Jules: "I'll just walk the earth."
Vincent: "What'cha mean walk the earth?"
Jules: "You know, walk the earth, meet people... get into adventures. Like Caine from Kung Fu."
Vincent: "So you'll be a bum."
-Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta (Pulp Fiction)
10 days without smoking! Apparently this isn't much of an accomplishment as smokers often relapse months after never having a cigarette but I'm feeling confident I can follow through. I'm breathing better and feel better about myself overall.
I'm staying in Toronto for the rest of the summer up until TIFF in September (Toronto International Film Festival). TIFF is the true grind for movie-lovers like myself and I try not to miss anything that comes to town. It's tough because we get over 300 movies over 10 days in the city. It's really easy to miss a sleeper hit. Last year I sat right in front of Nicholas Cage and Werner Hertzog at the premiere of "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans." It was one of the best nights of my life. Cage's starpower is near blinding in person. Werner has to be one of the most unreal human beings on the planet, a truely fearless director.
Since I'm staying put in TO for a few months I thought I'd go over the different places I traveled to while following the poker circuit this past 6 months:
Nassau, Bahamas (PCA)
Niagara Falls, Ontario (CPT Fallsview Classic. Boom!)
Los Angeles, California (WPT)
Laurenceburg, Indiana (WPT)
Uncastle, Connecticut (NAPT)
San Remo, Italy (EPT)
Monte Carlo (EPT)
Amsterdam!
Las Vegas, Nevada (WSOP)
Fair bit of traveling and I'm far from done for the year. I've done a lot of thinking since being home and I'm pretty sure I'm going to move away from TO at the end of the year. To move... NOWHERE! With no real reason to stay put in any one spot I feel my best option is to live out of a suitcase for 6 months to a year and see parts of the world I've never before. I can still make it to all the best value live poker tournaments but I'd like to check out other spots like Australia, New York, New Zealand, London and Toyko but this is all very preliminary talk.
It's exciting to think about. I'll still be playing poker of course, but less of it for a while. Maybe I'll be inspired to write again. Maybe I'll fall in love with another country or culture. A search for some wholeness.
I hadn't planned on grinding FTOPS but Ben "NeverscaredB" Willinofsky might be staying with me for a few days next week. Could be fun with someone to grind with.
Peace,
Simon Charette
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
A New Phase of My Life to Begin
"Just don't think about it."
-Joseph "Floes" Serock
The WSOP has come and gone. It was a disapointing series but I really put my heart into it and I'm proud of my efforts. I made it just barely into day 2 of the main event without making a pair post-flop. That's right. I didn't make one pair nor did I even flop a draw (in 11 hours of poker!). Couldn't have run any colder. Oh well, it's just one tournament. Just happened to be the biggest and best one of the year. I'll be back again next year.
After busting from the main event I did something quite out of character. I went skydiving! Maybe not a big deal for most people but I'm deathly afraid of heights. My Vegas roommate Joe Serock told me not to think about it and just do it. Really happy I listened to him and went for it. I can proudly say I'm over my fear.
I'm making some big changes in my life (Improvements I hope) in the next couple months. I'm on day 5 of quitting smoking and I feel really good that I'll see it through this time. I'm also taking the next few months off poker with the exception of Sundays and an online session here or there. I've worked extremely hard in the last 3 years and certainly earned time for socializing and finding other things in my life that have meaning and make me happy. I wanna explore the world and parts of myself I've left dormant for too long now. My goal is to feel fulfilled and HAPPY. This will be the only time in my life I've put my mental and physical well-being ahead of everything else.
Hopefully I can return to my real passion in the next few months: Screenwriting. Most people in the poker world don't know that I graduated with a degree in Film Production and Screenwriting from York University in Toronto. I've really put my creativity on hold in the last few years to pursue poker but I'm ready to pick it back up again. I'm very grateful to have had great success in poker and I'm grateful for all the experiences and friends poker has given me. It's been a dream come true for me and I mean that with 100% honesty. But things change, I've changed, and there is a whole messload of experiences I've yet to have because I put life on hold.
I think it's time to pursue a new dream.
Peace,
Simon Charette
-Joseph "Floes" Serock
The WSOP has come and gone. It was a disapointing series but I really put my heart into it and I'm proud of my efforts. I made it just barely into day 2 of the main event without making a pair post-flop. That's right. I didn't make one pair nor did I even flop a draw (in 11 hours of poker!). Couldn't have run any colder. Oh well, it's just one tournament. Just happened to be the biggest and best one of the year. I'll be back again next year.
After busting from the main event I did something quite out of character. I went skydiving! Maybe not a big deal for most people but I'm deathly afraid of heights. My Vegas roommate Joe Serock told me not to think about it and just do it. Really happy I listened to him and went for it. I can proudly say I'm over my fear.
I'm making some big changes in my life (Improvements I hope) in the next couple months. I'm on day 5 of quitting smoking and I feel really good that I'll see it through this time. I'm also taking the next few months off poker with the exception of Sundays and an online session here or there. I've worked extremely hard in the last 3 years and certainly earned time for socializing and finding other things in my life that have meaning and make me happy. I wanna explore the world and parts of myself I've left dormant for too long now. My goal is to feel fulfilled and HAPPY. This will be the only time in my life I've put my mental and physical well-being ahead of everything else.
Hopefully I can return to my real passion in the next few months: Screenwriting. Most people in the poker world don't know that I graduated with a degree in Film Production and Screenwriting from York University in Toronto. I've really put my creativity on hold in the last few years to pursue poker but I'm ready to pick it back up again. I'm very grateful to have had great success in poker and I'm grateful for all the experiences and friends poker has given me. It's been a dream come true for me and I mean that with 100% honesty. But things change, I've changed, and there is a whole messload of experiences I've yet to have because I put life on hold.
I think it's time to pursue a new dream.
Peace,
Simon Charette
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The World Series is Almost Over..
"It's gone by fast."
-Matt "Ch0ppy" Kay
It's so sad to look at the WSOP schedule and see there is only 2 events left. The 2500 No limit event and the Main Event (10k. The Big One!).
I've got 3 small cashes so far this summer but I was hoping for at least 1 final table. One of my best friends in poker and my roommate, Kevin Macphee final tabled the 2500 Hold em/PLO split earlier this series. Everyone living in our house had a good time railing him even though he exited early in 5th place. Kevin is extremely well rounded in poker and also made a deep run in omaha hi/lo event. I railed him in that where he sat beside Phil Hellmuth (The Other Pokerbrat) and had a few drinks on the sidelines. Heckled Phil a bit all in good fun. Phil knows I'm a big fan.
I busted the 3k triple chance in a ridiculous hand where I check-called a 4x pot shove on the flop (10k into 2400) with k-j on a k-6-7 board. I could have folded this hand and still had 80 big blinds but I'm playing to win. My opponent had 10-8 with a flush draw and got there right away. So disapointing to bust day 1 of such a good tournament but I made the right decision and that's what counts. I've been really unlucky this series. Winning what seems to be few of my all in showdowns.
The World Series of Poker is a lot like summer camp for a lot of players. Groups of friends rent houses and apartments for 6 weeks all going to the same place everyday to grind. Its hard to walk 50 feet in the Rio (WSOP host) and not run into 5-6 people you know.. Everyone has the same goal. The same dream. Everyone wants a bracelet. We all relate to each other in a way that's hard for people outside of the poker world to understand and we're all in the same place for a short time. It feels pretty amazing to me.
I'll be heading back to Toronto after the main event. Hopefully I'll be a round a few more weeks. 2500 event tommorow though. I'm pumped. 2 more shots at a bracelet!
Simon Charette
-Matt "Ch0ppy" Kay
It's so sad to look at the WSOP schedule and see there is only 2 events left. The 2500 No limit event and the Main Event (10k. The Big One!).
I've got 3 small cashes so far this summer but I was hoping for at least 1 final table. One of my best friends in poker and my roommate, Kevin Macphee final tabled the 2500 Hold em/PLO split earlier this series. Everyone living in our house had a good time railing him even though he exited early in 5th place. Kevin is extremely well rounded in poker and also made a deep run in omaha hi/lo event. I railed him in that where he sat beside Phil Hellmuth (The Other Pokerbrat) and had a few drinks on the sidelines. Heckled Phil a bit all in good fun. Phil knows I'm a big fan.
I busted the 3k triple chance in a ridiculous hand where I check-called a 4x pot shove on the flop (10k into 2400) with k-j on a k-6-7 board. I could have folded this hand and still had 80 big blinds but I'm playing to win. My opponent had 10-8 with a flush draw and got there right away. So disapointing to bust day 1 of such a good tournament but I made the right decision and that's what counts. I've been really unlucky this series. Winning what seems to be few of my all in showdowns.
The World Series of Poker is a lot like summer camp for a lot of players. Groups of friends rent houses and apartments for 6 weeks all going to the same place everyday to grind. Its hard to walk 50 feet in the Rio (WSOP host) and not run into 5-6 people you know.. Everyone has the same goal. The same dream. Everyone wants a bracelet. We all relate to each other in a way that's hard for people outside of the poker world to understand and we're all in the same place for a short time. It feels pretty amazing to me.
I'll be heading back to Toronto after the main event. Hopefully I'll be a round a few more weeks. 2500 event tommorow though. I'm pumped. 2 more shots at a bracelet!
Simon Charette
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