One of the unexpected benefits of winning a World Series of Poker bracelet this past summer is the influx of invitations to charity events. I've actually had two extended my way, and while I have to miss the All In for Wishes in upstate New York in October (I'm going to work the European Poker Tour London), I was able to accept a spot as a "celebrity" bounty at Ho-Chunk Nekoosa's 3rd Annual Pulse Punding Poker Tournament on September 28 and 29.
The tournament is held in memory of Kevin Abbott, a man I did not know personally but have heard nothing but great things. Kevin was a former table games employee at Ho-Chunk Gaming Nekoosa, which is a small casino located in central Wisconsin. I'm very excited to take part in this tournament not only to play for a great cause, but because it's right in my backyard. Poker in Wisconsin is as strong as in any other state, and there are some great players that both started here (i.e. Phil Hellmuth, Trevor Pope, Phil Galfond, etc.) and still play here.
The Pulse Pounding Tournament event started in 2011," Nekoosa's poker room manager Adam Estes told me. "The previous year, we had a co-worker and friend named Kevin Abbott pass away. He loved poker, dealing and talking to people. We wanted to create an event to honor his memory and raise money to donate to help others in need at the same time. We chose the Foundation at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield as our charity because Kevin had spent time there the past couple years before he passed."
The proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the Foundation of Saint Joseph's Hospital to the Cardiac, Cancer and Diabetes Funs, and I am honored to be one of their celebrity players. As such, there will be a $200 bounty on my head, which ought to make things interesting. I plan on having a good time, conversing with the other players and hopefully win some money. In the instance that I do, all of it will be donated to the charity. I don't expect every player to donate their winnings, but I do encourage them to donate a portion to the charity to help make the event a success.
"Our main goal is to fill as many of the 150 seats as possible," Estes explained. "That would allow us to raise the most money we can for the charity. A high turnout would also be a reward for my staff to see that their hard work over the past couple years has paid off. Players will not be disappointed with the experience. Hopefully word will spread that these tournaments are something that players don’t want to miss. It will give HCG-Nekoosa a good reputation and be a place more players would visit often."
The Pulse Pounding Poker Tournament will start on September 28 at 11:15 a.m. and conclude on September 29, 2013. If anyone is interested in more information, please feel to reach out to me on either Facebook or Twitter. I also recommend you like Ho-Chunk Nekoosa's page on Facebook for updates and pictures from the event.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.
I love Miami. Well to be honest, I love the Miami Dolphins. They’ve been my favorite team since I was a kid despite only being to their home city just one, that is until I decided to cave in to the hype, jump on the bandwagon and book a ticket for the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $10 Million Guarantee (SHRPO). It seemed the entire poker world was heading down to South Florida, and since I didn’t have to work, I thought it’d be a good chance to go down, hang with my friends and even play a little bit.
The plan was to try my hand at a couple of $575 satellites and hope to qualify for the $5,000 buy-in Main Event. I arrived on Thursday, August 22 just in time to catch the 2 p.m. satellite, and after dropping my bags off at the bell desk, I promptly registered. This particular satellite was held in the main poker room, which was across the property from SHRPO, so I began to make the long trek across the casino floor. A minute later I passed a well-known poker pro and something remarkable happened—I “qualified” for the Main Event!
To respect his privacy, I’ll keep the name of this pro confidential, but suffice it to say I’ve known him for a few years and we’ve always gotten along splendidly. Our paths hadn’t crossed in awhile, so we exchanged pleasantries before he asked if I was there to work. I informed him that I was there to play a bit and was going to attempt to qualify for the Main Event.
“You want me to put you in?” he asked nonchalantly while simultaneously leaving me flabbergasted. That’s a lot of money and I was honored he had enough faith in my to offer—I guess winning a bracelet has certain benefits. Anyway, I said let’s wait and see how I do in the satellite, which I promptly busted, and then took him up on his gracious offer. I was in the game.
I played Day 1b of the Main Event and I was excited to go despite having only one bullet to fire (you can read more about that in my recent piece on learn.pokernews.com). Aside from this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event, the SHRPO was the largest buy-in tournament I’d played, and given the smaller field size, I knew I’d get the chance to play with some fairly big names.
The biggest ended up being David “Doc” Sands, who I was pleased to learn doesn’t take as long to act as his reputation suggests. Sands and I didn’t get involved in any big pots against one another, and he eventually busted (he re-entered several times and ended up making a deep run). On the other hand, I had trouble getting anything going. We started with 30,000 and I did nothing but dwindle early on. I dropped to 8,000, worked it up to 40,000 and then ended up busting to Sam Soverel in the penultimate level of the night. Soverel was the bane of my tournament beating me over and over again (every time I had a good hand he had one a little bit better). It was frustrating but fitting that he was the one to finish me off.
I was extremely disappointed to bust, but alas that is poker. The toughest part is breaking the news to your backer, though he appeared to take it well. Whether or not he was being sincere I don’t know, but either way I was sure to let him know how much the opportunity meant to me. Even though I didn’t do much, I still got to play in one of the year’s biggest tournaments alongside the game’s best. Truly a great experience.
My bust-out disappointment disappeared on Saturday when I had the opportunity to attend the Miami Dolphins game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Granted, it was a meaningless preseason game, but I was still ecstatic to check out the Fins’ stadium, something I hadn’t done in the better part of a decade and only once at that. What’s more, my friend Garry Gates, who is a VIP host of sorts for PokerStars, won a contest on Twitter that gave us seats in a suite and a tour of the stadium.
Along with PokerNews Editor in Chief Donnie Peters and World Series of Poker bracelet winner Allen Bari, the four of us arrived at Sun Life Stadium to do a little pregaming. Beers, rum and a football got us off to a good start, and it only got better as free food was part of our reward experience. The best part for me was getting the chance to go down on the field during pregame workouts. What an experience to be on the ground looking up at the stadium—a surreal perspective.
Needless to say, I’m pumped for the upcoming season. Have a look at some of the pictures I snapped at the game.
The boys and I meet Dan Marino!
I was very excited to be at the Dolphins home turf!
A view from the field.
A view from the suite.
Ice cream break!
Miami was great and the SHRPO was a great tournament. I expect I will be down there again in the near future. In the meantime, I am off to Barcelona for the start of the European Poker Tour Season 10.
Before I sign off, a very special thanks to Mickey Doft for letting me crash in his room all week. I understand as well as anyone that it’s a big sacrifice to open up your room after working 14 hours a day, and I greatly appreciate his kindness.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.
After detoxing at home for a few weeks from the 2013 World Series of Poker, I had to jet off to my next assignment—the Full Tilt Poker Galway Festival in Ireland. This was my first time to that country and the first time I’d traveled to a foreign country without another PokerNews colleague from the States (though there are plenty of Irish and UK team members here… I guess I’m the one with the accent). Ireland has always been toward the top of my list of places to visit, and it feels amazing to be writing from the Harbor Hotel in Galway, which is on the west coast of the country.
The flight over here was amazing considering I had a whole row in Economy Plus to myself. First time I’ve ever been able to laydown on a flight and it felt good. Three movies (Broken City, Side Effects and Mud) made the time fly. After landing, I had a one-hour car ride through the countryside. I’ve never seen so many horses, sheep and stone walls in my life. Seriously, where do they get all those stones? I also appreciate how they build into the countryside as opposed to the U.S. strategy of bulldozing everything and building on the ruins.
The FTP Galway Festival venue is pretty sick. Imagine two giant beer tents next to each other—one for the poker action and the other a great big lounge. It’s a nice change from the usual casino floors and convention centers. I actually had some time to play, which is a rare occurrence when I travel. The first night I jumped into Event #41 €110 Triathlon NLHE. Unfortunately I couldn’t get anything going and was one of the first people out. Still, it’s cool to be able to say that I’ve played in Ireland.
Fast forward through five days of non-stop work and you’ll get to the FTP UKIPT Galway Party, which turned out to be an unexpected treat packed into 90 minutes. After working a full day, I decided to drop off my stuff and “make an appearance” at the party. I always drink spirits, but the open bar didn’t include that, so “when in Rome”… I ordered a pint of Guinness. By my second round, I had talked my photographer friend Danny Maxwell, who is an Irishman, into taking pictures of me with Viktor “Isildur1” Blom and Gus Hansen.
Blom was first. I had heard the Swede enjoyed his liquor, and apparently that was true because when I nonchalantly asked him for a picture he noticed my full pint and promptly challenged me to a drinking contest. He had just received a full vodka and Red Bull, you see, and despite his attempts for me to give him a head start—his may have been a little fuller but mine was a thicker brew was my argument—we decided to see who could finish there’s first. I’ll just say that I’m born and raised in Wisconsin, and if it’s one thing we know how to do it is drink. I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.
Blom challenges me and mixes his drink. He wanted a head start because he had a little more. I argued mine was a thicker brew. He asked to trade drinks. I said I would. He then backed out and stuck with his vodka Red Bull.
Cheers!
Drinking contest with VIktor "Isildur1" Blom in Ireland.
Bottoms up!
Kicked his ass. Not even close. I'm from Wisconsin, bitch!
Not long after I managed to get a picture with Hansen (who had denied me an interview earlier in the day). I’m afraid my story concerning that wasn’t nearly as interesting; in fact, it wasn’t interesting at all. Despite that, here is the pic:
Gus Hansen and I.
On the 22nd of this month, I will be headed to South Florida for the $10-million guarantee at the Seminole Hard Rock. I’m actually going to this event not to live report, but to play. I don’t know if I’ll play the $5,000 buy-in Main Event yet as that price is a little steep for me, but I will be playing a couple of $500 satellites. Other than that I will play some smaller buy-in events, do so pieces for PokerNews from the hyped event and spend some time with my South Florida friends (Mickey Doft, Garry Gates, Jason Mercier, Sam Cohen, Tristan Wade, etc.). I’m also hoping a trip to the watch the Miami Dolphins in preseason action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is in order.
I’ll be sure to do a post about that adventure as well as one for Barcelona, which I’ll be headed to straight from Miami to cover the European Poker Tour for the second year in a row. If you’d have told me a few years ago I’d be going to Barcelona twice in one year, well I’d have thought you crazy.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.
Although I write for PokerNews on a daily basis, this is the first of what I hope to be many blog posts on the site. My intention is to use this blog to document my poker experiences and any interesting offbeat stories (ones that might not make the sight) that I encounter on my travels as a PokerNews Reporter.
For my inaugural post I thought it’d be cathartic to offer my top five moments, both professionally and personally, from the 2013 World Series of Poker, which for me was literally a life-changing experience. Here are my top five favorite moments from the 2013 WSOP:
5.) Seeing All of My Poker Friends
My good friend Paul Oresteen once described the WSOP as going to summer camp. While I never went to camp as a kid, I imagine he’s right. Every summer for six weeks poker players, media and fans flock to the innards of the Rio All-Suite Hotel’s Convention Center. It’s there inside rooms called “Amazon,” “Brasilia” and “Pavilion” that we spend at least 12 hours a day. You get to know some people pretty well over that period of time, and while familiarity no doubt breeds contempt, you learn to love one another—especially the other media folk as they’re the only ones who can truly understand what it’s like to work the WSOP.
There are far too many people to name that I enjoyed seeing, but suffice it to say I got to interact with friends and colleagues from all across the globe. Many of them were on hand to share in my bracelet victory (more on that below), while those who weren’t showed their support from afar. For that I will always be grateful.
A few special shout outs—thanks to my boss, Donnie Peters, for occasionally letting me use his car. Thanks to Matt Sexton and Matt Whitefield for taking me out to dinner every once in awhile and allowing me to get out of the Rio. Thanks to Tim Duckworth and Ben Ludlow for the bottle of whiskey, a small gesture that inspire great appreciation. And to everyone else, thanks for another great summer and I look forward to seeing you next year or on the circuit in between.
4.) Visits from Back-Home Friends
You lose track of time when you’re in Vegas, even if you’re here only for a weekend. Imagine being here for six weeks. In the past four years I cannot differentiate a single day in June, that’s the truth. I’m not afforded the luxury of being able to go back home for a breather halfway through (nor would I want to), but I am fortunate to host some friends every summer (it’s not hard to talk Midwest folks into coming to Vegas when they have a free place to stay).
Adam Brown, Sarah Grant, Heath Herring and Carsen Nachreiner at Hash House-A-Go Go.
This year I had two friends—Carsen Nachreiner and Conroy Greendeer—visit me at separate times. The former, who has been one of my best friends since childhood, came up from San Diego for a few days. We didn’t have much time to spend together, but we made the most of what we did. Some of the highlights from that visit include drinking the aforementioned bottle of whiskey, going to see World War Z (I liked it a lot), partying at the Poker Listings House, going to see Penn & Teller, eating at Gordon Ramsay’s BurGR and spending a night downtown where I introduce Carsen to my friend Heath “Crazy Horse” Herring. Carsen is a huge MMA fan and it was kind of funny seeing him a bit star struck as we walked about Fremont and ate at Hash House-A-Go Go. Special thanks to Sarah Grant for making that possible.
Conroy came about a week later, which is a shame considering Carsen, him and I always have a good time when we get together. I actually had less time to spend with Conroy, though we did squeeze in a breakfast buffet and some drinks. In the meantime he spent his leave from the military trying to strike it big on the slots. He flew home with an empty wallet but surprisingly high spirits.
3.) Playing the Main Event
Ever since Robert Varkonyi won the Main Event in 2002—that’s right, I got in right before the poker boom—I’ve always dreamed of playing in the WSOP Main Event. I could have plopped down the $10,000 buy-in any of the past few years, but that would have been horrible bankroll management on my part. My patience finally paid off this year when I had the chance to check it off my bucket list.
Thanks to winning a bracelet (again, more on that below), I had a lot of people offer to buy pieces of me when I expressed interest in playing the Main. I’ll respect their privacy and not single them out, but I do want to say thank you to each and everyone, no matter the share you bought. Your kindness allowed me to accomplish a dream of mine that I’ll remember forever.
With that said, I wish I could have done a little fucking better! Within 40 minutes on Day 1a I was down to 11,000 from the 30,000 starting stack after trying to bluff my fellow Wisconsinite and friend Eddie Blumenthal (it was still a good call Eddie), but I managed to bring it back up and finished the night with 36,600. Unfortunately Day 2a didn’t go well. My stack only went down until I was sitting with 18,000. I had recently been moved to the same table as Hollywood actor Kevin Pollak and tough pro Jesse Yaginuma. I ended up busting to the latter after he opened for 1,300 at 300/600 and I three-bet to 3,000 with pocket nines. Action folded back to Yaginuma and he paused briefly before moving all in. I suppose I could have folded here but nines were the best hand I’d seen all day and my read said he had , or perhaps a smaller pocket pair. I called off and was wrong as he held pocket queens. They held up and that was the end of that.
Still a great experience and the structure of the tournament is second to none. I’m not sure when I’ll get the chance to play it again, but I know I’ll be back at some point.
2.) Poker Writers Roundtable
One day about three-quarters through the WSOP my friend and mentor Nolan Dalla, famed poker historian and author of One of a Kind, invited me to dinner at a seafood restaurant at the Rio to join him and some other noted poker personalities for their annual get together. Other guests include Anthony Holden, author of poker classics Big Deal and Bigger Deal; Michael Craig, author of The Professor, The Banker and the Suicide King; Poker Hall of FamerEric Drache; and long-time poker pro Thor Hansen.
All of the aforementioned books were hugely inspiring to me, and meeting the men behind them all at one time was overwhelming. I’ve never felt so honored and intimidated by the company in which I found myself. Thankfully all of them made me feel welcome and is if I was one of their own.
The dinner lasted more than two hours and during that time some great stories were told. Everything said was off the record, and while I won’t get into too many details, I’m sure they won’t mind me revealing a few of the topics discussed. They included Craig’s plans for a new poker book (I’m very excited about this); the events of Black Friday and what some of the villains have been up to since; a lot on Larry Flynt including his venture in the casino business and his famed Seven Card Stud game; and Hansen’s love of the ponies and his cancer situation (which seems to be better than originally expected).
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each and every one of these poker titans. A heartfelt thanks to Nolan for inviting me to the private affair. It was personally gratifying and a professional highlight.
1.) Winning a World Series of Poker Bracelet
I’ve always dreamed that I would win a gold bracelet, but I thought that if it were ever to happen that it’d be many years down the road when I could afford to play 25 events a summer. Never did I imagine that it would happen right at the start of the 2013 WSOP in Event #1 $500 Casino Employees. Granted, that’s the “low-hanging fruit” on the WSOP schedule and isn’t an open event, but truth be told I don’t really care as I have a gold bracelet, something I had only dared dream of before.
It’s hard to describe what winning a bracelet feels like. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love the history of the game and the bracelet means a lot to me. To evidence this point, let me quickly tell you about what happened when we I was heads up for the bracelet. Against WSOP rules, my opponent and I discussed the possibility of a chop on a break. During the negotiations he said something along the lines of, “We can split the money and then flip for the bracelet or whatever.”
Right then and there I knew I didn’t want to chop. Obviously the money meant more to him than the bracelet, and the opposite was true of me. I’m sure I could have negotiated a chop where I was awarded the bracelet, but I didn’t want to win it that way. In my opinion it would have cheapened the win and lessened the value of the bracelet. Sure, maybe no one would ever know, but I would. I knew if I was going to win and have it mean something it had to be pure. For me that meant declining any chop and playing it out the way it was meant to be. Win or lose I could live with the decision whereas I wasn’t sure I could with a chop. While those details were unknown to most, I still got a cool nickname out of the ordeal courtesy of Jason Mercier—“No-Chop Chad.”
Fortunately I was able to win the bracelet, which you can read about in the PokerNews Live Blog and the event recap. I wish my family and friends from back home could have been there for that very special moment, but I am grateful that my poker friends and family were there. Their support from the rail, birdcall and all, helped me stay focused through both the ups and downs. I’ve no doubt had they not been there I would have derailed at some point.
Winning a WSOP bracelet is among the highlights of my life. Poker is my life, and by winning the game’s most prestigious award validates what I’ve been doing for so long. It’s not going to change who I am or what I do—I’ll still be writing the best articles I can for PokerNews—but now instead of dreaming about winning a bracelets I’ll be dreaming about capturing No. 2.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.
As a poker blogger, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to some great tournaments across the world. I’ve covered events in South America, the Bahamas, and even in Australia, but despite these great experiences, I always longed to visit Europe. That chance finally arrived in mid-August when for the first stop of the PokerStars European Poker Tour’s ninth season — EPT Barcelona.
Aside from a quick jaunt to England in my college days, I’d never visited Europe, so you can imagine how excited I was to travel to Spain and cover my first EPT. I arrived a day before the start of the €50,000 Super High Roller and took the opportunity to explore the city. I accompanied the lovely Lynn Gilmartin andKristy Arnett, who were filming welcome videos for the PokerStars Blog and PokerNews respectively, as well as two cameramen and my fellow blogger, Emilis. Together we aimlessly wandered the city streets, occasionally stopping whenever the girls fancied a location.
We briefly visited the beach where it was not uncommon for women to bask topless. While this no doubt sounds agreeable to most male readers, you have to remember that the bad comes with the good and oftentimes the former outnumber the latter considerably. In other words, you might see some things you’d rather not at the topless beach. Also, in case you’re wondering, neither Lynn nor Kristy opted to let loose.
From there, we ventured down to the tree-lined La Rambla, a street in Barcelona that is known for street performers, living statues, and kiosks. It was there that Kristy took us all to a tucked away marketplace that served everything under the sun. Meats, cheeses, and nuts were aplenty, but what interested us was the vast array of fresh-squeezed fruit juices. The kaleidoscope of colors offered no easy choice, but ultimately I settled on an orange-peach concoction that pleased. Without a doubt, the best €2.00 I spent the entire trip.
After the girls finished filming at returned to the hotel, Emilis and I opted to take a bus tour of the city. For just €24.00, we got to see vast expanses of the city including the area where the 1992 Summer Olympics were held, the Plaza Monumental de Barcelona bullfighting arena, Port Vell Aerial Tramway, and Magic Fountain of Montjuic, just to name a few locations. The tour allowed us to get off at anytime and explore at our leisure, but given our time frame we opted to stay on the bus and take in a much of the city as possible. There was a lot we didn’t get to see, but I was happy with what we saw in such a short period of time.
That evening, Donnie Peters, who had flown in earlier in the day, invited me out. Our party included Kristy;Garry Gates; Kyle Julius and his girlfriend, Justine; and Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier and his fiancé, Erica. The dinner, which was at a restaurant at the marina, was decent, but the real treat was the company and conversation. Both Kyle and Jason were set to play the €50K the following day, but that didn’t stop them from having a good time.
While everyone else was enjoying wine, I ordered some sangria. What I didn’t realize until it was too late was that I had inadvertently ordered a large sangria; more specifically, I had ordered a full pitcher of sangria. Of course others wanted to sample, and I was more than happy to oblige. Four pitchers and a couple bottles of wine later, and everyone felt pretty good — except for Kristy, who uncharacteristically abstained.
This was my first time interacting with Jason and Kyle socially, and while I got the sense that they’d be lost without their better halves, both guys proved to be a blast. That part of the group, along with Donnie, extended the night by visiting a hookah bar, while the rest of us returned to the hotel to prepare for the €50K Super High Roller, which I had the privilege of working that event from start to finish.
It was a truly remarkable tournament; in fact, I rank it among my favorite events I’ve ever covered. I say this because of the eclectic mix of players. I’ve covered super-high roller events with Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel and the like on more than one occasion, but I’ve never had the chance to cover one with European players. At the EPT Barcelona, I finally had the chance to witness legends like Philip Gruissem, Juha Helppi, and Tobias Reinkemeier; in addition, I observed online legends I had only previously written about in Ilari “Ilari FIN” Sahamies, Terje “Terken89” Augdal and Ignat “0Human0” Liviu.
In my opinion, the lineup of the EPT Barcelona €50K Super High Roller surpassed that of the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop, and I wasn’t all that surprised to seeDan Smith take down the title. I watched him win a similar event back in January, and the guy is something special. His meteoric rise in 2012 is as impressive, if not more, than Seidel’s accomplishments the year prior.
After the €50K wrapped, it was time to cover the €5,000 Barcelona Main Event. It was a week’s worth of great action, but the highlight for me was watching Sahamies, who had taken fourth place in the €50K, navigate the 1,082-player field and make it to the final table as the chip leader. It was there that a fellow Finn, Joni Jouhkimainen, joined him and together the pair put on quite the show.
I’ve never seen so many four and five bets, and I learned a lot about the sheer power of aggression. The Finns are truly fearless; however, neither Jouhkimainen nor Sahamies managed to capture the title, finishing in third and second places respectively. It seemed to me the duo celebrated a bit too early and overindulged in drinks, which opened the door for Belarusian Mikalai Pobal to swoop in and claim the €1,007,550 first-place prize.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t briefly mention my first "football" experience. Now if you read football and thought the NFL, then you’re way off track. Outside the United States, football is the common name for what we Americans would call soccer, and believe me when I say it’s a big part of their culture. While in Barcelona, the hometown team took on Real Madrid. Now I know very little about the game, but I was told they were two of the best teams and the electric atmosphere surrounding the game backed that up.
Plenty of poker pros took the night off to attend the game at Camp Nou, which is the largest stadium in Europe with a 100,000 capacity, but at €250+ for a ticket, our gang opted to watch it at the Barcelona Sports Bar on La Rambla. The usual cast of characters were there, but my experience was exemplified by the inclusion of Marc Convey, Chris Hall and Neil Stoddart — three Brits who knew the game well. They were king enough to answer my naïve questions and provide me some background on the clubs and players.
The game started slow but definitely picked up steam in the second half. I got to watch Lionel Messi andCristiano Ronaldo work their magic, and rousing match ended up 3-2 in Barcelona’s favor. It was only one match, but I took away a whole new appreciation for the game — I really like that there were no commercial interruptions.
My trip to the EPT Barcelona was full of great experiences. The poker action was the best I’ve seen, and there was no shortage of things to do in the city. Other than being a bit too hot and humid for my liking, I had an amazing time in Spain. It may have been my first EPT, but if I have my way, it won’t be my last.
Preface: I had the opportunity to film for an episode of the History Channel's Pawn Stars over the summer. Although I can't reveal too much of the experience because of a nondisclosure agreement, here's everything I can tell you.
I’ve always been a fan of history and poker. I majored in the former while in college and almost went on to teach high school history, but my passion and career lies with poker. With that said, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to combine the two. This past summer, I found the perfect opportunity — taking vintage poker memorabilia to the hit History Channel program, Pawn Stars.
Over the past three years, I’ve been fortunate enough to piece together an extensive collection of old poker memorabilia, most notably some one-of-a-kind photos from old Las Vegas and past World Series of Pokers. I’ve managed to do so through different outlets including online auctions, antique stores, and by contacting a few individuals who were looking to part with their collections.
In 2011, I applied to be on Pawn Stars through its website and was fortunate enough to get a call from one of the producers. I then had to submit more information on my items including what they were, how I obtained them, and how much I was asking. In this case, I had three unique photos from the 1972 WSOP featuring “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Puggy Pearson and Doyle Brunson. Upon showing the photos to WSOP Media Director and noted poker historian Nolan Dalla, he informed be that he had never seen the photos; in fact, he couldn’t recall seeing a single photo from that particular final table.
Unfortunately, production fell behind in the summer of 2011 and my filming appointment got pushed back further and further until I had to leave Las Vegas. It was a missed opportunity, though not to any fault of my own. Not to be deterred, I decided to reapply this past summer before heading to Sin City for the 2012 WSOP. Much to my delight, the producer remembered me and made another appointment for me to go in and film.
Here’s a part of the e-mail I got from the producer:
Just a reminder — You are on the schedule to film with Pawn Stars Friday June 1st from 7-9am. Filming runs according to schedule, so do not arrive any earlier - it will last approximately 1 to 3 hours. Sometimes the crew may run late, so let us know if there is a time you definitely need to leave the shop by.
The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is located at 713 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, NV 89101. When you arrive at the shop bypass the line if there is one, and let security know you are there for filming - they'll let you know where to go.
The director prefers that you bring sunglasses with you as some shots are taken outdoors. Please do not wear anything white as it does come across well on camera; dark solid color shirts are preferred. Hats and shirts with large patterns, prints, stripes graphics or labels of any kind are also not permitted.
You are required to be consistent with the item's asking price as per what we discussed. Unrealistic asking prices and/or raising the price immediately prior to filming for purposes of being on TV will result in cancellation of the scene and will never be aired on Pawn Stars. If you have previously posted an online auction listing for your item please remove it immediately. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that your item will be sold to the shop.
You will be required to fill out some paperwork prior to filming that will include an appearance release and a nondisclosure agreement.
Please note that you will be the only person to appear on camera. If you do not wish to be the seller, let us know the name of the person that will be appearing on camera. You are welcome to bring a friend or family member into the shop with you during the filming, but they will not appear on camera. They can stand off camera, near the production crew, only you will appear on camera during the taping.
The main focus of this is the hopeful sale of your item. We ask that you treat the guys as normal employees and hold off on any requests until after the scene has been completely filmed (e.g., photographs).
Lastly, but most importantly, be sure to bring your A+ personality — don't be shy or afraid to crack a few jokes in the scene, we want you to be comfortable and have fun with it!
By this time I had added some more great photos to my collection, including those from the estate of Frank Cutrona, the former tournament director of the Golden Nugget. Back in the 1980s, the Golden Nugget was a hotbed for poker, and Cutrona had dozens of photos from celebrity poker events that featured poker pros alongside stars like Dionne Warwick, Mr. T., and Willie Nelson, just to name a few.
The Pawn Stars' Rick (left) with PokerNews' Senior Writer Chad Holloway.
On the day of filming, which was postponed just once this year, I arrived and made my way to the door. The shop was busy that day, but an intern found me with ease and escorted me to the back. While the storefront is fairly small, at least compared to how they make it look on TV, the back area is huge. There are offices, storage shelves, garages and closets abound. Surprisingly, I was taken to a small area with no windows that was more akin to the set of a snuff film than anything else.
I may have been unenthusiastic with the holding area, but I was quite excited to film for the show, especially when one of the producers came in and informed me that I’d be filming with Rick Harrison and Chumlee, perhaps the two most well-known stars on the show. Eventually the store was cleared out, with the exception of a couple of dozen customers who were allowed to stay and serve as extras, which basically meant they browsed in silence and didn't look at the camera.
Sadly, I can’t tell you too much more about my experience because, as the e-mail indicates, I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Rest assured that when the episode does air, which will likely be during the upcoming new season this fall (they don’t give you an exact date), I will write a more intimate recap of my experience and break down just how the negotiations went.
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In late 2010, I had the opportunity to attend my first Latin American Poker Tour event, the Grand Final in Rosario Argentina. A year later, Colombia became my second LAPT. I had a great time at both events learning new cultures, covering top-notch poker tournaments and meeting new people. That’s why I jumped at the chance to cover the LAPT Chile event when it was announced as the first stop of Season 5.
In order to get to the tournament venue, the Enjoy Casino & Resort, I had to fly into Santiago and take an hour ride, graciously arranged by LAPT Travel, to Viña del Mar on the Pacific coast. If you’re unfamiliar with “The Vineyard by the Sea,” I recommend you check out the PokerStars Travel Guide for some background. Speaking of which, it’s worth nothing this was the same stop that was cancelled in 2010 after a massive 8.8 earthquake rocked the region, damaging infrastructure and killing approximately 500 people.
The first thing that struck me in Chile actually happened before I even set foot on ground. On our approach to Santiago, I peered of the window of my airplane and was taken aback by the view. The Andes Mountains, the longest continental mountain range in the world at 4,300-miles long, literally took my breath away. I’ve seen the Rocky Mountains during my various forays to Vegas, but they just don’t compare. I caught a glimpse of Aconcagua, which is the highest mountain in the Americas at 22,841 feet. While it’s technically located 15 kilometers across the Chilean boarder in Argentina, it’s pure mass made it indistinguishable. Truly breathtaking.
The massive vineyards that lined the highway between Santiago and Viña del Mar also impressed me. Even though I’m not a wine connoisseur, I couldn’t help but gaze at the endless fields that resembled Nebraskan cornfields, seemingly going on forever. Sprinkle in some mountains, small towns and the first glimpse of the ocean, and the ride ended up being quite enjoyable.
I ended up staying at the Ankara Hotel, a cozy little hotel located just down the street from the venue. The rooms were on the smaller side, but they made good use of the space and featured free Internet access. I’ve stayed at a lot of bad hotels in my day, but this certainly wasn’t one of them. Even so, I didn't plan on spending much time in my room; in fact, after unpacking, it was time to explore the city.
Usually when I’m on assignment, I rarely have time to sightsee. That’s because our schedule tends to be fly in, cover the tournament, and fly out. This time, I made it a point to experience the new land; as such, I flew to Chile a day earlier than normal, and thanks to an early flight, I basically had two days to investigate Viña del Mar.
That first night was pretty subdued as everyone was jet lagged. We grabbed some dinner and walked the nearby coastline, before everyone went back to the hotel. Even though I was exhausted and should have went to bed, I decided to go to the beach with PokerNews cameraman extraordinaire Will Thomas. The beach was beautiful, but it wasn’t meant for swimming as the waves were way too strong, though it didn’t stop us from wading in a bit and getting out feet wet. Speaking of which, that was the first time I've ever stepped foot in the Pacific Ocean.
The following day was when the real fun began. Mickey Doft and I tagged along with Kristy Arnett when she shot her Welcome Video. I could regal you with all the cool sites we visited, but you'll no doubt find the video more entertaining:
Later that same evening, we took a taxi to Playa Reñaca, a 1.3-km beach that is one of the main attractions near Viña del Mar. The water was a little choppy, but it was a fun day out in the sun. I even made a cameo in a video Kristy shot, which turned out to be hilarious. Be sure to pay attention to the infamous "Bird Shirt."
The next few days were dominated by tournament action, all of which you can catch up on by reading the PokerNews Live Blog. It was during this time that I got to experience my first earthquake. It wasn't a big one, just enough to make my hotel room shake, but it was an interesting and intimidating experience. I'm glad everyone was safe, and obviously never want to be a part of a big one.
Speaking of which, on our last night in Viña del Mar, there was a 7.1 earthquake about 400km away. We were sitting at a seaside restaurant at the time and our table shook ever so slightly. A few minutes later, the waiter came and informed us that they were evacuating the area as a precaution for a possible tsunami. That was surreal to say the least. Watching hundreds of people, both in vehicles and on foot, head for high ground made us all uneasy. We followed suit, and luckily the tsunami warning was soon lifted. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
Here are a few photos I took while in Chile for your viewing pleasure:
A funky picture of myself taken in the lobby of Hotel Ankara.
Out to eat with the PokerNews crew and other media friends.
Playa Reñaca beach
Evacuating to high ground after the 7.1 earthquake up the coast.
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or perhaps a smaller pocket pair. I called off and was wrong as he held pocket queens. They held up and that was the end of that.
