Mike Sexton apparently has a new gig over at my personal poker news RSS reader PokerNewsDaily, and in his debut column shares his real thoughts on the 2008 WSOP. They are respectful (of course) but, the WPT television co-host doesn’t hold back from addressing his concerns about WSOP floor staff, cheating, and death.

Some highlights:

Another problem I have: “What if someone dies before the final table is assembled?” Putting a little casket on the table and blinding a guy off would not only create a morbid setting, it would also change the strategy players might induce to move up in the money. And although a legend didn’t make that final table (such as Doyle Brunson), what if they did and then they died in October? What might have been perhaps the greatest final table ever would now be a very sad and tragic final table.

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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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Huh, maybe I’m wrong about poker’s decline … maybe Lycos is right and poker is just starting to boom. Was checking out YouTube early this AM, and with so much important stuff going on in the world — the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Ron Paul’s squelching by Fox News, the New England Patriots yadda yadda — what’s the number one spotlight video? How to play Texas Hold’em. “The fifth and final card dealt is called the river.”

On the upside, it led me to a related video with Oliver Tse at a final table. Southern California Poker Tour announcer Matthew Dodd rips into the O-man for leading out from early position when he flops two pair … and I just gotta say, Doddo, you are dead wrong in your analysis — despite your Tom Schneider looks emphatic delivery of it! But hey, I guess that sorta expertise should be expected from the people who bring us the video above?

Following a pattern established by arena faves Frampton, Kiss, and Cheap Trick, this episode of Beyond the Table captures the group in a rare live performance. With no edits, overdubs, or other studio gimmickry, “Live and Otherwise” finds BTT returning to its off-the-cuff, improvisational roots.

The set gets going with a raucous medley of blues-based numbers, including soon-to-be-classics “Queens Done Done Me In (Again)” — featuring a solo from Little Tommy Schneider — and the Askenasy-penned “I Think My Hair Has a Mind of Its Own.” The group then transitions into a surprisingly peppy version of “House Hoppin’ Blues” chronicling Dan’s recent move Vegas-ward.

From there the boys turn topical, with rockers “Flight of the Dragon” (noting David Pham’s having locked up Player of the Year), “Enjoying the Game” (an homage to Chip Reese), and “Guilt Trip” (regarding the Vaughn-Mizzi account-purchasing affair). As an encore, the group surprises the audience with a new title, “Fortune’s Steward,” a brief romp recognizing Falstaff, author of PokerStage and tireless organizer of the recent WPBT Winter Gathering.

Be sure to catch this important live document of the power trio’s development, circa late-2007. And be sure to email your feedback to theshow(at)beyondthetable(dot)com and/or call the listener line @ (888) 820-8091.

LAS VEGAS–Just learned from listening to Chris’ podcast that Bellagio has instituted a new rule — 20 minute penalty for anyone who uses a cell phone (or Blackberry, or Treo, or Blackjack, or iPhone) at the table … whether they are in the hand or not.

LAS VEGAS–Technical difficulties aside … I played in a big tourney yesterday (big for me). It was the third $1,500 NLH event of the WSOP, which drew 2,315 entries. CC over at PokerWorks was cool enough to follow my action while the Fresh Princess couldn’t. I just wish I could have given him and our new-best friends at Milwaukee’s Best Light — who are running online freerolls for main event seats here — a little-more-better to write/read about.

In a nutshell, I just never got any traction. It was like riding a bull out of the gate — up and down and in control of my chips, but never firmly saddled. With my mind as clear as it could be after a morning pep talk with various yokels in web-server tech support … I got hit early when my two pair lost to a better two pair (my fault for playing A-8s) and then my “top top” lost to two pair played very passively, not giving much indication of what I was up against. But that’s OK, no panic — just shifting gears more often than I’d like. Would get down to the proverbial “chip and a chair” holding a single 500 chip in the second level. And then — call me an angle-shooter if you will — I pulled a tricky to stay alive:

Blinds were 50/100, and I had K-Js in middle position. UTG comes in for a raise to 300, and I decide this is the hand I gotta go with. I flip my chip into the pot (with a high arc) saying, “One chip!” Though I gave this overchip underraise about a 20 percent shot of working, the dealer took the bait.

“Sir, excuse me, but you did not say ‘raise.’ This is going to stand as a 300-dollar call.”

Oh, right. Sorry. Oops. I understand.

Everyone else folded, and it’s heads up as we see the flop. I couldn’t have missed more — not even runner-runner flush outs — and when the other player fires out, I fold, leaving me with two black chips change. In my mind I had doubled up, now with an M=0.667.

With this, I started to believe … just maybe possibly …it was my destiny to win. Yep, I’d be following in Tom’s bracelet-bound footsteps … doing Milwaukee’s Best Light, Put a Bad Beat on Cancer (decided to go with the official charity of the WSOP) and The Batfaces proud … all while providing inspiration for all of blog-kind! The belief continued to germinate as I climbed well out of the hole and started to get comfortable after winning a couple races.

While unable to post during the event, I was able to text-message some play-by-play to friends and colleagues. (And interestingly enough, Jack Effel announced specific rules at the start of the tourney relating to this ever-more-common practice for providing chip counts.) Here’s what my “top friends” got as Big Tourney Day progressed:

1:07 pm (pacific)
Hurt kinda early. Lost two pair to 2 pr twice.

1:08 pm
Down to 2 chips and a chair.

1:09 pm
Made it to level 2. M=5

1:33 pm
Literally down to chip and chair. But lasted longer than tom!
[Ed. Note: Tom Schneider and I had a $200 last longest bet, which he smartly hedged by saying we had to make it to Day 2 for either of us to collect.]

1:50 pm
Doubled up from 1 chip to 2. 500 to 200

2:12 pm
Oh boy. I went from 200 to 2250″ seated next to barry greenstein, whose advice i took last night.

2:21 pm
2250. Seated next to barry greenstein on 217. he said advice still good, but sometimes cards don’t cooperate.

2:26 pm
Turned my 200 into 2250. Did i already report this? I arguably shot an angle with an overchip underraise to stay alive.

2:29 pm
Walking back in room. I smell weed. Someone was clearly smoking on break.

3:04 pm
1900 left. Chips that is.

3:17 pm
Just got KOd. My 10-10 lost to AK on the river.

3:20 pm
If i win that hand i think i am good to win the tournament.

LAS VEGAS–In the double-bubble quadrant of the Amazon room, over the PA …

Tournament Official (in the Ladies tourney): “Attention players. No more iPods at the table. New WSOP rule. No more iPods or electronic devices now that we are in the money.”

David Williams (still alive and strong in HORSE), snarkily: “Attention players. No more cheating now that we’re in the money.”

LAS VEGAS–Shuttergypsy sends word of an ado brewing yesterday between Clonie Gowen and Brandi Hawbacker, seated to her left. According to Gutshot (scroll all the way to the bottom) Clonie wasn’t too appreciative of the apparent coaching being given to Brandi (dubbed the Lindsay Lohan of Poker by Pauly) by master game theorist (and young-girl lover) David Sklansky.

For whatever reason, Clonie insisted it was not Sklansky but rather some random old guy — because surely Sklansky would never violate any terms of rules and etiquette, right? With all due respect to the original boom-era poker babe, I am willing to bet, oh, I dunno, how ’bout $250, that Clonie is so wrong. Not about the coaching, but about the identity of the bald and scruffy rail rooster, who looks very similar to this guy, shot by Shuttergyp last year wearing his lucky shirt:

LOS ANGELES–Oh, I almost forgot, one thing that I saw repeatedly at the Bicycle Casino that had me a little confused:

• Calling clock on yourself? This happened in both the cash game and tournament … whenever players would find themselves facing difficult decisions and steeping into the tank, eventually, usually after 30 seconds or so, they would call out, “Clock.” Every time the dealer nodded in agreement. What’s up with this? I thought it was on other players to call clock — thereby giving the tanker 60 seconds to call, raise, or fold. Perhaps it’s done differently in California?
  

The reigning WSOP Main Event Champ, Jamie “Kid Pyrite” Gold, is up to his tricks again, this time at the $25,000 Main Event at the Five Star World Poker Classic. Seriously, when is this guy gonna learn?

From: CardPlayer

Jamie Gold’s Breach of Etiquette
With a board showing AQ8, the player in seat 2 bets $2,000. Following a conversation about playing styles, Jamie Gold says, “Respect” to the player in seat 2 and exposes the A and mucks his hand. The player in seat 9 shrugs his shoulders as he has yet to act. Upon realizing his breach of etiquette, Gold apologizes numerous times. The player in seat 9 responds by re-raising $6,000. The player in seat 2 folds and Jamie Gold asks the table if he is allowed to play properly again.

I might be willing to give him a little slack, but he’s been turning over bluffs to Tuan Le all night. My new theory: Jamie is a woman.

Requires tremendous amounts of attention
Able to nag you into submission
Pixie nose
Unisex name

Okay… I can’t say much about the name. But there are no girl Karridy’s… That I know of.

Update Before I could even publish this, I see that Tuan Le doubled through Pyrite. Love the semi-instant kharma!

I was at the Bellagio the past four days or so. I came in 24th in one of the events … just 23 players away from more than $300,000…almost enough to get Dan some new sex toys a personality a haircut and a new wardrobe.

Anyway, I was playing in this $25/$50 no-limit hold’em cash game when it happened. The Bellagio’s poker tables have a yellow betting line. If while placing a bet, the chips or money do not cross this line, it is not considered part of the bet. That would have been nice to know. However, anyone who plays the game with good intentions doesn’t take advantage of such things and wouldn’t call it on another player when it’s obvious they intended to raise.

The guy to my right was in the big blind. This is a reference few people know, but he looked and dressed like Leon Redbone, a strange old singer. I picked up two $100 chips to raise, to make it $200 to go. I just happened to be sitting in the 2 seat. The line is much farther away from the end seats requiring the 2 and 8 seat players to lean way over to get the money within the line. (And who says poker players aren’t athletes?) It just happened that one chip made it inside the line and the other one was just low and outside. Immediately, the guy in the big blind says, “both chips didn’t go over the line, so that’s not $200”. I said, “Are you kidding me? I made a forward motion and intended to raise. Fine, then it’s only a call.”

The one seat said, “No, it’s a raise to $100.”

I was getting a little irritated and replied, “Listen, it’s either one chip or two chips, two chips is a raise, and everyone knows that one chip is only a call if I don’t announce raise.”

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AUSTIN–I’m still in the Texas heartland, and I couldn’t have left here without playing some cards. All went well while playing an un-raked game at a bar that gives out awesome cheesy truckers’ hats to its patrons. I had “Brad Beats” sitting to my right — his hat said “If I wanted to hear an asshole, I would fart” — and he and I got into it about a rule that I know all too well.

You see, I made a mistake and dealt the turn prematurely. Right right, I know what you are thinking … But Dan, we have gone over this one time and time again! I know. But apparently Brad Beats hasn’t been reading his Pokerati everyday like he should, and he thought he knew the right way to rectify this dealer misstep.

Cool, I will bet you $100 you are wrong, I retorted.

“Dude, I’ve seen this happen two times in Las Vegas, so I know I am right!”

OK, then how ’bout $1,000? I’ll even give you 5-to-1 odds. (It’s fun to have a potential prop bet where you are virtually certain to be holding the nuts …)

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Wow, I don’t even know where to begin on this WSOP press release. So does this mean it’s true that in the World Series you can lie about your hand, but not tell the truth?

Reigning World Series Of Poker® Champion Jamie Gold
Won’t Face Retroactive Penalty For Rules Infractions

LAS VEGAS – March 28, 2007 – The World Series of Poker will not penalize reigning WSOP World Champion Jamie Gold for two rules infractions that occurred during the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Gold said that in one incident he exposed a hole card to an opponent. He said that in the other incident he told an opponent he held top pair and top kicker after the opponent had bet. While common in cash games, such actions are violations of WSOP tournament rules.

Under the 2006 WSOP rules, Gold would have been subject to a penalty requiring him to sit out 10 minutes of play – if WSOP floor persons had seen either of those incidents when they occurred. The rules for the 2007 WSOP call for a 10-hand rather than 10-minute penalty.

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