Pimping
I love it when people are like...Rooster, why do you pimp other folks? I'm a nice guy? In any case, here is the skinny.
Did anyone see Phil Ivey court side at the Lakers game last night? He must have taken Jerry Buss for some money.
Is it me or is The Rooster still the defending WPBT Champion? I can say that until next winter.
If you have some time go over to
Jamie's at Wall Street Poker and read about his trip to California poker rooms...great tales indeed. A crew of us went to Jamie's pad to get him out for a beer when we were in his hood...to no avail...he was in Cali. StB seemed amused that a game would take place there. I even told him there was a real poker table where the cards were dealt. In any case, this is my favorite line from his trip report and playing cards in South Central:
“It’s daylight on an early Monday Morning. What better time to go to Compton? All the gangstas are sleeping!”.Once again, I'm glad I'm not a writer/artist type. You have to love
this blogger and his love of emotional pain. Dear God the dark places this guy visits. Makes me thank god that I'm not an artist or writer. I love being a hack.
I hate to pimp them again, but they have the best one, two, and three combo in the south
Up For Poker is talking poker and ponies. Remember this...read the post CJ put up about Casino Drive. I looked him up on ESPN and they have a clip of him pulling away from that pack. I'm smelling what Luckbox has cooking. No new pictures of the home and Mrs. Luckbox?
Of course you have to go see
Tripjax for he put up some cute pictures of his kid.
Also, might want to hit
GCox for his write-up about his daughter. GCox is da man!
Some people like Pauly's poker blog which is good. But if you haven't gone
HERE to his regular blog you are missing out on funny stuff...Viva White Gold!
Also, besides Change100 is there another blogger who has made two WPBT final tables in Vegas? Someone said CJ but I'm not sure about that. I'm just asking because when I win the trophy next winter I want to be the second or third person to reach a final table more than once.
Mid-West Invades NYC - Part I
It is impossible to capture or do justice to
Pauly, Iggy, G-Money, Stevie the Bull and Bobby Bracelet’s visit to the Big Apple. Thus, I will give highlights as they come to mind.
Tuesday, April 28th. I get a call from Pauly Hollywood saying that he’s flying in for Iggy’s birthday. The Rooster’s party hat is put on and he’s ready to rock and roll. Can you say, BARN BURNER!
Wednesday 9:30 pm. Home Base for the crew for the weekend (The Rooster’s Crib). The Rooster picks up some Red Stripe (for Hollywood) and Guinness (for the midget...I mean, Little Person).
Pauly Drama arrives and we chat for a bit. Something smells funny in my apartment (magic tea). Nuff said. Iggy and G-Money call and tell me they are on a bus. WTF? Conversation goes something like this.
Iggy: Rooster, we are on a bus leaving the airport.
Rooster: What?
Iggy: This nice old man told us to catch this bus; we aren’t sure where we are going.
Rooster: Are you serious?
Iggy: He was a nice old man.
Rooster: Dude, I told you and G-Money to catch a damn cab…it’s only like 20 bucks!
Iggy: What should I do? What is your address?
Rooster: What bus are you on…The M5?
Iggy: I don’t know?
Rooster: Ask someone there on the bus.
Iggy: They don’t speak English.
(I look at Pauly Hollywood and shake my head…Pauly is either in outer space from the tea or just giggling for the hell of it)
Rooster: Dude, go ask the bus driver
Iggy: I don’t know if he speaks English either.
Rooster: Get up and go ask him!
Iggy: G-Money, ask someone where we are at?
G-Money (in the back ground): Donde esta la biblioteca?
Rooster: Dude, he just asked them where the damn Library was.
Finally Iggy lets out a laugh. Pauly is like, I thought they had you going. Score one for the visiting team.
Next conversation as to where we are going to drink.
Pauly: Rooster, I was thinking somewhere local.
Rooster: I like that idea. Maybe UWS bars (notice the S at the end of bar).
Pauly: Rooster, the boys like to HUNKER down at a bar. They probably aren’t into running and hitting 10 bars in one night like you do.
Rooster: O.K. a few bars then.
Pauly: O.K. I say we hit P&G and Yogi’s.
Rooster: YOGI’S BAR!!!!
The boys arrive and unwind to a few beers. Pauly Drama is all heart and class and that is hard to find people in Hollywood and NYC. He brought a gift for both of our Mid-West guests. Magic Tea for G-Money and a cool painting for Iggy.
There is a story behind the painting that I can’t really go into here because I’m not sure I have permission to discuss it. But let me say this…if you ever get to know Pauly he is an interesting cat. Serious, you read his stuff and you are like, wow…this guy is a crazy MOFO who runs around the world covering poker and hitting magic tea houses. Yet, there is this other side of him that is not so much vulnerable as I would say, sincere. When he explained to us the time in his life when he did the painting it was….raw, pure, unedited, sad, uplifting and in your face. The rawness of that time in his life was there in that painting but his explanation of it blew me away. I’m sure he thought nothing of it, but it is odd for someone to bare their soul as Pauly did and on the spot. Somewhat hard to explain without the background but maybe he will discuss it someday.
Moving on to P&G! I think they have the oldest neon sign on a bar in the city. It is an old bar with wood for the bar, seats and tables. A throwback if you will. This is Pauly Hollywood’s favorite bar on the UWS and we have been here a few times…but this time it was a bit different.
I walk in and I knew this bar in my past. I’ve been to this bar before in my youth. Memories flood my mind of years past. I’ve been to this bar before, well not this bar, but one similar to it.
I sat there with my father for a burger or menudo on the weekends when he was watching the ponies run and catching football games. My parents had a bunch of drama when I was growing up, so as punishment my Mom would make my Dad take me with him. So we would hit the bar and I would watch my father play pool, bet the ponies, and football. It was an all day affair and my second meal of the day there was always tacos. Then before the football games were to start my Dad would give me a few 20’s and some loose change. He would have me walk over to Gustavo and place a bet for him, “Tell Gus 40.00 on the Raiders and the quarters so you can play your game (Space Invaders, baby!).”
I digress.
So this would be the drinking hole for the weekend. Once I seen how happy G-Money and Iggy were at P&G Bar I knew it would be hard to wraaaastle them out of there.
We finally walked out to Yogi’s and that was o.k. We played some pinball and this funny conversation broke out between Iggy and me as Pauly and G-Money are talking music and country/hippie bands they have seen.
Rooster: Let me get the next ball on the machine, Iggy.
Iggy: Yeah, yeah, hold on, I’m trying to figure out this game and how to beat it.
Rooster: O.K. let me get the next ball.
Iggy: Yeah, Yeah, o.k.
(Five minutes later…Yes, Iggy does have pinball skills)
Rooster: O.K. my turn.
Iggy: Rooster, you can get the next game, I promise.
I was sitting there laughing because Iggy takes his pinball serious. He was so into that game…he was locked in…funny stuff. I’ve asked Iggy to cover me for 300.00 bucks and he gives it to me without questions or a payback date. Iggy has let me take over a 500.00 dollar stack in a no-limit game (my weakest game) without thinking twice. But you can’t have one ball in his pinball game…funny stuff.
I spoke to a few of the lady patrons. The boys were happy just sitting there drinking and watching me sing my country songs that played on the box.
Then I see Pauly Hollywood walk over to play some songs. Of course I’m scared because I don’t know Pauly’s taste in Country Music. But low and behold he reeled off a good set of songs. Interesting…a little country in the Pauly Hollywood?
We then went around the corner to drink some more beer. We were asked to leave nicely after a few Mexican jokes went awry. But in all honesty, the jokes were rather funny.
We called it a night at 4:30a.m.
Backing By Rini
No,
Bill hasn't foolishly backed me for the WSOP. I can do that with my own roll these days which is a nice change. In any case, I do have the endorsement of Bill for my future wife. What can I say, I'm touched that Bill would go out on the edge for me. I'm still pissed I can't leave a comment on his blog, it always kicks me out.
But Bill is the only guy that I've seen go on a heater in blackjack for 3G win. Other people such as
Bobby Bracelet or Grubby aren't so lucky. But as Grubby says, there is no such thing as luck.
Odd ramblings.
A white guy has joined the Wu Clan. Hit up
Daddy's site to the right. I'm not sure if he's spitting lyrics or just writing for the Wu...but it is what it is.
Of course
Pauly Hollywood is going strong out in LA and he's always a good read. I tend to pick-up his other blogs for fun.
As I mentioned before,
Spaceman is back on the blogger tip which is nice. I guess he is getting all into the music scene down in the dirty-dirty.
AlCan'tHang is still taking a break from blogging which sucks.
There is a good article on calls and what stands in home games by
HighonPoker at the
Wall Street Game. Myself, as much as I think Jamie (the guy who runs the Wall Street Game) to be a stand-up guy, I think that he can be an angle shooter so the fold stands in my book...haha! Just messing Jamie, but I would hold you to your word so if you say, fold...well fold it is.
Human Head still thinks the government is out to get everyone and those reads are a bit deeper than eye level. So I suggest you take some time to read...or if you are bored just go to the pictures of his new baby girl.
Joe Speaker will take you on a trip where you will be saying, WTF.
Sore Loser/StB is still being a sore loser. Viva Stevie The Bull.
G-Cox is killing innocent animals for joy. I'm really not sure why he's doing this and if he asks himself, WWJD? Buy that guy the bracelet which has those initials.
Change100 is all over the place...Monte Carlo, American Idol, Zuma Beach and almost killing French people.
Donde esta
Irish Jim?
Kat continues to bubble. Seems the only thing she can close on these days is grabbing butts.
Speaking of hot butts...might want to go welcome
Maudie back. Seems like she is out of her funk and writing again.
These next two blogs are really killing it as of late and make me laugh.
OneTwo
Sighting?
Review
I called
Joe Speaker drunk the other night in search of some relationship advice. Sure the guy is batting 0-2 in the love-zone, but who better to call than someone who is 0-2? In any case, I just wanted to thank
Speaker for being open to listening to a drunk rant. A true bad beat for Speaker to have to listen to The Rooster drunk.
Speaking of loss and stuff. To be honest, I have never dealt well with loss. There are times when I just break-down with pain when walking down the street. I don't cry, but my heart aches, and it reminds me that life is so damn fragile. I wish I had some of these people around to play spades with, five card draw, and Broken-7 card stud.
With that being said, I shout to my homies who are alive and some beer is to be poured out for those whose time has come and gone too soon on this earth.
With that being said, let us never forget Charlie Tuttle. One of the good guys of poker. I can not say enough about Charlie and what he meant to us in the poker/blogger world. Even if you are a new school blogger and say that the old bloggers are out of touch, that the community changes and we should understand that (and honestly most of us do), and that we are dated and need to understand the new brand of blogger. I totally agree but you should also know the story of Charlie and what he meant to us old school folk and why we hate to hear people from the community berate anyone of the community.
I can go on and on about Charlie and I never met the guy in the flesh. But for some reason, I, like so many others in the community, took to Charlie because he was a good guy who took his lumps like a man. Not only that, he was a good friend of
Spaceman (who by the way is blogging again) and I think that Charlie brought out the human in all of us, reminded us the importance of friendship as we watched Spaceman work through his pain as he seen his best friend dying and not being able to alter the course of the end, and what it showed us was how dynamic and special this group of internet dweebs calling themselves bloggers really was. We who remember Charlie rooted for him till he left this earth for a better place. When all of you start to get in a huff over a bad beat remember that Charlie was delt the worse hand you can ever be delt, Cancer. But Charlie pushed on and fought it to the end...he never complained about a bad beat or cards he was dealt. Puts things in perspective doesn't it.
Who Sits Behind The Rooster
I love it when a hot shot kid sits down at my table with Shades, Hat, Cool Shirt that Reads: The Nutz and has a girl sitting behind him. If he has some ice on his ears, wrist or neck it is even better. Of course he has brought her along to show her that he's got game can fleece someone at the poker table. Dear God!
Sometimes if I'm lucky enough to fleece someone like this I will say something like...wow, dumb luck!
In any case, this got me thinking...who would The Rooster have sit behind him. Hummm...here are a few of my options:
But when all is said and done...this is the girl who I would have sit next/behind me:
And remember ladies...The Rooster brings home the bacon:
Turning Down The WSOP
I was asked by someone who I highly admire and respect in the poker community to cover the WSOP. He wanted me to cover both poker and party life that takes place during the WSOP. I was a bit excited about this proposal to be honest, and I was really touched that this friend thought of me. But the truth of the matter is that it was too much work.
I can't see myself working 15 to 20 hours a day at this point in my life. Not only that, but the job entailed me to party and write about it. See...when The Rooster starts to party he doesn't stop and I wouldn't be able to get up and go to work the next day and cover poker.
I don't see how
Pauly, Otis, Change100 and Spaceman do it. Serious, the job seemed rather stressful when explained to me. Not only the hours but also the deadlines that would have to be met and the editing and such that comes with it. Not only was it not in me, but I'm a hack of a writer and I have never really put much time and effort into the craft that it deserves. Sure millions come to this site and such...but you get what I'm saying.
Not only that...but I thought it might be a bit B-Lister of me to follow in the footsteps of those mentioned above. I don't want to be at the WSOP working there and seeing my friends who have made the way for me. I just can't bring myself to it...The Rooster has always walked to his own beat (Think the Wu Tang Clan!!!)
I admit, when the job was explained to me minus the hours and deadlines I was all about it...this seemed like a job for The Rooster. But the truth is that it takes a certain talent to pull this stuff off. Plus, as I said, I want to carve out my own circle and niche. I'm not saying that I might not take another assignment or that there isn't room for me...but I'm just that guy that doesn't like to be a follower.
In closing, I wanted to thank my inter-dweeb friends for the third of many opportunities they have thrown my way. Serious, all you B-Listers have been nice enough to always ask
The Rooster Consulting if it wanted some of the pie, the cool-aid, or the bacon you all were eating and I'm touched. But the truth of the matter is that I just belong in the far reaches of the Stud Tables by the Bathrooms at the Borgata. Holla!
