First, read Here was a Caesar! when comes such another? .

Iggy's poker blog project, Guinness and Poker, is deceased according to Al Can't Hang, and if Al declares it dead, it's dead*. I intend to stop and reflect on this, as I believe all poker blog readers and scribes should.

"The setting sun, and music at the close, As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last, Writ in remembrance more than things long past."

William Shakespeare. Richard II (Act 2 close)

Just a reminder that Iggy set up the next WPBT WSOP Satellite! Hope to see you there. Gracie won the first one and she won a seat into a $1,500 WSOP event of her choice.

What: WPBT WSOP Satellite #2
When: Monday, April 3rd @ 9PM EST
Where: Poker Stars
Tournament #: 21868191 (see private tourney tab)
Buy-in: $30 +3
Format: NL freezeout
Password: socoshot
Restrictions: Bloggers only

I hope to have some semblance of a post about the WPBT up later this week, in the mean time the photos from FlipChip are in the WBPT 2005 gallery. (caption's to come)

Below are the shots from Poker Resource Network, thanks to Corne van der Stelt (photographer) Wendy and Annie for stopping by.

Phil of StudioGlyphic won and Gracie of She-Verb took second congrats!

That's alot of poker bloggers!

Hi-Res Image

It was amazing.

And here are the posts I'm using to try to piece together the events of the weekend:

Bad Blood - Tidbits
StudioGlyphic
She Verb
Tao of Poker
Table Tango 1
Table Tango 2
Table Tango 3
G-Rob (Up For Poker)
Human Head
Donkey Puncher
Mr. Subliminal
Infant Days Sleepless Nights
Poker Doctor
Weak Player (Part 1)

[Stop by Iggy for a more complete listing]

"I can say gamecock but not asscock"
"Hey, I can say asscock!"...Dr. Pauly in reference to the Poker Stars' Chat filters.

OK, so the WPBT (World Poker Blogger Tour) tourney has come and gone. I finished a not too memorable, but distant 26th. Rather then re-hash this material when others are far better at it, I'll send you to Dr. Pauly's tournament report, John-Paul's blogger list/report and the WPBT website, which should have the leader-board scores updated soon. Go the event winner's site to pay homage to the current King of the WPBT, Pathetic Poker, and finally a toast of the Guinness to the event organizer, uber-poster and 4th place finisher, Iggy.

While I'm about it, Dr. Pauly just posted an original fiction work, Sad Amy, to Poker Player Newspaper. I just finshed building a dedicated World Series of Poker information section and a World Poker Tour information section.

A major bit of news here at the Prof's Blog can now be made public. Previous agreements are in place and we will have Dr. Pauly covering the 2005 WSOP. Really good news for the readers. I believe his unique views of this event will provide an indepth look into the world of big time poker. Last; but, certainly not least is the additional news that we now have a sponsor.

Following a year of covering everything poker, we recently decided to accept advertisements. Of the many that have contacted us we have made our selection of a sponsor for LasVegasVegas.com. Only those that have a defining interest in the sport of poker were considered. Long term quality growth is now assured. See all of the details next week.

Don't want to give away to many of the details right now. Although Blogs and Bloggers are now accepted as legitimate media, we will continue to push the envelop. Yes, we are very pleased with this recent turn of events.

Oh yea, Happy April 1st.

I?m still running around the clock with the WPT main event being held this week; but, I put off my tourney report long enough. I want to write it up before I forget the details.

It started with an e-mail from Pauly asking about a private table for a few bloggers hitting Vegas in December. I immediately thought of fellow blogger and poker room manager, Dick, and within a couple of days the private table had turned into a tournament. With a few more e-mails and planning the tournament turned into an all day affair. Things really went into full swing for me the Thursday before the tourney; when, while covering the WPT events I asked a couple of the pros if they would like to join in the fun. Charlie Shoten was already on the list and Max Pescatori decided to join in to find out what the bloggers were like. Well, while chatting with Marcel Luske, Charlie joined us and asked Marcel if he?d like to come. Marcel, being the ultimate good-spirited gentleman, decided on the spot to come as well. This brings me to the most memorable quote of the past few days when Devilfish joined in the conversation:

Marcel: ?I?m going to a poker tournament event where Charlie will be speaking would you like to come??
Devilfish (to me): ?Not sure, what?s the buy in??
Me: "err.. $50.00"
Devilfish: (pause) ?Fuck That!?
Marcel: ?Now David one second? (to me) will there be a re-buy??

Which still cracks me up, David did intend on coming, but alas, 10:00 am is too early for most professional poker players so next time I?ll factor this in. Fortunately many were able to come (see the posts below for the lists).

After extensive e-mails and phone calls with Pauly, Otis, All-In poker Apparel, Charlie, Dick, Check n? Raise and a few others all the swag is in place, all the people are lined up and I manage to get to bed around 2:30 am Friday night and fall asleep around 4:30, planning to be up at 9:00 or so to scramble over and make sure one last time that everything is in place. Things did not go according to plan. At 5:30 that morning my cat decided to dump a glass of grapefruit juice, conveniently sitting on the headboard, onto my face? I never got back to sleep. So after a shower and triple checking everything I made my way to Sam?s Town at 8:30 to meet with Dick and Charlie.

The plan was to start things at 10:00 sharp; and again, it didn?t get off as planned; but, things still worked out well anyway. The limo we sent for the pros at the Bellagio didn?t leave Sam?s Town until 9:00 and didn?t arrive at the Bellagio until about 10:00 (it was supposed to leave the Bellagio at 9:30); but all was well, for right after the limo had confirmed the pick-up Pauly called to tell me the bloggers were just piling into the car, like a group of circus clowns putting a huge group of people into a space that defies the laws of physics. In the meantime, a few people had already arrived on the scene and fortunately the food and meeting new people was keeping everyone occupied. So around 10:30 am the rest of the pros arrive and although no-one said anything I?m sure they were hesitant about the small groups of people scattered around the room. Then, about five minutes later while pacing in the hall like a patient waiting for the results of a tumor biopsy, I hear a commotion from around the corner? either a pack of bloodthirsty Huns from a Credit Card commercial were decending upon the Casino or the bloggers had arrived. Leading the pack was none other than Pauly with about two dozen Internet scribes in tow. I spent most of the time jumping around from person to person and actually got to meet Iggy, blasted though he seemed. I guess he was? how shall I put it?? ?short? on time and a ?little? fatigued. A damn shame I didn?t get to spend more time with him. Anyways, I did get to meet everyone and as a whole I?ve never been more impressed with the intelligence, courtesy and good energy from such a large group, as Badblood so correctly pointed out, there was not one person who didn?t ?fit?. Though I?m sure if you compared the blogger gathering to a painting it would be a Jackson Pollock crossed with a Salvador Dali? while on hallucinogenic drugs and using day-glow colors; nevertheless, we were a bonded community without knowing it until we all gathered. The pros seemed to fit in as well as anyone. From the moment the last blogger filed into the room I knew this was going to be something special (and not in the ?short-bus? kind of way).

After everyone got into the room we mingled for about 15 minutes and around 11:00 am the day?s events got underway. We started with Charlie, who gave a 20 minute speech on the rather complex philosophical system he developed which allowed him to live a better life and be a better poker player. The speech was rough in spots but judging by Maudie and Bill the gist of the material came through clear. Next, Jeffery Hass of Check n? Raise poker gave a presentation on the new poker site and answered questions and criticisms of the site with clarity and certainty. He also provided some of the finest swag on hand, a jacket for the bloggers that made the final table. Jeffrey then got the names and addresses of everyone there so he can send each of them one of the special WPBT Tournament jacket (Customs stopped him from bringing them all in). Finally, Tom McEvoy, the consummate teacher, took to the podium and answered questions from bloggers on some of the more intricate aspects of poker and on line poker. The only thing I clearly remember from all of this was almost every answer at some point included, ?Like most poker question, it depends?? About 12 minutes into Tom?s presentation I found out the pros had to get a move on to be at, as Bill so eloquently put it, ?some small Four Diamond?s thingy over at the Bellagio.? So, that wrapped up the morning presentations.

The tournament did start on time. I drew a seat close to FoiledCoup and folded every hand I was dealt for the first seven minutes, mostly to make absolutely sure Dick?s prediction would fail and I never actually got involved in a pot. I did steal the blinds a couple of times, but that was about it? then I was moved to the circular hay-bailer of poker tables with the unholy trinity of Felicia, Max and Charlie. The table was consuming players faster then Al with a bottle of SoCo. Seated to the left of Charlie, I was in a horrid spot, and the worst of it was the cards were colder than a doctor?s examination table? the metal kind? with no pad and a bad chest cold while stripped to you?re skivvies. 10-2o, 4Jo, 2-8o and then just as the blind were about to devour me and spit out my bones like the other victims of this meat-grinder disguised as a poker table I was dealt a lovely K-Jo, the best two cards I?d seen since the tournament began. I pushed my shriveled stack into the belly of the grinder only to be called down by the chief butchers, Max and Charlie. Max had pocket 4?s, Charlie Q-9s. The flop hit me with a King, but it steamrolled Max with a 4 giving him a set which became a boat on by the river. Oh well, Charlie was gone too and that was the tourney for me.

For some closing thoughts, there were a lot of cool conversations though-out the day and plans were already being put into place for the next Vegas shin-dig. I wish I had a chance to spend more time chatting with BG, Ferrari, Mas, Daddy, Asphnxma, Derek, Bob, -EV, Poker Grub and Grubett, Mr. and Mrs. Al Can?t Hang (especially you Al, some people are the life of the party.. you ARE the party!), Iggy (I barley got to say ?hi?) and Maudie. I did spend a fair amount of time chatting with BadBlood (a geek disguised as a bodybuilder), Hank (a geek disguised as a Jock), Bill (a geek), Otis, CJ, Linda, Felicia, Glenn and of course Dr. Pauly a hippy and great guy!

I collapsed right after the tourney and spent most of Sunday recovering? all I could think about was what a great time and we have to do it again, bigger and better!

I would like to thank Max Pescatori for spending the entire day with the bloggers at Sam's Town yesterday. Max,in EU bandana, also cajoled Evelyn Ng into attending just to listen to Charlie Shoten's presentation and Max allowed Felicia Lee to return home to Arizona with a cowboy hat!

Marcel Luske and young Russian Kirill Girasimov also saw the Vegas eastern block from the back of a limo.

The tournament was tough. As Max said, "This is more intense than a million dollar tournament." The final four featured two Euro males and two young females. I received a jacket specially made by Check n Raise Poker for my fourth place plus a unique t shirt from All In apparel which should have said, "I didn't dominate the table."
After I said farewell to my new blogger friends, I was driven by Max, in his Mini Cooper, to the Bellagio where I was pleased to see both Evelyn and Kirill finish in the money in the $3000 buy in NLHE tournament. That's good Karma.

I also watched John Juanda heads up against Howard Lederer. That was nearly as intense as the bloggers tournament. Tobey Maquire was in a large cash game with WSOP champ Greg Raymer and Erick Lindgren.

Dick Gatewood provided us with a great breakfast and a good tournament structure. Thanks to Ron Rose for donating copies of his excellent coffee table poker book, "Poker Aces."

Lets do it again, soon. Any blogger who did not attend, you missed a memorable day. Thanks also to the Pokerprof and Flipchipro for providing the tournament with some dead money.