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Jesse May in Las Vegas |
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T minus 1
The last line this long was when
the Grateful Dead hit Seattle in 73. Starting back from the tournament
area. Down the hall, past the gift shop, the buffet, through the smoking area,
around the corner past the bathrooms, past the press room, around another
corner and through the hall that leads out to covered parking. I ask a man at
the end of the line what hes waiting for. Dunno, think maybe
its the super, he says. Its 3:30 pm one day before the
biggest poker tournament in the history of the world and there isnt
anyone anywhere who isnt queuing up for a last $225 shot to get in.
Announcement comes down the line. The 3pm super has been moved to four. The 8pm
super has been moved to nine. And both tournaments have been renamed super
double dupers. The best way to make the ten thousand would be to start up a
soda concession on the line itself.
Four oclock and the 2004 World
Series of Poker press conference kicks off inside the main tournament area. Tom
Jenkins, the Western Division President of Harrahs speaks to a packed
room surrounded by more cameras and reporters than an Airforce One junket. Las
Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman hands Jenkins the keys to the city and professes his
love for poker, Binions, and downtown Las Vegas. Im a full
push-in man right off the bat, Goodman says of his own poker tactics,
and if theyre not scared of that they aint scared of
nothing. Too right. Tournament director Matt Savage announces that he now
expects the official prize pool to exceed $25 million and that first place will
be a cool five million. Life changer. Defending champion Chris Moneymaker says
that hes been excited all year long to get back in this room and play it
again. Someone asks which books he read when learning the game. Moneymaker
responds, To be perfectly honest, Ive never read any poker books.
Im just not a book person.
Extra tournament tables are
being set up downstairs, while slot machines are being cleared right and left.
Theres no room to walk, to breathe, or even to see. The big names are
mostly resting, skipping the jamboree until absolutely essential. A white
registration card means you play on Day 1, pink is for Day 2. Against a back
wall downstairs, staring silently out from their frames is the wall of
champions. Thats what its all about, and if Johnny Moss, Stu Ungar,
and Jack Keller can see what theyve wrought theyre smiling at the
action. The soul of Benny Binion is sitting at his corner table in the coffee
shop, recommending the chili. Its 1946, and Binion has a vision of a
good, clean, gamble. Fifty-four years later, and thats what this
is.
Late night and theres a celebrity party at Bikinis
nightclub in the Rio Hotel. Belvedere Vodka is pouring drinks onto specially
made coasters with pictures of poker stars. If you make it dark enough, even
poker players look good. The room is dressed to the nines, and a gaggle of gold
diggers have swarmed past security and made it to the vodka and the dance
floor. The Devilfish is surrounded by well wishers, fans, women, and more. He
says his first day table has both TJ Cloutier and Andy Glazer. Trays of
canapés circle, and Daniel Negreanu is doing a Canadian jig in a
thousand dollar suit. Two hundred necks crane towards the door. Its not
Matt Damon. Not yet.
Too much talk about how lucky a person has to get
in order to win. I like to think of it another way. Think how much heart a
person has to have in order to win. Coming through seven days and 2500 people,
just think how much heart the winner has to have. When the smoke clears from
this thing, and it eventually will, the winner left standing will have a
constitution worthy of medical study. Tomorrow at one, the battle will
commence.
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