Sunday. Fun Stuff.

Thanks Pokerstars. I mean...well, kind of. The KK getting snapped 12 out of 15 times in earlier MTT's really sucked huge. But this new private Home Game poker feature is really kickass. What isn't kickass is that they are in BETA mode with it...and its really limited. Like...stakes of only $20 and less. And club size being limited to 50 players. I hit 50 in less than a day...and have a shit load of people on the wait list wanting to get in. I've requested Pokerstars to expand my club size.

We have had three tourneys so far. A $20 bounty tourney...where I got 4th, out of the money with 15 players....a $3 rebuy with only 8 players...that I won, and this afternoon another $20 bounty tourney...again with 8 players. I collected 4 bounties and beat Kerri Simmons heads up. Its really a cool setup, that promises to get cooler. I wish 'Stars would hurry up and expand my club so I could get more people in there. Realistically think I could hit over 200.

The Steelers...ugh...I mean...I'm hating this game. Needed the Steelers to either win by 10 or more...and come in under 38...or have the Jets cover the 4. SO Final score? 24-19. Worst case scenario. Nice goal line stand....score ends there...perfect world. Instead....FML. Well, J-E-T-S...thats two AFC Championship losses in a row. How's that feel? Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl....kind of have to call that a classic matchup. I am interested to see the early line on this one.

I never really got a chance to talk much about our dinner the other night at BR Prime. Was too busy gossipping. Well, don't let me let it go unmentioned. The dinner was kickass, just like it has been every time I have ever been to BR Prime. And our service, courtesy of Christian...AND Christian....was absolutely flawless. There is nothing nicer than going to a nice restaraunt, being served great food, and having fantastic service. We had two different bottles of Pinot Noir...one from Oregon, one from N. California...and both were just great. It couldn't have been a better dining experience.

Uhhhh....yeah....there are some rumblings going around. The boys who own and operate my website are gently hinting that it might be a good idea to remove my previous post. They suggested that I might not want to further 'ruffle' the feathers of the boys at the Beau. Well...as I mentioned before, I did, in fact consider just 'letting it go' and move on. But then, after hearing that Johnny Groomes was talking about me in front of other players...and talking about me in a way that was both very unprofessional, but also unsubstantiated. Personal injury? Slanderous? Those words come to mind.

So what? I decide to post what 'actually' happened, as it was explained to me, and then later revealed to me by people who are on the inside and know what 'really' happened...instead of just 'letting it go' why? I'll tell you why. Because its becoming very trendy, very popular...and very convenient, for people to take little snippets, little rumors about The Monkey and twisting, turning and manipulating them into something so beyond the reality that I am becoming a little fed up with it...and have decided, that where it calls for it, to defend myself against this BS.

I have done my part. I have married my iTouch, my iPad, dialed into music, movies, and books...hid from people on breaks...so as not to be lulled into some random conversation that later blows up in my face. All in an effort to make myself like the carpet...just another element in the room. Does it work? Aparantly not. Am I letting it get me down that some jerk with a predisposed opinion of me decides to 'NOIR CARD' me to people 'upstairs' at the Beau Rivage and have me 'dismissed' from further tourneys....well, I'm sorry, there is NOTHING I can do about that.

And what? I'm supposed to be nervous that they are going to go in and dream up some more BS to put in the players profile on me...so that when I go somewhere that is owned by MGM I am met with some more BS that I can't contend with?

Little story. Last summer...I was in Vegas. I go to play at Aria. In their computer...there is a note. A note from the Beau Rivage. A note, that said...and I saw it with my own two eyes..."Mr. Souther has been kicked out of the Beau Rivage poker room for CHEATING until further notice."

Yeah. CHEATING! I about lost my effing mind. I had been 86'd for writing disagreeable content on this blog! Cheating? I'm telling you...anyone know a good lawyer out there? But instead...I handled it calmly, I called up Ken Lambert, explained to him what their computer was telling them. Asked that he please tell their poker room manager the TRUTH, so I could be allowed to play there! Which...I guess he did, because I was then told I could play there....but that OH! I would be on a very short leash! Yeah, awesome! Well...I played there all summer long, made a lot of friends out there...and left behind a pretty solid reputation of who I am and what I am all about. After that happened, I asked Ken to please make sure someone changed that, and got it out of the MGM database.

When I checked with my now friend at Aria...at the end of the summer, if they had taken those notes out of the computer...do you think they had? Of course they hadn't. Welcome to my life!

So, exactly how much is at stake here with these guys? Oh I can see that my guys who run the website might feel nervous about them not buying any ad space in the site or the magazine as a retaliatory measure...and if they do that, well...what does that tell you about the integrity of these people?

Yeah...If you haven't figured it out...I'm getting pretty sick of getting screwed. Yeah, I made some mistakes in the past. THE PAST! I've changed. A lot! I don't break the rules. I don't berate other players. I don't disrespect anyone. There are players in these casinos who are absolute beasts...that never get so much as a penalty! Its the biggest bunch of hypocritical crap I've ever experienced in my life.

And by the way. This blog here? This is just that. A blog! A forum for me to express my thoughts, my opinions, and my feelings. As a member of the United States of America I have certain rights under the Constitution, things called Amendments. One of those...is Freedom of Speech...which assures citizens the right to express their views without the risk of prosecution and/or persecution. So when a person writes about something that he is well within his rights to talk about...and is then persecuted by the entity he is expressing his opinions about...well, that is a pretty dark day in the 'ol US of A isnt it?

Pull my last blog? Mmmm....naw, I don't think so.

"Monkey, you know these tourney directors talk to each other, right? Aren't you worried about them ganging up on you?"

Really? Am I really living in a vacuum here where that is my biggest fear? I go to events. I play every freaking event, sometimes up to three in a day. I pay their gigantic (and still growing it seems) rakes, generate more money for them than any other player on the planet...and they are going to decide to put their heads together, and collude to make sure Monkey isn't allowed to play ANY tournament because why? Because I have 'a reputation?' Because I am 'controversial?' Because I am a 'distraction?' Yeah...I don't think...or am choosing NOT to think anyway...that the whole poker world has decided to shift their focus from 'making money' to seeing how we can single out ONE player and dedicate all this attention to ruining his life.

And if I am wrong? Well...gosh, without a 'real' job or anything else I really want to do, or anywhere I want to go...I guess I would have a lot of time on my hands to galivant around and settle old scores. Wouldn't I?

Okay...now that I got alll that off my chest...I feel a lot better.

Monkey