AimlesslyChasingAmy

Last night Dan held a pokerblog meeting, which he wisely held it at the Tilted Kilt (otherwise who would show).  He also tried very hard not to let bad influences infiltrate the meeting.  But when shots of So Co were delivered to the table, the sanctity of our meeting had obviously been breached.  Wil Wheaton, Brad “Otis” Willis, and Pauly were predictably to blame.  As payback for disrupting the meeting, Dan sent them three glasses of cheap White Zin.  

When I first saw the new WSOP media regulations and the Harrah’s press releases granting exclusive coverage packages to just a few media players I freaked out.  So much great coverage was provided by non-traditional media sources last year and it looked like they were likely to be locked out in the new system.  But in a sense, Harrah’s did bloggers a huge favor.

Last year, most bloggers worked for one of the many poker media providers.  Since the majority of the industry was hopped up on real time online tournament reporting, it meant that most bloggers were doing fourteen hour days of chip counts and hand-for-hand.  I know it’s hard to believe, but live tournament reporting isn’t always the most creative of outlets.  (Of course no matter who he works for, Pauly is always able to sneak in a story about crack whores and strippers between a bet and a fold - thank god.)  The picture below is of bedraggled bloggers (me, Pauly, Sherri, and Dan) from the 2005 WSOP. 

The bloggers are starting to be thankful they didn’t hook up with the exclusive media outlets.  Online poker sites, recognizing the power of content, snatched up many in the blogging and writing community.  Those lucky enough to have been snagged have found themselves with shorter hours, better pay, writing that they enjoy and a lot more time to hang with their buddies.  Party is the primary sponsor of pokerblog for the WSOP and picked up April, Dan, Jen, change100, Steve Hall, Tuscaloosa Johnny, me, and writer Dr. Tim Lavalli.  And PokerStars, is adding to its blogging talent.  Long the home of the talented Brad “Otis” Willis, Wil Wheaton is also now blogging for Stars.  And rumor has it that CJ will be joining them for blogging duty.

We’ve yet to see all the repurcussions of bloggers with creative outlets, disposable income, and time on their hands - but I’m guessing the hooker bar and the Tilted Kilt at the Rio will be the biggest winners.                 

Yesterday was Day One of the Razz event.  I think I was the only happy person at the 2005 WSOP Razz event, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to relive what turned out to be the most surreal 2005 WSOP moments for me.  In his closing remarks of his 2005 Razz report, Nolan Dalla wrote, “If a tree falls in the forrest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound.”  The 2005 Razz event resounded with me. 

The Razz was supposed to be a one day event last year (and probably is single-handedly responsible for the suspension of scheduled one day events).  With 291 players, it was pretty obvious they couldn’t play down to the bracelet in one day.  When the unscheduled second day began, they still had 24 players.  It was 7:00pm before they got to a final table - and another 12 hours before the bracelet was awarded.

It was a final table of great characters and skill.  Mike Wattel, Hassam Kamoei, and O’Neil Longson already had won WSOP bracelets.  Other players included France’s Aviator Club manager Bruno Fitoussi (pictured above), the affable and charming Mickey Wernick, Larry Cesareo, South Philly’s Al “Sugar Bear” Barbieri, and Archie Karas.  Karas started as chip leader and is perhaps is best known for executing the biggest craps roll in history, amassing $25 million in a matter of weeks. 

It was 5:00am by the time Bruno Fitoussi and O’Neal Longson found themselves heads-up.  The tournament room which held over 2000 players and many spectators during the day was an empty cavern.  At this point, the tournament director invited me to take a seat at the final table.  As Fitoussi and Longson started their battle, the moment was not lost on me.  I suspected, even then, that I might be the last writer to cover a WSOP event from the final table.  The din of poker’s exploding popularity had abated.  For the next two hours the players struggled for the bracelet in the eerie silence of the dark and near empty tournament room.  At 7:00am, O’Neal Longson took the bracelet in possibly the most grueling event of the 2005 WSOP.

I packed up my gear and walked out into the already blazing desert sun.  I knew that poker’s growth could never support the access of the past, but poker had given me one last intimate moment and it is a gift I’ll always remember.  But as I watched Day One of the 2006 Razz event yesterday, all I could think about was the loss.  When they start Day Two of the Razz event today, I (and most of the media) will be hustled to a distant rail.

(P.S.  I will pick up the WPT Lawsuit discussion when my brain is less So Co’d)