Jeff - Player Profile

Name: Jeff Holsey
Nickname (how'd you get it): Complex Slim. Big Papa gave it to me back in the days that pre-date the Tour. It's a take on Amarillo Slim except we live in the Complex. I have also been known to be called the Archbishop but only by the KCBP.
Age: 27
Location: 4th Street

Favorite Hand:
Before Thursday night I didn't have an answer for this question. Obviously anytime you look down and see AA or KK it's a favorite. But this week the KCBP's favorite hand was very good to me. Pocket 5s helped me knock out the King and it was the hand I took the Cooler down with as well. Presto!

Favorite Pro Player:
Doyle Brunson. Any one who can coin a phrase like "the Cadillac of Poker" is alright in my book.

How did you learn about the 4SPT:
I guess you could say the seed for the Tour was planted in my mind when I was young kid in Las Vegas and my grandparents would take us to the Binion's Horseshoe breakfast buffet on the weekends. I remember walking by the Million Dollar Horseshoe display and the wall of World Series of Poker Champions. That seed was cultivated at the MGM Grand Resort where I worked when I was 16 years old dreaming of the days when I could run a casino of my own. Then when I moved onto 4th Street and began to hear the shuffling of cards, the riffling of chips, and the laughter amongst friends, it was like a call back to the wild. Pibb ran the game in apt. #1 back in those days and it was there, sitting in his apartment around his IKEA slip 'n slide table, listening to THE poker mix (hey is that the theme from Zelda?!?), that the idea for the 4th Street Poker Tour finally sprouted.

When did you join the 4SPT:
The 4SPT joined me.

Best thing about winning on the 4SPT:
It sort of justifies this whole thing.

Most exciting/best hand you've had on the 4SPT:
Hey little Madeline, let me tell you a story about your "Big Papa." Your daddy was dealt pocket Kings, we call those the Cowboys. When the flop came A A A, your Papa made the nut full house. Do you know what the nut full house means? It means he had the very, very, very best full house you could ever have. When 4th Street brought a Jack, Papa bet a lot of money, nearly all of your college tuition fund. When the river was another King, he was very, very happy. And he went All-In with the rest of your college tuition and even the money he had saved for your wedding. I called. It was time to show the cards and I showed a Jack. I had a full house but not as good as your daddy's. So he leapt out of his chair and slammed down his pocket Kings showing he had the best full house. Aces full of Kings. The crowd went wild. But wait a second, what's this other card in my hand? Oh - it's the only card that could  beat him...the fourth Ace. Don't cry Madeline, community college is OK too.

4SPT player you don't want sitting next to you and why:
The Cooler. It just breaks my heart every time I beat him in the finals.

Where/How did you learn to play poker:
People always ask me, "What's it like growing up in Las Vegas?" Well when I was about 14 years old I played on a summer league traveling baseball team. On our trips we spent a lot of our time in our hotel rooms playing games such as acey duecey and blind man's bluff. When our coach came in one night and found out we were playing these games for money, he quickly put an end to that. He confiscated all the cards and gathered us around the room for a little talk about gambling. He immediately shuffled the deck and began to teach us how to play No Limit Texas Hold 'Em.

Any other interesting stories or whatever else you want people to know:
First, I would like to thank the First Lady for all of the support she has given me and the Tour. Second, I would like to thank all of you who have played on and supported the 4SPT. You have made this something way beyond what I could have ever imagined. Originally, my only hope was getting 8 players to commit to a regular game, I didn't even think we could get players to play weekly. I thought maybe we could get 5 regulars and hopefully 3 other people would rotate in every other week. But now we've had over 125 different people play on the Tour and have a list of regulars that is in the mid-20s and counting.

I would also like to give a special thanks to those of you who have opened up your homes and let us set up shop. The Oak Street Boys (Dino and Ryan), King Richard, Chad and Susan, Zak, and of course the Complex Crew - Tom, Charles, and Pibb.

Everyone always comments on how much work it is to run this, but you guys make it fun. We have a great group of people that I enjoy playing with. The quality of play rises each week and that is very exciting as well as challenging. I look forward to many more weeks of fun, excitement, and even more growth on the 4th Street Poker Tour.

Comments

[Pibb]

-"The 4SPT joined me."
This line rocks!
Congrats man, this profile was a long time in the making. Funny stuff.

[keith]

I totally remember going to the Sunday breakfast buffet at Binion's too. Walking by the big horseshoe with the million dollars in it...and also everytime we went bowling at Sams Town and we would have to walk by the poker room which was right next to the entrance

["Mr. Pick"]

Classic stuff. Lol. A profile for the ages! Remember, Jeff, that Me, Slew and King R. stook around to witness this until 1:30 a.m.(shuffling cards, smoking cigarrettes and drinking two-week-old Diet Dr.Pepper) and send you the positive mojo-dojo you needed. I noticed that Jennifer was very concerned, as was I, about your stress level at the time because of how your younger bro was SCHOOLING YOU for awhile(Cooler, you were awesome!!!, but you were up against a lot of desperation). I must admit, Jeff, you hung tough, folding hand...after hand... after hand.....after hand. All in all it was sweet justice for me to have the "Godfather" of the tour end my streak. I was charging very hard as you know, but unfortunately for me, the overly wild and aggressive Sandman rivered me twice (both all in) and beat me 4/4 hands (drew cards 3/4x.) I hate you Vaughn! Congratulations Slim, you more than desrve it.

Mr Pick

[First Lady]

I'm sorry, Carmel, but I think this picture proves that Jeff is now the hottest player at the poker table.