Wednesday afternoon I picked up the phone and called an old friend, Jim Tabilio. We chatted for a few as he was headed into a Committee Meeting at the Capitol in Sacramento in a few. At 4:30 he sent me an email about the Committee issue and at 5:00 he had a massive heart attack and was gone. Wow.

Jim is the reason I ever even played poker. After Hayden, Jim is the one who would call when in town and ask me if I wanted to play a tournament. I told him the truth, I didn’t know where the poker room was or where to register. He literally took my hand and guided me. He also took all those late night calls with questions about hands and players, etc and when I made the final table at Bellagio I called him and he flew in to offer support.

It’s hard to believe someone is here one moment and gone the next. That’s just so brutal. Just goes to reinforce you simply never know.