"Bloomfield" To Test His Skills In WPT Championship Event

/

​For me, traveling to Las Vegas over the holidays has become as much of a yearly tradition as losing to Ohio State and choking in a Bowl Game. It was no different this year, as Sin City was the layover point before heading to the Rose Bowl on January 1st. While there, I got to witness UMTailgater, Bill Bloomfield Hasler win a satellite poker tourney at the Bellagio, gaining entry to a bigger $1000 entry tourney later that day where he finished just outside the money. I was just happy to watch the action and take in the scene, even exchanging a nod with Johnny Chan as he left work for the day.

That trip (after heavy vomiting and disappointment in Pasedena) ended in New York at the premier party for Bloomfield's current production, The Knights of Prosperity, where Bloomfield spent the better part of the evening trying to convince Lenny Venito to go to Atlantic City. Instead, a final-table-style home game broke out, surrounded by every wanna-be and D-lister in the Village. Bloomfield took 2nd place, losing to the resident house boy.

Early the next week, he made his way to the Borgata in Atlantic City, and entered a $500 satellite tournament. He won, gaining entry into the $10,000 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Classic Championship. Yes, a championship. Bracelets, fame...and a first prize estimated into the millions. The tournament is this weekend, from Jan.26th-Jan.30th. You can follow chip counts online here, and the final day of action will be televised, though I'm sure it won't air for a few weeks. So, good luck to Bloomfield this weekend, as a first place finish will no doubt result in some serious tailgate improvements.

Time to Mess With Texas

/

The most all-time victories, the highest winning percentage in the history of college football, the richest tradition, and the most conference titles...for any team in any conference. But 18-17 in bowl games, and 8-10 in the Rose Bowl. It's our kryptonite, our proverbial achilles heal. Great season after great season, and just short of half of them ending in a loss. Unacceptable.

And now we are headed for what many see as certain doom. Michigan is said to be outmanned, and enter their 9th consecutive New Year's Day bowl as 6-point underdogs.

The worst part about it? From Thanksgiving to Christmas, you haven't really cared. Shame on you. The pundits claim that the 2nd best team in the Big 12 is nearly a touchdown better than the best team in the Big Ten, and you seem to just be waiting around for Vince Young and Cedric Benson to run all over us.

It's time to wake up. The importance of this contest has ramifications that will stick with Michigan for years to come. This is the Rose Bowl, and everybody will be watching. If the Wolverines are tamed and fold up shop, the message will reverberate yet again that Michigan is always good but never great.

We cannot afford to let this happen again.

So when the Wolverines take the field on January 1st, they're going to need everything they have, including you, to pull off the upset. Put on some yellow socks, don a jersey, and cheer Michigan on to a monumental victory.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Go Blue!

A Tale of Two Cities

/

The Long Way

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. That is the best way I can sum up the 5500 mile journey across the United States...from Ann Arbor to Las Vegas...to Los Angeles and back. The best of the trip occurred in Vegas, the finest in food, entertainment, clubs, and playing blackjack with former college roomates and friends. Winning makes things better as well, and some of us came away with solid paydays.

On the 30th we moved from Vegas to LA, and checked into the Hyatt on Sunset, AKA the "Riot House", with a balcony overlooking the greater LA area. This is where things went downhill for many of us on the trip, as the flu made itself present starting on that evening, and flourished throughout the remainder of the vacation. We passed it around to eachother, and struggled to attend our private New Year's Eve party, the tailgate, and even The Game.

I took no pictures at the tailgate (thanks to JJ for chronicling the event with my camera), drank no alcohol at the tailgate, and shivered my way through four horrible quarters of Michigan football, passing in and out of conciousness as USC put point after point up on the board. USC's 2nd half opening drive was the nail in the coffin, putting them up 21-0 in front of a USC tilted fan base.

So the season ends with a loss, giving USC a piece of the National Championship. Michigan finishes 10-3, and in the top-10 in both polls. Given our talent base, we expected more, but given our quarterback and special teams...we should've expected less.

Thanks again to everyone for the successful tailgating season. Though I was incapacitated, the turnout in Pasedena was amazing...a testament to the strength of the UMTailgate.com family. I wish you all a Happy New Year, and look forward to all of you joining us in our exploits in the coming season.

Viva Las Vegas

/

A stellar weekend with stellar company. Five people headed to sin city, including the Webmaster, Bloomfield, Cindy, Lisa, and newcomer Alpa. It was the weekend of VIP rooms, five-star restaurants, and casino comps, as the dangerous combination of two gamblers and three tantalizing vixens became an unstoppable force in a world where it's not what you know, but who you know...and who you can convince that they should know you.

We started our first night in Ghostbar, a gathering of the west side's finest talent, set on the 55th floor of The Palms casino. Only the amazing view overlooking the entire strip from a unique side angle could match the scantily clad patrons. We moved from Ghostbar down to Rain, also in The Palms, where the girls manipulated their way into VIP status, taking yours truly along for the ride. We looked down upon the entire club from a private suite with free drinks and free women flowing throughout the evening.

Night two took us to Light, an exclusive club in the swank Belaggio casino. Again the girls used their "assets" to get us through the line and into the bar, where easily the best hip-hop DJ of the weekend spun all of our favorites. At around 4am, we split up for a while, and after a short run-in with the LVPD, I met up with Cindy at Drais, the number one after hours bar in town, for a few more drinks. Cindy and I maneuvered our way in on a table (a priceless thing to be sitting at in Las Vegas). After running into a few of the suite-holders from the previous night, known as Matt and Matt B, they stamped me with the monniker Mr. Vegas. Thinking that was enough for the night, I trekked back to our temporary home at the Luxor at 6am, waking Bloomfield up to take the 2nd shift.

Night three was our last night together, and unfortunately it came to an early end when Ra, the club in our hotel, gave my VIP pass the run-around because a special appearence by DJ skribble caused a line around the block. Though we still got inside, the techno beat was not our style, and the night ended early.

On the other side of the night life was the day life. The girls tanned by the pool, while Bloomfield and I spent most of our time playing high-limit blackjack, quickly earning comps, private access to VIP lounges, and executive suite restrooms. Without citing specifics (tax purposes..hee hee) we both came out on top. Capping off what is known as Vegas perfection... getting your comps and winning too.

Special thanks to the girls, Bloomfield, and Amanda Volkert for making Memorial Day weekend a memorable one.