Pair the Board

Yep, another 5 days with no posts. I’m not doing so well at this daily writing thing. I don’t know how people find time to write every day and give it their best. Impressive. But I digress.

I made it to Vegas this week, and it feels like home. The poker media and disciples of the felt are trickling into town from all corners of the country and the world. Went to the Gold Coast bowling bar Thursday and got caught up with everyone. Pauly and Change took Benjo to a music festival in Cali. AlCantHang still can’t accurately tell me where he lives. F-Train is off to Cebu to work the APPT event in the Philippines. Three of us went to PT’s to chow after, and Garry ran $60 into about $350 on the triple-play video poker machine while he waited for his entree. MBN.

I spent Saturday and much of Sunday covering the final table of the World Series of Poker, the so-called November Nine. What started in July with 6,494 players came down to just nine finalists, and they returned to the Rio this week to wage war for the most prestigious title in poker.

And they came from all walks of life. Steve Begleiter, the former manager at Bear Stearns, now in recovery mode on Wall Street. He answers to “Begs” and has annoying fans who chant his name three times. Kevin Schaffel, entrepreneur of his own printing business, now semi-retired. The senior citizen of the table at 51, his family and friends wear shirts that say “Schaffel Up and Deal”. Antoine Saout, the Frenchman, an engineering student who’s been having some good success on the felt this year. He always looks strung out with big red circles around his eyes. He and his fans only speak French, so the only cheer I can make out is “Allez, Antoine!”. Next is Joe Cada, the baby-faced student-turned-online-grinder. He’s a self-admitted “B” student who bought his first house with cash at age 19. My initial pick to win, and if he does, he’ll surpass Peter Eastgate for youngest ever to do so. We have a James Akenhead, the European standout who only comes to the U.S. to play the WSOP. He starts with the shortest stack, but he’s probably the second-best player at the table. Steve Buchman, consistent brick-and-mortar performer since his early days in the card rooms and underground clubs of the northeast. He could be your next-door neighbor, if your next-door neighbor happens to be the second biggest stack at the final table. Darvin Moon, the quiet logger from Maryland. If he’s your next-door neighbor, you should consider moving. Doesn’t own a computer, a cell phone, or a credit card. Appeared on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries when his girlfriend went missing. Her body still hasn’t been found. Seriously. With his big gray Jew ‘fro and straggly beard, Jeff Shulman is at his second Main Event final table. He’s the Editor of Card Player magazine, and his daddy Barry is the CEO. Jeff’s a bit of a curmudgeon, and he’s made waves by bickering with Harrah’s and saying he’ll throw the bracelet in the trash if he wins.

And then there is Mr. Phil Ivey, regarded by anyone with a valid opinion as the greatest card player on the planet. More than $12 million in tournament winnings to go with tens more millions in the nosebleed cash games. Seven gold bracelets including two already at this WSOP. Best poker face ever with his slackened jaw and darting eyes. Unreadable; makes amateur players cower behind their chips.

It was shaping up to be a captivating final table, and it didn’t disappoint. I’ll post a recap and some photos a bit later today. Or not. But I probably will, because it was pretty damn exciting.