Poker in Vegas!

I am feeling left out in the cold, literally, because I am not in Las Vegas cashing in on the 2009 World Series of Poker action and it's freezing here. My plan was to go to Vegas for the months of June and July. I know it looks like there is only one tournament when watching the WSOP on TV, but in reality there are over 50 tournaments ranging from $500 to $10,000 to enter every day for two months. This year's WSOP started on Friday. I am not a tournament poker player. I like to play the cash games during the tournaments. Last year I won the most playing people (mostly men) who flew in from all over the country and in some cases the world to play in the WSOP.

Many WSOP players are not really up to calliber. Most of the people entered in the Main Event for $10,000 don't really use their own money. Quite a few people win seats from online sites, like Fulltilt and Poker Stars and come early and play live with their own money or the stipend they won. The professionals have sponsors that not only put them in the Main Event--if not all of the events--they pay them. The year round Vegas grinders usually get someone to stake them in--at least--the Main Event or several smaller tourneys. The people that use their own money to play in the WSOP act like they have money to burn and a couple more grand at the Venetian seems like pennies to them, compared to the $100,000 already spent on tournament entries.

The low level poker grinders who can't get staked in any tournament, play one or many of the satellite games at Rio--where the WSOP is held--for coupons for tournament entry. Last year I saw many guys winning $500 tournament entry coupons at the $50 satellite tables and then selling them for cash so they could play the ring games. Tournament poker playing is much nuttier than live cash games. So, when someone gets knocked out of a 5 day tourney on day 1, the cash games start to look real good. However, that crazy hyper-aggressive play seen on TV is, basically money in the bank for the Vegas grinders who have been waiting for these guys all year. It's such a zoo this time of year. Ooh, I have to figure something out...

Ug, it's morning...

I got my haircut on Friday. I like it a lot better than my last hack job, I mean cut, but it needs work. What is it with hair cutters in San Francisco? Why is it so difficult to get a decent haircut? When did it become OK to complain about the client's hair. I have always had baby fine hair. However, now that I am 47 years old it seems to be a problem, not with me, but with the 20 something year olds cutting my hair. Friday, the young woman cutting my hair complained to me, that I had a lot of hair in the back...of my head. That seems like a good thing, right? I don't know if it is a communication breakdown or what.

Check it out...seriously, what's this long piece, for? I mean, do I really look like the kind of person into asymmetrical haircuts? Oh, and my bangs might be a little long...<sigh>

Sex With Ducks

I am so happy I found this video from Riki "Garfunkel" Lindhome and Kate "Oates" Micucci on YouTube.
Here's the link with other music videos by them http://www.youtube.com/user/rikilind
Sex With Ducks is the most recent. However, all of them are worth checking out, especially Garfunkel and Oates sing "Self Esteem" live!

This is my screensaver

Crack Is Good, Coca-Cola Is Bad

It is my second day of blogging and I already have three followers! It's kind of exciting. I can already feel the pressure!

Clearly, in San Francisco not buying a Coke at a festival is a crime they are willing to stamp out with full force. However, crack isn't a problem with the SFPD I think, because there aren't any official crack vendors sponsoring the festival...not yet, anyway. 

Pretty much every weekend there is at least one neighborhood or cultural event going on in San Francisco. Last weekend was Carnival in the Mission district, which consists of a parade going down Mission Street and a festival with booths on Harrison Street between 16th and 22nd Streets. A friend of mine lives on 16th St. and I live by Cesar Chavez, so we decided to meet somewhere in the middle of the festival part.

I catch the tail end of the parade; a flatbed truck with a Jimi Hendricks look-a-like, a fleet of Mini Coopers with "Zip Car" plastered all over them, a pirate ship being towed by a red truck, and two cops on bicycles in shorts bringing up the rear. As I head up towards the festival part, I notice a guy smoking crack, oblivious to the fact that there are children with their families standing right next to him. I try to get his attention to no avail--he's smoking crack--he can't be bothered. I walk over to the cop who is standing two steps away from the guy and tell him about the crack. The police officer shoots me a look, like I am some kind of whiner, like I need to lighten up, because it's Carnival.

I see my friend and she tells me that the festival is awful, because it is fenced in and there are cops frisking everyone entering, looking for food or beverages. I told her about the guy smoking crack right out in the open during the parade and she said all of the cops were at the festival cracking down on the food smuggling ring.

So, remember if on a whim you decide to attend a community festival in San Francisco, load up on your crack, but leave the Coke at home.

My Photos of Carnival

My Shout Outs!

Poker Shout Out
I am looking for a publication that will contract me as a reporter for the 2009 World Series of Poker.

Website Shout Out
Alan Bamberger has been kind enough to post my comments about San Francisco art openings on www.artbusiness.com, please check it out. I will post the links as they come up.

Magazine Shout Out
Today's Vintage has asked me to write about decorating vintage style for them.

Art in SF Shout Out
I helped my friend Charles Keatts put up some of his pieces in his "Window" series for the event Bar Code, in Pier 3 on the Embarcadero, happening this weekend. Check it out, www.shopthebarcode.com ...it's FREE!

My First Blog

Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I am blogging. Who knew this would ever happen? I sure didn't. I have been very resistant to this kind of public masturbation, until now. I like to write and am finding myself trying to get paid for it. Upon mentioning my new found desire to work as a writer or even better yet, a reporter--to anyone who will listen--I am frequently asked if I have a blog. So, now I have a blog, which is going to take some time to get used to...(sigh)