Right in the middle of it all, it was time for the WPT to make their 2nd appearance at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls. A few days before the event, I asked Goodfella if he planned on playing the sng satellites for it. He just kind of shrugged it off. I knew he felt a little awkward about going to play satellites when I was sitting at home in misery. I told him that he had to go. He had bubbled the previous year when some donk got it in against his AA and made a straight to knock him out 3 or 4 places outside of the money. I wasn't gonna be the reason why he would have to wait another year. He told me that I should just get out of the house and come with him. I didn't want to at all. Finally, with a little convincing, and because I didn't want to ruin opportunities for him, I said fukk it...I'll come. So, Goodfella, Mrs Goodfella, and I jumped in the car and headed to the casino. When we got there, Mrs Goodfella had to hold my hand so that I wouldn't walk right into the slot machines (thanks kid!). Although my vision was a tiny bit better, I was till fukked! Anyway, Goodfella played a 1K sng and got knocked out in 3rd or 4th I think. I saw a ton of people I knew from the city. Even though I couldn't see the looks on their faces, I could feel that they knew something was wrong with me. At that point, I didn't care. On the ride home, we were talking about the tournament series that was being held at Seneca Niagara Casino, just over the border about 10 minutes from Fallsview. We talked about possibly playing a few events.

A few days later, we left for Seneca. We planned on staying a few days. I still couldn't get around completely on my own but since Goodfella was there, it wasn't that big of a deal. We both registered for the $300+30 NLHE event. First place was 14K. I hobbled to my table and sat down. The whole while, I had to close my right eye in order for my vision not to be completely off. Then it happened. The first hand was dealt to me. I looked down at my hole cards with my right eye closed. I raised JJ in 3rd or 4th pos. I looked around to see the action and realized the only way I could see was to keep my right eye closed. With my left eye, I could tell that the other players were staring at me. I didn't know what to do. Here I was in a tourney and I couldn't even keep up with the action without looking like a complete idiot. I played like a rock for an hour or so. Mainly it because I didn't want to have to look up and be noticed for my one eyed antics. In time though, I got comfortable. The other players started paying attention to the table and one another. I remained card dead for about 4 blind levels. Looking back, it was a good thing. It gave me the opportunity to remain under the radar which made me feel more and more comfortable. When I finally needed to start opening up, I felt fine. I almost forgot how ridiculous I looked.

Anyway, when we got to 3 tables, I went on a heater and started accumulating a ton of chips. With 2 tables to go, I was the chip leader. I came into the final as a big chip leader. From there, I just knocked mutherfukkers out! I remember the first player I knocked out. I looked down at AsKs in the CO. It came to me folded around, or so I thought. I had well over 300K in chips. I made it 35K to go. I couldn't see with my right eye and so I had missed a limp. The button, sb, and bb folded and when it came back to him, after the longest time, he called. With blinds, antes, and my raise and his limp call, there was about 90K in the pot. The flop came QJx, one spade. He moved in his 30K stack. With a gutter, two overs, and a backdoor flush draw, and def getting 3 to 1, I snap called. He turned over KQ. I spiked and A and he was out. The guy couldn't understand how I called. I just laughed when he started complaining. Imagine a guy who limp calls more than half his stack with a 6.5bb stack at the final table complaining about what a fish I was. It was awesome! I wanted to say "Fukk you pal, I only got one eye!" Glad I didn't, that would have been weird I feel. I think I knocked out 5 or 6 people at the final table. Although there were discussions about chops, nothing ever went through. All of a sudden, we were 3 handed. I couldn't fukking believe it! In no time, the other two players got in a big hand and when it was over, I was second in chips and we were heads up! Immediately, the guy started talking about a deal. We finally settled on chopping 20K and playing for the extra 4K. We played about 20 hands. In the final hand, I raised with 7h4h on the button. He called and we saw a flop of 5x,6h,2h. He checked raise shoved my cbet. With the combo draw, I called. His 5,6 two pair held up and I was out in 2nd place earning me $10K. I picked up the cash, gave Goodfella his 10% (we always have 10% of each other in every tourney we play), and we got outta there. Ship it! For the first time since waking up with screwed up vision on a Sunday, I didn't think about MS and how fukked up my life was. It was nice.

Goodfella ended up final tabling the $500 NLHE event days later. A few days after we got home from Seneca/Fallsview, I started to get better. I wasn't completely recovered but I was doing a lot better. The fatigue wasn't as bad and I could see a little better. So, I started going to Fallsview and playing 5/5NL. For about a month, I killed it. During that stretch, my buddy Mack and I would hit up Fallsview Casino on the Canadian side, play a session, eat some good food, drive across the border and smash the living shit out of the 2/5 game at Seneca (Once, I made 7 buy ins in about half an hour. We were both sitting at the table in shock about how I was running like God.). The 2/5NL game there was super weak. Sometimes, after really good sessions, we'd go shoppping! LOL. Imagine two young guys wanting to go shopping together. lol. We'd buy so much random shit. Generally, we made a mess the whole time. It was a lot of fun. He actually lives down the street from me now and It'll be nice hanging out with Mack this year. He's a sick golfer too so hopefully I can learn a few things this summer. [Enjoy your cameo pal].

I heard about a tourney in the city with a $10K guarantee for 1st. The structure was not good and it was super top heavy but I didn't care, I was gonna win anyway! I was running good and super confident. I went there and was met by a lot of familiar faces. Although clubs were voluntarily shutting down and being forced to shut down, this club remained opened. I said fukk it and went to play there anyway. There was about 140 players I think. Guess who won? Ship the 10K. (Actually, it was 8500 I think cause of some chop arrangement.)

Within a week, I had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, wished for death, and almost won a fairly large live tourney with one good eye. For the next month, I had killed it playing 5/5NL and banked another good tourney cash. The poker success gave me something to focus on besides the disease. It made me want to think about the future and gave me something to smile about again. It gave me back hopes and dreams. Everybody needs hopes and dreams...