Congratulations to David Chiu (pictured left), who put in a spectacular come-from-behind performance against Gus Hansen (pictured below) at the WPT Championship yesterday. I was happy to see the WPT Championship draw a pretty healthy crowd; off only slightly from last year. There were a lot of great names in contention down the stretch. Today’s pics are of players that had a nice run there. I still haven’t heard if the WPT was able to get a deal with GSN for Season Seven yet. I think the decision deadline is sometime in May,but WPT isn’t scheduled to film in the next couple of months, so that could be extended.

I started playing poker in the dark years; when poker rooms were closing to the onslaught of slot machines. I was just about coming to terms with the fact that I had fallen in love with a terminally ill game when Chris Moneymaker burst on the scene. The boom that followed was awe-inspiring, but it created the excess that all booms and trends encourage. Every casino, big and small, added a poker room. Existing poker rooms expanded. And now that the bloom is off the boom rose, it’s not surprising that some of the excess capacity is falling off with the petals.

I recently read that Paris and TI are both closing their poker rooms during the graveyard shift. Rumors are also swirling that Paris has already set a date to permanently close their room. I doubt we’ll see any changes in the “big” rooms like the Bellagio, Wynn, Mirage, etc. – but I suspect that some of the smaller rooms around Vegas will be rethinking their commitment to poker once this year’s WSOP is over.

I’ve been two whole weeks doing the 9-to-5 gig. I’d love to play the day job martyr card – but I don’t think I’d get much sympathy. The “office” is only ten miles from my house – which is just about the right amount of time to mellow out with NPR. By the time I get to my Hill Country enclave, I’ve been suitably informed about the plight of Canadian forests (pine beetles are really taking a toll), the still unclear election results in Zimbabwe, and how loopholes are used to fund the political party conventions. The work is interesting. My work buddies are fun and hardworking. The boss has bought lunch for the office twice already. And there are two does and a fawn that graze right outside my window. I feel stupid at least once a day – but for a new job that’s actually not bad. And I’m learning a lot.

My biggest issue is finding a new routine – or any routine for that matter. My only routine for the last few years was turning on the laptop and letting it boot while I made my morning coffee. After that, anything could happen. Now I realize that I can’t really get in a good blog read until the weekend – which is a long time to wait for Change100’s ”Idol” recaps (the best on the web imo). Although it was her “Domestication by IKEA” post that had me both giggling and nodding in sad recognition this week. I’m also very glad to see Up For Poker experiencing a resurgence. Some great content is being offered up there – I think they have definitely caught their second wind.

When I told a friend I was taking a “real” job, she said, “What the hell for? You never buy anything.” While I am correctly known for my frugality, I do buy what I think I need – just not at retail. All that being said, I’ve been on something of a spending spree lately. I bought new tile (40% below list price) for my kitchen and family room. I recently replaced my 1994 Mazda (aka the “Green Monster”) with “Rosita” (used and below book value). After researching and combing craigslist for three months, I just pulled the trigger on a brand new desktop system (with a 32.5% off coupon) and a new widescreen monitor that pivots to portrait for easier editing. I got a nice quad processor with a decent (not top end) video card that will handle dual monitors with dvi. I stayed with XP – but this system can easily handle Vista when I think all the bugs are finally out. If I keep at my current pace, Congress can safely hold back on further stimulus packages.

I’m currently doing research on my next purchase – and I’d appreciate any recommendations. I need a good pair of headphones for work – i.e. plugged into the computer. I can’t wear ear buds; they drive me insane and give me ear aches. I need a closed pair as sound leakage would be an issue at work. I also don’t want to fuss with a headphone amp. Any suggestions?

Pics (all taken at the 2007 WSOP):
1. David Chiu, winner of the 2008 WPT Championship
2. Gus Hansen, runner up
3. Cory Carroll, 4th place
4. Bryan Devonshire 12th place
5. Karga Holt, 8th place
6. Nick Binger, 15th place

P.S. I since bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pros. I highly recommend dealing with Sweetwater for audio gear – good prices and great (and deserved) reputation in the biz.