AimlesslyChasingAmy

They say it’s not over until the fat lady sings.  Well I don’t know how much weight Eydie’s packing these days, but Steve and Eydie sang the Stardust’s swan song this weekend.  The Stardust officially will close its doors on November 1st.  After demolition, the sight will be reborn as some fancy shmancy mega-resort sometime in 2010.  In a way this doesn’t mark the end of an era; the Stardust’s era had probably long faded before the ink was dry on the deal that sealed its demise.   In the book The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers and the Death of Their Las Vegas, the author chronicles the waning reign of the Stardust’s sports book as the preeminent line settor back in 1999.       

I saw that Stardust sports book manager, Bob Scucci (pictured above), left the Stardust for the Borgata back in January of this year.  I also noticed that’s where his former boss (and former Startdust sports book manager) Joe Lupo had gone years earlier.  Tim Lavalli, aka Poker Shrink, is planning to spend Halloween night on Stardust poker felt.  If losing the Stardust isn’t bad enough, there is news that the plastic pink flamingo is next.

It’s not so bad in the poker biz that I will work for food yet, but I do find myself working for a prop bet this week.  Last week I wrote an article and tried to place it with one of my clients.  They thought it might be too obscure and thought they might pass.  Then I got this idea.  Since I had already written the article, I figured I was freerolling on whatever I could get.  I set up a prop bet for payment. 

A week earlier I had written an obit for Billy Duarte.  I knew that few of the majors would give his passing mention because he wasn’t a “hot” tournament commodity.  I wanted very much to mark his contribution to our sport and I was glad when PokerNews gave it space.  I was beside myself when not one, but two, competitors picked it up within a matter of hours - the material looked pretty familiar.  I mean how did they know Duarte played the Senior’s event at the Bellagio? - they didn’t cover that event.  Did they read Blair Rodman’s blog and email him to confirm it?  On one hand I was glad.  The industry should be giving Duarte his due - the more the better.  On the other hand, it didn’t say much for the ethical boundries of our industry. 

I am counting on the industy’s continued lack of originality again.  I told my client that he could have my new article for free if none of his competitors picked up the idea.  He will have to pay me, however, if any one of the majors steals the idea.   Today I wait and watch.  I’m laying the odds on a payday at 3-to-1.  

My thoughts have been very Canadian-centric this week.  First, I want to thank Dave Scharf for giving me a link-up.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but when Dave was the editor of Canadian Poker Player, he gave me my first break as a writer.  And as far as editors go, Dave rocked; I was sorry to see him leave that chapter behind.  But Dave has got it going on at the Team Canuck website: they’ve just added a forum and Dave’s (b)log is pretty mind blowing for poker content.

I also noticed that Ontario is flirting with new online gaming legislation and is considering banning online gaming advertisement.  Ontario’s motivation seems to have more to do with preserving horse track revenues (who did the horse track industry fuck for all these carve-outs and protectionist policies?) than any particular moral issue with online gaming.  So while I always credit the Canadians with more progressive attitudes that Americans on almost every front, I am now concerned special interest groups may have some sway in the land to the north.

In a related side note, I was doing my Fall cleaning this weekend.  I put aside some clothing for a charity pick-up.  My criteria for getting rid of stuff was that anything from the ’80s and ’90s could go.  Anything older or newer had to stay.  And although I live in Texas, all sweater and winterwear was held back - but perhaps more on that later.

I am holding back mentioning anything about April’s birthday home game until I get a chance to listen to the podcasts.  The titles look so damning.  Tuaca was involved and I can’t quite recall what I said and did.  So until I know what I have to explain, I have “no comment.”