It's almost time to go to the Commerce for the WPT event.  I'm going to play in the $10K H.O.R.S.E. on the 16th of this month.  Matt Savage is responsible for adding this game and it was a brilliant move.  A lot of us wouldn't be going this early but the H.O.R.S.E. will bring us.  I also think there will be lots of cash games.

I'm almost through Season 3 of the old miniseries, "Dallas".  As I was watching J.R. Ewing in his role, I noticed his hat with a feather band around it.  About 10 years ago, Irwin Molansky, who produced Dallas, gave me that hat when he found out I was a fan of the show.  I think it is in my garage, I'm going to check it out.  It has been a couple of decades since Louise and I watched this series and she can't believe I still remember what happened.  I guess it's just a poker player's memory.  It's a really lazy time for me.  I can't seem to get any enthusiasm for anything.  Besides watching Dallas, there are Oscar-winning movies on a movie channel and I've been watching the great "oldies" like, "An Officer and a Gentleman", "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "Gone With the Wind", and the best of all, "The Godfather" trilogy.  I hate it when I get in a funk like this and I've got to snap out of it.  I need to start eating healthy and get out on the golf course.  The trouble with playing golf is I hurt for two or three days afterwards.  Nobody ever said getting old was for sissies.

ESPN called me and they are coming to my house to film.  They are doing a documentary on "Jimmy The Greek", who I knew very well.  Jimmy Snyder was a columnist for the Las Vegas Sun back in the early 70's.  He is the guy that stuck the "Texas Dolly" nickname on me because I was trying to avoid publicity.  Jimmy went on to become a national celebrity when he became the football analyst on CBS with Brent Musburger.  "The Greek" as we called him, was a unique guy and also endorsed my first Super System book.

The old group of poker players called the Texas Rounders is getting smaller and smaller.  David Baxter from Corpus Christi, Texas passed from a long illness.  He was instrumental in getting tournament poker started and he won several events before he retired back to Texas.  The only remaining player I can think of out of the professional players that brought Texas Hold'Em to Vegas, are Crandell Addington, Aubrey Day, James "Goody" Roy, Bobby Hoff and Carl McKelvey.  I miss those guys that have died and I remember and miss the great times we shared.

Michael Phelps is getting a lot of flak about his picture smoking dope.  It's too bad, he is a nice kid but he has to realize his every move is scrutinized and he can't make mistakes like that.  He has lost lots of money because he has lost some major endorsement deals.  I think Michael will get back on track.  Remember, he is a 23 year old kid.

-DB