Braggart's Curse revisited

Ugh ... I suck so bad right now, it's not funny.

Sometime back, I explained by Braggart's Curse theory. Basically, if you're too lazy to click the link, it goes like this: You start running off at the mouth about how good a player you are and then sweet variance pops a knee in your crotch.

So what did I do? I got on here last Thursday night to crow about an utter ass-whipping I had laid upon a table at Party Poker, thus gaining the attention of whatever gods are responsible for carrying out the Braggart's Curse. Oh hell, the very next day was painful.

Notice I didn't run back to the computer to talk about that one.

I'm a little behind on my reading, what with a very hectic family schedule of late, but over the weekend I did get a chance to read a very interesting article in the Feb. 25 issue of Cardplayer, with Jennifer Harman on the cover, called "Being Beyond Pain," by Lou Krieger and Arthur Reber. (Damn, I've got too much to do today to be running around hunting for links, but here it is.) They talk about Caro's theory of learned helplessness, which I had heard of before, but which now hit me like a ton of recognition bricks.

That was me. Just this past Friday. When I blew away three-quarters of my bankroll.

The key portion of the article was this: "You’ve given up, are utterly helpless, and have been beaten and beaten for so long and so hard that you no longer feel the blows. When poker players reach this state, there’s only one goal left: to lose every last cent in their pockets so that they can go home, curl up in a corner, and whimper pathetically."

Fortunately, I didn't drop every last cent (just three-quarters of them). But the rest of the description of learned helplessness fit me perfectly last Friday. The day started well enough, with me charging hard through a multi. With about 80 players left and the top 20 getting paid, I was comfortably in the top 12. Then, I took a pretty bad beat which cut my stack in half, and I just went apeshit from there. I overplayed hands for the next few minutes until I busted out in 67th place.

And from there, it was all downhill. That day, sitting down at the table was a -EV proposition. I don't think I posted one single winning session, and I played a lot of sessions.

I suppose last Friday was Monkey Day, because I kept getting pounded by them. One fellow in particular kept moving all-in whenever he had a four-flush. Twice he did this against me when I was holding a fairly decent hand (trips the first time, flopped nut straight the second), and both times he rivered the flush.

That brings me to an interesting question: Is it ever correct to fold when you are absolutely certain you have the best hand at the moment, but exposed to danger? For instance, with my straight, I KNEW there was not another hand possible that could beat me. But with one card to come, I KNEW that he was semi-bluffing with the four-flush and I would be beat if another diamond fell. Yes, I suppose I should call, but you truly begin doubting it when time after time it comes back to bite you.

Groan ... bellyache ... self-pity ...

Enough of that. I've moved past it and I'm beginning the slow process of rebuilding my stack. Last night saw me gather about $50 back rather quickly. Then I just quit for the evening, satisfied to have moved up a little. Who knows, maybe by next week I'll be back to full health. Or busted out completely. Either way, it's all good.

And now, a little bit of news that has found its way to my inbox:

2005 WSOP Consumer Retail Show Fact Sheet

What is it? The consumer show has been created to provide an avenue for poker fans and “poker lifestyle companies” to come together during poker’s biggest event.

Where is it? The consumer show will occur at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The event will be held in the Rio Pavilion.

When is it? The dates and times of the consumer show are:
July 6th: 11am-6pm
July 7th: 10am-6pm
July 8th: 10am-6pm
July 9th: 10am-6pm
The consumer show coincides with the first rounds of the $10,000 buy-in main event of the WSOP.

Why the Rio Pavilion? The Pavilion is next to the actual WSOP gaming area and will be the only way that players/observers can get to the WSOP gaming area during the show dates. If maxed out, the Rio Pavilion can hold approximately 250 10’x10’ vendor booths.

How many people will attend? An estimated 6,000 players will be participating in the main event which means that the consumer show will have guaranteed exposure to thousands of WSOP poker players. Although it cannot be forecasted, we expect thousands of poker fans, observers and general interest consumers to also attend the consumer show/WSOP event.

What type of companies will have booths? Any company that wants to be involved in the current poker phenomenon and is allowed by the Nevada Gaming Board and Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. A full list of vendors and their locations will be posted on our website prior to the consumer show.

How can I find out more information?
Website: www.worldseriesofpoker.com/consumershow
Toll-free number: Call 1-877-367-9767 and follow the prompts to get general information about the consumer show.

---

ACES AND KINGS: Inside Stories and Million-Dollar Strategies from Poker’s Greatest Players

“Aces and Kings will soon be considered among the classics of its genre.” —Greg Raymer, 2004 World Series of Poker Champion

New York—As the poker phenomenon continues to sweep the nation, writers Michael Kaplan and Brad Reagan bring us Aces and Kings: Inside Stories and Million-Dollar Strategies from Poker’s Greatest Players. Through fascinating and intimate profiles, Aces and Kings reveals the ground-breaking strategies and outrageous lifestyles of the game’s most influential players including, Puggy Pearson, Stu Ungar, Phil Hellmuth, and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.

In Aces and Kings, you’ll follow the evolution of modern poker from shady back rooms to the world of high-tech, mainstream, entertainment.  You’ll read the amazing tales of legends like Puggy Pearson and Amarillo Slim, street-smart hustlers who stormed the poker rooms of Las Vegas in the 1960s. You’ll read about Vegas’s glam era, in the ’70s and ’80s, and about today’s new generation of champs — guys like Chris Moneymaker and Phil Ivey, computer-savvy card wizards with endorsement deals and celebrity friends. Along the way, you’ll see the game itself transform. Today, Internet casinos draw as many players as real casinos and five TV networks broadcast poker tournaments.

From the 2004 World Series of Poker to New York’s underground clubs and Europe’s toniest gambling halls, the authors gained unprecedented access to poker’s top practitioners. The result is a window into how the superstars think, strategize, and compete at the world’s highest-stakes tables. Poker is a game of subtle deceptions and minute adjustments, and the lessons that can be learned from studying the masters in action are invaluable for readers of all levels — from beginners to grizzled rounders.

Michael Kaplan is a writer in Brooklyn. He has written extensively about gambling for Details, Sports Illustrated and Smart Money. He also writes a gambling column for Cigar Aficionado.

Brad Reagan, also based in Brooklyn, has written about poker for the Wall Street Journal, Las Vegas Life and Men’s Journal.

Aces and Kings is published by Wenner Books, a division of Wenner Media, publisher of Rolling Stone, Us Weekly and Men’s JournalHaynes

Excuse me, but ...

... I've got to gloat, just a wee bit.

Maybe Iggy is right. Dear God, what a nice night I had tonight. It was like a neverending line of short school buses stretched to the horizon, full of people who wanted to sit at my table and play cards.

You've got to love it when, holding 55, the flop comes 234, and when you bet strong, you get raised stronger by someone holding AK. God bless her hydrocephalic head, especially when she goes all in with nary an A or K in sight.

You've got to love it when you pair an A on the flop, get another on the turn and and the same special ed student raises your strong bet on the river holding KK. Ma'am, I thank you and my children thank you.

You've got to love it when you're holding AJ, you flop an A and a J, and someone holding 10-10 raises and reraises you all the way to the river. Your contributions to my bankroll will not be forgotten.

You've got to love it when you make your second pair on the river, and some thorazine-addict with a busted flush draw goes all-in. You just can't buy retardation like that!

Really, I tried to give you guys a break tonight. I tried to watch the NCAA tourney and forget all about poker. But the cards, they kept calling me, man, they kept calling me. Much like you fish at Party Poker tonight. You saw me folding hand after hand. You saw me only bet my very strong hands. You saw me take pot after pot from you. And yet, you kept calling me. Without a hand, without a draw, you kept calling, dammit! You just don't see that sort of commitment these days. Words cannot express my gratitude.

I love you guys. I hope to see you all again, very soon.

WSOP Circuit Rio - Main Event Final Table

Rio All-Suites Casino-Resort Championship Event
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $10,000
Number of Entries: 222
Players Remaining: 10
Total Prize Money: $2,109,000

SEAT 1: Doug Lee, Calgary, Alberta (Canada), Chip Count – 166,000
Lee is a 25-year-old real estate investor from Calgary, Alberta (Canada). His nickname is the “Canadian Super Bomber” because of his relentless attacking style of play at the poker table. Lee holds a college degree in marketing and is currently single. His most notable poker accomplishment, thus far, has been first and second place finishes at major tournaments in Canada. However, Lee lists this World Series of Poker Circuit tournament as his “favorite poker memory,” because it has given him a chance to play with so many top pros. This is the first time Lee has ever played in a World Series of Poker event. We will find out today if a new poker “star” is born.

SEAT 2: Gabriel Thaler, Las Vegas, NV, Chip Count – 278,500
Thaler is a 31-year-old professional poker player who started out as a student and then became a waiter before he decided to turn pro. Now, the only tables he hangs around at regularly are – poker tables. Thaler is originally from California’s beautiful coastal city of Carmel and now lives in Las Vegas. He has made one final table at the WSOP – a third place in the $3,000 buy-in pot-limit hold’em event, last year. Thaler has also finished in the money at the WSOP six times.

SEAT 3: Jennifer Harman, Las Vegas, NV, Chip Count – 174,000
Jennifer Harman was born in Reno NV. By the time Harman was eight years old, she was playing poker for real money – and winning. In the mid-1980s, Harman turned pro and began her climb up the ladder from $50-100 limits to $100-200, then on to $400-800 and much higher. Today, she plays in the very highest limit games in the world and is one of the game’s most feared and respected foes. Try sitting down in a $20,000-40,000 game with a million dollars in chips. Harman has done it – several times. To date, she has also made seven WSOP final tables and won two gold bracelets – Deuce-to-Seven Lowball in 2000 and Limit Hold’em in 2002. She wrote the chapter on Limit Hold’em for Doyle Brunson’s book, Super-System 2. She’s married to her sweetheart, Marco. Oddly enough, Harman is often mistakenly referred to as the best woman player in the world. She is more correctly – one of the best poker players in the world – male or female -- in both tournaments and live action.

SEAT 4: Grant Lang, Brookfield, CT, Chip Count – 454,500
The chip leader coming into the final table is Grant Lang, who is also known as “G-Money.” G-Money was born in Bronx, NY and now resides in Connecticut. He is married with three children. His top poker accomplishment was a first place finish at the Costa Rican Classic in 2004. When he was asked before the final table started if there is anything else we should know about him, G-Money confidently said – “I’m going to win.” We will see if Lang has what it takes to back up his bold prediction. He is going to be a force as the chip leader.

SEAT 5: Tom Macey, Chicago, IL, Chip Count – 201,000
Tom Macey is a 37-year-old bankruptcy attorney from Chicago. At today’s final table, Macey will try his best to avoid empathy with his clients. He’s off to a good start – ranked fifth in chips at the start of the finale. Aside from his successful legal practice, Macey has become a dedicated poker player who has done so well that he has acquired ‘semi-pro’ status. A considerable part of his personal income now comes from poker. He describes his style of play as “conservative and aggressive.” Try to figure that one out. Poker players and attorneys never lie.

SEAT 6: Jean-Robert Bellande, Hollywood, CA, Chip Count – 315,500
Jean Robert Bellande is a New York City-born nightclub owner and promoter who now resides in Hollywood, CA. He is known as “Action Bob” for his fast play and vigorous personality. Action Bob, age 34, holds a B.A. in marketing and is currently single. At the poker table, Bellande is the ultimate psychological warrior. He often baits his opponents with ceaseless chatter and enjoys putting his opponents on tilt. Action Bob is second in chips coming into the finale.

SEAT 7: Kevin Keller, San Diego, CA, Chip Count – 271,000
Kevin Keller is a 31-year-old business owner originally from Syracuse, NY. He owns ‘Spa Reflection’ -- a hair, nails and day spa. Today, Keller hopes to clean out his opponents at the final table. He started playing poker six years ago, and he has final table finishes at other major events, mostly in Los Angeles at the Commerce Casino and Bicycle Club. Keller has played magnificently over the first three days and is shooting for his first WSOP title today.

SEAT 8: Hieu ‘Tony’ Ma, South El Monte, CA, Chip Count – 126,000
Tony Ma was Card Player magazine’s ‘Player of the Year” in 1999. Ma, now age 48, was born in Vietnam and immigrated to Southern California twenty years ago. He has been one of poker’s top tournament players over the past decade. Ma holds two WSOP gold bracelets – both for Limit Hold’em -- one in 1996 and the other in 2000. He is married and has two children. When he’s not playing poker, Ma enjoys singing. But he hopes his opponents will be doing the singing today – singing the blues. Despite his incredible tournament skills, Ma will need all the support he can get at the final table. He comes in ninth in the chip count.

SEAT 9: Dennis Perry, Williamstown, KY, Chip Count – 91,000
Dennis Perry is a 55-year-old retired iron worker from Kentucky. Perry demonstrated he has nerves of steel, outlasting 213 players who entered this event three days ago. When he was asked which single person taught him the most about poker, Perry answered with great reverence – “My Dad.” When he’s not playing poker, he likes to hunt and fish. Perry has previously made final tables at the Mid-America Classic in Tunica. This is his first WSOP final table. Perry clearly has the toughest challenge of anyone at this final table, since he comes in lowest in the chip count. We will find out today if “Iron Man” Perry can build a chip castle.

SEAT 10: Phil Ivey, Las Vegas, NV, Chip Count – 142,500
Phil Ivey was born in New Jersey and first crafted his trade in the poker rooms of Atlantic City. Now age 28, Ivey has become one of poker’s most famous player-celebrities, due to his natural charisma and great poker talent. Ivey has won four WSOP gold bracelets, including three wins back in 2002 – one of only two players ever to win three events in a single year. The mainstream media have referred to Ivey as “the Tiger Woods of poker.” But that’s not really true. Given the depths of his talent, perhaps it’s more appropriate to actually say “Tiger Woods is the Phil Ivey of golf.”

NOTE: Play at the final table will start on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 at 2:00 pm PST

Bonus whore alert

If you haven't been playing at Poker Room, now's a good time to start. First, they raised the signup bonus to 40 percent, which seems to be becoming the standard in the more competitive online poker landscape these days. Next, their refer-a-friend has been raised so that if you are referred by someone, you get $50 instead of $25. Finally, you get a ticket to one of their Shark Cage tournments, which are for new players only.

Of course, you only get the extra $50 if you are referred by a friend, but who is friendlier than me? If anybody would like to sign up for Poker Room and take advantage of all these offers, send an email to evilbilly@evilbilly.com and I will refer you so you can get the extra $50. Then, if you deposit $100, you can get $90 in bonus money. Not a bad return on investment, by any means. Of course, you don't have to deposit $100. The minimum deposit at Poker Room is $10, so you could make $54 on a $10 deposit. And don't worry about the play-through requirements. Poker Room is one of the easier places to clear a bonus, unlike those rat bastards at Full Tilt.

But to get started, you have to email me first. During daylight hours, I keep pretty good tabs on the inbox, so I'll probably have you referred within a few minutes, and certainly within an hour or so. If you email me at night, however, it might be the next morning before I get back to you.

Oh, I just noticed that I am limited to referring only 10 players a week. If you want in on this, you'd better hurry.

Hail, Caesar

Okay, assuming Blogger doesn't screw up again tonight, I'm finally going to get this trip report out of the way.

First things first, I'm feeling a little red-faced over my pre-trip fears about the level of competition I would be facing. Oh my, was I ever wrong. I think I ran across four people all night who appeared to have any grasp about how to play. I guess when you play whatever limits are the lowest offered, which in this case were 3/6, you get the dredges of the poker-playing world.

This is not to say I made money. You might assume that if I felt I faced an overall inferior group of players, I would have cleaned up, but you would be wrong. No, I managed to lose roughly $110 on the evening.

The night started off pretty well, even if I did have to make a major suckout in order to drag my first pot. Oh, it wasn't pretty at all, but I was happy nonetheless. It started with me getting K10 in the SB. Now, K10 is normally a throwaway hand for me, especially from first position, but we were playing limit, the pot hadn't been raised, and there were so many people seeing the flop, it just felt right. Anyway, enough justification. When the flop came K 10 x, I was feeling even better about my decision. Having picked up Gary Carson's book earlier that day and reading the advice to rarely, if ever, slow-play, I led out betting and got a few callers. Next card is a Q, and I'm a little worried that someone just made a straight. I bet anyway, and my fears were realized when the fellow across the table raised me. However, he was in late position and I had seen him a couple hands earlier bet a scare card when he actually held quite a bit less. I decided he could have just as easily made a lower two pair, plus I had four outs. Okay, it seemed like better logic at the time, but the point is, I called, as did one other fellow. Glory hallelujuah, the river put another 10 on the board, giving me a boat. This time I said, "Screw Carson," and check-raised the eventual bet. Both called. Sure enough, my opponent had made his straight on the turn. The cold-caller had done so with a 10-7. (Calling third pair, 7 kicker, with all sorts of scariness all over the board? Yummy...)

A couple of hands later, I won another healthy pot, but I don't remember the details. But after an hour of play and having played and won and grand total of two hands, I was up over $100.

I wish I could remember that second win, because those first two were all I had for the next two-and-a-half hours. No shit. I got the ass end of the deck every way imaginable, and on the rare occasions when I actually made a decent hand, a better one was out there waiting for me. Case in point was when I picked up 55 on the button. I decided to raise preflop, not necessarily on the strength of my hand, but to narrow the field. In the first hour I played, I could remember only one or two hands that were raised preflop, so I thought I could scare off most of the limpers, and it worked. Only three of us saw the flop, compared to our usual seven. Then the flop gave me trips on a board of 5610. Even better, or so I thought, was the guy in first position betting into me. I promptly raised and was promptly reraised. Uh oh. Alarm bells. Something wasn't right. This passive table had not seen a single reraise the entire time I had been there. This guy must have some kind of hand. I ended up calling him down, trying to convince myself that he had slow-played AA preflop, or that he had flopped two pair, or even that he was trying to scare me off because he assumed the flop had missed me completely. Instead, he turned over a set of 6s that ate my set of 5s alive.

Later, I would get AKs, raise it preflop and narrow the field to the big blind and a woman with a constant expression of constipation on her face who had just joined the table. The flop comes 8 high, but gives me a four-flush, so I just keep betting, even when the turn doesn't help me either. The river did bring me a K, but by that point I figured it hadn't really helped me, so I checked. I was glad to see the others also check, but that quickly turned to bewilderment when constipation lady turned over K8 for top two pair. Why the hell hadn't she bet that? Surely she thought it was good. Well, I was glad she did, because I would have had to have called with TPTK, even if I didn't feel good about it.

And it went on and on and on. The goober who had called third pair on my first win kept pounding my ass, and everyone else's too, because he had the knack for playing the perfect two crappy cards that would win. It seems like he must have won half of the pots he played, and he played nearly all of them. He would raise and reraise with bottom pair, only to catch a set on the river. He backdoored so many flushes and straights during the course of the night that I began to wonder if his mother had given birth to him anally. To top it off, he had a half-drunk smugness about him that said, "What did you expect? I played the nuts -- 94o." When I looked at his stack as I was leaving for the night, I estimated him to be up around $500 from when I sat down.

But, despite the fact that I got crapped on all night and lost over $100, I can't really say I was disappointed with my first trip to a casino. Nor do I feel that I played all that badly, most of the night. Oh, there were stretches when I tilted just a tad, but the great thing about playing live is that you can get over it before too many more hands are dealt. But for the most part, I feel like I actually played better than I usually do online. The results just didn't show it, due to a horrible run of luck and a great night for the goober. Actually, it was probably bad luck for the goober, too. The way he was hitting everything he touched, he should have played Powerball instead of wasting his time at the poker table.

Not that I played perfectly, or even close. Having grown more accustomed to no limit, I can see that I overvalued some hands and underestimated to what lengths people would draw in limit. I also realize that I was, at various times, too nervous, too cocky and too tired to play effectively.

As for Caesar's itself, I was pleased with my room, the casino and the service I received. The food at the buffet was far better than I expected. The only negative on the night was some of the dealers I encountered. There were a couple who were clueless and would routinely attempt to award the pot to the wrong person, there were others who were pushy and rude, and there was one notable example who was the worst of both worlds. But there were, of course, others who were pleasant and professional. All in all, I plan to go back.

But now it's getting late, and my mind is starting to fail me. I would say that there is more I'm leaving out, but I'm so tired right now I can't really be sure of that. For now, though, it's time to get some rest.

Update pending

Just a quick note to say I am back and will have a trip report soon. I haven't been able to get to it yet because of a wholesale lack of sleep and surplus of work to catch up on. To make things worse, my plans to finally catch a solid eight hours of shuteye last night were disrupted by a whirling dervish of crap and puke brought on by a stomach virus my son picked up somewhere along our travels.

Anyway, I just wanted to let the two or three people who were actually looking forward to reading something know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or (intentionally) neglected this page. I'll be back once I'm thinking coherently again.

NOTE: I have been attempting to get this message posted since early Wednesday morning, but Blogger has been an utter pain in the ass and keeps timing out on me. It looks like it's working again today, so maybe I can finally get my trip report done tonight.

Ready for prime-time?

I'll tell you what, I am so excited right now.

This weekend, I finally get to cross another item off my "Things I want to do" list when I get to go play in a casino for the first time. My son's future-problem solving team (a branch of the academic team) is competing in Louisville this weekend, and since Caesar's Indiana is just across the river, well, of course I had to book our room there. And although we are going there to support my son and his team, I'm sure there will be some time one evening to get my fingers on cards and chips.

Hey, I'm a good, loving father. I can't help it if I also happen to be a degenerate.

So, this is it. The big time. Well, not really, but as big as I've got to take part in yet.

My online efforts lately have been more prosperous than they were the first two months of the year, so I'll be taking about $300 to play with. I know that's not much, but all I really hope to accomplish on this trip is just getting the first time out of the way. I've prepared myself mentally to accept losing the whole miniscule wad, if that's what happens, but I'm also pumping myself up to play well. I figure if I feel like I can afford to lose the money, then I won't be nearly as nervous as I would if I were in a "must-win" frame of mind.

Yeah, right. I'll be about as comfortable as a hen trying to lay a Siamese egg.

Anyway, I figure my $300 ought to be good enough to let me sit down and play a few hours at whatever lowest limit game they offer, even if I play horribly and get a terrible run of cards.

About the only problem I foresee is that, because of my schedule, I won't be showing up to play until Sunday night, when the major tourist crowd is already gone. That means I'll probably be facing a group of "regulars" who aren't nervous about playing, who probably already have quite a bit of information on how each other plays, who will be eying my small stack as an unexpected Sunday night windfall. But I'm not so sure that's so bad. My goal is to become a better player, and that means having to face better plays and paying to learn the lessons. Now, I don't know how goo the players at Caesar's will be, but I'm sure they're bound to have the initial edge over a casino virgin like myself. Thing is, I feel like I have better results against good players than I have against the utterly stupid players. I know, it shouldn't be that way, but it is. That's a weakness in my game, I suppose.

But, wish me luck. Hopefully, I be back Tuesday to let you know that I doubled or tripled up. Regardless, I'll be back then to fill you in.

Jesus did just all right

WSOP Circuit Rincon - Main Event - Final Results

No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-in: $10,000
Number of Entries: 209
Total Prize Money: $1,985,500

1. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Pacific Palisades, CA, $655,220
2. Prahlad Friedman, Los Angeles, CA, 361,365
3. Chad Brown, Los Angeles, CA, 198,550
4. James Worth, Toronto, ON (Canada), 158,840
5. Alex B. Prendes, Miami, FL, 119,130
6. Keith Sexton, Las Vegas, NV, 99,275
7. Robert Williamson III, Dallas, TX, 79,420
8. Lonnie Alexander, Las Vegas, NV, 59,565
9. Mark Hanna, Cincinnati, OH, 39,710
10. Naseem Salem, San Diego, CA, 27,795
11. Arturo Diaz, Mexico City, Mexico, 27,795
12. David Levi, Las Vegas, NV, 27,795
13. Senthil Kumar, Los Gatos, CA, 23,825
14. Jesse Martin, Northboro, MA, 23,825
15. Patrick MacMillan, St. Charles, MO, 23,825
16. Gavin Smith, Las Vegas, NV, 19,855
17. Tony Licastro, Long Valley, NJ, 19,855
18. Tony Bloom, London, England, 19,855

You gotta believe in The Hammer

Limit Texas Hold'em $5+$1 (real money), hand #695,948,311
San Angelo Single Table Tournament

Seat 1: looserjoe ($1,220 in chips)
Seat 2: Barry Seven ($1,345 in chips)
Seat 3: jinglesptro ($865 in chips)
Seat 4: KBlackwood ($1,425 in chips)
Seat 5: Silvan ($1,260 in chips)
Seat 6: Bry Stephens ($3,375 in chips)
Seat 7: sharkdigga ($1,535 in chips)
Seat 8: bubbaace1 ($1,020 in chips)
Seat 9: hay122 ($1,595 in chips)
Seat 10: rbdavis3 [7D,2S] ($1,360 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDS
rbdavis3 posts blind ($25), looserjoe posts blind ($50).

PRE-FLOP
Barry Seven folds, jinglesptro folds, KBlackwood folds, Silvan folds, Bry Stephens folds, sharkdigga calls $50, bubbaace1 folds, hay122 bets $100, rbdavis3 bets $125, looserjoe folds, sharkdigga calls $100, hay122 bets $100, rbdavis3 calls $50, sharkdigga calls $50.

FLOP [board cards 2C,JH,7S ]
rbdavis3 bets $50, sharkdigga folds, hay122 bets $100, rbdavis3 bets $100, hay122 bets $100, rbdavis3 calls $50.

TURN [board cards 2C,JH,7S,6H ]
rbdavis3 bets $100, hay122 bets $200, rbdavis3 bets $200, hay122 bets $200, rbdavis3 calls $100.

RIVER [board cards 2C,JH,7S,6H,KD ]
rbdavis3 bets $100, hay122 bets $200, rbdavis3 bets $200, hay122 bets $200, rbdavis3 calls $100.

SHOWDOWN
hay122 shows [ AH,KH ]
rbdavis3 shows [ 7D,2S ]
rbdavis3 wins $2,650.

SUMMARY
Dealer: hay122
Pot: $2,650
looserjoe, loses $50
Barry Seven, loses $0
jinglesptro, loses $0
KBlackwood, loses $0
Silvan, loses $0
Bry Stephens, loses $0
sharkdigga, loses $200
bubbaace1, loses $0
hay122, loses $1,200
rbdavis3, bets $1,200, collects $2,650, net $1,450

WSOP Circuit Rincon - Main Event - Final Table

SEAT 1: Alex B. Prendes, Jr., Miami, FL
Chip Count – 158,000
Prendes is a 24-year-old investment consultant from Miami, FL. He is also known as “Fatal” or ”Big Al.” Prendes holds a degree in finance from Florida State University. Remarkably, Prendes has only played three major ‘live’ tournaments in his life, and he has placed in the money in all three. He was 21st at the World Poker Open in January. He finished 29th in the LA Poker Classic last month. This is the first time Prendes has ever played in a World Series of Poker event. We will find out today if a new poker “star” is born.

SEAT 2: Naseen Salem, San Diego, CA
Chip Count – 21,500
Salem is a 31-year-old business owner who was born in Baghdad, Iraq. He is married and has three children. Salem owns two supermarkets and now lives in San Diego. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Salem has played a number of small poker tournaments and also plays regularly online. Poker runs in the Salem family – as Naseen’s uncle is the well-known poker pro, Lee Salem. Even with his impressive background, Salem clearly has the toughest challenge of anyone at this final table, since he comes in lowest in chips. We will find out today is Salem can pull of his version of a poker miracle.

SEAT 3: Robert Williamson III, Dallas, TX
Chip Count – 123,000
Williamson is one of poker’s most popular players – both as a public figure and with his fellow competitors. He is a true ‘renaissance man’ who devotes totally himself to whatever he does – whether that be enjoying fine wine or betting sports, two of his favorite pastimes. Williamson, age 34, was raised in Houston, graduated from Angelo State University with degrees in finance and real estate, and now lives in Dallas. Williamson has been just as successful outside of poker as in it. He has owned restaurants, been a real estate developer, and served as a consultant. However, he can now be found attending most major poker events. Williamson won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 2002 for Pot-Limit Omaha. He also has several final table appearances at the World Series to his name. Williamson is a recent newlywed and would like nothing more than to win the top prize.

SEAT 4: Chad Brown, Los Angeles, CA
Chip Count – 365,000
Third in chips coming into the final table is Chad Brown, from Los Angeles. Brown has worked as an actor and recently served as a poker commentator for a tournament in Las Vegas. Eventually, Brown found poker to be a far less risky endeavor than acting – or perhaps just another extension of it. Indeed, Brown has top finishes at the LA Poker Classic, the Bellagio Five Diamond Classic, and many other major tournaments.

SEAT 5: Mark Hanna, Cincinnati, OH
Chip Count – 76,500
Mark Hanna was the chip leader after the end of Day Two, but now comes in facing his biggest poker challenge ever. Nicknamed “Big Daddy from Cincinnati,” Hanna currently serves as President of the ‘Experience the Difference’ Corporation – which manages over 12,000 websites. The 50-year-old executive and part-time poker player won a No-Limit tournament at the Queens Poker Classic in 2000 and is now devoting even more time to his game. For the last 8 months Hanna has been traveling around North America in a luxury motorcoach, playing poker wherever he goes, accompanied along the way by his wife and three terriers.

SEAT 6: James “Krazy Kanuck” Worth, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Chip Count – 199,500
The Krazy Kanuck is the only foreign-based player at today’s final table. The 26-year-old Canadian is both a writer and poker player. He has finished in the money two times previously at the World Series of Poker. But most of his income comes from playing poker online. By his estimation, Worth has won over a hundred online poker tournaments. We’ll soon find out if Worth is really a “Krazy Kanuck” and whether he can translate those online skills into his first major win in a live poker tournament.

SEAT 7: Lonnie Alexander, Las Vegas, NV
Chip Count – 186,500
Alexander is a 47-year-old professional poker player who once worked as a car salesman. Although he was born in and attended college in the state of Wyoming, Alexander is nicknamed “Montana.” Now engaged, Alexander lives in Las Vegas. But there’s nothing confusing about his poker ability or ambitions. “Montana” Alexander has a number of smaller tournament wins to his name and hopes today for his biggest payday ever.

SEAT 8: Prahlad Friedman, Los Angeles, CA
Chip Count – 475,000
Today’s chip leader was involved in one of the World Series of Poker’s rare political controversies. In 2003 Friedman -- who once attended Cal-Berkeley as a student -- let everyone know his views on war and the current Administration when he caused an uproar immediately after winning a gold bracelet for Pot-Limit Hold’em. Indeed, Friedman is never one to shy away from a conflict or fight for what he believes in. The 26-year-old poker pro has been playing high-limit stakes, $200-400 and up, for nearly five years, and is clearly one of the game’s best and brightest young players. Not everyone with agree with his politics, but the verdict is unanimous that Freidman is one of the favorites to win this event.

SEAT 9: Keith Sexton, Las Vegas, NV
Chip Count – 104,500
Sexton, a 55-year-old real estate investor turned poker pro and sports bettor, was born in Ohio and now lives in Las Vegas. He has played at the World Series of Poker seven times and has made it into the money a number of times, also. His best finish was second in an event about ten years ago. When asked what person had the most influence on Sexton in teaching him the game, he answers with great respect and reverence – his mother. Sexton will need all the support he cane get at the final table. He comes in eighth in the chip count.

SEAT 10: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Pacific Palisades, CA
Chip Count – 387,000
Ferguson is the 2000 world poker champion. He is one of poker’s most instantly-recognizable faces. Known simply as “Jesus,” Ferguson clearly has divine poker talent, illustrated by 36 cashes, five gold bracelets, and nearly $3 million dollars at the World Series of Poker. Jesus holds a PhD in mathematics from UCLA and says his ambition is to eventually become a professor of game theory at a major university. If he does that and quits playing poker, he’ll surely be taking a big cut in salary.

NOTE: Play at the final table will start on Wednesday, February 3, 2005 at 2:00 pm PST

Prize Money:
1st $652,085
2nd $359,630
3rd $197,600
4th $158,080
5th $118,560
6th $98,800
7th $79,040
8th $59,280
9th $39,520
10th $27,665

Other money finishes:
11. Arturo Diaz, Mexico City, Mexico, 27,665
12. David Levi, Las Vegas, NV, 27,665
13. Senthil Kumar, Los Gatos, CA, 23,710
14. Jesse Martin, Northboro, MA, 23,710
15. Patrick MacMillan, St. Charles, MO, 23,710
16. Gavin Smith, Las Vegas, NV, 19,760
17. Tony Licastro, Long Valley, NJ, 19,760
18. Tony Bloom, London, England, 19,760

Report by Nolan Dalla – World Series of Poker Media Director
World Series of Poker Tournament Director – John Grooms
World Series of Poker Circuit Director – Ken Lambert

Another month in the bag

Well, February is gone and a look back at the month that was shows me another petty month. A look at my records shows me I came out ahead by a whopping $47.15, to put me up to a total of $122 ahead for the year. Pretty stellar, huh? At this rate, it looks like I stand a good chance of making my goal of $5,000 for 2005 sometime around, oh, 2012 or so.

I'm not really concerned about the low level of income I'm generating from poker at this point. For one thing, I'm just tickled to death to actually be coming out ahead again. But I also know that I've been experimenting with my game quite a bit lately, and I still haven't quite hit the right groove. At the same time, I've been playing well enough to come out ahead, so I believe I will eventually start scoring bigger wins and start getting closer to my goal.

I hinted last time that I actually did get around to writing down my goals for this year. I will share those sometime soon, but I don't have them with me at the present time.

WEBMASTER ALERT: Looking to get your hands on an iPod? Absolute Poker is giving away five of them at the end of this month. All you have to do is post one of their banners on your site and keep it up there all month. But first, you have to signup for the Absolute Poker Affiliate Program (click that link in order to signup). Once you've got that done, here's the rest of the details:

1. Place an Absolute Poker banner in a prominent spot on your website. We'd love it if you placed our banner(s) "above the fold" (i.e., clearly visible on the page without having to scroll down, ideally at the very top of the page).

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WSOP Circuit Rincon - Main Event - Day 2

Down to 25
Big Daddy Hanna, 195,000, Cincinnati, OH
Prahlad Friedman, 188,100, Los Angeles, CA
Lonnie Alexander, 167,200, Las Vegas, NV
Keith Sexton, 166,500, Las Vegas, NV
Chris Ferguson, 158,800, Pac. Palisades, CA
Gavin Smith, 148,300, Las Vegas, NV
Chad Brown, 140,100, Los Angeles, CA
Krazy Kanuck Worth, 135,500, Toronto, ONT
Tony Licastro, 101,400, Long Valley, NJ
Arturo Diaz, 90,900, N/A
Ron Rose, 82,500, Dayton, OH
David Levi, 67,500, Las Vegas, NV
Naseem Salem, 54,900, Spring Valley, CA
Tony Bloom, 44,300, London, England
Allen Kessler, 43,500, Huntington Valley, PA
Alex Prendes, 43,200, Miami, FL
Edward Brodsky, 40,300, San Diego, CA
Senthil Kumar, 40,000, Los Gatos, CA
Steve Crockett, 33,500, N/A
Robert Williamson, 33,000, Dallas TX
Gregg Turk, 29,600, Sterling, VA
Maria Ho, 26,800, Arcadia, CA
Patrick McMillan, 23,200, St. Charles, MO
Jesse Martin, 22,900, Northboro, MA
William Skaggs, 20,400, Las Vegas, NV

Report by Nolan Dalla – World Series of Poker Media Director