Release the Hounds!!!

Today is Thursday, April 27th. I fired off the first official email announcement to my rather large distribution list, touting the sale of shares for this year's edition of Monkey's WSOP Grinders....also known, and probably more popularly, as Monkey's Minions. In rather expedient fashion...I quickly sold 40 shares...which is only 10 shares short of sending our first team member. The goal is to send 5 again like last year....but I would love it if we could get 7 or 8 on the team. We have, basically, 60 days to make this happen. The WSOP Main Event starts July 9th. 

Here is the letter/email that went out yesterday:

   

Couple things: When going through one, two...or even three (yes, that's me, three!) computers since last summer...you sometimes tend to lose certain VERY IMPORTANT files when attempting to carry over all your vital info. I just spent three hours this morning going through my whole hard drive trying to locate last year's list of investors...which, once located and MUCH to my delight, also happened to have all of 2014's investor info!

 

Hence...everyone who participated the first two years in my special event...sort of a 'Make-a-Wish' type of deal, only for poker players...not for terminally ill children. And now, I honestly feel terrible for even using that as an analogy. But not horribly bad since I donate monthly to St. Jude's and Shriner's. It was just a thinly-veiled reference!

 

Now...you would think with all the emails I've been getting the past couple weeks (even three payments for shares!) that the WSOP Main Event was starting next week! Relax! It's not starting until about July 7th. So we have a full 2 months to get this year's team together.

 

In 2014...we sent FOUR players. None cashed, regrettably. Though on the basis of being the deepest finisher (by far) Wild Bill Phillips was invited back in 2015. He rewarded us by being the first Grinder...who have come to be affectionately known as 'Monkey's Minions' to cash. So...as we raised enough to send FIVE players...we finally got a little return on our collective investment, about 75% of what we paid. Now...Wild Bill, who last year ALSO won my March Madness Pool (and almost won again this year-finishing third, out of 769 entries!) will represent this year's team once again...

 

Bill just happens to own and operate the poker website that gave me a forum to voice my views, opinions and everything else back in 2008. Over 700 posts later, I've developed a pretty loyal following of blog readers...and admittedly, it made doing something of this magnitude a LOT easier than it would be for some random Tom-Dick-and Harry type poker pro. Adding to the ease with which this has gone down...is the access to my nearly 2000-person mailing list for my sports pools.

 

SO! For those who are past investors...you don't need any explanation, I don't think. It's the SAME BALL GAME! $200 per share! 50 shares sold, sends ONE team member. Sell 100, send two....and so on! Last year, we sold 250 shares...raising $50,000...and sent FIVE players.

 

What is my 'cut' in all this? ZILCH! Nothing! In fact, I invested about $1300 of my own money last summer to outfit our team in hats, hoodies and t-shirts. I personally bought 15 shares (for $3000) and rooted like crazy to just break even! Bill had a great run...but in the end...his KK went down in flames, just like mine did in 2012 during my deep run. I was derailed by 10-10. Bill by AQ. (anyone wanting to 'chip in' an extra few bucks to help cover the cost for all the poker schwag, I would be extremely grateful!)

 

WHO ARE THE PLAYERS? HOW ARE THEY CHOSEN? WHEN DO WE LEARN THEIR IDENTITY? These are some popular questions. Basically, I started an application process weeks ago. I have a very large file of people who are clamoring for the chance to play in the (for some) 'Once-in-a-Lifetime' biggest poker tournament in the world...which offers $10,000,000 to the eventual winner...and where all 9 players making the final table all win at least a million bucks!

 

The investors are asked to TRUST IN MONKEY that I will make the best possible choices for team members. I take into account a LOT of factors. One of the biggest being getting a player who is right for the type of tournament format/structure that the WSOP Main Event uses. A player with discipline, patience, and an ability to observe, study and predict the actions of their opponent. Cash game specialists are the LAST type of player I would ever recruit. This tournament IS the ultimate marathon.

 

(DISCLAIMER: last year, we had some second-guessing that came into play. It was a painful distraction. Let me say this...if you do NOT THINK that after ten years of doing this full time, and while putting in a large chunk of my OWN money...that I am not qualified to put the best team possible on the felt? Or you are thinking about telling me that you might invest, but won't do so unless I TELL YOU who the players are? Or insist on being involved in the selection process? Or are basically just a highly critical, second-guessing person by nature? This, then...is not for you. Seriously...please do not even CONSIDER getting involved. I, my players, and most of my investors, do not want you. You can delete this email RIGHT NOW. Thanks)

 

Is it a personality contest? No. However...it is nice to have some players with a little personality. Some character! We want players who will do a good job of communicating with the investment group...giving reasonably timely updates, for instance. Showing up for group functions. A player who gets named to the team...who then goes and promotes him or herself to friends and family to sell shares, not only to support them...but their teammates. I also look for players who's presence on the team will/would make for a nice story should they get deep.

 

I try to shy away from players who already have a pretty good reputation, and who can most likely sell shares of themselves through their own, already-established network of poker friends. Those players don't probably end up having the appreciation at being named to the team that someone would who has almost NO poker 'connections' to reach out to. I want the HUNGRY. The player who would literally do almost ANYTHING for the chance to play in the WSOP Main Event. It not only makes ME happy...but the investment team as well. I mean...I don't think I'm going out on a limb, when I say that most people LOVE to support an UNDERDOG, right??? Especially one with the skills to get the job done!

 

So that is what this is! For those who know MY STORY with the WSOP...and specifically Jack Effel, who has basically used his position and power to see that I am never allowed back into the WSOP after a, well...ridiculous incident back in 2012..yeah, four YEARS AGO...this initially started out as my attempt at a big EF YOU to him. My dream was to start this team...get a player to the final table, and present him with an ultimatum...let me back into the WSOP...and the player will leave a massive tip...or DON'T...and get a tip of $0! By the time it might make it that far...the media attention given to it would most likely heap an insane amount of pressure and scrutiny on him...that he would have to respond to the charges of impropriety where my '86' was concerned. Yeah...that WAS the main goal!

 

Well, this has grown...and I almost feel petty now by making it about me. After all...I've kind of quit traveling the circuit, gotten into staking other players, and other successful business ventures, and well, just being at home and enjoying being a 'daddy' to Carley, who just turned four yesterday! So...my motivation has shifted somewhat...more to a 'how many players I can help' and 'how many investors I can show a good time to' every summer!!! Let's face it...some (most!) of us just can't carve away the time needed to whoosh off to Vegas for 7-10 days to try and hit it rich with a huge, lucky run of good cards mixed with skill! So what I've started three years ago..is the next best thing! Am I not right!!!???

 

I apologize for this being so long! However...I am trying to do everything to avoid a gazillion questions being emailed back to me! So right now? I have decided on THREE TEAM members.(I will reveal that in an upcoming Blog post in the next day or two) I will add players as the funds come rolling in!

 

Obviously, I will keep EVERYONE in the loop on what has been raised, and who has been named to the team. For updates, also tune into my blog...where I will post updates on the process. I am also considering something new this summer. Once we get, say 3 or 4...and have established a healthy group of investors...there is a good chance I will reveal a list of candidates on the NEXT UP FOR CONSIDERATION list...and put it up to a vote among the current investment team. I think this might be a great idea, to give the investors some input of their own.

 

As for the question: HOW MUCH CAN I WIN? HOW DO WE GET PAID? Poker math wizards might ask: "What's the Mark-Up!??" Which drives me absolutely berserk. Here is the easiest way I can answer it.

 

The player can't win ANY of the $10,000 buy in money. The player will win 35% of whatever prize money he/she wins AFTER the $10k has been deducted. The investors (obviously) win 65%...plus having their $10k refunded back.

 

Now this really is VERY simple to figure out. The total won...is simply divided by the TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES SOLD. Period! Each share, is then worth x-amount of dollars. If you bought 5 shares? You would get back 5 times that number.

 

If 2 out of say, 5 players cash....yippee! We probably make money! Example: Player 1 wins a total of $36,000 (a min cash, we call it!) and Player 2 wins a total of $120,000 (well done!)...the investors pool is $156,000. Player 1 wins 35% of $26,000 ($9100) and Player 2 wins 35% of $110,000 ($38,500).  This would leave a GRAND TOTAL in the INVESTOR POOL of $108,400. If we sent 5 players...that would mean we sold 250 shares. Therefore, each $200 share, would now be worth $433 each. You would have doubled your money, plus some!

 

The players all pay for their own hotels and airfare to get out to Vegas. With that in mind...I have pledged to have all of our players named by Memorial Day...which will give them a full 30 days plus to get their travel arrangements made...as well as time for me to get all our 'poker schwag' made! And paid for by yours truly!

 

There is NO LIMIT to how many shares you can buy! The more, the merrier! As for deadline to pay? The SOONER the BETTER. I'm currently carrying about $15,000 worth of debt from the pool season (mostly for squares) and I have absolutely NO DESIRE to carry any more from this. ESPECIALLY since Squirrel and I are closing on this house this Friday!!!

 

I do not know if I will be going to Vegas this summer...so please don't ask if you can pay me in Vegas when you see me out there, because there is nothing set in stone on me going yet. As for ways to pay? There are a TON! And I have posted them below.

 

NOW...and this is VERY IMPORTANT! In an ongoing attempt to NOT GET MY ACCOUNTS SUSPENDED (which in some cases can lead to getting money confiscated) if you are using ANY electronic means for payment....do NOT NOT NOT leave a comment in the subject line, OR comments section telling me what you are paying for! They have people and filters that literally PREY on this type of thing...and refer to it as GAMBLING-related payments. They will shut me down in an INSTANT! So please...do NOT BE THAT PERSON!!!!! That person during football season this year was....well, okay I won't call him out here.

 

The spreadsheet for investors has already started....with Brian Delatte, David Gindratt  and Jennifer Gay being this year's first to join the team! Who is next??? Let the investment team form....NOW!  And if you have ANY MORE QUESTIONS...must click REPLY and ask away...I will try to give timely responses to everyone!

 

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!! MONKEYS MINIONS are COMING TO VEGAS!!!!! AGAIIIINNNNN!!!!!!

 

William 'Senor Monkey' Souther

WANT TO INVEST IN THIS YEAR'S TEAM? Just drop me an email....at the SpamBot Avoiding email address  ThePokerMonkey1.......at.......america online dot com!