So, around four years ago all of you buffoons listed below decided to stake me for The World Series of Poker main event and some other tournaments in Las Vegas even though I had never beat a poker game for more than $15 a hour or placed in an actual event listed on Hendon Mob. As you all know, I bricked out on day one, but have gone on to be a successful $1/$2-$2/$5 No Limit Hold Em player and now a successful $1/$2-$2/$5 PLO player. I've even started to coach and back players here in the Detroit area. Sadly, over the years I have continued to shot take at tournaments and have posted mediocre results, but all you bastards have kept rolling over your %s of me and have never asked for your money back. Anyway, by my estimation I think I have around $5,000 left that belongs to us all and I think I owe you a couple $365 free-rolls that I promised, but haven't made good on yet.

So, I have decided to attend the WSOP circuit events at Choctaw in Oklahoma and Palm Beach Kennel Club in Florida to go boom or busto with "The People's Bankroll" once and for all. This thread will be devoted to that adventure and contain all the updates I write that are tournament related.

Here are the ones who have bought the ticket and are ready to take the last god damn ride for better or worse.

CvD 5%
rponeal 3.5%
kyle r 2%
nm14er 2%
acdawg712 1.5%
Bluffymynuts 1.25%
dpcl 1.25%
clark292 1%
Flying_Fish 1%
JL514- 1%
Mdroz- 1%
pquest99- 1%
rufus2012- 1%
pghduilaw- 1%
harrythepro- .75%
golfpro- .75%
er7eman- .5%
adamschwartz- .5%
lighttower21- .5%
narcocop- .35%
lldayo- .35%
Shain67- .35%
Adam The Dealer- .35%
tmade- .35%
grindh0g day- .35%
oscillator-.35%
1chipb- 35%
onesteptheface- .15%
hitsy- .15%
norcaljew- .15%
DgiHarris- .15%
polarbeat-.15%
Spectral Fury- .15%
rolledup222- .15%
TheTank- .15%
zima421- .15%
Senor Bendito- .15%
el rata- .15%
laxxed- .15%
card08- .15%
Batpoker- .15%
nutsbusted- .15%
deke71- .15%
epcfast- .15%
TommyD- .15%
thedinergetsby- .15%
bip!- .15%
hfrog- .15%
tiltstermc- .15%
dudeoflife- .15%
georgeluz- .15%
oveD- .15%
loonybird- .15%
shottaker- .15%
Bidz- .15%
shanywing- .15%
Aesah- .15%
nogoodtoday- .15%
5south- .15%
Bubonic Play- .15%
nbajam- .15%
king_lewis8- .15%
fsunole64- .15%
gilmore38- .15%
black aces 518- .15%
Mr.Action- .15%
ryhenicee- .15%
Checktrap11- .15%
GrimeRat420- .15%
iplaywasted- .15%
Mrtimclaum- .15%
mightyredzood- .15%
Dankness- .15%
lvpokerpro- .15%
noseeds99- .15%
thelipofund- .15%
jcorb- .1%

If we go "Boom" obviously there will be a party in Las Vegas paid for by yours truly in the first week of this years World Series of Poker, if we go busto you'll know in your heart that I tried my hardest and haven't forgotten about any of you poor souls who decided to take a shot with me back in 2012-2013.

If anyone is reading who invested in me before who does not see their name included on "The People's Bankroll" list you have a month to state your case.

Starting January 1st, 2017 Lotgrinder will....



Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Lotgrinder/

Twitter:

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Morning Traffic

There is nothing that makes me feel like more of an insect than having to sit in morning traffic. What's worse is knowing all the fine, good, and noble people that surround me are crawling slowly to their little sand holes of misery they call a job. Then eight hours later they'll lurch tiredly back to their homes and drug or drink themselves to sleep. After that they'll do it all over again the next day while praying to a god that doesn't exist their children will one day have it better. These are the only people that have ever made me feel guilty about the game I play or crimes I've committed in my past for the fast buck.

I guess this is my apology.

You people are more than I ever could be....

Your threads have always been great to read and even though I haven't ever invested with you i'm calling this to be your one time. GL!

Merry Christmas

If anyone thinks they are a loser these holidays just know I woke up this morning and busted open some Russel Stover Chocolates I was given as a gift by someone in the family who probably had them sitting around in a closet collecting dust for a decade. You know no one cares about you when all you get is Russel Stover. If people love you or even like you, they buy you Godiva. Anyway, I thought I’d try something called a “Roman Nougat” for breakfast, gross, strawberry cream or some sort of fruit filling in that mothertfukker. Spit that bad boy right out into the pan I’ve had leftover Velveeta crusting in for two days. Next up, a “Molasses Chew,” that went down much more easy. “Fukk it,” I thought. “I’ll have another. It’s Christmas.” After that I moved over to the caramel pieces. Started to guilty when I felt the sticky brown substance gluing my jaws together. Washed it all down with a half Faygo Moon Mist because I might be a loser, but I am not a complete loser. I support local brands and don’t have anything awful like a wife or kids.

Now, I am going to head to the gym and get torqued up on some pre-workout and hope a hot young girl with a nice ass chooses the stairmaster in front of me. I always like it when they board the stairmaster in front of me when I am forty five minutes into my workout so I can push myself an extra thirty minutes. I am going to really need the extra motivation today because I plan to lay around the house, bet on NFL football, and order a pizza from whatever business knows their employees are dumb enough to work on Christmas Eve and decides to stay open.

But, I am going to give the delivery driver a $20 tip and hope he spends it on good booze or drugs. That will be the best nicest thing I do today or tomorrow besides paying my Grandmothers rent and putting $100 in my one year old nieces play purse. This is my life. Hope I made some of you feel better about your own. Stay safe if you’re stupid enough to be out there buying anyone but children presents.

Merry Christmas.

-Lotgrinder

You fukking NIT. <3

Gl. See you at Choctaw. If you need any info on the place or surrounding areas, feel free to pm.

Bradley

So, last night I am standing solo in line at the dinner buffet here at Jack Casino Cincinnati and this pudgy nerdy looking guy with glasses in a blue polo too tight for his body walks up to me and asks, "Are you going to be paying cash for the buffet?" I say, "Yeah," and he replies, "Don't do that. I have a buffet for two coupon I have to use by the end of the month. You can have the other one for free."

I'm like, "Hell yeah. Ship it. That will save me $20. That's $20 more I can spend on drinks." Then he tells me his name is Bradley, that he is a "K" card member, and how he gets almost everything comped at the casino. I'm like, "Wow. So where you staying tonight? Where did they put you up?" He goes on to tell me that the only thing they don't give him is free rooms now because the comps have changed since it became Jack casino and no longer "The Horseshoe."

Anyway, we get onto eating and I start telling the story about how my Grandma Eda always played Double Diamond slot machines and those are the only slot machines I play when I am killing time because it makes me feel good to think about her and remember how happy she'd get when she won, but also how irritated my Papa George would get when she lost even though money was not a worry at all to either of them. I go onto tell him that I was up $160 on a Double Diamond machine just two weeks ago but had to cash out quick because some meth head looking guy came up to me at the machine and kept telling me to push the "credits" button three times then pull the lever and not hit the "spin reels" button to beat the machine. I told Bradley that I decided to cash out instead of maybe like win another $100 and have this loser beg me for money.
Right away Bradley says, "Well. He was telling you right to pull the lever. If you used the strategy he told you and you won big you'd have to give him something." I'm like, "Well I guess if I did exactly what he said I would throw him $20 or something." Bradley replied, "$20 off another $100 win or like $20 off a $5,000 win?" I'm like, "$20 off a thousand or more. Or maybe nothing." Bradley started to look offended and was like, "That's cheap. If he helped you win he helped you win."

So, I start thinking, "Wow. This Bradley guy is one of those degens. How in the hell did he get the biggest shooting highest class comp card? He must be a huge slot machine degen!" And then I ask, "Well. What exactly brings you here tonight?" He says, "The slots." I say, "Well. I don't know anything about them. So, I got no advice you can use and there will be no way you're owing me any money for help." And then I pull out $15 in red chips and give it to him for the buffet. He says, "Thanks."

Then a little after as I am cleaning up my side of the table and getting ready to go back to the poker room I say, "You know. I have never met a big time slot machine player here that carries a "K" card. When you come to play the slots what do you usually bring?" Then he says, "Well, tonight I brought $64.00." I'm like, $64.00 and your ATM card right?" He calmly replies, "Nope. Just $64.00. And I live three hours away so I can't go home and grab any more money. But, it doesn't matter anyway. I don't get paid until Friday. I just came today with the $64.00 because when you feel it, you feel it, and today I felt it. So, I took the drive." And that's the last I heard from Bradley besides exchanging goodbyes after the dinner buffet.

The first free-roll of this thread is taking place tomorrow at Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Ohio. It is a $690 buy in, $100,000 guarantee, and details of the event can be found here.

Sorry I didn't make the events in Oklahoma and Florida, but I had been having the best success of my poker career at PLO in the months of November, December, January, and February. I've finally cooled off and am running at break even this month. So, I've decided to start playing some tournaments and hopefully blog my way into a stake for the 2017 World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event.

As posted in the beginning of the thread, the official value of "The People's Bankroll" will be deemed at $5,000.00, and I may just use the entire bankroll for tournaments during the first two weeks of the WSOP starting with Colossus.

Staking for the 2017 Main Event will be a separate thread.

If I manage to bink any free-rolls, payouts will be paid immediately upon request.

Feel like you should have hung out with Bradley

In for the long haul. One time baby!

Freeroll #1

Proof of entry:



Results:

Not much to report here. Took the drive down I-75 South to Toledo and got there fifteen minutes into level one and it seemed like everyone just wanted to play nice and jerk one another off so I started raising every playable hand 3-4x and never got up or down more than 5,000 tournament chips. Then, in level two, this short leprechaun looking guy with black hair who looks like some sort of low level villain in a comic book movie sits down with a backpack. Fgt for sure right? But no, this motherfukker quickly redeems himself and orders a Pinot Grigio at 12:30 in the afternoon. I try to see if he wants to blow a line of peruvian flake in the bathroom, but he tells me he isn't a complete loser, and after that he takes over raising almost every hand. So, I just sit back and start waiting for a spot to stack him because this degenerate masterpiece just can't help himself to bluff when he thinks you're weak.

Anyway, this dude ends up buying back in three times at the table and after him and I got five players drinking wine at the table in level two of the donkament I find out his name is Lance and he just won The Chicago Poker Classic for $220,000.00 USD. Sick life. Obviously, my cards run as cold as all your wives and girlfriends shoulders get when you ask for anal and I am just sort of hovering around even.

Finally, it gets to level six, and I'm down to around eighteen big blinds and I've already ripped a Jh10h and Ac10c all in twice and not gotten called. So, the table's hearts are on fukking fire and I wake up with AcKc and rip that $hit all in for like twenty five big blinds and get snap called by a dude with like 20bb and another loser fist bump ****ing calls with 15bb. We go AcKc vs AQ vs A4 and you know there is no way we are going to fukking hold in this spot. Flop 9 6 3. Turn 4. River 4.

Thankfully, the idiot with 15bb wins and we still have 10bb left. We get Kd9d very next hand and rip it again. Cmon. Cmon. Cmon. You fukking losers. You're all poor. Call me. And call they do. Three of them. Flop king high flush, but river brings another diamond and some $hit stain has Ad7c and we're out. If you're wondering why I didn't go back and fire another bullet on Saturday it's because I already had obligations with my Grandmother, Sister, and my niece. So, I needed to make day two on Friday and then come back and play Sunday. Didn't work out for us this time.

Next up is the World Series of Poker circuit event at Harrah's in North Carolina.
Where I still owe a some poker slag who set over setted me deep into day one some "Korean Revenge."

"I'm buying you a car
To drive it off a cliff, that's what I'll do with you
And as it starts to fall
I'll blow it up in mid-air, woo hoo
I'm gonna set you up
For a bunch of crap that you didn't do
And when the cops show up
I'm gonna say "oh man, that doesn't sound like you!"

Korean
Korean revenge film

While all this is going on
A flashback shows me how my childhood's gone
Fifteen years becoming your fake friend
And now it's time for this to end

As I sat in jail
And I had a lot of time to think
To try to figure out
HOW MANY ROCKS IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE YOUR ****ING BODY SINK
I'll wait outside your house
Put a GPS inside your STUPID HIPSTER BIKE
And while you're riding home
Now I know exactly where and when to strike

Korean
Korean revenge film"

I can be added on the following social media platforms for this year's World Series of Poker run and all the tournaments leading up to it.

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Lotgrinder/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/Lotgrinder

Snapchat:Lotgrinder

Website:www.lotgrinder.com

It's official.

The next tournament series "The People's Champ" will be appearing at is North Carolina's $500,000 guarantee. The first bullet will be a freeroll for the people, and all subsequent bullets will be taken from the $5,000 "People's Bankroll." They're definitely be more action to talk about this time.

Bad news first, I made it to Cherokee, North Carolina and the hotel I chose doesn't have a public computer so I can properly blog this trip. But, the good news is I made day two of this 3200 person donkament and I am 13th in chips. Money starts at 324 left. Real money, 5k+ starts at 30 left. 1st place $165,000. Currently 350 left. Korean motherfukking revenge. Go us.

Yesterday was one of the most frustrating days I've had playing poker in a long time. We start the day by not winning a hand that goes to or past the flop on day two of the $365 donkament. The big ones include our QQ getting caught by the top of a 3bet shovers range when he had AA at the 2000/4000 blind level for around 16 bigs, then losing with AK vs JJ quickly after for another 35000 chips, followed by a hour of card, spot, and flop deadness. Finally, we get KQ suited in CO and shove around 15 bigs into the big blinds KK and do not improve. This has been standard operating procedure for us on our shove hands lately on day twos. So, out in 171st which did net us a $882 win off the freeroll, but obviously a big let down if you think about what could have been.

After the tournament, I decide to sit at juicy $5/$5 PLO game and run cold there as well. I literally only scooped three pots over $100 and at the end of a drunken six hour session manage to escape down only $1000. Anyway, good news is yesterday pissed me off like no other and I am even more determined to take down one of these donkaments while bringing you the most entertaining poker blog that has ever existed. So, today I finally deiced to retire the old Acer desktop computer, used monitor, keyboard, and mouse I've been logging around with me instead of a laptop and went out to buy myself a HP Pavilion Notebook instead. If you're interested in seeing me give my old equipment that brought you thousands of great posts over the years a proper ceremony and subsequent burial on Snapchat within the next few days please feel free to add me as Lotgrinder.

Stay tuned for the full "Freeroll #2" update to be posted in its entirety soon.

The People's Bankroll is now valued at $5,882.00

Freeroll #2

Proof of entry:



Results:


"Bracing myself for that tough spot,
Just when I'm sure about what I got,
No time to be wasted on the back stroke,
I'm looking back on all the things that you broke.

So far, so good, so what for?
Slacking up when you you might not cut it.
So far, so good, so what for?
It's growing up, you just can't slow it down.

And that's a sure thing!
Use what you learn to get up and face another day!

Taking your time to get your feet wet,
Sometimes you gotta jump in or you'll never see, never win,
when you want to go, you move to slow,
Saving up for nothing? Take a shot, you never know!

So far, so good, so what for?
Slacking up when you might not cut it.
So far, so good, so what for?
It's growing up, you just can't slow it down.

And I don't know what's in store.
But it's so good, so far!

And that's a sure thing!
And that's a sure thing!

Take your time cause you wanna make it,
Turn up right in every way.
Make a choice if you're gonna make it,
Not for nothing,you've just gotta reach out your hand,

And it's there....

You've just gotta reach out your hand!"

And jump right in we did just four short years ago when you all decided to give "The Bull" a shot at the 2013 World Series of Poker's Main Event when he shook this forum's proverbial ropes with one of the funnest posts in 2+2 Marketplace history. And without question, poker as a whole has been "So Good So Far" to me. So, once again I've decided to try and take another shot at bringing home "The People's Bracelet" for this forum and those who have followed my rise through the cash game ranks over the years.

As some of you who follow my personal Facebook may know, I've currently been signing into live PLO cash games as "The Dish Washer" and our win rate after two thousand hours of live $1/$2-$2/$5 100bb cap buy in P.L.O is just under $60.00 a hour.





Hopefully, we can move that win rate to $85+ a hour at $5/$5 PLO and above which I admit I am just starting to dip my toes into, but have strong faith that I'll be able to conquer because every poker goal I have set for myself I have crushed besides being a profitable tournament player.

Yup, I said it. You seen't it.



An actual poker pro who admits he isn't profitable at a certain variant of the game. But, I've been playing live poker for a living for almost five years now. I know what it's like to run like god. I know what it's like to run like $hit. I know what it's like to run slightly above EV. I know what it's like to run slightly below EV. And I know what it's like to run at EV. I can 100% say I have honestly never even ran above EV on day two of a tournament. Not once. And I know I have made some mistakes on day twos of tournaments and day ones. But, anyone who plays for a living knows mistakes are built into your win rate. You do not have to play perfect poker to be profitable. You don't even need to play perfect to be highly profitable. So, my plan is to continue to improve as I always do, eventually get some run good on day two, and ultimately hold the lead when I am ahead in hands and suck out like a champion when I am behind. If you can find a better plan for me to follow than that I am always open for suggestions.

Anyway, as always "The People's Champ" is ready to put his money where his mouth is, if I'm crushing the cash games on these poker trips and still haven't won "The Big One," no problem in giving a freeroll here and there. Poker is full of degenerate **** bag backpack toting tools begging for stakes and then fukking over their backers or never offering to make anything up, feels good to be the opposite. For what its worth, I never even looked at the original 2013 World Series of Poker package as a stake. I've looked at it as a loan and as far as I am concerned I still owe you all tournament glory or at least a good series of blogs that shows I'm still trying and don't ever intend on giving up.

So, to force commitment to the blogging, I actually went out and finally bought a lap top. I had probably spent over three hundred dollars each World Series of Poker posting updates on public computers where I had to pay for time, so this purchase was long overdue. It honestly took me so long because I absolutely despise technology. Like most, I am already completely consumed by the vortex that is my cell phone screen, but I've made a promise to myself I am simply going to use this computer to write and nothing else.



Anyway, as you all know, the results of the tournament were not what we were playing for. We built up a 212,500 chip stack on day one, which made us 13th overall in the tournament going into day two, and we even paid homage to "The Ultimate Warrior" when we bagged and tagged our chips, saying we were from "Parts Unknown."



Then we go to day two, do not win a pot that goes past the flop, and are out within three hours. The big hands include our QQ getting caught by the top of a 3-bet shover's range when he had AA at the 2000/4000 blind level for around 16 bigs, then losing with AK vs JJ quickly after for another 35000 chips, followed by a hour of card, spot, and flop deadness. Finally, we get KQ suited in CO and shove around 15 bigs into the big blinds KK and do not improve.

This has been standard operating procedure for us on our shove hands lately on day twos. So, out in 171st which did net us a $882 win off the freeroll, but obviously a big let down if you think about what could have been.

"What will the next tournament be 'Du Hast'?"

Stay tuned, the answer may come sooner than you think.

The People's Bankroll is now valued at $5,882.00

TEAD

This is a story I wrote about a childhood friend of mine who I hadn't seen in a while that tragically passed away a couple weeks ago. It's about growing up, what symbolizes true friendship, and not taking $hit from anyone who wants to spit on you, your friends, or your dreams. I hope you'll take the time to read it.

“Tead,”



I knew him as Jordan Matthew Vaughn. He must have been around nine years old in 1991 when I met him during a street hockey game located at the end of Brookview Avenue in Trenton Michigan that dead ends into a park right by Devils Trail. I remember this little mighty mouse looking misfit with dark spiked hair running up to the game all excited asking if he could play and all the kids my age or a year younger telling him, “No.” Then I recall some salty words being exchanged between him and another good soul this world lost much too soon named Ryan Mackenzie. In fact, the first time I ever heard Tead’s actual first name was on that day when Ryan yelled, “Jordan, go f*** yourself.”

I can’t recall exactly when after that I befriended him, but that was the moment I knew he had a little bit of an attitude or an edge to him and I thought to myself, “I got to talk to that little guy later.” Mainly because I was new to the street and although I got along well with Ryan, Matt Whitelock, and a lot of the other kids they invited to play street hockey on the block, I was tired of the constant nut hugging and ball licking of all of Trenton’s finest when it came to travel ice hockey that came over to participate in those games. So, Jordan was the first outcast so to say I befriended to put together my street hockey team and he ended up playing goalie for me while another two kids that were younger than me named Frank Moudini and Brandon Etlinger also joined in on the shenanigans.

Now, in those days street hockey games were usually ran three on three with a goalie in net and if we ever played any of the teams we played against in ball hockey in real ice hockey, we surely would have been obliterated. But, as a result of Jordan’s tremendous work ethic on learning how to play goalie, he became really good, really quick. And Brandon Etlinger, who went on to play Trenton High School hockey, was really great for his age as well. Fukk, we must have played in hundreds of five game series with each game decided by who scores five goals first and we were surely supposed to lose them all, but came away with enough victories that we often got invited to play street hockey games on other streets like Rose Lane and also on the tennis courts located by Pinetree and Anderson elementary school.
I could always tell Jordan looked up to me when we were young. He was the goalie, so he’d obviously always be concerned about how good some of the older kids were that he’d be trying to stop slap shots from, and I remember telling him often as I helped strap on his white Milec street hockey goalie pads that were worn and tattered from cement burns, “Jordan. These kids eat a dick. Don’t be afraid to rip on them when they take shots from stupid angles or miss open nets or make bad passes. Don’t ever give any of these kids who already know they’re awesome any f***ing credit. They hear how great they are every day. Tell them they f***ing suck. Tell them that they’re f***ing ugly. They need to hear the truth from somebody.” I can only hope a little bit of that mindset carried over into his adult life when he was pursuing his artistic dreams and surely had jealous squares telling him he’d never amount to anything or that the art he was producing was not worth anything.

I can say without question there are two sorts of people in life, ones that say they are your friend, but when you’re not around to defend yourself and someone is talking $hit on you, that person who says they are your friend will gauge how cool or in or popular the person is who is talking $hit on you, then make their decision on whether or not to stick up for you. Then, there are people like Jordan “Tead” Vaughn who once they know you have their back, will tell anyone in a room that that is talking $hit on you, “Yeah, well Justin Vitale doesn’t think too much of you either so why don’t you just shut your mouth,” and that’s why I gravitated more towards Jordan as a friend even though he was four years younger than me. You simply just don’t meet too many people like in your life. But, when you do you know it, and I knew it every day I got to hang out with Jordan or any other person I decided to keep as a friend past the age of fourteen.

Eventually, Jordan would wind up getting me into a few fist fights, which ultimately lead me into brawling with a kid by the name of Mark Dionne. This fight was caused because I had roughed up a couple kids who had vandalized Jordan’s clubhouse in his back yard behind his garage and of course after they got their ass beat fair and square they had to go run and tell some kid I didn’t even know that I said I would beat his ass to, even though I didn’t. And the first time I fought Mark I won, but the second time I fought Mark went much differently. I remember the day before the rematch I was sitting downstairs in my basement playing Sega Genesis video games with Jordan waiting for my Grandparents from Riverview to pick me up because they were going to take me to buy new goalie pads for ice hockey. I hear my doorbell ring and a few seconds later my Mom yells, “Justin. Come upstairs. You got some friends on the porch.” So I run upstairs to answer the door and low and behold Mark’s waiting there on my porch with an entourage of around twenty kids in the street and asks, “You want to step outside in the park?” I go on to tell this psychopath (who actually went on to fight in sanctioned cage matches with his fighting style listed as “Parking Lot”), “I can’t come outside right now because my grandparents are coming to buy me goalie pads. But, if you want to fight me again I’ll fight, I’m not scared of you. We’ll do it tomorrow after school.”

“Good,” he said. “And you’re going to wish you wore hockey pads after I get through with you.” And being the humble guy that I am, I can admit today that he was right. And although the fight was a good one, a real doozy that went back and forth for ten minutes with no teachers or parents to break it up, Mark surely did do a number on me before I decided to give up and walk away in a state of ninja turtle shell shock. And when I was walking away in a daze there was another kid, some cheap shot artist, who ran up behind me to trip me. And out of the few friends I had there to watch the fight, it was Jordan who piped up and said, “What the fukk are you doing you fgt? He said the fights over. He said Mark won. Leave him the fukk alone.” And I remember getting up ready to fight again and staring at Mark hoping he’d honor the fact that I looked him in the eye and said, “It’s over. You win. I don’t want to fight anymore.” And thankfully, he did. He showed me respect in defeat and called off the hoodlums he had brought to back him. And wouldn’t you know, just a short time after that fight Mark and I became friends. We still are to this day and he can verify every detail of this story.

But, I’ll never forget out of all the kids who watched that fight who were my friends it was Jordan that walked me back to my house, two doors down from his on 1857 Churchill saying the whole entire time, “Dude. I don’t know why you gave up. You were winning that fight. And you won anyway. Didn’t you see the wheel fall off his bike? He used a bike peg!” And I remember saying, “Jordan. Don’t you dare tell anyone I won that fight or anyone that crazy mother****er used a bike peg. I don’t care if he used a bike peg. It’s over. I lost. If you say I won I’ll have to fight that fukker again.” I remember him asking if I wanted him to come inside my house to tell my Mom Mark had started it, and I remember telling Jordan that I wanted to be left alone. So, I get inside my house and try explaining to my Mom that I had to fight this kid because I fought him once before and won, then talked $hit for a couple years, so I had to fight him again and all that happened was I got what was coming to me for gloating. She’s flipping out and talking about calling the police and then my doorbell rings. I walk over to answer the door and it’s Jordan. He starts saying, “See. Look! I told you he used a bike peg! You won! I went back into the park where you guys first started throwing blows and he dropped this out of his hand! He used a f***ing bike peg Justin! It wasn’t fair.” I wanted to cry. But, I didn’t want Jordan to think I was hurt. Oh how I wish we could have gone to concerts together, took some mushrooms together, took some LSD together, took some MDMA together, or drank together often enough to tell him it was that moment in which I knew I loved him like a little brother.

That just goes to show you the kind of person Jordan was. Just like the diet coke he used to drink, he was “The Real Thing” when it came to knowing what it took to be a friend, and god f***ing damn how I wish life didn’t cheat us out of knowing one another through our twenties and thirties. I would have loved to be there for Jordan to help him fight any battles he may have had with anyone or anything or even the battles he may have been fighting inside himself. But sadly, my parents got divorced when I was fifteen and I moved to Brownstown, Michigan to live with my Grandmother. And in those days there was no cell phones, no internet, no social media, and nothing to keep us connected like there is now. So, Jordan and I fell out of touch. And we wouldn’t have another meaningful conversation again until the year of 2010 around the same time I first got my condo in Detroit.

I remember seeing him from across the room working as a bar-back at Jacoby's in Detroit at an Absentee’s concert and I instantly beelined it to the bar. I remember over tipping a cute bartender named Elise so Jordan could drink on the job and take as many breaks as he needed so we could get drunk for our first time together, catch up, and talk about old times. I remember feeling sad that my parents had got that divorce after our conversation that night because Jordan and I discovered our musical tastes aligned. He liked Dillenger Escape Plan, NOFX, Screeching Weasel, The Beastie Boys, The Suicide Machines, and many other bands that I liked. We would have definitely been concert going buddies for sure. He also talked about playing drums and how he turned in his hockey sticks for cans of spray paint and a skate board shortly after I moved away. And of course, when he talked about his art, he made it sound like it was just a little hobby and never let on he was on his way to being one of the most respected graffiti artists in the state.

Anyway, the two things I specifically remember about the conversation we had was Jordan's passion for music and art and the glow he had in his face when he talked about all his favorite bands and artistic endeavors. In a world that starts trying to assure you that you'll never be an artist, you'll never be a musician, and you'll never be a writer by the time you're graduating high school, and does everything it can to convince you to be satisfied with being nothing more than a number you punch into a time clock at your soul sucking job by the time you've graduated from college, Jordan still had that passion for his dreams that society tries so hard to stomp out of you. In a world full of perpetual dullness and gray, Jordan remained undrained of the spectacular creativity and color that became known as “Tead.” I was so sorry to hear that he is gone, but so happy to hear that he went out doing the things he loved. You will be missed old friend. You will be missed.

Your old friend,
Justin V.

World Series of Poker Tournament Schedule

Get around, get around, I get around....

June 1st to June 3rd, Colossus, $565, 3 bullets.
June 4th to June 6th, Goliath, $600 Million Dollar Guarantee, 3 bullets.
June 9th, Event #18, Pot Limit Omaha, $565, 3 bullets.
June 10th+11th, Millionare Maker, $1500, 2 bullets.

And I know all of that is the potential cost of around $8,200, but I think we're going to make it through all those events with the $5,882.00 on hand. However, if there is any interest, perhaps I'll open up some to the public. Let me know what you all think.

Level 7.

250/500/75 and we have 15.

On one bullet.

We min cashed on first bullet at Colossus, taking today off to go see Modest Mouse at Brooklyn Bowl near The Linq, will get back on the tournament grind tomorrow. I have opened staking for The 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event in a separate thread.

Quick update, cashed first bullet at Colossus, we made a net profit of $410 there. Busted second bullet at Colossus, we lost $565 there. Today I am firing our first $600 bullet at Plant Hollywood's $1,000,000 guarantee know as Goliath.

I will continue to update "The People's Bankroll" numbers here, but all journal entries with full details of my action during this years World Series of Poker will be in my thread requesting staking for the main event. And yes, whatever is left of your % of "The People's Bankroll you can transfer over to staking for the main event if there is still enough pieces left at that time.

Go us.

The People's Bankroll is now valued at $5127.00 and that takes into account we already paid the $600 entry for the 11am flight for Goliath at Planet Hollywood today, June 5th.

Good luck today! May the flop be with you!

Just wipe tables out. EZ game.

Ran QQ into KK and got nit rolled when an over aggro tourney donk opened, I 3bet shoved 20bb, and then the old man nit waited a minute to call on the only bullet I fired at Goliath $1,000,000 guarantee. Today we are firing an $1100 bullet at MSPT that is going to have over a three million dollar prize pool at Venetian. After this, I may go home for a few weeks or solely play cash out here for a few weeks as I am twelve stories deep into a book of short stories that have been popping in my head to tell while I been out here and I think I want to make this into a book that focuses on one's desire to play the main event and my focus is sort of shifting to that. If I am to torch $10,000 more dollars on the quest for tournament glory, I'd prefer to play the main and perhaps have a book I am finally happy enough to put my name to and release. Will update later tonight.

Welp, we go one for four on bullets fired at donkaments leading up to "The Main Event" after we get caught squeezing late on day one by a euro tournament player I have to give mad props, especially if he did this all by plan, not just by being overly cautious. Below is how the action had ensued.

I had worked my 15,000 chip stack up to 30,000 chips by level three and managed to stay at around 100 big blinds all the way up to the 300/600 level. I had such a squeaky clean image and 100% look and talk of a recreational player at the table I was able to successfully limp/re-raise hands like 8d7d UTG in later levels then triple the openers raise with a 3-bet and get folds because entire table thought I had AA. Stuff like that. Basically, everything was going my way for a long time, then a Q9 shove beat my pocket 10's for 11bb, a Kd5d shove beat my A10 in a spot where I knew a guy with 11bb could be shoving almost anything light from OTB, etc and eventually I dwindle down to 20bb at the 800/1600 level.

It folds around to an active young Asian with around 50k wearing headphones who puts in a min raise on my big blind. It is flatted by a guy with around 60k, and then flatted by the competent euro tournament grinder OTB who I had seen 3bet and 4bet frequently, so it blew my mind when I squeezed and shoved Js9s from BB and it folded around to him and he had AsQc. I thought the only guy who might have an ace would be initial raiser or first caller, just no way I ever thought kid OTB shows up with AQ there, but props if he saw something in me or had any sort of read on me that I was going to shove. I had never thought much about looking at my cards right when I get them or what I do before action is on me. But, I admit, I think this kid had an inclination I was getting antsy, sensed something, went for a play on me, and it worked.

I have no aspirations to play any other tournaments at this time and have returned home to focus on PLO cash game grinding in Cleveland, Cincinatti, Baltimore, and Detroit as well as try to obtain staking for The Main Event. If I play any other tournaments before the main it will be a PLO event or a small NLHE one that I will consider a tune up for the main. All staking %s left over here when this thread ends will be transferred to my main event thread.

The People's Bankroll is now valued at $4027.00.

Quick update, may still fire one more bullet at a WSOP before the main event, and that would be at "The Monster Stack" on June 24th or 25th. Currently been playing a lot of PLO cash and like a boss I am on a seven session losing steak, but only down $6,400, that's kind of like a sick brag isn't it? Anyway, I'll post proof of entries to these events later. If you have any interested in buying a piece for this year's main event please check out the thread here.