Show High stakes poker moves into spotlight across America Joseph W. W Bateman Community Staff Writer Images of gamblers playing cards for deeds watches and even the shirt off their backs remain part of pokers poker's past Instead players have home games with chips and cards spread across the kitchen table and college students play in dorm donn rooms across the country Over the last few years poker especially the game Texas HoldEm Hold HoldEm HoldEm Em has exploded into a nationwide nationwide nationwide nation nation- wide craze With television shows such as NBC's National Heads Up Championship The Travel Channels Channel's coverage of the World Poker Tour and coverage of the World Series of Poker poker audiences and players have moved from kitchens and dorm donn rooms into the spotlight Pokers Poker's growth can be attributed attributed attributed attrib attrib- to the increasing ever-increasing prize pool for tournaments Last year ear the wor worlds world's ds d's most well known and respected poker tournament The World Series of Poker awarded nearly million dollars in to the finishers 1 pr prize money top ou out of the over players The enormous prize poll makes the the richest sporting event in the world The winner of last years year's main event a in buy-in tournament with registered players was Australian and former chiropractor chiropractor chiropractor chiro chiro- Joseph Hachem Winning the brings fame fortune and the title of being the worlds world's greatest poker player Along with the bragging rights of being one of the worlds world's best poker players the champion is awarded a coveted gold bracelet Although most players will confess to wanting the glory attached to both rather than the prize money the bills certainly dont don't deter tion Hachem's win of 75 million million million mil mil- lion w was s the largest payout from froma a poker tournament ever Hachem went from being a chiropractor chiropractor chiropractor chi chi- to an instant multi mil The huge purse will draw some players only seeking fortune fortune for for- tune However most poker players play play- ers used to consider the off The tournament was reserved for professional poker players and gamblers only The Poker continued on page 2 Hold Em Poker is big business with gaming enthusiasts continued from front page skill and hours spent playing would make an amateur easy prey However this would be erased thanks to an average Joe named Chris Moneymaker yes it is his real name a year 28 accountant from Nashville I was just a normal little accountant back home playing with my friends and the next w y Photo illustration by Adam Heath Texas Hold Em is popular now more than ever before I thing I knew I could probably i get a game with just about j I j anybody I wanted who plays 1 I Isaid said Moneymaker about outlasting outlasting outlasting out out- I j lasting players to take 1 home 25 million and the 2003 Championship in ina ina a interview Moneymakers Moneymaker's success is l like ke a modern day Cinderella story The film launched Moneymaker and his friends into the world of Texas Hold Em Growing bored with his home game Moneymaker sought unknown players to compete against He would travel four hours just to sit down inside a legal card room Undaunted Moneymaker sought out online poker site pokers tars com With success at af table multi-table 20 to 30 in buy-in tournaments tournaments tournaments ments Moneymaker decided to enter a 39 in buy-in satellite tournament He outlasted the 19 other opponents for a seat into the main event of the which would be his first person in-person tournament He would enter the tournament as an amateur facing off against professional notables such as Paul Darden Howard Lederer and the legendary legendary legendary leg leg- time 10 I i j I j 1 I I j 1 Champion Johnny Chan By Bythe Bythe Bythe the tournaments end he would leave his amateur status behind and exit as a world champion Once an amateur demonstrated the ability to break the best professional players the poker floodgates opened The year after Moneymakers Moneymaker's win in 2003 a record 2576 players registered registered registered regis regis- for the an increase of nearly percent from the year before The increase in players added to a five million dollar payout to the champion double the record 25 million paid to Moneymaker the year before In 2005 the record would be smashed when an astounding players registered for forthe forthe forthe the event The rise in poker players is attributed to Moneymakers Moneymaker's success as well as the rise in online card rooms The latest issue of magazine magazine magazine maga maga- zine which touts itself as The Poker Authority revealed a plethora of advertisements for online poker rooms A total of 17 advertisements for online poker rooms such as which allows both real r- r r 0 9 i The 2006 World Se Series of Poker will be played at I Harrah's Casino in Las j jj Vegas Nevada from June 25 through Aug 10 to 1 The Main Event will 28 with the i it begin on July j t 0 l' l final m table expected Z place on O. O 5 ss z m t z money money a and ami f p play ay money games Along with the online advertisements advertisements advertisements adver adver- are u-e a plethora of advertisements for casinos in Las Vegas California and Atlantic City Locally poker players can get in on the poker explosion Poker aficionados can play online or in person through a series of tournaments hosted at private clubs across the coun coun- ty Club 90 in Sandy hosts poker tournaments Mondays Wednesdays and Sundays In Salt Lake City poker tournaments tournaments tournaments ments with free ins buy-ins and cash prizes to first and second place take place every day except Friday and Saturday Piper Down at 1492 S S. S State Street hosts tournaments 2 pm p.m. on Sunday as well as Monday and Tuesday at 8 pm p.m. Egos hosts The Jim Beam Poker Night at 8 pm p.m. Thursday Johnny on Second located E S. S hosts tournaments Sunday at 8 pm p.m. |