Day Off!

Today will find me nowhere near the Rio or the World Series of Poker: I have the day off. My plan is to watch the Dutch demolish Russia in Euro 2008; go hit a round of golf in the baking sun; and who knows what in the evening. It should be a day of total relaxation.

Yesterday was pretty easy, as far as my WSOP days have gone. I was scheduled to cover the final table of $1,500 Seven Card Stud. Stud's certainly a difficult game to live-blog, but at least the short stacks cooperated by not doubling up all that much. We started the table a little after 3pm and it was over before 11pm. That's a great day.

One thing I've learned about covering WSOP final tables: if you see a name pro sweating the final table all day, chances are very high that somebody at the table owes that pro a bunch of money. Backing arrangements and straight loans are very common out here. Just two days ago, I was on my way back to the Amazon Room from the bathroom when I walked by Allen Kessler. Another player walked up to Kessler with a greeting and a big smile.

"I don't want to talk to you," Kessler said dismissively.

"Why not?" asked the player.

"Do you have the Stars money you owe me?"

I didn't catch the rest of the conversation, but it did look like the player was digging into his pocket to offer Kessler a mollifying partial payment. I know Pauly has talked about it a million times, but that's a predominant image I'll take away from this WSOP. Someone is always digging into his pocket to pay back someone else.