Million Dollar Showdown at the Sands

After the Foxwoods World Poker Finals, I made the short trip to Atlantic City to play in the Million Dollar Showdown at the Sands. The Sands imported Matt Savage, David Lamb, and Jody Ivener to run the tournament, and Nolan Dalla to help with the public relations. That was smart, as it turned out being one of the best-run tournaments I have played in while visiting Atlantic City. However, I haven't been there for a few years. Another bonus was the weather. Every other time I have been in Atlantic City, it has been cold and rainy. This time, it was beautiful, and I was able to spend some time on the Boardwalk.

One of the highlights for me was going to the private dinner hosted by Carl Icahn. Carl is one of the most successful businessmen in the world, and he provided a few analogies between poker and business. He even told a story about how he picked up a "tell" from someone in the business world, and it saved him more than $20 million. Maybe reading people does help in the real world.

The following day, 197 players paid $10,000 each to play in the no-limit hold'em championship event. FoxSportsNet taped the event and it was aired on Thanksgiving for most of the day. The final table was packed with good players, and the first-place prize was $1 million. Those who made the final table were: Mike Matusow, Daniel Negreanu, T.J. Cloutier, Paul Wolfe, Annand "Victor" Randin, Brian Haveson, Thor Hansen, Alan Schein, and John Myung. John was probably the least known of all these players, and he ended up winning the million dollars and becoming the first champion at the Sands. Congratulations, John.

I did notice a few things while playing no-limit hold'em at the Sands. New players all love no-limit hold'em because it is the game shown on TV, and they have learned how to play by watching the superstars compete in front of the cameras. It is important for beginners to understand that there is far more play at the beginning of an event than at the final table (the TV programs usually show only the final-table action). This means that some championship events start players with enough chips to wait for a few hours before having to play a hand. At the final table of a big event, you can't wait that long or you will be blinded off and will eventually go broke. Thus, when you see the superstars go all in, the situation may be different than it would be if they were at the starting table. In other words, you don't need to risk $10,000 in chips to win a $100 pot.