Follow up to GCP Front Page News

Okay, as promised...and this is being done on Blogger's new interface...which so far is freaking me out. I am that one person who has resisted to 'switch over' to Facebook's new 'Timeline' format. Because if I hate it on everyone else's page...why would I like it on mine? They even try to trick you into getting it...which is what happened to Squirrel...and it won't let you go back. Sucks. But they won't get me! At least on this new Blogger interface, I have the option of switching back.

Okay, so I must first say thanks to Wild Bill and GeneD for giving me the front page! Yay! Always a nice gesture by them...especially when there were several guys way more deserving of that honor!

A couple of guys, who I spent a good amount of time hanging out with while in Iowa...had the opportunity of a lifetime, only to let it go slip sliding away. Yes, I am speaking of Tim Burt and David 'Lurky' Nicholson. And if you don't know about the nickname...well, sorry. You will have to earn that one! :)

As the front page mentions, they got into a 3-way battle with Brent Carter...whom they managed to accurately label 'The Grumpy Neighbor.' Matter of fact...when it comes to whiners, bitchers and moaners...Brent 'Members Only' Carter is the King of the Court. Brent is who Allen Kessler looks to for mentoring. The owner of the last Member's Only (burgundy in case you wondering) jacket still in existence, Brent is the guy who is always there to let you know what the rules are. Why? Because he wrote them...he'll have you know.

To his credit, Brent is a very good poker player. And he had definitely put in the work and paid his dues throughout the years. And in fairness, where we once did nothing but butt heads, we both kind of have a mutual fondness for one another these days. I kind of understand him a little more than I ever used to...and he seems to confide in me (as a fellow 'hate people with no common sense' guy) whenever something ridiculous has taken place at the table. But to the outside observer not privvy to what goes on in the 'inside circle' of the poker world, Brent would come off as nothing but a grumpy old asshole. So, they boys at GCP more or less got it right...and of course, we all would HAVE to be rooting for our boys from Biloxi to take that rebuy PLO down for obvious reasons. But it didn't happen. And yeah...I was one of the first to give them both hell over it. But not reported was that they did some kind of a money deal, and I'm pretty sure Tim ended up with that damn ring...which Kai and I both have taken to calling 'The Illegitimate Child' of WSOP circuit rings. We shall call it...Ring #3.5 for future reference.

Also...on the front page was a shout out...well...a whisper out...to a couple of people a lot of us know quite well. Kenny Milam and Jena Delk. Jena and I shared a house in Vegas in the Summer of 2008, when I first started writing on this site. The summer our house out there was either robbed, or an intricate inside job was staged by one of the home's dwellars. It's still kind of shrouded in mystery. Fortunately, I didn't lose anything in that robbery...so I wasn't a victim. No, that happened a few weeks before, when 3k in lammers went missing from my bag while I slept one night. Grrr....whatever.

Well, I got to know Jena pretty well that summer. She had just won the Ladies Event in New Orleans...when I was busy finishing 2nd to Tyler in the $1k. In fact, it was on the same day. She then went on to cash (I want to say 13th?) in the Ladies event at WSOP Vegas...which was a nice score. Her husband came out for a couple weeks too, and final tabled a couple events at the Venetian. Well, Jena has just revealed on Facebook, that she is battling breast cancer. As a lot of you know, I have donated a lot of time and a fair amount of money to that cause...and having had a handful of friends fight that battle...its always sobering news to hear that someone else has been ravaged by this awful disease.

Last year about this time...I was getting news that my good friend Chad Brown had been diagnosed with cancer...having had a gigantic tumor removed from his stomach. I have watched Chad fight all year...and in his 'never-let-them-see-you-down' style, done it with the positive approach he seems to handle everything since I've known him. Chad also saw his marriage with Vanessa Rousso come to an end this year...which I hated to see. But like everything, he handled that with an equal amount of grace. The guy is a rock.

So...knowing what I know about Jena...I can see her handling this 'cancer thing' the same way. She is the type who seems motivated by a challenge...who doesn't let the 'small stuff' get her down. I'm pretty sure Jena was already dealing with some kind of a condition prior to that...forgot the details, but I know it never got her down. So I will hope and pray that she tackles this new battle with the same energy she fought with before...and that God deals her top set with cancer drawing dead to the turn and the river. 

As for Kenny...I am not positive what the situation there is...other than its not with him...but his wife. He was unable to play the Main Event in Iowa because his wife was scheduled for some kind of surgery on Monday (I believe) and since they had kind of screwy schedule up there for that Main Event...he wasn't able to play it. It's nice to see that he has his priorities in the right place at least. And I hope that everything turned out okay for one of the 'good guys' in poker. Not sure I've ever met one single player who has ever had a bad thing to say about Kenny.  Well, maybe your occasional "Can you believe it? Freaking Kenny Milam called me down with _____and sucked out on me!!!!" Yeah....we ALL know that Kenny WILL put a bad beat on you if you aren't careful!!!!

Okay this entry just followed my previous entry...and I will get those funny pictures to you soon...promise.

Monkey