I won my way into the NAPT Deepstack Main Event at the Venetian February 2010 and was sat at a table where everyone was someone I had seen on TV but I could only name two of them. Paul Wasicka was seated directly to my right and Fabrice Soulier (French poker pro) was another 3 seats down.
Everyone was looking at me because I was the guy nobody knew, yet no one said a word to me, just talked quietly amongst themselves. Several people tried to engage Paul Wasicka in conversation (like me
) and he put in earbuds and ignored everyone, including the cameramen who showed up about every 20 minutes and focused on him. I tried initiating conversation with a couple of table-mates and the response was terse so I just played the game.
Lots of other pros there, like Daniel Negreanu and Fossilman, as well as celebrities like Brad Garrett and Montel Williams.
I lasted for the first 7 hours of play when I picked up KK. Several limpers so I raised 3bb and only Fabrice Soulier smooth called. Flop J77 rainbow. Soulier checks to me and I raise. He reraises to putting me mostly in. I am hoping he has AJ, or QQ, 10 10 etc. Just please not AA or JJ. I shove, he actually sat and thought for about a minute or so, and finally kind of shrugged and called, turning over AA. OOPS, did I read all of that wrong.