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Well, MJ, I have to soften
my position. No, check that. I humbly chow and choke
on my words above. Not only can it be done it HAS
been done, by a rookie of just three years playing
experience, a man named aptly if incredibly CHRIS
MONEYMAKER.
The poker world was forever changed on May 24th, 2003,
when Chris Moneymaker, who had never played in a "live"
tournament, won the main event in the 34th annual
World Series of Poker Championship at Binions casino
in Las Vegas. And yet, this Cinderella story is not
exclusive to Binions on Fremont Street in downtown
Las Vegas. Online players playing on the
World Poker Tour (Travel Channel) are not only making
the final table, but also winning some WPT events.
Moneymaker¹s win launches a new era in poker,
where not only can you become a skilled poker chiefly
by playing online; you can become the World Poker
Champion. I¹m still eatin¹ here, a little
nibble of delicious roast crow.
Today, humans weaned on a computer, playing in $40
online buy-in tournaments, are eclipsing the seasoned
expertise borne by playing countless hands in a smoke-filled
casino.
The final World Championship Event Texas HoldŒem
(No Limit) has a buy-in of $10,000, but of 839 players,
only 63 paid the full $10,000. The others qualified
by winning satellite tournaments at Binions or online
poker tournaments. Chris Moneymaker qualified at a
tournament held at pokerstars.com, for which he paid
an entrance fee of only $40. Besides
pokerstars.com, other online poker sites listed here
Online
Poker Rooms
But a caveat, MJ, when it comes to playing poker online:
Nevada gaming regulators, getting their cue from the
federal government, have issued the bureaucratic mumble
that Internet poker sites are illegally allowing American
citizens to play.
Nevada law now expressly prohibits players¹ betting
on the Internet. As you might expect, regulators and
the law enforcement jockies have not prosecuted individual
players, yet.
Being modestly alert to real world happenings, I do
not and can not condone even a mild fracture of pertinent
statutes, but do understand that the adventurous among
us may calculate a risk/reward ratio that reflects
the Moneymaker formula of $40 to make 2.7 million
through an online route, despite the possible decline
in cordiality between them and the feds.
Dear Mark,
Concerning Texas Hold¹em, what does the term
"nut" mean? Mayo L.
Mayo, old pal, you¹ve
hit a 3-bagger. The "nuts" is an unbeatable
hand, given the cards that have been dealt and played.
Then there is the "nut player," one who plays
only premium hands. And finally, there¹s the "nut",
the minimum stake (money or overhead) needed to continue
playing this nutty lifestyle.
Gambling quote of
the week: "I got lucky along the way. I also
bluffed a lot during this tournament, but somehow
I got away with it." Chris Moneymaker, 2003 WSOP
Winner
 Good
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