Tao of Five: The Las Vegas Cabbie Chronicles

By Pauly
Los Angeles, CA

It's time for a new installment of Tao of Five, which is an interview series I created specifically for Tao of Poker and I ask different subjects a series of five questions. In the past, this series focused on members of the poker industry, however, for this installment I wanted to change things up a bit, so I included an interview with an authentic Las Vegas taxi driver.

Mr. Funk is one of my favorite Las Vegas writers. I don't know exactly how we befriended each other, but I do know that it had origins in music because we both have similar tastes and listen to some of the same bands. He's an old school Deadhead and digs Phish, so much so, that I sent him a few bootlegs that he actually plays while driving his cab. Yes, Mr. Funk's day job is driving a cab. Actually, he works the night shift, and that's when he gathers tons of compelling material that he shares on his blog titled Las Vegas Cabbie Chronicles, which I have linked up on more than one occasion. LVCC has become one of my favorite Vegas-centric reads these days. My only critique is that I wished Mr. Funk wrote more. His most recent series of posts about fighting a ticket is an amazing lesson in bureaucracy and the social structure of Sin City.

Anyway, let's get down to this.


Photo by Wolynski

Pauly: Is it true that cabbies can take you to strip clubs for free?

Mr. Funk: Well most every strip club pays a bounty for every customer you bring them. It works on a per customer basis so if the club is paying, for example, $20 (which is the current take at most major clubs, full-nude clubs slightly more) a head and you drop off 4 people that will earn you $80 just like that. The free rides come into because if I find four guys who want to go, I can easily comp a ride to help influence the deal, knowing that it's only going to be a $10 fare or whatever it is, and I'm really only paying the companies share of that anyway. The smart customers who know the game will simply request a free ride but the free ride all depends on how many in your party and what the payout happens to be at that time for that specific club.

One cannot say who pays the most because these things change constantly. If one raises theirs to $50 rest assured in a matter of minutes the rest of the majors will follow suit. I've seen it as high as $100/head to as low as none of the clubs paying anything for almost a 6 month period. Generally speaking, the higher payouts will be found during the slower parts of the year.


Pauly: Have you ever let anyone have sex in the back of your cab?

Mr. Funk: Yes, three times. Once was a hooker and a John that netted me $100 fee collection for the cab rights for 30 minutes while I had breakfast at Peppermill. The second was a mysterious couple that humped in my backseat, without permission, circa Koval &Flamingo. And of course, I'll never forget the three lesbians. That shit counts.


Pauly: What is the biggest taxi scam to avoid as a tourist? Is the highway ever faster when getting picked up at the airport?

Mr. Funk: Longhauling is without question a tourists' chief concern when utilizing taxi service while in Las Vegas. If you end up on the freeway from the airport there is a 99% chance that you are being longhauled. If the cab fare from the airport reaches $20 or more you need to start asking questions. I've talked this topic extensively on my blog in a Q&A post.


Pauly: Once in a while, I usually come across a cabbie who tries the old "I don't have any change" trick. What's the best way to combat that?

Mr. Funk: The best way to combat that is to have exact change. I am only required to carry $5 in change. I don't need to be starting my day at risk with wads of my own cash in my pocket because you were too lazy to stop at the cage and break your hundred. That said, when a cabbie says this, there is always the chance that he's bullshitting you and in fact he probably is. Regardless. if you think ahead and break a $20 into 5's and singles beforehand than you can alleviate this problem altogether. Now in my brother's defense, the reason in all likelihood, that he is bullshitting you is because you are probably a bad tipper anyway.


Pauly: Where is the best place in Las Vegas to hide a dead hooker's body?

Mr Funk: I'm not sure, but I can tell you not at some of those big empty lots of property that you see all over the Southwest side of town. South of 215 there is some big empty spaces in between neighborhoods and such. Don't do it there. I know another cabbie that dumped a bunch of his trash on one of these lots. There are no dumping signs everywhere but this guy doesn't give a fuck. Apparently some of his personal items were in with the stuff that he dumped and at some point, I don't know if it was before or after he dumped his stuff, somebody dumped a body there. The cops seeing my friends info quickly dispatched units to his home and the cab yard in search of him. He was able to talk his way out of the murder but not the dumping fine.

Thanks to Mr. Funk a.k.a. the author of the Las Vegas Cabbie Chronicles for taking the time out to be a part of the Tao of Five. You can (and should) follow him on Twitter.

Previous installments of the Tao of Five included interviews with Matt Savage, Michael Craig, Otis (the infamous Otis vs. the Devil), Flipchip, Wicked Chops Poker, and Benjo.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Tao of Five.

Tao of Five: Matt Savage

By Pauly
Los Angeles, CA


Matt Savage during the 2004 WSOP at Binion's Horseshoe
(Photo by Flipchip)
The next installment of Tao of Five features tournament director extraordinaire Matt Savage.

If you don't know, over the last two decades Matt Savage has diligently worked his way up the ladder and has become one of the world's most sought after tournament directors. He's one of the founders of the Tournament Director's Association (TDA) which pushed for uniform rules in poker tournaments. He also made a cameo in Curtis Hanson's film Lucky You (and has the imdb profile to prove it in case you didn't see that poker flick starring Drew Barrymore).

Savage is one of the familiar faces I'll come across in casinos in some of the most exotic places such as Australia and Budapest (I think, my memory is fuzzy -- but it was somewhere in Eastern Europe). He's directed tournaments in so many countries we lost count. He's definitely come a long way from his days growing up in San Jose, CA.

As the story goes, Savage worked in a bowling alley as a teenager and had lofty aspirations about becoming a professional bowler a la Ernie 'Big Ern' McCracken and Pete 'PDW' Weber. Bowling did not have as lucrative career as poker, so Savage soon found himself spending more time in poker rooms than bowling alleys.

In his 20s, Savage worked many different jobs within the poker industry -- which is how he was learned almost every aspect of the business side of poker. He paid his dues as a dealer, moving up to floorman and eventually got a shot at being a tournament director. He finally found a role that he felt most comfortable doing. The rest is history.

Savage witnessed the first ripples of poker boom as the WSOP TD from 2002 to 2004. He was at the helm during the last three years that the WSOP was held downtown at Binion's. He's also served as the TD at Bay 101 and he's currently the TD at the Commerce Casino in LA.

Last year, Savage established an Iron Man tournament at Commerce -- an outrageous event without any breaks in a grueling test of stamina. You could leave the table, but if you left... you were dealt out. Meals were served at the tables and the tournament did not end until the last player was left standing. The Iron Man returns at this year's LA Poker Classic (which begins tomorrow at Commerce... here's the 2010 LAPC schedule).

So, let's get to it. Introducing the Tao of Five with Matt Savage...

Pauly: There are a lot of ghosts wandering around Benny's Bullpen and downtown Las Vegas. Do you have any weird or far out stories from your Horseshoe days?

Matt Savage: Well, there is the famous Hellmuth-Grizzle fight and the time when a drinking Daniel Negreanu harassed Brian Nadell. He ended up getting chased around the cash game section. No punches were thrown, however.

Then there was the time we all watched (from the window) as someone jumped off from the top of the parking garage.

The dealers walked out on me before the start of the 2003 WSOP Main Event, but we were able to talk them into coming back.

Working with Nick, Becky, and Benny meant there was never a dull moment, but I wouldn't trade my time there for anything. I often think the traditions of Binion's Horseshoe will never be replaced.


Pauly: What is your favorite Chainsaw Kessler story?

Matt: For the record... I like Allen Kessler... but he has to be the most confused (and) obsessed individual in the game of poker today. He went from complaining about a $200 limit hold'em tournament structure to (going) completely off the wall when I disputed his claim.

I liked the recent story when (Kessler) busted out of a recent Bellagio tournament before the dinner break and still tried to get the free buffet usually reserved for the players that make the dinner break. As it turns out, they went on break 30 minutes early. Eric "Basebaldy" Baldwin let him know... and he went running towards the buffet crazy eyed!

In the recent New Orleans tournament, he commented early on how much he loved the structure early on, but when he reached the final table the tweets and compliments stopped when the structure turned into a shove fest. Of course, he won (in a 4 way chop) so we knew he could not complain about it.


Pauly: Are you an operative with the CIA conducting renditions? Because only a sadist or someone well-versed in interrogation techniques would come up with the concept of an Iron Man tournament. So what are the true origins of the Iron Man event at Commerce?

Matt: I got tired of players always asking for breaks. The 20 min, 30 min, and dinner breaks on the late starting tournament are ridiculous in my humble opinion. Players need to know that they can miss a hand at anytime during a tournament and probably should walk it off from time to time. It is great to see grown men run back and forth the bathroom after folding their hands. A guard is posted at the bathroom to make sure hands are washed. The test of the human condition is fun to watch.


Pauly: The Day 1D debacle with the 2009 WSOP Main Event (where players were shut out) was a definitely blemish on what was otherwise a smooth WSOP. What would you have done differently?

Matt: Turning players away from the world's largest open event is a bad idea. I would have done whatever it took to get players in -- 10-handed plus alternates if necessary. If they had done that, players would have understood, and those unhappy about it would have forgotten about it by the end of the day. As it is happened, it will be a long time (before it ever gets) forgotten. They had 36 hours to figure out what to do if they had too many players going into day 2b.

At the 2004 WSOP Main Event, we had 10 and even a few 11-handed tables strewn from end to end of Binion's between slot machines and to Fremont street. When players busted, 9-handed tables were restored.


Pauly: Are you ever interested in returning to the WSOP as the TD? Would you consider a position as the next WSOP Commissioner?

Matt: Of course, I loved being at the helm of the WSOP but the position has changed now. Jack Effel is more of an administrator than a traditional Tournament Director. I prefer to be on the floor making decisions with the players. There used to be a Tournament Coordinator position that actually shared the top job with the TD at the WSOP. If they ever brought it back some day, I would be happy to work with Jack Effel.

Knowing that I could handle the job as Commissioner (controlling the WSOP spin) is different than (actually) wanting the job. I fear that (aspect of the job) would take me away from what I like to do and what I am best at... on the floor making decisions.

I am pretty sure the WSOP Commissioner position will be dissolved. Mitch Garber, Jack Effel, and Ty Stewart will do a great job and hopefully stay true to the media.

Thanks to Matt Savage for taking the time out to be a part of the Tao of Five. You can (and should) follow him on Twitter.

Stay tuned for the next installment.


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.

Tao of Five: Michael Craig

By Pauly
Los Angeles, CA

It's time for a revitalization of the Tao of Five series where I interview prominent members of the poker industry with a series of five questions. This installment features author Michael Craig.

If you don't know, Michael Craig penned of one of my favorite poker-themed books The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time. During the research of that book, Craig befriended several of the players in the Big Game and a few other pros who would go onto to form the nucleus of Full Tilt Poker. Since then, Craig penned a strategy guide with Full Tilt pros.

The former attorney turned author made waves over the last couple years at the WSOP with three final table appearances including a runner-up finish to Jeff Lisandro in the 2009 $2,500 Razz event. At that point, Lisandro had already won two bracelets and he had to take down Craig to win his third and seal Player of the Year honors.


Tools of Craig

I shot the above photo at the 2006 WSOP. It is a perfect representation of the items that Michael Craig brings to the table. I've known Craig for several years and you will almost never find him without an elegant pen and some sort of notebook. Like a good writer, he's always taking notes.

I had the chance to correspond with Michael Craig for the Tao of Five and we spoke about a variety of topics including his book, Ted Forrest, Phil Ivey, Andy Beal, and what it was like to play against Jeff Lisandro.

So here it is...

Pauly: On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 the highest), how crazy is Ted Forrest?

Michael Craig: I wish I knew some examples of eights, nines, and tens, because I would put Ted towards the maximum end, but not if ten means “drooling down your strait-jacket.” For example, in my second-to-most-recent communication with Ted Forrest, he called me from Thailand. The most recent was a meeting we had the day before you sent me these questions. It's the subject of a post, #882 – A Drift in Vegas, Part II – Will the Real Ted Forrest Please Come to Baggage Claim. In a single month, Ted has had his passport seized, learned he was the victim of identity theft, lost his luggage twice on the same trip, and, when he was rushing to an airport to make a flight to Larry's Game, his driver, unannounced, pulled off the road to take a dump in the woods.


Pauly: During your run at the 2009 WSOP Razz event where you found yourself heads-up against multiple-bracelet winner Jeff Lisandro, could you have picked a worse opponent at that time?

MC: I have tremendous respect for Jeffery, as much as I have for anyone in poker. But when we were three- or four-handed, I felt if I had half his size stack when we were heads-up, I could take him. (Mind you, most people would make me a huge underdog if our stacks were even and I'd rather run into him in a dark alley than play him heads-up in a high-stakes cash game, but this is the way it felt to me that day.) I had a good understanding of how he was playing and, contrary to the rest of the table, knew the best strategy was bringing the action to him as aggressively as possible. After the World Series, I wrote a blog about the experience that probably sheds further light on this.


Pauly: Let's chat about The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King. How much of what appears was part of your original vision (e.g. 50% or 90%)? I'm assuming that you were on hard deadlines, so if you had a six-month extension to finish it, how much better would have it been?

MC: More like 90% than 50% but I had two limitations on my "vision". First, I got the contract with Warner Books at least partly on false pretenses. I submitted the proposal in mid-April 2004 and we reached an oral agreement in mid-May. They were under the impression that I had done a lot more work and had a lot more access to information. For example, the sample chapter I sent them was completely made up and never made it into the book. Second, i was on an extremely tight deadline, so the vision could never crystallize; it was always a moving target. When we were making our agreement in May 2004, we settled on an October 1, 2004 deadline (later moved back a week to October 9). Up to that point, a brief telephone conversation with Barry Greenstein was my only connection to the first-hand information about the story. The stuff that fell out of whatever "vision" I had was primarily cover-your-ass material: I had done a lot of background/historical research about big games and big wagers and thought I would have to integrate that into the story if I didn't get enough "inside" information to tell the story for 300 pages.

With another six months, it would have been better but not tremendously. I'd have had more of a chance to connect up with Phil Ivey, though that probably wouldn't have meant anything. I probably would have been able to make contact with David Grey - he's told me a lot of great stuff since I've gotten to know them but it never worked out then. There are a few other characters in the story I'd have had the luxury to contact and get their versions. But in general the experience tells me that publishers setting ridiculously tight deadlines and authors ridiculously agreeing to them is a GOOD thing. Now if they offered me big money to rewrite it NOW, that's a different story. I'm a much better writer now, and my access to sources is so much better. I have to say that I mostly nailed it the first time but it could probably be 20-30% better now.


Pauly: Will there ever be a rematch between Andy Beal and The Corporation? If so, what do you see will change?

MC: Andy Beal has found a much bigger game. He enjoys banking much more than poker and his interest in poker can be strongly linked to his reduced banking activities during the first part of this decade. Although it is not impossible that he will play high-stakes poker again, a game between him and the top pros would be a strong sign that the economy has dangerously over-expanded. If they do play again, expect a war to break out because Ivey will want to play Beal on his own bankroll.


Pauly: Tell me something funny about Phil Ivey that we don't know about?

MC: I wrote a series of pieces for the blog called Looking for Ivey. But let me tantalize you with a bits:

(1) Phil considered contributing to the Strategy Guide and gave me a three-minute interview in which we talked about poker strategy. I wrote it off as a waste of both our time – until I recently reread the transcript.

(2) Buses make Phil Ivey sick.

(3) On the day Phil Ivey was born, Wayne Newton was headlining at the Sands, Totie Fields at the Sahara, Don Rickles at the Riviera, the Fifth Dimension at the Hilton, and Bobby Gentry at the Frontier.

(4) When once presented with a possible bet on the subject, Phil Ivey said wouldn't give up gambling for a year for $20 million.

(5) I saw Erick Lindgren call Phil "Pigpen" on European TV and get away with it.

(6) Several years ago, Ivey conceivably could have given up poker to trade stocks.

Thanks to Michael Craig for taking the time out to be a part of the Tao of Five. You can his read his blog here. Stay tuned for the next installment.


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.

Tao of Five: Otis and The Devil

By Pauly
New York City

During the summer in Las Vegas, I introduced a series of questions and answers with various poker industry figures under the subheading... Tao of Five. Well, it is back.


I took this shot of Otis at the 2006 WSOP
In this installment of the Tao of Five, I interviewed Otis about his encounters with a player he referred to as "The Devil," someone whom he has written extensively at Up for Poker about his experiences over the last couple of WSOPs. During one late night after a round of lime tossing, we taped a brief interview outside of the Rio. Here's the transcript of our entire interview. Viewer discretion is advised.

* * * * * *

Pauly: July 2008. Las Vegas, NV. This is an interview with Otis about the Devil.

Otis: Yep. Last night. I saw him again. 10pm. He walked into the Amazon Room. Almost floating again. I don't get it.

Pauly: I have read all of your scribblings about The Devil. They're haunting. I just thought that you were going crazy in Las Vegas. Then I saw him and you pointed him out and I saw that you were really freaked out. You were trembling. You were really freaked out.

Otis: It started out as a joke in 2007. I ended up on the elevator with the guy and he seemed sort of spooky. Everywhere I went in '07, there he was looking at me with those same hollow eyes with that long black hair falling down over a his black coat. It was weird. He freaked me out. By the end of last year, I was a little bit nuts. And I thought when I went home I thought maybe, 'I'm just a little nuts.' Then I came back this year, and he's here. Now people see what I meant.

Pauly: If you put a beard and a black hat on him, the Devil almost passes as Jesus (Ferguson). There are a lot of ancient Christian texts that suggest the Devil is one of God's fallen angels. The Devil was God's second hand in command and took control of hell. Some other scholars suggest that the Devil is God's other son. Jesus and the Devil were brothers. And now here at the WSOP, Jesus (Ferguson) and the Devil almost look alike.

Otis: The Devil can pass for Jesus (Ferguson) if you put on a beard and sunglasses.

Pauly: And a Full Tilt logo. Have you seen the Devil logoed up?

Otis: Here is the interesting thing about the Devil. This is what I find fascinating and other people find it as well. He has been here both years and stayed the entire world series. And even tonight, he's here days after he busted out (of the main event) and he's here. He didn't qualify on any online poker site. He doesn't have a sponsor. When some people have asked him how he got here, he said that he bought his way in. When people asked him what he does for a living, he will never commit to anything. He said, "I do a variety of things." They ask "What do you like?" And he answers, "Well, I like games." That's were it gets a little bit spooky. He's always here. He pays full time to stay at the Rio. He's got a lot of money but nobody one knows who he is. I figured out his name and his name alone is one of those John Smith style names that doesn't even seem real. What's weird about him is that he never does anything that necessarily you would consider devil. But it's just the way he looks and the way he moves and where he shows up. No matter where I am, the guy shows up. A few days ago, my wife called and I wanted to find somewhere quiet to talk. I found a quiet spot in the Rio in a back corner where no one was. And there was the Devil giving me the same look, that same nod, and that same long long stare that freaks me the fuck out every time I see him. I don't necessarily believe in anything religious. I'm not a God guy. I don't believe in the devil. I don't believe in hell. But if there is a devil, this guy might be it. I'm at my worst when I'm in Las Vegas. My feelings, my soul is at its worst when I get here. And this guy shows up and it's a reminder that, "I'm here, if you need me."


Pauly: Las Vegas is hell on Earth. So we're hanging out in the Devil's backyard. We're chilling out in his domain.

Otis: This is one of the worst places on Earth. This is where vice and sin take place. I have done a lot to improve myself over the last few years and would like to think I'm a pretty good person. Las Vegas is the place were the Devil resides. I don't want to make too much of this guy but the people who have seen, MeanGene in fact, pretty much agrees with me. Just the other day, it was the strangest thing and we're walking out of the Rio and there's a slots tournament getting ready to start. The slot tournament promotional items are all about fire and brimstone. There is a giant poster on the wall of fire and brimstone that's lit up. The son of a bitch is walking six feet in front of me and I'm trying to hang behind and he just stops as if he saw me there and he waits with the fire behind him. I'm starting to sound like a nut job the more and more I talk.

Pauly: I think you should stop talking about the Devil. This is the kind of stuff you start talking about and the cops start looking at you funny and ask, "Son, where's the crystal meth?"

Otis: I'm completely sober and have been for several days. I'm well rested and not all that mentally drained or physically taxed. I have survived the series pretty well.

Pauly: The Devil spooks you. I have know you for four or five years and I have never seen you that rattled by one person. I have seen you go on mega-tilt many times. Isabelle-tilt. Work-tilt. Lime tossing-tilt. Pai Gow-tilt.

Otis: Yeah, Pai Gow-tilt. I've been there.

Pauly: The Devil-tilt. It's not really tilt. You're freezing up and are unable to move.

Otis: It's real tilt. Every other kind of tilt is manufactured. Manufactured by someone else or manufactured by my own indiscretions. This is a tilt that is uncontrollable and real. I'm going to be very happy when I get on a plane in a couple of days and stand a chance of never seeing the son of a bitch again.

Pauly: Have you ever seen the Devil in a location other than Las Vegas?

Otis: No.

Pauly: Do you remember the movie The Doors? And that bald guy who is in every scene. And he's always dressed as someone different. He could be anywhere. Everywhere.

Otis: That's the thing, I can only see him here.

Pauly: He could be in G-Vegas or Monte Carlo or somewhere else on the road.

Otis: All I'm saying is that if for some reason I disappear while I'm here...

Pauly: The Devil did it?


Otis: If I disappear while I'm here and I don't make it home and people ask where I went, the first thing you should do is find that son of a bitch and ask him what he did with me. And if he did anything so bad, that I can't come back.

* * * * *
The photos of the Devil were provided by MeanGene.


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.

2008 WSOP Day 37: Main Event Day 1C and the Tao of Five with Flipchip

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

It felt like Ground Hog's Day. The third Day 1. 38th day in a row. My brain is/was/is/was fried. Anyway, the biggest field showed up so far at the WSOP world championship and when action ended on Day 1c, Harrahs dodged a bullet and got more entrants signed up than last year with one more flight to go.

I could do a recap but just read the blog from Day 1c. It's better than anything I can whip up.

Iggy survived the 1,928 person field and advanced to Day 2. Plenty of hot chicas that I know all played... such as Liz Lieu, Lacey Jones, Michele Lewis, Tiffany Michelle, Isabelle Mercier, and Kara Scott.


Liz... (courtesy of PokerNews.com)

* * * * *
On Day 1c, I spent a lot of time with Flipchip talking about a variety of topics. I recorded some of our conversation and decided to use excerpts for a new installment of Tao of Five.

Flipchip has been photographing the WSOP for over three decades. I have been working with him since 2005 and he's known around town as the best in the business.

How did you get into photography?

Flipchip: I liked it when I was a kid. I hauled around my grandmother's Browning and took pictures of things other than relatives which labeled me as weird. When I served in Vietnam, the military is when I saw my first real camera. A Nikon OM1. I hardly knew which way to point it. They gave it to me. They needed photos of dead people and I just happened to be standing there. I ended up with the camera and the film. I went out and took the pictures. If there wasn't any dead people, we'd fake it. We'd have people act dead. It was like being in a movie. I was like a movie director. 'OK, you guys lie down.'

I took photos of dead people. On both sides. I figured those (photos) were used for propaganda. We were so confused we really had no idea anything what was going on. We knew that the country hated us. When I came home I was told not to wear my uniform and not to go to a civilian church. When we got to the airport, people would spit on us. We got to fight in one of the big mistakes. America doesn't like losers. That's the sad part. Nobody likes losers.


Can you capture the essence of humanity with your camera?

Flipchip: Anyone who has played in any poker tournament knows that feeling the moment you find out you're out. You're empty. The world is over. You don't want to walk out, you want to run out. You want to disappear. We see all that heartbreak. That's what I try to do with the camera. I try to capture that look of the moment that they know it's over for this year. The dream is gone. The life has gone from the eyes. I do that every time I hear an "All in and a call!" I can get one of those photos of the light going out. I do about a thousand photos a day or more during the WSOP. We get 54 winners photos and 30,000 loser photos.


From up here in the press box, as you look out into the sea of players on Day 1c, what are you thinking?

Flipchip: You see all these thousands of people in the Amazon room, pick out a face and ask them where hey got an extra $10,000 in this economy to come over here to play cards. I look at these average joes and wonder where the hell they got the money to play in the WSOP? Anyone who knows anything about stats and fall out rates and dead money knows that you have slighter better odds than buying a lottery ticket. Here, there are some people would couldn't win it if you gave them a seat at the final table.


What's one of the biggest differences of the WSOP from twenty and thirty years ago?

Flipchip: Back in the 1980s every table was a killer table. You knew everybody there. There would be a few rich guys, mostly Texans, that would come and tell you right up front, 'I know that I can't win it. But I can go home and say that I sat next to Doyle Brunson and TJ and I won a pot from them...' They paid to have that memory and have those bragging rights.

In the 1970s and the 1980s it was about poker. Now today, it's about sponsorship money and a hundred million dollars to the corporations. They turned the WSOP into a huge profit center. It's no longer about poker or the player. It's about the corporate branding of the WSOP. That's kinda sad to see it happen. I guess in today's world it had to happen in order to survive. Well it's also good for us, because without that we would not have a job. It's blood money, very much so.


What was the difference between the mob that used to run Vegas or the suits in corporations who run it now?

Flipchip: When the mob ran the joint, and the joint means 'the town', we had a lot less potholes. It was really easy to get a comped meal. You didn't need to have players cards or prove you've done whatever. You just had to have juice. Jucie meaning that you knew someone named Dominic. We all know a Dominic around here. I know two or three. That was like your golden ticket. It would get you free food, it would get you free rooms, it would get you whatever you wanted.

They had a very direct way of dealing with things around here. They're business methods are very successful and they're very blunt and direct. If you screw up with those guys they break your arms or kill you. I thought it was better then. Las Vegas was a better place.

The downfall of Las Vegas, and there are lots of reason, but Howard Hughes was one. He came to town with the idea of cleaning it up. He ran out the guys that we knew were crooks and bad guys and they were part of the landscape. He brought in his set of crooks. The only different was that they were suits and you didn't know they were crooks. I prefer the guys with the baseball bats. They got more things done and were more fun to be around. They had lots of great stories of the old days.

But the new Vegas is a world spectacle. It's worth coming here to see this marvelous thing that people have built in the dessert.

Don't forget to check out Flipchip's photos.


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.

2008 WSOP Day 15: Tao of Five with Wicked Chops Poker

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

After two tough weeks, I finally had my "Office Space" day when I came in and just spaced out and pretend to work. I really tried to work, but there were too many distractions, so I went with the flow. It was a relaxing day for me as I ended up getting sloshed at a party at Bare Pool at the Mirage.

I managed to finish up an interview with the hombres at Wicked Chops Poker for the latest installment of Tao of Five.


I first met WCP at the 2005 WSOP. They came out for the main event and we hit it off right away. We've been tight ever since and it's been a sheer joy to see them flourish and become what they are. As one media member joked, "Pics of hot chicks? Nah, I only read Wicked Chops Poker for the articles."

What I love the best about WCP is that they just don't give a shit what anyone thinks about them and that attitude is why they managed to succeed over the years. Dozens of ripoff sites and hack wanna-bes tried to "borrow" from the WCP model, but they have come and left, since none of them have the snarky wit and an amazing eye for talent.

For the last four years, Wicked Chops Poker is among the first couple of sites I read everyday. Doesn't matter if I'm in Las Vegas, Sweden, New Zealand, or Hollyweird... I love Wicked Chops Poker.

Anyway, without further ado, here's an interview with Snake from Wicked Chops Poker Fame...

1. Pauly: So when did you guys make the decision to go with full blown tits and ass on Wicked Chops Poker?

Snake: When we started Wicked Chops Poker, we all played poker a lot and had been playing for years out of Atlanta and then we'd go to Tunica or L.A. to play poker and we wanted to start writing about poker and that journey. It was going to be more personal when we started off but then it organically evolved it what it is. We knew there were other blogs out there doing personal stories, and blogs like Tao of Poker that had more of a journalistic approach and story telling. We wanted to find our own niche.

It was right before or during the 2005 WSOP when things changed. There was a photo of April Soctt that we like and we tried to connect it somewhat to poker. We needed an excuse and since she was a model for one of the poker sites we went with it. From that point on when we posted post a pic of a hot girl we tried to find an excuse to connect each girl with poker. After a while, it was just poker and an unrelated photo of a hot chick. We're a big fan of sites out there like Hollywood Tuna for example that post lots of photos of famous models and celebrities. We wanted to combine that element with poker.

Pauly: That's smart. I think poker is fuckin' boring sometimes.

Snake: I know. I think we say on the site, "Hot girls because you can only talk about poker so much."


(Courtesy of WCP)

2. Pauly: But you guys aren't just tits and ass. You guys actually break stories and are an integral part of the best alternative media coverage of the WSOP. So you actually provide an invaluable service, right?

Snake: Absolutely. I think what we do, Wicked Chops and Tao of Poker and Pokerati, is help people who are not here keep of track of what's happening. If you just go to worldseriesofpoker.com or Poker News, you can follow along what's going on at the table. But there's so much more going on away from the tables. There's a huge room here with 300 poker tables. And there's the railbirds and cash games and the pros in the hallway. What we try to do is paint that complete picture and if you put it all together it's a pretty cool event that you see here that the mainstream poker media rarely captures. You don't see all the different elements.

Somebody commented on Tao of Poker that they were even here playing and it was so big that didn't know what was going on. But they had to read about it on your blog to figure out what was happening. This is so big. So if you put together the mainstream media and key blogs covering the WSOP, then you get a clearer picture of what's going on. It's what happens away from the tables that makes it interesting.


3. Pauly: How's your girl Anna Benson?

Snake: (Laughing) The Anna Benson thing, man, we flat out called her a bitch. It was based on our personal experience and seeing her at her table and her being a total bitch to the floor and the dealer and to the players. She was doing an interview with Gambling911 with Jennie Woo and (Jennie) brought up Wicked Chops and Anna Benson said, "Wicked Chops Poker are nobodies, the site is garbage." I actually took it as a compliment. We tried to set up a game since she was living in Atlanta at the time. But we never arranged it.


4. Pauly: Who is the most random person who reads you?

Snake: We got pros that read us. JC Tran is trying to figuring what we mean when we say "JC Tran has spectacular breasts." We don't even know what we mean by that. Since he was asking, we did a clarification post about it. I know that Gavin Smith is enjoying the photos that we are taking this year so he wants to help spot a hot girl on the rail. Daniel Negreanu enjoys the photos a lot, which could end some speculation there.


5. Pauly: Is Dan Michalski gay?

Snake: I have never seen him with a girl before, so that's like prima faca evidence that he's, you know, maybe not into girls, so the opposite of not being into girls means... you're gay or asexual. I was gonna say that I saw him at a strip club one time. He was walking in as we were walking out. He gave us a ride home. He didn't even go in. So he'd rather take a bunch of dudes back to their hotel than go into a strip club. That's even more evidence.

That's it for now.

You can check out the last installment called Tao of Five: Benjo.


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.

2008 WSOP Day 7: Introducing... Tao of Pokerati, Tao of Five, and Billy Shears

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

I'm trying out a lot of different new things at the 2008 WSOP. In addition to hitting up the Tao of Poker several times a day, some of you are also following me on Twitter and getting text message updates to your cell phones.


Yesterday, Michalksi from Pokerati and I launched our first ever joint-podcasting venture called Tao of Pokerati. It's our very lazy and ghetto version of a podcast. Episode 1 is around three minutes.

Click here to listen to Tao of Pokerati - Episode 1.

Right click here and click "save as" to download the mp3 file of Episode 1 to your hard drive.

* * * * *I also started up a new feature called Tao of Five, which is a series of five random questions that I ask in an interview format. Although I'm focusing on media reps at the WSOP, this formula will not be limited to them at any point in the future.

There's a running inside joke in the poker media that there are two things that I don't do... the first is chipcounts... and the second is interviewing poker pros. I always hated it and refused to do them. You'd be shocked how much money I potentially lost from declining interview assignments.

So that's why I decided to focus on my friends in the media, which will give you an opportunity to get to know the people that I know well and have to spend ungodly amounts of time with in the trenches. The interviews will flow more like real conversations.

The first installment of Tao of Five features an interview with everyone's favorite malcontent chain-smoking French journalist, Benjo.

Here's a little backstory... Benjo is a journalist from Lille, France covering poker for various outlets. I first met Benjo at the 2007 EPT Grand Finale in Monte Carlo. It was three days in when he finally mustered up enough courage to introduce himself. He had been a devoted reader for many years and we clicked right away.

We hung out a lot at the 2007 WSOP and had such a great time that we decided to share a canal apartment for a holiday in Amsterdam in August with our mutual friend Johnny Mushrooms. Anyway, Benjo writes primarily in French but he's a damn good writer in English.


Benjo in front of the Tilted Kilt at the 2007 WSOP
So here's the first edition of Tao of Five...

Pauly: This is your third WSOP. Are you having a good time this year?

Benjo: Yeah, I'm having a great time. The job is good so far. I like the set up inside the (Amazon) room. I said that I was trying to pace myself, so far there was too much news to write about. I basically spent 41 hours, I did the math, in the Rio in the Amazon room in three days. So far it's good. Good winners. Organization is flawless this year. Harrah's and ESPN are not giving me too much shit and to the media in general. This year is great.

Pauly: You're from France, but live in London, and travel all over the world covering poker tournaments. You visit Las Vegas a lot, so what's your favorite thing about Las Vegas?

Benjo: The thing I love about Las Vegas is that it caters to 24 hours (lifestyle). You can do any stuff at any hours and do a variety of stuff. Of course, you can gamble freely. I like the fact that Vegas is a place where you can forget about yourself. You can plunge deep into a gambling fever, whether it is poker or classic gambling and you don't give a shit. You forgot what time it is because it's so dark in there and there's no clocks and when you finally wake up whether you lost or won, at least you had the excitement and thrill of gambling. What I like about Las Vegas it is any day, any night, any time of year. The gambling is crazy. Everything is excess. Excess of food. Excess of sex. Excess of gambling. Excess of money. If you can stand that, you're in for a good time. I can understand why people don't like that. This is the first time I'm in Las Vegas and I'm starting to get bored with it. I finally got over it. Vegas feels like home because I'm gonna be here for two months. I was here two months last year. It's 1/6th of the year. It's just like home. It's not exciting anymore.

Pauly: Who is the best French player in the world?

Benjo: The top player in France without a doubt is David Benyamine. He has such an amazing story but he's never gonna tell anyone about because he's a very private person and doesn't care that much about speaking to the press and giving interviews. He done crazy stuff over the last ten years. He was already playing for millions (and) raised a bankroll for 8 million francs. He would have the equivalent of 1.5 million Euros and go to Las Vegas and blow it all. It would happen several times. In 1997-98-99, the card rooms in Paris were not developed because it was before the poker boom. There was only a small group of players who knew each other and he was a King among them. But you only get to know the stories second hand. The thing was that he had all this money in his pocket and he wanted to play as high as possible. The first time he went to Vegas he sat down and played with Johnny Chan for 400/800 and lost all his money. And he came back again and again. We will never know if he's flat broke or running good, that's the stuff that never goes into print. We never really get to know those crazy stories. From the journalistic standpoint, it is killing me because I can never get a straight answer and I try and try. He's a great player who learned his trade playing live when there was no online poker. Then he started playing on PokerStars in 2004 and killed the limit games. Now he's a Full Tilt Pro and killing the games. He's having a great run in Omaha. That's what I like about him. He's one of the old schoolers. But online, he can play anyone. He will probably not win against everyone, but he doesn't care. He doesn't give a shit. As long as there's action, it doesn't matter if his (opponent) is good or bad, it's action. He's a gambler. He's not a poker player first, he's a gambler first. Yesterday I saw him playing a hand blind in Razz in the Mixed Games. He raised and said, 'I don't look at my cards.' I saw him playing the big game, he can bet all in for 100K without blinking. He doesn't give a shit about money, being broke, being robusto. Doesn't matter. He just wants to play. He went to Vegas and made it and stayed there. So many players avoid him because they think he's crazy! He is wired differently. If you could look inside of his brain, you would see cards and chips.

Pauly: Who are the French players that I don't know but I should be paying attention to?

Benjo: Ludovic Lacay who was runner-up at WPT Barcelona and Arnaud Mattern, the guy who won EPT Prague. They're due for a final table this year.


Michalski playing in the 2006 WSOP
Pauly: Is Michalski gay?

Benjo: He's really trying to hide it. He even kept the pink shirts in the closet this year. Last year the pink shirts were all over the place. He got a lot of shit for that. Right now, it's only white shirts and black shirts. He's even afraid to wear a light blue shirt because people will say, 'Oooh, light blue is close to pink. You're gay, dude.'

And that concludes the first installment of Tao of Five. Stay tuned for future interviews with the legendary Flipchip and folks like Otis, Snoopy, Wicked Chops Poker, and even Michaslki... sans pink shirts.


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.