Day 1 Main Event

It's very late (or early), but I made it through to day 2 w/ 145k.  The avg is around 80k with 90 or so left.  Top 27 make the money.

Horseshoe Hammond Update

I got up here on Monday to play the 2k PLO, but there weren't enough people in it for me to play.  So I dabbled in some cash games.  Today, I played the $500 NLH 6-max, but I busted pretty early in it making a big call down against a nutty guy.  I then entered the $200 PLO w/ $100 RBs.  Talk about a crazy rb period!!! Some drunk guy was in for at least 20 rebuys.  Anyways, I come back tomorrow (today) with 122k in chips with avg around 100k and 12 people left.  14 people cashed, and 1st prize is 18k and change plus a main event seat.

The Comeback

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that sure-fire Hall of Fame Flower Girl Ellie Viox is coming out of retirement today to participate in her Godmother Julie Viox's wedding.  There had been speculation of this for some time.  In the end, it was an offer she couldn't refuse.  Both sides of the wedding party are led by all-Pro caliber participants.  Most importantly though, it was a chance to be able to lead the best young ring bearer (Joey Viox) to come along in years.  Many predict he has the chance to participate in a record number of weddings given his wonderful smile and exuberant demeanor.

As a side note, Maureen Dempsey (bride of Ellie's most memorable flower girl wedding and cousin of the current bride) is rumored to be furious with Ellie's decision.  To make it worse, Maureen is a current bridesmaid in this wedding where she will half to just sit back and watch as her former flower girl lights up the church.  While half of the relatives are just happy to see Ellie still in the game, the other half can barely stand to watch.  Ellie is quoted as saying "Having (Maureen) in the wedding had nothing to do with my decision.  Some of my best smiles were in Maureen's wedding and I will always be her flower girl.  However, I still enjoy the feeling you can only get at a wedding.  This does nothing to diminish what I did in her wedding."  At age 7,  many experts feel she may be too old, but she said, "If I didn't feel I could still perform, I wouldn't be back."

Another Reason Pokerstars is Considered The Best Online Site

I just received this email from Stars (I deleted a little of the letter that was irrelevant.):

Dear WCOOP Champion,


Congratulations on your success in the 2009 World Championship of Online Poker! Making your way through the tough field found in any WCOOP event to earn the bracelet is a major achievement few will ever experience.


I'm contacting you today to provide details on the WCOOP Champion's Bracelet presentation, which we will be conducting at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.


Each WCOOP Champion will receive the following:
* $1,000 credited to your account to help with travel and other expenses
* 4 nights stay at the Atlantis Resort for you and a guest
* invitation to Champions' Reception (location to be determined) on January 9th


Please note that just one trip will be awarded to each WCOOP Champion, regardless of the number of bracelets won or Player of the Series standing.


You should arrive in the Bahamas on January 8th and fly out on January 12th, as the hotel nights reserved for you will be the nights of the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th. If you wish to play in the Main Event of the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, you can of course try your luck in the satellites or buy a package directly, and if you do so we will adjust your credit accordingly.


Thanks again for participating in the 2009 World Championship of Online Poker. I hope that you're looking forward to receiving your bracelet at least as much as we're looking forward to presenting it to you!


See you in the Bahamas!


All the best,


Bryan Slick
Tournaments Team Leader
PokerStars Poker Room Management

g g g g g g g g g GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gold just hit all-time highs today.  After breaking through the previous resistence in the low $1020's/oz, it met further small resistence at the previous all-time high of $1033/oz (hit in early 2007).  As I write this, it is sitting at $1040/oz (up 2% on the day).  Furthermore, the gold/silver mining stocks are up an incredible 7.5% on the day so far.  Breaking through all-time highs is a pretty significant event, and many people thought that if gold could do it, $1300 isn't out of the question in a fairly short time (a few months to a yr). 

The dollar keeps getting weaker.  There are more and more rumblings around the world of the dollar losing it's reserve standard.  Unless the government changes it's ways soon, the dollar will keep getting weaker, assets will keep getting more expensive, and inflation will ruin many people's standard of living.  In the past year, the dollar has lost 20%!  Yet the government says there has been no inflation?!?!?!  Don't believe them.  Food costs are up, gas prices are up, etc.  Real inflation is running at around 6% or so according to most real estimates.  Protect yourself.