Category Archives: WSOP

Another Reason I’ll Never Be a Pro

I can take a win in stride. I’ve gotten to the point where a big loss doesn’t jar me. But I just can’t imagine being dependent on debt. I’ve never bought stock on margin. I’ve never had a car loan. I didn’t borrow money to go to graduate school. I keep my credit card balance […]

The Matusow Book: The Crossroads

Collaboration is powerful. When done right, the resulting sum is greater than its parts. When done badly, it can end up in a body count. The collaboration process with Mike was involved but surprisingly functional. We amassed hundreds of hours of interviews. Tim would draft a chapter. I would re-write it. He would edit it. […]

The Worst WSOP Legacy: Becky or Leon?

Everyone thought that Becky Binion Behnen had a lock on the worst WSOP legacy. She has served as the casino manager’s equivalent of Herbert Hoover. After an ugly family legal battle, Becky wrested control of Binion’s Horseshoe from her brother Jack and proceeded to milk it dry – even selling off the million dollar display […]

Day of the Dead, Tiffany, and Profs

Is that your dorsal fin or are you just happy to see us? — Overheard at the office on Halloween. While the boss dressed up as a man getting eaten by a shark, most of the rest of the office dressed up as the boss. It turns out that making fun of the boss was […]

WSOP Vampires and the Man Behind the Hat

Since the WSOP began, I start each day with a bitch-slap by my cat Sammy, delivered at 3:30am. Alarm clocks have nothing on Sammy. Sammy has extra big paws replete with extra toes, and his swat is like no other. Also, Sammy’s need-to-feed is timed more accurately than the CS2 atomic clock. As I stumble […]

Being There

Chauncey Gardener: I like to watch. On Friday afternoon, everyone in the office was quietly cranking away. At 2:00 pm central time, I stood up at my desk and bellowed, “Shuffle up and deal.” It’s been a number of years since I missed the WSOP first siren’s call to poker players around the world. I […]

WSOP: The Way We Were

Every time I say it’s a game, you tell me it’s a business. Every time I say it’s a business, you tell me it’s a game – Nick Nolte’s character in North Dallas Forty The news that the WSOP is parting with its traditional final table ways has been out for a couple of weeks […]