Getting Even

El Polo Loco

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sat, 11 Oct 08 04:00:22 -0400

[b]Free at last[/b] Regular readers will be relieved to know that I’ve been released from the Bavarian prison and am now back in Fresno where I belong. Most of the allegations surrounding [url=http://www.tworags.com/blog/edmonddantes/post/3053/willkommen_to_stalag_gut_ising]my recent flight to Germany[/url] have already been dropped, and I’m confident the final two, “willful destruction of private property” and “violation of the Mann Act,” will be resolved in my favor soon. The former charge, regarding damage to the Airbus 340 is rightly a warranty claim since at no time did I use the lavatory for anything other than its intended purpose. As for the Mann Act charge (transportation of women across state lines for immoral purposes), it’s on shaky ground. I met those tramps 35,000 feet over Iceland, had no role in their presence on the flight and only gave them that wad of $1 bills so they could make correct change for drinks. That rap will never stick. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Willkommen to Stalag Gut Ising!

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 22 Sep 08 17:47:23 -0400

[b]He said[/b] At present, I’m being held against my will in a small prison thinly disguised as a lakeside resort in the Bavaria region of southern Germany. I came here without a struggle thinking I was arriving to participate in an off-site strategy session for another business I’m involved in, but it’s now clear that a misunderstanding at LAX last night resulted in my immediate and indefinite incarceration in this 400-year-old farmhouse turned detention center. Think Club Fed…with smaller rooms and worse food. And it’s 50 degrees and raining. The incident occurred when I showed up at LAX roughly 50 minutes early for an international flight. I meant to arrive earlier, of course, but got tangled up by my own scheduling and some nasty Friday night traffic. Despite my bad timing, I had only one piece of carry-on luggage and a valid passport so I thought for sure I was in good shape. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Henry Z. Steinway, 1915-2008

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 22 Sep 08 16:27:42 -0400

[i]It's off-topic but I thought it might be of interest for some.[/i] [img]http://www.steinway.com/_pages/henry/img/hzs-1915-2008.jpg[/img] Last Thursday, Henry Z. Steinway passed away at his home in Manhattan at the age of 93. Henry was an American icon who ran the piano company that bears his name for years and remained an active spokesperson for the company up until his death. He headed the company from 1955-1977 and was known throughout the industry for his warmth and wit, his commitment to the piano industry and profound respect for artists of all kinds. I’ve known Henry since 1995 when my partner and I first invested in Steinway & Sons. At the time, many of the people at the company looked at our purchase with skepticism—we were young finance guys—and Henry himself admitted years later that he thought, “Here we go up the flue for sure. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

A pilgrim returns

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sat, 13 Sep 08 03:27:40 -0400

[b]Homeward Bound[/b] At I write this, I’m sitting in the Firenze (aka Florence) airport waiting for a short flight to Frankfurt before connecting to a 12-hour flight home to Los Angeles. As absurd as it sounds, I’m anxious to say [i]arrivederci[/i] to my vacation in Tuscany and get back to work in Fresno. I’ve enjoyed the trip overall, but after a week in the Italian hills as the black sheep of the yoga gathering, I’m looking forward to food and conversation I can understand. The highlights of the last couple of days were a visit to [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisi][b]Assisi[/b][/url], birthplace of the saint of the same name, and then one to Siena and the [url=http://www.museodellatortura.com/siena.htm][b]Museo della Tortura[/b][/url], a museum dedicated to torture. Visiting the two in sequence was a fitting metaphor for the week among the yoginis—peaceful reflection punctuated by unimaginable acts of cruelty that tested my will and spirit. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Central Valley Poker Championships Recap - Part 3 (with pics!)

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Tue, 02 Sep 08 09:41:33 -0400

[b]But first an update from Tuscany...[/b] Florence is a special place; if you have the chance to visit Italy, spend some time there. The city is carpeted with churches, towers and museums and as you walk around, it feels like you’re an extra in a Jason Bourne movie. At any moment, Matt Damon could hurtle around the corner in a stolen taxi pursued by polizia intent on delivering him to the local CIA field office and plow through a bread cart or a handbag vendor. Who wouldn’t want to see that? [b]Where’s Bourne?[/b] [img]http://lh4.ggpht.com/KyleKirkland/SL0Ecg4ASdI/AAAAAAAAAX0/Vkfrtj7PV8U/IMG_0391.JPG?imgmax=640 [/img] If your budget can take the pounding, I recommend the Four Seasons Florence. The property, service and food are all among the best I’ve ever experienced and I’ve had the good fortune to stay at some nice hotels. When I finally commit to moving out of the Holiday Inn Downtown Fresno, I intend to renovate a house in the exact same style. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Central Valley Poker Championships Recap - Part 2 (with pics!)

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sat, 30 Aug 08 03:37:09 -0400

Ok, so the Monte Carlo leg of my vacation was a bit of a bust. The [url=http://en.hoteldeparismontecarlo.com/]Hotel de Paris[/url] is a garish monstrosity with small rooms, confused signage and too many plastic people for my taste. I like history and love most cities in Europe, but the whole setting was just too much. I spent a gross amount of money and still felt like I’d spent two days in steerage of a cruise ship run aground on the coast of France. [b]Trust me, it was horrible...[/b] [img]http://lh6.ggpht.com/KyleKirkland/SLiNGULsXPI/AAAAAAAAAVU/2n6sdkQPKaI/IMG_0014.JPG?imgmax=640[/img] I did take the opportunity to have a look at [url=http://www.casinomontecarlo.com/en/monte_carlo/casino.asp ]Le Casino[/url], the magnificent but sedate casino adjacent to the hotel. At Club One, we have more table game action than they do, but they obviously trump us with slots, location and prestige. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Central Valley Poker Championships Recap - Part 1

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Tue, 26 Aug 08 00:18:05 -0400

[b]An apology of sorts[/b] I used to pride myself on timely reporting of my poker exploits—the CA State Poker Championships, the Commerce Free-roll, Super Bowl Sunday at the Mirage—but the ownership gig really cuts into my time to relax, pour a few ounces of bourbon and fire up the laptop. Invariably, when I start working on a write-up, someone barges into my office with item requiring immediate executive decision-making: “The second ice machine is down!” “Seat 2 in 15/30 is complaining about karaoke!” “One of the hostesses showed up in short shorts!” As a good manager, I make it a point to respond quickly to these imperatives with hands on attention and measured responses. “Send security to SaveMart for ice.” “Tell that whiner to use his headphones.” “Let’s have a look. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

2008 CVPC - Detox

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Wed, 13 Aug 08 00:25:43 -0400

I'm still trying to shake off the toxic residual of the week-long assault on the Fresno poker community and our staff, but overall, I think the First Annual CVPC was a success worthy of repeat. When I feel like I can string a series of coherent sentences together, I'll provide a proper recap, but the quick highlights include: Deeb and Adanther multi-tabling online in our bar, oblivious to 120 howling UFC fans. Deeb winning $115,000 in the FTOPS H/U tournament sitting barefoot in our bar. Barbara Enright and TT looting the 15/30 kill table. Short-handed. Lit. Jose Canseco once again going deeper in our tournaments than any internet ringer. His girlfriend final-tabled the celebrity event, obv. An adult male shaving our logo into his hair without any promise of compensation. Of course, we grappled with that age old question... [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/heidiashley640.jpg[/img] or [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/jackdaniels.jpg[/img] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

A friend in need

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Wed, 06 Aug 08 21:49:37 -0400

As I’ve noted in past posts, Club One Casino has become thicket of activities that with the introduction of Bond & Girl, free karaoke, customer-focused hostesses, Red Bull-fueled MMA fighters and more EV- promotions than my partner would like, have become increasingly decadent and depraved. Three months ago, my typical day included cleaning everything, fixing computers, busing tables and ensuring basic compliance. Now I spend my daylight hours in careful negotiations with vice officers, liquor vendors and insurance agents and my evening hours, somewhat more productively, propping tequila sales in our bar and considering new ways to seduce every poker player in the Central Valley. I’ve made repeated pleas via AIM and email for help—my liver and willpower can only take so much abuse—and I’m pleased to report that [b]shaundeeb[/b], [b]Adanthar[/b], [b]nath[/b] and [b]TT[/b] have responded and are enroute. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Embrace the hope

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sun, 03 Aug 08 19:31:44 -0400

There's been a thread in the Brick and Mortar forum on 2+2 about jackpots with a number of regular players complaining that they're a tax on the system, just a scam for the benefit of the cardroom and should be eliminated. My opposing position (cardroom perspective) is that they're not a profit-center, and they're a legitimate tool to attract new and recreational customers. Regulars forget that their chosen profession requires a steady stream of new or rec players who will come in and make EV- plays because they're having fun and, consequently, fuel the ongoing poker economy. I'm not sure why they don't see that. In any event, I figured I'd share some excerpts from my responses in the thread... "...As a owner/operator, I'm very interested in keeping a grinder happy, but I also need to remember that most people come into the card room to have fun, get some good cards and win a few pots. They're not students of the game who discuss hands, strategy or edges on forums. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Bond18, Kokomo and an ill-advised blackjack wager (w/ video, obv)

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Thu, 24 Jul 08 01:52:02 -0400

Bond & Girl headed off to Macau today leaving Club One, our hostess staff and my liver struggling to recover. We enjoyed their visit, of course, but even just hanging out with them was like being a new Army recruit stationed at Abu Ghraib circa 2003. The book says you’re supposed to follow direct orders, but this wasn’t exactly in the Be All You Can Be brochure and the constant presence of the digital camera is really unsettling. Even the most dimwitted grunt would know that grainy footage will be really awkward to explain under oath. In any event, Bond & Girl are gone now—off to some other live event in some exotic land—and we’re here trying to contain the resultant liability and erase any and all digital evidence before the process servers arrive. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Bond18 and BondGirl at Club One Casino (with pics!)

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 21 Jul 08 05:59:12 -0400

[b]”Lake, they showed!”[/b] True to their word, [b]Bond18[/b] and [b]BondGirl[/b] landed at the Fresno/Yosemite International Airport for their scheduled visit to Club One Casino. I wasn’t sure they’d make it out after the heady combo of Bond’s win in the Bellagio $3k and Watts’ $15k Bellagio Cup triumph. In my experience, after a big score, poker players and appointments are a poor match. A good rule of thumb is if you have the player in your car moving at highway speeds, you’re in good shape. Other than that, you should manage your expectations. I was therefore congratulating myself, when shortly after 6p, I was at the wheel of the Club One minivan headed toward downtown Fresno with Bond, BGirl and their gear packed in back. The ride was uneventful other than the shame of the van itself and my sketchy driving. [b]The sporty Club One van[/b] [img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/2688014993_c0b18b4fa0.jpg?v=0[/img] [b]”Oh. Cool.”[/b] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

On Karaoke, Asian crazies and Bond18

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Wed, 16 Jul 08 13:22:47 -0400

Yesterday I was chatting with Bond18 on AIM and confirmed that he and BondGirl will, in fact, make the trek to Fresno to visit this weekend. We've no specific plans for the travelers, but we'll do our best to refresh them with amenities and Club One hospitality (aka cheap liquor and hotties). We've identified a good Korean restaurant, doubled our weekly liquor order and upped our liability coverage. I think we're ready. In and of itself Bond's trip should yield a noteworthy post, but I'm even more encouraged by a message I received on my voicemail this a.m. In the small cardroom world, an overnight voicemail could be staff seeking guidance on fixing an overworked piece of HVAC equipment, directions for making a proper mojito or counsel on posting bail for an overzealous employee. Today, it was a message which sounded like an Asian man being savagely tortured. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The 2008 Central Valley Poker Championships

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Wed, 02 Jul 08 20:04:22 -0400

Every good cardroom should have its own tournament series, yes? Hence the First Annual Central Valley Poker Championships held Aug 3 through Aug 9. This week-long series will offer deep stacks, generous level times, relentless attention from the best player relations staff in the surrounding 200-mile area, good food, strong drink, shelter from the hot August sun and the insightful companionship of yours truly. If someone's willing to pay [url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/29/business/lunch.php]$2.1 million for lunch with Warren Buffet[/url], why wouldn't you put this on the calendar? With buy-ins from $100 to $500, we're practically giving these tournaments away! [url=http://www.tworags.com/files/clubone_cvpcflyer_lores_rgb_2.pdf]CVPC Schedule - PDF[/url] Edmond [url=http://www.clubonecasino.com]Club One Casino[/url]

Club One hosts a WSOP satellite

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sun, 29 Jun 08 00:08:23 -0400

I'm happy to report that we held our WSOP satellite tournament at Club One today, and it drew enough entrants where we didn't have to cough up too much extra dough to satisfy the seat guarantee that I agreed to months ago in a bourbon-fueled burst of confidence. I was bracing myself for the worst since I've been running bad lately. For an owner, "running bad" is defined as paying out back-to-back bad beat jackpots and dealing with an HVAC system that, like many folks in the region, doesn't want to work when it's hot out. Fortunately, through a last minute blitz of fliers, posters and begging, we pulled just enough entrants to cover the guarantee. Unlike many other WSOP satellites, we gave players pretty good stacks to play with (10,000 chips with 25/25 start blinds) and 30-minute levels. [b]LakeofFire[/b] capitalized on our largesse by burning up 9 hours of the one day off I give him, finishing 12th out of 99 entrants. Unfortunately, we're only giving away 3 seats. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Mont Blew and Club One

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 09 Jun 08 00:20:54 -0400

[b]MontBleu[/b] While everyone else headed to Vegas for the WSOP, I headed up to South Lake Tahoe with LakeofFire to attend the card room trade association meeting. Since there are no direct flights from Fresno to anywhere, we sparked up the Lexus and headed north. It’s a 5-hour drive that Lake made highly interesting by running at 80 mph approximately one and a half car lengths behind other fast lane travelers and howling about their lack of driving skills and judgment. The entire way. The card room association meetings are a chance to get some regulatory updates and re-connect with other card room owners and I’m pleased to report I accomplished very little of either. The only really interesting tidbit was the legislation to study the prospect of intra-state online poker in California. It’s an interesting notion, and one, if history is any guide, that will be introduced about 4 years after the poker boom has completely fizzled. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Things I've learned in the last 3 months

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Tue, 27 May 08 00:55:27 -0400

In the spirit of Bond18, I's reflect a little on the things I've learned in the last three months of running a card room. Good dealers don't let games break. Bad dealers make you want to break things. A good dealer can shuffle and deal faster and better without a ShuffleMaster machine. Good chairs matter. Good bartenders and servers make eye contact and have a following. They’re hard to find. We sell a ton of Corona. Some women still drink Kailua and milk. NL poker players complain like crazy. Pai gow poker players ARE crazy. Jerry Yang is extremely nice and never complains. When parking gets screwed up, it's a problem. No hotel in Fresno has a decent restaurant. Don't leave your laptop charging in the hotel lobby. Corollary: the new Macbook Pros rock. A leak from the pool being renovated on the roof adjacent to the casino will find its way to the computers in surveillance. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

LA Card rooms: Bicycle Casino

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Wed, 23 Apr 08 01:12:28 -0400

[b]Stars & Stripes[/b] While other poker rooms have seen tournaments attendance soften, the [url=http://www.tworags.com/BicycleCasino.html]Bicycle Casino[/url]'s [url=http://www.thebike.com/tournaments/schedule/index.php?tournament_id=91]Stars & Stripes tournament series[/url] kicked off last week with 615 players (60 tables!) showing up for the first event. With buy-ins of $120 to $545 and $260,000 of guarantees in this series, the Bike recognizes what poker players want in a weak economy—bankroll-friendly value—and like locusts, players swarmed to it. In the old days, the Stars & Stripes was a mid-summer series extending over the July 4th holiday. The Bike moved it up a few years back, most likely to avoid the WSOP, and in an endearing, demented twist, dropped it smack in the middle of tax season. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Yin/Yang at Club One

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 07 Apr 08 04:35:36 -0400

In the Chinese tradition, yin and yang represent “two opposing and, at the same time, complementary aspects of any one phenomenon." Yin qualities are characterized as “passive, dark, feminine, negative, downward-seeking, consuming and correspond[ing] to the night.” Yang qualities are characterized as “active, light, masculine, positive, upward-seeking, producing and correspond[ing] to the daytime.” (quotes from Wikipedia). On Saturday, the 5th Annual Flop ‘til You Drop Charity Tournament was held at the [url=http://www.tworags.com/ClubOneCasino.html]Club One Casino[/url] in Fresno, California. Councilman Mike Dages (District 5) sponsored the event which included a buffet dinner and poker tournament in which prize money was paid to the charities of the contestants’ choice. Club One matched the prize money, dollar for dollar, and the event raised over $28,000 for local charities. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Freerollin' at the Commerce - Redux

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Thu, 03 Apr 08 03:19:30 -0400

[b]An early omen[/b] The tone for the day was set shortly after I met [b]LakeofFire[/b] for breakfast at the Radisson in downtown Fresno. I was nursing a cup of bad coffee and shaking off yet another 16-hour shift of bussing tables and running chips at [url=http://www.tworags.com/ClubOneCasino.html]Club One[/url] when an angry troll jumped from behind a plant and shrieked something about the breakfast buffet. Lake’s traveled with me enough to know that mornings, for me, are edgy times and moved to diffuse the situation. “Just turn away, Ed. I’ll handle this.” He muttered something to the creature in guttural dialect and threatened it with a spoon, and it immediately slunk back to its cave. The beast reappeared twice more in the next twenty minutes, first to threaten me with scalding water and second to extort me with a toll receipt for safe passage. Both times Lake stepped in, first to glare it down, and second to convince me to pay the tribute and move on. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Bugsy's Diner: We never close.

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sun, 09 Mar 08 15:45:37 -0400

To a person, my friends who know poker, gaming and the challenge of finding and buying a casino right have been excited for us and our new ownership. Despite my inference that I feel like a 24-hr busboy/bouncer, it's been a blast so far and, frankly, an ego boost. We've got a couple of thousand employees and market-leadership in our other businesses, but I'd forgotten how much fun it is to have 300+ people engaged, hands-on, in upgrading a business. And bottom line, even if it's just a mid-sized cardroom in a smaller market, it's still a licensed casino in the 2nd largest gaming state in America. We'll take it. On the other hand, my wife is a part-owner of a children's clothing business and a yoga/pilates nut. She loves to see me engaged in whatever I do, but from her perspective, pretty much everything I do is nonsense. This morning, I was checking in on yesterday's results and incident reports and when I got off the phone, she commented, "It's like owning a Denny's. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Glamor of it All

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Fri, 07 Mar 08 06:06:00 -0500

[b]Two weeks in[/b] Ok, my partners and I have owned the card room for about two weeks now and we’ve noticed a slight pickup in both business and overall energy level. In fact, our first night of ownership was a “best-ever” night in the casino and we’ve had a few solid nights since. I’d like to think it’s because of our efforts to improve customer service, but more likely, it's some sort of honeymoon effect or just that the regulars are hanging around longer to figure out when they could fleece us most effectively. Regardless of what’s driving the activity, we’ll take it. Better energy, more people, continuous games—it’s all good for everybody. [b]Day and swing shift[/b] For those of you who would like a more specific taste of the glamor of card room ownership, here are some highlights from the first couple of weeks: Held introductory meetings with all employees. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Call me "The Rake"...

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sat, 23 Feb 08 02:25:44 -0500

As you might know, for the past few months I've been counting down to the purchase of a 49-table card room in Central California. Early in my poker career, it was obvious to me that, given my propensity to stack off light, the only way for me to beat the rake was to, in fact, become it. To that end, I found a card room for sale and spent the better part of the last two years trying to pull the deal together. It’s been a draining process and I'm happy to report that as of midday Thursday, we received our final regulatory approvals and by Friday afternoon, the prior owners tossed us the keys and said, "Have at it!" If anyone’s interested, I’ll post a journal of the entire sordid process.

Sick-n-go

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sun, 17 Feb 08 13:39:51 -0500

[b]“Awesome. I think he’s gonna die.”[/b] After insisting to my wife and friends that the flu bug that’s savaged everyone I know would leave me untouched, I was immediately hammered by same. I’ll be honest, I felt it coming on and thought I could brush it off with Contac and cough drops, but after a lunch meeting at the Commerce in which all I remember was fighting to stay conscious, I dragged myself home and resigned myself to ridicule. My wife would have been well within her rights to let me suffer, but instead she responded like Clara Barton possessed and spent the next 24 hours pelting me with Tylenol and antibiotics and serving up a foul round of cough medicine shots every four hours. Our living room looked like a Civil War field hospital and the cat had a strangely satisfied look on his face. [b]“In seat 9…providing the overlay…EdmondDantes”[/b] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

LAPC Update: Event #19...One dime of NL nittiness

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Thu, 14 Feb 08 02:49:26 -0500

On Tuesday, I rolled down to the Commerce around 2:30p and hunted down [b]shaundeeb[/b] for a lunch at the Arena Bar and Grill, Commerce’s sports bar. I'd never met SFD and braced myself for a conversation without punctuation, but he surprised me with complete sentences and cogent thought. A few minutes into lunch, [b]LakeofFire[/b] showed up and then David Mosikian, Player Relations god for the Commerce, wandered over and, as I found out later, picked up the tab. I wish I had known; I’d have ordered a couple of extra entrees to go. After lunch, I signed up for the $1,000 NL event (Event #19). I didn’t look like they were going to get that many entrants, but by the start there were well over 25 tables going. The official count was 268 entrants with a $72k first prize. Like many of the prelims, the structure was pretty quick—one hour levels, but 3000 chips and 25/50 blinds to start. I never really got anything going throughout the tournament. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The Year of the Rat: Celebrating the Chinese New Year... Commerce style!

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 11 Feb 08 16:12:03 -0500

[b]Welcome back, sir![/b] After the [url=http://www.tworags.com/blog/edmonddantes/post/1825/mirage_hotel_and_casino__who_among_us_is_without_flaw?]events of Super Bowl Sunday[/url], I had no idea when I’d be allowed out into society at large much less back into a licensed casino. By Wednesday, though, I’d sold the UCLA medical staff on releasing me to the custody of my wife, and by 7p Thursday, she was 40 minutes into a yoga class and I was leaving my car with the valet at the [url=http://www.tworags.com/CommerceCasino.html]Commerce Casino[/url]. Obviously, the Commerce doesn’t subscribe to weekly updates of the [url=http://gaming.nv.gov/loep_main.htm]Las Vegas blacklist[/url] or doesn’t consider my behavior as documented in the Mirage security report abnormal—the valet greeted me with a friendly “Welcome back, sir! Leave it up front?” Why yes, thank you. I was back at the [url=http://www.tworags.com/CommerceCasino.html]Commerce[/url] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

LAPC Update: Sick cash games, jilted by women...Standard!

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Thu, 07 Feb 08 16:52:23 -0500

Last night I went down to meet up with 2+2er [b]Heisenb3rg[/b] who’s in town from Toronto to grind out some limit and check on [b]lakong[/b] in the 6-max turbo (busto) and [b]LakeofFire[/b] in the single table tournaments (couple of chops). After having a drink with Heisenb3rg, I surveyed the cash game action. Check this out, last night (Wed) around 9p, at least 45 tables of NL and tons of other action! [b]Main Poker Room[/b] [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/commercepoker3.jpg[/img] [i]No limit[/i] 6+ tables of 1/2 $40 max 7 tables 2/3 $100 max 9 tables 3/5 $200 max 13 tables 5/10 $400 max 8 tables of 10/20 $600+ 1 table of 20/40 $2k+ Interest for a 50/100 NL 1 table of 100/200 NL $30k+ 1 table of 200/400 NL [i]Limit[/i] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Who among us is without flaw?

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 04 Feb 08 16:19:46 -0500

[b]Author’s Note[/b] After yesterday’s fiasco in Phoenix, my closest friends quickly determined I was a threat to myself and others and checked me in to UCLA’s psych ward pursuant to [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5150_(Involuntary_psychiatric_hold)]section 5150 of the California code[/url]. My recollection of the actual events is still sketchy, but the security report said that sometime around 6:50p PST, I flew into an uncontrolled rage at the Mirage Super Bowl party, pelting anyone wearing Giants attire with barbecued chicken wings and soft pretzels and threatening to “rid the world of that surly chimp Coughlin and the entire Manning clan” and to “burn the Meadowlands to the ground.” Apparently, I then pounded my own head against a beer cart until “it [the cart] was no longer suitable for use. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

On Poker in Fresno, Table Ethics and Performance Issues

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 28 Jan 08 02:43:46 -0500

[b]Vegas for the Super Bowl?[/b] Yikes, it’s been a long time since I’ve updated. We’ve been over the top busy with site-related updates and fixes, upcoming new features and partnerships. I’ve been splitting my remaining time between a casino project in Fresno and my day job as an ersatz piano salesman. Finally, I’ve been having computer problems almost daily which, for a liberal arts/content guy, is a total drag. None of these are good excuses for not posting but still—work can be such an intrusion to regular posting. First things first, I’ll be in Las Vegas at the [url=http://www.tworags.com/MirageHotelandCasino.html]Mirage[/url] or [url=http://www.tworags.com/Bellagio.html]Bellagio[/url] to watch the New England Patriots introduce Eli Manning and the Giants to men’s football. If anyone expects to be in town for that dark comedy, email me. BTW, if you’ve got the option to go to Vegas for the Super Bowl, I recommend it. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

LA Poker Classic reminder

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Wed, 23 Jan 08 15:20:13 -0500

Just a reminder, the LA Poker Classic starts tomorrow (Thu, 1/24). I won't be playing the first events but will play a few the 2nd week and a couple of satellites for the final event. If anyone's in town or needs info, let me know! For handy reference... [url=http://www.tworags.com/blog/edmonddantes/post/1624/commerce_casino__guide_to_the_la_poker_classic]Guide to the LAPC[/url] [url=http://www.tworags.com/files/lapc2008.htm]Schedule of events[/url] [url=http://www.commercecasino.com/tournamentDetails.aspx?tournamentId=3]Commerce tournament page[/url] Edmond

The Bicycle Casino: Mo's Deepstack

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sun, 06 Jan 08 01:35:27 -0500

The Bicycle Casino 7301 Eastern Avenue Bell Gardens, CA 90201 (562) 806-4646 [url=http://www.thebike.com/]website[/url] [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/mosdeepstack.jpg[/img] Jan 14th-20th; daily satellites at 7p [b]The deeper, the better[/b] In the last year or so, we’ve seen the introduction of deep stack tournaments as rooms try to get a competitive edge by offering players more play for their money. [url=http://www.tworags.com/VenetianResortHotelCasino.html]The Venetian[/url] was one of the first to offer deep stack events—[url=http://venetian.com/venetianeng/assets/files/DeepStac.pdf]Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza[/url]—and they’ve proven popular with guys who are looking for more from a tournament than two rounds of posting and folding followed by a desperate short stack push with A6o. This January, a couple of LA casinos have followed suit. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Guide to the LA Poker Classic

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Tue, 01 Jan 08 20:47:04 -0500

The Commerce Casino 6131 East Telegraph Road Commerce, CA 90040 (323) 721-2100 [url=http://www.commercecasino.com]website[/url] [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/lapcbanner480.jpg[/img] [b]The Los Angeles Poker Classic[/b] Ok, you’re shaking off the holiday hangover and skimming over that list of resolutions. Let’s be honest, the only one you’ve got any shot of keeping is “Play more tournaments.” Well, there’s good news. You don’t have to travel to some god-forsaken part of the world to bang heads with MTT superstars like [url=http://www.tworags.com/home/Bond18]Bond18[/url] or [url=http://www.tworags.com/home/A_Junglen]A_Junglen[/url] at the Aussie Millions in Melbourne, [url=http://www.tworags.com/home/Adanthar]Adanthar[/url] at the Borgata Poker Open in Atlantic City or even [url=http://www.tworags.com/home/Landlord79]Landlord79[/url] at the World Poker Open in Tunica. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Edmond saves the world

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Tue, 25 Dec 07 19:41:35 -0500

A few weeks ago, I posted on a [url=http://www.tworags.com/index.php?ACTION=blogs&todo=view&ID=1409]heads up match[/url] I had with a spider in a rented car. I'm happy to report that I've returned the car in question to Enterprise and picked up my new rig, a Lexus RX400 hybrid. It's a little soccer mom-ish but it's quiet, surprisingly quick and doesn't beat the crap out of the planet. Plus the folks at Lexus gave me a stupid good price... [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/lexus400hext.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/lexus400hint.jpg[/img] Hope everyone had a good holiday! Edmond

Freerollin' at the Commerce: 97.1 FreeFM Freeroll Trip Report

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Mon, 17 Dec 07 17:15:58 -0500

The Commerce Casino 6131 East Telegraph Road Commerce, CA 90040 (323) 721-2100 [url=www.commercecasino.com]website[/url] [b]Free-roll? We’re in![/b] Last Thursday night, [b]lakong[/b], [b]LakeofFire[/b] and I headed down to the Commerce Casino for the [url=http://conwayandwhitman.com/]Conway and Whitman 97.1 FreeFM[/url] free roll tournament. The Commerce hosts about 4 or 5 of these free-roll tournaments each year and thanks to some timely and relentless sucking up to Player Relations, we weaseled three entries and resolved to get a proper return on our investment. The tournament was promoted/co-hosted by [url=http://conwayandwhitman.com/]The Conway and Whitman show[/url] broadcasting live from the event. [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/comfrconway480.jpg[/img] The C&W comedy/talk radio show, hosted by Tim Conway, Jr. and Brian Whitman, is often involved in bloodsport competitions like this one. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

WPBT 4th Annual Holiday Classic

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sun, 09 Dec 07 17:25:34 -0500

[i]Cliff notes: Edmond plays the WBPT tournament at the Venetian. Busts out with A4o. Watches flight attendants play slots at the airport.[/i] [b]The event[/b] Last week, I was chatting online with one of the folks that run [url=http://www.thepokeratlas.com/country/united-states/]The Poker Atlas[/url] and she mentioned the 4th Annual WPBT Holiday Classic at the [url=http://www.tworags.com/VenetianResortHotelCasino.html]Venetian[/url] on Saturday and suggested I play it. The last blogger tournament I entered was a complete embarrassment [url=http://www.tworags.com/index.php?ACTION=blogs&todo=view&ID=1063]documented by Swami54[/url] so the thought of any kind of redemption was compelling. I brushed aside the notion that she might be trying to pull more dead money into the prize pool and told her to put me on the list. Besides what better opportunity to display my superior tournament skills than before a hundred or so scribes committed to documenting hee-haw moves? [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

You! Out of the car!

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Fri, 30 Nov 07 02:19:17 -0500

So I check my calendar late in the day and realize that I’m supposed to be at a concert/fundraiser at the Japanese consulate here in LA in a little over an hour. I contemplate blowing it off, but I know the host is expecting me so I resign myself to the gig. As it turns out, I didn’t have a suit on so I needed to jam home from my office, change and make it back across town, in traffic, by 6:30 or so. Anyway, I make my way home, pull on a suit and head back out. Now my car came off lease a couple of weeks ago but I haven’t had a chance to find a new rig, so I’ve been rolling around in some rental car that Enterprise dropped off. Anyway, I’m moving along the 10 freeway and I flip down the visor to check my tie. Bam! A gigantic spider drops into my lap and scampers down my leg to the floor. Holy crap! [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Club One Casino/Ace of Diamonds Trip Report - Edmond goes to Fresno

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sun, 25 Nov 07 12:38:06 -0500

[i]Cliff notes: Edmond goes to Fresno for the big tournament. Busts out on 1st hand of Day 2. Donates buy-ins in the NL games. Vows to return.[/i] [b]Getting there[/b] Last weekend, I packed up the voice recorder and headed north to play the 3rd Annual Ace of Diamonds tournament at the [url=http://www.tworags.com/ClubOneCasino.html]Club One Casino[/url] in Fresno, CA. The Ace of Diamonds is an annual event with a $400 (+$50 fee) buy-in that’s pretty much the biggest tournament in Central California. The tournament had a Saturday noon start time and I had some business in Fresno on Friday, so I drove up the day before and spent the night at a local hotel. Saturday morning I got up, worked out, grabbed a bite to eat and headed over to the casino. I have to say it was a refreshing change from Southern California where you have to plan each tournament day with an eye to avoiding traffic. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Thoughts on G2E and a few thousand hands

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Thu, 15 Nov 07 04:17:54 -0500

Well, it’s been crazy busy lately, and it seems like the days just run together. I’ve had a couple of trips back to New York (the day job), I just got back from the Global Gaming Expo show (aka G2E) in Las Vegas, I have a meeting in Orange County tomorrow and then on to Fresno tomorrow night to pick up my winner’s bracelet in the [url=http://www.tworags.com/casinos/211/4706bb3144baf.pdf]3rd Annual Ace of Diamonds tournament[/url] at [url=http://www.tworags.com/ClubOneCasino.html]Club One Casino[/url]. Next week, I'm heading back home to Maine for the holiday week. And after that, I’ll be hosting a [url=http://www.tworags.com/index.php?ACTION=blogs&todo=view&ID=1286]home game at the Commerce Casino[/url] to take that service for a testdrive and report back. In any event, lots going on. [b]Global Gaming Expo (aka G2E)[/b] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Interview with "Silent Mike" Baxter

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Sat, 27 Oct 07 11:44:29 -0400

You know that feeling when you’re watching High Stakes Poker and a guy you used to hang out with pulls up a chair, drops a couple of hundred grand on the felt and promptly stings Phil Hellmuth for another seventy? No? Well, that’s what happened to me about a month ago. Now most guys might call him up and try to scam their way onto the show, but not me. Instead, I shook Mike down for an interview! Mike was a Stanford classmate of mine and is now a hedge fund manager who lives in Los Angeles with his wife, one son and two daughters. You may have seen him on Episodes 2-7 of season 4 of High Stakes Poker in which he also stacked Eli Elezra with a set and Sammy Farha twice (both times with top pair). He did manage to dust off 100 grand to Elezra in his last hand but shrugs it off later in this interview. [img]http://www.tworags.com/files/baxterhspcrop.jpg[/img] In August 2007, Mike won Event #21 of the [url=https://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/result18099. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

On pianos, iPhones and updates

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Tue, 23 Oct 07 21:22:18 -0400

Ok, so I haven't updated since [b]Swami54[/b] ran over me in the unofficial 2R last longer. But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Oh no, in fact it's been just this side of chaos at chez Edmond. First, I was in NY last week and took Adanthar and his wife on a little tour of my stomping grounds when he had a moment in between AP scandal updates. For those interested, here's a little taste of the tour as presented by an award-winning film-maker. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE0ayK_wmqo]Note by Note - The Making of L1037[/url] By the way, that trailer features a comment by [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Connick,_Jr.]Harry Connick, Jr.[/url], a New Orleans native and jazz pianist. You may have seen him in Will & Grace. See him in concert...with a girl. Second, I got my wife an iPhone for her recent birthday and while the activation of said phone was a breeze, the upgrade of her computer (because it didn't have USB 2.0 port) was less so. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

World Blogger Championship of Online Poker

admin@tworags.com (EdmondDantes) — Fri, 12 Oct 07 11:17:59 -0400

PokerStars is hosting the World Blogger Championship of Online Poker, a free-roll to poker players who blog. First prize is a $12k entry into their Caribbean Adventure tournament. Even better, all final table participants will have their blog posted on 'Stars. If you've been blogging for more than two months, you're eligible to play the event. Just follow the link below and sign up. You'll need to include a link to your blog and then follow the directions to post the code into your blog. If you don't blog on TwoRags.com, it's never too late to sign-up and it's FREE. Just register using the link at the top right of this page.

I have registered to play in the