I am working the evening shift today. My housemates and I are going to check out the MGM Grand’s poker room. I will be playing a bit of $2/5 no limit hold em. To prepare, I got an overdue manicure and pedicure today. A girl always feels more confident when she is all put together. I am ready to win. Look out Vegas! Here I come!
On May 4, a record 130 poker players from across the country brought their best poker faces to the nation’s capital to support cancer prevention. The Prevent Cancer Foundation raised $215,000 at its Sixth Annual Bad Beat on Cancer Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament. After an exciting evening of tournament play, Jeremy Coon took the grand prize donated by Harrah’s Entertainment—a $10,000 seat at the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament.
The event was attended by top professional poker players Andy Bloch, Lee Childs, Annie Duke, Rafe Furst, Jena Delk and Howard Lederer, members of Congress and players from corporate and poker communities. Professional poker champion and Foundation board member Phil Gordon—renowned for his commentary on televised poker matches such as Celebrity Poker Showdown and the World Series of Poker—served as the master of ceremonies for the evening.
The tournament, sponsored by 1-800-Contacts®, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, General Dynamics, Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., Legacy, and the Poker Players Alliance, featured 10 players at each of the 13 tables vying to win a seat at the final table where they competed for fabulous prizes, each of which had been generously donated to the Foundation. Prior to the tournament, Gordon and the other professional poker stars in attendance held a poker clinic for first-time players and for those in need of a refresher course before the games began.
“Poker is an exciting way to bring people together to beat cancer. Most of our guests recognize the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s mission is important and they are more than happy to help fulfill it,” said Jan Bresch Mahrer, the Foundation’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Since its inception at the World Series of Poker in 2003, the Bad Beat on Cancer initiative has raised more than $3.2 million to support the Foundation’s mission.
Learn about the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s other signature events.
I had dinner with my girl, Brianna, last night. I met her when she first started dealing at the Venetian and we became fast friends. I owe her a huge debt for helping me secure my housing for my summer in Vegas. I had asked her if she knew of anyone looking to rent out a room for the Series and just a few days later she did! So now I am the very happy housemate of a great group of people who live and work in Vegas. It is so nice not to feel like such a tourist this year.
I am here to secure my future in playing professional poker. I am looking add a WSOP bracelet to my collection of jewelry, and I intend to take down the first event I play–just to get it out of the way. I will be leaving to head over to the Rio in about an hour to begin that journey, Wish me Luck!
This is my first trip to Vegas this year. I am excited to be playing many WSOP events, starting with the $1,000 event, which begins for me on Saturday, as there are two day ones. I am expecting a huge field on this holiday weekend.
Today I will be taking it easy by playing a short cash session at the Venetian Poker room. This is probably my favorite poker room in Las Vegas. The seats are amazingly comfortable in this beautiful room. The room is well run and managed, so it is a pleasure to play there. The room is always full of good and bad players–always nice to have a fish or two for my dining pleasure. Additionally, you can get any beverage your heart desires from Fiji water to freshly made carrot juice, as well as BOTH Coke and Pepsi products.
I selected the Venetian for my cash play today because today is Event #1 of the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III. I want to be there as players get knocked out and might be tilting. This event is an affordable $340, which had approximately 700 players last year. With 12,000 chips and 40 minutes levels, this tournament offers great value. The Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III continues through July 15, with a variety of buy ins and tournament types.
I am in New Orleans for the WSOP circuit events. I will be in town until May 19th and will be at the tables as much as my body allows!
There are 19 events, plus daily mega satellites and second chance tournaments spread over nineteen days. There are a variety of event types to appeal to all players: No limit hold em, Pot limit Omaha, Seniors, Ladies, Re-buy, Shootout, Heads Up, Mixed, and more. The structure of the events are great. Come join me in the Bayou!
Jena Delk took a day off from playing the WSOP Circuit Events in New Orleans poker to give back to the military troops stationed at Camp Shelby, MS. Delk toured the USS Alabama with the master trainers of the 3-347th Regiment in honor of Armed Forces Day,
This unit, normally stationed in Orlando, has been called to active duty to ready Guardsmen and Reservist post-mobilization training in support of GWOT (Global War on Terror). The troops called to active duty spend two month of intense 7-day a week combat training prior to their final deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq.
Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of May. In 1949, when this holiday was created to honor those serving in the five U.S. military branches, this day was meant to replace the separate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard days of observances. However, those branches still observe their own days in addition to Armed Forces Day.
On behalf of the poker community, we salute our Servicemen.
Today was Event #3 -$500 + $50 No Limit Hold ‘em (6-handed) at Harrah’s in New Orleans. I did not last very long in the event. My table mates were all good players who seemed able to read my cards before I could. I probably should have stayed in bed, which is something I strongly considered.
I stopped by the poker room after my early exit from Event #3. I sat down to a very sick $1/$2 game. Every hand had 4-5 limpers and then someone would bump it up. Nearly all the limpers would call a raise up to $20. There was just no folding pre-flop at this game.
Even though the table was a bit wild, they seemed to respect my game a bit too much (i.e. no action on my good hands) I knew I needed to mix up my game a bit if I was ever going to make some money. So when I peeked down to QQ from middle position, I limped, making me the third limper in the hand. I fully prepared to call the expected raise and fold if an ace or king arrived on the flop. Two more limp after me and the big blind bumps it up to $20. The UTG player calls. I call. The rest of the players uncharacteristically fold. We see a flop of J 7 8 rainbow. The big blind bets $55 and the UTG player min-raised to $110. I respond with an all in bet of $360. The big blind folds and the UTG calls. The turn is a 4 and river is a 3. The UTG player had A J, hitting top pair, top kicker. Whew!
Oh, by the way, have you ever seen a stack of blackies (20 - $100 chips) in a $300 capped $1/2 game? Come to New Orleans to play and you will! Crazy stuff.
I am in New Orleans for the WSOP circuit events. I will be in town until May 19th and will be at the tables as much as my body allows!
There are 19 events, plus daily mega satellites and second chance tournaments spread over nineteen days. There are a variety of event types to appeal to all players: No limit hold em, Pot limit Omaha, Seniors, Ladies, Re-buy, Shootout, Heads Up, Mixed, and more. The structure of the events are great.
Come join me in the Bayou!
It has been a busy 24 hours. I left Orlando yesterday morning at eight o’clock for Washington DC. It is now 8:14 am and I am at the Atlanta airport, awaiting my connecting flight to Orlando. Why does a person make such a quick trip to our nation’s capital? For a very worthy cause to be sure!
Where did I go?
The Sixth Annual Bad Beat on Cancer Texas Hold’em Charity Event was held at Union Station. This $500 re-buy tournament was well attended by many prominent people on and off the felt. Our host for the evening was charming, Phil Gordon, who seemed to know every person in attendance. Those he did not know were soon made to feel very welcome. He would pause for pictures or an autograph with the ease of a seasoned professional.
What is the mission of the Foundation?
Proceeds from this tournament will be utilized to further the mission of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The Foundation since its inception in 1985 has raised more than $113 million in support of cancer prevention research, education, and outreach programs. The Foundation has played a fundamental role in developing the body of knowledge that provides important prevention and early detection strategies. Further information regarding its mission and results can be found at www.preventcancer.org.
What can you do to help?
· You can help put a bad beat on cancer by texting the word ‘poker’ to 50555 to donate $10 to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. This one-time donation will be added to your mobile telephone bill or deducted from your prepaid account balance. This donation service is provided by mGive Foundation.
· Take the Bad Beat on Cancer 1% Pledge and join a growing list of poker professional who donate 1% of their winnings to the foundation.
· Just send a check for any amount today.
· Give your time and Volunteer
Why do I participate?
As a former certified oncology nurse, I am keenly aware of the years that are added to the lives of those afflicted with cancer by early detection. I have lost my Mother and Grandmother to the disease, both of which had early symptoms that went unchecked for years. I would like to help spare other families this turmoil.
I played in the Battle of the Bloggers Invitational tournament tonight. The Invitational Series is a special event for poker’s writers. It is not available to the general public, shocking, I know, for something named “Invitational” . Somehow I was able to score an invite at the last minute and got to play. This double stack freeroll tournament drew 111 players. NYRambler took first place and TexansBaby placed second. I went out 29th (pout).
There are two other Battle of the Blogger Tournament series: the Mookie and the Poker from the Rail. The Mookie is played on Wednesday nights at 22:00 EST. The entry to this event is $10 +$. This series runs through May 26 with radio commentary at Buddy Dank Radio. The Poker from the Rail series runs on Mondays through May 24th. Entry into this event is $24 + $2 at 22:00 EST.
It was a lot of fun to play with so many of my poker friends. I look forward to playing more of the BBT events offered at Full Tilt Poker. Check out more details here: http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/battle-of-the-bloggers
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