My weekend and WSOP updates too

Check out the Live Blogging/Reporting being done by the fine folks over at PokerNews, http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/, powered of course by some of the best the blogosphere has to offer! Although I HATE them all because they are there and I am not I have to give 'em ALL props for doing a great job already and we're only into Day #2! So, Event #1 enters day #2 today with a familiar face at the top of the chip heap, namely Eli Elezra. Recall that this is $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em. Of the 352 players who started only 70 remain. But scanning down through the list of those who are still "in it to win it" this thing is far from over. Check out the listing of the remaining 13 tables for yourself: http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2008-world-series-of-poker/event-1-10000-plhe-world-championship/id47523.htm#no47523. There's a Who's Who of the top pro's which remain. So, this is still anybody's game. I'm sure Eli has some sort of side action prop bet on it!

Also, Event #2 has gotten under way as well, this is $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, which will boast a lot more players. According to Shamus' blog the official board shows 3,449 so far, but only time will tell (very likely the total won't be known until tomorrow.) I'll keep watching as I'm sure the rest of you will be too.

In other matters... I'd planned to post up a synopsis post of the Season Finale of LOST, since Big Red and I finally got around to watching on the ole DVR last night after Cole's baseball game. But as I was pondering all that was ponderable about the episode I was also browsing through my Google Reader. And after reading Julius Goat's Blog entry on the subject, frankly I can't hold a candle to what he pulled out of his brain and got down on paper (errr, virtually speaking.) Go there now and check it out, http://jgoat.blogspot.com/2008/05/lost-021-locke-box.html! If you haven't yet watched it I won't give anything away, but I thought my wife's jaw was going to fall off when she saw who was in the casket. This show's got more twists than a Chubby Checker concert.

Lastly, a shout out to JR. The NDPT crew (and then some) will be gathering over at JR's again tonight to do battle on the felt. This will mark the 7th official game of this year's series. We told you gang, there'd be more poker opportunities than you could shake a stick at, by rotating the hosting responsibility. Keep in mind that there have been a number of other games which have cropped up as well. I won't even get into all of the tournaments and cash games that Shuman and even the Yanok's have played host to as well. And YES, Big Red and I have been at a lot of those too! Okay, we've got issues. Just deal with it... or better yet just deal!

Also, don't forget that Teresa and Laura are the ones who are organizing the bus trip to Atlantic City for the weekend of July 18th. Seats are $100 each... don't delay get yours soon!!! Once the gambling deviants among us start signing up, the seats won't last long.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Declining profits for Atlantic City casinos

The New York Times is running the following article from the Associated Press regarding Atlantic City casino yearly profit reports. According to the released report although revenues taken down were a staggering $4.92 billion that this is actually cause for concern for the Eastern gambling Mecca. Since 1978, profits for the casino city have steadily increased, but not so for 2007. Profits in 2006 were listed as $5.21 billion.

Blame is being zeroed in on competition from outside Atlantic City, primarily slot parlors which have opened in Pennsylvania and New York. A partial smoking ban is also a contributing factor.

What this brings to my mind, is what sort of affect will the opening of casino gaming in West Virginia (Wheeling Island and Mountaineer Casinos) do to the Pennsylvania market? Obviously there will be a huge impact. By the same token thinking further down the line, will these future losses fuel efforts to push for casino gaming in Pennsylvania, and elsewhere including Kentucky, when slot parlor visitors make their exodus from their own home states and cross the West Virgina borders, in search of something other than the slot machines being offered?

If approved elsewhere, what will ultimately be the saturation point for new casinos. Exactly how many is too many, and what can revenues actually support in the long term? Which casinos or better yet which state(s) will emerge as the winners in the Gaming Wars?

The answers to these and many other questions will provide a wealth of topics of discussion from now until well into the next decade and beyond I'm sure. I'll continue to throw my two cents worth into the mix for what it's worth, and keep my blog minions apprised of the situation. Stay tuned!

Regards,

cheer_dad