Let me finish the name-dropping from the Jennifer Harman Charity Tournament.

Just before the end of the rebuy period, Matt Savage, Tournament director, announced that Shawn Sheikan had busted out was not going to rebuy. Many pros did the same, of course, but Sheiky just happened to catch Matt’s eye, I guess. From two tables over, Chau Jiang offered to buy him back in, which got a big laugh.

I did not take the final rebuy (called an “Ad-donation”) because I had plenty of chips and the $530 I had donated was enough for my bankroll. We played a while longer, and I moved to the table behind me, as was Isabel, who was still not playing hands. Jeff Shulman, Chief Operating Officer of CardPlayer, went all in when it was my blind. He did not have enough chips for me to fold my Q-3 of diamonds. He flopped a pair but I made two running diamonds to bust him. So if you see my column dropped from CardPlayer, you know why.

My next move was to the “feature table,” which was on a podium. No card cameras, but there was a still camera recording the action. Daniel Negraneau was on my right in the three seat, and Kristy Gazes was in the one seat. There were some others I should have recognized but did not. I had played with Daniel in a tournament in Costa Rica a few years ago, which was also a multiple rebuy event, but with dozens of escalating rebuys. We were at the last two table sin that one as well. Daniel limped and miniraised twice, but with the huge blinds, I came oft he top all-in all in and won with no flop. Over all, my philosophy playing with Daniel is not letting him see flops if I can help it. The one time I couldn’t help it, I made a small raise with 6-6 UTG, and Daniel, very short stacked, looked at his hand, grinned, and went all-in. It was only a few more chips so I called. He announced that he had his favorite hand (which is 10-7 offsuit) and I knew I was sunk. I started counting off ships before the board hit. I kept counting as the K-Q-7 appeared, and I doubled him up. I did win some chips from the guys on my left, in what seemed to be the death seat.

Eventually, with blinds at $$2000 - $4000 (these were twenty minute rounds), I had around $$44,000 and took the big blind. All fold to Kristy in the cut-off, who raised. I had here well covered and pushed with pocket tens. Kristy looked sad, called, and said, “I have cheese.” She looked even sadder when she saw my hand and tabled the 10-9 of spades. Not t worry however, and the flop gave he a gutshot straight flush draw and the spade on the turn left me drawing dead. Had I won that pot, I would have been the chip leader, I think, as she had $27, 000.

The $17,000 I had left was not very good at that blind level and I pushed all-in with A-Q and won with no call. Then I got carried away and pushed again with K-10. Both the pocket fours and the pocket queens called (the fours won, of course). I was out in twelfth, three away from the final table, which did not pay but I would have like to say I got there.

I did get a hug from Jennifer, which was very nice. And she raised over $120,000 for the SPCA, which was wonderful. And I had a good time.