DOYLISM OF THE DAY: ‘Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.’

With no high limit games in town it seems all my time and energy is going into the Real Deal at the Venetian.  Our show is getting better and better.  Five o’clock is a little early for a show on the Las Vegas Strip and the producers are trying to get a later starting time.  The audience is bigger each week and they seem to enjoy the show.

After researching when my father died in 1957, I am the same age today as he was when he passed.  It certainly doesn’t seem like it was fifty years ago and it makes me consider my own mortality.  The reality is that we should appreciate and enjoy every day we live.  I think I take after my mom’s side of the family. They (all 10 of them) lived into their 90s with three of them breaking the 100 year mark.  At least that’s where the family tells me I got this bald head.  Perhaps the people who say I am getting old and senile are right.  I can’t believe I responded to what people posted on a public forum.  I should have learned my lesson a few years ago on Rec Gambling when some nut accused me of cheating and running all the high limit games in Las Vegas.  According to him, no one could play unless they had my or Chip Reese’s permission.  He said all the games were fixed.  I tried to defend myself but lots of the folks that posted there seemed to believe it.  You can’t win in a situation like that so I won’t make that mistake again!

After Dewey Tomko and Harry Ornstein were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame it made me wonder which of the young guys will wind up in there.  There are some obvious choices right now but time has a funny way of changing things.  At best we have a pretty good idea who the first African American will be.  I think Dewey was a worthy choice because in the 80’s and early 90’s he was a force to be reckoned with in both the cash games and poker tournaments.  Henry, if for no other reason, deserved it for the invention of the hole card cameras.  He wrote a great book, I Want To Live, about his survival of a Nazi Concentration Camp.

CADDY:  Sir, why do you carry two pair of pants when you play golf?

DANIEL:  In case I have a hole in one.

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Experience teaches only the teachable.”

I can’t help getting feedback from some of the forums and conversations around poker tables I’m not playing at.  A person should be able to take criticism because the Good Book says:  “I had rather be criticized by a wise man than praised by a fool.”  Still, if I write things that offend you, don’t read my blog.  I just say what I think and what I do and neither might be right.

One thing I would like to clear up is about Johnny Moss and Nick ‘the Greek’ Dandolos.  They most definitely did play in 1949-50.  Des Wilson wrote Ghosts at the Table and did a ton of research but he missed it when he said the match never happened.  I talked to my friend, Jack Binion, and he told me they did play and the stories might be exaggerated a little but Moss beat Nick and made him quit.  Des wrote a good, entertaining book but no one can always be right about what happened in the past.

We can talk about The Real Deal now that the press release has gone out.  It is a new poker show that is starting October 1st at the Venetian Hotel.  It is an audience participation show with chances to win big prizes.  I’ve been approached many times about new ventures and have done some of them but most of them fail.  But, when I found out Merv Adelson was the lead person in this show I was happy to be included.  I knew of Merv through his former partner and my good friend, Irwin Molasky.  So, I knew he would have all his ducks in a row with adequate financing and competent people working.  Sure enough, he has put together an amazing team and we are going to have a ball with this show.

I’m off to Montana in the morning, so it may be a few days before I update my blog. I’m as excited as a rookie playing in his first WSOP.  I hope I don’t hurt myself in those mountains! 

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “The One thing you can give and still keep is…your word.”

Looks like everything is winding down now in the poker world.  The WSOP is over for now and the Bellagio WPT is over.  Most of the cash game players are leaving town and so I am finally going to get to Montana for a much needed rest.  I guess I will drive for two days where I can take my dogs; plus loading the Escalade down with stuff I’m going to need.  I’ve hired a house sitter to take care of things while I am gone.

Congratulations to the WPT winners.  I was pulling for David Benyamine to win but his second place finish along with Ralph Perry’s fourth place upholds ‘The Big Game’s’ honor.  I saw when David lost a couple of tough hands in the heads-up.  I’m sure Mike Watson is a worthy champion even though I haven’t played with him that I can remember.

I see where the WPT has been signed on by Fox Sports Network.  That is probably a good move for them even though I have some personal problems with the Network.  They went back on their word on an issue a few years back.  I didn’t understand it at the time and still don’t.  Their excuse was ‘business is business’.  Most folks don’t put the same value on keeping their word as I do.  I might not play in any more WPT tournaments but that would probably be stupid on my part.  I remember the old saying, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.”

If you haven’t played online poker at DoylesRoom you haven’t lived.  We have a rabbit cam that flashes what the next card would have been after you or your opponent folds; just another way to torture yourself and second guess what you should have done.  Just go to options and check ‘show rabbit cam cards’ and you will see how much fun it is to see what would have happened.  Just another improvement on what I believe is the best poker software in the poker sites.

I’m pretty sure we are going to have another golf tournament on ESPN in early October.  High Stakes Entertainment secured a golf course near Orlando, Florida for the event.  That is a good choice because the players can bring their families for a nice vacation.  There are many theme parks, including Disney World, nearby.  There has to be at least a Two Million Dollar prize pool so it will be interesting to say the least.

My autobiography has been put on hold for another year.  My publisher didn’t think the book was ready yet.  It wasn’t my decision but I feel badly for my co-author, Mike Cochran, who has put a lot of time and effort into getting the book written.  Mike is an old friend from way back in college but there is really nothing I can do about it.  Actually it will be easier on me to wait because my plate is full for the next few months and I couldn’t promote the book like they want me to.

I’ve been watching the Maverick Marathon I tivoed during the WSOP.   The Starz Network had a 24 hour showing from the Western Channel on DSS.  They had a lot of poker players giving their remembrances of the series starring James Garner and Jack Kelley.  They had more shots of me than anyone else because I was the only one old enough to remember when Maverick first came on in 1957.  Scotty Nguyen, Hoyt Corkins, Mike Caro, Vanessa Russo, and T. J. Cloutier all had spots on the promos.  What I don’t understand is not one person has ever mentioned seeing it on T.V.  So many folks come up and say, “I watch you on T.V. all the time.”  Could it be that I am the only cowboy left? 

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “The best vitamin for making friends…B1.”

My record for two lost scooters at the WSOP has to be revised.  Security at the Rio found it on the 18th floor the last day of the tournament.  It was unharmed but I had already bought a top of the line Pride Maxima and couldn’t return it; so I have three scooters now, so if anyone needs one let me know!

I’ve decided I am a sicko, degenerate gambler.  After being worn out from the WSOP I proceeded to go play in the Bellagio $15,000 tournament.  I made it through the first day but went out on the second day.  There were some really good side cash games and I played in those also; pretty stupid for a 74 year-old man who saw his hand trembling for the first time in his life.  One good thing is that I won in the cash games but I‘ve gotta get out of here and rest up before I do any more serious playing.

My son, Todd, is in tenth place with less than fifty players left at the Bellagio.  I sure would like to see him take down that $1,600,000 first place prize.  He is a fine player and is overdue for a win.  At least the playing hours are good.  You quit playing about 9:00 at night and can go home for a good night’s sleep.  I wish all the tournaments were like that; I would play in a lot more of them.

The action in a ten handed first day table is pretty slow so I picked up a book called The Zen Book to read between hands.  I know it is a book about Buddha but I’m not sure what their beliefs are.  I think they think Buddha is a god, but I’m not sure.  I have strong Christian beliefs so I’m not looking for any new religion but I’ve heard a lot about Zen so I read it.  I was really impressed by the wisdom that was in that book.  Most of the religions in the world have some good beliefs that have been written.  The main lesson I got out of the book was to be content with yourself.  I’m afraid I’ve always pushed myself at whatever I’ve done.

It looks like there are going to e about 40 ex-basketball players with their wives that are coming to Montana for our college reunion.  That is pretty good for a bunch of guys that played together over fifty years ago.  Most of them are teachers and preachers but all of them are really good guys and we have stayed in touch all these years.  I’m looking forward to seeing them. – DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Yesterday is the wind at your back.”

I went out on Flathead Lake in my pontoon boat today with some friends. We rode around and went around Wild Horse Island. The name comes from the wild mustangs that are on the Island. Nobody seems to know how the horses or the other wildlife got out there because the shoreline is at least a mile away. We also saw big horn sheep and lots of white tail deer and goats. Bald-headed eagles were around along with some other big birds I didn’t know.

We went all the way to the end of the lake and had lunch. I can’t believe how many good restaurants there are here. Maybe the food just tastes better in the country.

I forgot to mention in my last blog that I saw Brent Musburger, an old friend that I hadn’t seen in thirty years. Brent is the lead sportscaster for CBS and has been as long as I can remember. Brent covered the WSOP in 1976, the first year I won the main event. Jimmy ‘the Greek’ Snyder, Brent’s co-anchor on NFL football was also helping cover the series.

I remember Brent made a bet on me to win. He also told me he still had the 1st edition S/S book I gave him that year. Brent and his wife found the Montana magic and have a place down in Hamilton. He looked the same, just a little older. One of the nicer men I’ve ever met.

My friend Lara called me on my cell while I was driving to Whitefish. She asked “what happened?” I had no idea what she was talking about and told her so. Lara is an agent and has lots of media contacts. She said four reporters had called and informed her they had reports I had died last night. I told her to tell them the rumors that I was dead were greatly exaggerated. It seems every year somebody starts untrue stories about me. My favorite is that I was caught cheating in the Bellagio and carried out in handcuffs. That story went around two different years. Someone has a very vivid imagination.

I went out with my next door neighbors fishing. We didn’t start until late afternoon but it doesn’t get dark here until 10 0′clock. There are 25 species of fish in the Flathead including Cutthroat Trout, Pygmy Whitefish, Yellow Perch, and lots of Lake Trout. The record Montana Lake Trout is 44 inches long and 42 lbs. It was caught on the Flathead in 1979. We didn’t catch anything close to that, but we caught 4 nice Lake Trout with the biggest one just over 21 lbs.

I got my first traffic ticket since college in Lakeside yesterday. There were two stop signs about ten yards apart and I missed the second one so I guess I deserved it but the officer was the first rude person I’ve met in Montana. Most of the locals are not only extremely friendly, but they are eager to help if you need it. Casper let me down because he was in the car when I got stopped and even though he made a charge and tried, he didn’t bite the officer. Good thing he didn’t because that jerk probably would have thrown me under the jail. 85 bucks for the ticket, things have gone up since 1955. -DB

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