Another tournament that is marked by a year for firsts:

• We start the game with 46 players, our most at the big game, and to accommodate this,

• this was the first year we started with 8 tables.

• This was the first year the chairman was unable to play... he was asked to be a groomsman in a wedding. This did allow everyone else a better chance to win, though! As an aside, to anyone contemplating getting married, do not do it on the Saturday of Father's Day weekend if you expect any self respecting card player to attend!

• This was the first year the chairman's brother and cousin flew in from Houston just to play...

• Please sit down and prepare yourself for the most amazing first of the Big Easy Tournament VIII! It's 1:00 PM, and the game is just starting, and at table three, player 1 slot is held by none other than Kevin C, the chairman's own brother. He is the beginning dealer at the table. And deals himself three aces. Ever the opportunist, he goes all in in the 5-card draw game. Unfortunately for him, he dealt an opponent four tens. The opponent called, and for the first time ever the field was knocked down by a player before some tables had even been seated.

• Another first, the person with the 4 10's was the first (and only person that day) not to put in his $2 for the "First 4 of a kind or better" side pot.

The barbecue was excellent as always. And Nick and Bobby kept everyone well refreshed and ensured no one would die from starvation.

Final table is finally started at 11:40 PM. 7 players. Carl "Tired and Sober" B, Carlos "Plastered" M, Carlos "Sober" ?, Craig "Serious and Sober" M, Lewis "Sober" ?, Kevin "Buzzing" D. And Robert "Sobering" Co.

Craig is the first out, leaving 6. Then Carlos went out. (first year player and at the final table, damn fine playing)

Carl is 5th. Leaving Lewis to make 4th (another first time player).

The field fluctuated with Kevin D, Robert Co, and an inebriated Carlos M just hanging on. Carlos goes all in with a pair of deuces on an Omaha game, Kevin calls on a fishing expedition but doesn't land one. Carlos's deuces are top pair, and Carlos catches back up. Kevin and Robert go all in and Kevin has a set of sixes versus Roberts 2 pair.

Now it's just Carlos C and Kevin D battling it out for the title. Kevin goes all in on a 5 card draw game and draws 4 cards. (Maybe he was more than buzzing?!) Kevin's pair of queens loses to Carlos's pair of kings... and Carlos wins the tournament and the rights to being the Big Game VIII Champion.

As an aside, another first... this was the first year that the amount of alcohol consumption directly correlated with the percentage of the big game money, although we must omit Rocco from that equation!