A Big Shout Out to Poker News

Read MoreIf poker is a game of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror, then writing about poker is quite often a seemingly endless monotony interrupted by occasional episodes of exhilaration.

Read MoreIf poker is a game of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror, then writing about poker is quite often a seemingly endless monotony interrupted by occasional episodes of exhilaration.

Read MoreGeorgia should change its official nickname to “The Vigilante State.”
Think of how exciting all those sleepy magnolia-canopied streets are about to become with law and order — Dirty Harry style.
Out of my way, you punk! Bam!

Read MoreLet’s face it — just like everything else the Chinese have to come to own the Fourth of July. We’re all getting punked big time. We’re junkies. Check out the label on the box where your American flag is stored. You might be horrified to learn where Old Glory was made. That’s right, even the fucking flags are made in China.

With Henry Orenstein at the 2014 WSOP moments after he cashed out in eighth place in the Seven-Card Stud World Championship.
Read MoreA few days ago, when Henry Orenstein entered the $10,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud event here at the 2014 World Series of Poker, not many thought he had much of a chance playing against many of the best players in the world. Let’s face it, at 90-years-old, just making it through the grind of the three-day poker tournament would be difficult enough, let alone outplaying the rest of the field.

Late last night, Chad Brown passed away in New York City, the place of his birth. He died at the excruciatingly unjust age of 52. I was asked to write a tribute to Chad, which appears HERE at WSOP.com. Writing that narrative reminded me of an afternoon with him earlier this year. I had the opportunity to visit Chad here in Las Vegas. At the time, he was staying with Vanessa Rousso. Although the pair had already been divorced for a few years by then, they remained very close and were good friends until the very end of his life. Accompanying me on that day was Rich Korbin, the longtime marketing executive at PokerStars.com. This is the story of that special time and place.
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Read MoreThanks to Remko Rinkema at Poker News for this nice feature and tribute to 90-year-old Henry Orenstein, who participated in today’s $10,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud Championship. This marks his first appearance at the World Series of Poker in several years.
I was interviewed by Remko and was asked about Mr. Orenstein. It was a great honor to speak about him, albeit briefly.

Read MoreWho’s the evil trickster responsible for bait and switching the Blue Bunny ice cream machine? That’s the refrigerator full of frozen tasty treats inside the employee breakroom here at the 2014 World Series of Poker.

Read MoreAt today’s official gold bracelet ceremony, Chad Brown was awarded an honorary World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
Here’s the speech that WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel delivered onstage in front of a packed tournament room that fell eerily silent:

Read MoreWendeen Eolis has been at the center of New York City power politics for nearly four decades. She’s befriended and advised world leaders — from Prince Albert of Monaco to Nelson Mandela. Her work frequently puts her in the company of powerful people. That makes her powerful, and one of the most interesting people I know.

Read MoreOne wouldn’t think that a New Yorker born to Jewish immigrants from Poland would end up playing the role of a Mexican bandit, a lovable villain cast in one of the greatest movie westerns ever made.
But Eli Wallach always defied expectations. That’s why he was so special and bears remembering on this occasion of reflection.