According to an undisclosed source, the Renaissance Man was spotted at an adult club on the evening of June 12, partying away until sunrise. 
From 24-year old Christina Mortiyarti from Cleveland, OH!
Right now, the Renaissance Man ...
is probably out like a light, resting up for Day 2 of the WSOP Event #21, $3000 HORSE.
The field of 452 has wittled down to 198 competitors, including our man himself. Day 2 starts @ 2pm today. Official coverage, including tourney updates, chip counts, etc, can be found here.
The official event reports have had the honor of reporting some of the Renaissance Man's progress:
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Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:54:14
Schaaf Looking Solid
Last year's champion of the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event looks like he is our current chip leader. James Shaaf is up to 40,000 and change. He's sitting at a table with Fabrice Soulier, Nikolay Evdakov, and Vanessa Rousso.
Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:12:37
Rousso Busto
Stud Vanessa Rousso: (X-X) (X) James Schaaf: (X-X) (X) Unknown Player: (X-X) (X) Rousso was all in on third street for her last 300 chips after placing in her ante. Schaaf completed and the other player called. Shaaf then check-raised fourth street and was called before leading on every street after that, where he was called as well. Schaaf tabled ( -X) for a full house, aces full of sevens. The third player mucked his hand and then Rousso showed her hole cards. She held ( ) in the hole and lost the hand. She was eliminated from the tournament.
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We've received a first-hand report late @ ~4:00am:
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So things started the off great with me climbing to a one of the chip leaders (or at some times the absolute chip leader), a position I held for almost 5 hours. Then things got ugly.
Still I made it to second day with 17,100 chips which should put me right about in the middle of the pack. Final table possibilties still exist.
Some highlights:
I ran like a god early on. Not that many interesting hands, I just made monsters. Really easy to play.
One interesting hand early on was I limped utg with KQs(this was before the late comers were given seats so it was only 6 handed). I might have normally raised, but I had raised a lot because I had been getting good hands and was worried that people might think I was raising light. I felt better not facing possible raises on a c-bet with King high.
Young, geeky looking internet player raises from the big blind. I immediately put him as trying to take control of the table and playing aggressively, so I won't need to hit to continue. I think about raising, but just call.
Flop is AA9 1 heart. He bets, I call. Turn 3 no heart, he bets I call. I ready myself to make a crying call on the river with the 9 comes and he checks. I decide to check, and he shows K7u for a split. To bad the 9 came, but this was still probably a good hand. Showing you can't get run over is pretty good in these limit games.
Later, in hold'em. A guy who's aggressive with position raises from the hi-jack. Internet guy re-raises from the cut-off (which he's been doing a lot, I think to isolate). I have jacks in the small blind, and given the aggression level decide to 4-bet. Big blind 5-bets and caps (eek!). Internet guy and I call.
Flop is AJ9. Good flop, but I'm actually scared of aces, so I check-call. Internet guy folds. Turn is a T (Internet guy later claims to have folded tens). I check-call again. River is a beautiful, beautiful ace. Pocket aces seem unlikely now, and yet I might get a bet out of KK or QQ, and AK I'll be able to check-raise, which I do. He mucks when he sees my boat.
Still later on, I had missed that I had a flush in 7-eight or better (okay that's not a highlight, more of a low-light), and checked into a fairly tight guy who was showing 3 straightening low cards.
He actually had 2 pair, and when he asked why I didn't bet, I claimed that I was planning on check-raising him. This accidental misread might have paid dividends a few hands later in Hold-em. I had raised with a A4s from the highjack. He had called from the button, and one other person had called from the blind. Flop comes K23 rainbow. With the gutshot and over and lots of folding equity I decide to c-bet. Called by both--oops. Turn blank. I fire again hoping the one guy has an underpair (the blind I read as weak, and I think will fold). The guy on the button calls and the blind does fold. Now I'm in trouble when the river hits a J. If he's called this far with anything, he's going to call the river because the size of the pot and the possiblity I'm three-barreling. However, if I try a check-raise it might work. It wasn't too long ago he thinks I tried to check-raise on the river with a flush. So he might put me on a set, aces, king-jack or ace-king. Very few people can bluff that way with air, and he probably has no clue I'm one of them (at this point nobody at the table seemed to recognize me). Certainly most underpairs and big aces will fold. I might even get a king to fold. In any case, he tanks a LONG time before folding.
The ugliness started soon after the dinner break. The big hand the hurt me was Hold-em. One limper. Vanessa Rousso (who was directly to my right most of the day) raised. I re-raised with pocket aces. Button (a good, but annoying pro who seems to have a pretty good read on me, but doesn't seem to understand I have a pretty good read on him too) three-bet. Big blind (the sort of calling station who had been hitting well as opposed to the absolute calling station who had been hitting bad and was gone) called, vanessa folded. I four-bet everyone called. Flop a very, very ugly QKK. I probably should have been able to save some bets, but I didn't and called down to be shown the expected QQ.
I didn't recognize Vanessa at first, but she seemed friendly. I rewarded that friendliness by knocking her out near the end of the first day. She had completed with TKA, I had raised with split aces and a 7. Someone else flat-called with a 6 door card. Turn was a 7 for me, 4 for the 6, blank for her. I check-raised and was called. 5th street blanked for both of us, vanessa paired her door card. 6th street made me 7s full, and I got called down. Vanessa blanked the entire way. The six later claimed to have been rolled up. If so, I got real lucky.
After that I lost a lot of chips when my semi-bluffs, razz hands, and low hands didn't hit and when my high hands didn't hold up. I also probably wasn't playing as well (though not, I think, really badly. Just not really good either.) Too loose in starting hand requirement allowed people to call my semi-bluffs more.
I ended the day lucky. Trying to steal with 46 of clubs, betting every street and then raising good when he led the river on a Q546K board.
I think the table I was at was pretty tough after a couple of the weaker players busted early. Apparently, besides Vanessa, there were a couple of notable pros there. Also after Vanessa busted, a famous old-time pro I recognized but can't recall his name sat down (I'll get it sometime). The only hand we played, he completed with split 6s in stud-8 and I raised with split queens. He spike a 6 on 4th ugh.
Anyway, I'm pretty tired, going to get some rest. Cards are in the air at 2PM tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Jim
PS the WSOP blog claims at one point I was the chip leader with around 40,000 chips. I never actually had that many, I topped out around 35-36,000. Though I would have been past it if my aces had held up.
Right now, the Renaissance Man ...
is on dinner break from WSOP tournament #21, $3000 HORSE.
Happy to report that the Renaissance Man is more than holding is own against the field of 452, including pros Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Daniel Negreanu, Annie Duke, and Lakers owner Jerry Buss.
We've received first hand news from the man himself that he is among the chip leaders and is positioned right where he wants to be as the 3-day tournament progresses. Word on the street is that he's effectively seduced multiple hands away from seasoned and eye-catching pro Vanessa something-or-another.
Last night, the Renaiisance Man ...
came up short in his 1st 2009 WSOP tourney, but managed to help teach a drunkard an important lesson.
From the man himself:
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So I got knocked out of the $1500 stud tourney after only a little more than 2 hours. Pretty brutal beats. The one that really crippled me was where I brought in with split 2s, hit a 2 on fourth to make a set, and got called down by a guy with ace high, no draw. He backed into a wheel. Good thing is that I think I generally played okay and was definitely better than the field.
Also got to play with John Juanda for a second tournament.
Met up with John Chou (my cousin) and for dinner and poker at Caesar's Palace. I was stuck about $550 in the cash games as well and not playing very well when a maniac sat down (probably drunk). Came into the 2/5 NL with over $30,000 in chips (from another casino which didn't play because they didn't have enough chips in the poker room cage and he didn't want to goto the main cage) and close to $10,000 in cash. Lost all the cash in an hour or so. I ended up $2000 for the night. Had to make some pretty sick calls to do it though ($1000 river bet with A3 on a K939Q board comes to mind).
I must say for a portion of the game when I was down a little, it was one of the most FUN tables I had ever played. Everyone having a good time, up or down.
Next tourny is $3000 Horse 5PM on Tuesday. Plan on relaxing. Hit the pool or gym, maybe take in a show, play some cash games until then.
Literally, right now, the Renaissance Man ...
is sitting down at event #16, 7-card Stud ($1,500 buy-in), kicking-off his 2009 WSOP tour.
Notable opponents include:
Keith Sexton, Nikolay Evdakov, Justin Bonomo, John Juanda and Men 'The Master' Nguyen
One can only hope these individuals have the character and awareness to know that they sit in the presence of true greatness.
We've been fortunate to receive word from the man himself earlier today (2:22am):
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Arrived in Vegas.
Already regretting speniding $50 for a week's worth of internet connection that's so slow and unstable it could be used as a torture device.
$1500 Stud starts 5PM. Wish me luck.
Jim
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It's been said that since this report, the internet connection has offered it's sincerest, humble apologies down on one knee to the Renaissance Man himself.
| #16 $1500 7-stud: starts on Saturday, June 6th #21 $3000 HORSE: starts June 9th #31 $1500 HORSE: starts June 14th #32 $2000 NL Hold'em: starts June 15th (If he is eliminated the first day of #31) #34 $1500 NL Hold'em: starts June 16th (If he is eliminated the second day of #31) All the events are 3 intense days long. The challenges will be considerable, but the Renaissance Man appears calm, ready, and focused for another successful trip to Vegas.  |
