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Big Sissy Realigns the Planets
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I think it was psychological. But ever since I knew the Full Tilt Hospitality suite was going to be closed today, I was hungry. It's not like I was ever a total hospitality suite ho', but it was always comforting to know I could sneak into the suite for a piece of cheese or fruit during the day if I needed a little break and snack. And of course it was a great place to bump into the pros and snag an interview.

So today, my stomach growled every time I saw someone eat and every time someone mentioned food. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to make it until the leftover concession food found its way into the media room, which happens anywhere from 9:30pm to 11:00pm.

And I wasn't having the best luck snagging interviews today, either. Even when the pros agree to an interview, their grueling tournament schedules don't allow much down time. And while I guess I could settle for the quick "So how's it feel to win the bracelet?" after a win or "how's it feel today" during one of their rare ten breaks, I prefer an interview that shows a little more of the person behind the player, which generally takes more than a 2 minute camera shot.

So I was beginning to think it was going to be a slow hungry day, when I bumped into Big Sissy. Big Sissy is the former, but hardly the latter and has both a brilliant a game and wit. He's from the Northwest and we had come to know each other playing online. I finally got to meet him and his unbelievably fun and charming wife at the World Poker Open earlier this year. When he said, "Do you have time for dinner? I’m buying" I nearly cried.

We had a great dinner that featured wine, oysters, and Flintstone sized shrimp. But as good as dinner was, the company was the nuts. Everything seemed right in the world. BS was anxious to read Barry Greenstein's book, which I have almost finished. And of course as we talked about the book, Barry himself was on dinner break from the tournament where he would eventually win his second WSOP bracelet.

As he went off to pursue satellites, I went to check on the action. And just a few minutes after I got back, Cyndy Violette hunted me down for an interview. I have been dying to interview Cyndy since I got here and she had been more than agreeable. But she's been moneying in the no limit fields, which means many days and many hours of play. I have really enjoyed watching her no limit play this series. She is always in the moment, always focused, and ever smiling. And while she performs on the felt, she really credits much of her performance to what she does before she sits down to a table. She is "preparation girl" and spends more than a couple of hours a day getting ready to play her best game.

I also got a promised interview with Barry Greenstein, although today was obviously not going to be the day. After scoring his bracelet, he went back to play the $5000 PLH tournament in progress. Even blinding off during his final table appearance in the PLO, he still managed to make into day two (played tomorrow) of the PLH in fairly good chip position. Un-friggin'-believable.

And I overheard some interesting stuff at Barry's PLH table…something I will track down as another possible interview. So hopefully I will be a busy bee in the next couple of days.

I also want to devote an entry to the story about Charlie and how the poker community rallied to make that last few days of this dying young man's life better. But it is a story that demands and deserves time…

So with a full stomach and a full agenda, I'm looking forward to tomorrow….that and the reopening of the Full Tilt suite.

Quick Blogger Alert
Bloggers infiltrate the WSOP - and a good time is had by all.

One of the things I looked forward when planning my trip to the WSOP was meeting up with fellow poker bloggers. I was kind of bummed that I missed the blogger get-together at the beginning of the WSOP, getting to the after party too late to catch the action. Although I'm pretty sure the video I was planning to shoot wouldn't have ever aired on primetime. But I have been lucky to meet up with quite a few of my favorite reads in the flesh.

Of course Pauly is here. I like the fact that Pauly and I work so hard to be bad influences on each other, especially when we are both such pushovers. And earlier this week I finally got to meet the one and only Felicia. And I totally cracked up when she told Pauly he sucked at poker. She is just SO like her blog; no pulled punches. And yesterday Otis blew into town. I’m not sure how you can be irreverent and corporate at the same time. But Otis definitely pulls it off. Flipchipro of course has been here for the duration as LasVegasvegas always has the inside skinny on this town. Although this is not the first time I’ve had the Flipchip pleasure, as he swung by when I was in Vegas for the infamous “Vegas Virgins” shoot. Some guy expectantly introduced himself to me as Hank. Hank? Who the frig is Hank? Oh. HDouble. Wow. His The Cards Speak is always a great read…and I promise to devout some time in another entry bestowing its virtues. Dan from Pokerati was here earlier and is planning to return. I’ve met Dan before, playing in the media event at the WPO this year. As Pokerati also blogs about the legal aspects of poker in my home state of Texas, I keep up with them regularly. And I mentioned in an earlier blog that I got the pleasure of meeting Jen Leo, who continues to pop in and out. Even Lou Krieger has gotten into the WSOP blogging frenzy.

While I always enjoyed the benefits of solo blogging, it turns out blogging orgies are pretty hard to beat.
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Fast makes slow look slower

Today was another three event day at the WSOP. It was day one of the no limit shootout. It was also the final table for both the stud hi/lo and the limit shootout.

The no limit shootout was a great event to watch as seventy-eight tables each played down to a single winner. Level two had thirteen tables of six players that played down to a thirteen person field that will start tomorrow. Marco Traniello (Jennifer's husband) won his first table and came in second at level two. This makes the fifth money finish for Marco in this year's WSOP, including an earlier final table finish. Pretty phenomenal performance for Marco so far. Phil Gordon is proving he's just not another pretty face as he will take the field of thirteen when play resumes. It was like the WPT Championship all over again when Kiril Gerasimov and Alan Goehring went heads up in level two with the same result; Alan makes the final thirteen. The "other" Russian (and former pro tennis player), Yevgeny Kafelnikov, also just missed out making the remaining, losing his heads up battle at level two. Others making the thirsty thirteen include Brett "Gank" Jungblut, Erick Lindgren, and Young Phan.

While there were some prolonged battles in the shootout, the format and no limit elements made for mostly fast play. And maybe that's what made the final table events, both limit, seem like they were traveling in a parallel universe where time stood still. The stud hi/lo event moved relatively quickly considering it was a limit split game, until it got heads up. Steve Hohn and Mike Wattel engaged in a brutal four+ hours heads up struggle, where Hohn eventually prevailed. And the final table for the limit hold'em shootout stalled for hours with nearly all its participants, as the stack size and starting blinds thwarted anything else. Mark Seif basically pushed from the get go, whittling away with low blinds in the early going and making larger strides with the rising blinds, to snag his bracelet a little after 4:00 am.

And I guess maybe another element was nagging on me today; the financial precariousness of it all. It is easy to lose sight of the risks of poker, as day after day awards bracelets and 7+ figure prize pools. But the undercurrent of financial risk is ever present, spoken about in hushed whispers, dark humor, and sometimes, despair.

Daniel Negreanu's heads-up matches are the current fodder for whispered concern. Even the pros are questioning the wisdom of continuing to play at these levels. Many have made the comparison to Gus Hansen taking on the big games against Greenstein, Brunson, Reese, and Giang during last year's series over at the Nugget; a move that many speculate put Hanson in a precarious financial condition. And I have heard a story that during the big Andy Beal games, one of the "pro" backers told the designated heads-up player they would "kill themselves" if the player couldn't pull out a victory, as their financial stake bordered the limit of their very livelihood. Apparently participating at levels above your bankroll capacity is not a blunder reserved for amateurs.

And it is not just the cash game woes that trickle through the undercurrent. When a well known pro won his bracelet this week, many speculated how much of the prize pool he could put claims on, considering the backer's cut and potential (likely) make-up. And of course there was the usual speculation relating to his purported craps leak. I continue to be amazed at the number of talented players that lose their hard-earned poker bankroll at the sports book and the craps tables.

And even without the leaks, the streaky high variance world of tournament poker presents even the most skilled and saintly player with challenges. While we celebrated Erik Seidel's 7th WSOP bracelet, this unbelievably consistent performer reminded us of the droughts he survived along the way. For every world class player that scores an additional bracelet, there is liable to be a "one hit wonder" chasing their "next" bracelet long after the last dollar of their prize is reinvested in buy-ins.

Man what a bummer I am tonight. Hopefully morning will yield a peppier me.






Breakfast with Marcel
Dinner debating information market theory - with poker wedged in between.

It was one of those strange, unpredictable days. Much like every day of the WSOP so far.

The interview crew took off early to meet Marcel Luske for breakfast at the Wynn. Since most of my breakfasts consist of coffee and more coffee, long before the rest of the pokerpages team decides to lift their ultimate eyelids (we have one early runner who goes back to bed for a second round of sleep), eating solid food with stellar company was pretty cool. And while I was in Vegas during Wynn’s opening, I decided to miss the early rush, and got to see it for the first time.

Marcel is, indeed, the real deal. He is far more dangerous as a player than his charming demeanor indicates. And he knows it. But his integrity and concern for the welfare of others is refreshing. And while some people equate charm with being disingenuous, it's really just about old school manners with Marcel. Bad manners on the felt are one of Marcel's pet peeves.

And the Wynn is lovely. I think some people have been a little nonplussed by the Wynn, expecting some exponentially over-the-top Vegas palace. But it is understated luxury at its best. And I was just a little envious of the people that found protection from the harsh Vegas backdrop in this elegant enclave. But I'm in no position to bitch about digs, staying at the lovely chez pokerpages west. After all, I could be staying with Pauly, deciding on my weapon of choice.

This week Jen Leo pulled into town. Jen is a blogger that I have been trying to connect with ever since she gave me a nice shout out on pPlayer. Her wicked sense of humor and writing prowess are welcome additions to the media room, which is starting to slowly fill to capacity. Jen also hooked my up with a list of all the free WiFi places in Vegas, which will be a godsend on subsequent visits. When the final event eventually hits, the media room should have all the ambiance of NY subway at rush hour, invaded by the mainstream press. But in the mean time, it is a welcome retreat for renegade poker writers.

For people who feel that hold'em is the only game that plays to a television audience, I’m going to argue using today's Pot Limit Omaha final table. I know I am a devout omaholic, but this was skillful, dramatic, poker.

Some things overheard today:

When Sklansky was congratulated for busting Kiril Gerasimov in the stud hi/lo, he responded haughtily, "I have no idea who that is."

Another player in the stud hi/lo field, "This is a rough tournament for me. I'm trying to play it without Red Bull and Percoset."

I'm not sure why, but pokerpages dinner conversation revolved around calculus, quantum physics and a pretty interesting debate about the pros and cons of aggregate information systems. The stock market is considered an efficient information market, albeit with the potential for group think (bubbles) and manipulation (fraud). Likewise, the setting of sports betting lines has proved that aggregate input increases accuracy. The initial betting line set by "experts" is adjusted throughout the betting period as bets are placed. The ultimate betting line is statistically more accurate than the initial. For an interesting discussion on how information market theory is being applied in business see the material at EconOne. I'm sensing that tequilla is to blame for this mental dalliance.

WSOP Schedule Whiplash
Roshambo, Raymer, Violette, Lisandro, media bonding…and laundry.

Sunday was like drinking the WSOP from a fire hose. There were three hold'em events in play; the final table of the $2000 no limit event, day 2 and the final table of the $2000 limit hold'em, and day 1 of the $2000 pot limit hold'em. And the side games, which have been a bit spotty, were packed with pros. The room was almost giddy. And maybe the way the day started had something to do with it.

Prior to the NLHE final table kick off, the WSOP Roshambo (rock-paper-scissors) semi-finals and finals were held on the ESPN final table set. I knew I wanted to score an interview from this '"event", and I realized that Rafe Furst was the man for the job. No one does deadpan tongue-and-cheek better. Check out Rafe's Roshambo "bust out" interview on the pokerpages home page under the WSOP Video tab.

I had been stalking Greg Raymer for a few days. While I have wanted to meet Raymer for awhile, I also realized that he has probably spent the better part of a year being stalked, probed and prodded by people like me. While I am not averse to going up and pestering strangers, I tend to like to meet pros in a more social setting or hope for an introduction through a mutual acquaintance. Apparently my delicate approach was totally unnecessary as he said "Hi Amy" as he walked by yesterday. He either knew of me or finally asked someone, "Who is that deranged woman in the hat that keeps following me?" At any rate, I really enjoyed finally meeting and interviewing Greg. Not only is he incredibly articulate, but he has the type of sly wit that I'm always a sucker for. And I will neither confirm or deny Pauly's assessment of my time with Greg.

I've also been trying to interview Cyndy Violette for the better part of the week. But damn if the girl isn't always kind of busy moneying in WSOP events. She has been just phenomenal to watch this year. Every time she sits down at a table, she's packing her "A" game. She has moneyed in three events in just a week and a half, coming in second in the $2000 no limit. I ran into her a couple of times in the ladies room Sunday – once supplying a good luck hug before her final table, and once during the break when it was down to five players. I joked with my cameraman that if he had staked out the bathroom, we would have had all the footage we needed….hmmm…maybe not. But I'm really looking forward to sitting down for an interview with her. She has incredible discipline on the road, insuring she brings the complete player to the table – both mind and body. And with the large fields and expanded ESPN shooting schedule, the body (i.e. stamina) is a key factor this year.

During a break in Sunday's action, I crashed the Full Tilt hospitality suite and bumped into Jeff Lisandro. Jeff is another high caliber European player who has long deserved recognition in the US. Last year he moneyed in five WSOP events, including three final table appearances. But maybe it will be his 1st place finish at the WSOP Circuit Event at Lake Tahoe and his 1st in the Bellagio $25,000 Heads Up Main Event this year that finally gets someone to sit up and take notice. Five years ago, it might not have made a difference to overseas players if they were acknowledged by the US poker market. But with the sponsorships/endorsements/invitationals at stake, there are financial repercussions for missing the media's eye.

One of the constructive changes I've seen over the course of the last week and a half is the media bonding that has occurred. When all the different media teams started covering the WSOP there was more than a little competition and turf defending. But working together over the course of 14 hour days has resulted in healthy bonding leading to a more cooperative environment - which only means better content provided by all. There is definitely a "we are all in this together" spirit building.

And if Sunday was a fire hose, Monday was a dry lake bed. With no final tables and a small PLO field, any pro that wasn't playing was taking a needed day off. While the PLO event was "star" studded, busted pros bolted for the door, calling it an early day, to prep for the next few grueling days. The media quickly tired of trying to chase down thin stories and Monday became the unofficial media day to do laundry…and not a minute too soon.

Today's music to blog by...Sanata: Supernatural Thinking Outside the US Box
Overseas players often overlooked



The US poker tournament schedule has exploded in past years, as has the corresponding television coverage. With so much US-centric focused poker available, I seldom dabble in the poker world across my borders. I know Rolf Slotboom does a great job covering the poker world beyond, but I don't check it out nearly enough. I think it is a little short cited and circular thinking on my part. I don't check out the European scene because I am not familiar with the players. I'm not familiar with the players because I don't check out the scene.

But apparently I am not the only one that is guilty of this omission. Many of the US players have no idea about the caliber of the non-US players they are up against this year. Traveling to the US represents a hefty dip into the bankroll, even with a weak dollar, and many Europeans play limited US tournament schedules. But when it comes to the WSOP, they come out in force. And for many US players, this is starting to be an eye opener.

When Kiril Gerasimov made the final table in the Stud event last night, many of his opponents didn't know who he was. Did they miss his second place finish in the WPT Championship event at the Bellagio in 2003? How about his WSOP final table finish a month later…or his 2nd, 5th and 12th place WSOP finishes the following year? For the record, Kiril came in 2nd in the Stud event last night, playing a brilliant final table.

Speaking of underestimating a player, Kiril's buddy and former professional tennis player, Yevgeny Kafelnikov just missed making the Stud final table when his flush ran into 2 pairs that found their boat on seventh street. Yevgeny may be relatively new to poker, but he's got game.

If French player Pascal Perrault isn't a poker household name for you, what are you missing? He’s already scored a 10th place finish in this year's WSOP Omaha h/lo event, just on the heels of a 1st and 5th place finish in the World's Heads Up Championship in Barcelona. With literally dozens of money finishes in non-US tournaments, including the bracelet in the EPT's final event in Vienna this spring, he is always a threat.

Marcel Luske is a player that has name recognition in the US. If you watched ESPN's WSOP coverage last year, Marcel got a lot of air time for his mentoring of second place finisher David Williams and his charming and disarming demeanor at the table. But even though players recognize the man, they still are prone to underestimate the player. He's already scored a money finish in this year's WSOP, and has many WSOP final table finishes under his belt from prior years. And if I listed his European successes we'd be here forever. If Marcel starts singing to you at your table, do not be lulled into complacency.

As the US has its young guns, so does the rest of the world. Two young players worth keeping your eye on this year are Noah Boeken and Luca Pagano. Noah has a slew of money finishes in Europe, including the bracelet in the European Poker Tour's Scandinavian Open. And Luca is also starting to emerge as young EPT threat.

Needless to say, this is just a smattering of some of the non-US players worth noting. And hopefully I'll get the opportunity to cover more of the exciting and talented overseas players that have made their way to the WSOP this year.

The Hat
Inquiring minds want to know.

I've gotten a number of emails inquiring about my hat. It always surprises me when someone writes about my hat, because at this point I almost forget it's there. To me it has become as much a part of my life and poker as cards in the air or the sound of chips moving into a pot. And for the record it is an unshaped 4X felt Stetson (the Tanya Tucker model) and I've had it for over ten years now.

When I first started playing poker live, I always wore a hat. Sometimes I would wear a baseball cap and sometimes the Stetson. But after playing in a stud satellite at the WPO a few year back, the Stetson started to win the hat race.

I had never played stud live, and had probably only played it about two dozen times online when I sat down, with my Stetson, for the satellite. There was a young kid who was just phenomenal at the table, and laid waste to most of the competition. I got lucky with three of us left to double up to pull almost even when the kid and I got to heads up. He suggested a chop and I took it in a heart beat. Looking back, my instincts were right on, as my young opponent was Michael Bernstein. Michael took third in this year's WPO stud event.

The next day I was wearing a baseball cap when I bumped into Michael. He asked if I was playing that day. When I said yes, he said, "Put on your Stetson." I laughed, but he was insistent. He told me he had found it a little intimidating and distracting, and one of the reasons he considered a chop. Hey. I'll take edge. And the Stetson became my primary playing hat.

As I started to do more writing, I realized the pros recognized me because of the hat. They were more inclined to talk with me as they knew me to be someone "from" poker. It also had the distinct advantage of being easily spotted in a tournament room, crowded with thousands of players.

The Stetson has two other important advantages. When I take it off, no one recognizes me. And there are definitely times when I want to be anonymous. And let's face it; it's a godsend for bad hair days.

So I know there are many of you that think it is "dumb" and "goofy." And maybe it is. But it is not an affectation. It is me.

I love my hat.
Starting to Find the WSOP Groove
Is that a good thing?

The first week it was hard to know what was coming or going. No plan stands for more than an hour. ESPN changes the shoot schedule every time you turn around. I'm not sure a final table has started at the same time on any day. Two day events have migrated to three day events when ESPN is in the mix. And yet, today I feel like I understand the ebb and flow of the "schedule." I am part of it. I breath when it breaths. I sleep when it sleeps.

Chaos theory maintains that under the surface of madness and disorder, a pattern, an order, prevails. I have found my way under the surface. And while the discovery yields relief, it's hard not to have that nagging feeling that I have traded perspective for the rhythm.

We all know that poker has its crueler moments: the river defeat, the two-outer bust, the bubble finish. But here at the series I am finding a more insidious poker demon: the final table finish. I always imagined that a final table finish in a WSOP event would be the capstone of a poker success story: a moment to be savored, validation of talent, and of course a financial payday to rival few others. But that's not how it plays.

To make it through a world class field, playing upwards of 25 hours of stellar poker in a 40 hour period, and end up in fourth place feels about as good as a kick in the gut. How sick is that?

I had a fun chat with Minneapolis Jim Meehan last night, after his 6th place finish in the WSOP Omaha hi/lo last night. But one of the things he said was that when he came in second in the 1997 WSOP $3000 limit hold'’em event, it took six months to get over the near miss. He said that a bust before the money takes less than an hour to mourn.

If a final table finish at poker's premiere series of tournaments is viewed as a personal failing, this sport is a lot tougher than I thought.


I Stroked the Beaver
but to no avail.

I was pretty excited to watch young Canadian Devon Armstrong make the final table of the $1500 limit event. Devon is a talented player and columnist for Canadian Poker Player, who has had an unbelievable track record online. He also has a very balance perspective to poker and life. His expanding poker bankroll has not influenced him to give up his day job as a television camera operator. And his girlfriend, although back in Canada, was kept in the Vegas loop through a constant barrage of emails, forum posts, phone calls that rivaled the communications network of a large corporation.

Devon was the youngest member of Team Canuck, a strange but talented collection of Canadian players trying to take the WSOP by storm…or at least to win enough to pay the beer tab. Devon did not get many breaks at the final table, and at one point asked me to stroke the beaver figurine that Team Canuck uses as their good luck talisman. And while the beaver did not produce a bracelet, Devon's 6th place finish and $72,380 did pay for a few beers.

While the limit hold'em event did sport one of my favorite pros, Peter Costa (finishing seventh), and the youngest WSOP bracelet winner to date, Eric Froehlick, I'm not sure I am going to nominate it for the most scintillating poker of our generation. Even heads-up the play was decidedly passive, leaving destiny in the hands of the rising blinds.

Mike Matusow has always been something of a controversial figure in poker. But despite his issues, I've always thought him to be open and true. He, like many of us, has been his own worst enemy. But you know, there are some well known players in this industry who are not all they are cracked up to be. There are some players in this business who don't pay their debts. There are some that have knowingly put their families at risk or in distress. And there are some that have such a total disregard for other people that they wouldn’t piss down someone’s throat if their heart was on fire. Yet if you read their press, they are the Mother Theresas or Mahatma Ghandis of poker. I guess I'm always surprised when people are so anxious to give Mike shit for the flaws he is more than willing to concede, while letting others live in impunity behind the carefully constructed personas they've created for media consumption.

I got a chance to spend a little time with Mike this series. And one of our more candid chats can be found in the WSOP video tab on the pokerpages home page.

Days of the week and the time of day no longer have any meaning. I am flotsam drifting in the endless sea of the WSOP.
I Fell Off the Face of the Planet
and found myself in Vegas.

Sorry I haven't been able to blog for a couple of days, but I got sucked into the Vegas vortex. Time and days of the week have no meaning here. And the WSOP is really not a defined number of events with start and stop times…it is an endless experience with no bounds.

I still wake up at 7:00 am whether I went to bed at 1:00am or 5:00 am. I am hoping that some kind of routine eventually makes itself known to me. Hopefully this will provide a little more time to share my impressions (the strange, the funny, the degenerate and the exhilarating) of the series.

The one thing that surprises me is that as large as the WSOP has grown, it is still very much made up of a close community. People feel and recognize the comradely of our communal passion, whether they are big name pros or young unknown hopefuls. And while I've enjoyed meeting a lot of the big names that I hadn't met in the past, the stories coming from the up and comers are exciting and fascinating. Because of the growth of both online poker and the expansion of tournament schedules around the world, young players have already developed a wealth of experience that would never have been possible even five years ago.

The other stories I love are about the people on the cusp, successful players that have been living in anonymity that are about to become "known." Gavin Smith is a "cusp" player I was looking forward to meeting this trip. I guess I knew Gavin's name from rgp (although he himself is a lurker not a poster) and Barge trip reports. While Gavin has always been a savvy player, he has just been on fire lately, capping off many big money finishes these past few months with his victory at the WPT Mirage event last month. I got a chance to talk with Gavin, who is a really fun guy, right before his final table of the $1500 pot limit hold'em event. Hopefully that interview will get uploaded on the site sometime today.

I try to do an audio log each night (well early morning) on my impressions of the day which can be found under the WSOP audio tab on the home page.

And I promise to be more faithful to my blog now that I am getting more acclimated to planet Vegas.