Hello Students,

I have returned home from a two week trip that involved some very frustrating hours of poker, coupled with being the guest of Raymond Griffin at his fishing lodge where he and his lovely wife Belinda work endlessly to provide their guest with an adventure in fishing excellence. Any time in the future that you poker players start thinking about the ebbs and flow of losses incurred in poker, I want you to pause and give thought to what true conviction involves.

Griffin fishing lodge in the past five years has had to be rebuilt twice compliments of hurricane Katrina, and hurricane Ike, and as I left this last week,they now face the loss of their prime time business, and perhaps even face the prospects of having to close, due to the oil spill. They understand the meaning of discipline, dedication and hard work. (see griffinfishing.com) If I could bottle their determination and pass it on to my students, you would all be a bit better for it.

Harrah's staff for the most part were both competent, and efficient, however I witnessed an unusual and unfair floor ruling that although complicated should have been addressed in a less callous manner. Here is what happened. Player A is all-in player B has a drawing hand, they got all-in on a flop of Qh/7h/4c player A has A/Q player B has Ah/Jh they both turn their hands face up. Player A is holding his cards in his hand and chooses to stand up. In doing so he slips getting to his feet, and grabs for the rail resulting in one of his cards falling to the floor. The dealer declares his hand dead, and refuses to call the floor to confirm her ruling. Many players tell her that she is not the decision maker, and needs a ruling. This stubborn lady insist she is correct and refuses to call for a floor person, but by this time player A has verbally gotten a floor person's attention. The dealer mucks both players hand and the flop, prior to the floor person arriving. The floor person having listened to both sides of the story, then  states that the dealer is correct, and rules that player A has a dead hand, and awards player B the pot which eliminates player A from the tournament. For my students edification this is a ruling that is standard in most casino cash games (but not tournament play).  The entry fee for this event was $1000. and player A left not knowing that he had just been eliminated by a circumstance of both the dealer, and the floor person not having a viable understanding of the wsop circuit rules.

If they had took the time to check the rules they would found that the proper ruling would have been to reconstruct the two hands and the flop since every other player at the table confirmed the seven cards that were involved. The deck gets shuffled and the last two cards dealt. If player A wins the hand he is awarded the pot, and will either receive a 10 or 20 minute penalty for dropping his card, technically your cards must remain visible at all times. This could happen to any of you and if you are not comfortable with a ruling ask for the tournament director, and don't be afraid to challenge a floor person's ruling. Many tournament rules vary from place to place, but circuit rules are already in place and not subject to the house's interpretation

I played three events, and was eliminated at the middle to late levels, having lost each time to coin flips what more is there to say.

This last trip I realized that my travel schedule for the last six months has been extensive, and I'm not nearly as excited as most of you would be about attending events all over the United States. In June I will be attending the world series in Las Vegas, and that my friends will be my last scheduled trip.

I'm quickly approaching 70 years on this earth, and want to enjoy my at home routine, and concentrate on teaching poker strategy to as many of you fine students that are interested.   Poker is in my blood, and I'm sure that I will participate here and there, but I would rather be watching all of you at your own final table.

Bill Seymour