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We also go over this week’s home game results.

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Time Stamps

I miss the ambience of my shabbat table, and the feeling of not being “the only one” treating it as “not just another regular day of the week.”

I miss my Dad.

I miss the ability to make myself hot food in the oven, on the stove, and having a microwave to heat up leftovers instead of leaving food to heat up in the 100-degree sun. Yeah, that’s a thing when you’re in a hotel on a summer shabbat.

I miss my home poker game friends.

To be sure, there’s plenty I DON’T miss…

But above all I really just miss actively being a husband and daddy, and I’m “ready” to go home.

But even after almost three weeks in Las Vegas, it’s STILL so hard to say goodbye to this magical place.

I’m going to miss walking into any poker room around the city and knowing I’ll recognize at least one friend (usually more) and have a hug waiting for me.

I’m going to miss being tapped on the shoulder by someone asking “hey, are you Robbie?”, and sharing that they listen to the podcast I host.

I’m going to miss wanting to play poker and knowing that a game is just minutes away instead of days away. That’s a biggie… I was able to play more and improve more during these three weeks than I do in an entire year back home.

I’m going to miss a great kosher restaurant called Mother Falafel that’s literally open 24/6 – perfect for an orthodox Jew like me – including at 3:30 am after winding up a poker session.

I’m going to miss being in “poker environments”, where people really understand me and what I do.

I’m going to miss looking into the distance and seeing the bright lights of the Strip, or further into the distance and seeing majestic desert beauty.

I’m going to miss meeting new and interesting people all the time, with whom I might have relatively little in common, and yet share so much more in cultural commonality than the overwhelming majority of people at home outside the little bubble I’ve created for myself in Israel.

I’m going to miss not paying attention to the news and being too busy and active doing, working, and playing versus “just sitting in front of my computer all day” with forced breaks to run to the supermarket or walk outside to pray on the balcony just to make sure I get out a little.

A Live Straddle, Worlds Apart

Perhaps I’m too open, emotional and public about the challenges I face. It’s not difficult to step back for a minute and realize just how fortunate I am… quite literally having the ability to live and experience “the best of both worlds.”

But simultaneously living in two worlds is very, very, VERY hard.

At home in Israel, I record and send audio files out into the ether. I click Publish only to feel like I can be productive and knock something off my to-do list. I send newsletters advertising a Mixed Game Festival and can barely find a soul who gives a damn.

Here in Las Vegas, my words resonate and are impactful. People listen. People read. People care. And they let me know! And they circle dates on their calendars and literally schedule trips around events I promote! All of that equals the most incredibly fulfilling professional feeling.

Here I have the exquisite privilege of rubbing shoulders with Hall of Famers and getting invited to attend Honors ceremonies… but I never have a “plus one”, as my queen, prince, and princesses are just so far, far away in the castle.

“When’s the next event, Robbie? When will you be back?”

I don’t know.

I just need my wife right now. I need my kids right now. And while I’ll miss this place and I’ll be missed here, I know my absence is felt where it matters most.

Having all the professional success, poker chips, diamonds, clubs, and spades in the world just isn’t the same as being flush with heart.

And home is where the heart is.

We got in touch with him to hear more about his new adventure in Las Vegas and to discuss his famous book on its 20th anniversary.

just finished Positively 5th Street by @jimbosweetness — thanks again @clayhebert for gifting it to me.

book is a wild ride that inspired me to build my own basement cellar casino. talk about taking action! pic.twitter.com/A8pQmcj0ai

— Ryan Kulp (@ryanckulp) November 26, 2022

The Anniversary of a Classic Poker Book

Younger players may not be familiar with the Jim’s book, so we asked him why they should read it. He told us: “If they have any interest in what the World Series of Poker was like in 2000, or in the murder of its host, Ted Binion, or in how an amateur prepared to play against pros to reach the final table of the Main Event, my book will tell them about it. If they’re interested in the rest of poker history, they should also read my other book, Cowboys Full.”

We had read that Jim’s book was going to be turned into a script for a television series, and he had some news on that topic, too. “The showrunner is Benjamin Cavell, screenwriter of the TV series ‘Justified’ and other shows. The writing and other aspects of production were on hold during the WGA writers strike, but he will ramp up again this week.”

My first and most generous guide to the #WSOP in 2000 was @FirstLadyPoker Linda Johnson. @WSOP pic.twitter.com/CGelxIJxkm

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) August 26, 2022

James made the WSOP Main Event final table 23 years ago, so we asked what memories he had have of that final table in particular. “Since it was my first tournament ever, it felt normal to be at the final table, but of course it wasn’t normal at all. After being chip leader late on the previous evening, I never won another hand, so after three days of playing well and running good, the last day was a nightmare and huge disappointment. It took me a while to understand how lucky I’d been during days 1-3.”

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Chris Moneymaker‘s triumph in the 2003 Main Event. In reflecting upon poker’s resurgent popularity over the last couple years, Jim said that “Three years of pent-up demand have led up to this point. And with all the new ways to cheat online, live tournaments, especially WSOP and WPT events, are sure to become even more popular.”

2000 #WSOP Main Event. Puggy and the guy from @Harpers. #PositivelyFifthStreet to become a limited series. pic.twitter.com/RbDIMLBAq1

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) August 17, 2022

We asked what memories he had about the late Doyle Brunson, to which Jim replied “He amazingly spanned the eras of the Texas road gamblers, helping to bring No Limit Hold’em to Vegas and introducing state of the art poker strategy in his books, through the early days of the WSOP, through the internet boom, to today, always among the best living players for seven decades. And he always did it with class and generosity. That is simply astonishing.”

He inspired me and millions of others. One of the greatest players ever but without an arrogant cell in his body. #RIPDoyle pic.twitter.com/JY1dbz0Oqu

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) May 15, 2023

A New WSOP Main Event and a New Book in the Works

You have plans to write a book about your experience at the 2023 WSOP. Tell us a little about it and what it will be about. “I’ll begin reporting on my action on June 15. It will definitely include lots of examples of how different the tournament is today from 2000, from the tiny Horseshoe venue in downtown Vegas to two huge hotels in the center of the Strip. Very few cell phones then; now everyone has one. Back then there were no GTO solvers or online training sites. They used to award 20 bracelets; now it’s almost 100. Players can even bring their dogs to the table.”

What events do you plan to play? How can those who are interested buy a percentage? “At least 10 events, mostly No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha with buy-ins less than $5K, as well as the $10K Main Event. To buy a percentage, please go to my Facebook page, right at the top. The markup is 1.2″.

Jim’s post on Facebook

Today the Main Event has a new venue and thousands of players. We asked Jim if he felt ready to play it considering his increased experience, to which he replied: “Today, far more players are competent at NLH, so it’s harder to build a big stack. To make the final table, you have to play well and #rungood for nine or 10 days instead of three. But I hope 23 years of study and playing tournaments gives me some advantages, though like everyone else in the field, I’ll be an extreme longshot to make the final table.”

Its believed by many that the 2006 WSOP Main Event attendance record of 8,773 could be broken in this year’s edition of the Main Event. Jim concurred. “All signs point to the record being broken, though unfortunately there are no more one-table $1k satellites, which is how I won my seat in 2000 (and many other times). Because of the idiotic UIGEA, American players also have fewer chances to win seats online than players in most other countries.”

10,011 players will enter the 2023 Main Event https://t.co/utEKE2a6LO

— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) June 11, 2023

To end off our conversation, we asked Jim what he likes most about poker, to which he responded: “I like many things about it. It’s our national card game, and increasingly the world’s. Tournaments let me compete for high stakes with a fairly modest buy-in investment. As a popular and potentially lucrative mind sport, poker satisfies my competitive urges long after I got too old to play physical sports. The WSOP is genuinely a world gathering, a chance to meet and compete against people of all ages and backgrounds, from every inhabited continent.”

Remembering the 2000 World Series of Poker Main Event

In 2000, James McManus traveled to Las Vegas to cover the Ted Binion murder trial and the WSOP Main Event. He tried his luck in a $1K Main Event satellite and with three players remaining he accepted a deal to win $6K and paid the difference to play in the tournament he had always dreamed of playing.

A total of 512 players signed up, surpassing the 1999 edition by 119. The best 45 participants would make it into the money and the champion would instantly become a millionaire, with a top prize of $1.5M. Jim started the day with 10K in chips and went into Day 2 with 35K. During Day 2 he was able to double up with K-K and was seated at a difficult table with Kathy Liebert, Daniel Negreanu, Mickey Appleman and Hasan Habib. He was able to survive the bubble by playing his favorite hand (98) and bagged 276K for Day 3, ranking third in the chip counts.

Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Jim

On Day 3 Jim shared a table with Mike Sexton, Annie Duke, T.J. Cloutier and Jeff Shulman, among others. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson had an incredible run, and after eliminating Shulman, the final table of six players was formed. Chris was the runaway chip-leader with 2.8M and in second place was the humble journalist playing in his first Main Event, with 554K in chips.

How did James do at the final table? To find out, we invite you to read the excellent book “Positively Fifth Street“. While 23 years have passed since that tournament, in just a few days McManus will play it again and possibly have another legendary story to tell about another deep run.

Good luck in Vegas, Jim!

This just-launched PokerGO promotion will see a lucky winner get a ticket to play in the final PokerGO Tour event of the year, from December 3-6 in Las Vegas. The event will have a guaranteed prize pool of $1,000,000 and a $500,000 prize awaits the champion. The tournament is open to the top 40 players in the official PGT rankings as well as a few very fortunate “Dream Seat” winners, one of whom could be you!

How does the PGT Championship Dream Seat Giveaway work?

Each person can claim up to 16 entries into the giveaway, by completing any/all of the following tasks via the official promotion portal:

• Subscribe to the PokerGO & PGT newsletter
• Visit PokerGO on YouTube
• Follow PokerGO on Twitter
• Retweet PokerGO on Twitter
• Visit PokerGO on Facebook
• Visit PokerGO on Instagram
• Watch a video on TikTok
• Subscribe to the PokerGO Podcast
• Follow the PokerGO Podcast on Spotify
• Join the PokerGO Discord server
• Refer Friends for Extra Entries
• Download the PokerGO app
• See What You’re Missing on PokerGO
• Check Out the Latest PGT Rankings
• Check Out PokerGO’s Best-Selling Merch
• Follow PokerGO on Twitch

The more requirements you meet, the more chances you have to win the Dream Seat.

We're giving away another Dream Seat to the 2023 PGT Championship!

Complete various tasks across PokerGO's social media pages to enter for free.

Winner to be drawn on September 30th.

– Find out more and start entering here: https://t.co/VMQIa5wySlhttps://t.co/3VDtkgts1d

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 11, 2023

Before you rush to enter the contest, there are two important points to keep in mind:

1. The Giveaway is open only to citizens and permanent legal residents of the United States of America
2. You’re only eligible to participate if you’re at least 21 years old.

You can see the full terms and conditions of the promotion at this link. The winner of this contest will be announced on September 30th.

More ways to win yourself a Dream Seat

In addition to the aforementioned contest, there will be three drawings among PokerGO’s annual subscribers to win a Dream Seat. The drawings will take place on June 6th, July 17th, and on a yet-to-be-announced third date. If you are not yet a PokerGO subscriber and want to participate in the draws, now is the ideal time to purchase an annual subscription.

What content is available on PokerGO? There’s plenty, including:

• Past WSOP Main Event editions
• World Series of Poker Europe
• High Stakes Poker
• Poker After Dark
• No Gamble No Future
• PokerGO Cup
• U.S. Poker Open
• PGT Championship
• Stairway To Millions
• Super High Roller Bowl

Plus, beyond the streams and broadcasts, there’s also loads of original programming like:

• Stories From The Felt
• High Stakes Feud
• Conversations With Phil Ivey
• Legends of the Game
• Pokerography

2022 PGT Championship

To illustrate just how star-studded the 2023 PGT Championship is likely to be, the 2022 edition of the PGT Championship featured 21 professional players including: Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Alex Foxen, Jeremy Ausmus, 2022 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad, Nick Petrangelo,  Benny Glaser and Stephen Chidwick, to name just a few. And to think that PokerGO is giving a lucky few a shot at playing against these absolute crushers is mindboggling.

Last year, the one who managed to take all the chips was Jason Koon, who defeated Sean Winter in the final match to claim the winner-take-all $500,000 prize. Koon ended 2022 with 18 cashes, 17 final tables and 2 titles, with winnings of $8,323,248. He was the third highest earning player last year after Espen Jorstad and Sam Grafton.

Photo: PokerGO

You can see the best plays of last year’s tournament in this video:

If all the stars align, the winner of the 2023 PGT Championship could be you! Go ahead and enter the contest, win yourself a Dream Seat and start prepping to compete with the best players in the world in Las Vegas. Good luck!

Only 40 players will earn seats in that final event, with the PGT leaderboard and select PGT Championship ‘Dream Seat’ winners desperate to play for their share of the million dollars. As well as starting the PGT Championship with the most chips, whoever earns the most PGT points during the year will be awarded a $50,000 bonus as the 2023 PGT Player of the Year.

This season, the PokerGO Cup, U.S. Poker Open, and Poker Masters will all feature a $50,000 championship bonus while the just completed PGT Mixed Games Series and forthcoming PGT PLO Series will each give a $25,000 championship bonus to whoever finishes top of the pile in those respective festivals. The 2023 PGT PLO Series will run from March 11-19, and be comprised of nine events with buy-ins ranging from $2,200 to $25,000.

The Weis Man of Mixed Games

One player who is very excited that the PLO Series is about to start is Dylan Weisman. Having won over $1.2 million at the live felt and made a run at the WSOP Player of the Year leaderboard in 2022, the popular Californian is a previous winner inside the PokerGO Studio at ARIA and believes that a Pot Limit Omaha series has been a long time coming.

“I am stoked that the PokerGO Tour is doing a PLO Series,” he says with a glint in his eye. “I’ve been asking them for more PLO high rollers for a long time they have been incredibly communicative. Tim (Duckworth), Paul (Campbell) and Cary (Katz) all ensure that the players are heard and I think it’s going to be the most fun series that I’ve ever played!”

In the PLO Series, the overall winner gets that $25,000 Championship bonus prize. But while that’s important, is it the same as bragging rights in this most exclusive of poker communities, the mixed game high roller set?

“It’s the cash for the majority of poker players,” says Dylan. “I think that winning PGT events is incredibly prestigious, being able to battle against the best in the world. With that being said you have to put the money up top and think about it from that perspective in my opinion.”

Making a Run for the Title

Cash may be king, but tournaments are where it’s at for Dylan and so many others. That cash is clearly important in terms of making the money. As with event series such as the PokerGO Cup, the events start out with a standard $10,000 High Roller event — a WSOP Main level buy-in — before ramping up in the latter events. With more points available in the latter events, is timing that momentum a priority, or is getting off to a fast start more vital to any player’s chances of winning the overall championship?

“It’s important to time yourself during the series but more so to prepare effectively before hands for the PGT PLO Series. I’ve been preparing physically in terms of working out, mentally in terms of meditation and breathwork and in terms of my poker game. Your job is not to pace yourself through the series; your job is to show up ready knowing that you’re going to be playing for 10 straight days.”

What’s Your Favorite Mixed Game?

That’s an elite mindset to be in and we’re not surprised Weisman is already in it. A former WSOP bracelet winner in 2021, when he took down the $1,000 buy-in PLO 8-Handed event for over $166,000, Weisman, who defeated Craig Chait that day for the gold is a fan of all mixed games.

“I think my favorite mixed game is deuce-to-seven triple draw. I was looking forward to it so much I played a satty and won it yesterday!” he laughs. As well as winning a WSOP bracelet in 2021, he followed that victory up with a PGT trophy lift in 2022, winning Event #10 of the U.S. Poker Open. That too was in Pot Limit Omaha, although it cost a massive $25,000 to enter.

Image credit: PokerGO

Beating Cary Katz heads-up to win that top prize of $416,500 – the largest cash of his career at the live felt – Weisman is proud to be part of the mixed game poker sub-set.

“I definitely think that mixed game players benefit from having a smaller community,” he tells us. “It’s very similar to the PLO community; we’re all part of this smaller eco system and we’ve very incentivized to keep it going. There’s a lot going on in terms of people working together, making sure the games run. When you have a smaller community, everyone knows each other, and you get a lot of diverse personalities – it is really cool.”

Is PLO Still a Niche Game?

Beyond winning, Weisman has done his part to grow the game as well, having created PLO Launchpad for Upswing Poker. Pot Limit Omaha’s growth is recent years is well documented. For many, it’s the far less solvable game of all the poker variants, with the sheer degree of variance meaning it is a lot harder to win in the short or even medium term by employing standard moves and strategies.

“I do still think that mixed games are niche.” Weisman agrees. “I think that there’s a lot more growth to be had in mixed games and the amount of training [for them] is going up all the time, in terms of if its best for the bankroll or not. For poker, its more important to find something that you can continue to do sustainable for a long period of time, no matter what the game or format is; that’s your job.”

Dylan Weisman’s job is winning big at poker and so often has he proved himself capable of doing so in PLO events, it’s almost expected that he’ll do so again in the upcoming PGT PLO Series. Whether the toughest opponents lie in wait for him or not, Weisman’s love of PLO is inspiring and proves that if you’re prepared to work hard at something that you’re passionate about, there are no limits to what you can achieve.

NFL Pro Bowl – February 5, 2023

If the NFL Draft in 2022 is any indication of what to expect in February, then the poker rooms will be packed! Vegas will without a doubt put on a show for the NFL Pro Bowl. Since becoming home to the Raiders, Las Vegas has naturally seen an increase in tourism during the NFL season. Many of these fans also enjoy playing poker. Naturally this has been great for poker rooms in the city and being able to find games during the football season. Just imagine what it will be like when more than 65,000 people come to Las Vegas for the Pro Bowl. This is one game that will be packed with fans, media, and players who most likely will indulge themselves with some gambling or perhaps a session or two of poker.

NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball West Regional – March 23 & 25, 2023

March Madness is already traditionally a crazy time in Vegas. Many sports bettors descend upon the city to have quick access to sportsbooks during this time of year. A lot of these bettors will find themselves at the poker tables while they pass the time watching or waiting for games, especially as numerous hotel properties situate their sports books adjacent to their poker rooms. Games can often get crazy as some bettors might already be tilted from a lost bet because of an upset. To add to all that the dates announced for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games, respectively, are a Thursday and Saturday. This means that there is a high probability that fans will be arriving as early as Wednesday March 22 and staying until the Sunday March 26. This could be a great time to come to Las Vegas to play some poker.

Formula 1 – November 16-18, 2023

Racing fans and teams absolutely freaked out when Formula 1 announced in March of 2022 that they would be returning to Las Vegas! It has been 40 years since the last Formula One World Championship has been held in Las Vegas. Its parent company, Liberty Media, has purchased 39 acres of land on the northeast corner of Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane. There has been lots of speculation about what the land will be used for, but the gossip is that it will be used as an attraction for fans when F1 is not in town.

There is of course the possibility that perhaps PokerStars and Resorts World might host a tournament with future F1 package giveaways as part of the prize. Many F1 fans happen to also love playing poker. Take a look at what the search results show when you search for “Formula One Poker”; expect poker games to be wild in November!

Take a look at our route through the Nevada Neon #F1 #Formula1 #LasVegasGP @Vegas @WynnLasVegas @MGMResortsIntl @CaesarsEnt pic.twitter.com/Iq9hTfZOm0

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 31, 2022

Fontainebleau – Late 2023

Some of you may already be familiar with this building as it has sat on the Las Vegas Strip unfinished for over a decade. This casino and hotel resort already has a checkered history starting back in 2005. Since then, it’s been sold a couple of times before the original owner, Jeffrey Soffer, (re)purchased the property in February 2021. It’s difficult to say for sure what will happen, but construction has started on the property again. Soffer says that he intends to mostly stick to his original plans from 2006 when the project was originally announced, with some minor tweaks. The floor plans from 2006 show there is space for a poker room and some of the artist renderings show a “poker room” but appears to be more of a gaming salon. Poker players can cross their fingers in hopes that a new poker room will be opening sometime in late 2023.

Hard Rock Las Vegas – 2023?

In 2022, it was announced that MGM would be selling the Mirage to the Hard Rock. While its cool that there will be a new Hard Rock in Las Vegas its sad to learn that we will be losing the Mirage. The Mirage is one of the most iconic casinos for poker. It will forever be remembered as the place that Mike McDermott was thinking about in Rounders when he said, “I want him to think I am pondering a call, but all I’m really thinking about is Vegas and the fuckin’ Mirage.”

Some players are speculating already that since the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida has a poker room that it only makes sense for them to open a poker room in Las Vegas. If they do, I am sure it will be welcomed by poker players who saw many poker rooms shut down for good in the past two years. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure if a poker room will be opening until the Hard Rock announces their plans for the casino games.

With many projects still to be announced and others to be finished in 2024, there are poker players from all walks of life coming to Vegas. There are plenty of things that will attract different poker players all year round. If you can’t make it to Vegas during the dates mentioned above, don’t worry. There are always  lots of things happening in Vegas and a seat at the poker table waiting for you.

1. Horseshoe Renovations have started

It has been about nine months since Caesars Entertainment announced that Bally’s would be rebranded to The Horseshoe Las Vegas. If this is the first time that you have heard about it, here is a quick summary of what happened. Caesars Entertainment sold the Bally’s brand to Bally’s Corporation, formally Twin River Worldwide Holdings. They then announced that they would bring back the Horseshoe brand to Las Vegas.

The Flamingo poker room had just been shut down and as a result there were a lot of rumors going around about what would happen to the poker room at Bally’s. Many of those rumors were debunked quickly as the poker room staff shared with players that the poker room would stay open and that they were going to receive a renovation with upgrades to improve the gaming experience. The rumors started again this year when the WSOP began; they had temporarily shut down the poker room in Bally’s. It was a relief to many players to see a very temporary setup pop up in Bally’s while they renovate the poker area. Many poker players look forward to seeing the Horseshoe open and with it a new poker room!

Super temporary Bally’s poker room update. Staff says plan is to build a large, permanent flagship poker room for Horseshoe. Binion’s Horseshoe was the home of the original WSOP. (h/t @JamesInLasVegas) pic.twitter.com/Nq7geHx5lZ

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 26, 2022

2. More Mixed Games; cash and tournaments

Before the 2022 series there were a few mixed games happening in Vegas but there were only 1 or 2 rooms that had legit mixed games running regularly outside of Omaha. It was harder to find low- to medium-stakes mixed games unless you went on specific days when games were scheduled. If you are new to mix games, you can read the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Poker Guide to get you familiar with the different variants.

While the WSOP was running I started to notice something that I had not ever seen before. I wondered if Vegas was like this when I first moved here since I was not playing as much poker as I am now. During the summer you could find different daily tournaments and some featured tournaments depending on where you went. I saw a lot of Omaha 8 and Stud tournaments. Now that the series is over, the options of tournaments have expanded. Much like in online casinos such as Betsquare, the competition for your discretionary dollars is fierce and on any given day you may be able to find a tournament for the following games:

• HORSE
• Omaha 8
• Omaha/Stud 8
• Crazy Pineapple
• Mixed – Badugi, Razz, Stud 8, A-5 triple draw, Super stud 8, and 2-7 triple draw
• Dealers Choice
• Big O

Make sure to double check the Poker Atlas or Bravo Poker Live apps, or the casino that you plan to stay at, so that you don’t miss out on tournament time and location.

3. Poker rooms are answering their phones!

Did you know that poker rooms in Vegas do not answer phones during the summer while the WSOP is happening? Players must physically go to the poker room in person and put their name on the list or if they know someone who is there, they can ask them to put your name on the list as a call in. Waiting lists during the series can get extremely long; so long, in fact, that you cannot even see your name on the list! Now that the series is over, locals and tourists can call ahead and get their name on the list. Wait times are back to normal, too. It does not take long to get a seat. Just in case there is a list, you can call ahead to get your name on there!

4. Not playing poker 24/7

The World Series of Poker represents that one time of year that players from all around the world will make the trip to the world’s poker mecca. Many players, including Las Vegas locals, will go from playing a few times a week to putting in as much volume as humanly possible. Not everyone does this, but when the WSOP is in town you must realize that it tends to be a very profitable time for players.

As such, right after the WSOP ends it’s common to see most poker rooms that were packed for weeks become absolute ghost towns. I like to take a break after the series and just let myself unwind and take my mind off poker for a little bit. Just before I did take my break, I went to go play a quick session while I was waiting for someone. I walked over to Caesars Palace to find that the poker room was empty and had zero games going. So, I decided to walk over to Bellagio only to find that their poker room was almost empty, too, with only a couple games running. This was at 11AM on a Sunday! I checked Bravo and Poker Atlas and found that there were only a handful of games running throughout the city!

I went to go play poker yesterday around 11 AM. It was crazy to find that @CLVPoker was closed. There were no live cash games at @WSOP and when I walked over to @BellagioPoker the room was pretty empty. Its like poker just stopped after six weeks of summer action.

— Criminal Bizzy (@Criminal_Bizzy) July 18, 2022

5. It has been raining… a lot

Rain in Las Vegas is not unusual, but it does not happen very often. The heat has been extreme and there is a water crisis as the levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell reach record lows. Since I moved to Las Vegas, I have only seen it rain enough to cause flooding once. In the past couple of years, it has rained but it is typically for a short amount of time and the water dries up within a matter of hours. Over the past week or two there has been so much rain that every casino has been affected. Its all that has been talked about at the poker tables.

When you’re on a roll at the casino, you’re on a roll. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ FOX5 viewer Elijah Loucks shared video as rain poured into the Fremont Hotel & Casino on Thursday night in downtown Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/E14ElUJMm0

— FOX5 Las Vegas (@FOX5Vegas) July 29, 2022

The event will be held from 7-10 pm in the Poker Room of the MGM Grand Casino, located on the city’s Strip. Cash games with low stakes of $1/$2 and $2/$5 will be played and over and above that, $10,000 worth of WPT prizes will be raffled off to the participants.

This is the ideal opportunity to bring a friend who is learning to play poker or is eager to learn, as the atmosphere is guaranteed to be friendly and fun. In addition, that friend will receive a special gift.

So excited to announce the inaugural @WPT Ladies Meet Up Game at @MGMGrandPoker!

July 2nd, 7-10pm

Bring a friend who is new to poker for a special prize

Over $10K in WPT giveaways!

Please DM me to be added to the player list – space is limited pic.twitter.com/MPdboJOLQ3

— Jamie Kerstetter (@JamieKerstetter) June 27, 2022

Here are the main highlights of what to expect at the WPT Meet Up Game:

• When? Saturday, July 2nd
• At what time? From 7-10 pm
• Where? MGM Poker Room Las Vegas
• Cash Games: $1/$2 and $2/$5
• $10K in prizes donated by the WPT

The meet-up also presents a great opportunity to meet some of the top women in poker, including Kristen Bicknell, Kyna England, Xuan Liu, and Jamie Kersetter, all of whom are guaranteed to be in attendance.

Other well-known, accomplished ladies in poker who will be present include Lynn Gilmartin, Lupe Soto, Natalie Hof Ramos, Cathy Zao, Veronica Brill, Ebony Kenney, Lindsey Israd, Danielle White, Ashley Sleeth, Nemo (Qiyu Zhou), Lisa Pickell, Ruth Hall and Angelica Hael.

Meet Up Game attendees can look forward to a rollicking good time with all these female poker personalities, as well as utilize the opportunity to chat and even ask some poker strategy questions and other advice about the poker world.

The voices of the protagonists

We asked Cathy Zhao, the World Poker Tour’s Senior Director of Global Tour Management, about the $10,000 in extra added prizes to be distributed at the Meet Up Game and she kindly gave Cardplayer Lifestyle the exclusive: “We will be awarding WPT Passports worth $1,100 each. The MGM Grand Poker Room team will draw a table randomly and then do a “splash pot”: The players play a regular cash game hand where, in addition to the pot, the winner will get the extra prizes. Also we will be giving $50 ShopWPT gift cards to any player who brings a new female to play.”

The organizers are expecting a full house at the event, so Zhao strongly suggested that interested players reserve their spots in advance: “There are limited tables reserved for the Ladies Meet Up Game, and if you are interested in playing, you can shoot an email to [email protected] to reserve a seat, or DM me on Twitter; otherwise, guests are free to call MGM Grand to be added to the waiting list”.

As for what the attendees can expect at the first ever WPT Ladies Meet-Up Game, Zhao excitedly remarked: “We are hoping to provide an environment where the guests are comfortable and relaxed to learn or play the game. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional poker player or entry level or whatever occupation you may be. We welcome any lady to join us and share your story with poker. If you are in Las Vegas, come by for a fun time. Whether you just want to play a hand or two, or even if you want to just drop by and check it out, we would love for you to stop by to say hello.”  

Finally, Cathy also had some special closing words: “I would like to give a special shout out to Jamie Kerstetter as the event wouldn’t happen without her dedication and effort.”

We also reached out to Women in Poker Hall of Famer Lupe Soto for comment, to ask what she would say to women who don’t dare to play live and this is what she told us: “Poker can be a pretty intimidating place. The good news is as women we have navigated through a great many of life’s obstacles to get where we are. Poker is no different.  I suggest they visit a poker room with the intention of only observing. Look around the room, talk to the staff, watch some of the action and when you’re ready, register with the front desk and play at a limit where you are comfortable. Smaller buy in tables are a great way to start.  And if you’d like, ask a friend to go with you, even if they don’t play!”

When asked about her expectations for the Meet Up Game, Soto replied “When women unite around anything, it’s powerful. The Meet Up is made up of women who are committed to creating opportunities and celebrating the successes of women in the game. This is going to be one of the times where we can meet around the table of the game we love and chat at the same time about issues that are important. And mostly? We’ll have a blast!”

Natalie Hof Ramos also shared with us some tips for women just starting to play live poker: “I think ladies events are a good start to get involved in live poker. I also think it’s good to have a save spot, a friendly community to evolve in the game and have Allies and friends to go to play live together. We’ve created the Herzdamen Club exactly because of that reason. Any woman is welcome to join. Just come hang out and play for fun. Maybe you will like it and even if not you will have had a great evening with great women and hopefully nice drinks :-)”.

The invitation has been extended to all the women in Las Vegas this weekend. Now it’s up to you to head to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and have a great time!

So, I’m proud to release some additional announcements about the festival that everyone who attends will be able to enjoy.

While there’s no tournament this time around, the cash games will be running 24/7 in the poker room, and each day of the festival will feature a special poker book signing event:

Sunday June 12

At 11am, WSOP bracelet winner Dylan Linde will be signing copies of his book Mastering Mixed Games, available for purchase at a discounted price of $25.

Monday June 13

At 11am, 2x WSOP Circuit Ring winner and poker media personality Bernard Lee will be signing copies of his book Poker Satellite Success!, available for purchase at a discounted price of $20.

Tuesday June 14

At 3pm, WSOP bracelet winner Chris Wallace will be signing copies of his brand new book Getting Started With HORSE (co-authored with Michael and Robert Mizrachi) at a discounted price of $20. Chris will also have copies of his other book, Short Stack Ninja, available for purchase and signing.

Wednesday June 15

At 11am, 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer will be signing copies of his book Fossilman’s Winning Tournament Strategies, available for purchase at a discounted price of $25.

Thursday June 16

At 11am, Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra will be signing copies of his autobiography Pulling the Trigger for a discounted price of $15.

* A portion of all proceeds derived from the book sales will be donated to charity, specifically Poker Gives, which distributes funds to assist military families, homeless vets, and youth programs in Las Vegas.

Freebie Merch and More

Moreover, throughout the inaugural Mixed Game Festival, we’ll be giving away lots of FREE swag:

• Multiple $100 gift vouchers from the PokerStars Store
• A variety of apparel from PokerGO
• Gift bags from BBO Poker Tables
• Limited edition T-shirts from RunGoodGear
• 2-deck set ups from Faded Spade Playing Cards
• and more!

Plus, don’t forget that you still have until the end of the Mixed Game Festival (June 16) to take advantage of our exclusive 25% discount on Upswing Poker’s Mixed Game Mastery course by Jake Abdalla as well as ALL other Upswing Poker courses. Be sure to use the promo code: mixedgamefest. Check out the full details of this offer here.

A number of well known names and faces from the poker industry have also confirmed to me privately that they’ll be popping in to say hi during the festival, so be sure to bring your selfie-ready poker faces, as you might be seated next to a poker celebrity!

The Grand Prize: Details

Finally, if all of that’s not enough for you, don’t forget our Grand Prize!

For every hour you play during the Mixed Game Festival, you’ll receive an additional entry into our random drawing, which will take place on Thursday evening June 16, for a PokerStars Live Event Package.

The package includes a €400 buy-in, flights and hotel for a European Road to PSPC event.

Take your pick from stops in eight countries, including: France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Belgium or Slovenia, where you’ll get a dream trip plus a shot at winning a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship — to be held January 30-February 3, 2023 in the Bahamas — worth approximately $30,000!

If you haven’t yet made your travel plans, rooms at Resorts World Las Vegas are still available at discounted rates from June 12-16. Make sure that you use promo code YYPKR when booking online or mentioning it when calling directly 1-833-930-3888).

Be sure to spread the word among your mixed game-loving friends, and I look forward to seeing you soon in Las Vegas!

But at the 2022 WSOP that may change, as T.J. Jurkiewicz took the trouble to analyze the healthiest dining options on the Las Vegas Strip and compiled them into a free book called “WSOP Healthier Eating Guide“.

We spoke to T.J. about his life, the many poker tournaments he’s played, his work and his new book.

First live tournaments

Timothy has Polish ancestry, but was born and raised in New Jersey. From 2013 to 2018 he was living in Maryland and in 2018 he moved to Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps.

He started playing live tournaments in 2014 and his first final table was at the Parx Casino’s Big Stax VIII, where he placed eighth winning $7.6K. In 2016 he claimed his first title when he won a $300 Maryland Casino Live! event for $6.2K. His Hendon Mob profile shows lifetime career earnings of $110K.

In December of last year he played some cash games at The Lodge poker room in Round Rock, Texas and shared a table with 4x WSOP bracelet winner Mike Matusow. You can catch some of that action in the video below.

 

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A post shared by T.J. Jurkiewicz | Nutrition Coach (@tj_jurk)

Playing for a bracelet during the 2019 WSOP

T.J.’s best tournament result so far came during the 2019 WSOP, where he played the final table of Event #57 Tag Team. He and his friend Zach came very close to winning their first bracelets, finishing fourth. Their elimination came on a classic coin-flip: Their A-Ks lost to an opponent’s 5-5 and each team member netted $26K for fourth place.

Speaking to us about that deep run, T.J. reflected, “Placing fourth in the Tag Team event in 2019 was a surreal experience. I chose my partner, Zach Gruneberg, because we had become good friends in years past and in 2019 we were actually filming a vlog series called ‘Behind the Grind.’ We were a perfect pair to play in that event, as my background in poker was playing cash games 98% of the time and he was playing tournaments probably 100% of the time. I played the entire first day of the tournament and bagged a pretty good stack for us. I played the beginning of Day 2 and lost a few tough pots early and then Zach took over when we dipped below 50 BBs and I don’t think I played more than six hands the rest of the tournament, which was totally fine with me as playing that stack size was his bread and butter. I did get to play and win a pot at the final table when he had to run to the bathroom so I’ll always have that on my poker resume!”

T.J. and Zach during the final table. Photo: Jamie Thompson / PokerNews

When asked what his 2022 WSOP plans were, T.J. replied, “Honestly, I am so busy building the business and servicing my clients that I won’t have much time to spend playing tournaments for entire days this summer. I definitely will play the Tag Team event with Zach again and I would like to play the $1,500 Monster Stack, as that has been my favorite event since I’ve been coming to the WSOP. I might sprinkle a few of the other smaller large field lottery tickets events if I find the time but we will see!”

New philosophy of life and nutritional coaching project

T.J. also recently posted a “10 year challenge” photo of himself on his social channels, where his body showed a great transformation. We asked him about it and here’s what he had to say: “I have struggled with my weight since I was in high school, where I peaked at right around 300 pounds. I became obsessed with learning everything I could about nutrition at that point. Along that timeline, I would try all these various fad diets I would read about and they all resulted in me gaining a lot of the weight back.”

T.J. Jurkiewicz 10 year challenge

He added: “There is a lot of very poor nutrition advice doled out to this day that is widely accepted. I realized I needed to have a healthier, sustainable relationship with food, and when COVID lockdowns happened I decided to get properly educated and dedicate myself to learning from trusted sources about nutrition. So, I studied and eventually received my nutrition coaching certification from Precision Nutrition. I had thoughts of becoming a nutrition coach and helping others in the areas that I struggled with for 15 years, which is what I currently do.”

Thus was born T.J.’s idea of founding All In Fitness Coaching: “After I got certified, I slowly started taking on 1-on-1 clients and realized how passionate I was about this as a career. I opened an LLC, got all of the paperwork done to make it official, and have been adding clients to the point where I have a lot of them now. I played poker professionally full-time starting in 2013 and did that all the way up until COVID happened. Now, I’ve shifted my focus to nutrition coaching and helping others. I believe that my experience both struggling with my weight for 16+ years as well as having that experience of being a full-time poker player allows me the unique opportunity to help others in this field. I wish that I knew what I know now 10 years ago because it would have saved me a lot of frustration, but I can find solace in the fact I can now help others avoid those same frustrations I experienced.”

Here’s what one happy customer, Matt Affleck, had to say:

I’ve been working w TJ all year for my weight loss journey. His approach, while taking basic health principals, promotes dieting that is easy and sustainable. Simple changes we can make daily for ever, rather than crash dieting on chicken / rice. Highly rec to anyone struggling https://t.co/0XYvIfw1il

— Matthew Affleck (@mcmattopoker) May 10, 2022

On working with poker players he told us: “I work with several poker players, one of whom you might know, Matt Affleck. Matt hired me at the beginning of this year after entering into a weight loss challenge bet with other poker players. He’s been an A+ client, always trusting the process and he actually hit his goal weight for the 5-month period just four months into our time working together. He’s down 27 pounds so far and, more importantly, I know that he is building the confidence that he knows he will keep the weight off. I’m confident that given the success we have had working together, he is going to have a phenomenal summer at the WSOP. I’m calling it now: he will win his first bracelet!”

The first healthy guide to the WSOP

We asked T.J. how he came up with the idea of creating his WSOP healthy eating guide: “With being the first year of the WSOP being located on the Strip, I thought people would want to know what dining options were nearby within walking distance, where they could access healthier food options. I essentially just wanted people to be able to make overall better decisions with their food choices during the series to enable them to feel and play their best.”

We also asked T.J. about the advantages for players who maintain a healthy diet during the WSOP: “I believe that feeling your best physically will allow you to make the most optimal decisions at the poker table. When you make a deep run in some of these tournaments, and the field is getting tougher and tougher with each elimination, I truly feel like you need to have every possible edge you can have. When Darren Elias 3-bets your open, you don’t want to be holding your stomach regretting the double bacon cheeseburger and fries (with a milkshake) you crammed down 90 minutes earlier. You want to be focused on making the best possible decisions and I believe you can help put yourself in that spot by fueling yourself properly through your food choices.”

WSOP Healthier Eating Guide drops tomorrow morning.

Quick video explaining how it works and why it was made:https://t.co/yC85WAnlE7

— TJ Jurkiewicz (@tj_jurk) May 22, 2022

Eating healthy in Las Vegas

So, if T.J. had to choose three places to eat healthy food in Las Vegas what would they be?

“In terms of walking distance from Bally’s and Paris: Yard House at Linq Promenade, PF Chang’s at Planet Hollywood and Ocean One in Miracle Mile Mall. You can look up the best food options from these places in the guide that I wrote.”

T.J. continued, “In terms of Las Vegas as a whole: For meal prep I like The Good Life Chef the best. I’ve been using them for quite a while myself and what makes them stand out is they don’t make bland bodybuilding style meals. They specialize in healthier Asian style dishes so I highly recommend trying the beef bulgogi, chicken adobo, and grilled sweet spicy sticky chicken. Everything there is good but these three are top tier. If you use my code TIM15 you will get 15% off of your order and they will deliver anywhere in town. Just get orders in by Thursday at midnight and they will deliver the meals to you on Sunday. They also list all calorie and macronutrient counts so you know exactly what you’re getting in each meal.”

“The other two options for me would be: Greens and Proteins and Protein House. Both of these restaurants specialize in healthier, nutrient dense foods and what I like most about them is they list out all of their calorie and macronutrient counts so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body,” T.J. added.

The famous “Poker Kitchen” at the Rio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. Photo: PokerNews

Tips for WSOP players

Finally, we asked T.J. for three pieces of healthy eating advice he’d give people attending the WSOP. Here’s what he had to say:

1. Prioritize protein at every meal. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient and it will give you your best bang for your buck in terms of keeping you fuller for longer periods of time, which will come in huge during long tournament days. Make protein the primary food source for your entrees and you’ll be on the right path.
2. Get fibrous carbohydrates and avoid simple carbs. Fibrous carbs include apples (eat the skin, that’s where the most fiber is), strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. Stay away from simple carbs like candy, sugar filled drinks, syrups, table sugar, fruit juice concentrate, and anything loaded with added sugars like cookies or breakfast cereals.
3. Eat healthy fats. You want to go with a good quality extra virgin olive oil (you get what you pay for with olive oil), avocados, almonds, dark chocolate (85% or above). All of these healthy fats have been linked to increased cognitive function; just be careful not to over indulge on them, as they are calorically dense. For meats, stick to grass-fed beef and wild caught salmon whenever possible, if you’re able to cook at an AirBnb.

T.J. had one last important clarification to add: “The WSOP is not a time that you should be trying to diet and lose weight. The time to do that is from August through May. WSOP should be a time that you are giving your body an adequate level of calories and balanced macronutrients so that you are feeling your best and most energized. I understand that people come out here and want to have a good time with friends they haven’t seen in a while, but you need to treat it as a business trip as well. Don’t go out drinking until 3am the night before you know you are going to be playing an earlier tournament. Save those nights for when you know you have a day off the following day. Find a good middle ground between being healthy while still enjoying yourself.”

We invite you to download T.J.’s guide before you travel to Las Vegas so that you’re fully prepared to get the best healthy food options on the Strip and be at your healthiest while bracelet hunting.

The “WSOP Healthier Eating Guide” is officially live!

Download your free copy below:https://t.co/D4ZunqvHos pic.twitter.com/3ojUYflKBH

— TJ Jurkiewicz (@tj_jurk) May 23, 2022