All I can add to this is he really is a nice guy and one of the best Blackjack Tournaments Players ever. We just don't get to see him play very often. John R. Spotlight On... Vote for Blair! 5:10 PM Monday, March 29, 2010 If you've seen the April issue of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, you'll have read in the "Gambling" section how we show the public can now vote to determine which poker players will make up the field for the WSOP All-Star Tournament of Champions. The three previous winners of this event (Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, and Mike Sexton) were automatically entered, as were Joe Cada (the reigning WSOP champ) and Barry Shulman (reigning World Series of Poker Europe champion). Event sponsors get to pick two more, leaving 20 choices up to the general voting public. Here are some things you may not know about Huntington Press author Blair Rodman, which we believe make him a more-than-worthy contender: Anthony Curtis and Blair Rodman have been close friends and running mates since before LVA was even thought of, when the two of them were young things scuffling around Las Vegas looking for edges and playing on top blackjack card-counting teams. From its inception, Blair has contributed to LVA, both with and without attribution. As such, he's responsible for a lot of the good things you've read about and learned on our site and in our newsletter. As our resident poker expert, he's also penned a good few great QoD answers, which you can find in the QoD Archives (just search under his name). He co-wrote Kill Phil, recognized as one of the best poker books ever written (it garnered an almost-impossible-to-receive 10 out of 10 rating from Mason Malmuth of Two Plus Two and was dubbed “the ultimate beginners strategy” by Bluff magazine). While Lee Nelson and Steve Heston were integral to the project, the idea was Blair’s and the title is now in print all over the world, in multiple languages. He's a really good poker player. Check the numbers and you'll be amazed. Blair has more than $1.4 million in WSOP winnings and is 37th on the all-time list of total WSOP cashes with 34 (one ahead of Doyle Brunson – yes, you read that right). He's been at almost a dozen final tables and has had some very deep runs in the Main Event, including finishing 54th (out of 2,576) in 2004 and 34th (out of 2,809) last year. In 2007 he triumphed in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event to win his first WSOP bracelet and over $0.7 million. Those are all good reasons, but here’s the best. Blair is honestly one of the few pros who’s made it on his own. Most of the marquee names you see on TV have complete free-rolls through sponsorships and other arrangements. Blair has rarely had that luxury and has made his way solely by winning. Oh, and one more thing. He's a really nice guy (not necessarily the norm in his chosen field). He's very funny, he loves animals, he's a great golfer, and he was the inaugural winner of the World Series of Shuffleboard. What more could you want? So, let's try to put him in one of those remaining 20 seats for a shot at the winner-takes-all $500,000 first prize. Go to the WSOP website and VOTE FOR BLAIR!
WSOP web site site location did not come through, perhaps not allowed, but here goes. http://www.wsop.com/TOC/
I voted just now. Blair is not yet in the top 50 vote-getters. C'mon guys, it only takes a minute to register and vote. Although you can vote for up to 20 nominees, I voted only for Blair and was done in a hurry. That's the best plan and most effective for Blair.
i voted you have to get your validation code from your e-mail after registering to vote. i only voted for Rodman! tgun
Done! I too, voted for Blair. Saw him at the LV Hilton a couple times years ago and he seemed like a nice fellow. I certainly WOULDN'T vote for Phil Hellmuth and he originated from my part of the country. Billy C
There... There. I voted for Blair Rodman only. I've never met him, but consider him a hero. He's proof that in the card world you don't have to be a one-trick pony.
Vote for Blair! Got mine in, too. Met Blair at the UBT TV taping in Los Angeles when my unlikely ride through the world of BJT's was just beginning. What a genuinely nice guy. Treated me with respect instead of as the idiot donk Internet qualifier. Just plain classy dude! C'MON, FOLKS! IT ONLY TOOK A MINUTE TO HELP A GOOD GUY!
