A Great One-Liner

Here is one of the best "one-liners" I have ever heard regarding poker, and I might even use it sometime. David "Rabbi" Danheiser was playing in a tournament and apparently played a hand (perhaps from the blind) that was not listed in the charts of playable hands. After getting a good flop and winning the hand, his opponent scolded him, telling him how badly he had played, that he should not have been in the pot, and so on. Finally, David replied, "Look, I won't tell you how to spend your money if you don't tell me how to spend other people's money."

Change of subject: Our wonderful poker community is expanding tremendously, especially since the debut of the World Poker Tour (WPT) on the Travel Channel. As I write this column, the first two shows have already aired, and they seem to have been well-received by the majority of poker players. The public must be enjoying the show, too, since the ratings have been very good thus far.

To celebrate the WPT's premiere on March 30, the Travel Channel and Bellagio Resorts co-sponsored a cocktail party at Bellagio. Eyes were riveted on the big screens around the room as the show started. It hardly seems like 18 months have passed since Steve Lipscomb, Mike Sexton, and I had that fateful lunch at a beautiful lodge in the middle of the rain forest in Costa Rica, during which Steve talked about his vision for a "series of poker tournaments on television that could wow the viewers." The ideas started flying, and pretty soon we had a potential name for the show: World Poker Tour. We were all very excited, and promised to pursue the project upon our return to the United States. Now, let's fast-forward to a few weeks later when Steve, Mike, and I went to see Lyle Berman to ask him about investing in the project. Lyle listened with a great deal of interest, and you could almost see the wheels inside his brain turning … big investment, big risk, potential big return. Hmm!

Mike and I had made the introduction, and now it was up to Steve and Lyle to put together the deal. Eventually, Lyle came up with the money, Steve came up with a great production crew, and together we all came up with enough charter members to fill the television season. The rest is history, so to speak, and television viewers can now see the outcome every Wednesday night on the Travel Channel (check your local listings).

By the way, when Steve took center stage at the party and told the story that I just paraphrased, he said something like, "This has been an outstanding, unforgettable weekend for me, between the birth of the World Poker Tour and the birth of our new son, who was born on March 28." Steve and Miranda, congratulations on becoming the parents of 7-pound, 5-ounce Henry Thomas Lipscomb!

Change of subject: America's "Mad Genius" Mike Caro will host the third annual World Poker Players Conference at The Orleans Hotel and Casino July 11. The list of speakers has just been announced, and it features four world champions, top-notch players, and noted poker authors, including Annie Duke, Wendeen Eolis, Chris Ferguson, Jan Fisher, Mark Gregorich, Russ Hamilton, Lee Jones, Lou Krieger, Jack McClelland, Tom McEvoy, Mike Sexton, Barry Tanenbaum, Mark Tenner, Robert Williamson III, and Robert Varkonyi. Whether you are a novice player or a seasoned poker veteran, you will not want to miss this incredible opportunity to learn from the pros and interact with them in small discussion groups. For more details, see the ad on Page 87.

Change of subject: Feel like traveling? Please join me at any or all of these events that are coming up in the next six weeks:

Oasis Open poker tournament: Scheduled to take place May 16-20 at the Oasis Resort Casino in Mesquite, Nevada (80 miles north of Las Vegas), this event offers seven tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $60 to $120, a $15 room rate that becomes complimentary if you play in five or more tournaments, food vouchers, and a great no-smoking, no-abuse environment.

Japanese Poker Championship: This will take place the first week in May in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan. Poker is becoming very popular in Japan, and the buy-ins are low. I will be giving poker lessons and a seminar, so if you are feeling adventurous, come join the fun.

Alaska poker cruise: We are almost sold out for this beautiful cruise that showcases Alaska's glaciers and breathtaking scenery. See the ad on Pages 6 and 7 to join in on this once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

Now, let's play poker!

Editor's note: To contact Linda about any of the events mentioned in this column, please e-mail her or call the Card Player Cruises office at (888) 999-4880, or (702) 655-0919 in Nevada.