TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER
TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER
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Chicago area makes big splash at World Series of Poker |
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Judging by the strong contingent of Chicago area
Texas
Holdem poker players who made the
pilgrimage to Las Vegas for the recent 2005 World Series of Poker, we just
might see a Windy City native wearing a coveted championship
Texas Holdem
poker bracelet before we see a player
from the White Sox or Cubs wearing a World Series ring.
Among the more than 32,000 Texas Holdem players from around the world who registered in the 45 WSOP events held at the convention center at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino from June 2 through July 16, there was a solid representation from the Chicago area. Thirteen area residents took home a combined $437,162 from the record $56,190,000 prize pool for the showcase event, the No Limit Texas Holdem Championship, which lured 5,619 players. Topping the list was Kelly Zoudo of Glenview, who won $107,950 for a 78th-place finish. One Chicago resident who didn't make the cut but who nonetheless brought back a treasure of memories is 47-year-old stock market analyst John Rogers. In the fall of 2004, he was invited by Money magazine to play in a one-day tournament pitting some of the nation's top money managers against poker professionals. "Money magazine held the tournament because they saw a correlation between the skills you need to be a good poker player and a good money manager," Rogers said. "Themes of patience, discipline and creativity all come into play." Finishing third among eight players in that tournament against competitors that included two-time World Series of Poker champion Johnny Chan gave Rogers the itch to enter the 2005 WSOP championship event. "I felt good I made it through the first day," he said. "I was eliminated after the first break on the second day. But it's something I wanted to do and I'm glad I did. Just to feel the energy was something. The intensity was within my expectations but the professionalism of the group was higher than I anticipated. The table was quiet, no bantering at all. It's something I'll be able to tell my grandkids about." The mercurial growth of interest in the game Texas Holdem is truly a pop-culture phenomenon. The total prize money distributed at this year's competition was $103 million as opposed to $49 million in 2004, which was double that of 2003. Joseph Hachem of Australia won $7.5 million for winning the championship this year. Greg Raymer of the United States won $5 million in 2004. Eighteen ESPN television cameras recorded the entire seven-week competition. The network will begin airing weekly one-hour highlight programs starting Aug. 23, culminating with comprehensive coverage of the dramatic final table on Nov. 15.
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