7:09 pm CT: I arrive and pay my money. We expect 85-90 people, which translates into a fine four-figure start for Chelsea Decker. I found out that the room was donated by the Saturn dealership that employed Charles, and they're picking up the keg as well.

Our table fills fast, with Uncle Ben, Learned Foot, Mitch Berg, and a few civilians (ie, people with lives) joining our table. We all are trying to review the rules, where I eschew them...it only extends the suffering, in my opinion ...

7:29 - Good news! I'm still breaking even! Bad news -- we haven't started yet. If CQ readers want to send a donation to Chelsea's fund, please send a check to:

Diedre Chang
4112 Skylark Lane
Eagan, MN 55122

Please put "Chelsea" in the memo line. I think we'll start playing soon.

7:38 - Uncle Ben and I start talking Sitemeter stats; Learned Foot's eyeballs audibly roll ... I think we need more of that free beer.

7:55 - Social hour is almost over. Sandy joins our table and promptly dumps her drink on the table ... so we move to a free table. The bloggers have already made their reputation here at the Chelsea benefit ...

8:08 - We're just about ready to begin -- and we've already raised $3000 ...

8:12 - The lovely Mrs. Foot wins the first hand ...

8:22 - I win my first hand ... the smallest pot so far...

8:27 - Foot wins the biggest pot so far. He also has a small bladder, or so rumor has it ...

8:45 - Hey, I'm still in this! I won a pretty large pot, which just extends the pain just that much longer. I found out that Learned Foot's real name is Phil Helmuth, by the way -- he lost his driver's license on the last hand to his wife ...

9:00 - 1st break, and I'm still in it, but Mitch is ruling the table at the moment. We're stealing his chips while he gets more beer ...

9:14 - Sandy is first blogger out. Mitch took her out with a two-pair hand...

9:32 - And just like that, the dream is over. Sandy, Lesa (Mrs. Foot), John and I are chased out of the game by a whopping straight. Mitch moves up to the second round, along with Foot and Ben....

9:56 - Learned Foot just got squeezed out by Riverboat Mitch in Round Two. He has words of wisdom for us: "A flush still beats a high straight, even if Mitch doesn't realize it until much later." Sounds like Mitch is backing into success ...

10:17 - Some beginner! Riverboat Mitch makes it to Round 3 ...

10:22 - Another blogreader, Tony, introduces himself. I'm easy to spot. I'm the guy NOT playing poker, sitting by himself, with a computer on his lap. Mitch, on the other hand, just pulled a six-gun and shot someone for dealing off the bottom of the deck. Down, boy, this is for charity! ...

10:31 - Riverboat Mitch is taking a break. His words of wisdom: "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em ... never count your money when you're sitting at the table ..." Somewhere, a hound dog will soon enter into this soliloquy, I just know it ...

10:56 - Mitch made it into the next round -- and he's squared off against a 12-year-old girl. He claims she's palming aces, but we've disarmed Mitch and we believe she's safe -- for the moment ...

11:00 - After the girl mistakenly thought the betting was over, she showed her hand -- and Mitch bet, causing her to fold, even though she had the better hand. Riverboat Mitch stole a pot from a little girl!! The blogosphere erupts!! ...

11:10 - Mitch's strategy of tossing little girls under buses seems to be working ... he makes it to the final round! My son gets bounced out by Mitch as well...

11:43 - Mitch ends his incredible run, finishing 6th overall! Little girls weep all across the Twin Cities, but Mitch looks pretty danged pleased with himself, as he should ...

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