2009 WSOP, Day 34: Shamus, the Movie

Just got back from taking Vera Valmore to McCarran Airport. She returns home today after a week here with me in Vegas.

Vera had a good time, going to a show, eating out a lot, even coming to see that Event No. 50 final table on Sunday night where she was one of the 200 or so on the rail helping make that one more exciting than it might have been otherwise. Best part, of course, was just being able to spend time together. Two-and-a-half more weeks of this here crazy adventure and we’ll be able to do so again.

Today I’m back at the Rio to begin covering the last event prior to the Main Event, Event No. 56, the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event. Three days of that, then the big one starts on Friday. Will probably also wander over now and then today to see how that $50K H.O.R.S.E. event winds up. They are down to the final eight over there, with Erik Sagstrom and Vitaly Lunkin leading the way. (Wouldn’t it be something if Lunkin took both the $40K NLHE event and this one?) Huck Seed, Chau Giang, and Erik Seidel are still in the hunt there, too.

People often say to me “Shamus, you live such an interesting life, being an undercover poker reporter and all. Someone should make a movie of it.”

As a matter of fact, someone already has. Not many have seen it, but in 1973 a feature film about me hit the theaters, directed by Buzz Kulik and starring Burt Reynolds in the title role.

Sure, they took a few liberties here and there. The whole business about the stolen diamonds is completely made up out of thin air. Oh, and I never lived in New York City. Also, I can’t honestly say I recall crashing through quite so many windows, but I suppose they had to jazz it up somehow.

Dead on, though, otherwise. Here’s the trailer: