Poker Writin'

I am happy to say that I have regular readers who have never seen a single poker post on this blog. I am perhaps even more pleased that many of you who originally followed me here in the good olde poker days have stuck with me since I left the poker subculture. This weekend my very good friend and oft times writing partner Amy Calistri has decided to reflect on a series of articles she and I wrote four years ago. The final table of the 2010 World Series of Poker is playing out this weekend, as a homage Amy has reposted on the "Biggest Error in the World's Largest Sporting Event." I completely agree with her characterization of those pieces, she writes:

"The articles were neither fun to write nor particularly well written. But they ended up improving the integrity of the game I love. And for me, the old adage proved true. I didn't care who won or lost. In the end, I cared how the game was played."

For those of you who are poker players the articles might be of interest. To the non-poker readers, Amy's comments on who we were and who we still are might bring some insight into some of the other topics I blog about these days. The opening of the first article contains Amy's current thoughts on who she and I are when we put on our writer's mantle.

LINK to Amy's blog.

The (Poker) Shrink Speaks Again

A year ago I offered these same advisory comments to my friends in the poker media regarding the inevitable World Series of Poker burnout from long hours, bad food, poker playing and ridiculously high standards for tournament reporting that no one reads. I received several laudatory comments from my writing buddies, but no one actually took my advice. While I don't miss being in Las Vegas for six weeks in the roasting heat, I do miss my friends among the players, tournament staff and media. So, today I want to (re)remind everyone that total exhaustion is not a requirement of the impending WSOP Main Event.

Rule #1: Rest! 

Resting does not include clubs (night or gentlemen's). You might consider some exercise, again that would mean a gym not a gentlemen's club. The big parties are in full swing this week; the barbeques are fine, the all night drunken rolls with or without running Twitter commentaries are not. Those of you who will not take this advice, please do twitter away all the details, drunken tweets are always great for next day prop bets.

To the players, remember you are the one who said:

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I have been running bad the whole series, but now the main event is here."

"I am going to focus and be prepared to play" is not a line that should be followed by ". . . another round for the table."

Yes, Las Vegas is a lot of fun, lots and lots of fun. But not the night before your Super Bowl. This really is the World Series of Poker and if you are good, skillful and lucky; it will last nearly two weeks, you really think it is wise to go out and party the night before you or your backer upchucks ten thousand dollars?

Back to my buddies in the poker media. Repeat after me. Nothing happens on Day One, not Day 1A or 1B or C or D. There is no reason to further stress yourself out to report on anything but the funny hats and stupid costumes. Also no one makes the money on Day Two, not Day 2A or 2B. Lots of stuff happens but nearly none of it is worth reporting. Things get semi-serious on Day Three or maybe Four, so pace yourself and next year remember all the resolutions you made this year. You know: eat right, use the gym, don't play poker after a 12 hour writing day, finish your screen play and read that book on Omaha 8. But for now -- go to back to bed! 


Finally I would add that not hearing a single chip shuffle or someone yelling "Floor!" every five minutes is what most people call summer. 


Hang in there, it really is almost over.

A Little Poker

This is a little poker story followed by some nostalgia from my days in the world of professional poker. For my non-poker readers, trust me, you will know when to stop reading.* 

Early last week the fire alarm system in my building was being worked on, which meant that the very loud clarion clanging cacophony  was going off just outside my door every five minutes. On the third detonation I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my keys and headed for the car. I really didn't have a destination until I was a block or so from the apartment when I thought of the Oaks Card Club in nearby Emeryville. Fifteen minutes later and I am slipping into an Omaha 8 seat and being greeted by the friendly table captain.

It takes a standard couple of rounds for the locals to ask where you are from and where have you played before. When I mentioned Las Vegas, the World Series of Poker came up and I was asked if I had ever played in the WSOP. Normally what would follow would be my admission to covering the Series for the last four years, which would lead to question about why I am not there this year and eventually the Matusow book comes up and -- well -- I have been there before and just wasn't interested in going there again, at least not that day.

"You ever been to the World Series?"

"Nope, never have."

As soon as I said it, I knew those were the right words. Most days I just don't have any interest in what I was so immersed in for the past five years. I do keep track of a few players at the Series, but those are my friends. I do read a few of the writers currently working the tournaments at the Rio, but again those are my buddies and I am more interested in what they write about away from the poker tables than anything that happens during the games.*

I covered the WSOP for four summers (Gold-Yang-Eastgate-Cada) and I look back at that I remember much more about the time away from the poker tables and infinitely more about the preliminary events than about the main event. Except for Mike's great run in the '08 main, while Amy and I were finishing the book.

For my media buddies sweltering in the desert heat, I offer this bit of historical pondering. Notice my years of coverage and compare them to yours, I think I perhaps didn't choose my tenure wisely.

(Jamie Gold-Jerry Yang-Peter Eastgate-Joe Cada)

(Robert Varkonyi-Chris Moneymaker-Greg Raymer-Joe Hachem)

(Scotty Nguyen-Noel Furlong-Chris Ferguson-Carlos Mortensen)

(Russ Hamilton-Dan Harrington-Huck Seed-Stu Ungar)

(Mansour Matloubi-Brad Dougherty-Hamid Dastmalchi-Jim Bechtel)

(Berry Johnston-Johnny Chan-Johnny Chan-Phil Hellmuth)

(Jack Strauss-Tom McEvoy-Jack Keller-Bill Smith)

(Bobby Baldwin-Hal Fowler-Stu Ungar-Stu Ungar)

(Johnny Moss-Sailor Roberts-Doyle Brunson-Doyle Brunson)

(Johnny Moss-Johnny Moss-Amarillo Slim Preston-Puggy Pearson)

I think only two of those groups might be more forgettable then my four year stint.

(Matloubi-Daugherty-Dastmalchi-Bechtel)

or

(Yang-Eastgate-Cada-??????)

Power of the Boob Tube

Poker Disclaimer Addendum: I have offered several times to depokerize this blog. Well I guess I have to realize and admit that after five years of poker coverage in many forms there is going to be more residual content then I had anticipated. But I promise only appropriate historical references, no original content poker posts. I promise! Now has anyone got a cigarette? or a drink? crack? smack? pringles?

Meanwhile, last night ESPN showed Day 1B of the World Series of Poker main event from this year. Significantly Mike played at the feature table. In fact, never has an episode of a day one been so devoted to a single player. More importantly from my point of view was the coverage they gave to our book! Not only did Norman Chad mention the book and give a terse but favorable review, they then showed a shot of the cover.  Later in the coverage, I took Mike a stack of books and they showed him signing them for his feature tablemates. Great promotion.

Our Amazon bestseller average went from 13,000+ last night to 1,300 this morning. The power of television. And don't forget the tivo's, dvr's, and endless espn reruns still to be viewed.

My November Nine Picks

[Content Disclosure: WSOP November Nine]

Some degenerate in the media pool decided to challenge us to pick our final nine in the main event before the start of yesterday's play. So we had 64 runners to whittle down to our own personalized November Nine. Below are my choices. A Willy Wonka Golden ticket to the first reader to discover the amazingly insightful selection criteria I used to pick my nine.

Darvin Moon

Billy Kopp

Phil Ivey

Steve Begleiter

Ludovic Lacay

Antonio Esfandiari

Tommy Vedes

Antone Saout

Ben Lamb

(Addendum: I must admit to the success of my endeavor, as the thoughtless selection of the nine chip-leaders led to my winning the media pool; however, not without a four-way, six-level tiebreaker.)

The 6,495th Player

[Content Disclosure: a wee bit of math]

Monday Prologue: (An autographed copy of Check-Raising the Devil to the first reader who correctly identifies the seminal theme of this impending post. All intelligent guesses and most wild speculations should be made in the comment section below. Decision of the judges will be semi-final. Duplicate correct or partially correct answers will participate in a run-off drawing overseen by an intelligent female poker commentator, who does not show cleavage on camera. Full post with brilliant analysis and cogent quips will go up in twenty-four hours.)

(some fine guesses were submitted but none hit the mark.)

The 6,495th Player

I am going to go with some hard facts today. Hard from the perspective that they are grounded in solid, empirical mathematical theory and "hard" in that they may shake your faith in the list that reads: Eastgate, Yang, Gold, Hachem, Raymer . . . Moss, Moss.

Here is my thesis: If a 6,495th player had been allowed to register for the main event this year, the members of the November Nine who will be determined tomorrow night would be different. And the eventual WSOP champion would be someone else, not the name we will all remember following Peter Eastgate. You see with all the skill versus luck conversation that goes on around poker, the mathematical facts are that if you add one more player or allow one less entry you drastically change how the fourteen days of the tournament play out. 

This additional player need not have been the 2,810th entry on Day 1D, nope a 874th player on Day 1B would have had the same effect with a different result. We are talking "pebble in the pond" math here. One more player means their initial table plays differently, breaks differently and players move throughout the tournament differently. One more 30,000 stack of chips is distributed throughout the Day 1 and then the Day 2 and the ripples grow. 

Surely it's easy to see if say we remove Ivan Demidov from last year's tournament. Take Sammy Farha out of the Moneymaker 2003 win, or Eric Seidel that year or David Williams or Steve Dannenmann those years. But the math tells us that it need not be a final table figure who doesn't register or a big name player who was left out in this year's Day 1D shutdown. One more or one less player in such a large field must inevitably change the tournament and the longer you play it out the greater the change.

One more entrant in Day 1C would not effect Day 1A or 1B or 1D or 2A, the effects begin immediately for 1C and then for 2B but Days 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and November each have magnified implications based on the extra runner. In fact, just a bit of extrapolation would lead us to the conclusion that one more or one less player on each of the Day 1's would mean no amount of math or analysis could lead us to any conclusion except that the November Nine would be nine completely different players than what we will see tomorrow night.

So the next time you get involved in the Luck vs. Skill argument. Remember this. Once you start playing the game, It's All Skill; but leading up the the biggest tournament in the world, it's all the luck of the draw and the ineffable math of big numbers in the registration queue.

Nominee: Best WSOP "At the Table" Story 2009

[Content Disclosure: Stranger than (poker) Fiction]

I got this story directly from the dealer involved, he verified the details and the pain involved. This is a WSOP main event tale, obviously from early in a day one session. Involved in the hand is a known, but not well known player, who has been efficiently building his stack against a very weak table. His opponent is a completely unknown woman, who has to this point demonstrated exactly zero poker skills. 

The pro flops top set (kings) with a unconnected board (K-5-2) and they manage to get it all-in with four bets. The betting did include the question: "How much can I raise?" The player turns over his top set, waits for the novice to table her lower set but instead the lady turns over 9-7 offsuit, no draw, none, period, zip, zero. Oh wait, there is a five on the flop, so she does have a double belly-buster straight draw. She proceeds to catch perfect (6)-perfect (8) for the straight.

As she stacks her chips, something she has clearly not done before; the player asks:

"Excuse me, did you win your seat online?"

She innocently replied: "No, mine was in a bag of Planter's Peanuts."

WSOP Final Table: Does Size Matter?

[Content Disclosure: Poker Minutiae]

Each year about this time I play with the idea that being the chip leader going into a final table actually means something. The question is: "How much does the chip lead add to your chances of taking down a tournament?" Just looking at the raw numbers here are the stats for the preliminary events at the 2009 WSOP.

Forty-eight preliminary events had data worth looking at. You have to throw out heads up and shootout tournaments and a couple of others where no one was watching closely enough to actually count the chip stacks when an official final table was reached. Here are the numbers for those 48 events:

What place did the eventual bracelet winner begin in?

12 times the eventual winner started in 2nd chip position

11 times the final table chip leader went on to win

10 times the winner started in 4th

 7 times in 3rd

 1 time the winner began in 5th and 1 time in 6th

 5 times the winner came all the way from 7th place

 1 time (James van Alstyne event #31) from 8th place

no one won an event from 9th place

Where did the chip leader finish?

11 times in first

14 times in second

 9 times in third

 4 times in fourth, 4 in fifth, 4 in sixth

 twice in eighth

no chip leader finished 7th or 9th

-11 out of 48, the chip leader managed to win it all.

-Jeffery Lisandro accounts for 3 of those 11; all three of his bracelets were won going in with the final table chip lead.

-Phil Ivey won his two bracelets this summer coming from 6th & 7th chip position.

In a strange statistical anomaly, the chip leaders who went on to win the bracelet were clustered in events #37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 48, 51 (also 16 & 20). Through the first 36 events you could have made a lot of money betting that the chip leader would finish second and the second chip leader would win the bracelet. 

WSOP Burnout: Second Notice

[Content Disclosure: Another Shrink Warning]

Just over a month ago I offered some advisory comments to my fellow media members regarding the inevitable WSOP burnout from long hours, bad food, poker playing and ridiculously high standards for tournament reporting that nearly no one reads. I received several comments from my writing buddies, but nearly no one took my advice. Hats off to Dr. Pauly who actually did take time off and is now fresher than yesterday's bagel. Today I want to expand on those cautionary comments to include the 6 or 7 thousand plus players who are about to descend on the World Series of Poker.

First, you should be resting. Resting does not include clubs (night or gentlemen's). You might consider some exercise, again that would mean a gym not a gentlemen's club. There are parties in full swing this week; the barbeques are fine, the all night drunken rolls with or without running Twitter commentaries are not. Those of you who will not take this advice, please do tweet all the details, I can use the drunken data points for my research.

Getting back to the Series, remember, you are the one who said:

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I have been running bad the whole series, but now the main event is here."

"I am going to focus and be prepared to play" is not a line that should be followed by "Another round for the table."

Yes, Las Vegas is a lot of fun, lots and lots of fun. But not the night before the Super Bowl, if you are playing. This really is the World Series of Poker and if you are good, skillful and lucky; it will last nearly two weeks, you really think it is wise to go out and party the night before you or someone upchucks ten thousand dollars?

*     *     *

Back to my buddies in the poker media. Repeat after me. Nothing happens on Day One, not Day 1A or 1B or C or D. There is not reason to further stress yourself out to report on anything but the funny hats and stupid costumes. Also no one makes the money on Day Two, not Day 2A or 2B. Lots of stuff happens but nearly none of it is worth reporting. Things get serious on Day Three, so pace yourself and next year remember all the resolutions you made this year. You know: eat right, use the gym, don't play poker after a 12 hour day writing, finish your screen play and read that book on Omaha 8. But for now -- go to back to bed!

That's all for now, the outcall masseuse has arrived with the pizza and wings.

World Series of Potpourri

[Content Disclosure: Stuff In and Around the WSOP]

Just another collection of tidbits from one more week of trodding the halls of the WSOP and the blogs, sites and sounds from the Series. Today (Sunday) is the biggest day outside of the World Series as both Ultimate Bet and Poker Stars run there massive WSOP main event qualifiers. UB will be handing out 50 seats, while Poker Stars has been qualifying players for over a month for their 150 seat extravaganza. 

Lest you think these online events are for those living in Nova Scotia and Des Moines. There will be plenty of players hold up in their hotel rooms all over Las Vegas today. A cheap seat is a cheap seat, no matter where you are currently seated.

* * *

In case you missed the New York Times article "How Twitter is Changing the World of Professional Poker"; it is worth a read and if you intend to follow the main event or any of the remaining events, I strongly recommend adding to your internet feeds the twitters from PokerRoad. No one has twitter technology mastered yet but PokerRoad is way out ahead for this WSOP. You can follow dozens of top pros right from the tables. Plus much of the insider dirt also gets laundered via tweets. Makes you almost feel like you were here and needing a quick shower.

* * *

The WSOP parties start in earnest this coming week, expect to see the drab "queen and a queen only" tournament coverage being spiced up with reports from inside all the hot clubs in Vegas. Media get invites to these so they will pimp the host sites and well, we do. Coverage of such alcohol fueled debaucheries will be found in much more detail on other sites. Speaking of debauchery, Dr. Pauly is rumored to be returning from his extended Phishing tour. I make a final appearance on the Tao of Poker on Monday, but this time with a PG rated story. Well, maybe R rated if you live in (country name redacted to avoid jihadist retaliation).

* * *

Inside the WSOP these are the doldrum days. More players are napping at the tables. Twitters and blogs are replete with excuses for missed tournaments. The WSOP flu is fully in evidence but not at pandemic proportions. More arguments are popping up at the tables and thus more penalties and warnings are hitting the infamous WSOP infraction book. Bitching about the poker kitchen, bad payout structures, missing blind levels, in general anything and everything have spiked this week. It's all a function of this being the fourth or is it the fifth week of cards and chips, chips and cards and the main event is still nowhere in site.

The WSOP Doldrums will be the theme of my next three Poker Mind In Depth posts as even Misters Matusow, Hellmuth and Negreanu are not immune. That series will resume on Tuesday.

WSOP: The Magic Number is 40

[100% Poker]

Starting today the World Series of Poker celebrates the 40th anniversary of the biggest event in poker. Cash games and satellites begin shortly at the Rio here in Las Vegas. Like most of my media buddies I am semi-happy to be onsite for the big show again. Only semi-happy because it can be a long six weeks, particularly for those who do anything approaching live tournament reporting. Following all or most of the 57 events can quickly become a blur of cards, chips and players. On the other hand, there will surely be some outrageous moments that will only be captured by a poker writer being in the right spot at the right time. That is what makes following the Series so interesting for me. For true poker nuts, here is an article from the 2006 WSOP when I was the sole media witness to 101,000 chips being added to a tournament.

There is also the chance of being the chronicle to poker history, a new main event hero, an established pro making a comeback or finally winning their first bracelet. And, of course, there are the blow-ups, melt-downs and other deviations from the politically correct blandness the additional rules each year are creating. (Speaking the word "idiot" or "idiots" is a penalty this year). By the way before a long time reader seeks to call me out: there is such a thing as "poker history", I admit that. My long term position is that anything that happens during a poker tournament is not per se "history" nor history-making. But in the small "h" backwater, lower drawer footnote; it is poker history. My personal rant on the topic can be found here.

Meandering on. Thursday is the $40,000 anniversary event at the World Series. Interestingly the scuttlebutt among the professional players is that the field will be "at least 250" players. Many think it will be much larger. In contrast to the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament later in the Series, the 40K is no limit hold'em and it appears everyone intends to take a shot at this prize. But I have to wonder if a forty thousand dollar swing-and-a-miss is not going to send some internet wiz kids home for the duration, not to mention how many backers are going to balk at tossing 40K up front in what will inevitably be a very long summer for some established pros. The promotional glitz of having this anniversary event might be outweighed by the economic realities of the World Series of Poker 2009.

Just another question we will get some answers to as the summer plays on. It is now just a couple of hours until someone quietly whispers: "shuffle up and deal".

Run Good WSOP

[Content Disclosure: 100% Poker]

Slowly over the next several weeks you will notice a trend back to all things poker here on my little blog. The World Series approaches and I am headed back to Las Vegas in less than a week.

But today marks the renewal of the PokerListings Run-Good Challenge. A motley gaggle of poker bloggers will be competing for a $1500 WSOP seat. This should make for an interesting morning here in foggy San Francisco. Here's hoping someone wins who will actually make it to the Amazon room and do all of da bloggas proud.

UPDATE: I got no cards, I suck at poker, maybe next week. Hope springs eternal on every two outer.

WSOP: World Swine of Poker

[Poker, Swine Flu, World Series of Poker]

World Series of Pigs? World Swine of Poker?

If you have never been to the World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas, here is a fact you might want to consider this year. People get sick. Long hours of playing poker, not sleeping, eating poorly, drinking more than normal, lots of late night distractions. Sleep, when you get it interrupted by housekeeping staffs and tournament schedules. Add to that the cards and chips that move from player to player at break neck speed and players who are sick, incubating or carriers and well...

"The Amazon Room at the World Series of Poker is the perfect storm for a swine flu outbreak."

On some level there is always the "poker room crud" or the "tournament wheezes" that break out at any big tournament series. Put that many players and staff together for that long a time and someone gets ill and passes it on. Transmission is just too easy at the poker table. Then suppress the normal immune systems of many players by running a six week long series in Las Vegas with all of its "other temptations" and well you see where I am going with this.

But generally speaking people disappear for a few days and hole up their rooms, ordering ginger ale from room service. This year could be different. They are canceling nearly all public events in Mexico to try and stave off the epidemic, pandemic spread of the Swine Flu.

Here's hoping.... blah, blah, blah.

I don't want to be an alarmist, but......

I just don't see Texas Dolly playing a final table wearing a paper mask.

A Rooting Interest

[Content Disclosure: 96% Poker; 17% Being a Fan; 15% The Book; 47% Life]

For the poker fans in the reading audience, I am going to be a lot more detailed, explanatory and even simplistic in this post because some of the readers of this blog are not hard core about our game, in fact, some of them can't tell a straight flush from a post oak bluff.

For the last six days I have been watching Mike Matusow play poker. This means standing at the rail (the rope that keeps the fans back) or grabbing a seat in the crowd when Mike was playing at the feature table or worming my way into back areas that my media badge did not exactly give me access to. Watching poker live means seeing only some of the hands, a few of the cards and less than a satisfying amount of the action and table talk. I assume everyone who comes anywhere near this blog knows that I am working on Mike's biography along with my Austin writing partner Amy Calistri. So you see my interest in what has played out the last two weeks.

To be fair "watching poker for the last six days" is actually a temporal anomaly. The Main Event of the World Series of Poker is playing over two weeks and for the uninitiated this is how it goes. There are four first days, the huge field (6,844 this year) is divided into four flights because there simply is not facility able to deal poker to more than about 2,000 players at a time. In fact, only the World Series has fields that go over 1,000; just consider the math of space, tables, dealers, chips, even playing cards and you have some idea of the scale of such an event. So I did see Mike play on his "day one" but there was really no need to watch him all the time or as it is called in the parlance: "sweating a player."

After the first flights the field was down to something under 3500 but still there were two Day Twos and as with the first day, I watched Mike on and off during the 12 hours of play each day and did some other work and yes, I went home to bed earlier than the players who begin play at noon and end around 1 AM. Finally, on Day Three all of the remaining players 1300+ players are all in one room playing at the same time. Still thirteen hundred players is a huge tournament, I got more time with Mike beginning on this day, I spent more time at this table getting updates and comments from him. Earlier in the tournament a single phone call or quick conversation before the following day's start was sufficient but now the details of the poker and Mike's mental and physical state are becoming more significant.

Beginning on Day Four (474 players), I was at the table all day every day with Mike. We took breaks together in the VIP players lounge and he would come over to the rail to discuss the other players at the table and his state of mind. By Day Five (189 players) the noise in the media was higher, Mike was still in. All of the name professionals, about 20, still in the field were getting a lot of notice. On Day Six, yesterday, with 79 players left in the field; the media attention was reaching a low roar. Again, for the non-poker readers, this is a special year at the World Series. The final table of nine players, that would in past years be played out later this week, has this year been moved to November. The reason, of course, is publicity. The World Series is attempting to break through into more of a mainstream "sports" interest to the general public and this November event is the current linchpin in that move. Everyone in the poker orbit was pulling for just one well known player to make the "November Nine". By late last night, Mike was the only surviving big name professional in the field.

Two really nasty bad beats (your opponent comes back from long odds to win the hand) ended Mike's run in 30th place. And while 30th out of 6,844 seems like one hell of a good run, even the non-sports drenched among us know what non-winning is all about. Of course, the pressure of the November media event was also a huge factor this year.

So for Mike and for me the 2008 World Series of Poker is over. A quorum of my poker buddies are in town this week, so I am going to hang out with them and actually play some poker and then I have a newly minted final chapter of a book to write. Amy and I will be back to the editing process in a few days and those who have been promised chapters to read will be sated soon.

115 degrees

[Content Disclosure: 24% Poker; 37% Life; 45% Change; 3% Smother Brothers reference]

Its warm in Las Vegas, hmmmm... No! Its damn hot in Las Vegas and I am moving residences. Not the best timing but survivable. Bill and Kathy are finally actually retiring, well at least Bill is; so their retirement home where I have been living the past 20 months will soon be full. I have signed a seven month lease on a furnished condo a bit closer to the Las Vegas Strip. The Canal Walk house where I have been living is about 10 miles from the south end of the Strip here in Henderson, I am in the process of moving a couple of miles closer. For those who know the greater Las Vegas area, I am now on Silverado Ranch Blvd., which is the I-15 exit at South Point casino.

Fortunately, other than clothes and books, I don't own a lot anymore, so I just fill up the car each day when I go over to the condo to meet: the rental agent or the cable guy or the refrigerator repairman (My Old Man's a Refrigerator Repairman Whaddaya Think About That?) or the Maytag Repairman or ... well you get the idea. So by the time all the electronic gizmos work, I should be moved in and have strategically avoided heat stroke.

It really was 115 today, only 112 yesterday, and maybe 116 for the 4th of July, but of course its a dry heat.

Tomorrow is also Day 1A of the World Series of Poker Main Event, for the non-poker readers the Main Event has four Day Ones to accommodate all the players. So I will be at the Rio each of the next four days to catch up with some of the poker professionals I have missed over the last five weeks. There are a couple of writing projects I am working on and I need to have a bit of face-to-face time with some of the poker players I want to join me in those ventures.

That's it, stay cool and for those in the Midwest, stay dry!

Plans, Times, Changes

[Content Disclosure: 23% Poker, 35% Schedule, 64% Pseudo Holiday Newsletter]

In the next two months, I will:

Go the the Rio Hotel an Casino for the World Series of Poker about 40 times.

Write more than 50 WSOP posts on pokerblog.com and half a dozen meanderings right here.

Move. My friends whose retirement home I have been living in the past 18 months are actually retiring, so it is time for me to relocate. For you locals, I am going for a condo on South Las Vegas Blvd. somewhere near the South Point Casino.

Cats! Once I move I will happily have cats residing with me again. My visits to the SPCA of late have involved a lot more inquiries about who wants to live with me. A couple of contenders have made application with fur and saliva samples.

Travel? Late Summer/early Fall extended trip to San Francisco is probably.

The Book: new fall deadline for the final manuscript. Autographed copies less than a year away.

....and it begins.

[Content Disclosure: 64% Poker, 19% Life, 4% other]

The World Series of Poker is about a week away and for the following seven weeks my life will once again be all about poker. Fortunately for me, this summer I have several gigs that I am looking forward to and not a single boss or 'higher up' with an agenda.

Already I have two of my informational blogs written well into July. I don't want to have the quality of my year round jobs diminish while I am at the Rio everyday covering the Series. So I have spent most of the last six weeks getting about 85 posts written and post-dated for the summer.

There is also the matter of the "book" and some long awaited announcement, which at this point continues to be long awaited.

From the infirmity desk, I had an appointment with a specialist last week and will report on his findings as soon as those are relevant. Not trying to be mysterious nor alarmist nor casual; although something in a nice gabardine with cuffs and light darts would be nice.

Most of my early WSOP coverage this summer will be found on PokerBlog. For the non-poker initiated readers, who have actually read this far; here is what the summer holds for work and play.

Poker and the Summer in Las Vegas

[Content Disclosure: 100% Poker; 17% Bitchin'; 13% Whinin'; 4% Commentary on the State of the Species]

As May rolls around and summer looms just around the corner, I paused to ponder just how cloudy and unclear one's future can be when contracts, attorneys, ill-trained managers cum poker players are allowed to run large businesses. I also note that a lot of this mindless paperwork comes from our every growing litigious society and because no one trusts anyone else to actually do what they said they would do, when they said they would do it for the compensation agreed upon. Then there is the ever present "that depends what the meaning of is is" mentality. Coupled with the recurring reminders that not every member of the human species is as evolved from our simpian cousins as we think we are. Reversion is an annoying trait and alpha males are the worst offenders.

OK, now that the mumbling lament is over, here is what summer 2007 in Las Vegas holds poker-wise.

The World Series, of course, dominates the poker scene each and every year. Seven weeks and fifty-five bracelet events will keep everyone on their toes and there will be several procedural and media screw-ups over the summer. The whole media covering the WSOP plans, rules and guidelines are still not fully in place less than four weeks before the first event; so expect disruption, complaints and confusion. All of which will be torturously played out in dozens of witty and whiney blogs.

The WSOP itself is still undergoing growing pains or perhaps better evolutionary emergence. The Harrah's/WSOP team are always looking better ways to present the Series. This means that they are always balancing the wants, needs and desires of the players and the often competing financial goals of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. Then, each year, they present their new and improved vision of the WSOP to 50,000 players over 7 weeks and inevitably they do not please all of the players all of the time.

With this year's Series being bigger in number of events, number of tables, number of total players, number of media credentials, etc. etc. There will be new problems and new successes and all of it will be reported, deported, inverted, rejected, inspected and detected ad nauseum. I will be joining the chorus at the Series in a yet unknown media capacity.

Prior to June 1st, the first official day of the 2007 WSOP, there are two Season Six WPT events here in Las Vegas. The Mirage Poker Showdown begins in a week, personally one of my least favorite poker tournaments but that is another story. Following Mirage is the Mandalay Bay Championship tournament, which overlaps the first two days of the Series.

Lots of poker coming up here, who knows exactly what cards will be in the air? There are more than 52, you know!

Summer Poker In Las Vegas

[Content Disclosure: 100% Poker; 17% Bitchin'; 13% Whinin'; 4% Commentary on the State of the Species]

As May rolls around and summer looms just around the corner, I paused to ponder just how cloudy and unclear one's future can be when contracts, attorneys, ill-trained managers cum poker players are allowed to run large businesses. I also note that a lot of this mindless paperwork comes from our every growing litigious society and because no one trusts anyone else to actually do what they said they would do, when they said they would do it for the compensation agreed upon. Then there is the ever present "that depends what the meaning of is is" mentality. Coupled with the recurring reminders that not every member of the human species is as evolved from our simpian cousins as we think we are. Reversion is an annoying trait and alpha males are the worst offenders.

OK, now that the mumbling lament is over, here is what summer 2007 in Las Vegas holds poker-wise.

The World Series, of course, dominates the poker scene each and every year. Seven weeks and fifty-five bracelet events will keep everyone on their toes and there will be several procedural and media screw-ups over the summer. The whole media covering the WSOP plans, rules and guidelines are still not fully in place less than four weeks before the first event; so expect disruption, complaints and confusion. All of which will be torturously played out in dozens of witty and whiney blogs.

Springtime in Las Vegas

[Content Disclosure: 110% Poker]

Well the spring poker season has started here in Las Vegas. The World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship has already begun preliminary events at the Bellagio. The $25,000 Main Event that will wrap up Season Five of the WPT will be held April 21st - April 27th.

Less than two weeks after WPT Season Five crowns its chamption, Season Six launches just a couple of doors north of Bellagio at The Mirage. May 7th - May 23rd will be the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown with its $10K Main Event May 19th - 23rd.

Even before the Mirage event is done, the second tournament of the 2007 WPT season will begin preliminary play at Mandalay Bay. May 21st - June 2nd are the dates for the Mandalay Bay Poker Championship with another $10K Main Event running May 29th - June 2nd.

But wait there's more:

The World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOP) comes to Caesar's Palace from April 22nd - May 2nd with a $5K Main Event scheduled for April 30th - May 2nd.

This, of course, does not take into account the scores of tournaments held every day in greater Las Vegas starting at $30 and going up to regularly scheduled $550 and $1050 weekly events.

Oh and then there is one more little event starting on June 1st at the Rio.

I am going to be covering many of these events in one capacity or another for a variety of media outlets. Stay tuned for that schedule and welcome to Springtime in Las Vegas, it was 90 and sunny today.