[6/10/23] #30 - So It Began

[6/10/23] So It Began

I spent 7 meals with gamblers of all walks of the life in 3 days in Las Vegas and it was my favorite trip in years.

Bittersweet, first without Dink being there in some capacity. My first wsop where I didn't have someone to report my good run or terrible luck over dinner every night while that person held his phone in one hand and reported their own fortune.

This is my 12th wsop but I'd guess around my 100th trip to Vegas. I figured I'd share some memories of a special place for me that's changed so much recently in my experience, it's a different world.

My first trip to the WSOP was the Rio in 06. I went with a buddy with 6k to play 5 1k satellites. My friend Mikey was good at tournaments, the opposite of me. I was (am sometimes still) a decent cash game, limit and mixed game player.

I never had the patience for No limit Hold em and even worst I just wanted it to be over after so long. I did something while we waited in that line that would become one of the more intelligent, reoccurring decisions of my life. "Hey Mike, how about I take 25% of your action and I'll go play these cash games?" That's how it began.

My first day at the Rio I was playing 20/40 o8 when it became clear some of the players didn't really know how to play Omaha 8 and a select few were learning the game before entering Omaha tournaments. That's where I fell in love. I played something embarrassing like 18 hours that first day.

I started going a few times a year just completely immersed in cash game poker. I remember looking into Bobbys room and seeing Ivey, Brunson, Reese and random business men play before heading to my 20/40 stud 8 seat. I loved it.

I was completely fascinated with online poker playing millions of o8, stud 8 and LHE hands but nothing was cooler than the Bellagios poker room and then when the wsop came around the 75-150 Omaha 8 and the 50-100 OE games at the rio. I always resented the main event as it symbolized the end of the road for that summer.

I was always in awe of the true Vegas grinders. Cyndi never met a man at a poker table who she couldn't seduce him to give her his chips through her courtesy and then there was Mark who wanted the guest of his table to learn why he lost, he genuinely wanted you to learn as you long as you lost more than you won.

You always saw the difference between a true pro as they lost with absolute grace and ordered more chips with the same demeanor as ordering a dessert after a dinner.

My first introduction to pro sports bettors was the exact opposite of this! I had dink losing his mind in public, cursing loudly while Ron Boyles watched a small TV in the back of a sportsbook completely focused and not to be disturbed under any circumstance.

I remember sitting in the Wynn book late one night and a man who had been watching a Angels game just got on his knees and started praying while chanting, "please don't do this to me God" he got a win and walked right up to the counter like it was a completely normal action.

I then began to meet real sharps through Dinky. Some had been around forever and some were as green as me but were far advanced.

I would fly out 3 times a year to meet up with Dink. I remember the first time I met Waz was at Russo's and dink handed him a bag of cash as big as my head while we ate, completely per usual for them. They had a great week in baseball.

Waz the accountant from Chicago who beat baseball by using a model but also just thinking outside of the box compared to most. Then Waz just crushed college hoops, always polite and we quickly became friends.

Joey Tunes was the first guy Dink had me share my college football thoughts with. I was intimidated by the body builder who also knew a ton about Western Kentucky. Joe had the gumption to bet stuff that I couldn't fathom. A +1700 money line bet on Penn State at Ohio State winner comes to mind even after all these years.

That was our first group. Dink had us competing against each other on some level. We would do the radio show so he could promote the horse charity.

I remember eating dinner at South point with David Gray and Magic my heros I watched 25 feet away from my 20/40 and 40/80 seat only a few years later. They played mixed games I didn't understand or even know existed, at stakes I could only dream about.

Of course I would go onto play all of those games less than a decade later sometimes with all the people I idolized and studied.

I would go onto forge real friendships with Frank B and Eryn Renning and so many other absolute legends that deserve their due.

I was talking with a good non gambler friend of mine last night he asked how the networking was going. I was a little taken back.

I'm just hanging out with friends and trying to make new ones with a similar interest. So many are just starting to realize how much satisfaction and also how maddening this life can be.

I'm constantly learning and trying to adapt. The mixed game had 5 games in 17', 8 in 21' and on Tuesday had 13. I used to wait for college football lines to come out all summer and August 1st it was go time. This year I guess mid June every RSW, side and total will be available apparently.

I remember gassing up the Nissan Maxima hoping I would last a week with my small bankroll. I remember trying to explain to myself how I just needed one heater to make it all work... So it began.

I hope you are incredibly well and variance has been kind. Thank you so much for the space as always, Eddie