Jennifer Newell

Tidbits for your reading pleasure from Day 2 of the Legends main event at the Bike...

I can't talk about the WPT event at the Bike without giving the latest update on the new media rules that resulted from the WPT/Card Player alliance. Again, the rules were being strictly enforced, but the new problem was that the enforcement wasn't consistent. Various media outlets discussed this issue amongst themselves and requested a meeting with WPT officials. From what I gathered, the rules about what these reporters were allowed to post was unclear - ummm, remember the WSOP? - and they were wondering if future coverage of WPT events would even be worth the time or effort. Reporters were frustrated, and I don't blame them one bit.

As for me - only there to get interviews - I was doing my usual leaning against the door of the tournament room, watching the action from afar and waiting for breaks when I could talk to players. At one point, a PR rep suggested I take a walk through the room, and I declined at the time, as I really didn't have the need. A little later, I was trying to see how many chips one player had left, and I walked less than 20 feet into the room to take a quick look, and I was asked to step out because there was another non-Card Player reporter in there at the same time. She was nice about it, but that was the last time I cared to walk in that room. Too much of a hassle for me.

I'm curious to see how it all plays out. If the WPT and Card Player don't let up a little, no one will be covering the WPT tournaments anymore, period. Is that really good for poker? And is that what the WPT really wants?

Anyhoooo, on to other things...

The field was just stacked today with big names all over the place. There were 191 players who returned for Day 2, and the field was diminishing at a decent pace as the day progressed.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Anna Wroblewski for quite awhile and conduct an interview for a magazine article, and she was just the sweetest person to talk to. Her early years as an orphan in Vietnam are very interesting and say a lot about who she is and why she leads her life the way she does.

My fav music producer, Irv Gotti, was hanging on today and doing well when I left. He was nearing the 100k mark this evening after being down to about 17k early on. I think he was actually starting to dislike the attention of the media, though, and when I finally asked if he'd be interested in speaking to me for an article, he declined. He was polite about it, but he seemed to be distancing himself from the media. Obviously, I was bummed, but he did tell me a little about the new Ja Rule single that should be on the radio soon. (Not many people care, but I'm excited about it. Let me have my moment, will ya?)

The most interesting part of my day was my personal Vinnie Vinh saga. I knew that he busted from Day 1B last night after I left, so I left him a voice mail message to get in touch with me or see me at the Bike today. No sign of him before the tourney started, so I asked David Pham if he knew where Vinnie was. He made a call and returned to tell me Vinnie was back in Vegas. Doh! Several hours later, however, I look up from the sushi bar to see Vinnie walking through the cash game area. Hey! I finished my spicy tuna rolls, then went out to the smoking area where I saw him headed. He thought I didn't see him and darted around to the side entrance of the casino. I wasn't about to chase him, but I got the message. He was definitely avoiding me, so I let it be.

Well, I can only guess that Vinnie is in a strange place these days because of what happened later. I waited for traffic to die down, then went to the valet to get my car around 7:45pm. As I was standing there, Vinnie walked out of the casino doors, locked eyes with me, and came over to give me a hug. "I sorry!" he said as he walked over. He repeated the apology several times, and I told him it was okay. "If you don't want to do the interview, it's okay," I said. "Just tell me the truth." He proceeded to let me know that this was just a really bad time right now, but he insisted that we will meet for dinner very soon, and he will talk openly. "I call you!" he kept saying as I drove away.

Maybe, maybe not. But I'm not giving up. I will have a conversation with Vinnie, and I will chase him until I get it. I won't stalk him or make him uncomfortable, but I want to talk to him. Seriously.

One other thing about my day... Though I was only in jeans and a t-shirt - nothing special - I received compliments today from the valet, the guy working the cafe, and the security guards. I'm sure they don't see many women 'round those parts, but it was nice to be complimented anyway. And it makes the sting of not getting some key interviews a little less upsetting. It's all good in the 'hood for me.

I don't think I'll be making the unpleasant drive to the Bike for Day 3 or 4, but I'm fairly sure I'll be there for the final table. I will post another blog if anything happens with my "Chasing Vinnie" saga or when I return to the Bike.