I went out on Flathead Lake in my pontoon boat today with some friends.  We rode around and went around Wild Horse Island.   The name comes from the wild mustangs that are on the Island.  Nobody seems to know how the horses or the other wildlife got out there because the shoreline is at least a mile away.  We also saw big horn sheep and lots of white tail deer and goats.  Bald-headed eagles were around along with some other big birds I didn’t know.

We went all the way to the end of the lake and had lunch.  I can’t believe how many good restaurants there are here.  Maybe the food just tastes better in the country. 

I forgot to mention in my last blog that I saw Brent Musburger, an old friend that I hadn’t seen in thirty years.  Brent is the lead sportscaster for CBS and has been as long as I can remember.  Brent covered the WSOP in 1976, the first year I won the main event.  Jimmy ‘the Greek’ Snyder, Brent’s co-anchor on NFL football was also helping cover the series.

I remember Brent made a bet on me to win. He also told me he still had the 1st edition S/S book I gave him that year. Brent and his wife found the Montana magic and have a place down in Hamilton. He looked the same, just a little older. One of the nicer men I’ve ever met.

My friend Lara called me on my cell while I was driving to Whitefish. She asked “what happened?” I had no idea what she was talking about and told her so. Lara is an agent and has lots of media contacts. She said four reporters had called and informed her they had reports I had died last night. I told her to tell them the rumors that I was dead were greatly exaggerated. It seems every year somebody starts untrue stories about me. My favorite is that I was caught cheating in the Bellagio and carried out in handcuffs. That story went around two different years. Someone has a very vivid imagination.

I went out with my next door neighbors fishing. We didn’t start until late afternoon but it doesn’t get dark here until 10 0′clock. There are 25 species of fish in the Flathead including Cutthroat Trout, Pygmy Whitefish, Yellow Perch, and lots of Lake Trout. The record Montana Lake Trout is 44 inches long and 42 lbs. It was caught on the Flathead in 1979. We didn’t catch anything close to that, but we caught 4 nice Lake Trout with the biggest one just over 21 lbs.

I got my first traffic ticket since college in Lakeside yesterday. There were two stop signs about ten yards apart and I missed the second one so I guess I deserved it but the officer was the first rude person I’ve met in Montana. Most of the locals are not only extremely friendly, but they are eager to help if you need it. Casper let me down because he was in the car when I got stopped and even though he made a charge and tried, he didn’t bite the officer. Good thing he didn’t because that jerk probably would have thrown me under the jail. 85 bucks for the ticket, things have gone up since 1955. -DB

Hooray. I can’t believe I’m here. Montana is finally a reality. Louise and I flew in a couple of nights ago and it’s even better than I remember. The temperature is 50 degrees and it is misting rain and even a little snow at night. Everything is just beginning to turn green after a hard winter. I actually like this overcast weather because it is something we never see in Vegas.

After I got settled into my house near Rollins I looked out of my office at a beautiful sight. We are on the Flathead Lake, the biggest natural lake West of the Mississippi, and it looked like a picture postcard with the sky blue water of the lake framed by the snowcapped mountains. Flathead Lake is about 50 miles long and 12 miles wide. It is 400 feet deep in some spots and that is a lot of water. It is fed by natural springs and snow melting off the mountains. They tell me it completely empties out and refills with new water every four years as opposed to the 20 years it takes most lakes. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since I was here. My grandson Jeff and his family live here and does a great job taking care of our numerous properties here.

You haven’t lived until you have flown commercial with two very spoiled dogs. Casper and Cutie didn’t like the idea of having to stay zipped up in their bags and everyone on the plane knew about it as they barked, growled and whined all the way. The stewardess had to make me put Casper back in his case after I tried to hold him. We have always flown private when we take the dogs, but with the high cost of gasoline it has gotten very expensive so we decided to try our luck with a commercial flight. Never again! If I don’t want to pay for a private plane, I’ll drive. Casper got even when we went over to one of our properties near Lakeside. Jeff was fixing up the house and one of the workmen tried to pet him and Casper bit his 40th victim.

There were deer running everywhere and wild turkeys were walking down by the spring-fed stream that cascades across our yard on its way to the Lake. I love watching the dogs chase the Canadian Geese [reminded me of Daniel] off our yard. After an afternoon of watching them romp on the lush grass, I told Louise I sure would like to have another puppy. She went ballistic and screamed at me, “Another dog like Casper would send me to an early grave.” I jokingly told her, “too late, that ship has already sailed.” She didn’t think that was funny and she gave me the silent treatment the rest of the day. She thought she was punishing me, little did she know I really enjoyed it. - DB

ShareThis

I read Daniel’s blog and he is right about he and I having some heated emails back and forth about the upcoming Presidential election. At least we are both concerned about what is happening in the United States. He is 100% for Obama and while I am actually leaning that way myself, I get hot under the collar when anybody is totally adamant about controversial things. It is actually funny, and here is the last email between us until yesterday. Daniel had just called me a naive old man.

Daniel: Obama has accomplished 50 times more than Hillary in the Senate – in much less time. He, from the beginning, was against the war in Iraq – Hillary voted for it. He is by far the candidate that would change the world view of America. The less people that hate America the less enemies you create around the world. He has a lot of work to do cleaning up George W’s mess.

Doyle: I don’t want to continue these discussions because I think you are the naive one when you say things like this. Obama’s record is a disaster and not anywhere close to Hillary, much less 50 times better. You are one hard-headed Canadian and won’t change one idea when you think you are right. At least I look at both sides and say, “Well, maybe.” I guess that is why you are an excellent poker player – you go with your gut. I often wondered where Todd came from. Now I know your parents had another baby boy and slipped him into the Brunson crib because you sound exactly like him.

Isn’t that hilarious? We sound just like two college kids having a bull session. All I know is something had better happen in America in a hurry or we are going to have some hard times. $5 a gallon gasoline is just around the corner.

After going to the dentist and having three teeth filled, I came back home in time to bet on my next door neighbor, Lebron James as his Cleveland team took on the Boston Celtics. I took nine points and went over 179 and never came close on either bet. These NBA playoffs have been a nightmare for me. One thing for sure, I’m not betting against the Lakers anymore. Kobe Bryant is awesome. He may be better than Michael Jordan was and that’s really saying something.

By the way, Daniel, as my son Todd told you, go back to Canada. You aren’t even a USA Citizen! - DB

ShareThis

“My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the World. I hope you will join with me as we try to change it.” … quote from Barack Obama.

What is with these politicians? Obama has gone from a huge favorite to be our next President to perhaps not even getting the Democratic nomination. Don’t the speech writers examine the words before the candidates say them? Along with Obama’s Pastor, Reverend Wright, sayings like this have really damaged Obama. I have a lot of concerns about this election and I’m not sure at this point who to vote for.

Hillary Clinton has made a lot of mistakes, also. They say she misspoke about a few things, but they were out and out lies! My favorite joke about Hillary is about the man who went to Heaven. St. Peter welcomed the man through the Pearly Gates and the new Saint noticed some clocks on the wall. When he asked St. Peter what they were he was told they were lie clocks. Every time a person lies his or her clock would move five minutes. St. Peter said: “That clock never moved; it was Mother Theresa’s. She never told a lie. The next one is Abe Lincoln’s. He told only two lies in his entire life.” The new guy said, “That’s nice. Where is Hillary’s clock?” St. Peter said, “Jesus has it in his office. He is using it for a ceiling fan.”

If the Democrats don’t get something resolved, the Party is going to be so divided John McCain will win the election. This is going to be the most interesting election in my lifetime. Daniel Negreanu and I were exchanging emails about the candidates until I finally gave up because he won’t alter his position that Obama would be what this country needs. I would be interested to know if he has changed his thinking after the past few weeks. I’ll give him a call. It might be time to make a bet with him.

For some reason it looks like Doylesroom attracts the country western stars that play on the internet. Just a few weeks after Blake Shelton and his band asked us to come to their concert on Freemont Street I got another invite from Dierks Bentley who is a really hot country-western singer to come to the Red Rock Casino and Hotel for his concert. Todd, Hoyt Corkins, Ken Hale, and Anjela and her friend came along with me and Dierks stopped his autograph session to come over and greet us and he wanted to take some pictures with us. He said he enjoyed playing at DoylesRoom and was a big fan of poker. He said the players at our site were easier than any place else he had tried. Of course, we already knew that because we don’t have very many Pros. I was really amazed at Red Rock. They have a huge facility and it is really nice. The place was packed and Dierks and his people really put on a good show. I looked for Phil Helmuth and Clonie Gowan but couldn’t find them. - DB

In my last blog, I was extremely upset about a big loss in a poker game.  Today I got some news that put things back in perspective for me.  Forty-six years ago five doctors gave me three months or less to live from melanoma cancer.  After going to M.D. Anderson, a wonderful cancer hospital in Houston, Texas, a gray haired doctor named Jay operated on me and after eight hours of surgery, he gave me a clean bill of health, reporting all the cancer had disappeared.  They called it a spontaneous remission but I’ve always suspected that Dr. Jay had something to do with it.  I guess The Man upstairs decided it wasn’t time for me to go.  Whatever it was, I am obviously extremely grateful. 

Dr. Jay died this week after dedicating his entire life to public service in a cancer hospital.  He was by all accounts a brilliant surgeon and doctor who never made over $80,000 a year.  It’s pretty humbling when you look at a man like that and then you consider your own life.  R.I.P. Dr. Jay.

If you are a western buff, the Western Channel on Direct TV is having a twenty-four hour marathon honoring the TV series Maverick.  James Garner played Brett Maverick and was a gambler who made his living playing poker.  They have asked me to do an interview about my remembrance of Maverick and use the interview as a promo and between episodes.  I am certainly going to do it because that was one of my favorite TV shows.  I also have met James Garner when he and I, along with Gus Hansen, were inducted into the “Walk of Fame” at the Commerce Casino.  James had some health issues but was a real trooper and gentleman.

Tournament poker has spread everywhere; now it is in Russia.  The Russian government has sanctioned a tournament at Zavidova just outside of Moscow.  They are adding $150K to the prize pool and it is scheduled for August 15th.  They have offered me quite a deal to go play, including meeting the Russian President.  Unfortunately, I can not go because of my basketball reunion and I believe Extreme Poker is due to start on the 15th at the Venetian Hotel here in Vegas.

I watched Shannon Elizabeth get kicked off Dancing With The Stars a few nights ago.  Dumb judges!  I thought she did great and looked great.  I hope the poker community supported her.  There are some great dancers on that show.  I never thought I would watch something like Dancing, but it is pretty cool.  I bet Phil Ivey $20K that Kristi, the ice skater, would be the champion.  It looks like it is between her and Jason Taylor, the Miami Dolphin’s football player.  I don’t know if Jason can dance or not because I can’t take my eyes off his partner.  She is the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.  Oops!  Besides Louise, I mean

Back to the thought that I started this blog with…let us not forget what is really important in life.  Remember, with money you can buy a clock – but not time! - DB

Every time I think I am going on a vacation something stops me!  I was minding my own business, paying bills and taking care of day-to-day stuff I was behind on.  My phone rang and a friend of mine called and said Sammy Farha, Gus Hanson, David Benyamine, and some amateur had been playing in Bobby’s Room for 36 hours.  I made a mad dash for my car, broke every traffic law getting to the Bellagio, and proceeded to play ten hours and lose over $400,000.  That wiped out my eight game winning streak and put me in a bad, bad mood.  The games were 2-7 Triple Draw, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pot Limit Omaha, and I was tortured all night long.  Finally, at 12:30 a.m. I just picked my chips up and spent a restless almost sleepless night in my bed.  I know a professional poker player has to handle a lot of pressure and things don’t usually bother me, but sheer frustration took over in this game.  Welcome to my world!

Right before I quit, Patrik Antonius came in and began playing.  I didn’t know he was in town and I didn’t have a chance to talk to him but I know his friends read my blog.  Now would be a good time to warm up for our “Doyle Sez” match with a 4-8 thousand game.  I’m a hot sucker and ready to play!  Maybe I had better drink a glass of wine, go to bed, and cool off J

60 Minutes called and wants to interview me on the passing of the UIGEA bill.  I hope it doesn’t get me into trouble because I am going to speak my piece about it.  Will it get me into trouble with the DOJ?   Hopefully not.  They know everything about everything anyway. 

Anyway, my face and name are on a poker site so I’m pretty sure they know me.  America needs to know about this bill and this seems like a good platform to get on my soap box.  It seems like we are picking up a lot of support on legalizing internet poker.

I finalized the plans for my college basketball team reunion.  We are going to get together the first part of August at my place in Montana.  This is probably the last time we will ever get together because a lot of these friends are older than I am.  Any player that played at my University in Texas from 1950 to 1955 is invited.  There were 25 guys that we contacted for our last reunion here in Vegas four years ago.  Twenty-two of them came and we had a great time.  This time, seventeen have committed to come.  Three teammates died since then and two of them can’t come down because of health problems. 

An interesting note…there hasn’t been a single divorce from any teammate.  That is some record and as I told Louise, “When us Texans make a commitment, we mean it.” 

As an afterthought, if Gus Hanson and Patrik Antonius stick their heads out of the same window at the same time, would they be arrested for mooning? J - DB

Congratulations to David Chiu for winning the WPT Championship. I made a bet on David when the final table began because I have played some tournaments with David. He is one of the premier players in the game and also one of the nicest guys. Thanks David!

Finally, we have some time off. I plan on going to the Flathead Lake in Montana and relaxing for a couple of weeks. It seems like I haven’t had a vacation since David Benyamine wore a size medium. I may drive, even if it is a long way, because I have to get my dogs up there.
I just watched the NBC Heads Up Championship. It’s a good tournament, but like most tournaments, it moves just too fast and it becomes a crap shoot. I really liked the DoylesRoom commercials. - DB

Well, I am out of the WPT Championship Event at Bellagio after three days of playing as hard as I could.  I feel as if I made only one major mistake – I played a pot with David Sklansky where I had pocket queens against pocket kings.  Actually, I won this pot when a queen came on the flop but I should have played the hand differently.  I finished around 150^th in the tournament.  I beat out about 400 players, wasted three days, and it only cost me $25,000.  The cash games were plentiful and there was $5 million lost in Bobby’s Room where I play.  I feel I could have won my share of that money had I not been involved in the tournament.  So, should cash game players not play in the tournaments?  I leave it to the mathematicians to say if it is right or wrong.  I am probably going to play less and less in the smaller tournaments. 

Speaking of math, I was on the Poker After Dark TV set and they were having a six person tournament featuring the top poker players that had the reputation of being adept at mathematics.  The players were David Sklansky, Jimmy Warren, Bill Chen, Andy Bloch, Chris Ferguson, and Brandon Adams.  The TV announcer really put me on the spot when she asked if I would rather play against these intellectual guys or street smart players.  I certainly didn’t want to offend anyone so I came up with this answer:  “I’ve played against all of these men at the table and they are all great players.  In a tournament format, they are as good as anyone, but in a cash game for high stakes I’ll take the street guys.”  When asked, “Why?”  I replied…”You have to have a screw loose to play for ultra high stakes and these guys are too logical to risk everything they have on the turn of a card.”  Pretty good answer, huh?  I can’t reveal who won but it was a deserving champion.

I went to the golf course was really disappointed.  My leg is getting worse and worse and desperately needs an operation but I don’t have the time to do it.  So please don’t call me a welcher, Patrik, but I have to amend my golf challenge.  The tees have to be ‘where Doyle sez’ just like our poker match.  I’ll have to start up 100 yards or less each hole because I just can’t turn on the ball.  I have to hit it with my arms but hopefully my putter will bring me in.  I am sure Patrik’s nerves are much steadier than mine so this will probably suit him.  Speaking of Poker….I’m in Bobby’s Room every day so if Patrik would like to warm up on some of the games I am going to choose, I am available anytime J - DB

Ok, I’ve had it! I tried not to address this until I see Patrik Antonius but yesterday was just too much. I did a radio interview with a station in Minnesota and one with a station in New Orleans. Both stations asked me about Patrik’s challenge to play me any game. I tried to be non-committal and not to say too much. Then, when I got to my other office, Orla, my Irish friend, sent me a link to where Patrik was in Monte Carlo talking about his challenge. After hearing him talk about it, my blood began to stir a little. Then, when I went to the Bellagio to pay off my NCAA basketball bets I had lost, there was CardPlayer Magazine with another story about it on the cover!

Then! My buddy, Dewey Tomko, who I think will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year, asked me: “Do you think you can beat Patrik?” I answered, “No, Dewey, I have so much money I’m trying to throw some of it away. Of course I think I can beat him!” I know I’ve got a lot more experience at most of the games I’ll choose. If anyone under thirty years of age can let me pick any game at any time I want, I strongly believe I can beat them. If I don’t, the Brunson Family has three hundred acres on the top of a mountain at Big Arm, Montana. I’ll retire and move up on that mountain and enjoy the wildlife and the sunsets for the rest of my life. Even the television networks are calling, wanting to televise this match. My only problem with that is that the public might not understand some of the games I will keep introducing.

By the way, since Patrik is into making challenges, here is one for him. I read where he has taken up golf. So, I challenge him to play for $100,000 a hole at Bali Hai Golf Club, any time from now until the end of August. Surely a twenty-seven-year-old ex-professional tennis player from Finland can beat a seventy-four-year-old guy with an artificial shoulder and who has to use a crutch to walk. What do you say, Patrik? - DB

The poker historians have speculated, guessed, and surmised what became of the 1979 World Series winner, Hal Fowler. I’ve heard all kinds of stories: he was living in California…he moved to Hawaii…and, that he died shortly after his win. Nobody seemed to know. Finally, Des Wilson wrote a book called Ghosts At The Table. He went to great lengths to authenticate all the facts in his book and he spent months trying to find out what happened to the man that pulled the greatest upset in poker history when he won the WSOP. He took so many amphetamines and Valium that he could barely sit at the table and made some of the most unbelievable plays anyone had ever witnessed…miracle after miracle and he finally back doored a straight to beat Bobby Huff.

The strangest thing happened. Fowler never came back to defend his title. In fact, he never came back to Las Vegas. Des Wilson hired a private detective to trace Fowler’s life and he came up with some amazing facts. Harold Fowler was born in Vermont and had left home at a very early age and his family never saw him or heard from him again. He went into the service and when he got out – nobody knows why – he insisted that no one could know where he was at any time. The detective traced Fowler to a retirement home in Tulare, California, where he spent his last ten years. He died in 2000 and had only two possessions when he died; a small gun and a video recording of the 1979 WSOP. He lived his last years on social security, was almost totally blind, and could barely walk. He told the people at the retirement center not to tell anyone about his death for at least two years. What a strange story. His achievements and his secrets were buried with him.

All I know is that I liked the man, even though I never knew him well. After he won the WSOP he told me he was going to go on tour and sell 10,000 copies of Super System. I bet him $5,000 that he wouldn’t do it and after one year I got a cashier’s check in the mail for $5,000 from Fowler. At least he was an honest guy who paid a debt he didn’t have to because that was the last time anyone ever heard from him that I know of. - DB

I read where a poker player named Jason Potter cashed out his $30,000 in winnings from the Aussie Millions in Melbourne. He left the casino and was robbed at knifepoint a few blocks away. Jason suspected the thieves had watched him in the casino and followed him out as he headed back to his hotel. Thankfully, he wasn’t harmed.

I have been robbed at gunpoint five times in my life, including a home invasion at the Las Vegas Country Club. I’ve had pistols, even a shotgun, pointed up against my head and it is not a pleasant thing. I’m not saying I wasn’t scared but it wasn’t as bad as one night in Houston, Texas when a guy came up behind me and put a knife to my throat. I thought my legs would collapse and it was the scariest thing that ever happened. Something about getting your throat cut seems worse than taking a bullet.

This should be a lesson for all of us poker players. Leave your money in the casino – either in a lock box or put it on deposit. In the old days we didn’t have that option out on the road, but in today’s environment it is silly to take a chance and carry a lot of money in your pocket. For Pete’s sake, 7/11 stores get robbed at gunpoint for less than $100. Imagine the chance some of those desperate guys would take if they knew someone had thousands on them.

I’ll give you some good advice…if it happens to you, give them your money. You can win some more money but you only have one life. Also, pray that the robbers are professionals instead of some doped up kid because the pro won’t hurt you unless he has to.

Over the years in Vegas I’ve caught guys following me out of casinos three different times. I’m always alert to watching suspicious things after all my years on the road where it was dangerous all the time. Each time I doubled back on the person following me and confronted him. Real smart, huh? Luckily, each time the person ran away. Don’t do that! Look for security to help you. I just happen to be a hard-headed Texan who sometimes doesn’t stop and think.

With the WSOP approaching, and so many people playing live events all over the world, remember to be careful coming out of those casinos! Lots of bad people hanging around. - DB

I’ve been a dog lover all my life. I’ve had everything from a Toy Poodle (Casper, my dog now) to a German Shepherd, and they are all great dogs. They don’t care if you are winner or loser, sick or well, rich or poor. They give you unconditional love and welcome you home every time you leave. So when Jennifer Harman asked me to go to an event for homeless dogs, I went. The press was there in force, so you will see it on TV if you look for it. What a great facility! Each dog up for adoption had his own kennel. No animal is put to sleep unless they are completely hopeless. I went through looking at all the great dogs. One brown terrier came bounding over to me, pawing at his cage, licking my hand and trying to get to me. I petted him for a while and noticed that all the dogs have their name on their cage. As I started to leave, I looked at the name and he was named Chip. I almost lost it when I read that.

There has been a game every night at Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio since we lowered the limits. We have taken out most of the no-limit and pot-limit games, and it seems that is what most of the players want. Anything suits me, just to keep the action going.

It’s my understanding the World Poker Tour is going to have a special event at the upcoming tournament at the Bellagio. They are going to give very nice bracelets to all the WPT winners from the last six years. I think that is a nice gesture, but it seems like it is copying the WSOP and their race for bracelets. I have a WPT win from the Legends Tournament, so some member of my family will get another bracelet. The only bracelet I’ve ever worn is the one that the Bellagio gave me for the tournament that bears my name. It’s very light and has my Stetson outlined with diamonds. I like it a lot.

Also, I understand they are going to have a tribute to Chip Reese during the party. That fine, Chip certainly deserves everything the poker world can give his memory. The only problem is they expect me to speak again and it just starts the hurt again for me. I guess I’ll suck it up and tell again what a special person Chip was. - DB

After a long drought we finally had a cash game at The Bellagio. We lowered the stakes to $1500-$3000 limits and picked up some new players. I think that is very necessary; the poker economy simply isn’t strong enough to support the ultra high stakes we have played for years. Two players lost over $200,000 in the game. For Pete’s sake, how much higher do we need to play? Fortunately, I had a nice win to offset my lousy NCAA basketball picks. I think America may have problems in the economy because I’ve always said poker is a great barometer for how the economy is doing.

While I have had a lot of success in the tournaments, I have always considered myself a cash game player and I don’t really have any pre-tournament strategy as a lot of people do. I just kinda ‘wing it’ and go as my gut tells me. I always thought that was right but something happened in the Irish Open that made me think that might be wrong…..

I don’t put a lot of strategy and hand examples in my blog because there are plenty of books and articles about that. It was the second day of the tournament and there were 100 players left out of 677. I had $62,000 which was above average in chips. Four of us were in the pot that was raised to $4,000 before the flop. I had the 7 and 8 of clubs. The flop was 8 7 2 rainbow. The guy that raised the pot bet $11,000. I raised $20,000 and he moved in on me. Of course I called and the turn was another deuce and I was out of the tournament. In a cash game, I would have bought some more chips and kept playing with no remorse because I know I had played correctly.

But, in a tournament, you can’t buy any more ships. So, should you ‘just call’ and see the turn before you raise? If I had done that I would have saved $46,000 and continued playing. The reverse side is what if the turn card gave him a hidden set of trips or made him a straight? I guess I’ll ask Phil Hellmuth what he would have done because he has the best tournament record of anyone in no limit Hold’em tournaments. Stuff like that is why I prefer cash games. I know I did it right for the money.

I guess what happened to get me thinking about this was when I went back to our suite in Dublin after getting eliminated. My wife, Louise, said: “Oh, no, Doyle! Did you go all in again? Why don’t you save back 40-50% in case you lose?” I looked at her in amazement because she has never played a hand of poker. I asked her what she was talking about and she told me she saw Johnny Chan say on TV he won a tournament and never went all in ?

I started to tell her I was a big favorite when I put my money in but decided not to try, but it got me thinking….oh, well, I guess I’m doing OK. - DB

Finally, back home from Ireland. I had a great time in Dublin but I missed being home. I never saw the sun the ten days I was there and when I got up this morning I went out in the pool for my morning swim. It was incredible. There wasn’t a cloud in the blue sky and it was 73 degrees! My roses were covering the fence and it was like I had stepped into another world. We don’t realize how lucky we are to live in Las Vegas where the sun shines almost every day.

On the plus side for Ireland, I never met so many nice people. They are really proud of their country and they don’t mind telling you that. The tournament was very well run and I think someone told me it is Europe’s biggest tournament.

I played better than I have in years so I have no complaints. We were down to 100 players from the 677 that entered. I flopped the top two pair against an over pair, got all the money in, and lost when the board paired. I would have been the chip leader, or at least close, if I had won that pot.

But, that’s poker. After I got knocked out I went looking for Orla and Nikki to help ease the pain at the hotel bar but couldn’t find them. Oh well, at least I didn’t have a headache the next morning. As everyone keeps reminding me, I am getting too damn old to be traveling everywhere to play poker. It’s true. I’m so old, I don’t even buy green bananas, but as long as I feel like playing I’m going to continue! I am going back to the Irish Open next year if they want me. By the way, nobody in Ireland speaks Texan - DB