When all else fails, you have to name within the “Dawg” to save lots of the day.
Barstool Sports activities despatched two of its personalities out to Las Vegas for the 2024 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Principal Occasion — Adam “Smitty” Smith and Ben “Mintzy” Mintz — and each had been eradicated on Day 1 within the $10,000 buy-in event.
Dan Katz, aka “Massive Cat,” one of many oldest college Barstool content material creators wasn’t about to let the media firm he represents exit like that. The “Pardon My Take” podcast co-host referred to as an audible on Saturday, and he despatched the poker participant to Las Vegas he hopes would be the firm’s savior.
One Final Hope for Barstool Sports activities
With Smitty and Mintzy making abrupt exits from poker’s Tremendous Bowl, Massive Cat wanted a Plan B. He referred to as upon the “Dawg” — Nate Dawg (Eric “Barstool Nate” Nathan) — to go out west final minute as a final ditch effort for Barstool Sports activities to earn a money within the Principal Occasion.
“So, mainly I wasn’t going to play the Principal. I used to be at peace with it. Smitty and Mintzy each busted on Day 1, and Massive Cat, he wanted a sweat,” Nathan instructed PokerNews.
Massive Cat had a chunk of Mintz within the Principal Occasion, an funding that did not present any kind of return. And he needed yet another alternative to get a chunk of the motion.
Nathan usually enters the Principal Occasion, and he’d already been to Las Vegas this summer season to compete in a few bracelet occasions. However he wasn’t planning to return for the world championship occasion resulting from, as he defined in a video, having most of his funds tied up in investments. Massive Cat referred to as him up and provided to stake him for a portion of the $10,000 buy-in, a proposal he merely could not refuse.
The previous Cracking Aces poker podcast host booked a flight for Sunday, and he arrived to city round 7 p.m. He rapidly headed to Horseshoe Las Vegas to register for Day second, which begins at midday on Monday, the final alternative to enter.
The final hope for Barstool Sports activities incomes a money within the Principal Occasion is Nate. That in thoughts, does he really feel any stress heading into Day second?
“Yeah, loads of stress,” Nathan mentioned. “You do not wish to appear to be a f*****g fool, flying out right here, being right here for six hours after which flying dwelling. There isn’t any worse feeling on the planet than busting the Principal Occasion.”
Barstool Nate has by no means cashed within the Principal Occasion, however he did run up an enormous stack on Day 3 in 2022, earlier than he infamously semi-bluffed it off with a four-high flush draw (and a small pair).
“Yeah, that was a foul one. That was the final degree of Day 1. I additionally as soon as had a Day 2 chip lead and did not money that. I punted that complete stack on Day 3. Yeah, I am actually good at getting massive stacks and eliminating them. I believe I am 0 for six. (One 12 months), I bagged like 200k on Day 1 and was out by dinner break on Day 2,” Barstool Nate mentioned.
Possibly it will lastly be the 12 months he reaches the cash, a efficiency that would definitely make Massive Cat — and boss Dave Portnoy — proud.
“I might like to get my first Principal Occasion money,” Nate says. “I have never cashed in a event in what appears like a decade. If there’s one to get, it might be this one.”
It is all as much as Nate — and the playing cards — to make Massive Cat (and Josh Arieh, who additionally purchased motion) happy, and a few cash. He is making an attempt a unique technique this time round by starting on Day 2 with fewer massive blinds than in 12 months’s previous. Fewer chips to punt? We’re kidding, Nate (form of).
Comply with Barstool Nate’s WSOP Principal Occasion Run at PokerNews
