| Open Letter to the ‘November Nine’ |
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| From the Editor - From the Editor | |||
| Written by John Wenzel | |||
 Open Letter to the ‘November Nine’Remember the 2003 World Series Main Event? Who doesn’t? It was one of poker’s watershed moments, and in many ways the birthplace of modern poker. It came down to Chris Moneymaker – the first Internet qualifier to win the Main Event – against tough, ultra-cool high-stakes pro Sam Farha. Though Moneymaker won, it was Farha (left) who impressed with his savvy, quiet cool and his mastery of the table, which was obviously his domain. Much like saloon card shark James Garner in Maverick a generation before, Farha’s style was flawless and unruffled – even in defeat. But even though he was playing David to Farha’s Goliath, Chris also impressed and his improbable result captured the imaginations of young players everywhere. He wasn’t the world’s best player, but during that brief slice of time he took on all comers and beat them all. In debt, dressed in a ball cap, nondescript shirt and sunglasses hastily purchased at a close-by casino store, Moneymaker was the “everyman” – and that made his appeal that much greater. The name “Chris Moneymaker” was all most folks knew about poker in those days. Back then, kids were no longer being taught the game by their fathers, online poker was just beginning and the poker scene was dying. Cardrooms were closing all over Vegas, California poker rooms were clamoring for slot machines because they weren’t making money, and the average Joe was saying that poker was either “all luck” or rife with cheats. So it was indeed a stroke of luck not only that Chris won, but that he was also someone everyone could relate to and new players wanted to emulate. Even more than Sammy, young players wanted to be Moneymaker. Thank God he did not look like a bozo or nerd. The world will forever remember how Sam and Chris looked during that fateful heads-up confrontation, and this is a serious lesson for this year’s “November Nine.” It is a sure bet that none of this year’s final tablists, no matter how skilled, will ever make another Main Event final table. In fact, it is a pretty good bet that most of them will never be seen at another TV table of a major tournament. So the question these nine must ask themselves is: “How do I want to be remembered during the defining 15 minutes of my life (and endless reruns)?” These Nine are being encouraged to aggressively seek sponsors, but please, poker is NOT Nascar, nor will it ever be, nor should it be. There is nothing cool about whoring yourself out to the highest bidder and endorsing products you don’t even use. There is nothing impressive about becoming a goofy walking billboard. So guys, have some integrity and class, and think hard about the future of the game, then ask yourself: Do I want to be remembered as a poker player, or a sandwich sign? Make the most of the 15 minutes, but understand that “making the most of it” does not necessarily mean making the most money from anyone who will throw cash at you for wearing a logo for dog food, laundry detergent, fast food or a local furniture store. The ninth-place finisher gets $900k. The winner gets $9.1 million. That’s life-changing money for everyone at the final table and unless you are a total loser, enough money to keep you in buy-ins the rest of your life. So what’s more important: Being able to hold your head high as your kids and grandkids watch you on video years from now, or looking like a Nascar dweeb to make a few extra bucks? John “Johnny Quads” Wenzel Editor-in-Chief
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| Last Updated on Sunday, 17 May 2009 17:41 |
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