Zimba Blog:
Part two of my "WSOP Memories" blog continues... (Part 1)
7. Media credentials (2007, 2009, 2010) Having access behind the ropes is a feeling of freedom and privilege from the average spectator. You can wander almost anywhere, keeping in mind that the ESPN cameras and PokerNews reporting crew always have the right of way. Until rule changes going into effect this year, you could talk to the players at the table to gauge how the tournament was going or how their chip stacks were faring.
Working media credentials also usually entails working tremendously long hours. As the tournaments start at noon, I would likely arrive a little after 11 am and be there till play ended after midnight. The two main poker rooms are massive with hundreds of tables to navigate between and then hustle back to your station at the media center or media corners to report or blog. In previous years, the media room received catered food, nowadays media can receive a $10 meal voucher each day and the occasional beef jerky. The timing for the media only tournament has only allowed me to play in one over the years, which I found to have a poor structure that made it a donkfest, so I don't feel I've missed much there.
8. Sports betting and Craps (2009) Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a gambler at heart. I don't sports bet or play pit games. But to take in Las Vegas, you have to have an open mind to allow yourself to reasonably deviate from your normal disciplined patterns. In 2009, I had the occasion to have a professional sports bettor show me the ins and outs of sports betting at the Green Valley Ranch. I happened to win 3 of 4 picks he spotted me for (beginners luck obviously) making him money while drinking mimosas like they were going out of style.
Later that trip, my CR buddy Jeff218 showed me the finer points of Craps, 'degening' up the evening at Gold Coast, taking a late night beer-infused bowling break and then back to Craps before he flew out the next morning with no sleep.
9. Celebrity-filled charity events (2006-2010) My first poker charity event was an exclusive affair at Caesars called the Wounded Warrior Charity tourney. It was hosted by Cowboy Kenna James and included Roland De Wolfe, David Benyamine, Erica Schoenberg, Mel Judda, and many others playing alongside Taylor Caby.
Over the years Ante Up For Africa, the charity promoted by Annie Duke and Don Cheadle, has become the yearly charity event that brings out stars like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Nelly, Charles Barkley, Brad Garrett, Ray Romano and Jason Alexander. it brings out all the cameras and fans, regardless of the quality of the poker.
10. Final and featured tables (2006-2010) In the corner of the massive Amazon room is a mini-stadium seating venue where most final and featured tables are played while ESPN films. The black curtain draped area has mini white lights that look like stars in the background and an emcee calling out the action as you watch the screen above the table showing the flop from afar. The WSOP championship bracelet is displayed in one corner representing the goal of all who play there. It feels like you've left the hustle and bustle of the main poker rooms. Sitting in the audience isn't always that exciting or entertaining due to the slow pacing and limited information, but it gives great insight into the realities of filmed live play versus the highly edited finished ESPN version.
11. Training Site Parties (2006-2010) The three sites, DeucesCracked, LeggoPoker and CardRunners, have hosted multiple parties over the years. They are opportunities for members who come out to Vegas to meet and party with the pros they've studied under at the various training sites. Different versions have been hosted at bowling alleys with pitchers of beer, rented out bars playing beer pong, restaurants and often at one of their pro-rented large homes around Las Vegas.
Here are two experiences that made an impression:
In 2008, I was invited to a July 4th party at a large compound that DeucesCracked was renting. As was typical, a group of DC pros were living there for the series. They pooled their resources on the home, transportation and even a private chef and trainer. I took a cab out to this neighborhood and walked into the walled compound and through the large house to find the party out back. In the massive back yard were dozens of established young poker pros playing volleyball, swimming and playing wiffle ball on the miniaturized golf course that made up a large portion of the yard.
After a while, people filtered inside for a break from the heat. Jay Rosenkrantz sat down at his dining room poker workstation with 30" monitor to see what was going on. At first, a few people were goofing on his classic weed brownie Youtube video where they're playing $200/$400 NL and laughing hysterically like little girls. Then he decided to fire up some real $200/$400 PLO, a game he was recently learning. As guests wandered in from outside, many were drawn to Jay's high stakes online match, pulling up chairs behind him to take in the match. Soon the room was filled with a couple dozen poker pros that included three WSOP bracelet winners from that summer (Vanessa Selbst, Scott Siever, and Phil Galfond, there might have been one more too), and at least 10 poker millionaires in their own right each railing his play. As certain crucial hands came up, the crowd would throw out their two cents to Jay, who made his own moves regardless of the input. But it was fascinating to hear all these talented minds share their thoughts on the game, their personal experiences and how they often didn't agree on one ideal course of action. The afternoon party ended when I got a ride back to the Strip with Phil Galfond and Hac Dang.
In 2009, Jay Rosenkrantz invited me out to the mansion where they were filming "2 Months, 2 Million" their G4 poker reality show that starred Jay "Krantz" Rosenkrantz, Dani "Ansky" Stern, Emil "whitelime" Patel and Brian "flawless_victory" Roberts. The large mansion and grounds were fascinating to tour as it seemed to have been built by an eccentric millionaire who had weirdly themed rooms. Honestly, it was pretty trashed looking when we visited but I heard they had a production crew of 15-20 people that "whipped" the mansion into shape before filming each episode.
When not filming, there were people constantly coming and going, hanging out, partying by the pool, trampoline, amongst the grounds, playing poker and assorted games, or feasting on the private chef prepared snacks and meals. I enjoyed seeing the poker war room and visiting the "smash" room where they took out their post playing frustrations. It's too bad G4 didn't renew the show because with some refinements and adjustments I think season 2 could have been more compelling to an even larger audience. There were definitely some amusing and classic poker moments captured in their lone season.
12. Fine Dining, CCR and Friends (2006-2010) A "WSOP Memories" blog wouldn't be complete without recognition of the fine dining with friends. What ultimately makes the World Series of Poker so meaningful to so many poker players is that it brings together many disparate online and live poker players, along with those of us who support or work in the industry. It's the one time of year where almost everyone in the industry is in one frenetic paced place. Las Vegas makes a great venue to host it all.
Some of the best times during the series are spent at one of the many fine restaurants in Las Vegas. While there are too many to go into detail about, here are a few places I recall having shared nice meals with poker friends; Gaylords, Buzios, and the Italian place at the Rio; Craftsteak and the old Yellow Fin at the Bellagio; the Country Club and downstairs fine dining place at the Wynn, Isla Mexican at TI, Tao at the Venetian, Sushi Roku at Caesars Palace, Little Buddha and Simon at the Palms, and Del Friscos off the strip.
Anyone familiar with the poker world and Vegas knows that meals amongst poker players will usually involve card roulette to determine who pays for the bill and your overall meal pain threshold. Run well and you can have many wonderful meals comped. Run bad and you are depleting your bankroll and subsidizing your friend's gluttony. Either way, restaurants, bars and clubs are some of the highlights of where we spend our off-time from playing poker or working the poker scene each summer in Las Vegas.
I look forward to future opportunities to meet, greet, rail and give cheers to old friends and new. I'll be flying in July 5th. Until then, be safe, have fun and make profit.
Part two of my "WSOP Memories" blog continues... (Part 1)
7. Media credentials (2007, 2009, 2010) Having access behind the ropes is a feeling of freedom and privilege from the average spectator. You can wander almost anywhere, keeping in mind that the ESPN cameras and PokerNews reporting crew always have the right of way. Until rule changes going into effect this year, you could talk to the players at the table to gauge how the tournament was going or how their chip stacks were faring.
Working media credentials also usually entails working tremendously long hours. As the tournaments start at noon, I would likely arrive a little after 11 am and be there till play ended after midnight. The two main poker rooms are massive with hundreds of tables to navigate between and then hustle back to your station at the media center or media corners to report or blog. In previous years, the media room received catered food, nowadays media can receive a $10 meal voucher each day and the occasional beef jerky. The timing for the media only tournament has only allowed me to play in one over the years, which I found to have a poor structure that made it a donkfest, so I don't feel I've missed much there.
8. Sports betting and Craps (2009) Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a gambler at heart. I don't sports bet or play pit games. But to take in Las Vegas, you have to have an open mind to allow yourself to reasonably deviate from your normal disciplined patterns. In 2009, I had the occasion to have a professional sports bettor show me the ins and outs of sports betting at the Green Valley Ranch. I happened to win 3 of 4 picks he spotted me for (beginners luck obviously) making him money while drinking mimosas like they were going out of style.
Later that trip, my CR buddy Jeff218 showed me the finer points of Craps, 'degening' up the evening at Gold Coast, taking a late night beer-infused bowling break and then back to Craps before he flew out the next morning with no sleep.
9. Celebrity-filled charity events (2006-2010) My first poker charity event was an exclusive affair at Caesars called the Wounded Warrior Charity tourney. It was hosted by Cowboy Kenna James and included Roland De Wolfe, David Benyamine, Erica Schoenberg, Mel Judda, and many others playing alongside Taylor Caby.
Over the years Ante Up For Africa, the charity promoted by Annie Duke and Don Cheadle, has become the yearly charity event that brings out stars like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Nelly, Charles Barkley, Brad Garrett, Ray Romano and Jason Alexander. it brings out all the cameras and fans, regardless of the quality of the poker.
10. Final and featured tables (2006-2010) In the corner of the massive Amazon room is a mini-stadium seating venue where most final and featured tables are played while ESPN films. The black curtain draped area has mini white lights that look like stars in the background and an emcee calling out the action as you watch the screen above the table showing the flop from afar. The WSOP championship bracelet is displayed in one corner representing the goal of all who play there. It feels like you've left the hustle and bustle of the main poker rooms. Sitting in the audience isn't always that exciting or entertaining due to the slow pacing and limited information, but it gives great insight into the realities of filmed live play versus the highly edited finished ESPN version.
11. Training Site Parties (2006-2010) The three sites, DeucesCracked, LeggoPoker and CardRunners, have hosted multiple parties over the years. They are opportunities for members who come out to Vegas to meet and party with the pros they've studied under at the various training sites. Different versions have been hosted at bowling alleys with pitchers of beer, rented out bars playing beer pong, restaurants and often at one of their pro-rented large homes around Las Vegas.
Here are two experiences that made an impression:
In 2008, I was invited to a July 4th party at a large compound that DeucesCracked was renting. As was typical, a group of DC pros were living there for the series. They pooled their resources on the home, transportation and even a private chef and trainer. I took a cab out to this neighborhood and walked into the walled compound and through the large house to find the party out back. In the massive back yard were dozens of established young poker pros playing volleyball, swimming and playing wiffle ball on the miniaturized golf course that made up a large portion of the yard.
After a while, people filtered inside for a break from the heat. Jay Rosenkrantz sat down at his dining room poker workstation with 30" monitor to see what was going on. At first, a few people were goofing on his classic weed brownie Youtube video where they're playing $200/$400 NL and laughing hysterically like little girls. Then he decided to fire up some real $200/$400 PLO, a game he was recently learning. As guests wandered in from outside, many were drawn to Jay's high stakes online match, pulling up chairs behind him to take in the match. Soon the room was filled with a couple dozen poker pros that included three WSOP bracelet winners from that summer (Vanessa Selbst, Scott Siever, and Phil Galfond, there might have been one more too), and at least 10 poker millionaires in their own right each railing his play. As certain crucial hands came up, the crowd would throw out their two cents to Jay, who made his own moves regardless of the input. But it was fascinating to hear all these talented minds share their thoughts on the game, their personal experiences and how they often didn't agree on one ideal course of action. The afternoon party ended when I got a ride back to the Strip with Phil Galfond and Hac Dang.
In 2009, Jay Rosenkrantz invited me out to the mansion where they were filming "2 Months, 2 Million" their G4 poker reality show that starred Jay "Krantz" Rosenkrantz, Dani "Ansky" Stern, Emil "whitelime" Patel and Brian "flawless_victory" Roberts. The large mansion and grounds were fascinating to tour as it seemed to have been built by an eccentric millionaire who had weirdly themed rooms. Honestly, it was pretty trashed looking when we visited but I heard they had a production crew of 15-20 people that "whipped" the mansion into shape before filming each episode.
When not filming, there were people constantly coming and going, hanging out, partying by the pool, trampoline, amongst the grounds, playing poker and assorted games, or feasting on the private chef prepared snacks and meals. I enjoyed seeing the poker war room and visiting the "smash" room where they took out their post playing frustrations. It's too bad G4 didn't renew the show because with some refinements and adjustments I think season 2 could have been more compelling to an even larger audience. There were definitely some amusing and classic poker moments captured in their lone season.
12. Fine Dining, CCR and Friends (2006-2010) A "WSOP Memories" blog wouldn't be complete without recognition of the fine dining with friends. What ultimately makes the World Series of Poker so meaningful to so many poker players is that it brings together many disparate online and live poker players, along with those of us who support or work in the industry. It's the one time of year where almost everyone in the industry is in one frenetic paced place. Las Vegas makes a great venue to host it all.
Some of the best times during the series are spent at one of the many fine restaurants in Las Vegas. While there are too many to go into detail about, here are a few places I recall having shared nice meals with poker friends; Gaylords, Buzios, and the Italian place at the Rio; Craftsteak and the old Yellow Fin at the Bellagio; the Country Club and downstairs fine dining place at the Wynn, Isla Mexican at TI, Tao at the Venetian, Sushi Roku at Caesars Palace, Little Buddha and Simon at the Palms, and Del Friscos off the strip.
Anyone familiar with the poker world and Vegas knows that meals amongst poker players will usually involve card roulette to determine who pays for the bill and your overall meal pain threshold. Run well and you can have many wonderful meals comped. Run bad and you are depleting your bankroll and subsidizing your friend's gluttony. Either way, restaurants, bars and clubs are some of the highlights of where we spend our off-time from playing poker or working the poker scene each summer in Las Vegas.
I look forward to future opportunities to meet, greet, rail and give cheers to old friends and new. I'll be flying in July 5th. Until then, be safe, have fun and make profit.
First Zimba Blog: I Want That Feeling, One Time!
Second Zimba Blog: Sunday Poker Diatribe
Third Zimba Blog: Thoughts and Experiences with Cheating in Poker
Fourth Zimba Blog: The Myth of Money Won in Poker
Fifth Zimba Blog: Poker Super Powers - The Cloak of Invincibility
Sixth Zimba Blog: The Good News About The Portuguese Prodigy
Seventh Zimba Blog: Finding Your Place In Poker
Eighth Zimba Blog: Poker Empathy
Ninth Zimba Blog: Poker - A Global Game
Tenth Zimba Blog: 10 Things I Learned From My First Week Not Playing Poker
Eleventh Zimba Blog: The Blame Game
Twelfth Zimba Blog: Commentary On FSG 218 Pros List
Thirteenth Zimba Blog: Poker News or Perspective?
Fourteenth Zimba Blog: WSOP Memories Redux
