Check Out JDN’s Blog

My friend JDN has a poker blog that I didn’t know existed until yesterday. He and I ran into each other as I was walking out of the Rio. It’s a pretty crazy blog that has a lot of honest observations which make for some hilarious posts. JDN use to help with organizing the Full Tilt stable of players, so he definitely has an insider’s perspective on the game. Now playing poker instead of dealing with shall we say, “tempermental” players, JDN has his own interesting stories to tell. If you like poker, drunken antics, and plenty of hand details, make sure to check out his site PokerWTF.com .

Alton Kelley Now Doodles With Jerry in the Sky

Renowned rock poster artist Alton Kelley died at the age of 67 last Sunday from complications from osteoporosis. Kelley worked with partner Stan Mouse to bring the 1960s rock scene to life through their vivid concert posters. If you saw a psychedelic poster from the Filmore or the Avalon Ballroom, it was probably Kelley’s work.

 

In my opinion, his greatest individual work was the Grateful Dead skull with roses.

 

R.I.P. Alton.

Five Universal Guidelines to Know and Accept

“Maybe I laid down the phone before he could be heard”

From the song “Ghost” by Phish

 

1) Be careful what you ask for because you’ll get it in spades.

If you spend a lot of time focusing on something, you a sure to manifest that type of experience. Whether it is a good experience or a bad one depends on your mindset. Thinking about having a million dollars probably won’t bring you a million dollars, but it will bring you a lot of unhappiness.  Whereas thinking about giving love can help you make friends, which in turn can make you the richest person in the world if you consider friendship a valuable commodity.

 

2) Shit Happens.

Not everything works out the way we want it to. Sometimes you don’t get that A+, or your lover doesn’t have time to fawn over you because of work. You can either create a lot of drama that gets you nowhere or you can act constructively and find solutions to why you feel shitty in the first place. If you didn’t get an A+, try to study in a different way that will help you get a better grade. If your partner isn’t paying attention to you, do something to occupy yourself. Don’t just sit there waiting for them to find time for you. Live your life in try to figure out what you need to do differently to find success.

 

3) Truth is in the eye of the beholder.

One thing that we all share in common with each other is that we all share different experiences. What is good for me, him, and her, may not be good for she,  he, and it. In other words, recognize that we all have different feelings, emotions, and beliefs that affect the way we see and interact with the world. If you really want to have honest communication with people, make sure to try to understand who they are and what has made them that way.

 

4) What goes around comes around.

We attract those like us and we attract situations based on our past actions. If you are positive and inspired, you will meet people of the same headspace. If you are ghetto and violent, you will find thugs and killers everywhere you look. There is credence to doing onto others as you would have them do onto you. If you give respect, you get it. If you act like a bitch, sometimes you’re going to get smacked like one. Just remember that every action has an equal and relative reaction in everything you do.

 

5)  Life waits for no one.

The human experience is filled with constant change. Better to know this than to try to hide from it. If you can flow with the moment and the tasks at hand, you can take advantage of situations where many will not. Don’t get overly attached to things because everything fades and disappears at some point. There is nothing wrong with this process. Denying life’s impermanence is what causes pain and keeps you stuck repeating patterns. Let go and move on.

World Series of Poker Quickie: 6/5/08

The Skinny

In early 2007, Mike Matusow and Ted Forrest entered a $100,000 prop bet that required Matusow to lose 50 pounds before this year’s WSOP. To win, Matusow had to drop from 231 to 181 pounds. Well, it wasn’t hard to notice a very slender Matusow as he saw action in several tournaments.

 

According to Matusowtruth.blogspot.com, a site run by Mike’s brother Scott, Mike weighed in at midnight June 3^rd and he quickly proved he was a man of his words. “The Mouth” got down to a slim 179 pounds and took the $100,000 as a result. The weigh-in was taped by ESPN, but I’m not sure who would want to see Matusow in his underwear.

 

Superstar Final Tables Are a Gold Mine for ESPN

The 2008 World Series of Poker is living up to early expectations as it continues to provided sensational final table match-ups. The people at ESPN must be thrilled with the pro-filled ”televised” final tables. They had high hopes that this year’s action would surpass previous years and so far, they haven’t been disappointed.

 

Each of the first three final tables had at least one superstar see action. Event #1 ($10,000 Pot Limit Hold’em) featured the most firepower as all nine players had formidable poker resumes, with most having had plenty of experience playing in front of the television cameras. Event #3 ($5,000 Mixed Hold’em) came in a close second with seven of poker’s elite seeing action. Event #2 had the least well-known field, but plenty of people still came to see the action thanks to the presence of Full Tilt pro Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.

 

With well-known players such as Howard Lederer, Roland De Wolfe, Justin Bonomo, David Williams, Erick Lindgren, Andy Bloch, Mike Sexton, Patrik Antonius, Phil Laak, Kathy Liebert, Nenad Medic, and Internet phenom Mike “SowersUNCC” Sowers having had a shot at WSOP gold, the bar has been set high when it comes to final table royalty. Hopefully for poker fans and for the people at ESPN, this trend will continue.

 

It Hurts So Good

One trend that I believe is a positive thing for this year’s WSOP is the increase in the number of masseuses. There are enough staff members to give the necessary attention to the large fields and they’ve done a great job meeting the player’s needs. Whether it is at the tables or in the Rio hallway, there are enough healing hands to go around.

 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re at the top of the chip count or whether you’re crushing a cash game, a relaxing massage helps the brain refocus on the task at hand. If you don’t think you need a massage after a 10-hour session, you are highly mistaken. Try one and see if you don’t feel more relaxed and in control of your thought process.

 

If you are on the fence about getting a massage while playing poker, keep this fact in mind. The body has trigger points that when released, help to calm the nerves and can completely change the way people think and feel. I can say this because I studied massage therapy when I was younger and I am fully aware of its healing potential. If I’m working late hours at Borgata, I always hire one of the masseuses. It helps wake me up and gets me back in the game.

 

Do yourself a favor if things get tough at the tables. Try getting a massage. I’m willing to bet that you’ll thank me later.

Jay-Z Brings Controversy to the Glastonbury Festival

Image details: 40/40 Club Host Mary J. Blige & Jay-Z’s After Party served by picapp.com

Well-known for its guitar-heavy roster of bands, the Glastonbury Festival is one of the world’s biggest music gatherings.  This year’s event has yet to sell-out like previous years and has raised questions about several artists selected to play. Breaking tradition with past Glastonbury line-ups, the festival organizers switched things up by adding Jay-Z to its list of headliners. The move has not come without controversy.

 

According to the U.K. paper The Sun, Jay-Z is the one being blamed for the lack of ticket sales and artists like Noel Gallagher of Oasis have come out against him performing. “If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it. If you start to break it, then people aren’t going to go. I’m sorry, but Jay-Z?”

 

Jay-Z has spoken out in response to the criticism stating, “We don’t play guitars but hip hop has put in work like any other form of music. The world changes and we have to embrace change. I’ve never been involved in anything this controversial. What’s the big deal with doing a show?”

 

Apparently Jay-Z isn’t letting the bad press get to him to much. He has plans for several big parties to celebrate his Glastonbury appearance. Reports say he has purchased 300 bottles of Armand De Brignac (a ridiculously-expensive champagne) for the parties.

 

The Glastonbury Festival runs from June 27-29.