Trials of a Poker Apprentice: Back at the tables

Well, my break from poker didn't last much longer after writing Friday's post. In fact, I felt so good after writing, I felt I had worked the funk out of my system. Then again, as I mentioned Friday, I wasn't feeling too good, which leads to not playing well. As a result, my return wasn't exactly glorious, and I ended up losing about $25.

Then again, I'm not sure how much me being sick had to do with me holding KK and getting called all-in by a player holding an unpaired A8 on the turn, only to have the inevitable A fall on the river, which is how most of my loss disappeared.

That's poker, dammit.

I didn't play anymore the entire weekend, being busy with other things when I wasn't unconscious. Somehow, despite feeling like death warmed over, I was still able to go out to see two movies, eat out a couple of times, catch the second half of a fantastic spoken-word performance by Henry Rollins on IFC and adopt a dog from the animal shelter. This weekend being my wife's birthday, which explains most of what we ended up doing, especially the whole dog thing. We are not exactly in possession of said dog yet, as it still needs to be fixed, but that's supposed to change tomorrow afternoon.

The movies we ended up seeing were "Nanny McPhee" at the local second-run theater (actually, more like "last-run"), which was surprisingly good for a kids' movie, and "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," which is funny if you like nonstop fart humor, which, since I'm a guy, I thought was hilarious.

I didn't actually make it back to the tables until earlier this morning, where I got back the $25 I'd lost Friday, plus another $25 for my troubles. It might be small change, but that certainly qualifies for "not bad" in my book.

In the larger poker world, the poker site ownership shuffle continues and has produced a pretty big opportunity for players. OnGame Network, which bought Poker Room not too long ago, has itself been bought by BetandWin. Then, right after that announcement came another that the company would hold a $5 million guaranteed tournament, with $1 million guaranteed to the winner. The event will begin online, but the final 45 players will play live in Barcelona, Spain, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1. Qualifying events for this tournament begin at $1.

I also need to make an addendum to last week's post about upcoming poker books, as there appears to be one I missed. I just got this press release this morning concerning a book that covers the professional life on the other side of the pond:

British poker world awaits first-ever book on the pros and their lives

The British poker community is eagerly-awaiting the publication by Macmillan on June 16 of the first-ever book on the unique world and colourful lives of the country’s top professionals.

Swimming With The Devilfish - Under The Surface Of Professional Poker
will be available in all bookstores and from Internet retailers.

Its author – Des Wilson – spent over half a year following the professionals around the European circuit and to Las Vegas for the World Series.

He has in-depth profiles of all the well-known names – Dave Colclough, Willie Tann, the Hendon mob, and some 30 others – and the book contains a powerful and revealing 20,000-words biography of David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott.

He describes life on the tour circuit…the cash game professional world of the Vic and other casino card rooms… and the rise of poker via the back alley clubs and speilers to the big tournaments and internet poker of today.

And he sets the stage for the “battle to the last chip” between the old school pro’s and the internet young guns.

Advance readers have been enthusiastic. Tony Holden, author of “Big Deal”, says: “Des Wilson has done what no-one has attempted before and got under the surface of British professional poker. He tells the players’ stories with humour and uncompromising honesty. Damon Runyan’s characters are alive and kicking and apparently living in Britain.”

Praise also comes from former Poker Million winner and director of the EPT, John Duthie, who describes it as “a wonderful insight into the multi-layered life of the professional poker player” and top Irish player and tournament director ‘Gentleman’ Liam Flood who says “it is the best book on British poker ever written.”

And, finally, it's time to take a look at what's news in the poker world this morning: