Professional poker player, and Chicagoan, Aaron Massey is in Las Vegas for the summer - the World Series of Poker, the Venetian Deep Stack, and all of the debauchery that goes with it.  This is the first of, hopefully, many contributions from Aaron.

So this was spur of the moment…. I’m sitting at breakfast in the original Blnion’s Horseshoe Casino on Fremont Street in Vegas.  Ralph, George and I walked over there from the Golden Nugget to get hangover burgers cuz we got wrecked  till dawn on the strip last night.  We are all discussing our hypothetical life plans after I “win big”.  We all feel that my time is coming soon and we are discussing the importance of promoting my “brand” so that I can be in a favorable position to market myself.  There is a lot of value away from the poker table, and we understand this all too well.  Many poker players in the past have become big stars because of their personality, presence and talent.  An “it” factor that draws people’s attention.  These are generally the people that get the contracts, website sponsors, reality shows, internet and magazine interviews, exposure, etc.  All of these things have something in common… MONEY.

It is not easy to earn your living by playing poker.  There’s huge opportunity to win mind blowing amounts of money, but nothing is guaranteed and you never know when ur next paycheck is coming in.  In poker you lose a lot of the time too, which always sucks.  Although we basically live off the money we win in cash games while waiting for the tournament cashes, which is what we’ve done the last few years, IT IS NOT GUARANTEED.  The point is that it would be ideal to bring in a steady stream of income to help offset the downswings and periods between big wins.  Oh yea.. almost forgot.. there’s also the fact that we want very much to live a fantasy lifestyle of fame and luxury.  A life my brother and I have dreamed about for the last 2 decades.  Is it probable that this is going to happen…. No.  Is it possible……….. YES.

I’m gonna take a shot and start writing this blog.  Hopefully I draw a following and people start reading it regularly.  If I can get a little exposure, make a little noise and a name for myself, then I’ll be in a good spot to get paid away from the poker table when I finally do win something significant.  However, winning is not easy and there is no guarantee that I will even succeed let alone win the kinds of tournaments needed to become a star... But I’m  gonna try my ass off. [More...]

This summer I am scheduled to play roughly 20 tournaments.  Most are WSOP events with buyins ranging from $1000-$10,000 and the rest are Venetian tourneys with buyins of $1100-1600.  All of these tourneys should have 1st place prizes over 6 figures and most will have 1st place prizes closer to half a million.  Has a nice ring to it huh….  I desperately want to win something big so I can transform my life in the one Ralph and I never stop talking about.  I am willing to take the risk of publically failing and going down in flames if it gives me a better chance to succeed at the level I truly desire.  Its risk/reward.. Im risking  the embarrassment of broadcasting what very possibly could be a losing a trip, as well the fact that you all may all think I’m a huge lame for starting this blog.  The reward is the possibility of building my brand and being in what I believe is the best position to succeed when I do hit it big.

I know most of you don’t care about poker, but don’t worry, I have something else in store… I will be giving you the lowdown on the "real" vegas.  The late nights, loose women, clubs, bums, bust outs, and debauchery.  Stories of people going broke with their last pennies, losing their mortgages and lives on a flip of a card or spin of a wheel…  Tales of complete degeneracy and monumental downfalls.  I will try my best to expose to you the sick action that surrounds the lifestyle I have chosen for myself, and you can use these precautionary tales to teach your children to be just like me.

So stay tuned…        
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