DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Poker don’t make the world go round, but it makes the ride worthwhile.”

Every year about this time, some sicko feels the need to spread the news that I died. Doug Dalton was the first to call and I had several calls after that. I was tweeting on twitter and Howard Lederer spread the word that if I was dead, someone was twittering on my account. When I do die, hopefully years from now, everybody will have to check to see if it’s true.

Speaking of Twittering, I told Louise, who has been in Hawaii for two months, asked what I was doing. When I told her I was tweeting on my twitter she thought it was a sexual innuendo. I laughed at her and she told me the same thing my sister told me. “Doyle, I think you are going crazy.” Actually, I’ve always suspected I might be a little crazy, so they could be right.

Looks like the guys are playing golf every day. Daniel tweeted me that Ivey, Patrick, E-Dog and him were out every day. Man, am I jealous. The most fun I’ve ever had is when 15-20 guys gather at a good golf course and everybody tries to play high and make fair games. With the WSOP so close there is no reason to try to join them because everyone will be in the poker room next week. It looks like if Eli Elezra and I don’t start the poker games at Bobby’s Room, they don’t get started. I’ll never understand why players are reluctant to sit down and start, the games almost always fill up.

Mike Caro and I are doing 6 seminars during the WSOP.  They are on May 30/31, June 13/14 and June 27/28. Mike does all the hard work with his bullet points and presentation. He is the best at these things, he really does a good job. I do a 20 minute Q&A at the end of each one which is really pretty easy.  Everyone should come if they can make it.

I signed on with Poker Royalty yesterday. Poker Royalty represents quite a few poker players in making deals for their endorsements, etc. I’ve heard nothing but good things about them. I’m a terrible businessman and deal maker so I’m glad to be able to turn over all that stuff to them. As I recall, they have a suite right outside the tournament area that will be handy for bathroom breaks. That will be cool because it’s hard to get to the bathroom during the WSOP. All the fans want pictures and autographs and you seem like a jerk if you don’t talk to them.

It’s been weeks since I’ve played poker. If it hadn’t been for the NBA playoffs, I would really be climbing up the wall. Louise has been gone for 2 months now due to her allergy problems and I’ve been babysitting Cutie and Casper. I haven’t even been to the golf course. I’ll say one thing, because of this I’ve got a fire in my belly I haven’t felt for years. I’m really anxious to get to the poker table and I’m going to see if there are any wins left in this old man. I’m going to win a bracelet this year!

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker.”

I didn’t have a very good result in my return to poker, after a few months off. In the NBC Heads Up Championship, I lost in the 1st round to Vanessa Rousso.  I’ve got no excuses, she held the best hands and I never really had a chance.  I made two hidden pair twice and she beat both hands.  It’s hard to overcome a bad start and she played very well and now I’m on the rail.  Vanessa is the GoDaddy representative and is going to be in the poker world for a long time.

At least maybe we will be able to have a few cash games down at Bobby’s Room. Out of the 64 entries in the Heads Up Tournament, there are a dozen or so high limit cash game players.  The eliminations come very quickly so everyone will be looking for a game.  I know I’m ready and I feel much better just getting out of the house.  I guess I just need action.

I got a call from Eli Elezra and the boys and girl (Jen Harman), are gathering at the Bellagio.  I can’t wait to get there.  I’ve waited in the house until I’m going nuts.

I noticed this morning that Vanessa Rousso is down to the final four in the NBC Heads Up Tournament.  She beat me, Phil Ivey, Paul Wasicka and Daniel Negreanu.  That’s pretty impressive and it shows how many good players that are out there that aren’t really recognized. Vanessa probably isn’t ready for the high stakes cash games but she is certainly good enough for the tournaments.  I hope she wins, it would be really good for poker.

I saw Barry Greenstein at the tournament and he told me about the thread on a forum that questioned if I could beat a 1k NL game.  For the record, and you can say this is written in stone, I’ve never seen a poker game that I can’t beat.  I am going to exclude PLO because, even though I’ve had good results playing it, I have never felt comfortable.  Why?  I don’t know for sure, but I always go with my gut feeling.  Can I win multi-tabling?  No, I wouldn’t even try because that is something I know nothing about. I’m certainly not trying to win a spot on the great internet players, but if anyone wants to play real poker, come on down to where everyone knows the big games are. And as I’ve always said, the best players in the world are playing in the biggest games in the world.  How do you think we got there?  Almost every high limit player, including me, came up through the ranks.  I played 1-2-5 NL Hold’em for years and years and worked my way up.  I realize there are good players at the lower levels and some could make the grade, but my question is why haven’t they moved up?  Don’t like money?  Water seeks its own level and so do poker players!
-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.”

This beautiful weather continues.  Every day is perfect with almost no wind.  I wonder if Al Gore’s warning about global warming is responsible for such unusual conditions.  Whatever the reason, if you live in the Las Vegas area, you should try to get out of the house and enjoy the great days.

I’ve been down to Bobby’s room at the Bellagio twice in the last week.  There is absolutely nothing going on, not even a game with lesser limits.  Looks like we are going to have to go to the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles to stir up some action.  Besides the tournaments, online playing, and the economy, high stakes poker really misses Chip Reese.  Chip would always be willing to start games along with Eli Elezra and myself.  If you start one, you will probably get players to play but for some strange reason I’ve never understood, poker players are reluctant to be the first to sit down at the table.

I’ve been a fan of the old TV series, “Dallas”.  I’ve got all 10 seasons on DVD and have started watching them again.  What a great cast!  Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing is absolutely terrific in his role as a powerful independent oil man.  It seems like I remember it was the longest running series in TV history.  Dallas was produced by Lorimar which was headed by Irwin Molasky and Merv Adelson.  Irwin is a local real estate developer and Merv was the producer of the recently closed, “Real Deal”, which featured the local poker pros.  The thing I notice most about the re-runs is that all the women are extremely good looking with lots of curves.  Not one “Twiggy” on the show and I like the healthy look a lot more.

On a sad note, the teenage girl with untreatable cancer, from El Paso, Texas, died this morning from pneumonia.  It seems a lot of really sick people die from that because their immune system weakens.  I really regret I never got to speak to Margaret because I was waiting for her to recover from pneumonia.  I will remember her for her courage and strength towards the end of her young life.  She didn’t want anyone to pity her and she accepted her fate admirably well.  R.I.P. Margaret Hussmann!

DOYLISM OF THE DAY:”No is one of the few words that can never be misunderstood.”

Another one of my longtime friends passed a few days ago.  Sammy Baugh, arguably the greatest quarterback in football history, died at age 94.  Baugh was the last surviving member of the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame.  If you are too young to remember “Slinging Sammy”, he played for the Washington Redskins for 15 years.  One season, he led the league in passing, defensive interceptions and punting.  He still owns the NFL single season punting record with a 51.4 yards per kick.

Baugh was the football coach at my University when I was in school.  I saw him in practice one day punt the ball from the 50 yard line out of bounds inside the seven yard line 6 times in a row.  Sammy and I had a lot in common as we grew up 20 miles apart and went to the same high school.  He was a fine man and wanted to be remembered as a great rancher instead of a great football player.

I’ve lived in Las Vegas since 1973 and I have never seen as much snow as we had this week.  Most people were complaining, but I actually liked it because I’ve never been around much snow.  There were lots of “fender benders” because Nevada drivers aren’t used to driving on slick streets.  I saw a terrible accident on Tropicana as a kid on a motorcycle got hit and I’m afraid it was a fatal collision.  I hate motorcycles and would never allow any of my children to ride them.

I played in the first filming of GSN’s High Stakes Poker last night.  I really enjoy playing in these cash games and had a 12 game winning streak going into the game.  We had a good lineup with Eli Elezra, Phil Laak, Tom “Durr” Dwan, Mike Baxter, Alan Meltzer, Dario Minieri and David Peat.  We can’t give any details but I will tell you, I play again tomorrow night and I’ll be going for win #14 in my cash games.

Congratulations to Chino Rheem for winning the Doyle Brunson Classic Championship at the Bellagio.  It comes on top of a final table finish at the WSOP for Chino.

Caddy:  Sir, you aren’t addressing the ball properly.
Daniel:  I’ve been polite to the damn thing long enough.