WSOP update #5 - Sunday morning
Update #5 – Sunday morning, back to work
The great news is that fellow Team Canuck Poker member Bob Jarrett made is through yesterday. Bob had 4200 chips at the dinner break, but made a splendid comeback and it starting today with 52,000 chips. We are 2 for 2. And, we both have nice chip stacks. Fear the beaver, baby. Fear the beaver.
Also, I did manage a good night’s sleep last night. In bed at midnight, stayed in be until eight. I woke up several times in the night (there was a party in the hall briefly) but I didn’t have much trouble getting back to sleep. I will be in good shape today. We are scheduled to play 5 levels today, starting at noon. Levels will remain at 1:40 minutes. With supper, that has us finished around midnight. This is a manageable amount of play. Although, we still have 1:15 minutes left on level 8 and I suspect that we will play that as well so today will be a little bit longer.
Overall, I am feeling nervous. I don’t know why. I will probably not be able to shake this feeling until I get at the table and get in the groove. The best thing that can happen to me today is to get a good table draw. A chip farm. What I don’t want it a gunner on my immediate right or left. I refuse to let anyone grind my chips off. As a result, I am headed for some massive confrontations if I get the wrong kind of player at my table. Crossing my fingers.
The rest of today’s entry is miscellaneous observations from yesterday.
That is a great book!
Last night at about 10:00 PM I wander into the media room. There is a guy sitting in a chair as a walk in and he is holding a copy of “The Professor, The Banker, and the Suicide King†in his lap. As I walk past him, I comment “THAT, is a GREAT book.†I read it at the cottage just prior to coming to the WSOP. From behind me a voice says, “Thanks.â€
Amy Calistri from Poker Pages introduces me to the author Michael Craig. I proceed to fawn all over him. I mean, really, this is a GREAT book. If you have any interest in poker at all, read it. It is not a “how to book†(although I think it helped my game) it is the story of Texas banker Andy Beal playing a series of heads up matches against a consortium of the best player in the world for A LOT of money. We are talking here about a limit hold’em match for $100,000 - $200,000. Gulp. For lay people, that means that ONE hand of poker will cost about $1 million. And, the players will play about 40 hands an hour.
I had a fascinating chat with Michael, the author. He had great access to the pros and he had access to Andy Beal. So, the book is thorough and accurate. More importantly, however, is that the story is elegantly told. The opening segment about Ted Forrest driving into Vegas and stumbling on a $30,000-60,000 game is worth the entire book. OK, I’m fawning again, congratulations Michael, your book is superior.
Speaking of books, I bought “One of a Kind†Nolan Dalla’s long awaited bio of Stuey Ungar (co-written by Peter Alson). I will not look at it until I leave Vegas, but I am sure it’s great. I consider Nolan a friend. We shared a study group in 1998 that was one of the most productive growth periods of my poker career. And, I know that Nolan started work on this book prior to Stuey’s death. He had more than one interview with Stuey so, like “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King†this book will have correct, first hand knowledge.
The Fantastic Four
To be blunt, don’t go see this movie. Bad script, bad acting, bad story. The CGI really sucked at times. The villain stank. And, there was NO interesting story of ANY kind. OK… it wasn’t THAT bad, but it sure wasn’t good.
This is a good lesson in why casinos have movie theatres. I get to the Palms ½ hour before the movie starts at noon, buy my ticket for $6.25, and then play craps. So, the REALLY bad movie costs me $280. Dang.
Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em
Coming from Saskatoon where smoking is not allowed indoors, Vegas casinos are hard to take. It still strikes me as bizarre that I am walking past smokers. The tournament room in no smoking (pretty standard fare for poker tournaments now), but the BIG hallway outside the tournament area is UNBELIEVABLE. Walking towards the tournament area last night to check up on Bob, it was a cloud. And, I mean a cloud. Thirty feet wide, thirty feet tall, and a hundred feet long this is a BIG hallway. I could not see the far end. Some of my life has been stolen from me. It’s not usually THAT bad, but this time it was that bad and then some.
Sol Bergren from Saskatoon
Also made it through day one with 27,000 chips. Late in the day I saw Gene Scott from Regina still in, but I can’t confirm if he finished the day or not.
The dine and dash
I returned to pay my dine-and-dash bill. We found the bartender who served me. He remembered me. And, he had long ago voided that tab. I said, “Do you want to leave it voided?†The manager decided to make me pay, which I did. The bartender commented that I was, “The most honest man in Las Vegas.†Hmmm… I don’t know about that, but I would describe the reaction of EVERYONE in the restaurant as “shock and awe†what I was coming back two days after the fact to make good on a $12 dine-and-dash. Anyway, now I can’t be arrested when I make the final table.
Cultural differences…
I drink tea. I like tea in the tradition of UK tea drinkers (as taught to me by Simon White of Calgary) – lots of milk and sugar. This is the way that most Canadians drink tea. Tea is a sweet and delicious drink, almost like pop. But, every time you order tea in the U.S. they bring a lemon wedge and no cream, unless you ask. Who wants a lemon wedge? A lemon wedge doesn’t make it taste like a sweet and delicious drink, it makes it taste like lemon. Bob Jarrett’s theory, which I think has a lot of merit, is that Americans were forced to drink hot water with nothing but lemon, and no tea, for many decades after an incident in the Boston Harbor about 230 years ago. So, the two main difference between Canada and America are tea and fake boobs.
There are A LOT more fake boobs in America that you see in Canada. Or, if they are in Canada you wear a blouse to cover them and make them look like they might be real. Not in America. Here, if you have fake boobs you wear tops that advertise that fact. It is as if many women are saying: “See, I take such good care of myself that I had got these here fake ones installed.†This has, by the way, been a VERY noticeable change in poker. If I think back to my first WSOP experience in 1998 I would describe the scene as “Obese, sweating, middle aged men in poker combat.†It has gotten a lot easier on the eyes. I think some of this is even about being groupies. Poker is hip and cool, and if I had to guess, I would think that some of the women I am seeing are working.
The Gutshot interview
Last year, these reports got serialized at Gutshot.com. So, the guys from gutshot (who are the funniest media guys at the WSOP, by the way) sort of know me. Last night I did an interview with Barry and it will probably appear later today on the site. Go to Gutshot.com and click the red button to open the WSOP coverage. Then, along the top you will see “videos.†Click there and I think the interview will eventually be there. It was fun. As usual, however, I am probably made an ass of myself.
The great news is that fellow Team Canuck Poker member Bob Jarrett made is through yesterday. Bob had 4200 chips at the dinner break, but made a splendid comeback and it starting today with 52,000 chips. We are 2 for 2. And, we both have nice chip stacks. Fear the beaver, baby. Fear the beaver.
Also, I did manage a good night’s sleep last night. In bed at midnight, stayed in be until eight. I woke up several times in the night (there was a party in the hall briefly) but I didn’t have much trouble getting back to sleep. I will be in good shape today. We are scheduled to play 5 levels today, starting at noon. Levels will remain at 1:40 minutes. With supper, that has us finished around midnight. This is a manageable amount of play. Although, we still have 1:15 minutes left on level 8 and I suspect that we will play that as well so today will be a little bit longer.
Overall, I am feeling nervous. I don’t know why. I will probably not be able to shake this feeling until I get at the table and get in the groove. The best thing that can happen to me today is to get a good table draw. A chip farm. What I don’t want it a gunner on my immediate right or left. I refuse to let anyone grind my chips off. As a result, I am headed for some massive confrontations if I get the wrong kind of player at my table. Crossing my fingers.
The rest of today’s entry is miscellaneous observations from yesterday.
That is a great book!
Last night at about 10:00 PM I wander into the media room. There is a guy sitting in a chair as a walk in and he is holding a copy of “The Professor, The Banker, and the Suicide King†in his lap. As I walk past him, I comment “THAT, is a GREAT book.†I read it at the cottage just prior to coming to the WSOP. From behind me a voice says, “Thanks.â€
Amy Calistri from Poker Pages introduces me to the author Michael Craig. I proceed to fawn all over him. I mean, really, this is a GREAT book. If you have any interest in poker at all, read it. It is not a “how to book†(although I think it helped my game) it is the story of Texas banker Andy Beal playing a series of heads up matches against a consortium of the best player in the world for A LOT of money. We are talking here about a limit hold’em match for $100,000 - $200,000. Gulp. For lay people, that means that ONE hand of poker will cost about $1 million. And, the players will play about 40 hands an hour.
I had a fascinating chat with Michael, the author. He had great access to the pros and he had access to Andy Beal. So, the book is thorough and accurate. More importantly, however, is that the story is elegantly told. The opening segment about Ted Forrest driving into Vegas and stumbling on a $30,000-60,000 game is worth the entire book. OK, I’m fawning again, congratulations Michael, your book is superior.
Speaking of books, I bought “One of a Kind†Nolan Dalla’s long awaited bio of Stuey Ungar (co-written by Peter Alson). I will not look at it until I leave Vegas, but I am sure it’s great. I consider Nolan a friend. We shared a study group in 1998 that was one of the most productive growth periods of my poker career. And, I know that Nolan started work on this book prior to Stuey’s death. He had more than one interview with Stuey so, like “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King†this book will have correct, first hand knowledge.
The Fantastic Four
To be blunt, don’t go see this movie. Bad script, bad acting, bad story. The CGI really sucked at times. The villain stank. And, there was NO interesting story of ANY kind. OK… it wasn’t THAT bad, but it sure wasn’t good.
This is a good lesson in why casinos have movie theatres. I get to the Palms ½ hour before the movie starts at noon, buy my ticket for $6.25, and then play craps. So, the REALLY bad movie costs me $280. Dang.
Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em
Coming from Saskatoon where smoking is not allowed indoors, Vegas casinos are hard to take. It still strikes me as bizarre that I am walking past smokers. The tournament room in no smoking (pretty standard fare for poker tournaments now), but the BIG hallway outside the tournament area is UNBELIEVABLE. Walking towards the tournament area last night to check up on Bob, it was a cloud. And, I mean a cloud. Thirty feet wide, thirty feet tall, and a hundred feet long this is a BIG hallway. I could not see the far end. Some of my life has been stolen from me. It’s not usually THAT bad, but this time it was that bad and then some.
Sol Bergren from Saskatoon
Also made it through day one with 27,000 chips. Late in the day I saw Gene Scott from Regina still in, but I can’t confirm if he finished the day or not.
The dine and dash
I returned to pay my dine-and-dash bill. We found the bartender who served me. He remembered me. And, he had long ago voided that tab. I said, “Do you want to leave it voided?†The manager decided to make me pay, which I did. The bartender commented that I was, “The most honest man in Las Vegas.†Hmmm… I don’t know about that, but I would describe the reaction of EVERYONE in the restaurant as “shock and awe†what I was coming back two days after the fact to make good on a $12 dine-and-dash. Anyway, now I can’t be arrested when I make the final table.
Cultural differences…
I drink tea. I like tea in the tradition of UK tea drinkers (as taught to me by Simon White of Calgary) – lots of milk and sugar. This is the way that most Canadians drink tea. Tea is a sweet and delicious drink, almost like pop. But, every time you order tea in the U.S. they bring a lemon wedge and no cream, unless you ask. Who wants a lemon wedge? A lemon wedge doesn’t make it taste like a sweet and delicious drink, it makes it taste like lemon. Bob Jarrett’s theory, which I think has a lot of merit, is that Americans were forced to drink hot water with nothing but lemon, and no tea, for many decades after an incident in the Boston Harbor about 230 years ago. So, the two main difference between Canada and America are tea and fake boobs.
There are A LOT more fake boobs in America that you see in Canada. Or, if they are in Canada you wear a blouse to cover them and make them look like they might be real. Not in America. Here, if you have fake boobs you wear tops that advertise that fact. It is as if many women are saying: “See, I take such good care of myself that I had got these here fake ones installed.†This has, by the way, been a VERY noticeable change in poker. If I think back to my first WSOP experience in 1998 I would describe the scene as “Obese, sweating, middle aged men in poker combat.†It has gotten a lot easier on the eyes. I think some of this is even about being groupies. Poker is hip and cool, and if I had to guess, I would think that some of the women I am seeing are working.
The Gutshot interview
Last year, these reports got serialized at Gutshot.com. So, the guys from gutshot (who are the funniest media guys at the WSOP, by the way) sort of know me. Last night I did an interview with Barry and it will probably appear later today on the site. Go to Gutshot.com and click the red button to open the WSOP coverage. Then, along the top you will see “videos.†Click there and I think the interview will eventually be there. It was fun. As usual, however, I am probably made an ass of myself.
Comments
will check again later
go get them Team Beaver!
'fear the beaver, baby!'
dave scharfe ???
I totally agree. That is a great book.
I got from page one all the way to the end of part one (page 130-ish, and I'm a pretty slow reader) before my brain started noticing that my bladder was tapping it in the shoulder and saying, "I know you're enjoying that book, but would you mind putting it down for a moment and coming with me into the other room?"
The brain still didn't want to put it down.
ScottyZ