Scott Diamond

Well I went to a local casino Saturday Night because my Daughter and Wife got the itch to play some slots. Saturday Night!!! I said are you guys crazy??? the crowds will be outrageous and the machines never pay out on a weekend, I told them. Well my Nieces boyfriend is learning to play poker and has never played at a Casino. So off to San Manuel we go and yes the place was a ZOO..

We go to the newly remodeled Poker Room and it is very spacious and modern. The only problem is they do not have enough staff to run it for the amount of people who come to play. I guess its like the movie,if you build it they will come. They are coming and you have to wait about 10 minutes for chips and you can forget about getting food,its that busy.

Robert (my nieces boyfriend) played at a 2-4 limit game and I didn't get a chance to watch him but he lost $60,00 pretty quick and he got up.

I sat at a $100.00 $300.00 buy in NL game and had some success I started with $200.00 and I walked away with $1,069.00 and could have had more but I gave this one nice old man a break.. I had 5-4 hearts in the big blind and there was one raise to $15.00 and everyone at the table called. So there was already $135.00 in the pot and it was only $10.00 more to see a flop.

The flop.....7-3-6 rainbow. Flopped a straight,,,very nice...Theres a bet of $50.00 in front of me and I raise it to $125.00 and get TWO callers..One guy is all in and the turn is a 2 hearts....I go all in for $430.00 that I have left, thats not an over bet at all its pot size...This really nice old man has me covered and he goes into the tank for a bit.. He finally flashes pocket 3's for a set. I have been playing pretty solid and he knows I am not bluffing. He saw me win a big pot earlier with trip 10,s and I did not play rags at all since sitting down.. But me being the nice guy I am and one person already all in I told him to lay it down .....He looked at me and I nodded so he layed it down.. I could have taken another $430.00 from this guy because he was going to call, but I am sure it would have hurt his pocket and I have played with him before and he is a very nice individual. Now I know your thinking there is no friendships at the poker table and your absolutely right,anyone else I do not say a word,but I had a moment and its ok, there is a $500.00 profit in that pot and I was good with that. Oh,the other all in..10-10..So I leave with a grand because my wife and daughter spent all their money in about an hour. As we are leaving some lady hits a 50 cent machine for 20k and everyone is trying to get a peek.

I sit at this blazing sevens machine and toss in a hundred dollar bill and I give my wife one to. She has no luck and I hit the $1,175.00 progressive jackpot and I play it a few more spins until I have 2k...I cash it out and we are on our way home. I give my wife a few hundred and offer my daughter $50.00, but she is mad and is pouting and says the fifty isn't going to help what she lost.. I offer Robert fifty and he denies it also. But I insist and he has some more money to try and learn Poker.

Now for the title of this blog,Sposorships. I know Jean Robert Bellande pretty good. He is a friendly guy,but if you watched Survivor you pretty much know him. Smart guy,but just a tad conceited and can rub you the wrong way. This is just my opinion. I asked him the past 2 years to attend the Charity Event,but he has had other plans both times. No problem but when I see him playing cash games the day of my event,,,, I just wondered.

Bodog signs Jean Robert to be one of their spoke persons. I am dumbfounded by this. Nam Le who is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and a pretty darn good Poker Player had their logo on his shirt during the final table of the LAPC this past week. They only gave him some money to wear it and it did not include a sponsorship deal. Nam already has one WPT title and a couple of final table appearances at the WSOP too!

I would also think since Nam is of Asian descent and the Asian community plays a lot of Poker it would be a good fit for Bodog or any other On-Line Poker Site. Same with J.C. Tran, why doesn't he have a deal....I know David Pham just signed with Full Tilt and deservingly so, but I am just a little flabbergasted by the Bodog deal. There are so many Poker Professionals who are deserving of sponsorships in my opinion,but they are without them.

Joe Seboks name also comes to mind and at one point so did Chad Browns but he is now a member of the Full Tilt family,

If you have any thoughts or opinions,please leave me a comment and start an open discussion or we can start one in the forum here.. Take care all, I am off to the Dentist to have a couple of teeth fixed .....Take care...Be safe....