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Book Review — Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster who Created Vegas Poker

Posted by on Jul 25, 2014 in Blog, Book Reviews, General Poker, Las Vegas, World Series of Poker | 5 comments

 

Benny Binion Biography

 

Blood Aces:  The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster who Created Vegas Poker doesn’t necessarily cover much new territory, especially to those who already know of Binion’s shady past.  It simply tells the story far better and in much greater detail than any other available source.

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Rental Car Hell

Posted by on Jul 24, 2014 in Blog, Personal, Rants and Raves, Travel | 3 comments

 

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Each time I cut corners, something really bad seems to happen which makes me blow a fuse and I end up writing and ranting about it.

So, here I am.  My story begins two hot and sticky summer nights ago when I arrived in humidity-drenched Dallas at way past midnight, long after the rental car location was supposed to close.

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Review: Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse Barbecue (Dallas)

Posted by on Jul 22, 2014 in Blog, Restaurant Reviews, Travel | 2 comments

 

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Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse Barbecue is one of those hidden dives in a lousy part of town that serves not only outstanding food, but also once institutionalized a specific cuisine and way of cooking.

It’s been a Dallas mainstay since 1910.

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A James Garner Poker Story

Posted by on Jul 20, 2014 in Blog, General Poker, Las Vegas, World Series of Poker | 8 comments

 

WSOP Media/Celebrity Event and Satellite Day

Actor James Garner at the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Championship

 

I just read of the passing of actor James Garner.

He seemed like a really nice man.  He certainly enjoyed a remarkably long and distinguished film and television career which spanned nearly six decades, including many memorable roles, perhaps none quite as endearing to those of us in the poker community as “Maverick.”

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More on Anthony Holden’s “Big Deal” (Video)

Posted by on Jul 19, 2014 in Blog, Book Reviews, General Poker, Video 1 | 0 comments

 

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Shortly after writing and posting my list of the best non-fiction poker narratives ever written, I made a lengthy video that expounded upon the reasons why various books were selected.  

Unfortunately, the video was cut short, leaving many viewers to wonder why I selected Anthony Holden’s “Big Deal” in the top position.

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My Pet Bed Review

Posted by on Jul 17, 2014 in Blog, Personal | 2 comments

 

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Our oldest cat needs a new pet bed.

At age 13, Alex is a senior now.  So, he has special needs.  He’s what we call a special needs cat.

Unfortunately, we can’t ask Alex his opinion about which type of pet bed he prefers.  Soft or firm?  Cotton or foam?  Circle or square?

The only sound he makes is “meow,” which in cat language basically means one of three things:

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Michael Baden and Linda Kenney Baden: The Ultimate Power Couple in Criminal Jurisprudence

Posted by on Jul 17, 2014 in Blog, Personal, World Series of Poker | 1 comment

 

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Every World Series of Poker is special.  Attend enough of them, and each year becomes a well-defined moment and a new entry onto one’s personal timeline.  What creates such indelible impressions?  Not the poker hands.  Not the prize money.  Not even the coveted gold bracelets – and I have witnessed more than half of the final hands that have taken place in the tournament’s 45-year history.  Rather, it’s the people.  It’s all the interesting personalities and their unique stories that I remember, and even revere, the most.  This year, I had the great pleasure of meeting two remarkable people who I believe you will find just as fascinating as I did.

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Andy Rooney Never Had to Do This

Posted by on Jul 8, 2014 in Blog, Video 1, World Series of Poker | 4 comments

 

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Thirty-six hours ago, my cell phone rang.  Or chimed.  Or whatever cell phones do.

It was Todd Anderson on the other end, the brains behind “Poker Night in America,” the new show which debuted last week on CBS Sports.

“We want you to film a segment which we’re going to insert at the end of each show,” Todd said.

Great, I thought.  What does he want to film?

“We want to film you,” Todd insisted.  “We want this to be like an Andy Rooney piece at the end of 60 Minutes.”

Wait a bleeping minute.  Isn’t Andy Rooney dead?

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