DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Playing poker is one grand sweet song, so start the music.”

The WSOP is off to a roaring start. If the economy is affecting the poker players, the numbers don’t show it. There have been three events so far and each event has set a record for the number of players entered. I’ve always said that poker players are a great barometer of the economy and this is a positive sign. Let’s hope so anyway.

I’ve played one event, the $40K. I made it through the 1st day and had above average chips but never won a pot the second day. Out of 208 entries, I was #78. Annoying to beat almost 2/3 of the field and wind up $40,000 loser. It was a good event however with the winner getting almost $2 million.

Mike Caro and I are giving poker seminars at the Rio.  Mike is very good with the strategy and tips and I do a Q&A at the end.  They are free to the public and lots of folks are coming so you should get there early if you want to attend.

The Table of Champions is tomorrow. It looks like all of the living winners of the main event with the exception of Russ Hamilton will be there to play for the 1st Binion Cup, a new car and bragging rights. It should be a lot of fun and lots of ribbing going on.

Lots of tweeting going on the Twitter. I’m really surprised at all the information you get from the thousands of people that follow you. I truthfully think Twitter is just a fad that will soon fade away. Maybe not, it is a lot of fun. Louise will be home in two weeks and I’ll teach her how to tweet.

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “When it comes to poker players, there is a fine line between genius and insanity.”

I thought Casper, my toy poodle, had settled down because he was getting older. But when I pulled into a gas station, one of the attendants made the mistake of reaching in the car to pet him. Bam, Casper got his 44th bite victim. If that wasn’t enough, the other attendant laughed at him and said “dogs never bite me, they love me.” Despite my warning, he reached in to play with him and Casper got #45. Two in one day! Casper weights 7 pounds and couldn’t whip a good Texas jackrabbit, but he is absolutely fearless. I try to watch him, but he lulls everybody to sleep by being so nice.

I’m almost back to normal after my dental surgery. The bleeding has stopped and most of the swelling is gone. Now I have to wait several months until my gums heal to get my implants. I sure hope it will be worth it. I didn’t want to wear a bridge the rest of my life.

The WSOP is having an event called, “Table of Champions”. It will be for all the living winners of the main event. There will be two controversial players for that game. Russ Hamilton is caught between a rock and a hard place. Russ is accused of being the mastermind behind the cheating scandal at UB. The evidence looks like Russ is guilty but I’ve learned to wait for the verdict to be handed down. If Russ shows up, he is going to take lots of abuse from angry poker players, and if he doesn’t show, every will say, “See there, he is admitting he is guilty.” My guess is he will be there.

Amarillo Slim is the other person that is under scrutiny. He was indicted for some vague thing that happened with his granddaughter. Slim might have said or done something that was inappropriate, but to call him a pedophile or child molester is ridiculous. I spent 10 years traveling and playing poker with Slim and I never saw one thing that I thought was wrong in that area. Poker owes Slim a lot and he should be recognized for that. I don’t know how many years I’ve got left, but I would like to bet double or nothing Slim Preston is no “child molester”.

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

In the words of Marlon Brando when he was playing the Godfather, “How did we ever come to this?”  Good Googa Mooga, I never saw anything like the different comments about my “challenge” to play anyone the poker game of my choice.  I saw David Sklansky at Bobby’s Room last night and he told me that the games I’m going to list are not fair.

So what, I’m not trying to be fair, I am what I am, and what I am is a poker professional who loves to play and wants to win.  I believe I can win with this list of games to choose from.  I’m not trying to win any accolades, praise or titles, I’m not trying to compete with Durr’s challenge.  I’m not going to play PLO with him and I don’t think he will be playing my games.  I really like the post one guy put up on a forum.  He put a distance race in his games…LOL.  If it was 55 years ago when I was the best miler in Texas, I would try him.

Let’s have a quick review of how this got started. Patrik Antonius said in an interview, that CardPlayer printed, that he would play me any game for any amount.  The reason he said that, was that he had read I said I would swim a river to play with him.  I have always respected Patrik’s game and I didn’t say that, but he challenged me and it peeved me because I’ve played the high limits now for 53 years and I’m almost certain I know more games than him or almost anyone.  I think Patrik was talking about H.O.R.S.E. plus one or two other games.  If that was the case, I would have let it drop because that would be a tough game.  But that’s not what he said so here is my list:

1) I’ll start with lowball, my favorite.

Any lowball game I choose can be played with 3 different lows, the best hands being 7-5-4-3-2, A-2-3-4-5, A-2,3,4,6.

• 5 Card Draw, Limit or No Limit.
• 7 Card Razz, Limit or Pot Limit.
• 6 Card Razz, Limit or Pot Limit.
• 7 Card Razz, shuck one & draw if you want.  Limit or Pot Limit.
• 6 Card Razz, same as 7 Card shuck.

2) 5 Card draw High, Limit or Pot Limit.

3) Hi Low split, 7 card no qualify, Limit or Pot Limit.

• Eight or better,  7 cards, Limit or Pot Limit.
• Ten or better, 2-7 low, Limit or Pot Limit.
• Six card eight or better, Limit or Pot Limit.
• Six card ten or better, 2-7 low, Limit or Pot Limit.

4) STUD

• 7 Card stud, Limit or Pot Limit.
• 6 Card stud, Limit or Pot Limit.
• 5 Card stud, NL or Pot Limit.

5) Badugi

3 choices of low, Limit or Pot Limit

6) Omaha 8 or Better Limit or Pot Limit

• Omaha 10 or better 2-7 low, Limit or Pot Limit
• Poppyha.  We played this game with George the Greek for months.  FUN Game.  4 hole cards, only two cards on the flop, then the turn, then the river.  Tricky game!

7) Hold ‘Em, Limit, NL, Or Pot Limit.

• Greek Hold’Em – Must play both hole cards – Limit, NL, or Pot Limit.

OK, there they are.  At Sklansky’s suggestion, I refined the list a little.  I’ve played every game listed, in a Las Vegas Casino for high stakes.  If someone wants to play, come to Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio.  We’ll play, have fun and if someone beats me, I’ll shake their hand and tell them good game!

I also heard I defended Russ Hamilton in the UB scandal.  I remember saying, “yeah Russ is innocent”, on High Stakes Poker, but it was a tongue-in-cheek remark.  I don’t know if he is guilty or not, but the evidence does look bad.  However, I’ve heard all sorts of stories about poker players, including myself, that were out and out lies.  So, I’ll wait until all the evidence is in before I make any positive statement about Russ.

The producer of Two and a Half Men, the popular TV show starring Charlie Sheen, watches High Stakes Poker.  He heard me say I really like his show so he sent me Season 3 and Season 4 on DVD.  Thanks Mr. Lorre. Actually, I already had them so I loaned them to David Benyamine. That’s ironic because the High Stakes announcer, Gabe Kaplan, asked why I was looking at David when I mentioned Two and a Half Men.

-DB