Scott Diamond

I decided to go play the opening event at Commerce Casino 's California State Poker Championship last night.

It was a $225.00 buy in for the No Limit Event and since I won $700.00 in tournament chips and have been playing so well lately, I decided to go last minute....Turned out to be a mistake.

If you have read my blogs the past year or so I have told you about hoe tough Commerce is on me. In 2007 I played my first big tournament there, a $545.00 NL event at the LA Poker classic after winning a satellite by default, when two guys started to fight and it left me the winner.

There were 797 players and when we were down to 17 I lost a big pot with QJ diamonds in the BB to 9-3 and went out on the next hand with a flush draw. I then played the second $545.00 event with 690 entries and busted 30th. I was disappointed in my 17th place finish and my AQ lost to 65 in the second and I have never recovered.

I have played probably 15 tournaments at Commerce since 2007 with the majority of them satellite entries. I have not finished in the money in any of them since and last night was no different.

I told you the first level I would not play anything but AA-KK and QQ. Queens i would make only a small raise with because people tend to play a weak ACE anytime here in Southern Cal in these small buy in events.

I have taken some pretty rough beats at Commerce and I keep going back to attack those Poker Demons who lurk in the walls and wait for me to sit down and tease me for awhile and then take it all away with some unbelievable runner runner cards.

I imagine them laughing and high fiving each other as I leave the tournament room and as I get out of their view I can hear them yell,"Sucka"

I sat down at table 39 seat 5 last night and there were 4 players I knew and to my left was Minh Nguyen, the runner up to Daniel Negreanu in the 2004 WSOP player of the year award.

I know Minh and he was at my fallen heroes Tournament in February this year and he is a gentleman during the game and away from the game. Minh has over 2 million in Tournament winnings but has had a very tough time lately.

The blinds were 25-25 and we had 2000 in starting chips and I was the BB. I folded every hand until the BB came around to me again and I look down and have AA.

There were 3 hands I would of won big pots with if I had played my J-10. Q-7 or my 76 clubs. However i stuck to my system and as the under the gun player raised it to 225 it folded to Minh, who called.

I re-raise to 500 chips and the Under the gun calls as does Minh. The flop Q-8-8 with two hearts.

Minh checks I make a bet of all in because if the flush draw there and I am sure neither of them has Pocket Queens or an 8.

Under the gun thinks for a bit and he really wants to call and now I know he has a Queen but does not want to risk his tournament right now. He folds and Minh to my surprise says,"Sorry Scott, you are drawing dead as he turns over 88 for QUADS. The turn and River do not help and I have one 100 dollar chip left.

I was shell shocked and the under the gun guy said he folded AQ and I was still dazed my flopped quads. I could here the Demons hands slapping and it felt like everyone of the 494 players were looking and laughing at me.

What can i do... Well i am going back tonight to play the $335.00 NL event and if anything close to what happened to me again last night occurs, Commerce will be a place I will no longer patronize until I can find some kind of Poker demon spray or book on how to rid the place of the Demons.

Till tomorrow...take Care...Be Safe..