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Maryann Guberman has been a writer and editor with many gaming publications, including Sports Form, Card Player, Poker World, Player's Panorama and Systems and Methods. She also has written and edited numerous books on gambling.

May 29, 2004

Catching Lightening in a Bottle

Surely there comes a time when counting the cost and paying the price aren't things to think about any more.
James Hilton

Wow, what do you think it's like to fly into Las Vegas, take a limo downtown, register at the famous Horseshoe Casino/Hotel, and pony up ten grand to play against more than 2700 other people for $5 million?

It has to be the thrill of a lifetime for some. It has to be anticipation as never before experienced for others. It has to be worrisome for the remainder.

For the young, aspiring millionaires (or those who are already residing in that tax bracket because of their dotcom experiences), the electrifying charge of knocking out one opponent, then another, then another, of surviving as others accomplish similar feats must be heady indeed.

What is it like for the pros who, until now, were absolutely thrilled about competing for the first prize to top $1 and now are looking at five times that amount?

And how does it feel to be the first player out, the last player to be eliminated before the prize money kicks in, the final player to be sent to the showers before the nine survivors get ready to kick butt? What's going on in the minds of the people who see the ESPN cameras looming down on them‹or do they even notice?

Those emotions had to be a breakthrough for players as well as for the game of poker when this year's World Series of Poker began play in the championship event.

My first poker tournament was at the World Series of Poker when I was invited to participate in the media event. I believe there were close to 60 entrants and as naïve as I was at the time, I thought they all had about as much experience as I. What I didn't know is that many of the people were regular poker players and some even used the game to supplement their income.

Understand, this tournament didn't cost me anything to enter but there was some prize money involved and to my greenhorn position this was a stunning occasion! So what if this wasn't a competition of six figures. The event accomplished its purpose and I was able to understand why individual players felt the way they did after knocking out others or after being knocked out, or after a bad beat or after a lucky draw.

Over the years I've competed in numerous tournaments, including the stud event at the World Series of Poker. But I don't think anyone who didn't belly up to the green felt this year for the championship event will ever know what it's like to be part of an event of this significance.

As with everything, it's still a game but what a game it is. It's like a double rainbow over your graduation ceremonies; like a lemonade stand in the middle of the Mojave; like the first second of descent on the world's highest roller coaster.

And for the participants in the beginning, it was like having the first three numbers of the five-number lottery. One of them will have the next two but those who survived to the final table will have their share of the money and the history.

It doesn't matter if they paid $10 or $10,000 to get there. It doesn't matter if they played tight or loose, like rocks or like maniacs. They got there and tomorrow, whether they're carrying all the dough or part of it, they will be heroes of the game.

Our congratulations go out to all the players, all the cardrooms that sent players to the event, and to Harrah's who, in the face of a Herculean task, pulled it all off and made it look great! They all caught lightening in a bottle.