I could look back through the archives - hey, for this year that wouldn't take more than about three minutes - but I'm pretty sure I played my only live poker of 2012 so far last night.
There are 3 charity poker rooms of which I am aware within 45 minutes. There may be more than that - for one, there was a robbery of a local event held at a bowling alley recently and I don't know if they run events regularly - but I'm sure of 3 that are open pretty much all the time.
I stopped in at the closer one first. One cash game going at 5:00 on a Saturday, no open seat but I could be first on the list. I didn't care much for the look of the lineup - too serious - so I ran a couple errands and ended up not going back.
Instead, I stopped in to check out another room and I was glad that I did. Two tables going and they drew about 30 players for a tournament. More diverse than the other room (LOL WHITE PPL) and much more fun. I even recognized a couple of players from the place I used to play several years back.
Play was awful as usual and highly entertaining. One poor guy got stacked by a drunk who hit with K3o. I dropped a buyin early when I raised T9s on the button, got multiple calls, flopped two of my suit (the A and the Q), turned the flush ... and got stacked by a guy playing J5s out of position. Nice hand, sir. REBUY.
Not many notable hands on the rebuy. I was a little sad to have to let QQ go after a KQT flop, 9 turn, but it was a easy fold after it got potted and called on the turn before my turn to act. J6o and J8o split the pot. Got almost back to even after getting all-in action on a board of AAQ when I held AQo. (Can you say YAHTZEE?). Racked up and left after about four hours, down $9.
I had really forgotten just how much fun a good table of live poker can be. I don't really have a bankroll or the skill to play live profitably so this probably won't become a regular occurrence, but for one night it was fun to pretend again that I don't suck at poker.