B Jerome Wheeler

Started going to Vegas in 1981. Mainly playing blackjack. Used the Wong Halves adjusted for aces. Could walk between 2 pits at Caesars and count each table on both sides of me at a walking pace and sit down at the most favorable table. Used to accurately count down 2 decks in 22 seconds in practice. Got into blackjack theory and getting my correspondence published in blackjack newsletters. Took on the name "Tommy the Tourist" to maintain my anonymity and avoid getting barred.

Started playing poker as a break from blackjack when the heat was on. Would sign the wait list at the Dunes and Nugget as "Tommy the Tourist". Played many, many hours at the 100-200 7-Stud 8 or better game at the Dunes with Johnny Moss & others. When I won a pot from Johnny, I'd announce, "Tommy the Tourist wins again!" Everybody at the Nugget and the Dunes knew me as "Tommy" . Use the name "Tommy the Tourist" on the poker sites now.

From 1981 to 1985 I would take a trip every 21 days. I'd leave KC on a Friday night and come back 9 days later on Sunday night. That way I could be in my law office for 2 work weeks then play blackjack & poker for 9 days.

Went to the WSOP in 1982 or 1983. Got in an $1050 buy-in single table sattelite for the main event. May have been one of the earliest sattleites. I was the chip leader with $4300 when it was down to 3 and the blinds were up to 400-800. Went all-in from the button with AQs (hearts). Dewey Tomko called all in for $3500 with AKu. Nothing came. I went out 2 hands later. I believe he did quite well that year in the main event. That's as close as I've ever come to playing in the main event.

Played a lot in KC with some "family" members that had an interest in the Tropicana back when. Knew most of the Kansas City characters protrayed in the movie "Casino". At first, I didn't realize who I was running over. I just realized the other players gave him a lot of deference.

Been going to the WSOP the last 5 or 6 years, playing in the sattelites, side games. Been in 3 or 4 WSOP events in the $1,000 - $2,000 range, but have not made the money. The sattelites have paid for my trip each year except 2006. Came home down $800 that year. Came in 5th out of 120 or so on a $500 2nd chance at the WSOP a couple of years ago.

I've done quite a bit of poker research and some writing. Showed an article I wrote on suited connectors to the editor of Poker Player College Edition before the 1st issue when we met at the WSOP. He said he'd be happy to publish it if I "dumbed it down" a little. I didn't "dumb it down". David Sklansky indicated he was interested in publishing an article on 2 + 2 but I haven't got around to it. Been cited many times in the Kansas City Star poker column. (see "Wheeler's Wizardry" on some computer simulations I did) but the column has been discontinued.

Entered 2 NLH tournaments at Scotty's Poker Challenge last year and made the final table both times.

Play in one or two 60 player tournaments($70-$120) most weeks at Ameristar Kansas City over the last 5 years. I came in 1st, 2nd, or chopped 1st place money 48 times out of 503 tournaments. Then the stats started getting diluted because the players started to chop whenever it got down to 6 or 7 players, so I stopped keeping track.

I study and use game theory and probability quite a bit on hand selection and bluffing frequency.

I have different starting requirements for each of the seat positions at a holdem table.

I've used the Kelly Criterion in both poker and blackjack ever since I read Stanford Wong's "Professional Blackjack" in 1981. I credit the Kelly Criterion for never having gone broke on my gambling bankroll.

I've developed some completely accurate mathematical formulae for holdem which I have never seen in any of the 150 or so poker books I've studied. I would publish them if I went to the trouble of protecting my intellectual property rights.

I try to study poker 2 hours a day.

I'd like to play more tournaments and higher but my wife has a habit of taking my winnings on a regular basis and I don't believe in going broke.

Name: B Jerome Wheeler AKA "Tommy The Tourist" Location: Kansas City, MO, United States Cashes: 3 Total Winnings: $14,013 ProRank 2 Position: 9885  [ DETAILS ] Age: 61 Marital Status: Married to Carolyn Children: none Started Playing Poker: On a serious level, 1979 Favorite Poker Game: Tournament No Limit Holdem Ambition: a bracelet (or so) Hobbies: chess, scrabble, blackjack Favorite Movie: Pulp Fiction Favorite Music: Big Band, Kansas City Jazz, Mizzou Fight Song Favorite Place: Paris, France Favorite Celebrity: Harry S Truman Poker Players I Respect Most: Allen Cunningham Dan Harrington Chris Ferguson David Sklansky Mike Caro Chip Reese Stuey Unger I respect Phil Hellmuth as a player If I could change anything in the world: Eliminate hunger, poverty and bad beats If I could change anything in the poker world: Overturn legislation on internet poker and have crying towels available at any table Phil Hellmuth or Mike Matasow plays at.

B Jerome Wheeler Poker Results EVENT PLACE PRIZE DATE World Poker Open / WPT Season 6 Event #11 - No Limit Hold'em 13th $1,944 Jan 12, 2008 Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge II No Limit Hold'em 8th $2,801 Jun 10, 2006 Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge II No Limit Hold'em 2nd $9,268 Jun 9, 2006 See an error in the results? an email

Player Search: