Mike Matusow

Four years ago we were waiting for Check Raising the Devil to roll of the presses and hit the bookstores. My good friend and writing partner Amy Calistri and I had finished a two-year project getting Mike "The Mouth" Matusow to tell us his story of poker, drugs, jail, strippers, psychiatrists and redemption. We had edited and re-edited Mike's words capturing we hoped his authentic voice to tell his life story.

The book was greeted with great reviews from the poker press but only one acknowledgement in the psychological literature, even though Check Raising the Devil remains one of the only honest depictions of a bi-polar and ADHD success story. One thing we did hear a lot was that we were too late. The poker boom was over or Mike's career was done.

Well the poker boom continues around the world and a few weeks ago Mike won the 2013 NBC National Heads-Up Championship and a cool $750,000. Way to go Mike. Pretty good for a guy who is over-the-hill.

Saturation Saturday: Green

Charia by Dale Chihuly

at Aria in Las Vegas

photo by Amy Calistri

Gaia is Green

treehugger.com

green snake

green eggs & ham

green aurora over Greenland

it ain't easy being green

Las Vegas Boyz Trip 2011

We had one of our Poker Boyz trips to Las Vegas last week. Mike, as always, provides great photos for us and seemingly doesn't mind the intermittent nagging - "Get a shot of my with the stripper!" He also wanders around early morning and late at night for shots like this one. We did stay at the MGM this trip.

If you don't show up for a Poker Boyz trip, you get your head put on a stick and rude sometimes evil photos are produced. Viewing of those more seedy and salacious snapshots is restricted to bona fide PB members and blackmail.

OK, maybe not completely restricted.

Poker was played. This is me making a final table at Binion's. Two-tiered seven-way chop for the poker players out there.

Matty with Chihuly art at City Center.

Me, also with Chihuly.

Amy at our annual visit to the Cat Condos at the LV-SPCA.

me with kittums at spca

Two Years

Two years ago today our book, Check Raising the Devil, was released. It has sold right around 25,000 copies since then and small royalty checks arrive every six months or so. I was talking with my writing partner, Amy Calistri, about this anniversary and what we learned from writing the book.

First we learned a lot about bipolar disorder, ADHD, meth use and conditions in the Clark County jail. I also got some really great poker lessons sweating Mike through numerous tournaments in Las Vegas.

We got ourselves a New York Literary agent and we are thankful to both Sheree and Janet for everything they did getting CRD to a publisher. Plus they have been most helpful on current projects - professional publishing advice is invaluable to new authors. We also learned a lot about how the publishing industry works and unfortunately in these times of economic stress, how it doesn't work as well.

Finally, we learned what a rare treat it is to work collaboratively. In the two years since CRD came out I have tried to work with other writing partners to no avail. Amy and I had a rare working relationship and yes, we are casting about for another project to do together.

For now I am head down focused on finishing my current novel, would that you will have the opportunity to read it in 2012.

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.

Annual Poker Boyz Excursion

For the next seven days I shall be participating in our annual Poker Boyz gathering in Las Vegas. Attendance this year is nearly complete (with the exception of Zippy who is not allowed to travel west of the great oil spill). Joel is on his way from Minnesota. Mike is already here in the Bay area, he and I will be driving over today. The Bill of the wild variety will be making a slightly late arrival in Henderson to join up with the Debonair one. Randy arrives from the land of pelicans and oranges and the leader of the leaderless pack, Amy is on her way from deep in the heart of.

Over the next seven days we will play some poker tournament or another; eat at some restaurant, buffet or local favorite spot; laugh a lot and repeat. A minority contingent will make a cat run to the SPCA before heading to yet another poker tournament. I am sure we will hit Binion's at least once, since most of us are staying at Monte Carlo that room will see some action, along with MGM, Aria, Venetian, M and even one or two other random poker dens approved by our local poker pro.

The World Series of Poker finishes it's summer run today, so we can thankfully skip the Rio but there is always a chance for a tournament and a steak at the Gold Coast. Hell we might even make it to the north end for a late night tournament at Sahara. We all take a piece of all the money winners and this time we actually hope to break even as a group, something we have not done in awhile.

For my non-poker readers, I have left some thoughts moldering in the cyber stew. I would not abandon you to a full week of silence. I am not the type of guy who has his fun and then doesn't call. Enjoy those post-dated ponderings but expect no live missives from Las Vegas, I have said all that Sin City stuff before.

For Your Alternate Reading Pleasure

I began the month with a picture dump, for symmetry I penultimately end with a link dump, with pictures of course!

I had the pleasure to attend the inaugural seating of the Oakland Secret Kitchen, now it appears Eva has a website, which can only tempt locals and make those far from the Bay drool over their separation from the super secret suppers. I will report as the months and morsels roll on.

Lots of the olde poker crew complain that Amy does not update her personal blog enough any more. While that may be partially true, the quality of her commentary remains outrageously spot on, currently she equates bookies and Goldman Sachs. For those who need a more regular fix, you can always check out her day job. 

Staying in my olde haunts, while deeply immersed in poker I always read Dr. Pauly's Tao of Poker; I now consider it a sinful pleasure. But mirroring my own turn from poker to a more complete, if dyspeptic, view of life; I read his Tao of Pauly with a more camaraderie than before. Pauly plays with more sharp objects than I do and I wear chain mail when I venture out, he is more likely to go commando.

Somewhere in that same universe, the one described as birthed from poker but no longer there; this is where you and I find Brad Willis (Otis to his poker buddies). I get pleasure from reading, not from all reading, but when I do locate that pleasure center, well like any addict I tend to go back there time and time again . . . hence my penchant for Brad's writing on his RapidEyeReality site.

Another olde friend has launched her own website or blog or educational resource or alternate view of life on this rock. Clearly something completely different but I am back where I spent the 90s and far, far from the world both of poker and from what is often referred to as ordinary reality. If you have a passion or an interest in words like indigenous, sustainable, ecological, contra and far-out in a different realm --- you might want to check out Tina's view on the world. 

And now for yet another something completely different. One of my olde college roommates has been playing in a band for over a decade and now they are, well, nearly mainstream or at least moderately profitable, which means they can afford new sheet music. If you are fortunate enough to live the greater Boston area. I can without reservation recommend a night with the Party of 9. Check here for a sample of their faire.

And finally, I don't know him but I was sent a handful of his Hawaiian surf photos and just had to pass them on. You know I have a thing for web art that acts like a cyber flashbulb. The artist is Clark Little, his website is full of incredible images from the island surf. Below just one example.

A Pain in Time

"There is no magic immunity from pain. Mostly there is just blissful ignorance." --Amy Calistri

I am a bit consumed by pain today. Partly because I moved one too many boxes of books yesterday and am now paying the somatic price. But also because of several oft delayed and disparate ruminations of the topic of pain.

Amy made the point the other day in her piece on recent events in Austin. Humans tend to think that "it" simply cannot happen to them. Whether the it be financial, familial, psychological or other. We do have some unreflected set point that points to bad events happening to others and not to us. But, of course, every thing good or bad does indeed happen to someone and one of these times around the existential track the us will be us. Pain can motivate or demotivate people to do all sorts of things that one would not ascribe to them. Which is why the neighbors always look right into the camera and say: "He was always so friendly, I can't believe he could have done what they are saying he did."

Pain is a bitch of a motivator and psychological pain with no bleeding or bruising can be the worse. Not that physical pain is not the cause of many a out of character moment, we hope others will overlook or forget. I remember being enraged watching a news program on medical marijuana some years ago and hearing some smug 30-something congresswoman say: "Well, we can talk about this for the terminally ill, but I hear people wanting us to make pot available for arthritis, that is ridiculous." Clearly the words of someone who had never experienced pain. At the time I was supplying grass to a woman who had knuckles the size of walnuts and six inches of her spine supported with steel pins, all as a result of rheumatoid arthritis. But heaven forbid, we allowed her to seek relief from her pain in some natural substance. How could such legislation be justified? What is this to be, a nation where the health and welfare of each human is considered paramount? But, of course, should relief of pain also bring happiness, relaxation or euphoria; well that would be wrong. Sorry, no 420 rant intended.

Too many politicians only come around to enlightened positions when they or someone close to them falls victim to some painful, degenerative disease. Then they become wise and profound. Remember Lee Atwater, he saw the light and changed his position but only after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

And then there are the physicians who mouth platitudes about pain management but have never experienced pain; so they prescribe tylenol when morphine is what is needed. Pain management has been the rage for over 30 years in the medical profession but I heard yet another NPR show the other day, where the same criticism was made about doctors who don't get it yet. Whack those ignorant bastards across the shins with a tire iron and see if they don't run for the oxycodone.

Take a look at this picture, which was labeled "Back Pain".

Trust me, as someone who has had back pain for five decades, this is not a depiction of someone with back pain. This is someone with a sore back. Because if you are experiencing back pain you can't get your arms around behind you to massage it away. You are lucky if you can stand up in less than five minutes and you keep a loose pair of loafers around to eliminate the impossible task of tying your shoes.

And I haven't even ventured into the realm of psychological pain, which for now will be another post for another time. Because I am going to take another pill and crawl back between two heating pads and a cat.

Movie Review: Avatar

There are simply some movies that should be seen on a big screen. Then there are a few films that must be seen on IMAX. I mean is there a single Woody Allen movie that doesn't play just fine at 31 inches diagonally? But Avatar is at the other end of the spectrum, so the consensus review from down here in Austin is:

-we are glad we saw it;

-very happy we stood in the sold out line at the IMAX;

-agree that the special effects and cgi were at the current limits of movie-making production;

-story? Oh right. Redemption plot #6, good vs. evil version #4, and man versus nature #2;

-it would have made a much better two hour movie;

Then there is the matter of direct rip-offs of other movies:

-Alien, of course; but didn't Sigourney look good in blue-green!

-Dances With Wolves; only the really anthropologically corny parts.

-The Mission; the entire story is there and told with a much less heavy hand;

-32 animated dragon fantasy films, none of us have seen.

-Gorillas in the Mist or did you miss the shots of her with the little blue kids.

-Lord of the Rings, if only for how to put tens of thousands too many bullets, arrows, spears and explosions in an otherwise entertaining movie.

-Emerald Forest, well because they did it first.

The floating mountains reminded me of several Yes albums and the glowing forests, that's what windowpane is for.

Here's hoping James Cameron sticks to one movie every decade, in the meantime he can learn the meaning of the word - edit. However, and this is a big however, I am sure the concept of 3-D films in the future will owe a lot of thanks to what Cameron did with Avatar.

Doldrums

dol-drums [dohl-druh-mz]

-noun (used with a plural verb)

1. a state of inactivity or stagnation, as in business or art.

2. the doldrums,

a. a belt of calms and light baffling winds north of the equator between the northern and southern trade winds in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

b. the weather prevailing in this area.

3. a dull, listless, depressed mood; low spirits.

I can't actually say that I am in the doldrums, but I am feeling a bit becalmed. After months of travel and interaction with many people and many germ carrying poker chips, toll tickets, books, menus and the other paraphernalia of life; I have finally caught a small cold. Nothing serious and several rainy days in Austin have allowed me to take to a swaddled state supplemented with over-the-counter poultices and unguents.

I have also made two hospital visits to an old and dear friend, who had surgery this week. She of thirty-five years friendship with too long gaps in the last decade or so. Some of my feelings of becalming clearly have arisen from this reconnection.

Additionally, the final leg or legs of my circumnavigation are not falling into place as has the previous five or so months of my travels, so I guess I am just a half-a-bubble off these days. But this too shall pass.

Amy and I are taking advantage of some face-to-face time to tussle with the intricacies of the Matusow screenplay. Tis always good to share a large sectional with Amy and send email attachments back and forth with comma splices and tense corrections. Seems like olde times.

Planning on an IMAX experience this weekend (Avatar, of course) followed by some original Salt Lick Barbeque.

Next week, heading on down the western biways.

Check Critiquing the Devil

I have been a published book author for six months today. Recently I have begun to sense a theme in the negative aspects of our reviews. Now I must say that the majority of the reviews for Check Raising the Devil have been positive, at times glowingly positive. What has interested me is that what negative comments we have received all seem to focus on one critical decision we made the first day we met with Mike to see if we all could, would or should collaborate on the project.

We decided as a group (Mike, his manager, Amy and me) that the book would be written in the first person. I was the lone dissenter but gave in to the overwhelming desires of the others to have the book be completely in Mike's voice. In the last few months I have gotten my wish while writing the screenplay; movies are third person vehicles and I have gotten to write and say the things that did not make it into the book.

But back to the criticism, rather than summarize; I will give you the essence of the critique from the most articulate expression we have found. This is from the Journal of Gambling Issues.

Being written by Matusow and his co-authors, Amy Calistri and Tim Lavalli, the books's first-person narrative is riddled with colloquialisms and crude language. Based on my familiarity with Matusow's conversational style from radio shows, sound clips, and television appearances, the prose captures his voice well. Although it is authentic, it is also distracting at times; it seems that the book compromises good writing for the genuine portrayal of Matusow's propensity to insert curse works unnecessarily into every other sentence.

Guilty! But as this reviewer points out, it was an artistic decision and one that we agreed to live with. By the way, Mike does not unnecessarily insert anything into his conversation, he simply speaks, as do we all. In retrospect, do I regret not winning the first-person argument back on day one? No, I do not. Our format did indeed tell Mike's story in his own voice. We struggled to find that voice and to stay in that voice for the entire book. A few internet babble-heads have actually questioned why Mike needed co-authors, when clearly we just "wrote down what he said." We would like to thank those cyber wonks for probably the best compliments Amy and I have received on the book. If the reader doesn't notice our input, then we did our job to perfection.

Well I feel better now. I think I will go read the NYTimes Sunday Book Review and find that one caustic, withering piece they always have each week. I do love blood mixed with newsprint.

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photo credit: TribuneNewsPhotos

Link Dumpling

Time to divest another glop of internet sites, articles and assorted detritus, flotsam, jetsam and other internet stuff. Use caution when using the links below, they have been proven to eat up gobs of time and will cause you to indiscriminately forward all kinds of info-knowledge of questionable use to the recipient.

First, I promised some friends last weekend that I would supply this first link. They were discussing the "renaissance" that is taking place in Detroit. OK, some were and others were mostly engaged in ridicule of this the 97th revitalization of Detroit in the last 46 years. My only comment was and will remain: "It's Detroit!" Here is the link I mentioned: Job Gain/Job Loss

Next my good friend and co-author Amy Calistri has suddenly revitalized her blog with content that is more and more not poker and more of the actual world everyone else lives in. Sometimes you lead by example, other times you just keep whining the same old refrain.

The good Dr. Pauly has once again shocked the poker community by demonstrating his grasp of things well beyond the world of flushes and straights. The truly insightful post from the good doctor on Paul Cezanne, the world's first tournament reporter.

I was hiking during the entire bubble boy incident last week, so when I eventually heard of it I assumed it was a remake of the John Travolta movie. Then I was gone for the weekend, so I missed the anti-balloon boy daddy "news" and internet furor. When all is said and done, I don't really care but my opinion on the entire non-incident was soundly captured by Otis writing on this blog Rapid Eye Reality. Although I was absent, it still is not my fault, how about you?

If you think you are a nerd, or perhaps you feel your increased computer time is beginning to sap your humanity and replace it with nanotechnology or at least plot lines from old episodes of Star Trek (the original version not the Next Generation or Voyager but maybe Enterprise but... oh shit, I've been infected!)

Sorry. My point up there was that about once I week I go and read Wil Wheaton's blog, if for no other reason than to demonstrate to myself that I am still human and not actually linked to this laptop by cyber-filamention or mind meld. Wil's writing reminds me that there are actually interesting humans who speak about technology and the techno-nerd sub-culture in ways that leave me completely baffled and greatly relieved.

Finally, my culturally subversive video of the week and one that every one should see but particularly young women between the ages of 3 and 83. Watch to the end, it gets even more creepy at the very last.

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graphic credit: archive

Motivation

[Content Disclosure: 50% Poker, 50% Life, 25% Yikes!]

My brother called it "having a goal".

Someone else referred to it as a "deadline".

Amy, my writing partner simply said:
"Oh Crap! They really expect us to finish this book?"

In any case, now on Amazon.com:

Mike Matusow: Check-Raising the Devil (Hardcover)

by Mike Matusow (Author), Amy Calistri (Author), Dr Tim Lavalli (Author)

List Price: $24.95 Price: $16.47 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details You Save: $8.48 (34%) Special Offers Available Pre-order Price Guarantee. Learn more.

This title has not yet been released. You may pre-order it now and we will deliver it to you when it arrives.

LINK to active Amazon page: There is actually very nice "Product Description" and an "About the Authors" taken directly from the book proposal we wrote last year.

Gobble

[Content Disclosure: 12% Poker Related; 44% Holiday Wishes; 35% Travel; 23% Good News]

Happy Turkey Day to everyone who celebrates such and Happy Day to everyone else. I am in San Francisco this week and heading up to Matthew's in Sonoma for today's gathering. Tomorrow we will do it all over again in the City at Mira's. I am spending the full week here and heading back to 'Pokerland in the Desert' on Monday.

Amy and I have worked out the latest legal issues with our current project and expect to have good news or better to announce before the end of the year. In the meantime, work continues apace on the book project.

Hope all is well in your world, if not, consider a different world; possibilities abound past, present and future.

Change of Ships

[Content Disclosure: 37% Poker, 43% Life, 3% Innuendo]

This is both a poker and a career update.

First, I am now working for CardPlayer Online and CardPlayer Magazine for the remainder of the 2007 World Series of Poker. I will be working on the Pro Blogs on CardPlayer.com, which is an assignment that combines my writing strengths and my relationship with many of the professional players. A good fit for me and I hope for CardPlayer.

This means I am no longer working for PokerNews either on the WSOP or on my regular Poker Shrink articles. Leave it to say that the PokerNews editor and I had some "creative differences" which we (you and I) will explore later in this space.

I continue as the chief writer for PokerBlog.com.

And! I am working with my favorite co-writer, Amy Calistri, on two books we are writing with Mike Matusow. Lots more on this later too.

Blogger Tag

[Content Disclosure: Poker 23%; Blogging 34%; Me 42%; Jane Fonda 1%]

Well my lack of posting here didn’t go unpunished as Amy tagged me for the 7 Things About Me Blog Chain. I figured I’d better get on it or there would be no one left to tag. This is truly a pyramid about to collapse. I’ve already have 93 things about me but I have only shared those privately. So I have selected 7 exemplars for now and promise to get the full list up to one hundred and perhaps even post it here. No really I will....

11. I was Jane Fonda’s bodyguard for a day

20. I volunteer at the SPCA in the cat wing.

24. I feel the most important feature of a car is head room.

38. The last presidential speech I heard was Richard Nixon’s resignation.

39. I don’t believe in the Cartesian mind/body split.

47. When anyone says their family is dysfunctional, I ask if they have ever seen The Osbournes.

73. I am fascinated by images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Now who can I tag?

Blog Roll on the Right

All six of my readers will notice that I have added to my blog roll over there on the right. No I am not done but I have been remise in not acknowledging some of the other bloggers I read on a regular basis.

I really haven't been sure just how long I would be at this particular endeavour; either this blog or poker writing in general (for more details on that see my last post below) but it is time to do this blog in the great tradition for all the blog foremothers and forefathers. So in addition to attending to my personal blog role, I will get to at least 50 of the 100 "Things About Me" soon.

On another note, I have been branching out a bit with my writing and I must say in some very, very good company. Check out the latest edition of Dr. Pauly's Truckin' where I debut along with Wil Wheaton, Joe Speaker, Change100, Dan Keston and, of course, the good Dr. Pauly himself. I promise not a single mention of poker in my story.

LA Poker Classic

Welcome to LA and the Los Angeles Poker Classic at the Commerce Casino.

I am here with the crack PokerNews.com tournament reporting team: Change100, Amy Calistri, Dr. Pauly, Justin Shronk, John Caldwell and Tiffany Michele. You can follow the tournament blog and video and the hand analysis tool. Today is Day One with 790 entrants. This is a six day event with a final table taping next Thursday March 1st. You can dial us up at PokerNews Live Tournament Reporting.

Two Million WSOP Chips

Back in September Amy Calistri and I wrote a series of articles on PokerNews.com about the 2+ million chip count error in the main event of the 2006 World Series of Poker. Today we have updated our findings based on players interviews, discussions with Harrah's/WSOP personnel and conversations with investigators of the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Our latest article can be found HERE.