Today I head for home. I will be so happy to be there once again, staring out the window at the finches on the sock, the quail and doves running around on the ground picking up anything the wrens and finches knock down for them, and trying to get MOI into some regular pattern again with exercise and work.

My overall of the WSOP November Nine: More poker history was made when Jonathan Duhamel became the first Canadian and only the 6th non-American to win the title in 41 years.  I felt a heart twinge  when I watched the young lady’s face in the audience when Racener picked up Q-Q and doubled up.  She was crying, the camera ate it up.

I think Racener did not ‘play’ his hands for the most part.  He seldom became aggressive and steadfastly held to being a check/caller through to the end.  Realizing, of course, that he was short chipped and the wrong move would send him out of the competition, I still expected him to make some moves.

It is amazing that the entire final table, save one – Soi Nguyen at age 37 – were 29 or younger.  Michael Mizrachi was the next old man at 29.  Anyone of those nine would have been great for poker – that’s my take on it.  We need people in the poker spotlight that are great for poker.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Nolan Dalla’s presentation of Dan Harrington and Doyle Brunson’s presentation of Erik Seidel for the induction awards.  I’ve never had the privilege of sitting at a table and spending hours with Dan Harrington but I have with Erik.  He’s one special gem.  Both Dan and Erik’s acceptance speeches were great.  Erik started his off by saying that he was very happy that he was inducted before Tom Dwan.  That brought a lot of laughter.

Frank Kassela had his own special glow at being named Player of the Year, and why not?  He’s had some amazing accomplishments in poker.

I met a youngster named Aaron from the Casino City Times while hanging out in the Press Box at the Penn & Teller Theater. Nice exchange.

Another year of extreme poker has come to a close at the Rio, but it’s still rocking and rolling everywhere else around the world.

Laters…