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The Surreal World: Poker in Vegas on no sleep
Published: 2005-07-19
 The Surreal World: Poker in Vegas on no sleep
By Ted Mero, News-Sentinel sports writer
Last updated: Tuesday, Jul 19, 2005 - 11:57:35 pm PDT
As I approached my 40th straight waking hour, my eyes began to flutter and my chin began to repeatedly sink into my chest, as my experience at the World Series of Poker reached another level of surrealism.
Had I known that the final table would be the longest in the event's history, beginning at 4 p.m. last Friday and wrapping up just shy of 7 o'clock the next morning, I might have tried to squeeze in a couple hours of shuteye.
Several hours earlier, I had sat down for an interview with Lodi native Aaron Kanter -- the chip leader heading into the final round and the sole reason for my excursion -- in his posh hotel suite on the 17th floor of the Binion's Horseshoe.
It seemed like every 30 seconds our conversation was interrupted by his ringing cell phone. Friends, relatives, poker Web sites offering endorsement deals -- he was getting it all. It got so bad, his dad, Mitch, had to play secretary just so I could get in a few questions.
Various friends of Kanter's, from his fraternity brothers at Chico to fellow bartenders he once worked with, popped in and out of the suite to check on him and let him know that more buddies had either already arrived or were on their way.
Amid the frenzy, I began to wonder: If this experience is surreal for me, what must it be like for Kanter?
It was so hectic that Kanter might have forgotten to eat had his friend Matt not offered to get him some food.
Matt eventually returned with a bagel and some fruit, but Kanter was only able to get in a couple bites before heading over to the Rio with his dad and uncle for an interview with ESPN and a photo shoot.
By the time he got back to Binion's, the final round was already supposed to be getting underway. I was already seated in my front row bleacher seat, some 10 feet back from the table.
When 4 a.m. rolled around -- the time I had to start willing myself awake -- I thought I was dreaming. I finally had to stand up and walk around to regain my senses.
As I walked around, it seemed as if I could feel the collective exhaustion in the room. Not from the players, but from the audience. The remaining five players were chock-full of adrenaline and they weren't going to let their fatigue cost them a chance at the $7.5 million grand prize -- especially Kanter.
Not only had he lost the chip lead two hours earlier, but he'd lost the biggest hand in poker history, nearly knocking him out of the tournament. After that, he could have easily got frustrated and gone all-in on a suspect hand and risked ending his tournament life. Instead, he patiently battled back to build his chip count up to $13 million, giving himself a chance.
Kanter ended up bowing out at 5 a.m. in fourth place and walking away with $2 million, but his day was far from over. Reporters swarmed around him as he answered their questions with savvy and grace that hardly seemed like it could be coming from someone who had just played 13 straight hours of poker.
At the end of the press conference, a reporter asked him if he was going to go to sleep or party. One look at his 30-plus entourage, lovingly named "Team Kanter" by his fiancé, Jenny, and he knew he had to forgo sleep to prolong this experience and share it with his friends and family.
At this point, I almost felt like I had become a member of Team Kanter, too, and considered joining them in celebration. Instead, I went to sleep. For a long, long time.
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World Series Of Poker Coming To Tunica
Published: 2005-07-21
 World Series Of Poker Coming To Tunica
July 21, 2005
The wildly popular World Series of Poker, is coming to Grand Casino Tunica Aug. 10-Aug. 25. Harrah's Entertainment, which owns and operates the tournament, recently acquired Grand Casino Tunica through its merger with Caesar's Entertainment Inc.
The winner of the final event of each circuit stop will qualify for the tour's grand finale, the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, to be played in Las Vegas next June just before the 2006 World Series of Poker.
Players can buy in for as little as $300, but there will also be a "free roll" event with no buy in, and one winner will win a place in the finals. Michael St. Pierre, president of Harrah's Mid-South Region says the Grand is looking forward to hosting the event.
"The World Series of Poker is without question the single most prestigious gambling event anywhere, and we're thrilled to bring all the excitement of the tournament to Grand Casino Tunica," he says.
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