#553 – London 2008 #60 – Operation PayLamb – Gimme Shelter

I know it’s evident from my frequent posts, but I now have internet access. Do you think I should feel guilty about charging a new computer to my hotel account, thanks to the Executive Concierge Program?

Here’s my figuring:

First, I worked like a whore on crack for four straight days for Full Tilt and they didn’t even give me a chair to sit on. During one of the dinner breaks, the sickest of the bunch convened to play Chinese Poker in the area where I had to work for four days and didn’t last five minutes they found it so uncomfortable.

Second, I need a computer and internet access for this blog – The Full Tilt Poker Blog. Granted, six months ago, they paid almost $2,000 for the machine I brought with me, got only 1/10th of that for it in trade, and probably paid twice what the same computer would cost back in the U.S.. But it’s a beautiful machine – fast, light, powerful, and made of a kick-ass carbon fibre alloy. I don’t even know what that means but it’s gorgeous. David, one of my Executive Concierges, showed me the picture and it was love at first sight.

Third, I’m going to need a top-of-the-line computer if this PayLamb thing is going to fly. I don’t have any formal deal with Full Tilt to help me start this up, but it seems like they’d want to help out. We’ve got a history and a payment processor they know and trust should be an asset. So if my preliminary inklings are correct and they’re going to help me with start-up costs, they’ll end up paying for the computer anyway.

Besides, until recently, I thought there was a chance I’d be opening PayLamb in Rwanda, Cambodia, or the Marshall Islands. But I got some legal advice yesterday and things are looking up.

I busted out of the No-Limit Hold ‘Em event at WSOP-E in about two hours. (Q-Q v. A-A, after I had previously folded A-K and 9-9 to reraises.) They have a great set up at the Empire Casino this year, having taken over the whole building (or almost the whole building – I didn’t see if there were any other gambling operations going on but it didn’t look like it). there’s a lot of space between the tables, comfortable chairs, and it’s well lit. Instead of the awful sound of slot machines, there’s the lyrical sound of chips and complaining poker players. Even the media center – or is that “media centre”? – is great, located upstairs from the tournament area with a balcony for enjoying the unseasonably mild weather or one of the Havana cigars I charged to my room account.

I thought the day was going to be a total washout until I saw Andy Bloch after I busted. I asked Andy about extradition. (By the way, if you want to mess with peoples’ heads, ask them about extradition when they are traveling abroad or talking about traveling abroad.)

I don’t know if Andy knew he was giving me legal advice – it was about 15 minutes to the first break and he was about to be in a hand – but he told me extradition treaties don’t apply if the activity isn’t a crime in both countries.

Andy Bloch is a very smart man, but I needed some time to check this out. Thanks to my new superfast computer, it took only seconds. According to Wikipedia, one of the requirements for extradition is “the event in question qualifies as a crime in both countries.”

I think the U.S. could get at my assets – still a concern because why else would I do this if not for the assets? – but they might not be able to get me.

Jo Anne doesn’t sound convinced, though she promised me the reason she didn’t answer any of my six calls yesterday was because she was taking a class to keep her teaching certification. I believe her, and that she’s still open to being persuaded. (I wonder if Andy Bloch has any advice.)

sometime between all the shopping I’ve been doing and tomorrow’s WSOP-E HORSE event, I have to figure out what I need to get PayLamb off the ground – other than a pile of Full Tilt cash, a domain name, and a snazzy computer.

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