A series of deep-stack tourneys just kicked off over at the Venetian yesterday — $300, $500, $1,000 buy-ins and the like — the 2008 Deep Stack Extravaganza I. It was apparently a pretty big deal … I heard two reports — one saying 600 people with 200 alternates. The other claiming 550 players, and yeah, um, lots of alternates it was crazy! I couldn’t make it, however, because I was engaged in an important face-to-face with the Axis of Evil and poker’s hottest new celebrity dictator, Kim Jong Il:

Apparently the North Korean leader was in town to denounce American political sanctions and play $1/$3 No Limit Hold’em at the Rio.

Diplomatic talks broke down when he made a big river bet with on a double-paired board and a Local Ironworker who called him with an overpair started questioning his way of doing things


“So what I crack your aces. I was bruffing! You make bad call … You see two pair onda board that’s poker. I was bruffing with a frush. I crack your aces becaw you pray bad!” The table snickered a bit but silenced up whenever he looked our way, perhaps because of the nuclear threat … But overall it was a pretty heated game — one in which tensions would escalate to the point of requiring peacekeeper intervention.

ALT HED: “Froor!”

While we’re at it, be sure to check out the website of the player who may or may not be “KJ_donktator” on PartyPoker, and if you’d like to help fund his military endeavors, you can transfer money via Paypal. (Seriously, weird, huh?)