Linking Out

Today I wanted to point to a few items elsewhere on the intertubes. What I've been doing besides sitting on the couch, seeing if it is going to wiggle again.

My partner-in-crime Jen Newell and I contributed a couple of new columns this week for our “He Said/She Said” series over on Woman Poker Player. This time we decided to write about the incredible WSOP Main Event run made by the couple, Erika Moutinho and David “Doc” Sands, who finished 29th and 30th respectively.

There are a few reasons why I especially like writing these WPP columns. For one, they generally concern interesting topics and allow a chance to offer some personal opinion/perspective. I also get a kick out of seeing what Jen comes up with, too, as she invariably brings up different points or ideas. There’s also a significant challenge involved, trying to write as though representing the perspective of all men (not really possible, I’d argue, but interesting to try).

Anyhow, if you click over you will find Jen commenting on how she responded to coverage of/response to the Moutinho-Sands story. Then you’ll see me share my response to it (while also talking about covering it), and in fact admitting to some of the biases Jen brings up.

There are couple of other items I’ve written recently I wanted to pass along. My “Community Cards” column on poker in popular culture continues over on the Epic Poker site. The most recent one, titled “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Plays Poker,” concerns that lawsuit against Tobey Maguire being filed by those hoping to recover money he allegedly won off of a Ponzi schemer in that big Hollywood home game.

Also, last week over on Betfair Poker I wrote something about the restart of my “Poker in American Film and Culture” course titled “Shuffle Up and Study.” There I talk a bit about the experience of teaching the class as well as how doing so has affected the way I’m seeing poker’s role and significance in the “mainstream.”

Finally, if you’re not completely Shamus-ed out -- or if you are just curious for some more personal stuff -- I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Mary Coopman for the Pondering Poker podcast.

Mary and I had a wide-ranging, fun discussion in which we talked about writing, podcasts (including the still-on-hiatus Hard-Boiled Poker Radio Show), the WSOP, Black Friday, my class, and a few other topics. Mary ended up posting the interview in two parts: Part 1 & Part 2.

Like I say, it was a most enjoyable conversation, and while it probably covers a lot more than most would ever want to know about your humble scribbler, I figured there might be a few reading this blog who might be curious.

Flying By the Seat of My Pants

Doin’ a little airport blogging today. Am sitting here at my gate with my laptop, readying for the flight to Vegas.

Was just now once again going through the routine of removing shoes, emptying pockets, and so forth with which we’re all familiar. For some reason I keep making this mildly amusing mistake the last few times I’ve flown. Did it again just now.

Once I remove my belt and place it in the bin, I instinctively begin undoing my pants as well (no shinola). There I was again a few moments ago -- unbuttoned, zipper down, then realizing I’m not undressing at home.

Thankfully I’ve managed to catch myself each time -- before anyone else has had to tell me not to strip down entirely. Would make the subsequent full body scan unnecessary, though.

Lemme point y’all to a few different things elsewhere to listen to and/or read while I'm hurtling my way across the continent. Or at least to make you forget about me absent-mindedly stripping in public.

Yesterday I had a chance to listen to Episode 14 of the Gambling Tales Podcast on which I appeared as a guest along with Falstaff and Special K. Falstaff and I had a fun conversation about tourney reporting -- both live and online. We did it over Skype, and the quality is pretty good. Was glad to hear myself sounding somewhat coherent, too, given that I had been up for 40-plus hours or something just before we spoke (covering SCOOP). Click here to get to that episode, and you can confirm for me whether I'm making any sense.

Have a couple of other items to share. I recently read the new one from David Sklansky, DUCY? Exploits, Advice, and Ideas of the Renowned Strategist, written in collaboration with Alan Schoonmaker. This is the book in which Sklansky offers thoughts and theories about a host of non-poker topics, including things like health care, the economy, legalizing drugs, gun control, the death penalty, and so forth. An interesting read, about which I’ll probably have more to say over here eventually. Meanwhile, I wrote a review of DUCY? for the Betfair poker blog, if yr curious.

Finally, California Jen and I contributed a new pair of “He Said/She Said” columns for Woman Poker Player for this month. This time we separately addressed all of this “Year of the Woman” talk we’ve been hearing in the wake of big wins by women in major events (Annie Duke in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Vanessa Selbst at NAPT Mohegan Sun, and Liv Boeree’s at EPT San Remo).

Click here to read what Jen said. And here’s my contribution.

Will try my best to keep my pants on for the rest of the trip. See y’all on the other side!