Guest Blogger

March has been my most lucrative gambling month ever, but I’m ashamed to say not a cent was earned at the poker table. I cleared $1,300.00 for the month when Florida beat Ohio State for the championship. After Texas A&M failed to reach the Elite Eight my bracket predictions matched the results exactly. As a result, I won the pool with my old college buddies, I won the pool among the poker media, and I took 4th place out of 416 entries in another. I know I may be tooting my own horn here, but I live for this stuff, and it pays to cherish even your small victories in life. With all that said, though, my March Madness winnings totaled $300. Where might that other $1,000 have come from?

Well…My birthday was on March 28th, and as you might have read in the coverage at worldpokertour.com for the World Poker Challenge, there was a small prop-bet between myself and Mark Newhouse. Newhizzle loves a good prop-bet (check out Gary’s blog to see his pending wager) so he bet me $1,000 that I couldn’t drink a drop of alcohol on my birthday. The terms were as follows:

-No alcohol between 12:00 a.m. March 28 and my flight landing in Connecticut for the Foxwoods Poker Classic on March 29.

-For me to lose the bet I must drink on my own free will, i.e., no one could sabotage my drinks.

-If I don’t drink I win $1,000

-If I do drink (here is the twist) I have to attend five AA meetings.

Now before you think I’m a raging alcoholic or something, let me correct you. Yes, I do enjoy drinks with friends, and yes, I’m a usual suspect on the party roster that surrounds the WPT. Also, I do value holidays more than your average bear, (just read about my St. Patty’s Day) so I savor the revelry that comes with turning one year older. The bet would definitely require me to derail my prior birthday plans, if even for a night.

The few friends I told about the bet prior to my acceptance were torn. The camps were divided between “Dude, its a thousand bucks,” and “But it’s your birthday!” In the end I couldn’t say no to the easiest grand I’d ever make, and by that point I’d look like an alcoholic if I didn’t take the bet, at no point of my consideration was not drinking for a night that big a deal to me. So…I called Mark, we finalized terms, and shook on it over the phone.

Our WPT crew went out for dinner at the casino’s Steak House the night before my birthday and enjoyed a superb meal. I dined on salmon topped with crab meat, while drinking a few Sam Adams before the clock struck midnight. (I felt like I had to make it back to my carriage by midnight or it would turn into a pumpkin). We got a private room that was so nice it prompted WPT photographer Brian Lowe to describe it as the ‘Godfather’ room. We had many birthdays on the tour that week between Lowe, Tony Berns, and me, so it turned into a nice celebration among our staff. We then hit up the bar at Chevy’s just before midnight for a few more rounds. I had Gary in tow as my official timekeeper and when he gave the word, I cut myself off at midnight.

I was sailing smooth through the first night, then things got interesting when there were three quick bust outs at the final table, and JC Tran had the lead. I texted Newhouse, “I hate you.” I knew the table was going to end early, and JC would win his first WPT title. There was going to be a party in Reno. Gary just kept laughing at me in the background. I still had no doubts I was going to succeed, but the timing was just impeccable. JC did win, and things did end early. I then proceeded to turn down a lot of birthday drinks that night at the driving range, then at the bowling alley, then at the bar where everyone ended up at to conclude the night. Most of these offers came from JC, and certain members of the media, who I will only refer to as LA Mike at this time. In lieu of being able to buy me a birthday drink, JC did offer me a no-strings-attached $100 prop-bet if I hit a strike on the spot. I choked, but thanks for the friendly offer JC.

I’ll tell you one thing though, I was throwing back Roy Rogers likes it was nobody’s business. Coke and grenadine, WOOOO!!!! The most hilarious moment of the evening came when I was standing in the middle of 30 people who were taking a shot to toast JC’s victory with my infamous non-alcoholic elixir in hand.

I made it through a 3:30 a.m. breakfast and back up to my room by 4 a.m. unscathed and sober as an altar-boy. I then showered, packed, woke up Tom “The Canon” Bostic, (you have to watch this man bowl) and was downstairs by 5:30 a.m. to catch our taxi to the Reno airport. Fifteen hours later (it’s a long story involving mechanical problems and missed connection flights that could be another blog) I was in Connecticut and $1,000 richer for the wear. Newhouse was true to his word, he peeled ten $100 bills off his wad of many the second he saw me at Foxwoods. Cheers Mark! I definitely owe you a round next time we’re at the bar.

Ryan "Force" Lucchesi
force@wisehandpoker.com