Less than two months have gone by in 2011, but I have to say that it already feels like a year has passed. When someone referred to me as “The busiest man in poker,” I think they must have been thinking about the past several weeks. And I have barely played any poker. Here’s a look at my crazy, whirlwind life:
Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure (PCA)
In January, my family and I always look forward to getting out of the cold New England weather and heading down to the beautiful Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. With all of the snow we have gotten this year, this tournament could not have happened at a better time. Better yet, there was a huge 15- to 20-inch snowstorm in New England while we were basking in the sun and 70-degree weather (boy did we hear it from family and friends).
As an added bonus, I played in my first event of the year (the PCA Main Event) and did pretty well. During Day 1, I had an incredible 30-minute stretch where I went from the starting stack of 30,000 to 180,000 and ended the day among the chip leaders. However, I went card dead on Day 3 and finished 152nd out of 1,560. Not bad, but this is the one tournament of the year that I don’t mind busting out of since I was able to spend the rest of the week with my family at one of the most beautiful resorts in the world.
However, I did have some business to take care of at the PCA. During the tournament, I officially announced the 2010 WSOP November Nine Reunion, which would take place at the February Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge XIX.
Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge XIX and 2010 WSOP November Nine Reunion
As soon as I returned from the PCA, I was basically working 24/7 to finalize all of the little details of the 2010 WSOP November Nine Reunion event. However, looking back, when I first came up with the concept of this event, most people thought it was a great idea, but that logistically it would be nearly impossible to do, especially by myself. Remember, never in the modern era of poker has there been a reunion of a WSOP final table.
Nevertheless, I’m never one to back away from a challenge and, with the support of Foxwoods, I forged ahead to achieve this lofty goal. Overall, I began working on the idea in August and had a preliminary consensus from the nine players during the final table weekend in November. I began organizing all of the specific details immediately after Thanksgiving. After hundreds of e-mails, texts, and phone calls, the event was suddenly becoming a reality.
Of course, there were numerous challenges, including schedules, flight arrangements, rides to and from the airport, and accommodations not only for the players, but also their guests. Then, there were the planned events, such as the Celtics games versus the Magic and Lakers, the Bruins game versus Canadians, and the Nightclub at Foxwoods’ Shrine. Oh, and of course, we would play some poker as well.
In the end, it was well worth the effort, as the reunion event was a smash hit, witnessed by hundreds and hundreds of fans and covered by dozens of press members. Eighteen fortunate Foxwoods players were able to experience playing on the felt with these poker superstars. When the dust settled, Ben Hopkins of Rhode Island beat out a final table consisting of Matt Jarvis (2nd place), Jonathan Duhamel (5th), Michael Mizrachi (7th) and me (6th).
To add even more to the festivities, I invited ESPN’s Lon McEachern to announce the event. He added his own sense of humor and flair to create an incredible atmosphere. After his announcing duties were completed, he even played in the event.
Looking back, I realize I was very fortunate that the stars and moons aligned perfectly. I had a fantastic venue being the spokesperson for Foxwoods Resort Casino, eight of the nine players were from North America, and there were no other major poker events occurring during that particular week.
In the end, I believe that these nine players will be closer to each other than any other WSOP final table. They were able to socialize after the final table in a relaxed setting and were able to get to know each other outside of poker. Overall, it was truly an honor to be part of poker history.
Full House Charity Program
During the Foxwoods MegaStack Challenge XIX, I also announced a new initiative, “The Full House Charity Program.” Although I have been extremely busy during the last 15 months, I have enjoyed every minute of my current life. I am living every poker player’s dream and feel truly blessed. Therefore, I wanted to give back to the community. I decided to combine two of my true loves – poker and my children – into a fundraiser that will aid youth throughout New England.
For every full house I am dealt on the poker tour, I will put aside $500. By the end of the year, I will donate a minimum of $20,000 to organizations across New England that focus on children. I am very pleased that Vermont’s renowned Cabot Cheese will serve as the lead sponsor of my new charity initiative.
So, if I beat you this year in a tournament with a full house, please don’t get mad, as I will be donating $500 to a great children’s cause.