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#175 – WSOP #24 – “WHO?”
I’m getting ready to submerge myself again in the World Series of Poker. I spent Tuesday night in a twilight zone, stuck between the pull of my family and the pull of poker. Today, I started reconnecting with the poker world. It has been an awkward process.
I spent all last night in front of the computer, watching progress on Day 2 of the $2500 NLHE and $2000 Stud EOB. Mike Matusow had a lot of chips in the Hold ‘Em and Ted Forrest seemed to be hanging around forever in SEOB. They are both good friends and, while I wouldn’t blow off my daughter Valerie’s dance recital just to hang out with my poker friends, it would be necessary to do just that if either made the final table. Part of why I’m writing this blog is to give you a perspective you can’t get on the Series anywhere else. Standing in the shadows of Matusow and Forrest and soaking up the things I can get from them and the things I know about them is EXACTLY the kind of stuff you can’t get elsewhere. In addition, both were collaborators on the FULL TILT STRATEGY GUIDE and Ted wrote the chapter for the event he was in.
I tried calling them both during breaks. I was sent through to their voicemail. No surprise. In both instances, their voicemail boxes were full, accepting no new messages.
Again, that’s not too surprising. I tried sending Mike a text message; who knows if it went through. And Ted? His last phone looked like it was made of lumber. I just don’t see him as a texting sorta guy. I left Matusow a message at home and sent a text message to Ted’s girlfriend Roxanna.
For me, there could be no happy ending. I’d be thrilled if one or both of them made the final table – I also wrestled with what I’d actually DO during the final tables if they were in the Sequestarena or if they BOTH made final tables – but I would have to explain to my ten year-old daughter how my job (and not “poker” or “my buddies”) required that I miss her recital, even though I previously made great pains to assure I’d be there.
And if they both faltered short of the promised land, my time with my family would be saved, but I would lose a great opportunity (or two) to share something special with you. And I want my friends to succeed.
Agonizingly, both Mike and Ted finished 2 spots short of the final table. It was past 3 AM when Forrest went out.
Today I awoke disappointed but a little less addled by uncertainty. I finished up the Shannon Elizabeth posts, thought about what World Series events I’d play on my return, did I couple radio interviews to promote the FULL TILT STRATEGY GUIDE, and started plotting the cover feature on Phil Hellmuth for the August BLUFF … if Phil ever called me and if I decided to do it.
I also took care of a number of errands: mailing books, picking up a prescription, picking up dry cleaning, getting the car washed. It was during this last errand that my cell phone rang. The noise from the vacuums was overwhelming. The parking lot was chaos. I couldn’t make out the voice on the other end.
“Who is this?”
They said a name. I still couldn’t hear.
“WHO?”
“Phil Hellmuth.”
