Monday, May 31, 2010

WSOP 2010 Event #1 Winner

Congratulations to Hoai D. Pham, who became the first bracelet winner of the 2010 WSOP.  He bested a field of 721 players over 3 days to finally take it down.  Pham collected $71,424 for first place.

Michael Mizrachi continues to hold a tenuous lead over the field in Event #2 The Poker Players Championship $50,000 buy-in.  This high-stakes event drew 116 players this year, up from last year's 95 player field.  These are your elite players.  The field is now down to the final 21 players.  The format of play demands experience in nearly all poker variants and disciplines.  It is a mix of Triple Draw 2-7, Hold'em, Omaha /8B, Razz, Stud, Stud /8B, No Limit Hold'em, and PLO...  In addition to Michael Mizrachi, some of the other players I recognize in the dwindling field are Daniel Alaei, Robert Mizrachi, John Juanda, Nick Schulman, Andy Bloch, Erik Seidel, David Singer, and Eli Elezra.  I'm looking forward to the ESPN coverage of this year's event, with so many big names in the field.  Top spot in the event...$1,559,046.

Event #3 the $1,000 NLHE drew 4,345 players of which only 481 remain.  Top spot payout in this event is $625,872.  Still a lot of thinning of the herd to come in this one.

Event #4: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better began drew 818 players. of which 274 remain.


Event #5  $1,500 NLHE is just getting under way... 

Continue to follow along either here, or for the real quick scoop head over to PokerNews.com and their live reporting!!!

And back here on the homefront... Teresa, Cole, and I went out the wilds of Gilmer County to do some camping and four-wheeling and had an absolute ball.  Along for the adventure were the Jacksons, Allmans, and Uncle June did make a showing... along with several other friends and family of his. Fantastic time was had by all, and Big Red in particular surprised me with the good time that she swears that she had!  We will definitely be returning for future trips!

Hope all is well with each of you and that life is going your way!

Regards,

cheer_dad

Friday, May 28, 2010

WSOP 2010 Event #1 has begun!

WSOP Event #1 (Casino employees $500) is now underway.  Poker madness has now begun!  Next up later today will be Event #2 the Poker Players Championship ($50,000 buyin.)  This year to later be broadcast by the ESPN minions!  Last year they left it out and the numbers dipped.  Somehow they continue to be convinced that people don't want to watch any poker other than no limit hold'em.  Idiots!  Good luck to all of you who are making your way to Las Vegas over the course of the next 7 weeks to try your hand at a tournament game or so.  No, I'm not going to make it out there, again... Work, family, life... all keep getting in the way!  : )  So, I'll live vicariously through the antics and plays of poker's elite.

To the PokerNews.com covering crew let me just say THANKS in advance for the fantastic job I know you'll do again in covering the WSOP for the world to read and enjoy!  I have a feeling my work productivity may once again suffer, for a few weeks.  C'mon boss, cut me some slack!

Regards,

cheer_dad

Thursday, May 27, 2010

How'd I get THIS far behind!

The 2010 edition of the World Series of Poker starts tomorrow people!!!  How in the world did all of this creep up on me?  Oh wait, I remember now.  Friggin' WORK has taken over my LIFE!!!  AHHHHHH!!!!  But, I'm taking some definite time for me out to enjoy one of my true passions and joys in life, Poker!  Don't even try to get in my way. 

For what seems like forever, the NDPT blog is going to get back to its roots people... POKER!  Event #1 the $500 Casino Employees NLHE event gets under way TOMORROW.  Where did all the time from the end of last year's series up until now go?  Let's try not to let it all get away from me like this again. 

To all my friends, family, and most of all the NDPT Blogladytes, here comes the World Series of Poker 2010!  Hang on for the thrill ride, it never, ever seems to let us down.  Stay tuned, as always for the best of the best of the live coverage over at PokerNews.com! 

Time to get all obsessive again. 

Regards and Shuffle Up and Deal,

cheer_dad

Monday, May 24, 2010

Rock on the Range 2010

What a great time at Rock on the Range 2010!  Teresa and I met up with Frank, Chris and Uncle June then the music and mass quantities of alcohol began.  Even Teresa had a good time!  Today she was retelling the stories of the "crowd surfers," and said, "I'm 41 years old and that was my first mosh pit!"  I'm a little achy after all the tosses of the random bodies that were flying overhead!  What a great day!  We left a little earlier than planned but it was probably for the best since I had a dental appointment earlier this morning to get to.  I made it.  Of course the pricetag was extreme... getting a couple fillings replaced that were giving me fits.  I'll be working some serious OT to make up for those! 

While at Rock on the Range, we met up with other friends and made some new ones too.  Even bumped in to Doug from local band Jinx'd!  Always good to see him and the other guys.  I really liked some of the lesser known bands, including Shaman's Harvest which I found to be really good and bluesy.  I'd have to suggest them for a possible opening act at say an Eagles concert...?  : )

Really enjoying the Summer concert circuit that just kind of happened this year!  I will defintely be going back to ROTR, and really am convinced that I'm going to become a basic concert regular from now on.  There's just something about the crowd and the music that really makes me feel good!  Next up, we get our "country" on, by going to see Brooks and Dunn for their farewell tour! 

Time to get Cole ready for baseball at Mineral Wells tonight.  Have a great night everyone.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Exhaustion...

Finally sitting down today and beginning to feel just how tired I am. I went out to start mowing the grass at 10:30.  Finished that, weedeating and then thought I'd start trimming the landscaping and just spruce things up.  Just as I was looking forward to finishing up... my mom and dad show up.  They've picked today to continue working on the garden for Cole.  Not really the gardening part, but the building of the "box" and the chicken wire structure that has to be built around it to keep the wildlife of the neighborhood from tearing it up...  So if that confuses any of you... it should.  Suffice it to say that my workday was not complete.  At 5:30 we picked up the tools and I finally headed in to take a shower... remembering that I meant to put on some sunscreen at some point that never seemed to arrive.  Now, I'm tired, achy... and wondering if I fall asleep in the midst of this posting would anyone even notice, or care. 

But it's been a good, and rewarding day.  Lots of stuff accomplished! 

Tomorrow, Teresa and I are heading to Columbus, OH for Day 2 of Rock on the Range!!!  
In the lineup tomorrow are Five Finger Death Punch, Theory of a Deadman, Slash, Seether, Rob Zombie and Limp Bizkit!  I see massive quantities of beer in my future as well.  Uncle June, Frank, and Chris are already there baking their bodies in the sun, pickling their livers and well, you know just having a great time.. I'll try to report back on the antics, and if possible to avoid obscenity laws, maybe even post a few pictures.

Have a great evening all!

Regards,

cheer_dad

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Good weekend

Quiet morning...  Whitney spent the night with her cousins.  Cole went back with my parents so he could hunt again this morning, so it was just Teresa and I this morning.  Slept in, I then went to get us coffee and bagels from Tim Horton's.  Just an enjoyable time...

Enjoyed the poker game on Friday night at the Eagles.  No, we didn't win... but wow what a crowd of 59 players.  I got a lot of good compliments on the way this tournament is run.  Straight, organized, and none of that "rebuy" crap that they all hate so much.  hehe!  Walt asked me if I would serve on the Finance Committee this year at the Eagles, and I told him I would.  Then, he approached me again and asked if I would serve as an officer (Chaplain.)  I'm not sure about the latter yet, but I'm leaning toward doing it.  There are certainly some good things going on at the Eagles that I'd like to see continue on, and I think my support (and that of a lot of the rest of you Eagles members who read the blog) is most certainly needed.  Otherwise the club is going to fall back into some of the old ways.  There is no future in that.  Later that same night, I talked to two of the guys from Jinx'd who showed up and were hackin' it up doing Karaoke.  They were having a good time, and everyone else enjoyed it too.  Thanks for the unexpected entertainment Doug and Luke.

Yesterday had mowing to do (actually got a little too much sun) as the shoulders feel a little tender this morning.  Also, had dad show up to setup Cole's garden box.  His plants are almost ready to go in the ground.  We'll see how his little farmer experiment goes.  But he seems really excited about it all.

Heading for a cookout later on with friends... and then I'm sure there will be a grocery run somewhere in there as well.  Oh well...  all good things and weekends must come to an end.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Monday, May 10, 2010

This is a Monday?

It just can't be... a Monday, really?  No, the statement doesn't suggest that I've "lost time" in some drunken binge or other.  Although I could totally back that up.  But the reason is, so far this has been a great Monday, and we all know my typical loathing for the beginning of the week.  Now, I was off work today (gotta love the AWS day) but I have a sense of accomplishment.  I got up, hopped out of bed and went for a run from the house to Fort Boreman Park and back again.  I didn't even pause (long) to enjoy the view from the overlook, I was enjoying the run so much.  It was under an hour's run, and it felt good.  I probably still look a bit like a Penguin Runner but hey there's a whole bunch of us out there.  Mock us if you will as you drive by in your shiny cars, and point.  But this is about me... I feel better for having starting my running regimen up again and then further coupling it with some weight training.  It makes the poker games and copious amounts of Miller Lite I indulge in from time-to-time feel a little less bad.

I got a text from Uncle June, asking if I could take care of getting posters made up for the next concert event at the Eagles, featuring Black Stone Cherry  and local favorite JINX'D.  Surprisingly, that was a QUICK errand to run!  Went to Sir Speedy and got fantastic service... okay she was a brunette.  : P  (i kidding big red, i kidding!)  Great design courtesy of JINX'D bandmember Luke!  The concert is scheduled for June 9th (Wednesday) at 8pm.  Be there people, I promise you a fantastic rockin' time! 

Getting ready to pick up Cole from school, take him to the dentist, and then later to his baseball game.  The day seems to have had purpose and I've enjoyed it.  Monday is throwing me for loop here folks.  Maybe it's been my attitude all along???  Nah, it couldn't be that.  Anyway, I hope your day is going along smoothly too. 

Regards,

cheer_dad

Thursday, May 06, 2010

With only a slight deviation from sanity,

I return.  Hello NDPT'ers!  The week is drawing to a close, only a Friday to face.  The work week has been trying.  (We'll leave it at that.)  But a quick 9-ish hours of work tomorrow, with a noon-time 3 mile run and the weekend is mine.  Friday night I'll be at the Eagles for the SOLD-OUT concert for rock recording artist Pop Evil, opening for them is another touring band Spider Rockets, AND as an added bonus a local favorite JINX'D.  It promises to be a phenomenal, profitable Friday night for our local Eagles Aerie.  And you know me, I love me some music... in all its many forms.  Hope you've got tickets and if you see me there please say hello, and feel free to either buy me a beer or call me a cab!  : P

Speaking of music I'm ecstatic to also report that among my other concert go-ing activities include for the summer/fall season... (the tix are purchased, the credit card's drawing interest)

Brooks and Dunn's farewell tour
Rush, the Time Machine Tour (full Moving Pictures era concert)
AND
Pink Floyd's, Roger Waters Epic performance of THE WALL!

I am truly and ever shall be comfortably numb.

Life... wow!

Regards,

cheer_dad

P.S.  In pokery type news... Tournament(s) Saturday night at the Yanok's, 7pm.
Sunday night at 7pm, the Shriners host (at the Eagles) their fundraiser tourney, 7pm.

Then, finally May 14th, the Eagles regularly scheduled tournament which has been consistently holding above the 50 player mark!  Fantastic, exciting times abound... if you just go looking for the upside of things! 

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

It's been THAT week...

you know the one from hell, that you feel used and abuse.  Road hard and put away wet.  Taken advantage of, getting it from both sides, rock meets hard friggin' place.  Well the hell with all that.  Bring it bitches!  The cheer_dad's not gonna roll over like some punk.  I've been rolling around on this mudball far too long to take much more of your bullshit.  My breakpoint always seems to be that hazy spot far out on the horizon but back there where you blinked, yeah we got there.  I'll be doing the driving now, sit back and relax!

The workplace has definitely got its pound of flesh for the week already.  The "upgrade" tangent we've been on is beginning to resemble the death of a star.  A massive surge of energy and light and then utter collapse, darkness, void, and vacuum (and yes it sucks too!)  BUT, the brilliant minds didn't need our help to look stupid.  They did it all on their own, unfortunately dragged us along for the ride. 

I got a little bent out of shape the latter part of today over it all, and then reached a point of peace.  You know... I'm remembering something... they still need me for this pile of monstrous work they've amassed.  The break neck pace to satisfy my own sense of worth and ability will continue at the pace I DECIDE.  I will work to the best of my ability.  No one but I can make that happen.  Their urgings and outlandish demands in hindsight as I'll show them all have only dragged down the pace.  Whatever IT is, we'll do IT in spite of them.  And maybe even to spite 'em just a little too.

I'm takin' the ownership back, the cheer_dad has spoken.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Big red decides last minute to come play hold'em at the eagles! Here we go kids...don't get scared now.
Regards,
cheer_dad