Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Wynn Classic Is Back And So Is My Ego

Not a bad title for a blog entry if I may say so myself.

Thanks Robert. I like it too.


Last year I played in the 2007 Wynn Classic's opening event and made the money. You know. Back when I was into poker. Before I rediscovered dirty old habits like performing comedy and watching NBA basketball.

I wrote the tourney report here.

For some reason I didn't share at the time that Cardplayer called me a notable player. Probably because it didn't really mean anything. No one has any idea who I am when I sit down at the poker table. So how can I be notable?

Yet there it is in electronic print, which I completely forgot about until I saw the Wynn Classic was back. It's a good week for my ego to read it.

It could mean that I'm still a notable player. Or at the very least I'm a former notable player.

That's almost cooler. I'll be telling my grandchildren how I was a notable poker player back in 2007 and because of how the internet works they'll believe it.

(At least until they read this blog entry.)

(That's right Robert's grandchildren. Your grandfather made your grandmother live in Las Vegas for 14 months and counting. The sportswriters of America are about to award her a second consecutive MVP trophy.)

Meanwhile you know how nothing makes me happier than pointing out how hard poker is?

Well then lets make me happy and take a look at how hard poker is!

Reviewing the payout structure from last year's Wynn Classic, check out how top heavy it was: $27,538 for 3rd place, $53,177 for 2nd place, and an unbelievable $110,148 for first place!

668 players paid $540 to enter. I outlasted 638 of them. I came in 30th place and yet my payout was only $1296. My profit only $756. I barely doubled my buyin despite my outlasting 95.5% of the field!

And as I sat there with 30 players remaining I knew it made little difference what spot I came in unless it was final table. Like if I could somehow fold my way up 11 spots to 19th place my payout would only be $1458! $162 more. That's not worth folding for.

No for this tournament to matter I'd have to make the final 3.

That's where the money was. Specifically 1st place.

$110,148. Now that's a carrot. That's something worth playing for.

Where else in the casino am I going to have the chance to turn $540 into $110,148?

If I put $540 on a roulette number and it actually hit I'd make $18,900. So I could go on the streak of a lifetime, hit 5 numbers in a row with $540 on the table each spin and still not break $95,000.

Only in tournament poker can I turn 3 figures into 6 figures and think I actually had something to do with it.

That's the dream we play for.

4 comments:

dave said...

You sure it wasnt another Robert Cohen?

Robert said...

One of them is writing strange blog entries to my unborn grandchildren.

Maxwell said...

OK, So I discovered your blog a couple weeks ago and just finised it all. Great stuff! (I obviously have a lot of free time at my job).The post regarding the fire ants killed me, mainly the part about us being difficult readers. Classic!

So I appreciate your providing me with a escape from the humdrums of office life.

Next time I'm in Vegas I might even introduce myself. (I know, sounds like a stalker doesn't it.)

Mr Subliminal said...

As a non-notable tournament player, I'll take roulette's 5.26% house advantage over the 8% Wynn tournament juice any day. I would choose Binion's as the venue (they never refuse a bet) and let the $18,900 ride, giving me a 1 in 1,444 shot of winning $662,500 in 2 spins. Less messy, no long lines waiting for the restroom, no bad beats and suckouts, and all over with in a minute.