Favorite 2007 Poker Moments

As I write this column, 2007 is almost over and Card Player is preparing this issue, the first of 2008. Poker still is my passion, and I would like to share with you some of my favorite poker moments from 2007.



Favorite charity event: Mickey's Camp in Shelbyville, Indiana, at the Lilly YMCA Outdoor Center. I really enjoy getting involved with various fundraisers, and was thrilled to be invited to be part of Mickey's Camp, a real-life summer camp experience for adults. Philanthropist Mickey Mauerer founded this charitable organization about seven years ago, but this was the first year that women were invited to have their own camp adventure. More than 120 women paid a hefty fee that went mostly to charity in exchange for the opportunity to relive their summer camp days. They slept in 12-person cabins and got to choose seven elective activities over two and a half days. Some of the activity choices included kayaking, cooking, riflery, boxing, the alpine tower, police training exercises, art appreciation, billiards, knitting, scuba diving, chess, massages, archery, photography, poker, fly fishing, manicures/pedicures, chocolate making, and self-defense. Mickey's Camp sought top experts in each field to volunteer to teach these sessions. My business partner Jan Fisher and I were invited to teach the poker segment of the camp and to organize and direct the poker tournament.



We were very impressed to meet the camp participants on the first evening and to hear about their accomplishments in life. Many were mothers who also worked as CEOs of huge companies, doctors, lawyers, scientists, researchers, philanthropists, and other professionals. Though few of them had taken the time to learn to play poker (other than perhaps in a home game), they listened attentively to our mini-seminar and picked up the rules and strategy of the game quickly. Fifty women participated in the poker tournament, and they left seeming to want to learn more about this great game of ours. When all was said and done, more than $100,000 was raised for charity. We are looking forward to participating again in 2008.



Favorite job: Teaching World Poker Tour Boot Camp (WPTBC). It's a thrill for me to get to be an instructor for WPTBC. Please don't tell the owners, but I would do this for free and perhaps even pay them for the opportunity! It's so refreshing to see the enthusiasm of the students, to see them really "get it," and to receive their e-mail updates about their progress after leaving Boot Camp.



Favorite poker trip: As a co-owner of Card Player Cruises, I got to go on a 14-day cruise to beautiful ports in Australia and New Zealand late in 2007. We called on 10 ports that I had never before visited during this trip, and got to combine some magnificent sightseeing with some great poker. I also got to take other Card Player Cruises trips to the Caribbean, Alaska, and Mexico in 2007 with more than 1,500 poker players.



Proudest poker moment: Participating in the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) 2007 Summit. More than 175 tournament directors and cardroom managers gathered at The Venetian to revise, update, and approve a set of TDA rules. The meeting was very successful, due to the fact that each attendee was willing to put his or her individual preferences aside in order to gather a quorum to approve new rules.



Favorite poker opportunity: Playing in the World Poker Tour Ladies Night Invitational. After six years of announcing for the WPT, I was given the chance to be on the other side of the felt for Ladies Night in 2007. The show has yet to air, and I hope I don't look too foolish once it does.



Most embarrassing poker moment: Having a hot flash during the filming of the above-mentioned Ladies Night! (Note to WPT production managers: Good luck editing around this one.)



Favorite poker discussion group: The Wednesday Poker Discussion Group (WPDG) continues to meet in Las Vegas every week. Several smaller groups have spun off from the WPDG. On Mondays at 10 p.m., there is a no-limit hold'em discussion group, and on Saturdays, a smaller serious poker discussion group meets at 9 a.m. All of these groups offer great opportunities to further one's poker education, and I am proud to attend meetings when I am in town.



Favorite tournament ladies event: The California State Ladies Poker Championship at Ocean's Eleven Casino. This is more than just a tournament; it's an extravaganza that includes a lot of entertainment and opportunities to bond with other women who love to play poker.



I can't even imagine how wonderful 2008 will be in regard to poker, but I am definitely looking forward to lots more fun around the green felt.



Now, let's play poker. ♠



Linda is available for corporate nights, seminars, and fundraisers. You can contact her through her website at www.cardplayercruises.com.