Table Tango

My energy level is shot. No poker news on the table from this kid’s side. It’s a horribly windy Tuesday afternoon in Vegas and the sky is spitting rain just for desert. I did hit the poker room last night, it was running about half full, waltzed into the office to see who was the shift manager for the night, to be greeted by Pete asking me if I wanted to take the night off. Yup! Done deal. I emphatically exclaimed, “YES! Thanks Pete.” (more…)

Swear to God, the poker world is too big - you just never know who you’re going to see where. I hit Fry’s this afternoon, buying some ink cartridges for the printer, and when I stood in the Que, who should be there ahead of me but Andy Bloch. (more…)

Love wraps itself into your heart, starting from nothing, it grows - bigger each day.
A thread, a thought, a want, a need, so love grows.
The smile, the touch, a test of time.

If I loved you less, I would never care where you were or how you were.
This way I wish for your happiness.
This way I pray for your dreams to come true.
This way I know I can live without you.
This way I know I don’t want to.
So love grows.

I loved you before I met you.
I love you now.
I love you forever.
So love grows.

And that is how love goes.

I played two key hands that made me well during my run of EO/Play last week. It’s the scenario where I’m bored out my head looking at the same cards, repeating nightmare patterns, hour after hour and patiently pitching them in to the dealer instead of ripping them into shreds and throwing them into the air, towards the camera bubbles on the ceiling. The action was great in both games - separate days, one play was on Wednesday, the other on Thursday. Marie was in on both nights and sat next to me but I was there long after she’d picked up and headed for home. And since I managed to ‘clock out’, I was doing ‘fine with wine’. I like to drink when I play because it’s the only way I can stand to look at those bad cards hour after hour. Amen! (more…)

Andy has left for home. Phil won 10M on Thursday, the 23rd, putting the Corporation up over 16M for three days of play. Andy has suffered a major setback on this trip. I feel badly for Andy because he’s such a gentlemen and has worked so hard at becoming a better player. Yet that is the nature of the game. Someone always wins, someone always loses. I don’t think this particular match would even begin to suggest that Andy is not a great player. We all know Phil is a great player too. In order to test their strengths in poker, they would have to have many more matches - a three-day battle could never be considered conclusive evidence of skill,luck, etc.

To Phil and Andy, two great people, going head to head at my favorite game. *glasses clink*

Andy says he’s done. I do not believe that. Andy is not a quitter.

Maybe I’ve been playing too much poker. You know how it goes, you’re looking at bad cards for hours (that’s not really the problem here) and you’re focusing on the players in the game. And while you are focusing on the players, the game play, you’re also very aware of the dealer. Quite seriously, I have people tell me they never notice the dealers or what they do…really? How can you NOT notice what they do if you’re involved in the game? Their actions - or lack of - can make the game run smoothly or stop it cold. I’ve been told by players, in almost all limits, that I’m strict or mean or tough or whatever terminoligy fits at the time, when I deal a game. The reason? The rules apply to everyone and the game runs so smoothly if everyone does what they are supposed to do…include the dealer in that. (more…)

Phil won 4.6 from Andy on Wednesday, the 22nd, at $30-60K. The Corporation is ahead somewhere around 6.6. There’s talk of the stakes going up and the word is that Phil may play again on Thursday.