Earl Burton has an interesting post up wondering why the sponsorship dollars for the WSOP main event final tableists haven’t been rolling in. While he leaves room for the possibility that it’s just a matter of time — I agree, as the kinda deals we’re talking about here don’t take place over a matter of days or even weeks — he also highlights an example that has me simply shaking my head:

A recent blog [sic.] on CardPlayer by a former guest on my “The Tournament Trail” show at Hold ‘Em Radio (http://www.holdemradio.com/), WPT champion Roy Winston, indicated that no one has contacted him regarding his offer of coaching for the Main Event.

Sorry, Roy, but I’m laughing. Because no one has contacted me, either, about my offer to put a Pokerati patch on them in exchange for guaranteed internet coverage! No offense, but whothefugk are you? A WPT champion? Big deal! The final nine — whether by luck or skill or some combination thereof — have outlasted 6,400 players to get to where they are. Have you ever done that? I didn’t think so.* Why would someone want to potentially mess their game up by receiving “coaching” from someone other than Phil Hellmuth (who clearly knows how to win WSOP final tables with any starting chip ratio) or maybe Erik Seidel? If I were one of the Nueve de Noviembre, I gotta say, I’d be feeling pretty good about my poker skills in general … and would be having many talks with the poker friends who helped get me there (The Arizona Posse, Batfaces, et al.) and probably just about any other poker player I ran into between July and November. But hire an outside coach? That would be like an athlete qualifying for the Olympics and hiring someone in the interim who happened to win a similar event in the Pan-Am games.

The story here isn’t on whether or not the final table delay was a right idea for the sake of marketing … it’s about how the remaining WSOP main event players are somehow smart enough not to fall for sales pitches from interlopers trying to get in on their action.

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Though it won’t help Mike Wattel feel any better, the Arizona guys are out celebrating, as Ryan Hughes won a bracelet tonight — in $1,500 7-stud Hi-Lo. Woot! (Uh-huh, yeah, we go like way back, Ryan and us … we all play 1-to-1,000, baby. OK, but seriously, anyone who even kinda-sorta knew him knew it was only a matter of time before Hughes hit big.)

Robert Goldfarb — the Arizona Posse-ite who is, um, due? — is doing double-time as a player and a reporter (without a media credential, no less) … and after some technological snafus, his cell phone is linked up again with Pokerati … so be sure to check in with his P*ttering for some reports from the higher stakes tables.

He’s chronicling his own pursuits, his observations from the tables, and Pat Poels’ already being hard at work trying to win his way into the $50k HORSE event.

Ed. Note: This post woulda been much more relevant and timely had it gone up yesterday, when it was written.

Despite slightly lower numbers, the WPT World Championship will still likely end up being one of the five biggest tournaments in the Milky Way this year … and Day 2 has just gotten underway. Pokerati would love to beyotch about not having access to the makeshift WPT TV studio at Bellagio to do our brand of non-chip coverage, but we’ve been invited to a WPT Party tonight with free food and booze, so we’re obviously all good with the status quo.

421 of 545 starting players remain … A few names that I’ll be paying attention to for various reasons, and where they stand in relation to their starting 50k chipstack include Carlos Mortenson (defending champ – 172,075), Tom Schneider (25,400), Clonie Gowen (93,975), Gregg Merkow (40,075), Nenad Medic (12,425), Rodeen Talebi (18,000), Ray Henson (89,550), and David Sklansky (41,050).

Click below to see how the whole pro-studded field shaped up as of noon-Pacific today, and click here to follow the action throughout Day 2.

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… at the World Poker Challenge at the Grand Sierra in Reno, finishing 28th out of 261. Ouch. But not all is lost for the Arizona Posse … Tom may have gone out early on Day 2, but the crew’s other double-bracelet holder Pat Poels is still alive and well — with a slightly below average stack.

Click here to follow the Day 3 action – where because of legally questionable exclusive media deals, you have no choice but to read coverage from a guy who clearly would rather write in a way that reveals he can’t wait to go home (or to the tables, or the bar) as opposed to figuring out the names of fewer than 30 players left in a field?

(If it’s fair to expect NFL television announcers to know every name on two rosters, is it really too much to ask that any “reporters” know every name once a tourney gets below four tables? There are breaks, after all, where you theoretically could go find out what you don’t know by asking someone. But whatever … it’s not Pokerati’s job to bitch about crappy, uninspired coverage just because we happened to have a conversation with someone else about whether or not we have a right to post numbers and letters like the ones below and/or haven’t had our coffee yet this morning.)

And click below to see the starting stacks going in:

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6:02 — Who is this announcer guy? Not too exciting nor comprehensive.

6:03 — Funny, he just made it over to the Tom vs. Gavin table … pointed out that Tom was trailing by “a little more than a few thousand chips.” He then seem confused by why Gavin had some book on the table. “Oops! I Won Too Much Money,” he said over the microphone, surprised to discover the author was right in front of him.

6:05 — “Gavin Smith takes down another nice pot. No one at this table is very afraid,” he said, presumably referring to Tom’s questionable call.

6:06 — Robert Goldfarb is on the other side of the room, not responding to my texts inquiring about what is going on over at his end.

6:09 — Chris Ferguson hits a three-outer on the river … I know see a hot blonde girl standing up and clapping, and am pretty sure that is his modeltastic Brazilian girlfriend.

6:13 — TJ Cloutier shows up and is laughing tickled upon hearing the report from Robert Williamson’s little sister (and favorite Pokerati stalking victim) who informs him that indeed, Hellmuth went out on the third hand. “Heh-heh-ha,” says Cloutier in his Hank-Hill chortle.

6:14 — Oh no! My personal sleeper pick and Arizona Posse-ite Hooman Nikzad is out. He got it all-in with the best, but Greg Raymer turned a set to advance.

6:20 — Tom pushes all-in, Gavin folds … to give the Donkey Bomber a 24k-16k lead. Last time these two played heads-up at the same time, both were competing for WSOP bracelets (in different events). Tom won his match, and Gavin lost his. Just sayin’ …

6:22 — At least two very Hammery flops have come in this 8-match quadrant of first round action. Both 7-7-2 flops have resulted in bets followed by folds. Very interesting.

6:30 — There are seats for about 90 spectators in this makeshift Caesar’s viewing coliseum. Twelve media spots (not counting the dozen or so NBC folks who have the run of the floor.

6:31 — Kenny Tran doubles up against Scott Clements thanks to running clubs. “The turn always gives you extra outs,” the announcer said. No it doesn’t, at least four of us in the room are thinking.

6:33 — Back to counting … there’s standing room only for about a dozen squeezed in around the rails.

6:34 — Greg Raymer can’t seem to leave, even though he’s already one. It’s clear (imho) he’s looking for camera time … not Phil Hellmuth-style for ego … but presumably to get some HD-pixel time for his patch-friends at PokerStars.

6:36 — As Raymer loudly mentioned PokerStars, a headphone-wearing producer woman just informed Fossilman that he was getting in the camera’s way and needed to leave. “Aww, c’mon,” Raymer unsuccessfully plead.

6:40 — Scott Clements’ AK holds up against A7, and California Jen’s pick to win it all moves on.

6:41 — Gabe Kaplan knocks out Antonius.

No, that’s not a typo. J8 is Arizona Posse member Hooman Nikzad’s favorite hand and is referred to at Casino Arizona as #1, the best hand in hold ‘em, or simply Hooman. Hooman (the player, not the poker hand), won a live satellite into the upcoming NBC heads up tournament later this month at Caesars. Tom and Hooman playing heads up on TV would make for some good stuff. Good luck boys.

I had a good time in Tunica. I came in 8th at the WSOP circuit event and didn’t play the WPT. I had an opportunity to play the WPT because the circuit event had a day off between day 2 and the final table, but I would have had to accumulate a ton of chips in order not to get blinded out on day 2 while I was playing at the final table.

Had I known that I would come in 8th, I definitely would have taken a shot at it. Had I tried to do it and made it through the first day of the WPT, I would have been able to blame my 8th place finish on being distracted, or at least Angry Julie would have reminded me many times.

I like Tunica because of its friendly environment, loads of PLO and the food. The food is pretty good but very fattening. I did happen to lose weight on this trip because I have totally changed my eating habits. I am now eating a very balanced diet with big emphasis on vegetables. I hate them, but I do like the way I’m starting to feel.

Late in December of ‘07 I declared that ‘08 is going to be the year of health. I weighed more than I ever have, and I was starting to feel it. In the past, I have always lost weight by working out hard and always being hungry. I haven’t been hungry once and have lost about 10 pounds since the beginning of the year. I have changed my ways of eating to something I think I can sustain for the rest of my life, at least that’s the plan.

A few comments about Tunica …

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Arizona Posse member and all around good guy Hooman Nikzad just took down the 3k event at Bellagio pocketing over $250,000. It’s going to be a good week to get in some overtime if you work here.

FYI, another episode is up … for those of you who haven’t yet subscribed or synced your iPods. In this episode, our favorite non-bracelet-wearing cruiser-stakes pro sits in for Tom.

[display_podcast]

• Robert G drinks the BTT Kool-Aid.
• WSOP scheduling, the Houston poker bust and felony charges, an Illinois amateur poker crackdown, Charles Nesson as the Timothy O’Leary of Poker.
• Gratuitous pimping: Up for Poker and the PokerStars Blogger Championship.
• Action junkies and Karridy’s online sit-n-go multitabling master plan — big screens and upside-down calculator words.
• Tom goes to Spain in search of plaques and CardPlayer points.
• Karridy hits the Stockyards in search of family values and professional online poker dreams.
• The Fort Worth police vs. Beyond the Table.
• Dan tries to take credit for bringing the Mob into Texas poker.

I gotta say, it’s kinda fun watching the Pokerati peeps in PokerStars’ World Blogger Championship of Online Poker from the electronic rail. Just wish I could chat/heckle.

After the first break, Karridy (”Karridy”) is out — in 1,048th place out of 1337. But it wasn’t him playing … was a “friend from work” he insists. By the way, for those wondering, that does fall within the PokerStars substitution rules. (Scroll down to the bottom.)

California Jen (”Cookie_555″) was briefly 3rd in chips … and is still sitting pretty in 76th out of 770something remaining. She contends having this many chips is a relatively new experience for her. UPDATE: She just moved up to 37th, out of 730 remaining.

Big Robert won’t tell me what his screen name is/was … but he reports:

All in on 8 hi flop. had kk v qq…q on the turn. out.

Ouch, Robert. You woulda done better had you had the queens. But like Princess Leia as a Jedi, there is still hope for the Arizona Posse, as Green Lisa (”HelloCity”) hit her 10-outer on the river to get comfortable.

Ed the Commenter (”hungerfan”) is out in 800somethingth place.

The prizes everyone is playing for haven’t been released yet, but it’s : about $40k worth of assorted cash and goodies. (Thanks Lisa!)

Let’s not talk about me (and how turning the straight with the second-nuts flush draw didn’t get there) … no no, there’s far more excitement going on in Scottsdale, as our good friends in the Arizona Posse are making quite a showing online this weekend.

Big Robert won a 300-player multi on Full Tilt last night–paid about $7,000–and tonight he’s sweating Pat Poels and Ryan Hughes, who are both at two different WCOOP final tables on PokerStars.

Poels is chip leader with seven left in 2-7 Triple Draw, and Hughes is sitting solid in Pot Limit Omaha (6-max). Both are playing for big five-figure payouts … actually Poels Hughes is already there.

Meanwhile, I’m deciding whether or not to drive home … or to Arizona.

UPDATE: Poels — pstarfish – finished 2nd (out of 649) to win $18,821. Hughes — elycash41 – finished 3rd (out of 1,818) to win $27,379. Nice job, Arizona! Way to represent. So wanna party like you guys.

New episode of Beyond the Table is up.

Click here to listen.

On this week’s episode:

• The Arizona State Poker Championship
• Fake Karridy interviewing Fake Doyle Brunson
• Tom goes to Wyoming to golf with drunken naked old men
• Other poker pros opt for Doyle Brunson & Dewey Tomko High Stakes Golf
• Dan comes to Phoenix for intense poker training
• Dan loses his bankroll
• The grow-your-money:lose-your-money time ratio in poker
• Going almost-broke with Brad Booth, Brian Townsend, et al.
• Bankroll management: How to avoid losing $3 million
• Fake Karridy interviewing Fake Brian Townsend
• The Education of a Poker Player: Plunge the Toilet
• Public pooping etiquette and mad plunging skills
• The problem with satisfying your sexual desires at the poker table

Again, obviously, if you haven’t already … click here to audio it up. Or here to get your podcast on and keep it that way.

And as always, feel free to call 888-820-8091 — or email — to let us know what you think of the show, the people on it, and our topics for expostulation. There’s even talk of an “Oops I Won too Much Money” hat for someone.

For now, here’s a picture of Tom in a bathrobe:

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Here are the seating charts for the final two tables in Wednesday afternoon’s Legends main event. Below that are the payouts the players are fighting for. If Tom were a real friend, he would dump chips to his home-game buddy.

Table 13
Seat 1 – Mike Jung – 191,000
Seat 2 – Thu Nguyen – 490,000
Seat 3 – Franco Brunetti – 218,000
Seat 4 – Mike McClain – 684,000
Seat 5 – Lee Markholt – 873,000
Seat 6 – Raymond Davis – 539,000
Seat 7 – Brian Powell – 248,000
Seat 8 – Shi Jia Liu – 476,000
Seat 9 – Joe Sebok – 1,057,000

Table 17
Seat 1 – Peter Feldman – 853,000
Seat 2 – Dan Harrington – 370,000
Seat 3 – Robert Goldfarb – 296,000
Seat 4 – David Pham – 1,007,000
Seat 5 – Don Zewin – 378,000
Seat 6 – Sean McCabe – 183,000
Seat 7 – Wayne Chang – 281,000
Seat 8 – Tom Schneider – 803,000
Seat 9 – Billy Pilossoph –788,000

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The Legends of Poker tourney is at the money bubble, and Pokerati’s two Arizona bitches “main men” are still alive. Tom Schneider seems to have floundered a bit, but that’s probably just a ploy, as he claims to be in some sort of “zone.”

Robert Goldfarb is hanging on via my favorite strategy of getting the money in when you are behind and taking full advantage of a favorable board:

2nd to last hand of night I moved all in for 17,500 with QT. Dutch Boyd called me with TT. When the cards were turned up I said ‘im pretty good at these’ 44k.

Awesome. Can you see why I love this guy?And then most recently, today, as in like a few minutes ago:

Pushed 34k with 55, Ali [Sarkeshik] calls with KK. What was he thinking. 74k.

Click here to follow the action as they play down to 18(?) tonight.

UPDATE from ROBERT:

$

Can we get a Boo-yah?

NOTE: Condolences are in order for Arizona’s Mike Wattel, who obviously needs to work on his card-catching/dodging skills.

As Tom Schneider stays near the top of the field in the Legends tourney, our embedded reporter Robert Goldfarb picks his first spot as he tries to claw his way up the leaderboard:

All in for 6000…3 callers…cunningham raises 20..all fold…he has jj, i have kj…he never stood a chance. 30k.

Awesome. All he needs to do now is quadruple up and he’ll be an average stack!

UPDATE:

Moved in from c/o w/33 dutch called with aT. 58k.

Go Big Robert! I’m roo … er … you do what you gotta/know-how-to do. You are still small enough that they won’t even see you coming. Nine-touple up and you’ll be even with Tom!

UPDATE:

AA in the bb. 90k.

Ahh, welcome back. Maybe the CP-WPT crew will notice you now. It’s my lunch hour, so I gotta step away from the computer and drink.

NOTE: Actually just noticed the average stack is now 140k, and the leaderboard hasn’t been updated to include Danny Wong’s elimination … so it could be hire than that. Keep punching, Robert!

Day 2 of the $10k main event of the WPT Legends of Poker is well underway in California (aka the Oklahoma of Las Vegas).

Click here to follow the chip-by-chip coverage.

The Arizona contingent of Pokerati is representin’ … Donkey Bomber is second in chips right now (behind Dutch Boyd) and Big Robert is hanging on, trying to make it to Day 3. With 89 players left, he’s a shortish stack with 30k. Blinds are 800/1600 +200. Other Arizona peeps doing well/on fumes include Danny Fuhs and Mike Wattel.

Beyond all those guys, I’m watching the fake Todd Phillips and Batface fantasy-teamer Danny Wong — who’s got a plenty healthy stack as he guns for his third WPT final table in a row.

By the way, there’s also lots of crazy poker media stuff going — this being the first WPT event with semi-closed coverage after a legally questionable deal between Berman/Lipscomb Inc. and CardPlayer. California girl Jen Newell over at Wisehand should have some decent insight … as she used to work with the WPT, has covered their events before, and knows her way around the back-halls at The Bicycle Casino, unlike Gonz, who gets kicked out when he goes there.

Sent an encouraging message to Robert G (who is not being covered by the WPT-CardPlayer junta) while typing this post regarding his 30k: You are definitely good enough to work with that. M=11? Please.

His response: 15k.

I suggested he shift into panic-and-pray gear, but he tells me he’ll find a spot to 1-2 punch his way out. Alas, I also told him yesterday that I was “rooting for him.” Oops … kinda forgot, as plenty of old Lodge players can attest … that’s kinda the kiss of death.

I guess it shouldn’t surprise us that a bunch of top players in Arizona made the final table of the Arizona State Championship today. Though Pokerati’s horses keep dropping, it’s good to know we can keep adding horses from the soon-to-be-recognized and reckoned-with Arizona Posse. (OK, that name is starting to grind on me — perhaps we need something else — like the Scottfaces?)

Our embedded reporter Robert Goldfarb went out in 130somethingth place.

Our favorite Chinese Poker champion Jesse McGinty made the final table and finished 9th. Still waiting on the payouts.

Danny Fuhs finished 8th.

CORRECTION: Hooman Nikzad (also an AP player) finished 8th. You can see how we confused the names. It’s kinda a shame that a state championship doesn’t count in the various tournament-ranking databases, no?

Still alive from the Scottsdale-based crew are Ben Tang and Ryan Hughes (pictured), who won his first WSOP bracelet this summer. According to Tom Schneider, Ryan went to the final table with “a monstrous chip lead and will probably win it.”

UPDATE:

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As action gets underway today at the Arizona State Poker Championship, the Arizona Posse’s last man standing is Jesse McGinty. So wow, he’s like good or something. With 20 players left, they’re well into the money, and the Chinese/Irish/Italian master has 490k in chips … average stack is 225k. Pat Poels will be doing commentary for a local TV station not on the internet. I know a lot of you readers don’t really care about these guys yet, but really, they are nice dudes, smart and funny, tough like Rumble Fish. And they actually win a lot, so c’mon, get on the bandwagon now! (Or at least once McGinty makes it to the final table.)

By the way, Lisa in Scottsdale sends along a picture of one of the buttons from this event, with its familiar looking crest:

Meanwhile, in Dallas amateur action, Sang will be competing today in the quarterly Lodge Tournament of Champions in pursuit of a $1,500 WSOP seat rebate on his stripper tab/pole taxes.

More “exclusive” semi-live coverage of the Arizona State Poker Championship in Scottsdale from Robert Goldfarb, who seems to be surgically navigating the field with his short stack:

[Pacific times]
2:55 pm
Oh baby. Just moved all in for 4975 w/qt h, no callers. 7750

2:56 pm
158 left

3:03 pm
[avg. stack is] 30k

Damn …

3:06 pm
Moved all in for 4500 from cutoff with a3d, button called with ak….ighn. (i go home now)

That sucks, but probably for the best, as I’ve got to go to Sweet Texas Jimmy’s wedding now. Woulda been a pain/questionable form to update from the nuptial ceremonies.

ALT HED: Thanks for Playin’

The Arizona State Poker Championship has gotten underway — and Pokerati’s embedded reporter Robert Goldfarb texts in an update from the front lines:

11:07 am (Pacific)
396 players remain 450 started. I have 11.7k/10k start. 1st break.

Nice start. Clearly Goldfarb’s game is on. Go Big Robert!

Click below to read the Casino Arizona press release with some more basics about this event.

UPDATE:

1:23 pm
Lost big pot all in preflop had kk v a5 4000 now

Yikes, not a preferred situation. I don’t know enough about Goldfarb’s play … does he go on tilt easily or almost never when the chips are down but he’s still alive and kickin’?

1:38 pm
I don’t tilt.

OK ok. Now don’t you have a tournament (and a short stack) to be focusing on, Robert? Just so the readers know, I did some fact-checking, and hmm, wow, apparently you are indeed capable of not going on tilt en route to victory.

1:40 pm
Got allin with qq v k2, up to 7250.

Oh yeah … back in action, beyotch. By the way, the longer you can stay alive, the longer Pokerati gets to serve as the unofficial “exclusive” semi-live update provider of this event. Your paycheck depends on it No pressure.

2:48 pm
All in for 2k w/88 flopped set. 6k

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ–As I make my way back to Texas, I heard there was a big Chinese Poker game taking place in the Valley of the Sun, on a table made of suede no less, so I had to go check it out. Donkey Bomber was at the table — fresh off a plane from North Carolina, and frankly, a little shocked to see me there having not applied for media credentials through him — as was two-time bracelet winner Pat Poels, a dude named Rocky, Pokerati’s newest sexy blogger Big Robert, and Jesse McGinty … a Chinese Poker champion who apparently gets no love from CardPlayer, journalistic or otherwise. He won the inaugural $5,000 “Grinder” Chinese Poker Championship at Planet Hollywood (taking home about $50k) … but try to find mention of him in the magazine and it’s near impossible, even though CP was all over this event. (Was I the only one who went to a J-School that gave us an automatic F if we misspelled a name?) Also find it curious that Bluff didn’t include this Chinese Poker tournament in their rankings — even though it was a $5k event, which is the line they use — and vehemently defend — to determine which tourneys matter.

Anyhow, it’s starting to become clear to me … the Arizona Posse gets no respect. No wonder they are all so angry all the time.

The Chinese contingent of the Arizona Posse: (L to R) Robert Goldfarb, Jesse McGinty, Pat Poels, Nekpal Singh, and Tom Schneider.

They were playing $25-a-point (with royalties), which would grow to $50-a-point and then $100-a-point and then betting on drawing seven cards at random from the deck and making the best five-card hand. (I almost bought into that action. In fact, now that I think about it, getting 4:1 on $50 with no skill disadvantage … probably a mistake not to.) Learned a lot about playing Chinese from these guys. For example, I had no idea you could play five-handed with two decks, but you can! And when I questioned their use of non-Kem/Copag cards — they went with the more papery Bicycles — it was not because they were cheap, but because 100-percent plastic cards are a little too slick for optimal Chinese splays. Who knew!?!

(The AZ-Posse, that’s who.)

The Bellagio-like spread health-conscious buffet at Casa de Goldfarb.

Though I left before the game broke, McGinty seemed to be the guy to beat, as he was up a couple thousand dollars by 2 am.

CardPlayer’s non-embeddable video coverage of the event won by the Irish Italian guy above. Click to watch.

Somewhere in the closet of Sit-n-Go Steve’s McMansion leans a once popular sandwich board that spoke more painful truths than Dan’s rhinestone sunglasses. Those of you who watched Steve stand on the corner of my town’s most congested thoroughfare might wonder why in the world would somebody play for absolutely nothing just to risk sweating their ass off in the Texas heat, proclaiming their oppenent a “Poker Genius” in 500 point font. Well, it seems that SnG is not the only masochist in the Pokerati clan.

In less than two hours from now I will go heads-up against professional player, Arizona Posse™ Member, Beyond The Table brother, and Pokerati contributor, “Big Robert” Goldfarb. While we have yet to agree on stakes, it is certain that nothing less than mortifying will do. No offense, Steve, but I’m going to take this match much more seriously. (Side note – I have referenced dictionary.com at least twice so far to ensure proper spelling/usage of big words (masochist – thoroughfare), due to my Modelo Especial consumption).

A video of this David and Goliath match will be available in the coming days. I can’t say too much about what we are doing, but I will certainly predict that it will change, or at least have a huge impact on, the way people rail poker online. Hahah. Hooohahahah… Muuuuhahahah… *cough/beerfart*

Data:
Robert’s career tournament winnings: $412,446
Karridy’s “career” tournament winnings: <$7,000

Suggestions for the loser?

Four what, you ask? Since coming home from the WSOP I have had four of my worst live-action, cash poker sessions in a long time. All have been 40+ BB losses. Sure, I have had losses this big in the past…in fact I expect to have one every once in a while. You can play perfectly and they will happen. I never like them…and its not much fun having them come all within a 10-day stretch.

I came home from the WSOP with the plan of rebuilding the portion of my bankroll that was expended in tournament buy-ins over the past two months. I was counting on the super-juicy $40/$80 and $60/$120 limit hold ‘em and mixed games at CA (Casino Arizona) to do the trick. I’m not off to a good start. There is a $1,000 buy-in tournament at CA on August 18, limited to 450 players with a guaranteed $250,000 1st place prize. I am planning on winning, so that just might get me even for the series.

I have always kept perfect records of every session of casino poker I have ever played and whenever I have an especially brutal run, I have found comfort in being able to reflect on the bottom line. As long as I can boot up the spreadsheet and see black ink, I can remind myself that I am a winning player. Individual losses hurt, but it’s one long game.

My run at the WSOP main event ended six hours after it began when my short stack was put at risk while I held JJ vs. my opponent’s AQ. For the second year in a row, the player seated directly to my right gave me the confident elbow and whispered that they had mucked an ace, just as the card that sent me to the rail came whistling off the deck.

On a positive note: I played six hours of fantastic poker. I made big plays, small bluffs, and one giant laydown that saved half of my once healthy stack. I am very much a decision oriented poker player…I know that if I continue to make correct decisions at the poker table, the results will follow over the long run.

LAS VEGAS–We’re coming to the tail end of WSOP Part I. And seeing the opening salvo of WSOP Part II — the parties, the Expo, the main event, yadda yadda.

The biggest deal today is HOWARD AND SUZIE LEDERER’S barbecue (w/ STEPHEN Z) the final table of the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha World Championship … with DOYLE BRUNSON looking to put the screws to Phil Hellmuth:

Seat 1 – Doyle Brunson – 510,000
Seat 2 – Patrik Antonius – 650,000
Seat 3 – Marco Traniello – 420,000
Seat 4 – Rene Mouritsen – 775,000
Seat 5 – Tommy Ly – 1,895,000
Seat 6 – Jonas Flug-Entin – 445,000
Seat 7 – Steve Sung – 175,000
Seat 8 – Stephen Ladowski – 360,000
Seat 9 – Robert Mizrachi – 1,090,000

Click here to follow the Best of Omaha, semi-live.

If you want to follow it closer-to-live, it’s being video broadcast today. Mean Gene tells me word is that the event won’t be sequestered … instead it will be broadcast without the hour delay, but no hole cards visible.

Meanwhile, at the secondary final table of $1,000 SHOE, PAT POELS (above) looks to reclaim the ARIZONA POSSE bracelet lead as he is gunning for his third. He was chip leader for most of the day yesterday, but took a big hit right at the end.

The Final Table:

Seat 1: Vladimir Shchemelev – 168,000
Seat 2: Chip Jett – 40,000
Seat 3: Dao Bac – 266,000
Seat 4: Imre Leibold – 250,000
Seat 5: Patrick Poels – 53,000
Seat 6: Raymond Davis – 235,000
Seat 7: Adam Geyer – 293,000
Seat 8: Michael Craig – 161,000

Click here to follow today’s most important mixed-games action.

Mad props to fellow Andy Beal stalker blogger MICHAEL CRAIG (left), who has made his second final table of the WSOP (and also has some ARIZONA roots apparently). CHIP JETT (right), who I believe hails from Arizona originally, is fighting to hang.

Tomorrow he and his wife KARINA are hosting an party at a Las Vegas strip club, by the way:

Another player to watch … RAYMOND DAVIS (left — not from Arizona) has also been kicking butt this year, and seems due for big score. LUCKY LIU (right) just missed the final table. He is STEVE WONG’S poker mentor. Shout out … nice go, LL!

Both TOM SCHNEIDER and MICHELE LEWIS are competing in the $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout today. Tom made the final table in this event last year, and Michele made a final table in Limit Hold’em, and cashed in a No-Limit shootout.

Since shootouts dictate that only one in 10 move on, Pokerati swears we don’t want to see them at the same table for the sake of PHOTOGRAPHIC CONVENIENCE.

DONKEY BOMBER wants to cash really bad in this — the deeper the better — to lock up Milwaukee’s Best Light Player of the Year. He’s trying to hold off JEFF LISANDRO, who is well-chipped going into Day 2 of the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em w/ Rebuys event. Interestingly enough, these two have a pending $5,000 bet — not on who will finish higher in the POY standings, but over the NUMBER OF ENTRANTS into the main event. Tom has the under on 5,850.

If you have an opinion about the rightness of Ladies events, JENNIFER NEWELL has an interesting article — and new perspective on tournaments lacking a Y chromosome.

Looks like something out of E.T., no?

This presumably has something to do with why a fourth Day 1 for the main event was added. Really would be unfair to any players who had to start in the “poker superstructure.”

As the WSOP rolls on, the cash games are getting bigger and bigger — but where are the pros? Follow coverage of the LIVE ACTION at PokerWorks.

Dallas Dealer BETH LAIRD, seen here with ALLEN CUNNINGHAM and STEVEN Z(olotow) in the $1,000 2-7 Triple Draw w/ Rebuys.

RAFI AMIT won that event in the early Monday a.m. As they tend to do in mixed games, the ARIZONA POSSE represented … with DANNY FUHS just missing the final table, but still scoring a POSITIVE EV cash.

LAS VEGAS–It’s been a crazy up-and-down day for the Donkey Bomber in $1,000 7-Stud Hi Lo. He’s come back from almost nothing at least three times, and briefly assumed the chip lead. I was thinking at that point he should basically sit on his chips for a while. But what do I know about this game? He told his daughter at dinner break that this was when he really needed to put the pressure on.

With 13 players left — 8 make the final table — Tom is the shortest stack with 34,000. Scotty Nguyen is second in chips with 150k. Tony Ma is 10th with 70,000. Tommy Hang, a highly respected player in high-stakes mixed action, is to Tom’s right, while a goofy guy who appears to be a total 7-stud donkey is to his right … with a ton of chips and a plastic riding crop thingy that is amusing Scotty Nguyen — “High five [for spanking]!” Scotty said. Seven-stud Hi Lo bracelet winner Pat Poels explained to me on the rail that position probably matters less in this game than any other, save for maybe Chinese poker.

Click here to see if he can hang in there.

UPDATE: 11 players remaining. Tom has 42k in chips.

UPDATE: Down to 9 players. Scotty Nguyen says, “That’s right baby! Spanky Spanky!” as the 7-stud doofus (he’s jogging around the table right now muttering “wubbawubbawubba”) smacks his plastic spanker on the table.

Tourney officials are going to move a player every 20 minutes to keep the 5-and-4 disparity “even.” Tom is at 78,000 now.

UPDATE: Ming Ly is one of about two dozen people sweating the action on the rail. Scotty Nguyen is more than a little drinky, and ordering beers for the table. Tom obliged, and thanked him as he tried to tip the waiter. “No no! I already tip him. Ten dollars. When I say I take care of it I take care of it.”

“You’re trying to get me drunk,” Tom joked upon taking a big swig, “so you can take advantage of me.”

UPDATE: Tom and Scotty’s table now has five players, instead of four, and Tom and Scotty are the ones drinking. Hang, meanwhile has said no more. “I’m happy to have another Bud [Milwaukee's Best] Light,” says Tom, “But I’m having a bathroom issue.”

Now Tom’s being moved to the other table, at which point Scotty says, “See you tomorrow, baby.”

UPDATE: One hand passes at the new table and an argument breaks out — two amateurs bitching at Tony Ma for exposing his cards when two other people were still in the hand. “That’s bullshit!” screamed Saundra Taylor. “Total bullshit. You’re a professional you should know better!” Tom made random comments like, “Gamble-time!” and “Beam me up, Scotty!” Brilliant, Schneider. Good work.

Tom now has 235k in chips … the player to his left, Mark Smyrski just went out … and Tom makes his third final table, with plenty of chips to play. Nice work, Tom!

LAS VEGAS–They’re still three-handed in the HORSE event … Bruno Fitoussi, Freddy Deeb, and John Hanson. Chips are such that it’s still anyone’s game.

Meanwhile, Tom is somehow still alive in the 7-stud Hi Lo event. Waiting to receive a text about his chip count. (He must be playing lots of hands now, which can be dangerous for him in this game. At least I think. When he and his friends start talking stud situations, I do a lot of head-nodding and “uh huh”s.)

UPDATE:

Hav 4500 was down 2 475 at 200 400

Also alive in that event is North Texas player Damon Ramirez. (Understandable that he is not being tracked yet … because he has only 19 career cashes under his belt.) Last we heard on Damon, he was pretty short-stacked while sitting at Doyle Brunson’s table.

UPDATE: Brunson finished Day 1 second in chips.

Damon Ramirez, not Doyle Brunson

OK, so maybe he isn’t the first amateur online qualifier, nor will he be the last … But he is the first Rounder Clubber to make accomplish such a feat, and that’s pretty cool. So big congrats to Chris Como, the most accomplished Lodge Amateur Poker graduate and Rounder Club alum. He invested $24+2 in a 336-player event on Full Tilt, where the top 25 qualified for a $200 event … where the top 9 out of 552 won a $12,000 main-event package.

(Sorry Como, can’t Google- hide your name any more … When you register for the WSOP, that becomes a matter of semi-public record.)

UPDATE: Numbers corrected above. Interestingly enough, the first tourney was the last super-satellite into the last WSOP-qualifying satellite on Full Tilt. Como played both events back-to-back, from about 6 pm to 1:30 am.

So out of however many hundreds of pros and thousands of amateurs in the main event, he is now someone whose progress Pokerati will be following — and we couldn’t be happier. Go Como! Make the final table and maybe we can get you a jersey.

In addition to him, below are other the players we care about might possibly be watching in a couple weeks:

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LAS VEGAS–He’s on fumes … but Tom’s still alive with no more tables to go.

“Very nice.”

LAS VEGAS–Damnit, I’m gonna have to get a whole new Tom-mocking schtick if he keeps refusing to bust out pre-bubble. Congratulations, Tom! Making the money yet again. Thirty-six left, and he is in a fine average-ish shape. So is his buddy Big Robert.

David Williams and John D’Agostino are at Tom’s table. And — I shit you not — shortly after taking down a pot, Tom pulled down his sweat pants, which are now wrapped around his ankles.

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LAS VEGAS–Meanwhile, Tom is hanging on in the $2,500 HORSE event. There are 50 players left (out of 382) and 40 get paid. The Donkey Bomber He has about 25k in chips, with the average stack about 38k. I think he’s the last man standing from his Arizona Posse, but can’t be sure, as “Big Robert” Goldfarb is sometimes hard to see.

CORRECTION: Goldfarb is still alive and well, as the AZP continues to represent.

UPDATE: Schneider is on break. Lewis (Michele) is at hand-for-hand. 101 100 players left. She must’ve successfully stolen some blinds, because she’s got roughly the same 24k.

JC Tran, playing a few tables away in the $5,000 limit hold’em event is taking a peculiar interest in the Fresh Princess’ play.

UPDATE: The bubble has burst and Michele is still alive (still with 24k in chips). She’s in the money — congrats! — and now she moves into phase 2 of her game. All the other ladies are hooting and hollering and crying and hugging. Fresh P is returning the smiles politely but is clearly focussed on what comes next. Nice job, Michele!

Meanwhile, Tom is at the bona fide bubble in his tourney, about six tables away. 41 left. He is about an average stack. Maybe a little smaller after having just folded in a 7-stud pot that started with his raising. (Or is it completing?)

LAS VEGAS–Ask anybody that knows me and they’ll tell you that I march to the beat of a different drum. Sometimes that a nice way of calling somebody retarded, but I’d like to think that it just means that I live life in a way that few can understand. For example, coming to Vegas on a whim during the WSOP with $60 is NOT something that Tom or most of you can understand. To be honest, I’m not really sure why I did it. But it certainly made things interesting.

Because I also came to Vegas with no place to stay, I was happy to know that Tom had a double queen room and that Julie had just left, hooking me up quite nicely. Thanks again, Tom. The next morning after arriving, I showered and snuck out while the Donkey slept. I made my way to the casino, dying to find the cheapest early morning action. $60, remember? Most would search for a low min blackjack table. At the Rio, there were none to be had on this bright Vegas morning.

Roulette is really cool in the sense that when you get $60 in singles, it’s a lot of fun and you can still feel like a high roller as you spread the board. My decision pays off and I am $20 richer. Ok cool. But the guy to my right made only one bet, placing all 20 of his remaining chips on 21. YATZEE! He drags $700! Then he makes a few more smaller bets, leaving his original 20 in its same spot. Deja Vu – $700 again! Now I’m not sure what the chances are, but when he leaves his original 20 there again, I cap it with 5 of my own. Trifecta! Un-fucking-believable! About thirty minutes later me and my new best friend are still cranking away. By this time he has grown his original $20 to over FOUR THOUSAND. I have rode the wave for $850 of my own! My Vegas money probs are gone… For now.

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