Tuesday, September 1, 2009 - Roothlus
So it’s official I’ve lived in Los Angeles for exactly one month as of today. And so far, I’ve loved it. I’ve been to a bunch of cool spots and it’s very refreshing to be around more lady friends and have the opportunity to do an array of things on a given day. The lifestyle seems way more upbeat and on the go but not in a NYC kinda way where people are on the go but aren’t particularly friendly. Everyone seems way happier and just a tad crazy too which I love. It’s definitely a healthy change from Las Vegas. Don’t get me wrong I love me some Vegas but in weekend doses. As a whole I felt sucked into the whole city. I was extremely lazy and ate horribly. Granted, the food I ate was super top quality but by no means does that make it healthy. Since moving to LA I joined 24-hr Fitness and have been on the workout grind almost day-in day-out. I haven’t lost much weight yet but I feel so much healthier than I did a mere month ago.
My goal is to look good for the best stop on the live poker circuit, the Aruba Poker Classic. And while yes, I am a member of Team Ultimate Bet and you’re thinking, well isn’t this a blatant plug?? Well, you’re only half right ‘cause I legitimately love it. Last year, I was a little bit nervous at first. I had just joined UB and was meeting a whole bunch of new people and was a little bit overwhelmed. By the 3rd day or so I found myself just having a total blast. It’s honestly a great week of partying with a little bit of poker on the side. Oh, and the Phil Hellmuth penthouse party is nothing short of awesome! On top of all this, it’s Ultimate Bet’s 10th anniversary this year and they’ll be celebrating it at the Aruba Poker Classic. So if anyone is undecided about going this year, I hope I swayed you into going because it’s going to be EPIC!
As far as what’s on tap for me the rest of the year, I’ll be taking it easy. The WCOOP starts on Thursday and I’ll be pretty focused on that until the end of September at which point I’ll be making my way to said Aruba Poker Classic. After that, I’ll see my parents for a few days in Florida, jaunt back to LA for a week, then spend a week or so in Vegas for Festa Lago. But after that crazy little patch of traveling, my only tourney I’ll be traveling to is the Five-Diamond Classic in December. It’s kind of nice to not be traveling to every tournament under the sun for a change. And when I am traveling it’s only to Vegas, a mere 4-hour drive.
Well, I guess this is actually short for my blogs but before I go I recently had the opportunity to play in Scott Ian’s home game on Ultimate Bet last week. Hate to make a pun, but it was rockin’. I got to play with Vinnie Paul, Kirk Hammett, Layne Stayley, and a bunch of other rockers including Scott Ian himself. I ended up getting 4th as things unraveled. First was an Aruba package but better someone else win it when I’m going regardless. I’d definitely recommend playing in the satellites to this very special tourney.
Ok, now seriously, lastly, check me out on ESPN’s Inside Deal this week. They did a phone interview today so that was pretty cool. Until my next blog peeeeeeace.
Tags: Aruba Poker Classic, espn, Five-Diamond Classic, Inside Deal, Kirk Hammett, Layne Stayley, Los Angeles, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Ian, ub, UB 10th Anniversary, Ultimate Bet, Vegas, Vinnie Paul, WCOOP
Comments (2)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - Scott Ian
I can’t believe summer is over. Granted, I live in LA so it’s never really over, it’s more the idea of summer being over. You know that horrible “back to school” feeling? Not that I’m going back to school and if anything I worked harder this summer than I have in years so, don’t listen to me. I think the insanity of my summer may have done permanent damage!
Going into the WSOP main event I knew what I was in for and I committed to it. Last year I didn’t get to play the main event and this year it literally took an act by the scheduling Gods and the planets aligning just right for me to play. I had this insane window where I would be arriving in Vegas from Anthrax’s European tour hours before the start of day 1D, flying to Tulsa OK to play a show the day after day 2B and flying right back the morning of day 3. If I were to make it to the final nine, I would be on a plane as soon as it ended back to Sweden to play a show the next day. How this all worked out is beyond me and I wasn’t sure if I could mentally and physically do it. Of course I could bust on day 1 and everything would be so much easier but the whole thing had this “meant to be” vibe about it so I committed to getting through the week and playing my game no matter what.
Amazingly, everything went according to plan. After finishing day 2B at 1:30AM I was at the airport by 4:30AM for my flight (through Dallas) to Tulsa. That all worked and I played the show, kicked some OK ass and was back at the airport at 4:30AM for my flight (through Denver) to Vegas. Not only were my flights on time, they were early and I got back to Vegas hours before the noon start of day 3. My nightmare of sitting in Denver airport as my stack blinded off didn’t come true.
Now I was about to play day 3 of the main event having not slept in almost 48 hours. The mind is an amazing thing because I stayed focused and locked in all day and at the end of the marathon I had 152K going into day 4. I had no trouble sleeping that night.
Bubble day was a mix of anxiety and excitement for me. Of course I was excited to make the money but I had this feeling gnawing at me that I didn’t have much left. When it got to hand for hand it killed me. The slow pace for over an hour knocked me on my ass and my focus was gone. I could feel the last three weeks catching up to me like a locomotive and I was going down. I think making the money in a way was bad for my game because I lost the tension I needed to remain locked in.
I busted out shortly after when I ran my J7 into AA. I was in the BB (6K). The SB limped and I checked. Flop comes 10 7 2 rainbow. He bets 6500 and I think he’s lying so I re-raise to 17,500 with 59K behind. He shoves. I should’ve folded but like I said, I’d lost my focus and I called. He turns over AA! A 9 came on the turn increasing my outs but the 4 on the river sunk me and that was that. 637th out of 6484. I was stoked. A sense of relief washed over me as I left the Rio and a huge feeling of accomplishment. I cashed in my first main event. I set my mind to making it through the week and I did. Would I have liked to have gone deeper? Of course. Next year it’s on. Thanks to everyone at UB for making my life easier all week as well. Your support was invaluable!!
Last week UB hosted my second “Home Game” and it was a blast!! Vinnie Paul was first out for the second time in a row I believe. And that’s no knock on Vinnie’s game. Just bad luck. Guy rivered a flush against him. Kirk Hammett was tearing it up most of the game, taking down pot after pot and was the chipleader for a while. He lost a big pot, KK vs AA if I remember correctly and then got whittled away. I thought he was a lock for top 3. I had a crazy hand against Phil. I’ll let the picture do the talking!!! Greg Tribbett and I made the final table and finished 4th and 5th . Adam “Roothlus” Levy finished third, getting knocked out by the same guy that busted me and both of us against a set of 5’s!! BeantownBoy77 finished 2nd and won $1000 TD’s. Congrats to SMGKAG for taking it down and winning the Aruba package.
We’re planning Home Game #3 for the end of October. There will be some new faces there this time as well. Hope to see you there!!!
Cheers,
Scott
Tags: Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Aruba, Aruba Package, Aruba Poker Classic, Greg Tribbett, Kirk Hammett, Phil Hellmuth, Rio, summer, ub, Vegas, Vinnie Paul, WSOP
Comments (0)
Monday, March 2, 2009 - Scott Ian
If you haven’t heard yet, my online Home Game is March 11 8:30PM EST and it’s me, Slash, Kirk Hammett from Metallica, Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains and Vinnie Paul from Pantera, Damageplan, Hell Yeah, and Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke rounding it out to 7. We have 20 seats open for you to win. Click here for more info http://www.ultimatebet.com/poker-promotion/scott-ian-home-game and I’ll see you at my Home Game!!!
Had a good day one at the WPT Invitational yesterday. For a charity/ celeb tourney the structure was good and the blinds didn’t skyrocket instantly for an all-in fest. Matt Savage is the man!! The table I was at for 6 1/2 hours was pretty tight and no one really jumped out in front. Kevin Wiseman from the show Alias chipped up pretty good and was a good player. Late in the day Mekhi Phifer (Dawn Of The Dead!!) sat on my left and I got to talk to him about making what I consider to be the best horror movie re-boot ever. Dare I say I may even like the new Dawn Of The Dead better than the original. Blasphemy!!!!
Mekhi, whose charity The Vine Group raised over 80K, told me that getting to make dawn was one of those situations that as an actor he couldn’t believe he was being paid to be there it was that much fun.
Towards the end of the day I was pretty short-stacked after being card dead for what seemed like a week when I woke up with AKs on the button. One raise to 6K in front of me and I shoved (blinds were 1K-2K, 400 ante) and took it down and on the next hand had AA and I took the blinds and antes to get up to 50K. I got moved from my table for the last hand and ended up UTG with Chris Ferguson and Phil Laak on my right. Phil had a big stack, Chris short-stacked. I had 73 and folded and that was the end of the day. Ended up with 49,500 for day 2.
I made sure to get to the Commerce Casino on time today as I was starting in the BB and it was going to be 3K with a 500 ante. The field was down from 432 to 120 and the tables weren’t as soft as they were on day 1. I still had Ferguson and Laak on my right and actors Jon Hamm from the show Mad Men at around 140K and Kevin Wiseman at around 85K. We were 7 handed. Things started off really slow for me and I folded for 2 rounds which brought me down to 34K. They broke our table and the second hand I picked up at the new table UTG was A8os and I open shoved. The BB called with 75s and the flop came A 10 8. Turn was a 7, river bricked and I doubled up. I got moved again right after that hand. Just when I was really starting to like that table!
At the next table things were quiet for a few hands and then in middle position I picked up 99 and raised to 10K. Blinds were 2K – 4K 500 ante. BB calls. Flop comes J82 rainbow. I bet 15K, BB raises to 30K, I shove he calls. 99 vs A8. Turn 2, river 8. I flipped the table over and burned the hotel to the ground.
Well, I did in fakey land in my brain. There were around 100 left and if I double there I’m gonna make a deep run. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men…..Damn you Poker, why do you mock me!!!!
So I raced home from Commerce and jumped in the Sunday 200K 40 minutes late with $2790 in chips and I’m currently at $4894. Hope this goes better than the live tourney.
Cheers,
Scott
Tags: Alias, alice in chains, Annie Duke, Damageplan, Hell Yeah, Jerry Cantrell, Kevin Wiseman, Kirk Hammett, Matt Savage, Mekhi Phifer, Metallica, pantera, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Ian, Slash, Vinnie Paul, WPT Celebrity Invitational
Comments (0)
