Welcome to the gambling ramblings of Pauly... a writer, traveler, and degenerate from NYC

 
I'm Playing This Week in Saturdays with Dr. Pauly!

By Pauly
New York City

After a two week hiatus, I will be able to play in Saturdays with Dr. Pauly. Two weekends ago I got together with some friends to watch the Kentucky Derby. Last weekend, I was flying somewhere over middle America when the tournament kicked off. But this week... I'll be able to play. Thanks to Change100 for being a special guest host over the last two weeks.

Anyway, the tournament is open to everyone. If you have problems finding the tournament, you can always do a player search for DrPauly. Otherwise look in the Tourney tab, and then the Private tab.


The championship is currently in Scotland after Resident Evil won last weekend. Will the Last King of Scotland defend his title to become the first back-to-back winner? Or will the title return to America? Tune out at 16:20 ET to find out... that's 4:20pm ET for all you potheads out there.

Former champions include.... Grouse14, The Rooster, Buddy Dank, DrPauly, StB, Bikom, Family Ice, Bettercheck4, 23skidoo, USC55ND24, I_CrackQuads, Bayne, Grouse14, MrMojo, and Resident Evil. Will you be next?


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/16/2008 12:45:00 PM |

 
White Light, White Heat

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

I have a Velvet Underground lyric stuck in my head. White light goin' messin' up my mind is something that has been playing on a loop on and off for the last twelve hours.

Sometimes I cannot explain my own actions. Example... I was in the middle of a horrendous session last night playing 1/2 NL and 2/4 NL. The planets aligned perfectly which meant that I automatically became a magnet for bad beats. Big Slick succumbed to weak aces on two different instances when my opponents caught their three outers and paired their kickers.

I was adrift in a storm of nasty beats and I quickly lost my vision. Every couple of minutes I screamed obscenities at my laptop because the onslaught was relentless.

I sucked up the beats and reloaded. More bullets were necessary to get the bullets back that I had lost. I can withstand a bad beat, even two or three in any given session. I shake them off and focus on the next hand. But once that fourth and fifth beat sinks in, it's tough to shake it off. The white heat lingers and a burning sensation rockets through my entire body.

The white heat?

Tilt.

White light goin' messin' up my brain. White light driving me insane.

I never should have made the third rebuy. Instead, I should have logged off my computer and smoked myself silly until I felt the tickle return to my toes.

Alas, I didn't listen to my gut. I'm stubborn sometimes and I was on slight-tilt. You would think that I would always have control of my actions, but there are times when I lose complete control due to temporary insanity. Slight-tilt eventually leads to mega-tilt but that's difficult to see when you don't have perspective on things. It's far easier for me to critique my play twelve hours after the fact than in the heat of the moment.

I continued to play through the maelstrom of beats despite my sloppy play. I won a couple of pots. Finally won a coin flip and thought that I was back on track until I lost a big hand with Queens and my opponent couldn't lay down unsuited Big Slick on an uncoordinated board despite two pot-sized bets from your hero on both the flop and the turn. We got in all in on the turn and when that King spiked on the river... I lost all semblance of cool. My sanity slipped out the back door and ran down the alley past the homeless guy making a ruckus digging through the dumpster for cans.

I found myself at a dead end of emotions. I was convinced that I could get unstuck or at the least, win back half of my losses. But I also knew that my decisions-making abilities were less than optimal. If I continued, I was exposing more of my bankroll and could easily be down a couple of more buy-ins within the hour.

I knew that the only way out was to say goodbye, retreat, and return to fight another day.

I'm still amazed that I can play solid poker for several weeks straight and then surreptitiously play like complete fool. At this stage in my poker life, those outbursts happen less and less frequently... but they still happen. Someday, I'll plug that leak. For now, I threw on a few pieces of duct tape and hope that will hold.


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/15/2008 11:10:00 AM |

 
Will the Game Show Network Cancel High Stakes Poker and the World Poker Tour?

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

Out of all the different poker programs out there, I always thought that High Stakes Poker stood out as the best of the bunch. If you're a fan, soak it up while you can. It might not be around anymore.

Pokerati has become the Drudge Report of poker recently. They were the first to break the story... High Stakes Poker Canceled?

Yes, it appears that the future of HSP on GSN is bleak. Pokerati contacted AJ Benza, co-host of HSP, about the rumor. He said, "Far as Gabe and I know... the show isnt coming back. Apparently... the network is going to go in a different direction... If you ask me... they're treating us like shit. All we ever did was make them a bunch of money."

You have to wonder if the future of the World Poker Tour is tied in with a big decision that the suits at the Game Show Network have to make in a few weeks, specifically, if they will renew the WPT.

Of course, Oliver Tse was on the ball and added an interesting comment over at Pokerati...

HSP *** WAS *** GSN's #1 show until WPT managed to draw over TWICE as many viewers compared to HSP, on the same day of the week in the same time slot (Mondays at 9pm Eastern/Pacific).

Once WPT posted its ratings numbers (which were good enough for WPT to collect the first tier of ratings bonus, but is certainly not good enough for WPT to continue to sell itself as a "sport" due to the older audience skew), I suspected immediately that HSP would NOT be renewed.

The big question: will GSN renew WPT by the June 1, 2008 deadline?

The old President/CEO who was in charge of GSN when GSN signed WPT, Rich Cronin, “resigned” in July 2007. (I suspected that Cronin was ousted.)

Liberty Media, which owns 50% of GSN, installed one of its men, David Goldhill, as the new President/CEO of GSN in August 2007.

Mr. Goldhill was brought in by Liberty Media to "fix" GSN, which has developed a major demographics problem under Mr. Cronin's watch. GSN's median prime time viewer was a lady in her mid-to-high-50's who plays bingo at church on weekends.

Given that GSN paid WPTE at least 3 times as much money per hour ($150,000 per hour, excluding the ratings bonus) for the WPT as GSN had paid for every other program in its history, GSN obviously wanted results, i.e. a predominately young, male audience.

However, WPT has lost a lot of momentum from its heydays in 2004 and 2005.

Even though WPT's audience is younger than the typical audience of GSN during prime time, the WPT on GSN audience is NOT young enough to attract advertisers that normally sponsors "sports" TV programming (beer, soft drinks/energy drinks, mobile telephone services, sports cars and pickup trucks, etc.)

Even one particular play-for-free online poker room, PokerStars.net, cut its player sponsorship program at WPT TV final tables immediately after the first week's TV ratings became available.

The next 3 weeks will be interesting, as WPTE now has to convince Mr. Goldhill to continue to pay WPTE a rights fee for WPT on GSN. The "sales job" is never easy.

OK, so the question I have is this... who will pick up High Stakes Poker?

And my second question is this... who will pick up the WPT if GSN doesn't renew?

Fox Sports? ESPN? Versus? The Oxygen Network? ESPN8?


There's an idea. The Ocho can be the new home of wayward poker shows.


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/14/2008 01:41:00 AM |

 
16/1?

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

I got a hearty laugh out of this... 2008 WSOP Prop bets. I was listed at 16/1 in a last longer among several amazing online pros with blogs.

My response?

Dear BoDog Oddsmakers,

Whatever you were smoking when you set the odds, please send me a pound. I promise to share with Shaniac.

Cheers,
Pauly

I guess that means I should play in the Main Event?

Update: It appears that PokerNews decided that the BoDog line was fodder for their "blue box" news flash. Maybe Tony G will back me this year?



Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/13/2008 11:09:00 AM |

 
WSOP Final Table Delay: What's the Buzz?

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

It's been almost two weeks since Harrah's announced that the final table of the WSOP Main Event would be postponed until November. I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and write up my thoughts. I will be doing that shortly. Stay tuned for my piece!

In the meantime, I wanna get you up to speed by reading several blogs, articles, and columns from friends, colleagues, and other poker insiders about the WSOP Final Table Delay.

Here's just some of the coverage...

Delayed Gratification Good for the Game by Steve Rosenbloom (ESPN.com)

The Way We Were: Computers and Final Tables by Amy Calistri (Aimlessly Chasing Amy)

The WSOP Main Event: Birth, Build Up, Boom . . . Bastardized? by Short-stacked Shamus (Hard Boiled Poker)

Television & Poker; or, the Search for a Happy Medium by Short-stacked Shamus (Hard Boiled Poker)

A Comprehensive Look at the WSOP Final Table Delay – Part One by BJ Nemeth (Poker News)

A Comprehensive Look at the WSOP Final Table Delay – Part Two by BJ Nemeth (Poker News)

The WSOP Final Table Delay is a Good Thing by Luckbox (Up for Poker)

The WSOP Final Table Delay is a Bad Thing by Otis (Up for Poker)

The WSOP and the Ratings Sweeps Final Table by Haley (Haley's Poker Blaugh)

Does This Mean I Can Leave Work Early? by Mean Gene (Gene Bromberg: More Than a Poker Blog)

Worst. Idea. Ever. by Scurvy Dog (Sound of a Suckout)

What Should Harrah's Do? by Scurvy Dog (Sound of a Suckout)

More Cheat Fallout From Harrah's Announcement to Delay 2008 WSOP Final Table! by Richard Marcus (American Roulette: Poker Cheating and Casino Cheating Blog)

Worth the Wait? Delaying the WSOP Final Table - Part I by Michael Craig (Full Tilt Poker Blog)

Worth the Wait? Delaying the WSOP Final Table - Part II by Michael Craig (Full Tilt Poker Blog)

WSOP Final Table - The Debate Rages by Oliver Chubb (BiggerDeal.com)

Hypothetically what if ESPN cut WSOP coverage back to pre-2003 levels? (2+2 thread)

That's just some of the buzz. Stay tuned for my half-baked thoughts and comments. But for now, I'd like to hear what do you think?


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/12/2008 11:30:00 AM |

 
The Last King of Scotland; Resident Evil Wins Saturdays with Dr. Pauly

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

The Saturdays with Dr. Pauly title currently sits somewhere in Scotland after ResidentEvil took down the latest installment.

For the second week in a row (and only the fourth time in 15 weeks) I had to miss my own tournament. I was on an airplane somewhere over middle America when the tournament began.

When I set this series up, I anticipated that I would miss about 20-25% of the tournaments due to travel, work, or some other social engagements. That's the only downside but the coolest thing is that these tournaments still run even if I am not there.


And yes, it has become very clear to me that I usually finish higher when I sit out and post & fold. I mean... I ended up making the final table this week! I eventually was finished off in 8th place. I outlasted both my brother and special guest host Change100.

Anyway, 19 runners showed up this week and the top 3 were paid. This week's special guest was Bad Blood!

Boscodon was Gigli and went out first. Change100 bubbled off the final table and Rock23 was the Bubble Boy when he was eliminated in 4th place.

Week 15 Money Winners:
1. ResidentEvil - $95
2. Alexe55 - $5O
3. LOk1 - $38

Congrats to the money winners and especially to Resident Evil who won Saturdays with Dr. Pauly. Thanks to everyone who played and pimped the event.

I will be back to play next Saturday. See you there,


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/11/2008 02:00:00 PM |

 
Truckin' - May 2008, Vol. 7, Issue 5

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

Your favorite literary blogzine returns with issue #72. This month includes a special Iraq story from Dr. Chako.

1. Sundays by Paul McGuire
I held four crappy jobs and had to work on Sundays at an art museum. Most of the time, I got baked in the parking lot and just stood around making sure the post-church and post-brunch crowd kept their grubby mitts off the paintings... More

2. Prison Justice by Dr. Chako
Hateem's crime must have been grave. They broke his ankles and elbows, of course. What happened next is beyond human understanding. At least five executioners must be involved. After the arms and legs, you'd think Hateem's spirit would be broken, but you'd be wrong. They must be swift. From the time the gag comes out, the screaming must be intolerable... More

3. Egotistical: Three Examples by Sean Lovelace
The radio was playing angry girl bands. I love and have always loved angry girl bands. They have what I call fuck you. Also I was waiting on a girl. A cute bra-less girl who would soon leap off a balcony... More

4. High School Reunion by Johnny Hughes
He kept asking me if I remembered people which I didn't, but he told me all about them anyway. No one would ever forget Bobby, especially me. Now the most mellow guy in West Texas had a license to carry a hand gun... More

5. Ode to.... by Dusty Rhodes
Death is natural. We will all die and we will all have friends and family that die. It is a hard thing to deal with but it has to be done. People cry, people act strong, people try to empathize but can't truly understand what it is that you are going through. Our experiences are all different but I can't imagine anyone who likes dealing with these things... More

Tell your friends about your favorite stories. The writer's write for free and appreciate the support. Thanks again for wasting your time with Truckin'.


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/10/2008 10:43:00 PM |

 
Derek's Fourth and SwDP Reminder

By Pauly
New York City

First of all... congrats to my brother for celebrating his fourth blog birthday today. Stop by Poker in the Weeds and show Derek some love...

* * * * *
OK, I actually have some bad news... for the second week in a row, I will not be able to play in Saturdays with Dr. Pauly. I'm going to be flying from New York to Burbank, CA tomorrow during the tournament.

But there's good news... Change100 will once again be the special guest host for Saturdays with Dr. Pauly.

Maybe I should change the name of the tournament to Saturdays with Change100? Maybe some of you are too young for the following reference... but it was like when Joan Rivers used to be the guest host for Johnny Carson when he went on vacations.

Anyway, despite my absence in consecutive weeks, the show must go on! Everyone is invited to play in my weekly PLO tournament.


Previous champions include... Grouse14, The Rooster, Buddy Dank, DrPauly, StB, Bikom, Family Ice, Bettercheck4, 23skidoo, USC55ND24, I_CrackQuads, Bayne, Grouse14, and MrMojo. Who will be the next winner?


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/09/2008 10:30:00 AM |

 
WSOP Freerolls & Sundays with PokerStars

By Pauly
New York City

At the time of publication, PokerStars is currently sending 945 players to the 2008 WSOP. There are still seats available, so if you don't have a PokerStars account, you can download PokerStars software here.


PokerStars has been running their Million Dollar Giveaway. If you haven't been playing in their weekly freerolls, then what are you waiting for? I don't have a hard-on to play in the WSOP, but how can I pass up a chance at a free seat? Freerolls are not an easy path, but it's free to enter and you're eligible for one per week.

The best I have done since the WSOP freerolls started was 225th place (out of 3673 runners) the other night. I got as high as 99th place in chips with 1800 players left. I went out when my 7-7 lost to A-K and A-6s in a three-way pot.

There are WSOP freerolls on PokerStars every hour (at 5 past the hour) and the top 50 in each freeroll wins a seat to the Weekly Finals. PokerStars gives away seven free seats every Saturday during their Weekly Finals. This promotion is running through June 27th.

* * * * *
Since this is a PokerStars shill post, I might as well metion the email that I got the other day about PokerStars hosting "the biggest games online every Sunday." The $100K is the most popular and sells out every week while the Sunday Million is "the world's biggest weekly guaranteed tournament."

Here's a comprehensive list of PokerStars Sunday tournaments:

Sunday Warm-Up - $500K Guaranteed
Start time: 12:45 ET (18:45 CET)
Buy-in: $200 + $15
Satellites from $3 or 400 FPPs

Sunday Hundred Grand - $100K Guaranteed
Start time: 15:30 ET (21:30 CET)
Buy-in: $10 + $1
Satellites from $1.10 or 70 FPPs

Sunday Million - $1 Million Guaranteed
Start time: 16:30 ET (22:30 CET)
Buy-in: $200 + $15
Satellites from $2.20 or 500 FPPs

Also...

$109 Re-buy Tournaments
- Wide range of guarantees with tourneys taking place at 01:00, 13:00, 19:00 and 23:30 ET

$11 Re-buy Tournaments
- $11 + R taking place at 16:15 ET ($45K guaranteed) and 22:00 ET ($55K guaranteed)

Sunday Second Chance - $200K Guaranteed
Start time: 18:30 ET (00:30 CET)
Buy-in: $200 + $15

$5,200 Freezeout (Winner takes all!)
Start time: 14:30 ET (20:30 CET)
Buy-in: $5,000 + $200

WSOP $650 Satellite - 25 Main Event Packages Guaranteed
Start time: 18:00 ET (00:00 CET)
Buy-in: $615 + $35
Satellites from $3

$215 Weekly HORSE - $25K Guaranteed
Start time: 19:45 ET (01:45 CET)
Buy-in: $200 + $15

And don't forget about Saturdays with Dr. Pauly every Saturday on PokerStars!


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/08/2008 12:07:00 PM |

 
Top 10 April Referrals and Coventry

By Pauly
New York City

Thanks to everyone who sent me traffic last month, especially...

Top 10 Tao of Poker Referrals for April 2008...
1. Tao of Pauly
2. Wicked Chops Poker
3. LasVegasVegas
4. Shaniac
5. Up for Poker
6. Guinness and Poker/Politics
7. Aaron Gleeman
8. Pot Committed
9. Nat Armen
10. AlCantHang

* * * * *

By the way... Coventry's traffic has been through the roof since last Monday. We had a record day yesterday on my music blog and we're on pace today to smash that number. I gotta give the Joker tons of credit for his coverage of Coachella and his current live coverage of Radiohead's US tour in Florida.

The rest of the gang (BTreotch, Irongirl, Change100, Strawberry Shortcake, et al) at the group blog are kicking ass and we surpassed my demanding expectations. Everyone helped turned the site around in less than six months. I never thought that I could launch a project that might become more popular than Tao of Poker... and here we are on the cusp of a major breakthrough. Congrats to everyone on a job well done.

Make sure you bookmark Coventry. Or you can add Coventry to your bloglines folder. And definitely tell your friends or if you wanna get into the pants of that hot girl at work, tell her about the site. She'll definitely give you a handjob after she gets all worked up after listening to one of BTreotch's mixes.


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/07/2008 11:05:00 AM |

 
Doyle Brunson Told Me You Were a Fuckin' Asshole

By Pauly
New York City

Mad from PokerStars asked me to post this hilarious video weeks ago and I forgot because I'm a pothead. Danny Boy vs. SickTilt in Monte Carlo.



Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/06/2008 04:52:00 PM |

 
Big City Prop Bets; Trannies, Taxi Cab Racing, the Kentucky Derby, and the $447 Sumo Burger

By Pauly
New York City

2am. Dive bar. New York City. Four degenerate gamblers were drinking pints of Yuengling.

"Dude, those chicks were guys," said The Rooster.

Moments earlier, two women were sitting at the end of the dimly lit bar. The Rooster offered to buy the two a cocktail. They quickly turned him down. Upon his return to our group, we gave him a hard time. The Rooster mentioned that they were transvestites. Iggy didn't believe him and said that The Rooster came up with that excuse since his mojo wasn't working that night.

"You wanna bet?" said The Rooster.

Iggy lived on a farm in Ohio and was not used to spending a lot of time in big cities. Iggy was skeptical to bet The Rooster since he wasn't 100% sure. It took some negotiating back and forth. Just when the two were ready to wager on whether or not the folks at the end of the bar were dudes or ladies, the two in question had left and were replaced when two new customers walked inside. At first glance, it appeared that a guy and a girl sat down on the empty stools. That's when things got interesting since it was extremely obvious that one of them was a transvestite.

"Look at that Adam's Apple," said GMoney. "It's the size of a softball."

Iggy paused for a second and then backed off his bet. His trannydar (aka transvestite radar... similar to gaydar, but a far more important skill for drunk guys to have so they don't end up making out with a chick who had a tree trunk swinging between their legs) was all mixed up. Iggy played enough poker to know if their was a thick fog of doubt, it was better to fold and come back to fight another day. The prop bet was called off.

For the record, the first two were chicks... and the second crew had one tranny. Iggy would have won.

That was the first of many potential prop bets and actual prop bets that we'd engage in over a four day span. Lots of action and plenty of money was exchanged hands. And we didn't even play one single hand of poker.

* * * * *
A couple of years ago, during one of the blogger trips to Vegas, both StB and GMoney were telling chicks that they played Chaka on the old TV series Land of the Lost (1974-76). It's been a running inside joke for a few years.

On Thursday morning, I was faced with a Hollywood prop bet. GMoney was convinced that Clint Howard (aka Ron Howard's brother) played Chaka. I had no idea who exactly played Chaka, but I knew it wasn't Clint Howard. The bet was on.

Luckily, Change100 was awake and near a laptop to look up Chaka on imdb.com. Sure enough, we discovered the real answer. Chaka was played by some guy named Philip Paley and not by Clint Howard. (Also... Thanks to Chilly and Mattazuma who saw my tweet and did some quick research.)

Easy money. FYI... Did you know that Bill Laimbeer (from the Detroit Pistons) played one of the Sleestaks on Land of the Lost? The next time you are at a bar, make that bet with some poor drunk. And then send me 10% of your winnings. I accept PokerStars transfers.

* * * * *
Arrival times are always fun to bet on. Airplane traffic, particularly at NYC airports, always gets backed up which means that it's rare that someone actually arrives on time. We knew ahead of time that StB's flight to Newark was delayed. But we didn't know how much. That's when I whipped out the notebook and started taking down times.

We bet on when he'd call upon his arrival at Newark Airport and we also bet on his official arrival at The Rooster's crib. StB got delayed so much that we had five different bets. Iggy and GMoney won twice each and I picked up one bet. Derek and The Rooster whiffed.

We showed up at Yankee Stadium early for their game against the Mariners. We decided to bowl a couple of games. We bet on high game and picked two money ball frames where whoever nailed a strike would win the pot. If someone didn't or tied, it rolled over to the next frame similar to a skins game in golf.

The lanes across from Yankee Stadium are older than me. The balls are rough pieces of crap. Management recycled old balls from the 1970s and plugged up old finger holes and drilled in new ones. The lanes are warped with tons of dead spots. At best, it was below average conditions, which didn't matter because we were all shitfaced after drinking for a good six hours up until that point. StB held the edge since he hailed from Milwaukee and admitted that he had his own bowling ball.

StB smoked everyone in the first game with 167. Iggy and myself both won the money ball bets. By the end of the first game, I found my groove and knew that I was going to make a run in the second game.

I started out hot in game two and never looked back. I won one of the three money balls. I also edged out StB in highest game and talked a little smack. Afterall, a known drug fiend and Obama-sympathizer beat a guy from the Midwest who had his own ball. Derek and Iggy chopped the last two money balls.

We went into the Yankees game and it was fuckin' freezing for early May. We weren't properly dressed, especially Iggy, who said that he picked up frostbite at one point.

The Rooster and I had a couple of bets on where the ball landed at the end of the inning. A couple of times he picked "on the mound" and I had the entire field. That was a gimmie. The Rooster also made a bet that the ball would get tossed into the stands at the end of the inning. Wang struck out a batter to end the inning and Jose Molina started walking towards the dugout with the ball. He didn't toss it to the mound and at the last second before he entered the dugout, he tossed it up to a fan in the front row. I lost that bet at the last possible moment.

If it wasn't so cold, we would have stayed longer and gotten into more hijinks. As is, we left after the fourth inning and watched the rest of the game across street at the bar. We were waiting for Bobby Bracelet who also had a delayed flight. I opened up my notebook and started booking action. Derek ended up winning that wager when he bet on a late arrival from Bobby.

* * * * *
We were drinking at a bar called Barcelona where The Rooster knew the hot bartender. He stuck around for a bit while the rest of us migrated uptown to a couple of dive bars on the West Side that Iggy preferred. We had six of us and most NYC cabs only take four people max. We had to split up the group into threes. Since Derek and I were the only New Yorkers, we had to head up each taxi ride. That's when we decided to race up to the bar on 73rd Street. The losing team had to buy drinks for the winners.

My team included StB and GMoney. Derek had Bobby Bracelet and Iggy. Right off the start, Derek shot an angle and ran south on Eighth Avenue towards 54th Street. I stood on 55th Street trying to hail a cab, which meant that Derek would essentially be in the better position to snag the first available cab that sped up the street or turned the corner. A black gypsy cab stopped and Derek got slowed up as he negotiated a fare uptown. That's when a yellow taxi magically appeared and stopped in front of us. As we all jumped in the back, the black gypsy cab passed us but got stopped at the red light on 55th Street. We were second in line behind the black gypsy cab. It was an old fashioned race. 18 blocks. Yellow taxi vs. the black gypsy cab. He had pole position on us, but we had Mohamed on our side.

I glanced up at the ID tag of our driver. His name was Mohamed.

"Mohamed, see that black gypsy cab? My brother and his friends are in it and we're racing. You have to drive like a maniac and beat them. Can you do that?"

"For $10 extra, I'll do it," said Mohamed.

I pulled out a $20 bill and handed it to him as the light changed to green. He snatched it out of my hands and hit the gas.

"Now, if you lose Mohamed," I joked. "I get the $20 back and you don't get a tip."

We caught the black gypsy cab by Columbus Circle and I rolled down the window and flipped them off. We blew past them by the time we whizzed by Lincoln Center. Our yellow taxi arrived at 72nd Street faster than them. I told Mohamed to pull over in between 72nd and 73rd Street on Amsterdam Avenue. That was my mistake which cost us the race and the bet. I thought Derek would have gotten out on the corner of 72nd and Broadway in front of Gray's Papaya. He was about to, but when he saw that we were stopped, he told his driver to pass us and they stopped in front of the bar.

Derek, Iggy, and Bobby Bracelet all had smug smirks on their faces when we walked up to the bar. Damn angle shooters. They won by a technicality and I paid for the drinks since I made the crucial error. Derek said that his driver was having a blast racing our cab and I told him that I was pissed at our driver for losing so I ratted him out to Dick Cheney who promised to throw his ass into Gitmo.

* * * * *
Six of us drank at P&G as we awaited for The Rooster to arrive. It was 12:30ish and we were convinced that he was on the prowl and wouldn't show up for a couple of hours. StB had no confidence in The Rooster and thought that we wouldn't see him at all. He picked "Not" in the pool.


We were shocked when The Rooster arrived with his cousin and a bevy of cute Columbia girls... at 12:33am. GMoney won the bet.

* * * * *
On Saturday afternoon, we were on the subway when we decided to bet on what shirt/garment that F Train would be wearing when he met up with us. Bobby picked first and said "Yellow soccer jersey." I picked a blue sweater. Derek picked "Gus Hansen shirt." The Rooster thought he'd be wearing a sportscoat, while StB went with a pastel colored t-shirt. Iggy had "the field" at 5/2. F Train showed up wearing a charcoal grey cashmere sweater. I picked a sweater... but the wrong color. Iggy won. Betting on whatkindofshirtftrainiswearing is so fuckin' rigged.

We drank heavily at a beer bar on Amsterdam Avenue called George Keeley's for the Kentucky Derby. The Rooster knew one of the bartenders (the same chick who worked the night before at Barcelona). I drank a Dead-inspired beer called Scarlet Fire as we juiced up before the Kentucky Derby began.

One of the horses was named Bob Black Jack and we had to bet on him. Three years ago, Iggy hosted a blogger tournament where we gave away a $1,500 WSOP seat. Bobby won it and after his victory, Derek bestowed him with the nickname Bobby Bracelet. It stuck. Since then we've hung out with Bobby a bunch of times when he had a bad run at the black jack tables. Derek tweaked the nickname and started calling him Bobby Blackjack. Several deviations of his original nickname have come forth but it seemed like fate that we were hanging out with Bobby Bracelet/Blackjack during the Kentucky Derby. Even BG sent me a text earlier in the day saying that he was going to bet $21 on Bob Black Jack. We all rushed to the OTB on 72nd Street. I put $10 on Bob Black Jack to win. At the time, he was a 27-1 long shot to win.

Bobby Bracelet had limited confidence in the horse that shared his moniker.

"He'll come out strong and lead the race for a bit then fizzle out," predicted Bobby Bracelet.

His assessment was dead on. Bob Black Jack had a lightning start out of the gate and led the first quarter mile of the race. He had Cowboy Cal on his ass, but they were out in head with split times of :23.30, :47.04, and 1:11.14.


We went apeshit in the bar. If Bob Black Jack won, we would have all cashed in a couple of grand combined.

The pack caught them on the back stretch. Bob Black Jack faded into the darkness of obscurity and finished in 16th place.

"At least our horse didn't die," mentioned Bobby Bracelet as we tore up our tickets.

All eyes were on Eight Belles, which came in second place. Eight Belles had to be put down after breaking both of its ankles and was euthanized on the track. The dark side of horse racing reared its ugly head and I lost another horse race.

* * * * *
The biggest prop bet was the one that didn't go off. It involved food and something called a Sumo Burger. I'm a big fan of Big Nick's on Broadway. They have some of the best burgers in NYC. We took the gang after the Kentucky Derby ended. That's when the debate over the Sumo Burger began.

I only tried the Sumo Burger once and I never finished it. I had confidence that Derek could do it and so did everyone else. They didn't want to bet against him which was smart. Food prop bets are my brother's wheelhouse. But then the focus shifted to StB.


I set the line at 16.5 minutes. The biggest single bet on the table was $100. Combined bets totaled $200.

"No way," protested StB. "Even Otis ate two tiny keno crayons for $400. This is a pound of beef!"

Just when the talk of the Sumo Burger prop bet was about to die out, Derek upped the stakes.

"I'll bet that you can't eat the Sumo Burger in five minutes for every dollar that I have in my pocket."

Derek emptied his pocket and pulled out a wad of twenties. He slowly counted the bills.

At the poker tables, when someone moves all in and confidently counts out their chips that's a very good indication that they got the nuts. Derek took a couple of seconds before he blurted out, "Four hundred and forty-five. Forty-six. Forty-seven."

Be pushed the pile of cash towards StB. $447. Five minutes. One Sumo Burger. A pound of beef. Could StB do it?

He sat in silence for several minutes as the peanut gallery let him have it. F Train whipped out his iPhone ready to capture it.

"Don't forget to mention in addition to the $447, you'll instantly become a YouTube star," I joked. "I'll make you famous and you'll get a sick amount of traffic,"

StB glanced at the menu and The Rooster snatched it out of his hand and snapped, "You know what's on the burger. So are you going to do it? Or did Derek just call down your bluff?"

StB shook his head and folded. A chorus of boos rained down. Even the busboy who didn't speak English was disappointed and shook his head in utter disgust. Derek and Iggy hazed StB for the rest of the dinner.

"You've been demoted for punking out. You now have to carry Bobby Bracelet's bags for the rest of the trip," explained Derek.

StB was a good sport about it and took the razzing in stride. It was the proper fold. If he ate a Sumo Burger that quickly, he would have been yaking up ground beef in the middle of Broadway.


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/05/2008 02:12:00 PM |

 
MrMojo Wins Saturdays with Dr. Pauly

By Pauly
New York City

I was entertaining friends the last couple of days doing tourist crap and drinking tons of booze in random dive bars. My liver is killing me. Alas, I was unable to play in Week 14 of Saturdays with Dr. Pauly, but luckily Change100 was the special guest host.

I really should skip these events more often since I tend to do better when I post and fold!

Anyway, we had 23 runners in Week 14. The top 3 were paid. Zagdiehard was Gigli for this event.

The final table included... LOK1, AcerbicOne, Change100, Short0stacked Shamus, Trracoy, phxman00, dredful, Mean Gene, and MrMojo. phxman00 was the bubble boy.

Week 14 Money Winners:
1. MrMojo
2. Mean Gene
3. dredful

Yeah, Mean Gene came in second place. And at least he didn't break both ankles, so we didn't have to put him down.

Congrats to MrMojo on the victory! And thanks to everyone who played and pimped and participated. See you next week.


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/04/2008 01:04:00 PM |

 
Reminder.... Saturdays with Dr. Pauly

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

Bad news... I will not be able to play tomorrow. I have friends in from out of town and will be busy entertaining them.

Good news... Change100 is the special guest host for Saturdays with Dr. Pauly.

Anyway, despite my absence, the show must go on! Everyone is invited to play in my weekly PLO tournament.


Previous winners include... Grouse14, The Rooster, Buddy Dank, DrPauly, StB, Bikom, Family Ice, Bettercheck4, 23skidoo, USC55ND24, I_CrackQuads, Bayne, and Grouse14. Will you be next?


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/02/2008 10:59:00 AM |

 
WSOP Delayed Final Table = Impending Reality

By Pauly
New York City

Pokerati did a stellar job breaking the story!

And what story am I speaking about? Well, the WSOP officials will be conducting a massive conference call at 11am PT on Thursday. Why? To announce their plans for a delayed broadcast of the final table.

Personally, I think the idea is great for the parties involved (Harrah's + ESPN) but overall, it's bad for poker and the purity of the WSOP Main Event. If I wasn't so inebriated right now, I'd be able to expand upon my thoughts. I'll hold off on any more comments until I sober up. But for the record, I think it's a bad idea.

A couple of weeks ago, BJ Nemeth wrote a guest post on Tao of Poker titled WSOP Final Table 90-Day Delay. BJ is in favor of the delayed final table. Check out his reasons why.

Stay tuned for more information...


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 5/01/2008 04:04:00 AM |

 
Soon Come... 2008 WSOP

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA

I move to Las Vegas four weeks from today. After several months of soul searching, I finally made a decision about the 2008 World Series of Poker. So who am I going to write for?

Tao of Poker.

I will not be live blogging the 2008 WSOP for Poker News like last year. However, I cut a deal to write a weekly column for Poker News during the WSOP. Schecky and I both agreed that my talents will be better suited for features.

Tao of Poker will be my focus at the 2008 WSOP. It's going to be place to get the straight dope on the seven-week circus. My goal is to have fun this year and I expect that to spill over into my writing.

I also wanted to cover the 2008 WSOP in the best possible manner without any constraints. The only outlet that fit my vision was... Tao of Poker. Besides, historically, the best stuff I have written has always been for myself (for free) and not for others (for pay).

There were thousands of stories at the WSOP. I was too busy last summer and could only delve deep into a couple. I was stuck in the trenches on the floor and only got a glimpse of that part of the WSOP. Chip counts and bust out hands are just one aspect of the WSOP. There was so much more behind the scenes action that I missed out on and several stories that I wish I had more time to explore such as the Vinnie Vinh missing chair saga.

This year? I'll be everywhere... at the final table, bouncin' round the room, roaming the hallways, drinking at the Hooker Bar, lime tossing with Otis, engaging in random hijinks with Michalski, playing chess, teasing Mean Gene every time Isabelle walks by, railbirding friends, playing cash games, checking out the afternoon shift at the Rhino, free-basing in the parking lot with the hombres at Wicked Chops Poker, tilting locals, and raising hell in the media room. Sadly, there's no more Tilted Kilt, so it looks like Otis and I will have to find another bar for liquid refreshments during dinner breaks.

I dreaded covering the WSOP over the last two years. But this year is different. I can't wait for the WSOP to begin. After a lengthy vacation away from poker, I'm completely refreshed and energized. I'm ready to plunge back into fiery depths of hell.

I haven't been this excited since the 2005 WSOP, which seemed like ten years ago. 2005 was a watershed year in the history of poker, since it was the first year that the WSOP was played in the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio. The poker media was still kinda small and had not yet expanded. Over the first five weeks, only a handful of media were covering the preliminary events. We all bonded and witnessed several epic moments in poker history like Johnny Chan becoming the first player to win ten bracelets and then Jen Tilly winning the Ladies Event the next day. Other highlights included Doyle Brunson's 10th bracelet win four days after Johnny Chan. Doyle's son Todd Brunson won his first bracelet that year and Mark Seif won two. Paul McKinney became the oldest bracelet winner at 80+. Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Erik Seidel, Josh Arieh, Allen Cunningham, Johnny Bax, Edward Moncada, and David Grey all won bracelets. And we all know about how Greenstein dedicated his bracelet victory to Charlie Tuttle on the night before he passed away. So many special moments. I remember them all because it was my first WSOP.

Flipchip survived a tour in Vietnam, so he was the perfect jungle guide to show me around Las Vegas and help me get through the grueling WSOP. He and the Prof originally hired me to write recaps for LasVegasVegas. I added Poker Player Newspaper and Fox Sports to my roster of clients and the rest was history. I live blogged almost every final table and headed down to Binion's to catch the last two days in Benny's Bullpen. Joe Hachem won the main event and was the last champion to win on sacred ground.

I picked up the bulk of my readership at the 2005 WSOP and many of you have been with me since you stumbled upon the Tao of Poker that summer. The most popular posts included sordid tales about the sketchy apartment complex otherwise known as the Redneck Riviera, which was infested with members from the lowest rung of society including drug dealers, hookers, ex-cons, and a horde of shirtless inbred pot-bellied mullet-clad kids.

Even three years later, random people stop me and tell me how much they loved the Redneck Riviera and/or the Last 5 Pros I Pissed Next To.... Those two items stood out from my coverage, yet in reality, I only mentioned those two things a couple of times.

When I accepted the assignment back in 2005, I thought it was a one shot gig and that I'd be done and have to go back to NYC and find a job. I ended up making a career out of covering tournaments. Just a few days after the WSOP ended, Flipchip and I were back at work covering the Bellagio Cup and Ultimate Poker Showdown. Soon after, I hit the tournament trail and went to Barcelona for the EPT and then onto Atlantic City and Las Vegas and Foxwoods and back to Vegas and then to Atlantic City and onto L.A. and then back to Vegas and then... well, you know the rest of the story. I've been on the road since I moved to Las Vegas in June of 2005. It's funny how temporary things all of a sudden become permanent.

The lyrics to the Allman Brothers Band song Back to Where It All Begins has been echoing throughout my head during the half-baked construction of this post. I guess that's the theme that I'm trying to express.

The Tao of Poker is where it all began. And that's where I want to cover the 2008 WSOP.

I cannot replicate the energy of the 2005 WSOP. I also don't want to repeat myself. However, I want Tao of Poker to be my main vehicle of expression during the 2008 WSOP. I will try out a few new things as well as stick to doing what I do best... writing what I see.

The coverage on Tao of Poker during the 2006 WSOP only represented about 10% of my total output. I focused heavily on photography that year and I'm especially proud of my black and white WSOP series. I also wrote for thirteen different outlets and published a couple of pieces under my name and several articles utilizing pseudonyms. My clients in 2006 included Fox Sports, MSN, and PokerStars Blog. I even got published in a Swedish newspaper.

At the 2007 WSOP, I wrote exclusively for Poker News covering the majority of Day 2 events, several PLO final tables, and a couple of stints writing color coverage of the 50K HORSE and Main Event final tables. Despite the 100+ hour work weeks, I managed to write every single day on Tao of Poker. I sacrificed sleep on several instances in order to complete my daily post. In my estimation, the quality of writing during the 2007 WSOP represented some of my best poker content to date. I just wish that I had more time to write second or third drafts and/or do more research.

I made a fistful of money in 2006 writing for over a dozen outlets. I made a nice wad of cash last year working for the exclusive coverage team. And this year... I want to write for the sake of writing instead of writing for money.

The 2008 WSOP is the last opportunity for me to write for myself before I return to the tournament reporting scene and whore out my services to the highest bidder. I want to rage solo this summer before I become a hired gun once again.

My accommodations were a step up in 2006 compared to the Redneck Riviera in 2005. I shared an apartment with Grubby in Henderson and no longer had to worry about a homemade meth lab blowing up next door. Change100 stayed with us that summer too. It was nice to be so far away from the insanity, but commuting to work was a bitch. Luckily, PokerStars put me up in Treasure Island during the Main Event, which was an added bonus. I could see the Redneck Riviera in the distance and was happy that I never had to set foot in there ever again.

Last year, Change100 and I rented an apartment in Del Bocca Vista, a gated complex located a couple of blocks away from the Rio. We were pretty damn close but I spent most of my time at the Rio.

For the 2008 WSOP, we considered renting the same place, but then we opted to share a house in Summerlin. I guess it's temporarily called Scheckytown for lack of a better nickname. Yep, Change100 and I will be sharing a house with John Caldwell and Jen Leo. And the last I heard, there was a strong rumor that a red Full Tilt Pro will be living in the house with us. That is yet to be confirmed.

The swanky pool is by far the best part of Scheckytown. We're only a couple of minutes from Red Rock Casino and Red Rock Canyon. I love driving around that park and taking hikes to touch the red rocks. I always write better after I come in contact with the rocks. If possible, I'll drive out there every day before work.

So everything is set for the 2008 WSOP. I have a primary objective. I know where I'm living and who I'm writing for. All I have to do is... show up.


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 4/29/2008 01:22:00 AM |

 
David Chiu Beats Out Gus Hansen for WPT World Championship

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA


David Chiu is the latest WPT World Champion after he came from behind to beat Gus Hansen at the Bellagio. Chiu collected $3.38 million for his victory. If you don't know Chiu is a red FT pro from California, and he's a 4-time WSOP bracelet winner.

Check out BJ Nemeth's stellar final table recap.

In addition, here are the hand-for-hand updates of the final table (also with the recap).

And in case you were wondering who made the final table, here are some bios...

WPT World Championship: Final Table Bios

By BJ Nemeth

Seat 1
John Roveto, Sr.
2,720,000 in chips

John "Kicker" Roveto might have an unusual nickname for a poker player, but it works well for a guy who was placekicker for the NFL Chicago Bears from 1981-1983. So while the pressure of intense competition at the highest levels is nothing new to Roveto, this will be his first time playing poker up close in front of the TV cameras.

Roveto has a solid list of tournament cashes dating back to 2004, including six WSOP cashes and more than $400,000 in career earnings. He has only cashed in one previous WPT event, finishing 11th at the WPT Borgata Poker Classic earlier this year, earning $64,000. He will eclipse that figure today, as he is already guaranteed to win at least $263,000, with a shot at $3.3 million.

From my own hometown of Duluth, Georgia, Roveto has Atlanta poker pro Josh Arieh on his side, and Arieh will be in the stands rooting for Roveto today. Roveto is engaged and has three children, with another on the way.


Seat 2
Gus Hansen
8,570,000 in chips

Gus Hansen is one of the most accomplished players on the World Poker Tour. Perhaps the most accomplished.

Hansen (nickname: "The Great Dane") won the first-ever WPT event nearly six years ago, and became the first player with two WPT titles later in that first season -- making him one of only five players to win multiple WPT titles in a single season. In fact, those two victories made him the first-ever WPT Poker-Made Millionaire.

Hansen added another WPT title in Season II, making him the only player in history with three WPT titles. This is Hansen's seventh WPT final table, putting him in a tie for second in that category, behind Phil Ivey. Hansen has accumulated more than $2.3 million in career WPT earnings.

The biggest score of Hansen's career came when he won nearly $1.2 million in the 2007 Aussie Millions, a number he can improve today with even a second-place finish. Hansen has more than $5.41 million in worldwide tournament earnings, but he has had surprisingly little success in the World Series of Poker -- he has just two cashes in the WSOP, with another in the WSOP Europe (though all three cashes were in the championship event).

If that's not enough, Gus Hansen is the only poker player in history to be named to People's 50 Sexiest Men Alive list, an honor he earned in 2004.

Hansen is known for his loose style, where he is willing to see a flop with any two cards. This makes it difficult for other players to put him on a range of hands, making him a very risky opponent.

Gus Hansen definitely has the experience and tenacity to win this event, not to mention the chip lead. If Hansen were to win tonight, he would not only be the first player in history with four WPT titles, but he would pass Daniel Negreanu to take the top spot on the WPT all-time money list with more than $5.76 million.


Seat 3
David Chiu
6,050,000 in chips

David Chiu's poker career is nearly the opposite of Gus Hansen's -- most of Chiu's success has come outside of the World Poker Tour. While he has seven WPT cashes (earning $206,000), Chiu has reached just one WPT final table, finishing third in the Season I WPT Invitational.

Chiu has been one of the career leaders at the World Series of Poker since 1981, picking up 37 cashes, 15 final tables, and 4 WSOP bracelets. In his career, he has earned more than $2.8 million. However, as successful as he has been over the years, think about this -- if he wins this WPT World Championship, he will more than double his career earnings in one night.

Chiu was born in China and raised in the United States, and before he was a poker player he was a restaurant owner. Chiu is partially deaf, having lost 35% of his hearing at an early age. While some might see this as a setback, Chiu credits this with heightening his other senses, improving his ability to read other players at the poker table.

David Chiu is a tough, experienced player, and with the third-most chips entering the final table, a threat to win the title.


Seat 4
Tommy Le
1,950,000 in chips

Nhan "Tommy" Le may not be a familiar name from the World Poker Tour, but poker success runs in his family -- he is the younger brother of WPT winner Nam Le. He is also close friends with Season III WPT World Champion Tuan Le, to the point where they (along with Nam) claim to be brothers. (Though as far as we can determine, no family connection exists, other than the shared last name.)

This is Le's first cash on the World Poker Tour, though he has three WSOP cashes, including a deep 79th place finish in last summer's WSOP Main Event, earning $106,000.

Nicknamed "Tommy Legend," the 26-year-old Le once proclaimed himself to be the "Phil Ivey of Home Games," a claim that his brother Nam was willing to endorse. In addition to Nam, Le also draws from the experience of Steve Sung and Season V Player of the Year J.C. Tran, who have been sweating him throughout the tournament. Steve Sung, who made two WPT final tables this season, actually picked Le to win this event back on Day 1.


Seat 5
Cory Carroll
6,670,000 in chips

It was only a year ago that Shane "Shaniac" Schleger called Cory Carroll the "greatest player you've never heard of." Shortly after that claim, Carroll won a WSOP Circuit championship and finished second at the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown. Now that he's reached the final table of the WPT World Championship, it's safe to say that everyone in poker should know the name Cory Carroll.

Carroll is just 25 years old, and got his start after wandering into a poker room about five years ago. This young Canadian went on to develop his poker skills online, where he's known as "UGOTPZD." Carroll is willing to see a lot of flops with a wide range of hands; combine that with the fact that he is second in chips, and he is the most likely candidate to mix it up with Gus Hansen at this final table. Carroll is probably a much bigger threat than Hansen realizes.

While Jonathan Little has already clinched the WPT Season VI Player of the Year award, it's interesting to note that with a first or second place finish here, Carroll will finish the season in second place on the POY leaderboard. Any finish of fourth place or higher will give him more than $1 million in career WPT earnings, which would make Carroll the latest WPT Poker-Made Millionaire.


Seat 6
Jeff King
1,305,000 in chips

Born and raised in Connecticut, Jeff King was a poker dealer for four years before making the transition to professional poker player, and he has earned more than $723,000 in his career.

The biggest score of King's career was a victory in a WSOP Circuit Championship in 2006, where he earned $345,000. King just missed another WSOP Circuit Championship final table two months later, finishing 11th. King has two prior cashes on the World Poker Tour, and three in the World Series of Poker. He made one WSOP final table in $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo, where he finished seventh.

This won't be King's first time playing at a televised final table; he finished seventh in the 2006 U.S. Poker Championship in Atlantic City. While he has experience playing poker under the bright lights, this time the stakes are much, much higher. As the short stack, King said he is hoping to double up early to give himself a fighting chance for the title.

Like Tommy Le, Jeff King will have several experienced players backing him up -- former WPT winners Erick Lindgren, Gavin Smith, and Bill Edler are all expected to be on hand to cheer him to victory.

Editor's Note: According to BJ... "I mentioned that Josh Arieh would be there supporting John Roveto, and that Bill Edler would be there supporting Jeff King. But I never saw either of them at the actual final table. (They were listed as guests on the WPT bio sheets.) Erick Lindgren and Gavin Smith were there to sweat both Jeff King and David Chiu, and Daniel Negreanu showed up at some point and sat with them."

Thanks to BJ Nemeth for the stellar final table bios, coverage, and report. And congrats goes out to David Chiu!


Original content written and provided by Pauly from Tao of Poker at www.taopoker.com. All rights reserved. RSS feeds are for non-commercial use only.
posted by Pauly at 4/28/2008 10:48:00 AM |

 
Around the Horn - Ikeaphobia, Paintings, and Coventry

By Pauly
Hollyweird, CA