une petite mise à jour

et deux photographies géantes

Playing in the WSOP was only one of my favorite moments from this most recent trip to Vegas. After I busted out of the tournament, I was in a daze–half talking to people and half wandering off alone to decompress. I remember finding myself in the Bodog suite with a handful of playing cards. When I approached the door to the suite and said, “I just busted out,” to the attending hottie, it must have been a pitiful performance because she handed me several cards for free drinks and gestured me inside.

I had one or three malibu and cranberries (the preferred drink of the recently eliminated) and later found myself in the Rio’s famed hooker bar with pals, April, Maigrey, Wil, Change100, Pauly, Jason, Rachel, Lydia and of course, Pablo. There, I enjoyed further libations and though it took awhile, I slowly began to understand words and sentences again and was even able to form a coherent thought. I chastised Wil for refusing to bring his camera to the men’s room to capture something, I don’t recall what, but it was terribly interesting and borderline unbelievable. (And the man calls himself an artist.) I spoke earnestly to Jason about some WSOP incident that got him all fired up. I chatted with April and Heather and Rachel. I consulted with Pauly about going back to his room. I ordered another drink.

And then! Unbeknownst to me, another Vegas highlight was about to occur. My feet were having a hostile disagreement with my shoes and were not on speaking terms. I had taken to walking around barefoot so as to keep a safe distance between the offending footware and my toes. I didn’t want any bloodshed on an already trying day. Pauly was aware of this as we left the Rio to go back to the Excalibur, where I lodged while in Vegas. (Do you hear that? I lodged in Vegas. Lodged!) Though I protested, not wanting to appear high maintenance, Pauly insisted I wait out front while he went to get his car.

Cause that’s just how he rolls.

And when he and Change100 pulled up in a convertible, I could not have been more delighted. I felt 10 years old as we drove down the Vegas strip. The moon was full, the lights were bright, the night was early, I had just played in the WSOP, and my friends were being so kind and good to me. I felt so present in those moments. So happy and grateful to be where I was and no place else.

Première photographie géante

Pauly grabbed my camera and took this shot at a traffic light

I’m going to stop myself here before I launch headfirst into some gay cliché about unlucky cards and lucky other things. Don’t hesitate to commend me for my restraint. It’s hard for a dorky girl to avoid being maudlin.

So. Right now, right this very minute, Pauly is at the Rio reporting on the WSOP. And he’s doing it illegally. Cardplayer’s coverage has been so shoddy, that despite the risks, Pauly’s live-blogging the event. While his reports have been better than ever, I’ve missed his live-blogging coverage like crazy this year, and I’m glad to have him back.

I hope it lasts. Go check it out and tell him to keep it up.

Prochaine photographie géante

This is Pauly, making my day

The “official” WSOP coverage may be god-awful this year, but along with Pauly, the following are making up for it. Visit them frequently over the next few weeks–you won’t regret a click of it.

Flipchip’s WSOP photos at Las Vegas & Poker Blog
Pauly (your hero) at the Tao of Poker
Otis, Wil and CJ at PokerStarsBlog
Dan Michalski at Pokerati
BJ Nemeth
PocketFives.com
Justin at Poker Pages
Spaceman at Bluff Radio
Foiled Coup at Pokerfolio
Lou Krieger at Hold’em Radio
Vanouver Jen at Poker Listings
Jen and Snoopy at Blonde Poker
CC at Quest of a Closet Poker Player
Storm and Jay Greenspan at Full Tilt Poker
Jen Leo & Amy Calistri at Breakfast Club Poker
Earl Burton, Steve Lavalli and Stephen Noh at Poker News
Chris Newton, Amy, Jen, Change100, April, Tuscaloosa Johnny at PokerBlog.com

Extrémité des photographies géantes. Au revoir.

P.S. Ryan starts Day Two with T40350! Go go go!