Anthony Curtis’ nationally syndicated weekly column.
July 21, 2010
The final-table players in the World Series of Poker’s Main Event have been determined. The nine players who are about to become household names in poker circles are led by Jonathan Duhamel with almost 66 million in chips, 20 million more than the second-biggest stack. Last in the field is Jason Sentl with 8 million. The biggest name on the table is Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi, who won $1.6 million in this year’s other big event, the Poker Players Championship. Mizrachi is in seventh with 14 million. All but one of the players is under 30 years old, with the leader the youngest at 22. The final table will reconvene on November 6. The winner will take home $8.9 million, while all others, except the ninth-place finisher, will win at least $1 million.
House on the Beach: For the ultimate in blackjack by the pool, check out Mandalay Bay. You don’t have to be staying there to get into the second-floor Beach Casino, which overlooks the expansive MBay pool complex. Simply walk to the gate and tell the attendants you’re going up to the casino and they’ll give you a wristband for entry. There are six blackjack tables, and one each craps and roulette—most with minimums of $10. It’s open Saturdays and Sundays only from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Breakfast is Back: M Resort’s Studio B Buffet is serving breakfast again, from 7 to 10:30 a.m., Mondays through Fridays, for $9.99. The weekends continue to run the seafood brunch all day for $29.95.
Question: I’m curious about how the big basketball signing of LeBron James and company affected the odds for next year in the NBA. Are the Miami Heat the favorites to win?
Answer: After the announcement that LeBron James would join Miami, the Heat was immediately installed as the favorite to win next year’s NBA championship at odds of 9-5. Cleveland, the team LeBron left, plummeted from 10-1 to 300-1.
