You might not have noticed Scott Malone, but this pilot and carwash owner is making a big impression back home. Listed as coming from Ulysses, Kansas, Malone is also playing on behalf of a small town in western Kansas called Johnson, (population 1100). Malone is just one of the 15-person poker league called the Bear Creek Rounders that played $25 tourneys for forty weeks to send one of their players to the 2006 World Series of Poker. After driving 22 miles to get to a rented trailer poker house, Malone and the Rounders would play for points. A little more than a year of games and they had collected $12,500 to send their mate to Vegas.
Malone has quite the cheering section. Twelve family members have joined him in Las Vegas for the Main Event, including his father and mother who surprised him yesterday on Day three.
Sally, Malone's mom walked up while I was talking to his wife, Jean.
"Am I to be praised or blamed?" she said when she saw us talking.
"Praised!" Jean said confidently.
"I am just thrilled to death he's gone so far, " said Sally. "We don't think of small town Kansas boys in big leagues like this."
More than half of the Bear Creek Rounders are agricultural farmers. Whatever Malone wins, he gets to keep $10,000 plus 50% of the rest. The remaining 50% will be split between the rest of the Rounders, including one man out on bail for allegedly killing his wife's ex husband.
Earlier BJ Nemeth talked about Joe Hachem's impressive play following his Championship win last year. It was fantastic to see Joe having such a great repeat year, and outlasting more than 8500 other poker players is no small feat. In fact, his success at the 2006 WSOP is what made the bust out so much harder to hear about. Damn aces! This picture was taken right afterwards while he was being interviewed.
Hachem had four WSOP cashes including two final tables this year. Great job, Joe -- I can't wait to see you tear up the field in the Aussie Millions!
 Jennifer Browning found Richard Wyrick on Day 2B after his stack of 190k was cut in half. Today, the player from Lake Mary, Fla is doing that kind of damage to the other players at his table. He started with 49,000 this morning, but after maintaining a constant 40,000 all day yesterday Wyrick figured his Main Event experience was pretty much over straight from today's start.
"In four days I've never ever ever ever ever ever ever had to go all in for all my money," he said.
"Finally I got a suck out with trip sevens on the turn against a pair of queens," Wyrick continued.
Wyrick had started with A7 in the hole and raised. He was surprised to get two callers.
"I had pot odds, and went all in," said Wyrick who found a 7 on the flop but still needed another one to beat another guy with queens. He got that 7 on the turn to beef up his stack to 149,000. Just about an hour into play he now has 160,000.
Do it again, Richard!
Dmitri ended day three second in chips. He'll start Day 4 with $650,000 at table 172, seat 8. I watched him for a bit yesterday and he's having a lot of fun. Who wouldn't with that much a lead you might ask, but at first glance it seems like he's got a great personality and I look forward to spending more time around him today. So, what do we know about the guy who thinks he needs a rally cap? CJ Hoyt followed Dmitri yesterday and has lots of hand stories. I like this particular quote from 1am, "I need to bust someone here." Go get 'em, Dmitri!
Daniel's table was about to break and everyone had racked their chips. Daniel had in the range of 150,000 chips in 7 racks with a good amount of black chips. Just when I was wondering how he was going to carry all of those, a floor person in a white suit came to his side and the chips went crashing down on the table. He immediately accused her of causing the spill, and she immediately denied it while helping him rack them back up again. Daniel has moved to table 57. Boy oh boy is this going to make for a good video cast tomorrow!
So, you like the travel info do you? Thanks to everyone who's been writing me emails and sending compliments about the Vegas travel content. Please feel free to put your comments beneath the posts so the bosses can see.
Today I thought I'd offer up some itinerary suggestions for the spectators that are coming to town, but don't necessarily want to spend all their time at the Rio. Including breakfast suggestions, spas worth mentioning, and shopping stops, here are some Strip-side daytime activities to start your trip off right.
Fave Breakfasts: Buffets are so pre-milennium—even the respectable gourmet ones at the Bellagio, Wynn, and Dishes at TI (if you have kids, this is the best dessert bar) are no longer at the top of the must-see-and-do list. The best breakfast on the Strip is Thomas Keller's Bouchon at the Venetian (highroller). Don't miss the mini doughnuts and the French toast a the Augustus Café in Casesars Palace (ok to splurge), and if you need a quick bite, go to Le Creperie at Paris Las Vegas (cost conscious). For those willing to venture off the Strip, go to any of the Original Pancake House locations, and I hear that Hash House A Go Go is to die for.
 I love Vegas, and I always want people to have a good time here. Even if—dare I say it—they don't like to gamble. There's a lot to do in Las Vegas no matter what your interests are. Take your pick from shows, celebrity chef restaurants, night clubs, spas, outdoor activities, etc. But lets start with square one…where to stay? I will do a series of posts that talk about some of the more notable places to crash in Sin City.
$100-$200
I've sampled a few rooms around town and my hands down favorite is THEHotel. I think it’s the best room under $200, and while their days of offering $129 deals seem long gone, they're still worth anything under $200 and then some. All of their rooms are modern 750sq ft suites with a separate bedroom and living room. In the living room there is a sofa, 42" plasma TV and a desk for those that need business amenities like high speed internet access and a fax/printer. The bath tubs are equally impressive and you can watch a little plasma from the oversized tub (for two?). Couples will enjoy the fact that THEhotel rooms have two bathrooms. The big one, and a little one in the hallway, sometimes referred to as "the duty chamber". I jest. If you stay at THEhotel you have your own registration, valet, bar & lounge, café, spa and fitness center, along with all the other casino amenities that Mandalay Bay guests have.
 I love Vegas, and always want people to have a good time here. Even if—dare I say it—they don't like to gamble. There's a lot to do in Las Vegas no matter what your interests are. Take your pick from shows, celebrity chef restaurants, night clubs, spas, outdoor activities, etc. But lets start with square one…where to stay? I will do a series of posts that talk about some of the more notable places to crash in Sin City.
Under $100
When you use the big travel search engines to find you a good rate, the results often turn up Whiskey Pete's, Gold Strike, Buffalo Bill's, and Wild Wild West for under $25/night. But trust me, that's not what you want to do. Especially if you men are entertaining your lady friends. If you want a decent room on the Strip but don't want to spend a fortune, consider the Monte Carlo. The lobby is grand, but they're not full of themselves. Check out their micro brewery and the lazy river out by the pool.
I just had a friend tell me that he was coming out to Las Vegas this weekend and wanted to know if he'd be able to get in and see some of the action from the rail. The answer is yes—if you're patient. People line up outside the doors to the Amazon, and wait for them to let you in. The last time I walked by, after a break, the guard allowed 12 spectators to step inside. And I think it gets easier the later into the afternoon and evening you are here.
Come on over! If you've haven't been to the Rio during the WSOP, you will be amazed at the intoxicating sound of the chips being riffled, stacked, and splashed, let alone the sight of the most poker players you've ever seen in one room. Also, please read April's previous post with kind info for WSOP Rio virgins.
My housemate Michael Martin was hanging tough today with his short stack. But he wasn't the only one in the field holding on. Several players were, including sexy poker veteran Kristy Gazes.
Chris Ferguson has Mark Vos to his left (not pictured).
Jay Greenspan captured the hand of the tournament.
At the dinner break, PokerWire said that Chris had 71,000. There were three Full Tilt pros ahead of him, including Carlos Mortensen (81,000), Mark Vos (86,000), and Allen Cunningham (121,000).
Big cheer for our fellow blogger Tuscaloosa Johnny! He just took a big pot.
I asked him how much he thought he had and he calmly said, "Over a hundred I guess."
Johnny had pocket Tens in his hand and the flop came:
T 7 3
His opponent bet and Johnny raised him another 5k
The other guy made it 12k and Johnny smooth called.
The turn was another T and Johnny checked.
The other guy bet 8k and Johnny smooth called again.
A King came on the river, Johnny bet 9k and the other guy moved all in.
Johnny won with his quads and started stacking the chips.
It's not just the online poker rooms that are asking for love...
"Now holding auditions for the girlfriend position"
Do you think this guy knew he'd get a babe at his table?
Cyndy, hey now. Did you think all those rookies wouldn't
know who you are? Thanks for the smile...
We can't wait to see what's going on via your diary!
 I was walking by Bobby Bellande's table yesterday when he pulled Tournament Director Jack Effel over to ask if it was his idea to have the All In button. Jack denied it and they had a laugh about it looking at one of the buttons from across the table. Read more about the button on the Poker Shrink's posts here and here.
Lynette Chan flagged me over to say hi. It was cool that she recognized me. I hadn't seen her since the Intercontinental Poker Tournament at the Palms a few months ago. Today she's sporting her new Full Tilt logo on a crisp white blazer. Lynette had already been on the featured table not long before. "I told them that they needed a female presence at the table...and then somehow I lucked out," she said.
Lynette also said that she enjoyed the non-poker items like the restaurant reviews I posted earlier. Her fave Vegas restaurant is Nobu, and she likes China Grill at Mandalay Bay for Chinese fusion. She recommends Gaylords if dining here at the Rio, but will be heading over to Chinatown on the hour and a half break. If Lynette looks a little skinny lately it's not on purpose. She just hasn't had much of an appetite lately.
 I was standing near Table 39 when there was quite the stir. One guy jumping up, another guy leaving in cheers, another dazed and confused. Here's what happened. Seat #10 (pictured) went all in after he got reraised post flop:
Kc7h10h
Seat #8 turned over TT
Seat #10 had Jh9h
The turn was a 4s, and the river showed 5h to give Seat #10 the win with a flush.
The pot was near 17k.
Seat #8 had to have a time out. I didn't hear the F-bomb, but I'm sure that's what it had to have been.
 Name: Sara Brandt
Nick: doseewhy
From: Spencer, Iowa
Seat: Sarah won her seat from an unnamed tournament.
Story: Table #44 was really talking it up. They were chatting and laughing and having a grand ole time. Sara didn't have a story to tell but she was up to 25,000 in chips. This early in the day, that's all you really need to say.
I don't think I've met a woman yet (in the poker media room) who doesn't flutter at the mention of Phil Gordon. Here's a pic to let you know that he's easy to watch today. But don't get too hopeful of anything besides a peek—Phil is a taken man. I've met his fiance and she's a class act. (Table 198, Seat 7). Can't make it to the Rio? Listen to Phil's podcasts online.
 I take requests, sure I do.
Amir Esfandiary stopped me while I was walking the aisles and asked who I was writing for. He said that his uncle would be scouring the net looking for a report. So, Uncle Esfandiary, Amir is holding his own. He's sitting at table #55 seat 10 and as of a little bit after 2pm had 8,000 chips. It's fair to note that this is not Esfandiary's first WSOP. He played in last year's Main Event and came in 371st for $18,335.
 Name: Renier Gonzalez
Nick: renierchess
From: Miami, FL
Occupation: professional chess player
Seat: Won his seat to the Main Event from a June qualifier that had 3500 participants fighting for the same prize.
Story: I caught up with Renier after the dinner break on Day 1B. He had 7,000 chips and said he was "waiting for my luck." True to his Party moniker, Renier's chips were protected with a shiny bishop from a chess board.
 It seems like this year's party accessory of choice is a painted lady. Or ladies, for that matter. Dan mentioned Mike Sexton's generous presentation during the WSOP party at the Voodoo Lounge last night, but while the donation made Kenna James choke up a bit, these lovely bits of eye candy left my mouth hanging open. Other things that caught my eye were the WSOP ice sculptures, one of which was of a life size poker player wearing the new bracelet with an upraised arm. But the room was so unbearably hot, that we only stayed long enough to have drinks with Gavin Smith and Rafe Furst and his girlfriend Laura.
 Last night the local news showed the poker chimp at a table demonstrating how he was going to make his bets. Which means that the rumor we've been hearing was true.
Poker Share has been training a chimp for the past four months with the intent to put him into the Main Event of the WSOP. Today I found the site, MonkeyShare.net which tells of their efforts to get the chimp to beat the chumps. Apparently, Mikey the chimp held a press conference at the Palms yesterday.
But at Harrah's WSOP press conference held in the showroom where the Chippendales perform, Jeffrey Pollack denied that there will be a chimp in the WSOP. Pauly got a much stronger response from Nolan Dalla.
Last night the local news showed the poker chimp at a table demonstrating how he was going to make his bets. Which means that the rumor we've been hearing was true.
Poker Share has been training a chimp for the past four months with the intent to put him into the Main Event of the WSOP. Today I found the site, MonkeyShare.net which tells of their efforts to get the chimp to beat the chumps. Apparently, Mikey the chimp held a press conference at the Palms yesterday.
But at Harrah's WSOP press conference held in the showroom where the Chippendales perform, Jeffrey Pollack denied that there will be a chimp in the WSOP. Pauly got a much stronger response from Nolan Dalla.
 Ray Bitar, CEO of TiltWare, announced today in the closed Full Tilt Suite that Gus Hansen will make the Full Tilt team a perfect dozen. Bitar said that they had just signed the deal and they'd get Gus's picture up on the big board as quickly as they could.
"Gus is one of the last best players," said Bitar.
If only Gus knew that all he had to do was take a free picture, (see our photo). The Great Dane took the mic and said that he's been doing his own thing for the past few years, but that he's happy to be a part of the team.
"I've been friends with Howard for a long time. I've learned a lot from Howard and Phil Ivey, and I've also taught them some things, too." said Hansen.
Meanwhile, back at the Bat cave, there are reports of lines being long at Foxwoods, too. But we're not talking about tournaments. USA Today reported that Foxwoods was exchanging "Wampum" points for gallons of gas. Apparently thousands of people lined up to exchange their casino points for gas credit. One "Wampum" point is earned from spending $90 in the Foxwoods casino, but the gasoline Rapunzels in Connecticut were spinning each point into a gallon of gas.
Judy Kelly, 51, of Franklin, Mass., said she drove to the casino just for the promotion. She and her husband were hoping to get $850 put on a gas card. The casino limit for a single player is $500.
The question is, how much money did they spend in gas to get to Foxwoods to exchange their credit? Clearly in the case of Foxwoods vs. Gamblers, Foxwoods is probably making more money. Because who would drive to a casino and not go in? Just for a minute...
 As if Phil Hellmuth's 10th bracelet was the proverbial switch to turning on the Main Event, the Rio feels different today. The hallway that connects the convention rooms to the casino is lined with new Ultimate Bet and Bodog signage. The UB ads drip with Caribbean fantasy, and teases the Aruba classic like an oasis in this 112F desert. The Bodog signs across the walkway are mere reminders of last night's fabulous party.
We know the main event is near because there is a line of players out the registration door. But that's not the only line. There was a line outside of Doyle's Room. Pamela Anderson was there to announce the launch of her new room, PamelaPoker.com.
 I played in the $500 Roshambo event this morning, and man was that a blast. Phil Gordon rallied 64 troops to enter his informal WSOP event to raise money for the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation. When I got to the scene, I was surprised at how many pros were there. Joe Hachem, Gavin Smith, Annie Duke, Carlos Mortensen, Clownie Gowen, Tony G, The Grinder -- and the list goes on. I had been studying a plan, but when I got there, my opponent said he was going to use the "Bowler" method. I asked Gavin what that was, and he told me not to mind that guy at all. He then took me immediately to Annie Duke and had her explain her "Dollar Bill Method".
To make the strategy more random, so that no one can guess your betting pattern, you use the numbers off the dollar bill to determine what hand you're going to throw next.
I creamed the first guy with it, and then got beat by an impatient player in the next round. I watched Phil Laak consult some green while he was playing, too.
Annie, who was using a new random number generator to select her next move ended up winning the event. She took a cool $10,000 after her beating Marc Goodwin 5-0 with seven hands, four of which were scissors. It was Scissors vs. Paper that won it in the end. March got $7k and immediately offered $1,000 back to the Bad Beat on Cancer efforts. Third place was a guy named Tim Beagly (sp?) won $5k, and fourth place went to Mike Micon of NeverwinPoker for $3k. In addition to the $25k prize pool, they put $7k towards the charity.
Big thanks to Phil Gordon for putting together such a great event. It was a blast and great to see the pros having a laugh while contributing to an important cause.
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