I don't know how I get myself into weekends like this. I'll be playing in the FTP Holiday $100k Tournament, some of the PokerStars 10,000 seat SnG's, playing in the final Saturday's with Dr. Pauly, then trying to live blog the Holiday $100k over at Poker From the Rail.
I predict I will throw my laptop out of the window by 6pm and dunk myself into another tub o' booze.

I might just release this damned thing in novel format if I thought I'd sell two copies to pay for the paper it was printed on. Keep grinding.
Congrats to BuddyDouche on his 12th place finish in the Stars WBCOOPBCCPEPPOOOP event yesterday. Don't know if it's a testament to his poker skills or his ability to dodge 'tards.
The Charity Game
Safely on the ground I grabbed up Vegas roomie PirateLawyer and made our way to the lovely 5-star vacation spot known as THE Imperial Palace. The first person we saw was BuddyDank sitting at the corner of the Geisha bar, there he regaled us with the stories from the night before and the huge slots/video poker heater he went on with Joanada. After getting to the room and taking a massive, it was off to the bar to drink myself to oblivion. People kept mentioning things like hanging at the MGM or bowling at Gold Coast or anything else not involving what I was currently doing. I knew sooner or later everyone would make their way to this shitty dive bar with short pours and zero cell phone reception.
It always a whirlwind of activity the first night at the bar as everyone gets reacquainted. F-Train bought my first round, really two, as he pulled back from the bar to show two rocks glasses full of my amber glory. I met CaliforniaJen for the first time and we chatted up over beverages. Iggy was holding court with the cougahs while I tried to find a cowgirl to bed that evening. My night consisted of dunking my head in a glass of booze, lighting another smoke, and checking for non-existent text message. Rinse repeat.
Then I met a Dr. Pauly legend. Professional Keno Player Neil Fontenot made his way over with the good doctor and introductions were made. I heard mention that he was looking to get a couple of backers for the blogger game and I decided to help out. I was sitting with a pocket full of 20's from back home which are practically useless in Vegas unless your are aiming for a cheap lapdance at a low end strip club. I reached in to give him the full buyin, I figured he was better than even money against a room full of donkeys overplaying The Hammer. My investment firmly in place, I drank myself into a puddle.
I was pre-registered for the Poker Jingle charity game at the Hard Rock Friday afternoon and things were a little shaky when I woke up after the long night/morning at the bar. A quick shower and cab ride found me standing in the casino looking for the new Poker Lounge. I tracked down the Gracie/Pablo poker team, grabbed my seat assignment, and immediately made my way to the bar to drink away the hangover shakes. BigMike was a last minute addition to the tournament and found himself sitting with a couple big names. My seat? The farthest from the action and cocktail service, not a great start. I had a cocky old bat to my right who swore she was going to kick our asses. She was gone by the second level, they were 20 minute levels.
Understanding it was a charity tournament, I didn't make a big deal about the horrible structure. 1000 in chips, 20 minute levels, 25/50 going straight to 50/100 and 100/200. Even with that I managed just one double rebuy plus the add-on at the end of the first hour. Nothing spectacular except the cocktail waitress finally found us and we tipped her well enough that we were her first stop before the table broke. Drizz and The Rooster made guest appearances to do some railing, Gracie and Pablo exited almost immediately after the first break and I was moved to a table with Michael Binger and Tiffany Michelle. Go Team UltimateBet! In quick succession Binger dropped followed by Pam Brunson and some kindly old lady who was having herself a blast.
Joaquin was my sole railer when I made F-Train very happy and paid him back for the kicking off my alcohol fueled bender the evening before. I was getting shortstacked again and starting to sober up, meaning it was time to push. I would be able to double up my chips or double up my shots. UTG+1 I pushed with KQsooooted and picked up the blinds. UTG I shoved again with AQ and was called by the lovely Tiffany Michelle, friend of bloggers and F-Train. Seat 1 blows because I couldn't get a look at who called initially with AT and had no idea it was her until she walked away from the table.
God bless the information age, 5 minutes later a twitter alert pops up from Dr. Pauly, "alcanthang busted tiffany michelle at hard rock charity tourney". Haven't a clue how he found out but I was amused and somewhere an F-Train got his wings.
I lasted maybe an hour later. Maybe? I spent of the time chatting up Gracie and paying people to run to bar for me since cocktail service went the way of the dodo. There was also a time crunch with dinner reservations creeping up, so I busted myself by pushing my kings into tens. I run good.
I was impressed with the Poker Lounge at the Hard Rock. For one thing, I'd never have to throw on my iPod since most of the music they play is right in my wheelhouse. I phoned up BadBlood when they were playing Metallica Fade to Black over the internal sound system. I don't suppose you'll be getting that while sitting down at the shitty family oriented castle who replaced their dealers with microchips.
Next up was dinner at Craftsteaks with a bunch of friends and Pauly setting me up before I even walked in the door.
We interrupt the Las Vegas posts to remind you that there are only two more tournaments left in the Saturday's with Dr. Pauly series. Too much fun for very little bank.

I fully intended to post the entire Vegas trip report all at one time until I realized it was 5,000 words long and quite ridiculous. Around here you either get no posts for a month or uber-ramblers. I'll cut it up and see where it goes.
The Flight In
I knew going in this would be the most trying time of the trip, it might be the only part of the trip if they turned me away. I had no option but to show up at the airport with a ratty, reconstituted passport and pray to the Mother Variance that it would go well. A little too much overindulging the night before the trip had me getting to the airport much later than I wanted. Riggs spent quite a bit of time outside of my house trying to wake my ass up. I planned to give myself plenty of time to talk my way through security. The first TSA agent looked at my passport and actually laughed then asked the dumbest question of the trip. "Do you have a drivers license or photo ID?"
I resisted the instant urge of the smart ass comment that if I had another ID, would I really be giving her this one. No sense pissing on them right off the bat. She called over several upper level storm troopers who pulled me aside for a little sit down. Paperwork and many many questions. I'm fairly certain I'm on some kind of watch list for the rest of my life. After 45 minutes of grilling they finally allowed to go through the metal detectors but told me I was flagged for "additional screening". Prostate pucker at those words.
I was boxed up in a glass house while an old surly TSA agent let me sweat, finally grabbing my lone bag and the pat down began. Then he went through my bag which contained my sparse wardrobe for the trip plus my electronics which revealed nothing outrageous enough to keep me from boarding my flight in 15 minutes. One upside though. Several weeks ago I lost my iPod which I assume disappeared during some drunk shenanigans at the pub. While he was going through my bag he searched a little pocket I didn't even know existed, sure enough he found my iPod. My exaltation "hey, you found my iPod!" didn't really do much to improve his mood.
The rest of the trip to Vegas was thankfully uneventful. We had a stewardess, flight attendant, waitress, whatever who was stunning when seen from behind. Unfortunately she turned around and I realized she really must have been something back in the Jacklyn Smith era. Surly and sunken eyed and not terribly happy to be there. Luckily for me she turned around often enough.
I endured the hangover flight across country and was ready to tear up the town. I was fortunate to have a city full of friends waiting to drink the place dry and revitalize the lagging hooker economy.
I'm back from Vegas alive and safe. My liver and bankroll seemed to come through the experience mostly intact. As usual I didn't get to spend as much time BS'ing at the bar with some of my friends but I had a great time. There was the lengthy interview with the TSA in Philly as I tried to get through security with a passport in less than optimum condition, the charity game and of course the wedding of Gracie and Sweet sweet Pablo.
I've decided that one big honkin' writeup will have to due and I'm about halfway through it at this point. I was lucky enough to get out of town before a snow storm dumped on Vegas and the weather in Philly was 30 degress warmer in then Vegas.
Cheers and I'll have the writeup tomorrow.
Things are coming along nicely and I'll be in Vegas safe and sound Thursday afternoon assuming the TSA doesn't get a micro-bug up their ass. I'll be camped out in seat 1a for the non-stop flight into town where I plan to fire off the opening salvo of a mega-bender the moment I see the first bar (outside the airport). Thursday night will be my time to rip it apart since I'll have to be relatively good Friday evening so I can take care of uniting Gracie and Sweet Sweet Pablo Saturday afternoon.
Taking one for the team.
As you'll see below, my plans for Friday afternoon are set in stone. I'll be playing in Poker Jingle at Hard Rock, the charity poker tournament I mentioned earlier. I know several bloggers are already signed up for the tournament including Gracie, Pablo and ye ol' Garthmeister. Who else is going to join us?
This message is automatically generated as a receipt for your recent registration at Active.com.I challenge any other bloggers who will be in town Friday afternoon to join me at the Hard Rock for some karma-loving charity poker. Thank god there is a cocktail hour beforehand, proper lubrication has the necessary affect to push me through the tournament.
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Truckin' - November 2008, Vol. 7, Issue 12
1. The Last Christmas by Paul McGuire
I adore the way you look. But your mother disapproves. It's that black shoe polish you have on your lips. When I was your age, the only people who dressed like that were the whores who stood on corners down in the Mission.... More
2. I Remember Christmas by May B. Yesno
I looked down at my cup, lifted a hand to the waitress for another coffee and started looking around the joint, noting the yellow brown walls a glass could stick to, if you placed a glass on it, and listened to the Christmas music being piped in... More
3. American Half-Breed by David Peterson
It is bitter cold and everywhere around me is ice and dirty snow. At my side is one of my prized possessions, an American Standard Fender Precision Bass Guitar. I don't want to do what I'm about to do, but I've run out of options. I open the pawn shop door and feel a blast of heat and the smell of tobacco smoke and desperation... More
4. Of All The Bars In NYC by Betty Underground
You know when you see someone and maybe it is the job you do or the frequency you travel to the same places, but you sort of recognize them and for some reason you can't put them in the context of where you are right then... More
5. Corner of Hopelessness by Paul McGuire
I have this odd fear that I'm going to get shanked by a gangbanger with a spork or mugged by one of the homeless people who live behind the dumpster and feast on half-eaten Jumbo Jacks and pieces of raggedly yellow leaves that they pass off as lettuce... More
Thanks to everyone for the helpful hints yesterday but I guess I forgot to point one thing out. If you name it, I've tried it. One major hiccup in getting a new ID, especially in a hurry, is that fact that I haven't seen my social security card in decades. Every option so far requires that little piece of paper.
Things are moving along though, looking better to make my flight in just over a week.
~
There is a charity game for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society tonight on FTP hosted by Erick Lindgren in memory of Mindy Trinidad. Tons of people on hand so come on out if you have the chance.
Tournament: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
When: Wednesday, December 3rd at 19:00ET
Game: NLHE
Buyin: $5+$5
Password: charity
~
Seems PokerStars is going to give this blogger championship another shot with even more events. If they could get the tournaments down under 50,000 players it could be interesting.

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!
The WBCOOP is an online Poker tournament open to all Bloggers.
Registration code: 107674









Good god damn if things are going completely bizerker around ol' CantHang land. No real excuse for the lack of posting but just about every word I have time to get down on the internet has gone towards my glorious corporate gig at FTP. The other time is spent handling various issues that tend to pop up in the world of the uber-degen trying to slide by without any real responsibilities.
Too much booze is always the standard but most of the fun I've tended to keep to myself rather then spread amongst my few remaining readers. There have been some crazy good times and I'm building up to the bender in Vegas.
But I've also had other things going on. There is officially no longer a MrsCantHang as the papers have been signed, I'm now on my own to run around and make a much more complete ass out of myself. I'm searching the world for a new place to live and taking suggestions. Of the top 100 places in consideration, Las Vegas is number 99 right above Salt Lake City. I've discussed this with several of my friends who have helped point in the right direction.
I'll have more to say on the subject once I get some distance but no need to worry about me.
Another major hiccup occurred just after I booked my trip for Vegas. Most everyone knows that I haven't had a drivers license in nearly a decade (never let it be said that I am not a socially responsible alcoholic) and my only form of photo ID was the passport I carried at all times. You just never know when an impromptu trip to Europe might pop up.
Less than two weeks before I board the plane and there goes my passport through the washing machine. It is now a pile of paper pulp that resembles a fist-sized spit ball. I now have a week to find some replacement or else I'll spend that weekend doing dial-a-shots instead of running around like a madmen.
Good times. These are just a few of my favorite things.
So I'm spending all my free time searching for a place to live, trying to obtain valid travel documents, planning a trip to Vegas, getting daily posts up on FTP and somewhere in the middle finding time to further pollute my liver. If anyone needs a Vegas vacation, I think I'm pretty well up there.
~
Assuming Bacchus himself decides to push through my travel dilemma, I found the perfect function for Friday afternoon during the blogger drunkfest. Jen Newell has a post up on PokerWorks about a charity poker game on the afternoon of December 12th at the Hard Rock Casino benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in memory of Mindy Trinidad. $200+$30 buyin and a chance to play with the big guns. Cocktails at 2pm, tournament at 3pm.
I know a number of bloggers plan to play in the tournament and I'll definitely be there.
More details can be found here: Poker Jingle at the Hard Rock
~
It's been a long time since I've posted a list of cuties. Today will be completely safe for work but I'll do better next time. Here's the top 5 girls I enjoy watching on TV. Just my quick determination, it may require further examination with a cross-post between myself and the BoyGenius. It's been quite awhile since we ran one of those.
5. Sarah Shahi - Currently playing recovering dope fiend on Life and apparently went topless in The L-Word but I've never seen it or caught a clip. New to me and just something about her. Bonus pic.





I despise amateur night, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, when all your favorite chuckleheads are out at the bar in force for their one big drunk of the year. That's why I'm posting at midnight instead of sitting in my normal seat at the pub. I made it a few hours through the night before bailing, right after a moron spilled his Miller Lite in my crotch. Doesn't bode well for picking up a drunk chick when your nuts smell like cheap beer.
So instead I will post this and remind you of Dr. Pauly's now-annual Turkey Cup on Thanksgiving evening. Relax and throw some chips around after putting up with your family and the turkey jerky they pass off for a decent meal.

Vegas is coming. Vegas is coming.
That's all I keep telling myself these days as we get down to the next major event. That's how I get through my days recently. Vegas in the summer got me through a really shitty spring. The Bash in September kept me sane through the summer planning and the new job. Since the Bash I've been waiting for the Vegas trip and trying to stay sane. Not as easy as you would think in my current environment.
Vegas has always been my fall back option when it comes to completely losing myself in complete debauchery that's my place. I have no worries other than making sure my staggering ass can get back to the room in one piece, which is not necessarily as easy as you would think. I've told the hooker-rolling story serveral times over the last two weeks for some reason. People never get tired of hearing about degenerate behavior to make themselves feel better.
"She stood up and almost fell over. We've all been that drunk before. So drunk that you barely notice it when slumped on a bar stool until the excess booze hits you like a ton of bricks as soon as you stand up to go take a leak. Your legs disappear and you spin around like a weeble wobble hoping to get lucky and gain your balance before you smash your face into the edge of the bar. The old hooker stumbled back and twirled around a few times as she nearly collided with the electronic roulette table.Replace the bumbling stumbling hooker with a drunk hippy and Pauly just described my typical Vegas night.
Pauly - Existentialist Conversations with Hookers: Maelstrom at the Hooker Bar
November 2008, Vol. 7, Issue 11
1. Jupiter Four by Paul McGuire
Cal never had a chance. After one season of winter ball in the Dominican Republic, he walked away from baseball. He was miserable down there. His Spanish was bad. He caught a nasty parasite and his girlfriend constantly begged him to come home.... More
2. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Conviviality by May B. Yesno
The voice crackles and chatters. The sum and substance of the call is an invite to play with resistors and transistors and bread boards, hot solder and imagination. One of the customers wanted company. His wife was off chasing her particular dreams of sustenance some six hundred miles away across two mountain ranges... More
3. Luna Moth by Betty After Dark
Then you flipped me. On my back. Crawling on top of me. Hovering over me, you pushed my arms above my head. I imagined you had tied me up. You fumbled. We giggled... More
4. The Green Chip by Jonathan Bennetts
In just over twelve months Alex had hit rock bottom and it seemed like he had been there forever. He plummeted headlong into being a hopeless drunk who'd lost everything; his sole reason for living now was to raise five bucks daily for his quart of Orillia Tiger Ruby Red Port wine... More
5. Pizza and the Party by Matt Moon
tried talking and joking with Brittany but she was giving one-or-two-word responses. She was not digging me. She'd rather stare out the backseat window than associate with me. That was very unfortunate. I was really hammered and she had some cute aspects to her. I kept trying to progress the conversation but failed miserably every single time.... More
Things have been so hectic around here that I barely have time to think let alone write in this tiny space but that's no excuse. Last week I had a chance to go work at a charity poker game in NYC hosted by Beth and Dan Shak. Some poker bigwigs would be there but I would be on the job and I've never come close to being a poker fanboy.
I'll never be confused with the poker writers like Dr. Pauly, Otis or the other dozens of fine writers who make their living writing wonderful stuff about a group of degenerates sitting around slinging chips. I don't have the chops and generally the client doesn't go for the rubbish that usually comes pouring out of my brain. The official website would never contain the stories about the hooker dressed player who ended up passing out on the table before she busted or the ex-Phillie pitcher standing on a New York City sidewalk slurring his "Fuck the Mets and Fuck the Yankees" to whomever was passing by or the mini-rant the Poker Brat laid on Jordan as he was dealing a hand. I was there in strict PR mode and there are even some things I won't mention here for fear of getting cut off in the future.
It was going to be a long day so I did what I do best. Went out the night before and got myself in a world class twisted mess. Riggs was set to pick me up at 8am but I couldn't tell you what time I finally crawled in the house. There was a long anguishing drive down the AC Expressway to start things off at the Borgata. They donated the tables for the charity game as well as a few poker staff to facilitate the dealing, never mind the meetings that would take us past the scheduled departure time. The only thing that made me anywhere near right was a few slices of pizza and a gallon of cola.
Leaving late had one nasty side effect. Getting to the Lincoln Tunnel at 4:30 is an experience I never wish to have again, especially being one of three people stuffed in the back of an undersized SUV. More years were taken off my life by sucking those bus fumes that smoking has ever done. That also meant I would miss a schedule pre-game drink near the hotel with Derek, Joaquin and Mary Bacon-bikini.
But have no fear, we are all imaginative if nothing else. The party just switched from over-priced bar drinks in Manhattan to free drinks on the 36th floor of the Mandarin Oriental. They made their appearance while I was finishing set up in my little corner with the other worker bees, that included trying to fix Rigg's newly blowed the fuck up laptop and tuning things up with BuddyDank Radio. For my own future reference, the radio microphone generally works better when pointing at your mouth instead of the back of you head.
Good news, one of the bars was sitting within 10 feet of my table. Bad news, not a lick of Southern Comfort in the entire building. As it was, I just made sure to help myself to the monstrous buffet they had going. Gyoza, shumai, spring rolls and a living breathing sushi chef taking specialized orders. It was a target rich environment for the Rooster and I wouldn't be the least surprised if he didn't walk out of the building with a few rich bitch phone numbers.
The game was just about the most uneventful $5,000 buyin game you'll ever see. 90% of the players probably never played before and were just there for the cause. You were just as likely to see players in line for the buffet or bar then see them actually sitting down to play a hand. Hellmuth was doing double duty by MC'ing as well as playing. It's no secret that Hellmuth is one of my least favorite players thanks to his complete douchebaggery at the tables, but I'll have to give him this one. He did a great job at the event and made things interesting for all in attendance. Mini-rant at Jordan not withstanding. He was actually rebuying for other players when they busted if they didn't have the cash on hand to do so.
Naturally the cynic in me automatically thinks he must have gotten one huge appearance fee to act so well.
Once the rebuy period was over the craziness kicked in. There was a timeframe for when they needed to leave the room and the game quickly became an uber-turbo with bustouts all over the place. That left plenty of people standing around watching the bigwigs and chugging free drinks. One drunken player was flagged twice by Hellmuth over the mic, telling the bartender to cut him off. There's something to put on your resume. The passed out girl was eventually shuffled off quietly to the elevators but not before making a stumbling effort to hit the bathrooms. In the blink of an eye the game was done, winners declared and numbers announced. $825,000 for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, not a bad pull.
All that and my experiences with some Secret Service looking big men barely even registers in my mind. I'm guessing there was someone pretty damned important visiting the Mandarin Oriental that evening and I'm guessing they weren't there to protect a very drunk Ricky Bottalico.
The drive back to home via Atlantic City took an hour longer than normal thanks to a missed turn and Riggs spent the 90 minute drive from AC to Phoenixville mostly asleep, thanking the drinking gods we survived because he was driving while sleeping.
24 hours, 4am to 4am. Pub -> P-ville -> Atlantic City -> New York City -> Atlantic City (via the Turnpike and NOT the Parkway!) -> P-ville. All survived without a single drop of booze in my system. Let's never attempt this again or I'll start naming names.

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