Card Protectors?

A 30+3 SNG on Party results in a 1st while watching American Idol TiVo inventory and some ladies figure skating. Again, these figure skating announcers are absolutely the worst television event or sports commentators in existence. Forget that many of these girls could get us arrested if we hooked up with them (as in underage). Sasha Cohen is in first, she falls twice, and they are all pumped up about her choreography and never giving up? The higher chip counts to start on Party's SNG's definitely create a more patient environment. When we were down to six and blinds were 100/200, significant difference than all the all-in fests. I was getting picked on by the big stack to my right, raising my bb from the sb. I don't play these enough to probably feel comfortable coming over the top more than I did. +EV for him to min raise me for sure. Down to four, I was dealt 99 in bb, button had been coming over the top or going all-in on blinds more than occasionally (blinds were I think 200/400). I had 3826, big stack had 6238, button had another 4900 and went all-in. Big stack waited forever and went all-in, so I cold called (covered by both). I didn't have the button on anything stron, maybe a small pocket pair or KQs/AJ. I liked the big stack deliberating, as I put him on a marginal ace. One from the money, shouldn't I just fold? Heck, we're in these things to win, not to cash. Button has 77, big stack has AQ, and I have 99. Bad flop of 8Q4 rainbow, J comes on the turn giving me some more outs, then the random number generator finds another 9 to give me the set and the sweet triple up for the chip lead. A bad play? I would say probably yes except that I had some logic to everything that happened, all the action (a blind squirrel and all that...).

Doyle has one that Howard Lederer either has or will get when he dies. Raymer's is famous, giving him his name. Danneman had his little globe. Should you have a card protector in live play? I think you have to protect your hand for sure, so that isn't up for debate. I prefer the one chip method. I've thought about supergluing a few half dollars together, but I prefer going without. Are they gay? Are they the same as sunglasses? I prefer not to wear sunglasses for sure; I think for the most part it's a bit too much hollywood. I don't have a problem if you have a card protector, I don't know. My favorite is probably the frog guy that I've played with at the Bellagio. He wears the Raise the Mutha suspenders, old timer that can be putting in his time or can be a real character. Maybe I'm being too hard on the card protector, I don't know. My other favorite is the guy in the bar tourney who has the $1 Tunica chip.

Which brings me to a peripheral topic. Should we collect chips from different poker rooms? I assume some people do this, like golf balls where they play.

I've got my home game scheduled for tomorrow night. Still a struggle finding anyone to play here in suburbia. It looks like we have at least six and hopefully more. I expanded the network of invitees and didn't invite some of the people I've invited several times who either haven't come (the guy down the street who's boys host games all the time supposedly and the next door neighbor that I don't like). We're keeping it hopefully fairly simple and non-threatening, $1/2 limit. I just might have to loosen up my play a bit...