for only 15 mins or so, Ctown and I were able to get spot right on rail next to Jack.
not long after that, Jack won a small, next a bit larger pot and looking good. Then that big pot started as we watched Jack deliberate, stew, then put stack after stack into it.
Time seemed to go slow as stacks went in and dealer had to count chips and consolidate them.
an "all in table" call went out, ESPN on table one over, started looking over Jack's table and tourney officals showed up.
I'm looking over more slowly evolving action, then bam! flop---hole cards tossed. Jack, standing, raps the table---not hit it, just a hard rap. Looks to me like he lost the play I fear. Ctown then sez to me "Jack's out".
I look at Jack's expression of pain, disappointment, a little dazed relief too, perhaps. I'm not sure, hard to describe...
Ctown confers with poker-playing blond rail bird next to him to recall details of play.
Jack still in bit of fog looks about after shaking hands with a few fellows at the table. He was impressively calm and held together like Jack through these few minutes of hard realization.
Asian fellow that put out Jack now different, his slow sweaty face of mild pain he had all thru this is now excited smile stacking chips, seems a different fellow almost.
ESPN then request interview. Nolan walks by on some mission, Jack touches his arm, Nolan looks over "I'm out Nolan" Nolan leans his side and head over "Jeeze, I'm sorry Jack!" with noticeable pained emotion.
10 mins of play left and officials start moving us spectators out. Jack is now getting set up for interview. Ctown sez we should be able to get back in by other tourney going on at other end of room, next to Jack's pay window. Sure enough. He also asked me if I wanna fire up laptop now to post news, no, I don't wanna post this news.
We see Jack across room finish interview, talk to officials, sit a while, then get over to pay window.
Outside then for smoke, talk, replay of last hand. "He came over me with what, $60k then? I flet pot commited....I was doing fine, had almost $200k, and I wanted to avoid these big pots too....always seem to happen near end of play session..."
then a decision to get some drinks somewhere..