Next Heat and more

Monday night on PAD (Poker after Dark) I faced Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, and Shawn "The sheik" Sheikan. This time I bet Gus $10,000 on me to win at 4-to-1. I'll bet on one thing: it will be the loudest, most "talked on" show in the history of PAD! It was even hard for the mouth to get a word in edgewise!

I woke up late, caught a huge workout, and was ready to win this thing. I even won $9,000 from Sheiky playing Chinese poker before the match. Things didn't seem to go my way, as I sort of hung in there playing patient poker, as usual. I tried one crazy bluff on the Sheik, and he picked it off. He had been raising too often before the flop, and I knew I'd get him, but I lost my patience. Sheik raised from the small blind to $2,400 to go, and I called with 10s-9s. The flop was Kd-6s-3d, and Sheik checked, I bet $3,000, and he called. The turn paired the 3, Shiek checked, I bet $5,000, and he called. The last card was an ace, and we both checked. Sheik had 8-8, and claimed the pot.

The very next hand, Daniel limped for $600, Sheik made it $2,500 to go on the button, I called with K-K in the small blind, and Daniel called. I was thinking, "No ace, no ace!" The flop was K-6-4, I checked, Daniel checked and Sheik bet $5,000. I called, Daniel folded, and I bet my last $650 in the dark. Sheik called with K-Q, next hand. As time passed, I kept folding good hands like K-10 in the small blind to Sheik's button raises. No matter, I knew I would get him. Matusow went out, followed by Negreanu.

I had $28,000 when sheik again raised on the button with Jh-9h, and I called with A-2. I probably should have raised, but I love getting that juicy bluff money on the flop. The flop was 6-5-2, and I bet out $2,400 on the weak lead out bet. Sheik immediately made it $7,000 to go. Yeah right, like he would raise me that fast with a real hand! I called the bet. Should I have raised it up? I don't think so. I mean, I love just calling, and picking off donkey's bluffs. I'm pretty sure that if an ace comes off, sheik would have bluffed again! And I damn sure would have checked it to him! In any case, with about $22,000 in the pot, the turn was a jack, I checked, and sheik moved all-in. Then he actually criticized my play of the hand, sigh. I mean, most top pros do re-raise on the flop and take down the pot. It's just not my style. But how about Sheiks play of the hand? Trying to bluff me late in the day? Good luck. I do set these bluffs up though, by letting people run me over for awhile. They run me over, they run me over, and then they're driving home thinking, "Why did I try to bluff Phil again." Because I made you do it, donkey! That's what I do. That pot would have given me the chip lead, but alas.

A few weeks back we (The Ultimate Blackjack Tour) won a "Telly Award" for international advertising excellence, for my banned commercial. Go to youtube, enter "Hellmuth banned commercial" and hit search. It is a pretty cool commercial; CBS banned it, although WGN plays it along with all of the other countries in the world that show the UBT including Canada, France, Australia, and many others.

Weds. Night I watched on television as the Golden State Warriors lost at Utah. Ouch, we had a 5 point lead with 20 seconds left in regulation. For Friday night's game, I ordered up tickets in the first row, right behind the press bench. I was looking for floor seats, but Ben (in the Warriors ticket office) couldn't come up with any. I was also invited to sit in the CEO of "In Ya Face Records" box, but I like being close to the action. This time I'll bring my son. I expect to see the Warriors win big.

On Weds. I talked to Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, and Mike Matusow about joining Iamplify.com, and providing MP4 downloads. Iamplify just closed with "Kodiak" (A prominent VC firm on the east coast) for a $6 million round. Pretty sweet for Iamplify! What a team that would be for them to have, and they already have downloads for sale from me, Joe Navarro, and Antonio.

I also picked up my kids from school, and brought them to their tutors. Everyday that I can do this, I'm happy. I am playing "High Stakes Poker" on GSN this time around, and we film in Vegas on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I will bring about $220,000 with me to play with, which is a bit short. I may sell a piece of myself to raise more cash, but maybe not. Then I film the PS3 World Series of Poker game for five straight days in Vegas. We are the last game on the market, and we expect 100% market share.