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//March 9, 2006
Just came back from San Jose, California for our WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Event. This is the tournament where the big name players have bounties on their heads. If you knock out a name player you automatically receive a $5,000 bonus. Its great fun and it’s always a sold out field due to the casino size. 518 players put up $10,000 each and the winner took home $1.2 million. Living in Los Angeles, I chose to drive the 350 miles to the Bay area instead of flying. It’s not that I’m afraid of flying…I’m not...just crashing. But seriously, I do like the road trips and the drive up north gives me a chance to clear my head out. I did appreciate the majestic beauty of California, the gorgeous ocean and the tranquil vineyards. It’s not all perfect though. You do have to put up with some bad roadside coffee, shaky radio selections and at the hotels, horrible pillows that could send you straight to the chiropractor. And as long as I’m getting cranky, what is this thing that is so great about having a sheet turned down? Who started that annoying procedure that they act like it’s mandatory and so wonderful? To me, it’s not. Just cramps my feet and ties up the whole damn bed. If you want to know the truth, skip the mints, more towels please and just leave me alone. But perhaps I share too much? Other than that, I am impressed there are so many poker casinos up and down the California coast. Gotta love our game. I've got a few weeks off before I go back to Reno for our next WPT event. I’m still debating whether I’m going to fly or drive this one. Until next time, play solid and stay outta my pots. 
~ Vince Van Patten
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