Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A life lesson from a maid with Down Syndrome & Sharkady's New Blog

I almost exclusively write about poker.  This blog ties in, but takes place outside of the casino for a change.  Where I got a much needed reality check from someone in a world of hustlers and cons.

My roommate and I decided we wanted a housekeeper.  This may sound vain and excessive, considering we're both two able bodied twenty something (Okay, thirty something in my case.. Shut your mouth), women with no children to keep up with. Let me explain.  We both work 40 some odd hours a week, in professional fields and have active social lives.  We're both also home no more than three days a week, each, sometimes less. I work over an hour away, and more often than not just stay in one of the casino hotels, and she's part-time living with a male type, doing the domestic-y thing. Better her than me, I say.


Not an actual representation of our experience. I would never have so many florals in my home!

I only keep an apartment at all for two reasons. One, I found the most glorious place, at an unbeatable amount of rent, in a district that is impossible to get into. Two, I have two cats that I made a pledge to care for until the day they die, and they've been with me the better part of 10 years. So really, I maintain a place to house my cats. When they pass on to wherever cats go when they die, I will probably live in hotels exclusively.  I'm a sucker for room service, laundry service, turn down service.. pretty much anything that ends in "service". I hate cleaning. Hate. Hate. Hate it.


While I was writing this Blog, CatCat decided to silently oppose my declaration of his age, by showing his dexterity. Don't judge him. If you could manage these self-grooming positions, you would too.

So the very last thing I want to do on my two days a week at home, is to clean. And yet, even without humans here, the place manages to get messy. So our quest began here. We figure.. a hundred bucks a month each or less, to have someone dust, mop and tidy things up is a bargain.

I called a few people from Craigslist.  Most sounded like serial killers or grossly over valued their worth. I called a few professional services who promised low introductory rates and then read me the riot act on what they wouldn't do under any circumstances. I live in the world of casinos. Where everything is tip based. I also live in a relatively idiotic mind frame that you should be willing to do whatever it takes to please me, and in return, I will be expected to compensate you handsomely. Graciously, even. Customer service, like chivalry, is almost a fairytale now days.


I love our men and women in uniform. But THIS is funny.
On a lark, I spoke to the building owner and he suggested the woman who lives down stairs with Down Syndrome.  He said she's trustworthy, works hard and needs the money.  She also cleans for several other tenants.  I was skeptical.  She's always talking to herself, picking up trash off the sidewalk, and wearing stained mismatched clothing. She's sweet enough, but I once saw her taking post on the street trying to sell a dog leash for $4. She did this for several days. I almost bought the leash, despite lacking a dog, just because I figured she needed the money.

I asked around a bit and found out she lives on disability, and the landlord basically gives her the apartment at some sort of a hookup because he's a kind (very wealthy) man and it doesn't hurt him to do so.  This lady is probably in her 60's, appears to be entirely alone in the world aside from a 60 pound chihuahua named Babydog. Babydog is only about 6 inches tall at the shoulders, so you can imagine what sort of a weight issue we're dealing with here.

After the second prospective maid cancelled on me, in the last few hours of my last day off before heading to Tunica for a week.. before Mallory takes off for Alaska for two weeks.. I was desperate.  I knocked on her door and asked if she'd be available at 2 pm for a trial run.  No more than 2 hours, just sweeping, mopping two rooms and carting off a few bags of trash. Maybe a handful of dishes.  I asked her what her rate was and she said to just pay her whatever I could afford. I live in a "cultural" district. Which means the tenants range from starving artistic geniuses to owners of swanky pubs. The income is varied.  I asked what "most" people could afford and she said "$10?" a little nervously.

I immediately wanted to punch whoever is paying her $10 to clean their house in the nose. Not f'in cool, guys. If it's only worth it to you to pay the handicap lady $10, you can do it your damn self. 


Taking advantage of people on disability. Not cool.

But I also didn't know what I was getting into, or what her skill set included.  I made her an offer no less than 4 times her standard "rate", and explained that I would cover cost for all materials and tip well if the job was up to my expectations. She started crying and said she had never "had so much money from one job".  Now, I really want to punch my neighbors.

I expected it wouldn't take more than 1.5 hours, maybe 2 at the very most to clean the two rooms I was asking her to and $20 an hour plus tip and expenses was fair.

She showed up on time with a mop and broom in tow. I explained that some of the bags of trash I'd set aside were too heavy for her and for her to leave them behind and I'd remove them.  She assured me that she was stronger than she looked and to let her be the judge of what she could carry. I had about five loads of laundry I'd set aside to do this evening, and she asked if she could do them. I said I'd pay her extra, but that it wasn't necessary.

Here is where she won my heart:

I left a roll of quarters behind to do the laundry.  Our complex has an on site laundry room, where the cost is $1 per load to wash and dry your clothes. I estimated the entire roll would be needed as several of the pieces were bulky blankets that had to be washed individually.

Mallory (my roommate) went to nap, and I took off to do some shopping and grab some Sushi/Starbucks. I came home to gleaming hardwood floors and fresh, folded towels. I was happy, she was happy, I tipped her well and sent her on her way promising to call her next week.

Just now, I went into the living room to collect my towels to get ready for work, and I found the remaining quarters..$2 worth, resting in the basket.

This is a woman, who I would be VERY surprised, if she'd had $100 to her name prior to helping me out today. And she left behind the $2 in quarters I had remaining after she did my laundry?

Maybe I've become jaded working in the casino industry. Maybe I'm just jaded in general.  I don't trust people when it comes to money, but I don't really DISTRUST them either.  I expect people to do whatever they can for a $1.  It's the nature of gamblers, of poker players.. of people.  That isn't to say that my poker friends aren't some of the most generous in the world.  But everyone, deep down inside, is a hustler in my world and nothing surprises me anymore. When you're running good, everyone benefits.  When you're running bad, it's every man for himself. Or herself.


Shankin' people over White Chips since '99.

She didn't tell me I had change, to put me in the position to tell her to keep it (I would have).  She just did the honest thing.  Something I wouldn't have noticed, if she hadn't. I never would have thought about that $2 again, to be honest. 

She didn't do the best cleaning job I've ever seen.  I'm pretty sure there is still a bug that died behind the toilet, that neither Mallory nor I are willing to touch (And one of the primary motivations for hiring help). But I feel good, that my money went to her, and that she might be able to buy herself something extra with the tip.

She's got herself a permanent gig with me, and I'll be lucky to have her help.

I'm going to try to be LESS jaded.  I'll also bookmark this post, so that in approximately 7 hours when I'm knee deep in poker-world again and watching people slit throats over white chips, I can be reminded that customer service and honesty can still be found in small sects.  Maybe there is hope for chivalry, too!

P.S. I will be devoting an entire post to plugging her in the near future, but in the meantime, my girl Christina Sharkady has started blogging!  You can read her debut piece here.  It's salacious too, marching head on into the poker rumor mill. Check it out.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

My Decline in Pictures: Aging - The Ugly Truth, Kai's Feet, Michael Buble, a Bizarre Beach and the World Poker Open.

I've been doing a lot of very important things lately.  Watching all six season of Nip/Tuck, for example. Sleeping. Waiting for something exciting to happen. I'd planned to celebrate my 31st birthday in Vegas, partying it up with friends.  A series of events out of my control have thwarted my plans, and have left me sort of drifting into the summer without a specific agenda.

80's Hair and Dead Fowl

Kai has another brilliant blog post up.  Read it here.  I asked him for a photo tribute, something I could use to promote his latest blog.  In true KAL fashion, this adorable man ran to his new vehicle, showcasing his freshly slain Ostrich boots and snapped this gem.  For those of you who wonder what talented, brilliant poker-player-slash-writers are doing at midnight in Vegas during the world series, this photo should clear it up.


"Cartoon Nerd Style" is his self description of the jeans-tucked in look. Fashionista AND a rebel. I dig it.

Someday, I'm going to rope Kai into a joint project.  We'll either pen an epic novel or perhaps remake the following music video.  He's already got the Bonnie Tyler hair - So he gets to be her, and I'm pretty sure if we replace the alien-choir-kids with some of our mutual acquaintences, it will be a hit. Monkey will be our creative director and I'll play the tambourine. This YouTube version is lame.  The original, without lyrics and ridiculous added-note commentary is far more inspiring.  It's five am and I'm lazy, so this is the version you all get tonight.




Speaking of interesting videos.. My dear, wonderful, gorgeous friend Joe (Of Horseshoe, Tunica fame) has a 16 year old nephew named Brad.. who is a Michael Buble fan and, incidently, one hell of a singer.  He was recently brought up on stage during a concert, spontaneously, to sing with Buble.. and the result was caught on video.  The YouTube video has gone viral and has even been posted on Perez Hilton's site. Check it out:




The Beach of DOOM and Heaven's Gate

I recently stayed at the Veranda Hotel in Tunica.  I went for a walk just at sunset, around the property and discovered this oddity.  A patch of sand, no more than ten feet long by six feet wide behind the hotel, adjacent to a wooden ramp.  Not a boat ramp, mind you, but what appears to be a human ramp.. a handicap ramp even.  At the bottom of this ramp is a lake. A large, man-made lake full of ominous looking foliage and Mississippi-River-esque wildlife. The sort of lake that no one in their right mind would want to swim in. A lake of uncertain depth and even less certain water source. This "hotel amenity" was so out of place, and bizarre, I felt it deserved a mention. We shall call it "The Tunica Ramp to Nowhere" or maybe, a comfortable place for wayward gamblers who have lost it all to float out into oblivion.


The short ramp to the water moccasin buffet. You're the entree.

A slightly more inspiring photo.. after a June storm, I walked out onto the road to survey the damage just in time to see the clouds part and the sun beam through in a redeeming manner that took my breath away.


Proof that there is a God, and that he still checks in from time to time.
I'm Getting Old. And it isn't as Bad as One Might Think.

I had a dealer from work the other night who guessed my age at 45. This made me want to punch him in the nose, but it wasn't said maliciously.  He also said I resembled Anna Nicole Smith on a good day. This also makes me want to punch him in the nose.  I don't think it would bode well for my career, though, and again.. I'm sure he meant no harm by it.  But 45?! Really? I know some of you will laugh at this. Especially Steven and Scott. It's hard to find floor people for Harrah's under 40. Even fewer under 35. When this dealer backtracked (Likely at the look of homicide on my face) he said it had more to do with the way I carried myself, than my appearance. That I appeared "mature".  I'll take that.

Everyone told me I'd cry on my 30th birthday.  Quite the opposite, I received my LSAT scores on my 30th, and the first letter from my sister in Air Force Boot Camp. It was a great day, and I skipped the existential crisis.  31 on the other hand, has me a little freaked out. I'm now firmly out of my 20's. Thanks to the miracle of makeup, and cosmetic surgery (Which I plan on budgeting 20% of my annual income on from here on out), I can hide the slight indications of aging that are starting to show.

I have very few no makeup pictures. I'm a blonde. Let's face it, without mascara and a hearty dose of eyeliner.. my features can borderline on albino. To my personal dismay, but to chronicle the bitch that is aging, I present to you here, the slow and steady decline into senior citizen status. I try to take a picture around my birthday every year, from the same angle, so someday, I can put them in a book to show exactly what 85 years of partying like a rock star will do to you. At the rate I'm going, it will be an abridged version.

  

20.

23.







25.

27.



Annnddd... 30.9 years old.


Now, before anyone gets too harsh on judging me.. these are without makeup! NO WOMAN looks good without some sort of cosmetic enhancement. I mean, even those celebrity chicks everyone has stored in their mental spank bank look like hell without airbrushing and Revlon. True story.

The biggest difference that I see in this time line, that you can't possibly see because you're not in my head, is that at 20.. though I had that bright, porcelain skin untouched by ten years on the beach and repetitious heartbreak.. I was a sad girl with very low self esteem. At 23 I was a stuck up, high maintenance condescending bitch. At 25 I was hopeful, but worn down. At 27 I was desperately, incandescently in love with the most significant relationship of my life.. and every single day of it was misery because we couldn't agree on ANYTHING. And at practically-31, I'm trying not to crack up laughing in the pictures. I'm exhausted, I've had a couple cocktails, a fantastic night and an even better day. Isn't the point to leave behind a corpse that's totally used up in every capacity, because the ride has been so damn fantastic?  Okay, so I can handle aging as long as the process is fun, and at the rate I'm going.. it gets better every year.  Onward to 40!

Poker Season is Almost Here!

The World Series reached the half way point today.  For most poker players, this is the culmination of the season.  For Gulf Coast Players, this means we're just a few weeks away from the start of OUR season.  July 21st kicks off the World Poker Open at Goldstrike.  After that, we all head to the Beau Rivage for the Gulf Coast Poker Championship, then the IP in Biloxi (Which has just been purchased by Boyd Gaming.. the same company that owns Sam's Town and Borgata).  Robert McGovern from the poker room at the IP assured me that they would be keeping the WSOPCE stop on the tour, which is in the fall.  Following the IP, we're back to Horseshoe for the Magnolia, then the Winter Classic next door at Goldstrike.. and then, the holidays.  The best time of the year is approaching quickly.  What to wear.. What to wear..


For your planning pleasure.. here is the upcoming WPO Schedule.  Let me know if you'll be attending, and we'll make time for cocktails. I may also be able to hook some of you up with discounted room rates at the surrounding properties.

Gold Strike World Poker Open 2011
July 21 – August 8, 2011
$3,000 + $125 Buy-in Championship Event
Nightly Tournaments, July 21-Aug. 7, at 7pm. $130+$20
Super Satellites Daily at 5pm July 21- Aug 3: $200+$25 w/ $100 re-buys
One Seat Guaranteed

Thursday, July 21st 12pm Single and Mega satellites begin
Thursday, July 21st 1 3pm No-Limit Hold’em $200 + $30
Friday, July 22nd 2 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $200 + $30
Friday, July 22nd 3 3pm No-Limit Holdem w/$50 re-buys $100 + $30
Saturday, July 23rd 4 2day 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $300 + $40
Saturday, July 23rd 5 3pm Limit Omaha 8/B $200 + $30
Sunday, July 24th 6 2day 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $300 + $40
Sunday, July 24th 7 3pm Ladies No Limit Holdem $200 + $30
Monday, July 25th 8 12pm No Limit Hold’em $200 + $30
Monday, July 25th 9 3pm Seven Card Stud 8/B $200 + $30
Tuesday, July 26th 10 12pm No-Limit Hold'em $200 + $30
Tuesday, July 26th 11 3pm No-Limit Hold’em $100 + $25
Wed. July 27th 12 2day 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $300 + $40
Wed. July 27th 13 3pm Limit Omaha 8/B $200 + $30
Thursday, July 28th 14 2day 12pm No-Limit Hold'em $300 + $40
Thursday, July 28th 15 3pm Seven Card Stud $200 + $30
Friday, July 29th 16 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $200 + $30
Friday, July 29th 17 3pm No-Limit Hold’em w/$50 re-buys $100 + $30
Saturday, July 30th 18 2day 12pm No-Limit Holdem $300 + $40
Saturday, July 30th 19 2day 3pm Limit Omaha 8/B $300 + $40
Sunday, July 31st 20 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $200 + $30
Monday August 1st 21 2 day 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $300 + $40
Monday August 1st 22 3pm Pot Limit Omaha 8/B $300 + $40
Tuesday August 2nd 23 12pm No Limit Hold’em $200 + $30
Tuesday August 2nd 24 2day 3pm Heads Up No Limit (64 Max) $500 + $50
Weds. August 3rd 25 12pm No Limit Hold'em $200 + $30
Weds August 3rd 26 2day 3pm 6 handed No Limit Bounty $600 + $50
Thur. August 4th 27 2day 12pm No-Limit Hold’em $1,000 + $80
Thur. August 4th 28 4pm Super Satellite w/$100 re-buys $200 + $25
Thur. August 4th 29 8pm Super Satellite w/$100 re-buys $200 + $25
Friday, August 5th 30 12pm NL Hold’em Charity w/$50 Re-Buys $200 + $30
Friday, August 5th 31 4pm Mega Satellite no re-buys $300 + $30
Friday, August 5th 32 8pm Super Satellite w/$100 re-buys $200 + $25
Sat. August 6th 33 10am Last Chance Mega no re-buys $300 + $40
Sat. August 6th 34 3day 2pm No-Limit Hold’em Main Event $3,000 + $125
Sat. August 6th 35 4pm No Limit Hold'em $200 + $30
Sun. August 7th  12pm No-Limit Hold’em $200 + $30
Sun. August 7th  4pm No-Limit Hold'em $100 + $25

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Two Fantastic Horseshoe Tournament Event Weekends - Do NOT Miss Out.

Horseshoe Tunica had this amazing tournament schedule for Mid-May.  I'm pretty sure Mother Nature already had her plane tickets booked for Vegas, because the river rose.. and everything down here was flooded out, effectively cancelling our little shin-dig.

Not to be thwarted, the crew at the 'Shoe have an even better deal.

Rising Waters - Flood Relief
$15,000 Added
No-Limit Mega Weekends
June 17-18-19 June 24-25-26

$5000 added to each Saturday Noon Tournament

$5000 Winner Take All Free-roll on June 26th
(All Final Table Players Qualify)

Friday June 17th- 6pm $120 + $10 Buy-in $8,000 Chips ~ 20 Min levels
Saturday June 18th- Noon $550 + $10 Buy-in $15000 chips ~ 30 Min Levels
$5000 Added
Saturday June 18th- 7pm $120 + $10 Buy-in $8000 chips ~ 20 Min Levels
Sunday June 19th- Noon $230 + $10 Buy-in $10000 chips ~ 30 Min Levels
$10,000 Guarantee

Friday June 24th- 6pm $120 + $10 Buy-in $8000 Chips ~ 20 Min Levels
Saturday June 25th- Noon $550 + $10 Buy-in $15000 Chips ~ 30 Min Levels
$5000 Added
Saturday June 25th- 7pm $120 + $10 Buy-in $8000 chips ~ 20 Min Levels
Sunday June 26th- Noon Free-roll
$5000 winner take all
All Final Table Players Qualify ($10 DB)

Satellites $35 and $70 starting at 9am Friday June 17th (Fri, Sat, Sun)
$35 Satellite pays $200 voucher and $30 Cash. Second place pays $50
$70 Satellite pays $550 Voucher and $30 Cash. Second Place pays $50
Info and Reservation line 662-357-5608

Now, I don't think I need to convince you of reasons to come play these tournament weekends.  If you're anywhere other than Vegas, there shouldn't be a question.  But in case you literally live under a rock and need it spelled out for you.. NO ONE adds money anymore. I'm not talking about guarantees. Everyone can put a guarantee on a tournament and set the break even point right around what they think they'll pull.. and really not have to invest much, if anything.  But to add money, regardless of turn out, is something that has all but become unheard of.

Which means, whether 200 people show up.. or 9.. Horseshoe is adding $5,000. Whether the prize pool gets to $10K on it's own, or $30K.. they're still adding $5K.  You get the point.

And it isn't just $5K on this tournament, but THREE different shots at your share of $5K.  Which means, you only have to be a winning player one third of the time.  You can pull that off, right? Or, if you're runnin' real hot, you can take your share of all three $5K bonuses.

Seriously, if I wasn't a Harrah's employee, I would leave Vegas or wherever I was playing, just to play these two event weekends.  It's a pretty tremendous amount of added value.

Ten reason you want to come play this event.
In no particular order.
As if you weren't already planning on it.
  1. Horseshoe is the best poker room in Mississippi, and has been fielding a fierce PLO game lately.
  2. I work there. Which means, you can make me get you a sandwich or fetch you chips and I can't say no. Well, I can. But it won't bode well for my career.
  3. We're full of weird zombie-like online players right now, who have no poker home, and are prone to walking away from the tables while action is still pending. Translation: EASY MONEY. Come get some.
  4. Our staff is the best in the business. (Yes, I am biased. But it's still accurate.)
  5. $5,000 added money? No gimmick? True story.
  6. The structure on our tournaments is tremendously good. Slow moving, decent stacks.. as great a structure as you can hope for, in a one day event.
  7. I will give you a cookie if you come.
  8. Our air conditioning works really well. It's like 12 degrees in here right now. Bring a hoodie.
  9. We're essentially throwing $15,000 out on the table, for anyone who wants it. Come get you some.
  10. The really tough contenders are in Vegas right now. Which means, easy fields. And you're likely to be the best. Which means, you win! Jackpot!


Thanks for your support in advance.  Please repost this one for me and help get the word out. If you  have any questions for me directly.. feel free to get in touch. I hope to see a bunch of you in Tunica over the next couple of weekends.


And because my Amazon Associates Application asked, here is the book I'm reading. The CD I'm obsessed with, and the movie I watched today. Which is one of my all time favorites.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

I'm being held hostage, fry Casey Anthony, Kai Landry in a bustier, a Call to Action and Upcoming Events + P.S. to Blog Readers.

Midtown is Memphis and my new Roommate/Hostage Taker

I started this blog post earlier, much earlier in fact, but was delayed.  My bedroom is currently sealed off from the rest of my house because my home is under invasion. You see, I live in a second story Midtown Memphis apartment.  The kind with beautiful hardwoods, and a large covered balcony perfect for looking out on one of the more historic and famous neighborhoods in the city.


Goldfish and Ducks live in harmony in this park. Rainbows can be seen, year round. Seriously, it's so pristine it makes me ill.

I live in the cultural hub of the Memphis. I'm 99% sure I am the only straight person living in this zip code. There are theatres everywhere, beautiful sculptures, fantastic bistros with outdoor seating. We have an outdoor art festival where people sell handmade crafts and listen to bohemian music on my block once a year. People in my neighborhood recently held a public peaceful demonstration when CVS drugstore announced plans to build. Everyone but me has cool bumper stickers that say Midtown IS Memphis. If you want a $12 beer with fancy names like Rogue Dead Guy, Fat Tire or Woodchuck Cider this is the district for you. Living here makes me want to pick up a paint brush, and decorate with topiaries. I love it here, even if I don't remotely fit in.


Even our overpasses are expressive and creative. Those little windows? They light up at night.

But I digress.

There is a sinister side to Midtown.. And no, I'm not talking about the creepy homeless people or the large abundance of WWII vets rolling around Union in wheelchairs. When the sun goes down, the bugs come out. Big ones.  Huge flying cockroach looking bugs with names like Willy and Bubba. If you're enjoying the lazy sunset, and get caught unawares with your deck door open, they will inevitably fly in looking for small house pets to devour.

Tonight, I looked up just in time to see a foot-long monstrosity taking flight through my bedroom. I'm amazed I didn't hear him coming.  He landed on my pajama pants. MY FREAKIN' PAJAMA PANTS. The ones on my body. I immediately reacted, knocking over a basket of nail polishes, painting my hardwoods up like a technicolor dreamcoat. I'm pretty sure I broke my little toe. He made eye contact, I ran.  Before blocking the door with a chair (I swear he had thumbs, and he definitely meant business), I opened the door long enough to slide in a pizza from Little Caesars.  Best case scenario, it'll kill him. Worst case scenario, he'll be well fed enough to stay put. 


This little gem is obviously a much smaller cousin to the one currently enjoying my WiFi connection.

So I'm currently exiled from my bedroom.  I discussed this bug with a multitude of friends and family members.  The general consensus is "Why don't you just hit it with a shoe?".  Well, smartasses, because I'm pretty sure I need a permit to bury something this large. So he's either staying in there until his natural lifespan ends or until Terminex shows up.

In case you were wondering, the lifespan of a cockroach is as follows:

  • German cockroach - These generally live for about 3 to 4 months.
  • American cockroach - These can live anywhere from 1 to 2 years.
  • Oriental cockroach - The lifespan of these cockroaches is normally about a year.
  • Surinam cockroach - These cockroaches also live for a year, give or take a month or two.
  • Madeira cockroach - This species generally live for no more than 2 years.
  • Brown-banded cockroach - The lifespan of this species is around 6 months.
  • Madagascan hissing cockroach - These will generally live for about 18 months.
I'm praying it's a Nazi Roach.  I'm really going to miss my computer, otherwise. I'm pretty sure I heard it hiss, though, so we might be in trouble.
While I type out this blog post on my cell phone.. I would like to discuss another topic that's been buggin' me. (Get it? I slay myself!).
Fry Casey Anthony - She's no longer hot, so why does anyone care what they do to her now?
This narcissistic hooker wouldn't recognize quad aces if they were plastered to her tits.
Oh, wait. Well, isn't that cute.
I hope she hangs this picture in her cell as a reminder for how awful life was as a free person.

Is anyone else sick of hearing about Casey Anthony in the news?  Being rather into all things true crime, I waited for ages to hear what the defense was going to present. Their argument that Caylee died accidentally, by drowning, and that Casey failed to report it for 31 days because she was sexually abused as a kid and was used to "hiding" things, is weak at best.  It'll likely get the death penalty taken off the table, simply because of reasonable doubt, but this girl is going to spend a lot of time in prison. And prison has not been kind, to Ms. Anthony.  The girl was beautiful, duck face and all, prior to her incarceration.  Now, not so much.

How's that carefree, childless life workin' out for you? Idiot.
So close, he could smell the bracelet.

In far more relevant news, Kai Landry, poker player extraordinaire from Biloxi just published another fantastic blog. You can read it here.  In it, he recounts the frustration of cashing just five positions away from his first WSOP bracelet in the Stud event.  It's funny, gripping and insightful.


Go Speed Racer, Go.

I really can't say enough good things about Kai.  Yes, ladies, he is smokin' hot. More importantly, he's brilliant and hysterically entertaining. On a normal day, a text message from Kai might include anything from a picture of someone who closely resembles Captain Kangaroo to a well thought out comparison between pigeons and the French Revolution. Both are equally compelling. Once you get past his profound poker skills, his Hollywood smile and the Jackie-O shades though, he's still rather swell.  I give him 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only thing that could possibly make me love him more, would be if he'd occasionally dress like Frankenfurter. Because, well, Tim Curry is the shit.


Don't act like you don't have this costume, Kai. I sent it certified mail.

If you're still in the mood for reading funny stories, this link will take you to a sordid tale of one night in Tunica, starring Kai Landry, Jennifer Gay and more than a few seedy characters straight from the cotton fields.  Enjoy.

Need your help with a couple of things.

I need help from my blog readers.  There are two Facebook pages in need of some lovin'.  If you would, please go check out the page for Horseshoe Tunica.  We're relatively new to the Facebook scene, and are in desperate need of your support.  Plus, we really want more "likes" than Harrah's Tunica.  Click "Like", show your support for Mississippi Poker. Get a cookie next time I see you.

On the same note, a fabulous girlfriend of mine, Christina Sharkady is bustin' her tail trying to do great things with the Riviera Poker Room in Las Vegas.  The Riviera is part of Vegas history.. and with a little TLC, it can once again become a force on the poker scene.  Visit their Facebook page, click "Like", go see here in the card room for two cookies.

Upcoming Events you need to put on the Schedule.

There are two "event weekends" on the schedule at Horseshoe, Tunica.  The added value is fantastic.  These are replacing the series we had planned during the flood closures.

These events are called: Rising Waters - Flood Relief

They feature is $15,000 in added value.

Two weekends.. June 17th-19th and June 24th-26th.  Both Saturdays will feature an 11 am $550 NLH event with $5,000 added money to the prize pools. All players to make a final table at one of the featured tournaments will be entered into a freeroll on June 26th with a $5,000 prize pool.

Hotel rates are great, as always the food comps are liberal for poker players and the crowds should be just substantial enough for solid prize pools, but not so big that it isn't ideal for casual players.

Also...

Ante Up Magazine is hosting a cruise in December, leaving from New Orleans. It runs the 10th through the 17th and has stops in Cozumel, Jamaica and Grand Cayman. I am currently putting together the details of a special package I want to offer friends and readers, maybe a bit of added value off the already low low rates.  I'll have more details in an upcoming post.  I already have several people who have committed that will make the whole thing an event you won't want to miss. So if you think you'd LIKE to take a poker cruise with some of us, and December works for you.. send me a message. 

Bad Beats and a ship far out to sea.. If you can't swim, this might not be the vacation for you.

The rates are already rock bottom (Around $600 for 7 nights, all inclusive, plus round-the-clock poker action), but I'm going to try to do something additional for the people who book in our group.  Maybe a special tournament or swag.  Still working out the details.  Either way, you want to get in on this.  I'm going to try to assemble a group of around 15 to 20, and I already have 8 or so on board.

You know you want to.

Post Script to Blog Readers:  All of us who write blogs constantly watch our stats and readership numbers.  Some of us check several times a day, and compare notes.  There is little better than a record breaking month or a post that gets reposted time and again on Facebook.  Blog writing is something we do because we enjoy it. It, however, can be an agonizing adventure.  Sometimes it takes hours to get the wording just right to put together a post that is little more than whining about our mundane day. If you enjoy what you're reading here, or on ANY blog, leave a comment or send a private message from time to time. If you're not a registered user and don't care about posting a comment, send a hello of Facebook to let the writer know you're reading. Some of us will receive upwards of 5,000 or more views in a month, and have literally no idea who the faces behind the computers are. We want to hear from you. Feedback is far more valuable to a writer than a paycheck of any variety. (I hope my Editors don't see this...)