DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

I see where Huck Seed took 33-1 he could run a 4 minute 39 second mile. I’m a former miler, having run 4:38 to win the Texas State Championship in 1950.  I ran 4:18 in college, not very impressive by today’s standards, but I never trained and never had a competent coach; and the world record was 4:01. I know how tough it is to run when you don’t devote a lot of time to it. But Huck is an enigma, a physical freak with so much athletic ability, you can’t believe it.

Ten years ago, I bet Huck $20,000 he couldn’t break 4:20 in the mile. He lost, then we bet $50,000 on a 4:30 mile, after a year passed. He lost but ran 4:38 at the UNLV track, so I know he has done it before.  We bet $20,000 his brother Leif couldn’t run 4:15 and he did it easily, running 4:12 at UNLV. So although he probably won’t win the bet, I will take 33-1 for a big bet if anyone is interested.

I’ve got to give kudos to the team at DoylesRoom.  In our weekly bounty tournament we have Mickey Rourke, Nicky Hilton, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and the rap artist Eve as celebrity bounties this week.  DoylesRoom is the only poker site that could have gotten these celebrities to play in an online poker tournament.

The NCAA basketball tournament is down to the Final Four.  Pittsburgh was my team and now they are gone.  If North Carolina wins the tournament, I may have to move to a foreign country. These college players are terrific.  The center for Oklahoma is the best college player I’ve ever seen.

Finally there is action in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio.  The Five Star World Poker Classic is starting and there are lots of players in town.  We have lowered the limits so more players are able to play.  With the economy so bad, I’m not sure we shouldn’t lower them even more.

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”

Twelve years ago, through a mutual friend, I met the talented actor Mickey Rourke.  His life story should be made into a film because nobody has ever had more ups and downs than Mickey over the past 20 years.

Mickey was one of the hot new movie stars after his hit 9 1/2 weeks with Kim Basinger.  Then, because of some personal problems, he walked away from acting to pursue a boxing career.

He boxed from 1991-1995, proving he was indeed a rebel who marched to the beat of his own drummer.  Mickey then returned to his first love, acting, and with the completion of his new 2008 film, The Wrestler, he got rave reviews and won every award except the Academy Award.  Mickey, who is genuinely a nice guy, decided to try poker.  He remembered me, gave me a call and agreed to be one of the bounties in DoylesRoom’s weekly bounty tournament.  So come play with Mickey this Thursday at 9:30 eastern in Doyle’s Bounty tournament.

The NCAA basketball tournament is underway, down to the sweet 16.  My personal pick to win the championship is Pittsburgh and I’ve bet the family farm on them.  I really need to beat out North Carolina and that is going to be tough.  The Big East has 5 teams in the last 16 so it looks like they have the toughest conference; I think I’ve got a good shot with Pitt.

It’s hard to believe that only a year ago, 8,000 people were moving into Las Vegas each month.  We were the fastest growing city in America. This recession has hit us harder than any other city and business places are closing all over town.  Even some of the big casinos are overleveraged and are talking bankruptcy.  Surely we will recover and make our nation prosperous again.

I almost forgot, Nicky Hilton and Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler are also going to be bounties this week at DoylesRoom along with actress and Grammy winner Eve.  Eve has sold over 7 million records, had her own reality TV show, and acted in movies. All the DoylesRoom players talk about how nice the gals are when they play.  They are also darn good poker players that have gone deep in our tournament before. It should be fun.

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “It’s too bad my youthful spirit is encased in a mortal, aging body.”

Ok, I’ve had it! I tried not to address this until I see Patrik Antonius but yesterday was just too much. I did a radio interview with a station in Minnesota and one with a station in New Orleans. Both stations asked me about Patrik’s challenge to play me any game. I tried to be non-committal and not to say too much. Then, when I got to my other office, Orla, my Irish friend, sent me a link to where Patrik was in Monte Carlo talking about his challenge. After hearing him talk about it, my blood began to stir a little. Then, when I went to the Bellagio Casino to pay off my NCAA basketball bets I had lost, there was CardPlayer Magazine with another story about it on the cover!

Then! My buddy, Dewey Tomko, who I think will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year, asked me: “Do you think you can beat Patrik?” I answered, “No, Dewey, I have so much money I’m trying to throw some of it away. Of course I think I can beat him!” I know I’ve got a lot more experience at most of the games I’ll choose. If anyone under thirty years of age can let me pick any game at any time I want, I strongly believe I can beat them. If I don’t, the Brunson Family has three hundred acres on the top of a mountain at Big Arm, Montana. I’ll retire and move up on that mountain and enjoy the wildlife and the sunsets for the rest of my life. Even the television networks are calling, wanting to televise this match. My only problem with that is that the public might not understand some of the games I will keep introducing.

By the way, since Patrik is into making challenges, here is one for him. I read where he has taken up golf. So, I challenge him to play for $100,000 a hole at Bali Hai Golf Club, any time from now until the end of August. Surely a twenty-seven-year-old ex-professional tennis player from Finland can beat a seventy-four-year-old guy with an artificial shoulder and who has to use a crutch to walk. What do you say, Patrik? – DB