Ok, on to WSOP news. The first event was the (not including the casino employee event) was the $2000 NL Holdem event (which was event #5 last year). In 2003 this event drew a record 407 players - this year we had 834 players. If this sentence gives you some feeling of the explosive growth the WSOP has experienced this year - then you caught my point.
ProAmp asked in another post about live games - it was a good question and he anticipated some of the problems with spreading them - namely, that the tournaments are so big that there is no room for live games. It is a problem. We've had to shut down all live games twice in the first week because the tournaments have used up every poker table in the casino. SuperSatellites are schedualled every afternoon (for an entry into the main event) and so the first tables to become open are reserved for that event, then the daily single table satellites for daily events - then live games.
On a more personal note - I've gotten some very interesting job offers since I've been here. As you know - dealing is not my thing but nevertheless, I've been offered a coveted position on the poker cruise ships - they're rather impossible to get but I dealt a single table satellite to the owner of cardplayer cruises and he offered. I turned that one down. I also got an offer to deal in Aruba for a two week tournament in September in which they pay air fare and lodging (very rare - usually you pay yourself) which I put off giving an answer. Lastly, a new poker dealers school is opening on June 14th and I've been asked to be an instructor. The last offer I'm going to consider. If it requires me to work 10-20 hours a week then I'll still be able to play my normal 24-28 hours a week; if it's full time then I'm going to have to pass - I'm not giving up playing.
On another personal note: when you are watching the 2004 WSOP on TV and you get to that part where they say: "This is how you play NL Texas Holdem. First there's a flop..." and you'll see a flop get spread --> that is yours truly. ESPN asked me to do that part for them and we finished taping yesterday. I don't think you'll actually see me per se - but that hand you see flopping - it's attached to me. They have also requested from Harrah's that I deal the final table of the Championship event. We'll see how the politics play out on that one.
Anywho - more info as it comes - feel free to ask questions and I'll answer what I can.
That is awesome. Congrats on the job offers, and the final, final table (maybe you can deal me some good cards, lol). Also, congrats on your hand going big time on ESPN. LOL. That is awesome that everything is going good.
One last thing, is the Plaza the only place with a poker room downtown, besides Binions? I dont feel like taking a cab back and forth to the strip everyday, so if you know of places to play, 10-20 thru 30-60, downtown, I would appreciate it, so I can get started when I get there and not have to worry about where a game might be.
Thanks, and keep the stories coming.
Well, I may have misled you into thinking that the live games at Binions are in trouble - actually most of the time there is all the action a guy could want - just during the largest tournaments things dry up. The Nugget opened up a poker room last week - I hear the dealers are atrocious but the comps are flowing like water. Most of us found it worth a chuckle that Jack Binion was on hand for the Nuggets poker room opening instead of across the street at his old home.
How do the blinds and the button work when someone who was going to be in one of those positions on the next hand is eliminated. It seems there are many ways to play it, but I was wondering how it is done during the WSOP. With the explosion of TV Poker we all want to play with those same rules in our local tournaments. Could you provide an example or two - just giving me the name of the method isn't going to help me.
As an experienced, rated player could you please do me a favor and weigh in on another thread. It is under "Tournament Poker" in the category "Strategy, Ideas, Questions - Etc." and the thread is called "Very Important Poker Tournament Legallity". I'm starting to think I'm getting senile or losing my mind or both.
Congrats on the job offers Angel! Do me a favor and accept at least one of those offers (especially the cruise or Aruba). I don't want to have to sit here and think that someone out there is actually living large enough to be turning those kinds of offers down!
I'm really looking forward to reading your posts over the next few weeks. It'll be interesting to read about what's going on down there from an inside perspective.
