Pokerati’s own Dan Michalski took part in an “expert panel” for ESPN with Dr. Pauly, Chops of Wicked Chops Poker, Gary Wise, Bernard Lee, Lance Bradley of Bluff Magazine, and ESPN.com’s Andrew Feldman ranking the field of the NBC National Headsup Poker Championship, starting on Friday. Since I’m only able to write an article at one of these sites, let’s take a look at how Dan ranked the field:
Everyone’s hustlin’ gigs these days … and beyond status updates to my Facebook page, I’ve found two welcome homes for some non-Pokerati writing — at Bluff, and most recently What’s On … where I let the not-so-poker-geeky Vegas tourists know about happenings of interest from the LV poker scene, such as:
The Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza (which I think ended yesterday or today!) and, coming up, Dream Team Poker.
Though I’m not yet ready to declare football the new poker — or sports wagering for that matter — it is now safe to tell you about my dominance in something called U Pick’em.
You may recall a post a while back about the heated non-poker competition in the Michalski family, where I was proving my prowess as a no-spread football picker. Of course in the week right after that post, I totally tanked — dropping dramatically on the family leaderboard and several percentage points nationwide.
But as in poker and life, you’ve gotta play 60 minutes of football! … And with that (as well as the knowledge that I probably shouldn’t post about my non-poker greatness) I clawed my way back to the top. With a last-minute switch to the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, my end results for the 2008 NFL season:
Nationwide: 277th out of 145,498
For people playing through the LVRJ: 33rd out of 9,727
Michalski family: Tied for 1st out of 13
Total winners picked: 176 out of 266 (66 %)
So clearly, I need to develop a sports-betting habit in 2009 to make up for all my rivers that don’t hit in poker.
Pokerati’s own Dan Michalski and an all-star cast of poker media will appear on the premier episode of “The Poker Beat” with Scott Huff at 1pm PT Thursday afternoon over at PokerRoad.
The lineup:
John Caldwell (formerly of Pokernews)
Gary Wise of ESPN and WisehandPoker.com
Matt Parvis of Bluff Magazine
Dan Michalski of Pokerati.com
BJ Nemeth of World Poker Tour
and Joe Stapleton of PokerRoad.com with some closing thoughts.
Topics will include the Obama and the UIGEA, the Durrr Challenge, and the L.A. Poker Classic.
I’m assuming Dan’s at the Golden Nugget watching the taping of day 1 of the latest season ofHigh Stakes Poker, but for those that want to know when it airs, Card Player is reporting that season 5 of HSP will air starting March 1 at 9pm ET on GSN. The network made a recent decision to make Sunday their “Poker Night”, with Season 6 of the World Poker Tour episodes at 6pm ET, and previous seasons of High Stakes Poker at 8pm ET. As mentioned before, the minimum buyin will be $200,000, with the blinds $400/$800 with a $200 ante. Last year’s taping of a $500,000 minimum buyin game last season appears to be gone, as it tightened up the play to the producers’ dismay.
Seen last night outside the new cash game room at Binion’s:
The reason for this seeming disparity?
A. Bluff too deep and heavy for casual reading.
B. Bluff has superior distribution channels to keep its supply always well stocked.
C. National Finals Rodeo in town — not huge John Juanda fans.
D. First issue of Bluff with an article by Dan Michalski.
E. Rounder has a better rack.
Pokerati’s own Dan Michalski will be on Wise Hand Poker shortly (5:45pm PT?) to discuss the 60 Minutes/Washington Post pieces on the Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet incidents. To listen live head to www.roundersradio.com.
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Listener Line: (888) 820-8091
In the grand tradition of Rocky Balboa, Return to Mayberry, and The Brady Girls Get Married, your favorite poker podcast returned today with a brand-spankin’ new episode. Five months after announcing their “retirement†— has it really been five months? seems like three — the group collectively determined the whole is worth more than the sum of the parts, and have thus decided to try and recreate the adventure, the thrill, the magic that is Beyond the Table.
Or, as Tom puts it, “We all got bored with our lives.â€
The return show finds our intrepid trio (plus Sit-N-Go Steve) in classic BTT form, managing to cover a wide range of topics despite (or because) Dan is sitting on his mute button. Following the awkward reintroductions (“uh… do I know you?â€), the fellas discuss the recent WCOOP successes of Tom (a.k.a., “luvgambleâ€), team poker tourneys, political prop-betting, the differing concerns of amateurs and pros at the WSOP, and UB cheating scandal rumors.
They even get down to brass tacks and answer some poker-related listener calls, suggesting that if you were to call the listener line — (888) 820-8091 — they might well answer your question sometime during the next six months or so, too! You can also email ’em at theshow(at)beyondthetable(dot)com.
What’s been happening at the WSOP since last night, while Dan Michalski anxiously awaits his attempt to make good on his $300 All-In “investment”:
The $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha final table has been set, this group of 9 faces the hot lights of the ESPN cameras:
Seat 1: Kido Pham 1,080,000
Seat 2: Brandon Moran 1,286,000
Seat 3: Peter Jetten 492,000
Seat 4: Michael Mizrachi 1,767,000
Seat 5: Billy Argyros 729,000
Seat 6: Greg Hurst 637,000
Seat 7: Tom Hanlon 192,000
Seat 8: Marty Smyth 1,068,000
Seat 9: Richard Harroch 372,000
The other final table scheduled for today and the other tournament action on the next page:
More…
Anthropologists and homicide detectives alike know you can tell a lot about a person based on the contents of their trash … yikes, a little scary to see what’s in the rubbish bin at Pokerati’s non-Rio Las Vegas headquarters:
Seriously, that can’t be healthy, can it?
And Tao of Pokerati is all over it a day and a half ago! Listen live, or at least semi-live, as Pauly and Benjo (filling in) speculate on my whereabouts (and the Pokerati sex slave business empire) when their hardcore reporting and potential slander of California Jen is interrupted by Doyle Brunson’s cashing for $124k in the Big HORSE event.
Bonus Episode: Pimp-Doyle News
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Wait, Dan has friends?
I kid. Evidently, he knows the Batfaces, and a group of them are in Vegas to drink heavily play in the World Series. I daydreamed about Mekhi Phifer listened intently as Dan told me about his friends and how their tournaments are going.
Here’s what I caught: Tim, Troy, and Randy are out. Eric (one of them, not sure which) and Todd are still in.
Dan is at the Rio today and walking the tournament floor to text CSR updates about the guys. Go Batfaces!
Dan and Cali Jen ventured into the Rio casino for a dinner & business meeting at Rub BBQ. (Yes, there are jokes in the name of the joint. I won’t even get started…) And of course, the sausage plate, pictured here, couldn’t have been more phallic. Dan did take home my leftovers, for whatever that’s worth.
As we were walking back to the convention center after dinner, a young man stopped us in the hallway. “Dan Michalski from Pokerati?” Ahhh, a Dallas poker player who claimed to have been a fan of Pokerati for years stopped and asked me to take a picture of him and Dan. He said he had pictures with Barry Greenstein and Chris Ferguson, and Dan made that same list.
Dan has fans. Who knew? (I suppose this made me look important to be seen with him. Mental note: Be seen with Dan more often, but don’t get carried away with it.)
If you haven’t jumped on the Tao of Pokerati train yet, whazzup? It’s been up for a few hours now. Get on before it’s not hip anymore.
In order to promote the mini-podcast, here is a promo photo for your viewing pleasure. This is also what it looks like from behind our press perch in the Amazon Room. Welcome to my world.
Dan made the wise decision to let me start posting here during the WSOP. Since I’ll be nowhere near the real action (being from Syracuse, NY), I’ll do my best to give my views on the action from time to time while the rest of the Pokerati crew will be busy doing all the good stuff at the WSOP that makes this poker enthusiast wish to be there himself. Today’s the calm before the storm as a field of ~300 should take part in today’s $10,000 Pot Limit Holdem “World Championship”.
A few questions pre-WSOP:
More…
Watched Game of Thrones, now I am playing Sensible Soccer on the 360, for some reason. #Monday
Great crAAKKer post by @Grange95: http://t.co/KcaobMfP) I wish I could write like Michael. Maybe someday. #poker #onlinegaming
