Poker, the World Series of Poker, Karaoke, and a Shuttle

Depending on where you live, nowadays it's easy to find a live-action poker game or tournament somewhere nearby. During this month, the biggest of all poker games and tournaments are going on in Las Vegas at the World Series of Poker, and you should be there.

Wait, you say, I'm a small-fry who's new to the game, and I even have trouble check-raising. Heck, I won't even try karaoke!

Intimidation can stop you from enjoying the many things life has to offer, and poker in casinos and karaoke are two of them. I have used karaoke to relax myself on many occasions, and so have many poker players. Many of the tournament venues we touring professionals visit during the course of the year have bars, sports bars, and lounges, where we go to unwind, talk poker, and generally relax. More often than not, when we enter one of these clubs, it's karaoke night. I have seen many a top player up there on stage, wireless mike in hand, belting out a tune. Some players, like Kenna James, actually have a great voice. Others, like me, should stick to poker. My point, of course, is to find anything you can that will enable you to get over your perceived intimidation of leaving your home to go to a casino to play poker. If you can get up and do karaoke, you can certainly join us at the poker table, and now is the best time of the year to do it.

During the World Series of Poker, players of all skill levels come to Las Vegas to play poker and/or merely to enjoy the WSOP excitement. Most definitely, Las Vegas is where you belong during the month of May.

I understand that the thought of going to the biggest of all poker events can be intimidating, but here's why you should go:

When I first walked into the WSOP, the atmosphere about it was different from anything I'd ever encountered before. This is where you'll find the best poker players in the world, competing for the biggest prizes in the game. They are from all walks of life and from all around the world.

When I walked in, I asked myself, what am I doing here? Well, that day changed my poker life; I knew from that day forward that my goal was to get there in a playing capacity. I spent my week in Vegas watching the start of tournaments, and seeing how the banter of chitchat was immediately replaced by instant concentration and the clattering of chips once the action began. I watched the final table of the championship event, where the throngs of onlookers pushed ever closer to the rail to catch a glimpse of the action. I saw mounds of money being ushered to the final table with armed guards. I saw intense rivalry quickly replaced by tremendous sportsmanship. The atmosphere was much like a championship in any sport that I'd pay a high price for a ticket to see.

If you are a poker player, I urge you to make this trip, as it will offer you an insight and electricity that you could never find anywhere else.

While you're in Las Vegas, take a shuttle, the bus, or a taxi around town. While you may not be ready to play in the WSOP, you certainly are ready to play poker. Las Vegas offers you multiple choices of what you can do. In addition to seeing a tournament (the WSOP), you can play in one. There are many small buy-in tournaments in town, like the ones at The Orleans Hotel. For example, there are $20 buy-in events with $10 rebuys, so for about $40 you can play in a tournament like the WSOP, with a "slightly" different prize money payout. This is where I got started in tournament poker, and it was a great learning experience. The cardrooms all over town also offer live-action play at low limits. For example, there is $1-$5 stud, $4-$8 hold'em, and $4-$8 Omaha high-low split. These are games where you'll need $50-$100 to sit down to play, which is a rather small investment for a chance to play in a poker room in Las Vegas. You won't find games such as spade in the hole or crisscross, but I promise you'll have a great time.

Should you want to play a little higher limit, the Mirage and Bellagio offer almost any card game at almost any stakes. When you need a break from the game, get back on that shuttle and see the rest of the town. There is the glitz and the glitter of "Sin City," as well as fabulous shows, tremendous nightlife, and some of the best restaurants in the world.

What about me? Well, I got a chance to fulfill my dream after visiting the World Series of Poker as a spectator many years ago. I have had a chance to play in the WSOP and I'll be playing in some of the WSOP events again this year, so stop by and say hello. You also might find me playing live-action poker in one of the many casinos around town.

And if you happen to be walking past one of those many bars or lounges that have karaoke and you hear some guy belting out his version of Sinatra's Luck Be a Lady Tonight, come in and join me.