The Whisky Attic Experience in Las Vegas

Matt Sexton and I at the Whisky Attic in Las Vegas

I once asked a bartender I both respected and wanted what she thought the manliest drink a patron could order. Without hesitation she said, “Whiskey neat.” Straight whiskey – no mixer, ice nor chaser – was never my thing, but ever since that day I became a whiskey fan. Maybe I wanted to be more manly, or maybe I just wanted to get laid more. Most likely it was a combination of both.

Anyway, the past couple of years I’ve been doing my best to expand both my whiskey knowledge and palate. I often bring back bottle from my various travels, and I’ve also become fond of following whiskey industry leaders on social media and reading a magazine called Whisky Advocate. That publication is where I first learned of the Whisky Attic, which boasted that it contained “The Greatest Collection of Whisky in America.” I was intrigued.

That proved doubly true when I learned that it was in Las Vegas, a fact that both surprised and excited me. I was surprised because I’d spent the last four summers in Las Vegas and had never heard of the Whisky Attic, which has been since 2005. I was excited because I was slated to go to Vegas at the end of May. I knew I had to go.

Nolan Dalla & his wife Marietta.

The Whisky Attic Experience requires a reservation, and it’s not exactly cheap. A regular ticket is $75, but for $120 they have a High Roller package that offers quite a bit more. Of course I had to go all out. I invited my Vegas friend Matt Sexton to join me as a birthday gift to him, and also told my friend and mentor Nolan Dalla about it. Being the liquor aficionado that he is, I figured he’d be interested and indeed he was. He also brought along his wife Marietta, who was delightful.

The Whisky Attic is located inside the Freakin’ Frog -- the largest beer bar in the country – and is just five minutes off the Strip near UNLV. I was a bit surprised to find the Freakin’ Frog at the end of a desolate and somewhat rundown strip mall (it definitely was the type of place I’d expect to find “The Greatest Collection of Whisky in America,” but once you make it inside it’s like you’re a world away.

Appropriately, the Whisky Attic is upstairs in the Freakin’ Frog in a quaint room filled with hand-crafted wood reminiscent of a bar you might find in Scotland. The experience is the brainchild of Professor Adam Carmer, who is an expert in spirits and teaches at the aforementioned UNLV. Unfortunately Professor Carmer wasn’t there to lead our tour, but Jon “JD” Darrow, the manager of the place, filled in. He was both enthusiastic and knowledgeable, which made the experience that much more fun.

We learned about the history of tasting spirits, and then were taught a new tasting method called C:STEM (Carmer Spirits Tasting Enhancement Method), which was designed by Carmer. JD was a certified CSTEM Instructor, and I must say that the method was incredible. It’s hard to explain the method, so I’ll let this video do it for me:

Once we learned the method, JD selected ten whiskies for us to try suited to our own personal tasting profile. They weren’t cheap whiskies either, and thanks to the new method, I was able to enjoy them much more fully than I have whiskies in the past. I will definitely be using the tasting method moving forward.

The whole experience lasted about 100 minutes, so given the length and price it was on par with a Vegas show. Aside from the tasting, you also get the chance to see their expansive beer selection (they have one bottle that costs $3,000) and the collection of over 850 bottles of whiskey (three of which cost $100,000 apiece).

Being big into whisky I had a great time, and the other members of the party who weren’t quite so hardcore enjoyed it as well. Matt wasn’t a fan of whiskey, but he had fun and even found a couple he liked. Likewise, Marietta was more partial to wine, but she seemed to have a blast (probably because a lot of what we learned could be applied to wine and other spirits).

If you’re in Vegas and looking for something fun and unique, I highly recommend the Whisky Attic. It’s one of those off-the-map destinations (Nolan and Marietta have lived in Vegas for decades and didn’t know about it) that leaves you feeling fulfilled… and a little buzzed.

Here are some photos from the Whisky Attic:

Matt Checking out the expansive beer collection.

Myself in front of the whisky collection.

Matt and I during the tasting.

The whiskies that were selected for us to sample.

Matt Sexton, Myself, Marietta, and Nolan Dalla at the Whisky Attic.

Three expensive bottles. They cost $100K apiece!

I believe Nolan will be writing his own blog on the experience. If and when he does, I will be sure to share that with you on here.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Sanremo, Cock Socks, & Losing Last Longer to Moneymaker

I just returned from three weeks split between Sanremo, Italy and Monte Carlo, Monaco for back-to-back European Poker Tours, which closed out Season 10. It was a great season, and I’m happy to say I was at every stop except for PCA and Deauville, neither of which I particularly sad to miss. The latest trip was long, grueling, and full of work, but it was also filled with some fun times with good people.

This marked the second time I’d been to Sanremo, but this trip was much better as the weather was nicer, the hotel was closer, and the food better. Sanremo is a quaint town along the Italian Riviera with shops, outdated hotels (my room had a brass key), and plenty of cafes and restaurants.

Sarah and I on the rickshaw.

It also has plenty of coastline with a biking/walking trail that stretches for miles. I’m not certain, but I think it may have been constructed over an old railway line. Anyway, I made it a point to jog the trail every other day, and the view was amazing. Likewise, it was also the trail that Sarah Grant, Will Thomas, and I traveled when we rented a three-person rickshaw. It was the most fun I’d ever had for €7.00. Here’s a photo featuring Sarah and I (Will is hanging on the front taking the picture).

After Vicky Coren Mitchell became the first two-time EPT champ, which you can read about here, members of the media gathered at a little bar outside the casino. It was our time to unwind, and several of us did including Marc Convey, Joe Stapleton, James Hartigan, and EPT President Edgar Stuchly, who was kind enough to pick up the bill (Always a classy and much-appreciated gesture in my book).

After the bar closed, we headed upstairs to someone’s hotel room to raid the minibar. By then everyone was pretty well lit – or at least buzzing – and I remember being a bit more talkative than normal. At one point Mad Harper, the EPT media vixen, asked me what I had done with the winnings from my World Series of Poker bracelet win. With a drink in hand I deadpanned, “Mad, I invested it all in a company called ‘Cock Socks.’ It’s a company that makes socks with pictures of roosters on them. I’ve lost it all, Mad.” I’m pretty sure she believed me too.

It was also at this social gathering that I was told about a small liquor store nearby. If you know me, then you know that I like to bring back a few bottles of booze when I travel (my collection has grown quite extensive). I was told the prices were reasonable, so on our day off set about locating the storefront. It turned out to me a “mom-and-pop” type store with two rooms filled to the brim with bottles. About half of it was dedicated to wines, but the other had whiskies, rums, and all my favorite types of firewater.

I’m a big fan of Havana Club, which was the first alcoholic drink I’d ever tried (it was on a study abroad excursion to Cuba way back in 2004). It also happens to be unavailable in the United States due to the decades old Cuban Embargo. Anyway, I always bring back a bottle or two, and I wondered if this hole-in-the-wall shop in Sanremo might have some Havana Club. Sure enough, tucked away on the shelves were two old bottles that I’d never tried before, one of which was the rather rare Havana Club Barrel Proof. I snatched it up (at a very reasonable price), and am excited to add it to my collection. I think there’s only one type of Havana Club rum that I don’t have, and that’d be the Maximo, which runs something like $2,000 a bottle. I’ll buy it someday, but I needed another big tournament score or two before I do.

After visiting the liquor shop, my three colleagues – Frank Op de Woerd, Danny Maxwell, and William Powell – and I decided to explore the city. Instead of sticking by the coast, we headed to the hills and just by lucky happenstance came across a great lookout point. I think these two photos speak for themselves:

Frank, Danny, myself & William

After Sanremo is was down the coast to Monte Carlo, Monaco. This is a small country known for its glitz, Grace Kelly, Formula 1 racing, and expensive cars. It’s essentially built into the side of a mountain along the sea. Really quite beautiful, but definitely a place designed for the rich and famous. I didn’t really belong, but I wasn’t about to complain.

The jogging trail in Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo was filled with work, but I also found another trail to jog with perhaps an even better view than Sanremo.

Another highlight from that portion of the trip was the EPT10 Grand Final €2,000 Freeroll Media Tournament. My track record in EPT media events isn’t good, but I was intent on getting my hands on some free cash. Plus, 2003 WSOP champ Chris Moneymaker and Full Tilt Poker Professional Gus Hansen played and chummed it up with us. What’s more, Hansen offered a €500 bounty on his head, which he upped to €1,000 when Moneymaker matched his €500 bounty. Unfortunately I never got the chance to play with either as I once again busted early (thanks a lot Lee Jones). For the record, Scott Collins took down the tournament.

Speaking of Moneymaker, he asked if I wanted to do a last longer bet prior to the start of the tournament. I accepted and agreed to put €50 on the line. I obviously lost that. It sucked to lose money in a freeroll, but at least I have a good story to take back home to my friends (all of who were products of the Moneymaker boom). Oh, I almost forgot, a couple days later Chris saw fit to rub it in a bit. I was walking through the cafeteria minding my own when I hear, “Hey Chad.”

I turn around and it’s Chris eating with a couple of other people. He pointed at the spread laid out in front of them and said, “I bought all of this with your money!” It was a good needle, but I know the prices in Monte Carlo and there’s no way he got it all for €50! Don’t believe me, perhaps you will when I tell you that a can of Coke was €7.00, or $9.71 to my friends in the States. I told you it was a place for the rich.

While working the Grand Final I also had the chance to take part in a little poker media trivia segment filmed for broadcast on EPTLive. I know my poker history, and I love how in the final product I come across as the smart one. Check it out:

I had a lot of fun over the last few weeks, but I’m happy to be heading home. I’ll be working a Mid-States Poker Tour in the middle of this month, and then on the 22nd I’ll be heading out to Las Vegas for my fifth WSOP with PokerNews. I’ll also be attempting to defend my title in the Event #1 Casino Employees. I imagine I’ll have a blog post or two from some Sin City debauchery.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Why Team PokerStars Pro Vicky Coren Mitchell's Second European Poker Tour Win is Monumental for Poker World

Less than an hour ago I watched Victoria Coren Mitchell, who was the first woman to ever win an European Poker Tour when she took down the London stop back in Season 3, win the EPT Sanremo Main Event for €476,100. I’ve covered hundreds of tournaments, and never have I felt compelled to write about it immediately after. This one was different. This one was history.

The atmosphere here in the Casino is absolutely electric. This was not just a big win for Coren, but for poker as a whole. In ten seasons dating back to dating back to 2004 there has never been a player to win two EPT Main Event titles. That meant there were 97 different winners heading into Sanremo. Next week’s Grand Final would have been 99, and then the Season 11 opener in Barcelona would have marked 100. PokerStars no doubt had big plans for that stop (“100 winners in 100 stops”), and while those plans getting disrupted may disappoint their marketing department, they got a massive PR boost this night. Not only will they benefit, but the entire poker world will too.

Imagine if you will that Mats Gavatin, Christophe Benzimra, or Vadzim Kursevich had become the first two-time champion? It’d have been cool, but would you have really cared? I know I wouldn’t have. Instead, it was a member of the Team PokerStars Pro family. Not only that, it was a woman, who happened to overcome being the short stack at the start of the final table. Furthermore, it was a short-stacked woman famous in the United Kingdom for being a writer and presenter (according to Wikipedia she writes weekly columns for The Observer and The Guardian and hosts the BBC Four television quiz show Only Connect) who happens to be married to famous actor and comedian David Mitchell. To top it all off, she has 233K Twitter followers.

I'm not going to say that her win is going to inspire a Moneymaker-like boom, because it's not, but in a time when poker headlines have been dominated by cheating scandals, indictments, and other mudslinging antics, it's nice to see a positive story of this magnitude.

Twitter was going wild when she won. Tomorrow the newspapers in the UK will run with the story. Believe me when I say this win will be celebrated and remembered throughout Europe, and it will help bring new players into the game. This may not be a big story for those in United States, but poker isn’t restricted to one area of the world. I could write a little more on what's transpired tonight, but there's some celebrating to do with everyone in Sanremo!

Side note, I actually interviewed Coren on Day 1 of the tournament, which you can listen to here:

Congratulations to Victoria Coren Mitchell! It was a job well done, and I am honored to have been there. I can’t think of anyone who will do the honor more justice than you.

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Segways, Hitler’s Perch, and Austrian Rum in Vienna

When I saw that the European Poker Tour (EPT) was returning to Vienna, Austria for just the third time in its history, I immediately sent an email to my boss saying, “I’d very much like to work that event.” Luckily, I got the call and flew across the pond (a direct flight from Chicago if you can believe it) for ten days of fun… and work.

I won’t tell you much about the poker other than to say I played a €120 buy-in "Deuces Wild" event, which you can read about by clicking here. Likewise, I watched Fabrice Soulier win the EPT10 Vienna High Roller for €392,900, and Oleksii Khoroshenin take down the Main Event for €578,392. I thought the latter victory was especially impressive considering he was the Day 1a chip leader and managed to take it all down – a rare feat indeed. Congrats to him on becoming the first-ever Ukrainian EPT winner.

My first wiener Schnitzel.

Anyway, I had some fun outside of the long workdays. Even before heading to Vienna I made a list of things I wanted to try. Foremost among them was wiener schnitzel, which is one of Austria’s specialties. I was expecting some sort of sausage, but it actually turned out to be a patty of sorts. I ate it on a few occasions, and each times is was delicious.

Two other Austrian specialties I wanted to try was Almdudler and Stroh. The former is an Austrian soda (basically a sparkling apple juice) and the other is Austrian rum. Now anyone who knows me knows I love rum and whiskey. When I think of rum, I think of Caribbean islands and tropical locales; as such, I was extremely intrigued by a rum from a landlocked country in Europe.

I immediately located both at a nearby grocery store and set about tasting them. The Almdudler was great, but I wasn’t a fan of the Austrian rum – at least not at first. It’s not like a smooth like a white rum or Captain Morgan, but rather strong with a brutish, gasoline-type tang. However, I’m not one to back down from a drink, and soon I developed a taste for it, especially when mixed with the Almdudler. Anyway, I loaded up and brought four bottles back home.

Changing gears, the poker tournament was held inside Hofburg Palace, which is without a doubt the most spectacular venue I’ve ever been for poker. With 30,000+ rooms, the palace is apparently the largest in the world. One fact I found particularly eerie was that the massive balcony out front was where Adolf Hitler gave his speech to hundreds of thousands of spectators after the takeover of Austria prior to World War II. As a history major, being that close to such an infamous moment proved both fascinating and unnerving. You can watch video of Hitler’s speech from the balcony on YouTube.

On a brighter note, my favorite part of the trip was taking a Segway tour of the city, a special offering from the EPT in celebration of its tenth anniversary. It require me to get up extra early, but it was worth it. So much so that I actually went on it twice!

The first time was with the video crew (they put together a great video that you can watch below), and I returned so happy and excited that the blogging crew – Frank, Danny, William, Neil, and Marc -- wanted to do it the next day. It was really a unique experience, and I enjoyed it so much that if I’m ever looking to tour a city, I’m going to see if doing it by Segway is an option.

Oh, I also watched the HBO show True Detective while I was in Vienna. It’s just eight episodes long, but it was pretty damned good. Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey were amazing. I highly recommend you check it out if you like a good thriller/mystery.

Next up is an event in Western New York (I’m really looking forward to seeing Niagara Falls for the first time), followed by a trip back to Europe for three weeks at the EPT Sanremo in Italy and the Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Rest assured I’ll be doing a post or two relating to those travels.

*To see more photos from my trip, visit my Facebook page.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

April 19 is National Poker Day. What Will You Be Doing?

On April 19, James Franco will be celebrating hi 36th birthday. You know what I’ll be doing? I’ll be celebrating National Poker Day. That’s right, beginning this year there is a day dedicated to the game we all know and love.

Thanks to a grassroots effort by Blue Shark Optics, spearheaded by owner Kerry Karoutsos and his Team BSO (Full disclosure: I am a member), Poker Day USA has been gaining momentum in 2014. There’s even a petition on WhiteHouse.gov seeking the US government and President Obama to recognize the 19th of April as an official day for poker.

According to the Poker Day USA website:

There are all sorts of "National Days". Some "official", others not. Some recognized by the government some not. And yet, despite numbering over 60 million, poker players are pretty much ignored. Most love the game. Some support their families by playing the game. For the vast majority, poker is entertainment with benefits. A game of skill, strategy, and mathematical probabilities, poker is the All-American game. It is not recognized as such, and its players are not given their day in the sun.

Ever since I was a little boy I've loved celebrating America!

So, we have established a National Poker Day. And we will celebrate it on April 19th. Every year. And we will make the effort to spread the word. To casinos, poker rooms, home games. A grass roots movement. If we celebrate it, who knows, the government may accept and recognize. Maybe a long time from now, but after all, we are 60 million strong … If we accept it, and embrace it, April 19 will be our day. Your day. And you can say: "I was a part of this!”

On April 19, I will be at the Italian Riviera for the European Poker Tour Sanremo. Even though I won’t be in the States, rest assured I’ll be celebrating. I probably won’t get the chance to play (unless I’m lucky and it’s the day we play the media event) as I’ll be working, but I’m going to take the opportunity to reflect on all that poker has given me.

I hope that you’re able to do something that Saturday. Visit your local card room, organize a home game, or just give an appreciative tweet.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Aussie Millions, Visiting the Zoo & Upcoming Plans

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog. I probably should have penned a couple considering some interesting things have happened, but alas time always seems to escape me. Speaking of which, that plays into a piece I wrote for learn.pokernews in which I lay out some goals and lifestyle changes as far as poker is concerned. You can check that piece out by clicking here.

So, what have I been up to since my last post? I wasn’t assigned to work the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, so I spent a good deal of January in chilly Wisconsin. However, at the end of the month I had the opportunity to go to the Aussie Millions for the third year in a row. This is one of my favorite destinations, so I’m grateful to have the chance to cover such a prestigious event.

As far as poker is concerned, the highlight was no doubt the craziness of player firing multiple bullets in both the $100,000 and $250,000 Challenges. While it was mind boggling, it was also cause for concern. I think Dan Shak said it best when he voiced his opinion in an interview with Frank Op de Woerd, which you can listed to here.

I couldn't have chosen a better shirt for a visit to the zoo.

Additionally, it was pretty cool to watch Phil Ivey win the $250,000 Challenge for the second time in three years. The AU$4,000,000 he won for that was the largest score of his career, so it was neat to be there for that.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention three of my favorite things while in Australia. The first are Tim Tams. These little chocolate-covered biscuit things are kind of like a Kit Kat, but in my opinion so much better (especially the white chocolate ones). Seriously, if you ever have the chance, eat some Tim Tams, and do it like Kristy Arnett demonstrates in this video.

The other two things that I love is the food court in the Crown complex, or more specifically the Indian and Think Asia places that are right next to each other. I absolutely love the tandoori chicken and saffron rice at the former and friend rice, breaded chicken, and lemongrass chicken at the latter. I’m not exaggerating when I say I alternated eating those two meals for all three meals everyday I was there. Just thinking about it now makes my mouth water. Sorry, I just love it so much I had to write about it.

After the Aussie Millions finished, I stayed an extra two days in Melbourne. My friend, Josh Bell, was kind enough to keep me entertained. On Tuesday, we went to the Melbourne Zoo, which was relaxing. Interesting story, in 1989 32-year-old Mr. Ellie Quo snuck in late at night to test his kung fu skills against the lions. He was killed. Ill advised for sure, and you can’t help but chuckle at the stupidity.

Anyway, after the zoo we went to see the new Robocop, which was alright, and then ended up going to a rooftop cinema that night to watch some indie flick. It was a unique experience and I spent more time checking out the view of Melbourne than watching the movie. We also downed some sangria, which helped take the edge off after working a long tournament series.

Go Geelong Cats!

On Wednesday we got up fairly early and drove down the Great Ocean Road to Bells Beach, which you may recognize from the movie Point Break. It’s apparently a surfer’s paradise, but on this day there were on five of us on the beach. We didn’t swim, but hung out on the beach for a few hours before heading to Geelong to check out my first Australian Football (AFL) game. I became an honorary Geelong Cats fan for the day, and despite not knowing what the hell was going on at the start, I soon caught on and had a great time. Definitely a game I could get into.

We ducked out of the game a little early to hit up the Victoria Night Market, where I had the opportunity to have a kangaroo burger. It was tender and sweet in case you’re wondering. After that it was back to the apartment to pack for my return to the states.

Since being back I’ve been focused on getting some things done while cranking out articles from home. I’ve had the chance to play a couple tournaments, but didn’t do much in either of them. I’ll be playing a little between now and the WSOP, which you can read about in that learn.pokernews.com piece.

Other than that, I’m slated to work the Hollywood Poker Open (HPO) in Grantville, PA this weekend. It’ll be a smaller event, but I’ve never been to Pennsylvania so I’ll make the most of it. Around the 21st or so, I’ll be heading to Vienna, Austria for the European Poker Tour. I’m very excited about that stop as it’s the first time the tour has been there since Season 7. I’ll then come home for a couple week before heading back over to Europe for back-to-back gigs at the EPT Sanremo and EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

After that it’ll damn near be time for the WSOP. I’ll definitely have a few blogs between now and then, so be sure to check back periodically.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Reflecting Back on 2013 -- A Truly Amazing Year

The New Year is here, and to be honest I’m sad to see the clock expire on 2013. I can’t recall a better year for me both personally and professionally, and as 2014 approaches I thought it’d be a good time to reflect on the past twelve months. Here are the top five reasons 2013 will go down as one of the best years of my life.

5.) I Turned 30

Technically this happened in 2012 (I turned 31 a few weeks ago). That said, I spent the vast majority of 2013 as a 30 year old. I was actually in Prague, Czech Republic when the clock turned over on three decades, and while it didn’t seem like a big moment at the time, reflecting upon it has made me realize that I’m at an age where I can’t afford to screw around. There was plenty of time to do that in my 20s, and believe me I did; however, college is done and it’s time to build a career (I should worked at this much earlier).

I already feel like I’m behind, and that feeling combined with the realization that I’m now in my 30s has lit a fire under my ass. I don’t want to wonder where I’m going; I want to enjoy the journey on my way there. I want to harness my ambition to get things done and make positive steps to craft a fulfilling life. It shouldn’t have taken me so long, but now that I’m 30 (ok, 31 technically) I feel I’m headed in that direction.

4.) Coming Into My Own as a Poker Player

Myself and the legendary Bob Hooks.

I don’t play nearly as much poker as I used to, not ever close. There was a time I was grinding tournaments and cash games 60 hours a week, but now with a full-time job I’m lucky if I can squeeze in a sessions or two a week. Had you told me at the beginning of the year I’d have over $100k in tournament winnings, I’d have thought you were nuts (unless of course you were offering to stake me). Somehow I managed to end the year with $102,171 in tournament winnings. Toss in some small-untracked tournament scores and so-so cash game results, and it was a good year financially.

Granted, most of it came from a single score (which you’ll read about below), but I can’t complain. Of course I didn’t pocket all of that due to some staking and swaps, but now I’ve got a little nest egg to sit on. I attribute the success to strengthening my mental game and trying to develop a more positive attitude. Hopefully I'll be able to work on both of these in the New Year while working on the fundamentals. My game can always improve, and it took me awhile to realize that.

3.) The People and the Places

In 2013 I visited the Bahamas; Choctaw, Oklahoma; Australia; Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut; Council Bluffs, Iowa; New Orleans; Las Vegas; Idaho; Galway, Ireland; Miami, Florida; Barcelona, Spain; London, England; Macau, China; and Prague Czech, Republic. One of the reasons I love what I do so much is being able to travel, and while it’s often filled with long days, I enjoy every minute of it. Plus I earned enough miles to make Platinum on United, and in “Sky World” that’s a worthwhile accomplishment.

I also got to interview some pretty cool people in 2013. It started in January when I spoke to Last Comic Standing’s Gerry Dee at the PCA, but in April I did one of my favorite interviews ever – Brian Baumgartner (AKA Kevin Malone from NBC’s The Office). I’m a HUGE Office fan, so to have the chance to interview one of the funniest characters was a dream come true.

How did I do it? Well in Season 2 Kevin mentions that he won a bracelet at the 2002 WSOP. That one sentence was enough for me to connect it to poker and do a piece for PokerNews. A stretch sure, but well worth it. Actually, that makes it sound really simple. Tracking down his agent and convincing them to do it was pretty tough. Unfortunately I didn’t actually get to meet Brian, but I spoke to him for over 20 minutes on the phone while he was driving from L.A. to Vegas.

Now if it’s one thing I love more than The Office, it’s Survivor. I’ve been a diehard fan for over a decade, and every once in a while that world intersects with poker. Last year I had the chance to meet and interview Amanda Kimmel, and this year it was former winners “Boston” Rob Mariano and Ethan Zohn. I don’t play fan boy often, but I do when it comes to Survivor.

Finally, I’ll forever be grateful to have had the opportunity to sit and talk with Bob Hooks, a forgotten Texas road gambler who deserves his place in poker history. The stories he told were nothing short of incredible, and I listened attentively for hours as he talked about the game back in the day. I was humbled by the experience and was thankful to tell his story, which you can read by clicking here.

2.) The Trip of a Lifetime with My Father

My dad and I.

My dad has always wanted to go whitewater rafting, and now that he’s on the backend of his 60s, I said that if we were going to do it 2013 was going to be the year. Prior to the WSOP we made it happen by taking a trip to the Snake River in Idaho. We spent two days going down the river, and it was an incredible experience. It meant a lot to my pops, and I’ll forever cherish the time we had together on the water disconnected from the rest of the world. Moments like those are too few and far between.

Prior to the whitewater rafting trip, we spent a few days in Sun Valley, Idaho. It takes a few hours to drive to the middle of the state, but the beauty there is unrivaled. The reason for our journey was to visit Ketchum, which is where Ernest Hemingway (a literary hero of mine) spent the latter years of his life before ultimately committing suicide.

I immersed myself in all things Hemingway while there including visiting the hotel room where he finish For Whom the Bell Tolls, the house where he ended it all, and his final resting place.

1.) I Won a World Series of Poker Bracelet

I wasn’t even going to play Event #1 $500 Casino Employees, but when Caesars said we PokerNews reporters were eligible due to our contractor status with them, I decided to enter. We only stated with 3,000 in chips, and within 20 minutes I was down to 1,000. A fortunate hand gave me a double, and over the next two days I survived an 898-player field to win my first WSOP bracelet and $84,915 in prize money.

I can honestly say I’ve never been happier than I was in the early morning hours of May 31. Winning a bracelet is the goal/dream of every poker player (nearly 80,000 came to Vegas to compete for one), and I was fortunate enough to be one of 62 to walk away with gold. I’ve always thought I had the skills to win a bracelet, but I didn't think it'd come for years down the road when I had the financial security to play 10-20 events a year.

For me that bracelet wasn’t just a win, it was validation for the journey I’ve taken, who I’ve become, and what it is I do. I wish my family could have been there, but sharing that special moment with my friends and colleagues is something I’ll always hold near and dear to my heart. I’ve never had so much love and support, and truth be told I don’t think I couldn’t have done it without them. They helped me stay focused and hungry. I didn’t want to see the disappointment of my peers, and fortunately I didn’t have to.

Winning the bracelet also changed my outlook on the game (it’s hard to get angry and tilted when you’ve won gold), and it even led to me playing in my first WSOP Main Event, which was something that had been on my bucket list for a long time. Hopefully neither that bracelet nor Main Event will be my last.

What’s Next…

I’ll remember 2013 fondly, and I can only hope the years to come treat me just as kind. For 2014, I’d like to see a number of things come to fruition. Here are a few or my goals without explanation:

• Reclaim my health


• Write a comic book


• Write a book


• Visit either Africa or Antarctica (the only two continents I haven’t been to)


• Continue to succeed in poker, which will include the following: playing my first World Poker Tour event; profiting in cash games; and establishing an online poker account.

Anyway, I've got to go. Bye.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.