WSOP Thursday

I woke up today with the World Series of Poker on my mind. Sure, there were other things like, "I really should brush my teeth and find a new brand of deodorant." But those took a backseat to WSOP thoughts. Of course, my dentist and anyone with olfactory senses might protest. Sue me. I've got the World Series on my mind.

First off, some congratulations are in order.

Taking Tahoe

If you took the time to read through Wednesday's lengthy News and Notes post, you likely remember that big-time PokerStars player and international poker pro Jeffrey Lisandro had made the final table at the WSOP Circuit Lake Tahoe event.

The final table didn't start out as well as Lisandro would've liked. In fact, it seemed like the one-time chip leader may not survive after having both his kings and aces cracked. But then Lisandro went on a rush. A really big rush. A rush big enough to get heads up with noted pro Phil Ivey.

And then the guy who just wanted to win one tournament for his mom...won the whole darn shooting match.

PokerStars sends its hearty congratulations to its valued player and now WSOP Circuit champ Jeffrey Lisandro.

A family affair

As of this moment, more than 575 PokerStars players have qualified for the WSOP main event through PokerStars. Most of the qualifiers have great stories to go along with their wins. This one struck me as particularly neat (again, sue me. I'm a sap for father and son stories).

Chuck G., a commercial real estate broker in Houston, is a pretty good dad. The father of a 22-year-old son, he does his best to find time in his busy schedule to enjoy some fun times with the son he calls his "pride and joy."

That said, the pair is fiercely competitive. Basketball, pool, you name it, they battled over it. Chuck admits, "We always challenged each other. Sooner or later he won at everything."

Chuck was a poker player back in his college days, but he will concede he wasn't much of a hold'em player. For that, it took his son coming home from Arizona State University.

See, while Chuck's son was out at ASU, he found some casinos and the game of Texas Hold'em. Never one to miss a chance to do something with his son, Chuck found a renewed interest in the game. The thing was, and apparently still is, the son is better than the father.

"I hate to admit it," Chuck said, "but my son is probably the better player. He has ice in his veins."

And so it was that Chuck's son qualified for the WSOP on PokerStars on the second day the double shootouts were available.

Chuck took to trying. He tried once, twice, and three times, falling short every time. Then it happened. Chuck hit the jackpot. Now, he and his son are on their way to Vegas together.

The ony person left in the family who hasn't qualified is Mom. And does she play? Well, yes. Chuck's been showing her the ropes.

"The family who plays poker together stays together," Chuck said.

Talk about a family affair.