RealKidPoker as always.
]]>
The last hand he moved in from the button and I called with QQ and his K-6 got there, so that was that. I was proud of my performance in every hand, of every match.
-had some champagne with Andrew and Robert Williamson III after the match, going over some of the key hands together.
-walked over to the British Luxury Club and closed the place down. Whole bunch of people were there and when that closed down in the morning I went over to Phil Hellmuth’s room, both of us were pretty toasted and chatted for a while about anything from his bizarre bet sizing, to his “entrances.”
I think I offered him a bet for like $3 million that I could pick 100 guys to play him heads up no limit hold’em, 300 big blinds deep, and if he wins 50 of the matches he wins. No repeats either, 100 different guys.
-as I left his hotel I ran into some poker friends and had breakfast with them in the lobby.
-as we left, I ran into comedian Russell Peters at the table next to us and he invited me to his show that evening. I totally planned on going, but woke up at like 8pm (get to that in a minute.)
-decided to take a random walk, about 30 minutes back to my hotel not having a clue exactly where it was, but I asked people as I walked the streets of London in the rain.
-got back to my room around noon I guess, and didn’t wake up till 8pm. Stayed up for a bit, then slept even more, waking up at 5am this morning.
-been surfing the internet studying various hair growth options lol. Anything from Provillus to Propecia, transplants to hair combs! Whole bunch of random crazy options to try and regrow hair. I started using Rogaine like a month ago, and I swear it feels like my hair is just falling out since I started! I read up on it and they said you “shed” the first two weeks and new healthier hair grows in it’s place. They said it’s a “good thing,” but man it’s scary! Propecia I’d NEVER EVER try, because the side effects can be brutal and irreversible. Yeah it works, but it can cause another very important part of your body to shut down, and I ain’t about to risk that! No chance.
-it’s 7:20am right now and I’m going to go back to bed for a few more hours before I play again at noon.
I’m having a good time in London and that was something I decided I needed to do more anyway. Traveling to all these great places it’s about time I actually enjoy myself instead of spending all my free time in the room.
It’s “work time” now, though, and I’m definitely playing the best poker of my life, excited once again to make a deep run in the WSOPE main event.
]]>
5. Annette Oberstad: She has an online deal which basically ensures that she’ll be showcased on many made for TV programs, and being a woman is one of the key reasons she’ll get a lot of invites. That’s not the only reason, however, as she had so much success prior to her turning 21 that there was a lot of hype surrounding Annette’s results when she turned 21.
Annette is also very outspoken and has been quoted with some real doozies in her short career as she really doesn’t pull any punches. In her first magazine interview she called Ted Forrest “The weakest player at the table” and has since called out women , claiming that they ” all suck at poker” and also implied that she’d love to have Doyle Brunson at her table.
She’s also been featured on TV with plenty of controversy, from berating Huck Seed about his play in the Doubles championship, as well as showing some frustration on ESPN against respected pro Chris Bjorin.
Annette combines the skill and brashness that would excite TV producers because you can never be sure what she’ll say.
4. Bill Reynolds: This kid is the most unknown player on the list and is just 21 years old. He plays online as Altum Altrus and recently qualified to play on the PokerStars.net The Big Game. That episode has yet to air, and Bill’s only other televised appearance was at the PCA High Roller event that took place in January.
Bill wins the award for being the most witty young player in the game, and he also seems to have a natural knack for what it takes to make poker entertaining. He’s talkative, but not abrasive, and has a cool look about him. A bit “out there” fashion wise and a recognizable mop of curly, blond, locks that make him look a bit like a young version of Chip Reese.
3. Viktor Blom: Not yet 21 years old this kid has become a legend in the poker world and what he did was reminiscent of Archie Karas when he made his epic degen run at the craps table. Blom took on the world’s best… all of them, at the SAME time!
The way he manhandled Tom “Durr” Dwan in their heads up matches made the poker world take notice, and whatever this kid does, people will watch. I’ve never played against him, but people I respect have told me that his NLH skills are remarkable and he approaches the game like no other, absolutely fearless and fun to watch.
A tall, skinny, unassuming kid, people would watch him because of his poker skills and not so much his banter. He definitely has a “presence” at the table, but he lets his 7 bet all in over bet bluffs do the talking.
2. Jason Mercier: Mercier is the ultimate live tournament grinder who’s also had success online. Since coming on the scene he’s consistently been atop player of the year leader boards and he puts in a ton of volume each year. How long he can keep that up is debatable. He reminds me of myself in my early 20’s when I was grinding the low buy in tournament circuit in the late 90’s.
When Jason is at the table he plays table captain and is a player you don’t want on your left. He’s relentless, tricky, fearless, and smart. That’s a pretty good combination.
Jason also has a unique look about him, and let’s face it, that matters. Jason doesn’t do a ton of talking, but is likable and says the “right things” in interviews.
Tom Dwan: Durr has already arrived on the poker scene and has become one of the central figures in the poker world, garnering plenty of attention for his Durr Challenge, his bracelet bets, his epic battles with Viktor Blom, and also his domination of televised poker. He brought life to High Stakes Poker when he was invited. Durr is a throwback to the old school player, an action guy not afraid to give a little action to get some. He is the anti-nit.
What I witnessed at the WSOP this year when Durr was heads up for a bracelet that would have crippled plenty of bankrolls, including mine, had he won, was like nothing I’d seen in years.
Durr has made so many creative plays on television that gets the public and the forums talking for weeks. Likable, unique, and a great player. He always makes watching poker on TV more interesting.
Honorable mentions go to:
Shaun Deeb: Has the potential to retire and un-retire as often as Brett Favre. Deeb is outspoken, passionate about the game, and is willing to stick up for what he believes in. He dressed in drag this year at the ladies event, and while I hate that decision, Deeb created a lot of buzz.
Deeb has had an amazing run online since “un-retiring,” but has yet to have any real success in live tournaments. He’d be the first to tell you, “I hate live poker” and that would need to change if he is going to make an impact in the future.
Sorel Mizzi: Sorel may get attention, but it’s for all the wrong reasons as he’s been involved in shady dealings on several occasions and that tag will be hard to shake. I met him a few years ago and he was defending JJProdigy, a known cheater who showed no remorse or interest in stopping, and that was a red flag in my book.
Sorel is obviously an excellent tournament player who puts up consistent results, but he has a long way to go before he can repair his damaged image in the same way that a kid like Justin Bonomo has.
Sam Trickett: There is really a whole group of great young English players out there who share trade secrets with each other, but of the group I think Trickett has the best package of skill and media savvy that puts him in position to make for a good addition to a poker show.
Matt Marafioti: At the PCA earlier this year, I almost went to blows with this kid! For real, I was right up in his face, and I thought for sure we were going to throw down. Later that night, some of his friends were in my room so I invited him up to squash things and I’m glad I did.
Better known as ADZ on PokerStars, if you saw his self made reality show, then you’d know why he gets an honorable mention. He walks into a car dealership and says, “I don’t want to pay anything less than $150,000.” OK, so he’s not the best negotiator, but you are looking at the poker world’s next Mike Matusow, Luke Schwartz, Phil Hellmuth character all wrapped up into one!
He can be really nice and peaceful, but turn on the switch and ADZ goes into what I call “hot head” mode and I think he’s going to make for some great TV moments in the future.
I’m sure I’m missing some people, but I didn’t exactly put hours of effort into my list. I’m in a hotel room just waking up at 6:00am in London looking forward to another deep run in the WSOPE. I feel really good about it too. I know people always say that, but I really do feel like I’m going to make the final table for the third straight year.
]]>
This is NEVER EVER EVER a time for an absurd judgment call by a floorman. It’s where he is supposed to ask everyone at the table, including Prahlad, “Did he say call before I said dead?” Now if Prahlad lied here, that would be an angle, but that’s not what happened at all. This whole controversy could have been avoided by using common sense. The theory that the WSOP somehow works with a clock that stops at 1 is just silly to me. If you polled every player in the room before the tournament started, and even asked the floorman, “If a clock is called, would the hand be dead at 1 or 0?” You won’t get 3 people out of thousands who would think it stops at 1. END RANT
**********************************************************************
WCOOP: I played in a few of them, bubbling a few times and then cashing in the $1000 no limit hold’em event. I came in 150th place after losing a bit of a frustrating hand, because it was a bit of a cooler, but I also didn’t really need to be in the hand. I was on an average stack with about 67,000 when the player under the gun min raised. I called in seat 2 with Qd Jd and then that brought three other callers to create a very bit pot at that stage of the tournament.
The flop came Js 2d 9s so I bet about 14,000 planning on actually folding against certain players and maybe going all in against others. I got one call by the late position player. The turn was the 10d so now I had top pair, an open ended straight draw, and a flush draw. If I checked, I don’t think I could profitably fold my hand, and if I bet it all, maybe I get him to fold a spade draw, or possibly even fold a hand like KJ or AJ. I stuck it in and he called with 22. I had plenty of outs and a chance to be a big stack, but a Jack on the river wasn’t enough.
The hand was a bit frustrating for me, because I think 9 handed at that stage of the tournament I probably shouldn’t have called the raise, and that ended up putting me in a weird spot. Oh well.
**********************************************************************
TV: I watch all kinds of TV, but I also have guilty pleasures that include reality TV shows with loads of drama. Recently I started watching The Bachelor Pad, and while it’s pretty lame to make each episode two hours since not a ton happens, once I start watching a series I don’t stop till it’s over.
If you are not watching it, the gist of it is that all past bachelor and bachelorettes have a chance to win $250,000 if they are the last person standing after everyone else is voted off. You are on your own the whole way, until there are 4 men and 4 women left, who pair off into couples and get voted off as a group. Most of the people aren’t there for love, they want the cheese. Having said that, romance does happen inevitably and stuff gets dramatic at times.
The season finale is soon, and I have no idea what happens in the end, but being the reality freak that I am, I’m hoping for the following:
The last couple standing can either split the money evenly, or they can compete in one last physical challenge for the whole $250,000. The guy would likely be a big favorite if he challenges her, but she’d be pissed at him if he gets greedy and then try her best to beat his ass in the challenge. Yes, I have too much time on my hands sometimes, but that’s the ending I want to see. Make it a tough choice!
The other show I’ve been watching as long as I can remember is The Real World and it’s still one of my favorites, because they do such a good job of casting a wide variety of drama queens, hotties, hot heads, and weirdos. This season had the weirdest one of all, a dude named Ryan, but also my favorite cast member in years, this dude from Wisconsin named Knight who is by all intents and purposes an honorary Canadian. He has me laughing on every episode. He’s a bit mean and crass, but he obviously is a good dude that just loves to have a good time. I don’t get star stuck or anything like that, but I hope he takes up poker someday because I think he’d be cool as hell to hang out with.
**********************************************************************
The Ex-Wife: I’ve been divorced now for close to three years and Lori and I had literally the most amicable divorce I think in the history of the world. I have nothing bad to say about her and we are totally still friends. I finally had a chance to hang out with her and her boyfriend at Red Rock and I had a really good time! I never, ever, thought it would be weird to me at all, and it really wasn’t. I was just hoping he’d be a cool dude and take good care of her, and he left a good impression on me. I can tell that they are happy and I’m genuinely happy for both of them. We had drinks, had a few laughs, and I could see myself hanging out with them again for sure.
Lori’s met a girl I dated once and she was totally cool about it too. I think most people really find that odd, awkward, or bizarre, but in our case, because things were left on such good terms, we were able to maintain respect for each other and I’m glad.
**********************************************************************
Fantasy Football: Tomorrow I’m shooting a commercial in the afternoon, but after that it will be back to the study grind for two fantasy drafts on Sep 10th. Yes, I know there is a game on the 9th. One is the World Championship of Fantasy Football and the other is the Poker Royalty league. The same two leagues I was in last year, and I qualified for the post-season in both leagues.
The www.wcoff.com is a snake draft which is pretty simple and boring, but the Poro is an auction draft which requires so much more skill. I don’t watch ANY College Football, and I don’t watch too many NFL games, but I am a stats geek, and I’ve been doing auction drafts in hockey for the past 20 years, seriously. So despite not really having a clue how good or bad the players really are, if I can put together a decent ranking sheet then I am pretty good at filling out a team from there.
I love fantasy sports, though, so I don’t just rely on a sheet. I started doing homework about three days ago and will spend all of tomorrow getting caught up. Should be a fun day on Friday!
After that, it’s more wcoops, then off to LA, then off to NY, then off to London to play the WSOPE. I seem to do well in WSOPE events and I’m hoping that trend continues, plus I’m looking forward to hanging out with some of the newer friends I made out there, Sam Trinkett, James Dempsey, Liv Boeree, JP Kelly, and the rest of the boys. Really cool group of people and there are also some brilliant poker minds amongst them.
]]>
He raised the button, small blind called, and I called from the big blind with Ac 9c. Flop was A-A-10 two diamonds and we checked to Tiger who bet 2000, I called. Turn an 8 I check called 3000. The river was the 7d and I checked, he went all in for like 12,000. Yeah, I have three aces, but I can ONLY beat a total bluff. Based on how he was playing up until that point, I saw no reason to think he was bluffing here. I folded… and he showed Q-2 off! LOL, oops, nice hand Tiger.
The area is awesome. The first night we hit two outdoor clubs with a really cool vibe and I noticed two specific things: the women are much prettier than the sound of the language! The average looking woman here seems more attractive than most places I’ve been, and they all have the same nose! Like a cute, smaller version of the Penelope Cruz nose without the huge beak hook, or whatever you call it. Very cute anyway.
The language on the other hand, is not sexy to me. Spanish is a beautiful language that flows off the tongue, but Portuguese has far too many schmeg shamesheg sounds. Perfect example is the word for beer. Spanish ser-VA-sa. Simple and cool sounding. In Portuguese it sounds more like Sher-viggg-ghem. To each his own, and while Portuguese actually sounds a lot like Romanian, I rank it near the bottom of my favorites list along with German and Arabic. I love the sound of Spanish, Korean, French, and to a lesser degree Italian. I love Latin languages, but sometimes Italian words drag on too long and seem like too much of a production.
I find Japanese kind of funny. I always think of a really loud deep voice screaming the words in anger. Like, “AYYYE DOZE KAMIKAZE HAI!!!” Korean, on the hand, sounds like music to me. It flows like a song and there is plenty of intonation. For example, the word “Oh” depending how you say it, can have like 20 different meanings.
I used to live with a Korean girl about 10 years ago and she would be on the phone sometimes and repeat that word the whole conversation. “Oh… OH!…Oh, oh…Oh? Oooooh, anio!” It was pretty funny, I used to crack on her for that.
*****************************************************************
I had another random thought/warning for people who play the game marry, kill, ****. If you haven’t played the game, it works like this: someone throws out three names at you, so for example, Angelina Jolie, Lady Gaga, and Halle Berry. Now, you have to choose to marry one, kill the other, and the third, you get to have your way with for one evening. If that one came my way, I’d marry Halle Berry, kill Lady Gaga, and have some fun with Angelina!
Now, one night years ago when I was actually married, I was at my wife’s friends house and we started playing that game. I threw poker player names at them, and then they threw one my way I should have NEVER answered! I was asked what I’d do with the other three girls in the room! Awkward. So now, I say, “Well, I’d do her, marry her, and I guess I’d kill you sorry!”
Now, my wife must be thinking, “So do you ever think about sleeping with ****? Not only that, the one friend who I just whacked now is likely to dislike me and think I hate her. It’s just a really big mess! By all means, the game is a ton of fun over drinks when you involve celebrities you don’t know, but NEVER play it with people you actually do know! It gets ugly fast… not sure what made me think of that, lol, but I thought I’d share.
*****************************************************************
I’m undecided about leaving early at this point and I’ll make my decision tomorrow. Hanging on the beach and making a vacation of it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. The one problem I have is that I’m in the midst of getting laser hair removal on my chest, back, and neck, and you just aren’t allowed to tan those areas, so I’d have to lay out with a shirt on, which is just kind of bizarre. I’ve done 3 treatments so far and it TOTALLY works. It hurts like hell, but it definitely works. You have to wait like 2-3 months between sessions, and it takes between 5-9 to get rid of the hair completely, so that means I can’t really tan till maybe next summer, so in the meantime I’ll be rocking the farmer tan.
*****************************************************************
P90X was awesome, but I didn’t complete it. I made it through 9 weeks, but missed the last 3. I can already tell from not working out that I’m not as strong as I was and I may decide to start all over again soon. It’s just hard when you travel, and I’ll be in Europe in September for a while it looks like.
I’m going back to LA first, though, and I’m playing a small role in a film my friend is directing that looks like it’s going to be really funny. It’s called Detention, and I guess you could describe it as a high school comedy/horror film with a killer script. After that, it’s back to the WSOPE where I’ll play the heads up event and then the main event, trying to make my third consecutive final table there after a tough second place finish last year. That loss stung.
In the meantime, I’ll also be playing online a bit on PokerStars, reviving my micro limit challenge. Put in a session tonight and booked a solid win of $36.45 which gets my bankroll back up over $190 playing $0.25-$50. I started at that level with $250 and need to win an additional $250 to get to the next level, so that could take a while, or I could go broke 🙂
So other than that, not a whole lot happening. Just gearing up for the homestretch in 2010 that looks to be packed with a decent number of tournaments, so hopefully I’ll run good and make some deep runs the rest of the year.
]]>
The Big Game truly does offer opportunities for many of the young, great players to make a name for themselves, and some of them failed miserably at making an impact, while others absolutely shined.
My advice to you if you are one of these young guys who gets an opportunity to play in one of these juicy TV cash games is to:
1) Think about your LONG TERM EV and don’t be a freaking nit! Give some action and be creative. ABC poker is how you make your living, but if you get invited to a poker show to entertain people, then throw in a straddle sometimes, or take some weird lines once in a while that might be funny or even really awesome. Nits are bad for the game.
2) Be real. If you are a likable person be yourself, and if you are a bit of an instigator, there is always room for “villains” as well.
3) Don’t take 20 minutes for every decision. Seriously, when certain players are at the table that waste too much time on decisions it costs loads of money for the the production. Two slow players can literally see taping take an extra two hours and that adds up to A LOT of man hours.
Poker has changed so much since I started playing and one area is actually a concern to me and it relates to social skills. In the old days, when tourists came to Vegas the local pros understood that it was important to make the tourists feel welcome and make sure they enjoy themselves as they lose their money. They’d give a little action, make small talk with him, and remember his name and ask him how his family is doing. It was very personal, and pros realized that they were not only poker players, but they also had to entertain, much like hosts.
That skill is lost on most young kids today that grow up playing behind a computer screen. When a fish quits, they can immediately sit out and not feel bad about it. They don’t feel the need to entertain a bad player at all, it’s a bit impersonal in that sense.
Some of the young kids TOTALLY get it. Durrr is a perfect example. He is one of the best NLH players in the world today, yet he can still find rich guys to play with him because he is genuinely friendly. I don’t think it’s even an effort for him, or that its a ploy, but there is no question he understands that by a fish liking to play with him, that’s good for his bottom line.
So if you aren’t all that talkative or charismatic, and are a great young player looking for opportunities to play in TV games… then you need to give some action. It’s as simple as that. No one wants to watch a guy play 6max with a VPIP of 20-24 that doesn’t say a word, won’t straddle, and is just there to take advantage of the fact that everyone else is trying to create an entertaining poker show.
I was so proud of some of the kids who I KNOW where playing higher than they normally do, yet still were witty, engaging, happy go lucky, and gave action. You know who you are, and the poker world is in for a real treat. Some true poker stars will be born on The Big Game.
**********************************************************************
Tonight I’m headed to LA to play in the WPT event at the Bike. It’s a $5000 buy in this year and I really have no idea how I’ll do. I’ve been playing cash games exclusively since the WSOP both online and on the show, and I’m not really sure what kind of adjustments I’ll need to make for the tournament. I guess I will just play it by ear and see what the table dynamic looks like.
If I bust, I think I’ll hang out in LA for a few days and then I’m going to make my first trip to Villamoura for the EPT event there. It’s a cool place I’ve heard, and on Sept 1st and 2nd there is a super cool tournament where you golf on day one, and based on how well you score, you get bonus chips for the poker tournament the next day! Should be fun.
September means WCOOP and I’m going to try and play in as many as I can, but I will have a busy schedule with WSOPE and EPT London also around the corner. I’ll also be filming something in LA the first part of the month.
After London I’ll be spending a few days in Toronto for my annual hockey draft and then I may do a mini-media tour in the city before heading home to Vegas.
I’m feeling pretty good overall. Healthy, and 12 lbs lighter than I did two months ago. Unfortunately I didn’t get through the whole P90X program and only finished 9 weeks. I plan on trying to stay active, though, and continue to eat a low carb diet so the love handles don’t come back. I also don’t really plan on drinking too often, but I do plan on enjoying life and making the most of each day!
]]>
“Only God Knows Why” by Kid Rock
“Mama” by Boys II Men
“Pimpers Paradise” by Bob Marley (most places don’t have that)
“You are Not Alone” by Michael Jackson
“More Than Words” by Extreme
I just like all these songs, plus there is usually meaning behind them as well. I find the story of Stan to be kind of chilling, Only God Knows Why reminds me of the days I used to hang out with Layne Flack, Mama is just a beautiful song that you should sing to your mother, etc.
*****************************************************************
I’m either going to the Bike after The Big Game shoot, or going to Thailand for an actual vacation. Never been there, and heard good things. My assistant is half Thai and so is one of my best friends Sam.
In September things get a bit crazy and I haven’t put my schedule together yet, but when I do I’ll post it in my blog. I’m doing WSOPE for sure as well as EPT London. I may also do a couple EPT’s before that if I have time. After EPT London I’ll be in Toronto for a few days for my hockey draft. I’m ready to get back on the road and do my thing… in the meantime, I’m going to do a bit of golfing, hang with some friends, and get prepped for The Big Game.
]]>
]]>