The 2005 World Poker Players Conference

I met Todd Thurman at the Foxwoods World Poker Players Conference. Upon his return home, he e-mailed me to rave about the conference and offered to write a review. Here is Todd's story:



I've been playing poker seriously for about two years and have had good success, but I'm always looking for ways to take my game to the next level. I recently made the decision to make the trip from my home in Arkansas to the East Coast to attend the fifth-annual World Poker Players Conference at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. What a great decision that turned out to be! It proved to be a great experience that I'll never forget. The other attendees and I were treated to a day of educational seminars, photo and autograph opportunities, entertainment, and personal conversations with some of the biggest names in poker.



The event began with opening comments from Mike Caro, "The Mad Genius of Poker." Mike emceed the event and provided several of his best tips between seminars, in addition to sharing several interesting stories from his long career in the poker business. The first seminar was given by Lee Jones, who shared the results of some groundbreaking research he had conducted that will radically change the way I approach heads-up play. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about his research, but his seminar, "Heads-up Strategy for No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments," definitely got the event started off in the right way. Following Jones (an unenviable position) was Barry Tanenbaum. Barry's presentation, "Making One Big Bet Per Hour," was full of great information and was presented in a very entertaining manner. (Who knew Barry Tanenbaum was so funny?) Mark Gregorich shared amazing insight into a variety of topics, including money management and advice for those considering a career as a poker pro. His seminar was aptly titled "Keys to Surviving in the Poker World." The subject of Kenna James' seminar, "Principles of Tournament Poker," was no-limit hold'em tournament play. He shared a wealth of great information and his passion for the game of poker was evident to everyone in attendance. Finally, the lovely Clonie Gowen spoke about the increase in the number of female players. Her insight into the subject was great; she had excellent advice for both male and female players. For the ladies, she focused on the advantages of being a woman in poker and how to exploit those advantages. She then gave the gentlemen some tips on how to avoid falling into common traps when playing against women. It was a great opportunity to get inside the mind of one of the best female players in the world.



Lunch was served next door to the conference room and the food was excellent. It provided yet another opportunity to visit with the speakers and the other pros in attendance. Mark Tenner served as the keynote speaker after lunch, and he told several interesting stories, including the one behind the popular poker saying, "All it takes is a chip and a chair." Several other poker stars stopped by the conference throughout the day: Men Nguyen, Marsha Waggoner, Wendeen Eolis, Jim McManus, and Kathy Liebert visited with attendees. Mark Seif joined Mike Caro and Linda Johnson for a question-and-answer session led by Jan Fisher at the end of the conference.



During the breaks and lunch, there was ample opportunity to meet the pros and ask questions, take a photo, or get an autograph. All of the speakers and special guests were friendly and gracious; they honored all requests for autographs and photos, and answered all of the many, many questions that were asked.



There were several vendors in attendance who were offering poker books, specialty art, videos, and apparel. A representative from the WPT Boot Camp was in attendance, as well. One lucky attendee won a scholarship to attend a WPT Boot Camp.



At the end of the conference, all attendees were treated to cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, which provided one last opportunity to visit with the speakers and guests and to get answers to any lingering questions. It was a great ending to a fabulous event.



So, did I learn anything? Let's put it this way, when I returned to the poker room after the conference, I was relieved to see that none of the other attendees were at my table! I can't imagine learning more in such a short period of time, and the price of the conference was an incredible value.



I'd also like to mention that Foxwoods was a great location for the event. The staff was very professional and the accommodations were top-notch. My only regret was that I couldn't stay and play at Foxwoods longer, but alas, my real job demanded that I return home. I can assure you that this won't be my last trip to Foxwoods, and I certainly won't miss the opportunity to attend next year's WPPC. I highly recommend the WPPC to all of my fellow poker players.



Whether you play online or live, in tournaments or cash games, and regardless of your skill level, I'm sure you'll find the WPPC to be a rare opportunity to meet your poker heroes and learn how to take your game to the next level.

Todd, thanks for writing this article. It gave me more time to go shopping for holiday gifts. I hope you all are having a great holiday season.



Now, let's play poker.

Linda is available to host poker events and seminars. You can contact her through her websites at http://www.cardplayercruises.com/ or http://www.lindapoker.com/.