Thursday, 25 June 2009

A - Z of Poker: Day 23

From London to Vegas in 26 Letters

Day 23: W is for ...

W is for WSOP: When we say "WSOP" I suppose a lot of us mean the "main event" itself but of course S is for Series and you cannot accuse the current WSOP for failing to offer sufficient quantity of events. By the time we come to the big one, it will be event #57. Quite a variety of events will have preceded it. Some are styled "World Championship" events although since all of the other events also offer a "bracelet" I think this particular distinction is lost on almost everybody.

This year will be my second attempt at the $10,000 World Championship of No Limit Hold'em. I muse to myself sometimes on the extent to which my chances of winning the title exceed zero. I think they really are not quite zero whereas there is presumably no other sport where I could enter the world championships with any chance at all of coming out the champion. Of course in nearly every other event, my chances would be zeroed out instantly because I wouldn't even be able to enter.

Such is the unique nature of poker's world championship. Anyone can enter, an enormous number of the entrants might win it. We can play next to a world champion and we play on equal terms, speak the same language of poker and we really can beat them. It's fantastic.


W is for Why ? Especially as in "Why, oh why?". I dedicated a series of blogs to the "W.O.W." factor already and I feel confident I will have many more occasions to utter these words. Most of them can be covered under the biggest "W.O.W." of them all. "Why, oh why didn't I THINK before I .... called, pushed, folded, played in this game, stayed in this game, left this game, took a shot, drank those shots, or any one of 100 other poker sins".

I guess W can also be for Why Not ? A useful and versatile answer ! Could I win the WSOP this year ? Yes, why not .... ?

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