Playing 'Passport' Poker in Japan - An inauspicious beginning to a great overseas visit

I recently flew to Japan to do a television show on which I was asked to choose from eight contestants the person I thought would have the best chance to win the World Series of Poker championship event. But before I got to my television appearance, I had to play a little game I call "passport poker." Let me explain.

After flying from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, I boarded a Japan Airlines plane headed for Narita International Airport, about a 45-minute bus ride from Tokyo. Upon clearing security and showing my passport at least three times, I boarded the plane for the long flight. About one hour before landing, I discovered a sad fact: My passport was missing! I looked carefully through my carry-on bag and laptop. No passport. Then, a flight attendant thoroughly searched the plane. No passport. This had never happened to me before, so I didn't know what to expect when I landed, but this I did know: Customs and immigration officials have no sense of humor, no matter what country they're in.

Upon landing, I was politely told to wait, and then was escorted to immigration. With an interpreter speaking on my behalf, I explained that I had had my passport when I went through airport security at LAX, and needed to show it before I boarded the plane. I had other ID on me, including my driver's license, a credit card, a Card Player magazine containing my current column, and some of the poker books I have written. I also had letters from the TV studio executives requesting my appearance on their show. After establishing my identity, I thought I could get temporary permission to stay and then obtain a new passport at the embassy. Wrong!

I was questioned extensively, filled out several pages of questions, and, in general, felt like I was under suspicion of being an unsavory character. The logic of having to show my passport to board the plane, as well as the fact that I had filled out the immigration forms before boarding, didn't seem to impress them. Although I thought my arguments would have convinced a jury of my innocence, they decided to detain me rather than release me to the tender custody of the TV studio personnel. Along with another prisoner (I mean, detainee), I was driven to a nearby hotel, where I was kept in a room that wasn't exactly a luxury suite overnight, with an immigration official parked outside my door. Early the next morning, I was driven back to the airport. Four hours later, I was still there. Getting a bit upset, I told the customs official that I had tried to cooperate, but felt like I was being treated like a criminal when I was more a victim than anything else. It was Wednesday, and the studio had scheduled a meeting later that day, with filming set for Friday. Finally, immigration officials relented and allowed me to leave, with the provision that I get a new passport during the next two days and go through immigration again before I could fly home the next Monday.

I was one happy camper when they released me into the custody of two friendly faces: my interpreter, Teru Miyake, and the studio executive, Takao Shibasaki. We drove straight to the embassy, where I filled out more paperwork and filed a police report for a lost or stolen passport. I was told to come back Friday afternoon, right before we taped the show, to get my replacement passport.

Despite all of the inconvenience and snags, I was determined to enjoy the rest of my stay in Japan. They rolled out the red carpet for me, and I spent a lot of my time with Hiroshi Shimamura, who is Mr. Poker in Japan. He runs the Japanese Poker Club and is a frequent participant in tourneys in the United States, including the World Series of Poker. Unfortunately, gambling is not legal in Japan, so players in the poker club can play only for prizes, not cash. Hiroshi took me to the studio on Friday after I got my passport, and enjoyed watching me struggle to get into the tuxedo I was requested to wear to do my thing on the show. I was told to stand up straight and tall while they lifted a curtain, and then sit in a special chair and look serious and dignified. After about five minutes of this, a cameraman flashed a sign telling me to relax. OK, OK, I knew it had to be one way or the other, and I didn't like being that serious, anyway, especially since they had several comedians as contestants and it was very funny in parts.

The contestants were asked several questions as to why I should pick them, and I had to tell them what qualities I was looking for, such as courage, being unpredictable at the poker table, and other qualities associated with a winning attitude. I knew that none of these people had ever played hold'em before, but I thought that with a little coaching, they might get through the first day of the tournament by playing very tight. There were four very attractive women contestants and four not so attractive men. When one of the women came up and sat on my lap and started getting very creative with her answers, I knew I had my winner. When asked whom I had eliminated first, I pointed to one of the male comedians. "He doesn't have a poker face," I explained. He made several humorous attempts to put on a poker face, but the pretty lady won in a walk.

The next day, I was the guest of honor at Hiroshi's Japanese Poker Club, where I gave a seminar and answered some questions, with Hiroshi acting as my interpreter. Then, we played a limit hold'em tournament with a bounty on my head. I finished a respectable sixth, and nobody left the club until I was eliminated from the tournament. Hiroshi and his partner Gen could not have been more gracious, and I promised him dinner on me when he comes to the World Series.

When it was time to depart Japan, I again went through immigration, but this time it was quicker and less stressful. I couldn't fully relax, however, until I was safely aboard my flight home. When I touched down at LAX and knew I had my passport safely in my possession, I was grateful to be back in the United States. If you got the impression that I was unduly critical of Japanese immigration officials, be aware that since 9/11, every country is more security conscious, and the United States is just as strict as other countries, if not more so. I loved my stay in Japan and would return anytime – as long as I had my passport!

Tom McEvoy is the co-author (with Don Vines) of How to Win No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments. You will often find him in action at the poker table at www.pokerstars.com, where he is a spokesperson.