Lost Episode 22: Event #55, $10K NL HE, Day 1A

Its the first of four "day ones" for the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of No-Limit Texas Holdem, the grand-daddy of poker, the main event of the World Series.  Everything is tuned up a notch.  During the dealer meeting, we are given a rowsing pep talk by the Harrah's team with lots of congratulations about records being set this year.  We are directed to setup our tables a little earlier than normal.  There is an abundance of press bouncing around the room.  Sue Phillips, our lead dealer coordinator is anxiously jogging around the Amazon room making sure that every table has a dealer and every dealer has all that they need ... then she bursts into song, partly to entertain I am sure, but it cuts through the tension like a well-timed joke from a quarterback in the huddle on the last drive of a big game.  This lady can sing, too.  Its not the first time she has lead the group in song, but with only staff in the Amazon room (players not allowed to enter yet), the stage is hers, and she clearly relishes the moment.

Extra cameras are set up by the ESPN crew and long booms are stretching out amongst the tables, practicing for sweeping shots that have become a trademark of the opening and closing moments of ESPN broadcasts.  A few tables in select positions in the middle of the room have been moved to make space for these boom cameras.  My initial assignment is table 223, right up near the front row of what had been the satellite area, just in front of the cash cages.  A very large boom, surely the longest in the room, is centered between the cages and the feature tables and he can reach out over at least the front three rows of tables as well as get an extra angle at play on the feature tables.  As this boom operator practices his sweeping moves, I am amazed at how easily he avoids the hanging lights, advertising and table cards.

The tournament director is surveying the tables, and he has a print out with some initial day one seat assignments and selects two tables which both have more than one notable professional at them.  He tags the table sign beneath the hanging light and removes the chips from this table and then directs the dealer to see the coordinator for another assignment (the feature table, TV dealers had been selected early in the series by a special audition).  Then, about 20 minutes prior to the tournament start, he directs the security guards at the room entrances to allow the players to enter, and I feel a rush of excitement as I witness for the first time up close and personal, that signature ESPN shot of the horde of players rushing into the room to find their seats.

Up until now, the size of the main event field had been on most everyone's mind.  It had increased, seemingly on an exponential pace, the past few year's, but this year Harrah's had bowed to pressures from the passage of the UEIGA and was not permitting online sites with United States customers to register winners from their sites' satellites.  In fact, no third party registration is allowed, so the growth would surely be stunted.  The WSOP team was set up to be ready for about 2400 players per day and could expand to other areas not planned for use if needed.  Most people seemed certain that the field would be considerably smaller than last year's record of 8,773.

As players arrive, I check their registrations against whatever picture identification they provide.  This is always a little awkward for the real celebrity professionals, but I don't have that issue at my first table.  It is interesting to see the different levels of anxiety prior to this event.  There are a lot of players who play this event even though they aren't very accomplished poker players, or have a history of tournament success.  I remind myself that while it might seem like a lot of money to me, its a small price for some, and many consider it a quite a value to buy into a world championship event against all of the top professionals in the world.  I know knuckleheads who pay more just to drive a few laps (solo) on a NASCAR track, or to play a few innings in a baseball fantasy camp - and that's before spring training - not the World Series.  It's all relative, I guess.

Before the tournament director reviews the rules, a Harrah's executive or one from a sponsor are invited to address the players over the public address system.  Then a few comments about the rules and a celebrity is invited to give the famed "Shuffle Up and Deal" pronouncement.  I manage to shake the jitters and get the first hand out without too much trouble, but I recall being overly excited even though I've been dealing this event for over six weeks.  Then, on the second hand of play, I deal a 10-high straight flush in hearts to Meng La, the only notable player at my table.  For the rest of the next few downs, big pairs seem to get murdered, a coincidence that I had noticed at least one other time earlier during the series.  But these players are so deep stacked during the first few levels that no one at my tables seem to get damaged too badly.

During the first level, the tournament director surveys the room and makes a special announcement about any of the past champions currently in play. Bobby Baldwin, Johnny Chan and Huck Seed are all playing today, and each of them are individually acknowledged.   The cameras all gather around and the other players and fans along the rails all give each one of them a warm ovation.  Celebrities like Brad Garrett and Ray Ramano also get their share of attention, and although I recognize the voices when a microphone is shoved in their face, I can't really make out their pranks or comments above the general chatter level of 200+ tables in action.  I'm sure you will see all of it on ESPN re-broadcasts for years to come.

On my second push, I notice David Grey is at the table.  He's clearly a brilliant player, but at this level, he's maintaining a modestly casual approach to the game.  Dealers are getting "three-balls" today, we get to push through a single down each at three different tables, than have a single down break.  Before my day is over, I push through tables that feature Mike Sexton, John D'Agostino and Lee Markholt.  I accumulate ten main event downs before being relieved by second shift dealers just before the players' dinner break.  I recall being disappointed that I can't stick around and work longer, but tomorrow will be a brand new day.