[Al_Capone_Junior]

Ok I'm gonna leave my usual niche over in B&M to post some comments here. I know Anna and was there yesterday during the $3000 final.

The following is from an email I wrote regarding Anna and the Bellagio as things went down yesterday:

Yesterday the $3000 nl event concluded with Anna W taking a bracelet as probably the youngest woman and 2nd youngest player ever to do so. Anna is 21.

They made a deal for the money with 3 left. As chip leader (about 40% of total chips, ratios about 8:7:4.5) the deal offered by the Bellagio's "formula" put her share at about $225,000. Anna had an entourage of watchers, cheerleaders, and advisors, including myself and several other math/poker book geeks like me. She looked to myself and Stuey an' nem :-) for advice as to what was a truly fair deal. We did a few calculations and gave our advice. The B's formula was within a few thousand of our estimates so we said go for it, that was close enough.

They played from there for the entry into the championship and the bracelet, which Anna wound up winning with class and some damn fine poker playing.

Following the tournament's conclusion it was time to get paid and toke the staff. Anna would have given the staff a token of her appreciation without any encouragement, but she again looked to us for advice, not knowing what was appropriate. When Anna looked directly at me I told her immediately and without hesitation "3-5%." This is the number I have posted on 2+2 before and the number I would toke myself in a major event. A couple more of the boys chimed in and the amount decided upon was $10,000, within the advice of everyone present. The Bellagio staff probably does not get many winners who are so generous as Anna was yesterday. She also tipped about another $2,000 in misc tips before she was done. $12,000, guess she was happy with the Bellagio yesterday. The B did treat her well, for instance every time she was moved they had a chair doubled up in her seat (Anna's petite).

I would like to point out that I have never liked the Bellagio, and have not played there much, nor have I encouraged many others to play there. My reasons are the crowded room and treatment of the players, particularly the "low limit" players (which includes virtually everyone I play poker with).

Yesterday was a refreshing change from what I was used to getting from the B. They treated the players well, and probably more importantly, treated the spectators well. ** They let us watch from the second step and didn't run us off once, despite the room being fairly crowded, and despite the fact this was a major event. This probably made a big difference to the size of the tip Anna left for the staff, because had they run off her cheering section and advice givers (all her friends), I have little doubt she would not have been happy about it. So good job to the B on this one, I guess they earned their money. And even I am going to give the Bellagio a class A rating on this one, good deal.

As for the details of Anna's play, I'm not going to comment too much there, wouldn't want to spoil the fun of everyone who's going to one day be facing Anna across the table. Beware of the double chairs at your new table!

Al_Capone_Junior

**The spectators at last year's WSOP were not treated anything even close to this well (in fact they were treated quite badly if you ask me). From my limited observations of the B's running of a major event they are a billion light years ahead of harrah's and the WSOP