World Series of Potpourri

[Content Disclosure: Stuff In and Around the WSOP]

Just another collection of tidbits from one more week of trodding the halls of the WSOP and the blogs, sites and sounds from the Series. Today (Sunday) is the biggest day outside of the World Series as both Ultimate Bet and Poker Stars run there massive WSOP main event qualifiers. UB will be handing out 50 seats, while Poker Stars has been qualifying players for over a month for their 150 seat extravaganza. 

Lest you think these online events are for those living in Nova Scotia and Des Moines. There will be plenty of players hold up in their hotel rooms all over Las Vegas today. A cheap seat is a cheap seat, no matter where you are currently seated.

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In case you missed the New York Times article "How Twitter is Changing the World of Professional Poker"; it is worth a read and if you intend to follow the main event or any of the remaining events, I strongly recommend adding to your internet feeds the twitters from PokerRoad. No one has twitter technology mastered yet but PokerRoad is way out ahead for this WSOP. You can follow dozens of top pros right from the tables. Plus much of the insider dirt also gets laundered via tweets. Makes you almost feel like you were here and needing a quick shower.

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The WSOP parties start in earnest this coming week, expect to see the drab "queen and a queen only" tournament coverage being spiced up with reports from inside all the hot clubs in Vegas. Media get invites to these so they will pimp the host sites and well, we do. Coverage of such alcohol fueled debaucheries will be found in much more detail on other sites. Speaking of debauchery, Dr. Pauly is rumored to be returning from his extended Phishing tour. I make a final appearance on the Tao of Poker on Monday, but this time with a PG rated story. Well, maybe R rated if you live in (country name redacted to avoid jihadist retaliation).

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Inside the WSOP these are the doldrum days. More players are napping at the tables. Twitters and blogs are replete with excuses for missed tournaments. The WSOP flu is fully in evidence but not at pandemic proportions. More arguments are popping up at the tables and thus more penalties and warnings are hitting the infamous WSOP infraction book. Bitching about the poker kitchen, bad payout structures, missing blind levels, in general anything and everything have spiked this week. It's all a function of this being the fourth or is it the fifth week of cards and chips, chips and cards and the main event is still nowhere in site.

The WSOP Doldrums will be the theme of my next three Poker Mind In Depth posts as even Misters Matusow, Hellmuth and Negreanu are not immune. That series will resume on Tuesday.

William Ferramosca, Fucking Fly Tattoo

Sou o William Ferramosca da Fucking Fly Tattoo, gostei muito do site A Tattoo e gostaria de participar com meu portifolio.

Gosto muito de fazer trabalhos orientais, realismos e tradicionais e nas horas vagas gosto de pintar algumas telas.


Convenções que participei

1°, 2° e 3° São Paulo Tattoo Festival
4° Expo Tattoo Metal Head
1° Porto Alegre Tattoo Festival
2° Expo Tattoo Internacional Curitiba
1° Convenção de Tatuagem da Paraíba
2° Expo Tattoo e Piecing de Birigui
1° Araçatuba Tattoo Festival

Premiações

1° lugar tatuagem preto e branco
1° lugar série de desenhos preto e branco
2° lugar série de desenhos coloridos
2° lugar tatuagem colorida
1° lugar série de desenhos coloridos

Tenhos alguns trabalhos meus publicados em mais de quinze revistas de tattoo como Metal Head, Bela Tattoo, Skin Tattoo entre outras.

Fucking Fly Tattoo
Telefone (11) 2031-4578
Endereço: Av. Nordestina, 357 - São Miguel Paulista, São Paulo, SP - CEP: 08011-000
E-mail: williamferramosca@hotmail.com
Site: www.fuckingfly.com.br

Daniel Negreanu: Poker Mind In Depth Part IX

[Content Disclosure: Poker Mind In Depth series]

We continue with the Twitter inspired revelations, this time from Daniel Negreanu. When we left off with Daniel last time, he was in his seventh consecutive night of 3 AM finishes and was commenting about the late night loopy feelings. Later that same night, he left this Twitter message:

"This is mentally tough. Seven straight 15 hour days. Not for everyone. I kinda hate it, but I kinda love pushing myself to the edge."

Daniel went on to make it ten straight 3 AM finishes before he finally had an early evening bustout at 9:30 PM. So he went home and got some down time and a full night's sleep. I caught up with him the next day.

Shrink: "How are you feeling today after those ten days in a row? You look a bit worn out."

Daniel: "Well the funny thing is that I did get a break finally, an evening off and a good long night's sleep and today I feel like crap. I kinda hit a wall when I got this break, maybe it was must because I altered my routine."

Shrink: "The run itself was really great, if we just consider the poker and your results."

Daniel: "Well I knew looking at the schedule that there was going to be a time during this WSOP that I was going to be playing day after day after day. I didn't know it would happen quite this soon, but the whole point of getting physically prepared this year was in anticipation of a big run with lots of late nights. Not sure if I anticipated ten in a row and I really thought it might be later but I was ready."

"But I feel good, sure I wish I had won the two or three events where I went deep. But I am putting in a good effort and playing solid even when it is a fifteen hour day."

Shrink: "And going forward."

Daniel: "I keep looking at the schedule, trying to find that free time and it's just not there, at least not yet. Maybe next week, maybe. I will have to figure something out because you can only push yourself so far before you start making mistakes."

Shrink: "I see you looking tired and then a few hours later you seem better."

Daniel: "Oh, I definitely go through phases. Sometimes I look like death, like now and then I get to the table and get all spunky and talkative. I get a second or a third wind, I get a massage and I am back. It is definitely an ebb and flow type of thing, as far as energy goes. I try and stay as level as possible, but those two and three AM finishes, I can get a little loopy and I just have to try and avoid mistakes on the downswings. I can go on auto-pilot and not make mistakes, the problem with that is I also am not making good reads and making moves off of those reads. But when I get a bit goofy and unfocused, you just have to compensate for those times and play good, solid auto-poker."

Shrink: "So you are going to try and find a day off."

Daniel: "Try yes. Like today, if I bust out, I am not playing tomorrow until 5 PM. So I get an afternoon off. It's not a full day and that is what I really need about now."

As things turned out, Daniel did play the late event after our conversation and he did play until 3 AM making another day two. He busted midday the following day and jumped right into the 5 PM HORSE tournament. The following day he played the 5 PM event again but he busted just after 2 AM. Then, finally! He took a full day off after playing 14 of 18 days until 3 AM.

_____________________

Previous posts in this Series:

Part VIII:  Phil Hellmuth

Part VII:   Mike Matusow

Part VI: Daniel Negreanu

Part V:  Phil Hellmuth

Part IV: Daniel Negreanu

Part III: Daniel Negreanu

Part II:  Phil Hellmuth

Part I:   Mike Matusow

Introduction to Series

As tatuagens estão na moda!

Olá a todos os amantes da arte!

As tatuagens estão na moda! É bonito de ver uma tattoo bem feita sendo exibida com orgulho pelas ruas da cidade em todo país e em todo o mundo. A tatuagem celebra infinitas situações, além de alimentar o ego de quem as possui. A cada dia que passa, a aceitação do grande público a essa arte se faz mais presente. Hoje em dia, é dificil encontrar um jovem que não queira a sua própria tattoo. As novas tendências e a quebra de paradigmas, firma ainda mais o compromisso com a liberdade de expressão e a pluraridade cultural das grandes metrópoles. Nada melhor do que a arte para dizermos "Tudo" ou simplismente não dizermos "nada".

É cada vez mais comum expressarmos o nosso sentimento em forma de tattoo´s. Existem várias manerias de celebrarmos isso. Tomaremos como exemplo o "dia dos namorados". Quem nunca pensou em ter o nome do amado ou da amada tatuado no corpo? Pois bem, o dia da festa se transformou no dia dos namorados, nos EUA e na Europa, o Valentine’s Day, 14 de fevereiro, em homenagem ao Padre Valentine. Em 270 a.C., o bispo romano Valentino desafiou o imperador Claudius II que proibia que se realizasse o matrimônio e continuou a promover casamentos. Para Claudius, um novo marido significava um soldado a menos. Preso, enquanto esperava sua execução, o bispo Valentine se apaixonou pela filha cega de seu carcereiro, Asterius. E, com um milagre, recuperou sua visão. Para se despedir, Valentine escreveu uma carta de amor para ela. Foi assim que surgiu a expressão em inglês "From your Valentine". Mesmo tido como santo pelo suposto milagre, ele foi executado em 14 de fevereiro. No Brasil, a gênese da data é menos romântica. Alguns a atribuem a uma promoção pioneira da loja Clipper, realizada em São Paulo em 1948. Outros dizem que o Dia dos Namorados foi introduzido no Brasil, em 1950, pelo publicitário João Dória, que criou um slogan de apelo comercial que dizia "não é só com beijos que se prova o amor". A intenção de Dória era criar o equivalente brasileiro ao Valentine's Day - o Dia dos Namorados realizado nos Estados Unidos. É provável que o dia 12 de junho tenha sido a data escolhida porque representa uma época em que o comércio de presentes não fica tão intenso. A idéia funcionou tão bem para os comerciantes, que desde aquela época, o Brasil inteiro comemora anualmente a data. Outra versão reverencia a véspera do dia de Santo Antônio, o santo casamenteiro.

Isso é engraçado... Conhecemos várias situações em que artistas famosos tatuaram o nome dos amados em seus corpos e que se arrependeram amargamente de tê-lo feito. Assim comos nós, que somos meros mortais, também acontecem muitas coisas dessa natureza. O fato é que devemos celebrar sempre! Ter uma tatuagem é algo muito sério. É preciso ter uma sintonia muito positiva quando se decide fazer uma. Uma boa tatuagem, nunca pode sofrer a dor do arrependimento do seu dono. O laço é eterno! Anjos, corações, flores, fotografias, frases... tudo isso pode ser representado e eternizado. Um sentimento expressado no prório corpo, descreve algo puro e de total confiança e entrega! Somente bons profissionais captam essa essência. Por isso, digo que devem haver profissionais com sentimento e muita percepção no nosso Brazil e em todo mundo. Somente assim, seremos respeitados e amados por nossa arte! Então pessoal, vamos continuar ditando a moda. Vamos Tatuar!!!

Tatuagem tá na moda do mundo pessoal!!! Vou dar um exemplo:

Rodrigo Carvalho - Salvador

Ivan Braz,das peles Suínas para as peles Humanas

Pessoal do A Tattoo, meu nome é Ivan Braz, sou de São Paulo capital e a alguns meses migrei dos treinos em pele suína para a prática em peles humanas. Apaixonado por tattoos praticamente a minha vida inteira, sempre desenhei e sempre fui inspirado pela temática das tatuagens. Comecei "tarde", mas em tempo. Tenho recebido apoio dos amigos e do tatuador Ninho Gonçalves, que atualmente trabalha na Espanha. Minha intenção é mostrar o resultado da batalha que enfrentei para adquirir e conquistar a confiança para transmitir a arte às pessoas. Tatuagem é para mim, paixão, é a explosão da arte. Obrigado e sucesso sempre!!!

Ivan Braz
E-mail: i.braz@hotmail.com

Luiz Augusto, Azamba Tattoo

Olá meu nome é Luiz Augusto, e sou conhecido pelo apelido de Azamba Tattoo. Seguem algumas fotos de meus trabalhos. Espero que vocês gostem. Fiquem na paz!

HK9 Tattoo
E-mail: luizaugusto@digital-artist.org
Telefone: (21) 30831980
Endereço: Shopping Nova América, no Centro Empresarial, sala 412. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Fotolog: www.fotolog.com/azambujatattoo
Atendimento: Terça, Quinta, Sexta 14 ás 22:00hs, Sábado 10 ás 22:00hs e Domingos e Feriados 15 ás 21:00hs.

Assorted Ramblings

[Content Disclosure: A Little of This & A Little of That]

Just a mishmash of meanderings in and around the human psyche from my observations over the past several weeks, months, days and hours.

Otis on Twitter, Identity Theft and Cyber Sink Holes: "Let’s be clear: If you are a public figure, ever hope to be, or are serving as a PR consultant or publicist for someone who stands to be even mildly famous, you are being irresponsible for not securing a spot on Twitter and Facebook. Yes, Twitter and Facebook can be vapid holes of despair from which nothing good can ever rise. They also happen to be places where hundreds of thousands of people spend hours each day. If you are a politician or leader, these people are your constituents. If you have any hope of connecting with these people you need to be on top of it. At the very least, you need to have “your people” on top of it. And you need to check out who is using your name."

Nothing is quite so painful than to be following the WSOP tweeterverse and have some tangential player have a cyber-meltdown for all to read (divorce, broken air-conditioning, cursed by the poker gods, loss of bladder control, rolled by a hooker, did I mention divorce and who gets custody of the commemorative plates). As the Rob Lowe character on Brothers and Sisters said: "Get a filter for God's sake!"

Vapid holes of despair from which nothing good can ever rise. I promise Otis a citation every single time I used this line.

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Bagels and OCD: When toasting two bagels with only a two slice toaster. Do you take the first bagel out when it is 3/4 done and then fully toast the second bagel before you finish the first? You know so the first one does not cool off before you get to consume it. 

____________________

Have you ever been stuck at a poker table or in a doctor's office or nirvana forbid on an airplane and the person next to you is going on about a topic you are intimately familiar with and they are just chronically misinformed. I mean usually it's because they are stupid. And yes ladies they are always men and always completely imbued with the 100% righteous knowledge that they are speaking the truth. It happens a lot to WSOP poker media when we take a day off to play in one of the smaller rooms here in Las Vegas. Yesterday, I played at Flamingo and the fool/tool from Indiana on my left knew all there was to know about the Series. You see he played for two hours in the most recent $1500 Donkument and that gave him his status of expertise.

I did not intervene in his brilliant pontifications but when he began his insider discourse on Mike Matusow and Phil Hellmuth, I thought my buddy at the table would explode from the repressed laughter. At one point, following a particularly erroneous Matusow comment, he even said: "Well this guy should know, he wrote the book." But the expert just ignored that and went on with his highly informative fiction.

___________________________ 

On an international note. It seems lots of news coverage is being given today to the elections in Iran. It appears that they may not have reported the true vote totals. Shock and anger seems to be the overwhelmingly popular reactions. I am shocked that more informed media types are not more prone to observe -- well Duh! And less we forget: Land of the Free, Home of the Brave: Florida November 2000. And before all of my newly acquired conservative friends get their panties in a knot or a painful cameltoe.... If the voters had gotten Al Gore, in all likelihood Barack would not be president today. Be careful which elections you steal.

___________________________

You didn't miss my guest spot over on the The Tao of Poker All-Stars did you? Just one of the infrequent opportunities for R-rated Shrinkable observations. It's called: "Ladies of the Night: WSOP version."

___________________________

Poker rooms I have played this summer:

Flamingo -- NLHE

Binion's -- NLHE tournament

Planet Hollywood -- NLHE

Orleans -- Omaha8

Tuscany -- NLHE tournament

Binions -- Omaha8 tournament

Flamingo -- NLHE

M Resort -- NLHE 

Venetian -- Omaha8 

SouthPoint -- Limit HE 

M Resort -- Limit HE 

Rooms where I couldn't get a game:

Golden Gate

Bill's Gambling Hall

Imperial Palace

Luxor