Nov
23
by Katrina Lim
I've been running cold but at least my buddy Boosted J made a nice cash.
It’s been way too long. I went to Singapore, ate a lot, and enjoyed hanging with the family. I have decided to become a professional traveler. I leave for the Caribbean in 3 weeks, Italy in February, and Alaska in May. In between, I’ve been trying to qualify for Bahamas in January like an idiot. Why do I set myself up for dumb ass failure? And how do I do this? I will tell you how. I understand now why women get a bad rap in poker. I’ve seen firsthand that poker is more 90% luck, and 10% skill…when it comes to ladies’ tournaments. I am a glutton for punishment. I am running so bad right now, probably the worst ever. However, running badly in ladies’ tourneys is very consistent. All losses are bad beats. I am ALWAYS leading at showdown and end up getting raped on the river. Amazing. The cure? Stop playing ladies’ tournaments. But I am such a dumb ass that I can’t stop. A true degen. Terrible. And to console myself from these ridiculous beats? Book flights around the world. Rent villas in Tuscany and hire a private chef to teach me how to cook. Take weeklong cruises.
Now I am seriously debating whether or not I should play the NAPT at the Bike this weekend. I don’t know if I can handle another 1 or 2 outer. My patience has torn. Thank God I don’t allow poker to affect my personal life. I still see it as a part-time job. But lately, it’s become a cancer eating away at me.
So I even decided to try something new. I dabbled at the limit tables for a couple of weeks. Tried my bad luck at $5/$10 and $10/$20 tables. Shockingly, I was doing well. Then it came crumbling down. Thank God I have no bills to worry about. No credit cards. No debt. Just a disease. The degen disease. How do I stop it? Do I really want it to go away? Uh, no. That would make life too boring for me. I need to get angry at something once in a while. If I was happy all the time, people would think I was a freak. No balance. Surely one cannot be happy all the time? So I need an anger outlet and poker is the perfect scapegoat.
I am waiting for Season 9 of WPT to premiere. I wanna see how fat I look on tv again. I was cheering for Justin Smith at the final table of the Bellagio Cup where he took out Phil Ivey, but only took 2nd. We were sitting with Matusow and Forrest in the stands cheering for Justin. Nice cash for Boosted J. We were hoping for Justin and Phil to go heads up, but Justin busted out Phil. Oh well. I chatted with Phil last weekend too and he remembered my “soft hands”. Just ask me out already. I won’t turn you down. Geez! Who knew the greatest poker player in the world is shy? I thought I was the shy one.
I am planning a surprise birthday party for BFF and it’s in 2 weeks!! Gonna be the biggest party of the year! Everything’s all set! Been so busy with poker and oh yeah, the 9-5. Thank God for a real job. A nice paycheck every 2 weeks is amazing. It allows me to still shop well, eat well, and play well, especially when poker is killing me.
A big CONGRATS to Unabomber for winning his first WSOP bracelet. Just the first of many to come, Boss Man! You rule.
Now, a promise to all of you. I will blog a lot more again. Cuz I am going to focus on playing live more now. Will be hitting the LA casinos again to grind some supplemental income. With the holidays fast approaching, my time will only get busier, but I want to keep y’all in the loop. I love Turkey Day cuz I love food. Then with Christmas around the corner, I love even more food. I can’t wait for 2011. Supposedly, 2011 is going to be a very profitable year for me. Please Chinese zodiac, be right!!!
In the meantime, I must make Unabomber proud and continue my degen ways. So see y’all at NAPT this weekend. I’m the playa with the Unabomber gear on, yo!
Oct
25
by Julien Lagarde
After his first victory in Barcelona in 2009, Mark got a second title on the WPT circuit at the Festa al Lago tournament.
His double victory is especially impressive due to his young age as he's only 20 years old.
Despite the very tough field in this tournament, with the presence of Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Anette Obrestad, Mark Randal played bravely and became the tournament chipleader on Day 4 giving him a huge advantage at the final table.
Mark eventually won the Festa al Lago Main Event by beating out Michael Benvenuti. The very short heads-up battle only lasted 14 hands before resulting in his win earning him $831,500!
The performance of a real pro, Flowers has now become the youngest player to wins multiple WPT titles! Congratulations!