Back at it. Kinda.

I pretty much gave up poker for the last 4 months to play video games and gain several pounds around my mid section. I considered not playing ever again but then I sobered up and figured I should give it another go round.

The only problem... I'm broke. Bankroll is nonexistent and I can't really pin point the exact reason for my financial failures but I sure it has to do with the fact I don't have the ability to balance a check book. Never mind that I don't have a job and no prospects of any sorts. So any of the WSOP tournies are out of the question so this summer. Looks like I'll playing at the Nugget this year.

There's several PLO8 tournaments spread between the various casino this summer and my goal to play as many of those as I can. I can probably find someone to buy my action in the WSOP $1500 and $5000 PLO8 events but I won't worry about those quite yet.

I'll also probably play some cash games, and a few Venetian tournaments along the way.

Soooo... Prepare for a summer full of fail!

In other news:

I was on Jon Friedberg's Under the Gun show that hosted by Card Player. Gavin Smith is also a guest and we talk about how bad our softball team is and some other shit that I have really right discussing in public.

Check out Under the Gun: Softball and Sponsorship Deals

And just a couple of days ago, I was on again, this time with Jeff Madsen and Joe Tehan as we played the Savage Invitational Golf Tournament in Temecula. (godamnit I look fat)

15th Annual Savage Golf Tournament

I shot like a cripple over the 3 days so I won't go through the pain of listening to me bitch about missing a put, drive, and or chip. I shot on average, 110 over the 3 days. So I'll just do a photo easy with some funny captions.

Day 1: Cross Creek Golf Course

1 good golfer and 3 morans.. Tehan is the good one btw.


Friedberg decides to pee next to the restrooms.


My closest to the pin for the bad players. Also got a skin this day but I don't know what hole.


After finishing the first day, I decided to celebrate with some poison oak in the eye.

Day 2: Red Hawk Golf Course


Day 2 sucked ass so this is only picture of the day. I wore pink. Nuff said.

Day 3: Journey at Pechanga


Lots of gambling going on today. Probably the funnest round of golf I've played.


Teh Ghey


Another closest to the pin for the bad players. Got half a skin here too


The 6th hole. Amazing.


Madsen looking for his ball on the 6th hole.


Friedberg showing off for Tehan's gf Lisa


Madsen's water shot. Took two tries.


My biggest golf win evar! $640.


And finally... Pechanga, WTF?

JDN

Shronk

I didn't quite know what to write about about Shronk. I had to let it sink in before I could wrap my head around it.

I've known the guy for a few years. We weren't close friends, I don't think I have his phone number in my address book, but we could share a beer and a story together.

We never worked together directly, but during the WSOP we would interact daily to organize Cardplayer interviews and videos with the pros from Full Tilt. I got to know this... awkward, funny person during the '07 series and he immediately struck me as someone that would keep things interesting with just his basic perception and reaction to the insane world that we were working in.

In the summer of '07, there was a world series of roshambo tournament and Shronk was on interview duty for Cardplayer. He also got to play the tournament for Mike Matusow because Mike, believe it or not, was still in a tournament, and didn't want to come down to the Rio at 9AM. This being a story about Shronk, we met in the 2nd round.

Shronk catches a hot one at 3:10 in.

Having only known Shronk for a few weeks, I knew him well enough that I could do some physical comedy on him and he would roll with it. So I slapped him after beating him. He laughed it up and we bro'd up shortly after.

When I was running Pokerwire, having resurrected the Circuit, aka Pokerwire Radio, aka PokerRoad Radio, Shronk came to me and asked if Pokernews could do a feature on the new show. He only wanted to do it because he was a fan of the show. Plain and simple. You don't see much of that in poker media, or any industry for that matter.

After I left the working poker world for a life of luxury at the small stakes, I saw less of Shronk. I would randomly run into him at the televised tournaments that I would play and I would undoubtedly get some kinda of random story from him about traveling to Korea or Australia and getting some virus from eating the local cuisine late at night. None of it was surprising. It was Shronk. You'd expect that kinda of story from him every tournament.

It was a let down when he didn't tell you about going to the hospital or getting stuck in some foreign airport for 2 days. You always needed a Shronk story to keep you in a positive attitude because... it wasn't happening to you. Like watching Jerry Springer.

But it didn't really seem to bother Shronk. It was all a part of the ride for him. Acceptance and experience. I think he had fun.

The last time I saw Shronk was at the Dream Team Poker tournament at Caesars. He was prepping the radio show when I walked over to say hi. He went into another story, that escapes me, before I was lured away by a green bottle. I remember saying "see you later" as I walked away.

Brutal.

Pokerroad Radio did an amazing tribute show for Shronk. Please listen. Even if you didn't know him, by the end of the show, he'll be your friend.



JDN