A Room Without a View

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Stacking chips from David Williams.

The beginning of yesterday's action.

Freddy Deeb; I'd hate to sit at a table with him.

Jennifer Harman coming over the top. Her opponent (with sweater on back of chair) deliberated for five minutes before mucking.

Write-ups are now done for World Series of Poker Event #2 Day 2 (NLHE) and Event #3 Day 1 (PLHE). Check PokerWorks as they add fresh content, and for sure head over to these articles. I've gotten so much good stuff from different people, good feedback. I was talking with Sweetie when I got to my room at 4:00 this morning, and I told her that there is so little in our lives where we have people telling us we do a good job. When it's something that you don't know if you can do well, like the Truckin' story or these articles or this blog, well I have to be honest, it's very appreciated. So keep sucking up or blowing smoke up my skirt or whatever.

Some macro thoughts on all of this heading into today:

• I'm probably so idealistic and naive that I didn't truly understand poker until this trip. There is poker that we play, where we try to win, have fun, lose some, analyze our hands, try to remember odds and what to do when M is 12 and stuff like that. Then there is poker that the pros subscribe to. This poker is all about taking money away from other people, that really is all it is about. These people who we've read about or seen? They crave action from the businessman or the drunk guy or the kid parlaying a win. The rest of it is a grind, which is where the prop bets and the mixed games and the running it twice all come into play.
• The tourney room is littered with those sliding down or at the bottom. Some are noticeable, others are chameleons. They've jumped down in stakes quietly, they're being backed or bought into events. Some are dealing at the WSOP while marketing themselves as real players ready to make a run.
• The room is filled with some clueless folks. I chatted it up with one guy who has his mistress of five years with him. I had shot her photo as a railbird, which she asked me to nuke. He played the PLHE, made the money and into Day 2. Never played pot limit in his life, had no plan, nothing. This is the event that Phil Ivey among others left after a couple hours.
• Chinese poker: incredible to watch Sheiky and Matusow play. I never really understood what the heck was going on as I just wandered by (it's like twelve decks being dealt or something).

I ended up only eating the megalunch yesterday, which is obviously no good. I do have some inventory (meaning some blubber I could live off of for a few weeks), but I'll have to figure out what to do. I'm probably going to shower and head on. I need to transcribe the Mike Sexton interview today to keep the discipline, as well as need to research some of the folks I'll be interviewing. And call them on their cell phones and not be a big fraidy-scared baby. "Hey Sheiky, Craig here. You were busting it last night something good. Wanted to see when a good time would be to interview you, as I know you have alot to say."

Well, I'll at least avoid these calls until I shower. And eat. And haul my fifty pounds of crap back to the Media Room. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll keep pinging away throughout the day. (NOTE: keep repeating I WILL PLAY POKER TODAY, I WILL PLAY POKER TODAY)