One month countdown till Reno daddio!!

Yowzah!! I can't believe that it's just one more month (28 days technically because of February short month) before I head to Reno to try to live a dream. However, it seems to me that my poker playin has been far from stellar. After gaining most of my money back after a cold streak recently, I lost most of it back to 1, 2, or 3 outers on the "DamRiver" (one of my screen names after so many atrocious rivers) and me flopping sets only to lose to higher sets. These were all at the Ringers (cash) tables, but my tourny play online has been fair.

I just recently won Barry Shulman's 52 Tips For Texas Hold'em Poker for placing at the final table at the recent CP event. Hopefully, it will enhance my game at the Ring Tables. I consider myself a decent player at the Ring tables but know I have a long-long ways to go. The same could be said tourny wise.

This up and coming tourny in Reno, I hope to live the dream as John Stolzmann did last season on the WPT. Here is a (blog winning) piece I wrote at ChipLeaders:

This murderer's row final table consistent of 2 time WPT Champion Daniel Negreanu, "The Prince of Poker" Scotty Nguyen, "The Grinder" Michael Mizrachi, and one of my personal favorites, Chau Giang.

However, unknown college student John Stolzmann was the shinning star of the event. Stolzmann had previously won an online satellite to get his entry into this prestigous event and unbelievable made it to the final table that consisted of 4 superstars of poker. He played tight and picked his spots. Was the short stack for a good portion of the tournament. A big hand between him and "Kid Poker" really saved Stolzmann where Daniel slow played his pocket Queens. On the flop, Stolzmann decided to put it all-in with an open-end-straight draw. Daniel called and John made his straight on the turn to clinch the hand and cripple Negreanu.



Stolzmann then went heads-up with Chau Giang, the chip leader throughout most of the tournament. The devestating hand of this tournament where Giang held and A-J and hit 2 pair on the river (Aces and Jacks), to Stolzmann's K-10 that rivered a (open-end) Broadway straight. Giang bet and then was re-raised all-in by the student. Chau thought so hard and almost folded his 2 pair before reluctantly calling. This put Chau on the morphine drip and sealed Stolzmann's date with destiny winning the Jack Binion World Poker Open. I consider this one of favorite shows, even though one of my favorites lost, because it was an inspiration to me and to students around the world (or anyone). The reason I say this is because I have won a satellite seat to the up and coming World Poker Challege in March. I get to fulfill my dream at a WPT event. Making the money would be nice; winning like John Stolzmann would be incredible.