The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

It certainly is nice to have an extra long weekend, taking today off and having Canada Day to sleep in for as well. Good times!

- Someone had asked how my book was coming along. Nino & I have written the intro and I am almost finished chapter 1 while he moved ahead to write chapter 2. I've asked Nino to help me finish off my chapter, and hopefully we'll get that done in the next week or so.

- I might get grief for this, but I went to see You Don't Mess with the Zohan. It has a handful of funny moments, and they tried to make a few statements about the Israeli-Arab conflict, but most of the jokes missed more than they hit that it's hard for me to recommend it. Maybe borrowing from the internet library wouldn't be such a bad option.

- Did you know that those Subway points cards can be personalized? For $5.00, they'll upload a picture of your choice and mail you a personalized card. No one is supporting me on this initiative.

- Don't you hate it when you're walking along the sidewalk, minding your own business, some idiot cuts you off, but then proceeds to walk slower than you? Hey, if you're going to cut me off, fine, but c'mon, you're doing so because you're a rushed, impatient, FAST person, right?

- Pokerstars has a world online championship held in September each year, and for this year they introduced a new event where the buy-in is a whopping $25,000. Let me tell you something, after a few cheating scandals on these websites happened last year, would anyone trust 25k for an online tournament? I know I wouldn't.

- Not only is tomorrow Canada Day, but it's also NHL free agency day. Woo-hoo! I'm hoping it might be Brian Campbell day...or Mats Sundin day...or Marian Hossa day and Bryan Murray can lure one (all?) of these guys to Ottawa. There are holes to fill on the roster as I previously mentioned, and I think the Sens need at least one big name to stay competitive next year.

- I'm not sure what this means, but for some reason, I have been thinking a lot about the possibility of coming into piles and piles of money. Having enough cash to do what I want, where I want, whenever I want! But how will it come about? Well, that's the issue. Someone told me just to keep on thinking about it and that will make it happen (why do I think just thinking about it actually isn't enough?), but at the same time it may not be so healthy to be fantasizing a lot about being rich. And because I have too much time on my hands, I actually made out a list if I came upon millions of dollars of who I'd share it with. Oh dear. Well, maybe some healthy dreaming is okay once in awhile.

I've been following all the World Series of Poker results since the tournaments started on May 30. The preliminary events are winding down, and the $10,000 no-limit Main Event is starting up next week on July 3rd. They've prepared themselves to be ready for a unbelievable 12,000 players but many say it'll likely be just under 8,000, which is still a huge number.

Of course, I'd love to be there, and I can't, but I've been emailing someone I've never met in person offering support in hopes he'll do well. His name is Brad, from Ottawa, one of those friend-of-a-friend connections who qualified three years in a row on Pokerstars to play in the Main Event. I got in touch with him after I decided to go play in the World Series, asking for advice which he graciously offered. Last year, he did really well, being a chip leader after Day 1 of the tournament, but unfortunately he busted out the next day. Still, he did very well considering the numbers, and hopes to rebound and finish better this year.

Brad decided to play a couple of $1,500 WSOP tournaments before the main event and today played his first one. Unfortunately, he had the worst luck. He made a set of 6s on the turn after the A-J-3 flop was checked and all the chips got into the middle, and unfortunately his opponent held pocket Aces for the higher set. Ugh! He wrote to me and asked if I could have gotten away from it, and I told him no way. If you flop a set you're getting all your chips in; if you're afraid of set over set you shouldn't play. Maybe there are some psychics out there who could have, but I doubt it.

In any case, Brad plays again this Monday before playing in the Main Event. I'm wishing him luck and I'll pass on updates as I hear them. Since I can't be there, this is the next best thing, and I sure hope I can tell you about a bracelet he picked up.

- The Sens defence, as of today, looks like this: Philips-Volchenkov, Lee-Meszaros, Schubert-Nycholat. I can't picture Luke Richardson coming back. The point of this, is that I wouldn't feel too confident with this group. I'm reallying hoping Bryan Murray can land Brian Campbell July 1st.

- Brian McGrattan will always be remembered for taking out Tie Domi to start off the 2005-06 season. Now, he has a reputation similar to that of Ray Emery's (off the ice). Probably a good move to let him go to Phoenix, he wasn't getting much ice time and his absence might do some good for friend Jason Spezza.

- Who backs up Martin Gerber? Is Brian Elliott ready? Should the Sens sign someone? Because if Elliott isn't ready, there aren't too many goalies available. (Ty Conklin? Dwayne Roloson? Alex Auld? Yeesh.)

Other NHL thoughts:

- I think the Canadiens won't sign Mats Sundin, at least until after July 1st if they do. When was the last time Sundin rushed a decision? I think he'll go to the Red Wings (wouldn't complain if Ottawa signed him).

- Almost all of my co-workers who have Sens season tickets said they would NOT renew if Darcy Tucker is picked up by the team.

- So Vincent Lecavalier signs a new deal that will pay him $8.55 million a season for the next 9 years. I'm still trying to figure out what the lockout was for.

- Marian Hossa will likely get paid at least $8 million per season by whoever signs him, making more money than Dany Heatley, Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton and Pavel Datsyuk amongst others, all players I would take before him. Luckily for him the free agents aren't in huge supply this year.

- I can't believe I read Alexei Yashin is looking to come back to NHL, and still thinks his worth more than the league minimum

- Brenden Morrow blew me away with his play during these playoffs, even though Dallas didn't get out of the Conference Final. If he makes Team Canada in 2010, I won't have any complaints.

The Turks and Caicos Islands.

I didn't even know this place existed.

And they one day may become a part of Canada!

TCI is an assembly of islands located just southeast of the Bahamas. It is considered a "British Overseas Territory" and is thus part of the Commonwealth. An average of 350 days of sun shines each year on TCI, with white sand beaches adorning the islands everywhere.

200,000 tourists visit each year, many Canadian, and because TCI is similar to Canada in that it has status as a British colony and some "historic trade links" according to Wikipedia (okay, not a great source), Canadian politicians have proposed to have TCI become a part of Canada. Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden first suggested a union back in 1917. In 1974, NDP MP Max Saltsman introduced legislation that failed to get ratified. It was brought up again in 1986 by the Conservative government and was explored again in 2004. Nova Scotia in that same year amended its legislation to allow TCI to become a part of their province should they one day become a part of Canada.

So wouldn't it be great to have Canada's own resort destination? A place where you could retire and not worry about the $1,000,000 asset requirement other Caribbean nations have? Where your tax dollars would be given back to your government and not some foreign nation?

We'll just have to wait and see.

Well, it's now official. Ray Emery cleared waivers, and the Senators have bought out the rest of Ray Emery's contract at 1/3 its value, and his salary will affect about $600,000 of cap space for the next four years.

What a whirlwind two years it has been for Ray Emery.

I've heard too many people tell me he wasn't that good to begin with, he was overrated and he wasn't the reason the Sens managed to make it to the Stanley Cup final last year. Bottom line is he was one of the many pieces needed for the team to advance, and to date is probably the best goaltender Ottawa has had in the post-season. As we saw this past-year, the team without Emery playing to par was not as good.

Having said all that, it's time to move on. It's really unfortunate how everything came to pass. I mean, how can you blow it like Ray did? Your team was only three wins away from the Cup, you signed a new three year contract for millions of dollars and everyone in town is praising your ability. But for one simple reason: laziness, Ray's reputation is forever tarnished.

There will likely be a team willing to give him another chance with a two-way contract at the league minimum. Perhaps a change of scenery will do him some good and he can start over but for now, all we'll have left to wonder is what might have been.

Sports franchises and Ottawa are usually a dangerous mix, unless of course it's related to hockey. The Ottawa Lynx, Rough Riders/Renegades, Rebel have all been sent their walking papers as fans headed elsewhere to spend their entertainment dollars.

So a small article in the Sun about a new Major League Soccer franchise potentially coming to town caught my attention as Senators owner Eugene Melnyk was mentioned in the same article. Now this is important, because I really think this is the only way something like this would have a chance here. Melnyk's name would automatically give legitimacy to any new franchise attempting to make Ottawa their home. No doubt, the success of the FIFA under 20 World Cup held last year in Canada caught the attention of MLS organizers and they are also visiting Vancouver and Montreal about having MLS expand in those cities as well.

Now Frank Clair stadium needs to be rebuilt or perhaps torn down and the city still hasn't decided what they will do with the area known as Lansdowne Park (even replacing it with condominiums have been discussed). Add to the fact that a conditional CFL franchise has been given to Ottawa once they find a new football stadium to play in...and let's not also forget it's pretty much been universally declared the Senators home @ Scotiabank Place isn't exactly in the most accessible area of town. So with all these factors...are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Let's take a wrecking ball to Landsdowne Park. Let's have Eugene Melnyk, the owners of the potential CFL franchise (who own Minto Developments amongst other things) and the city combine to make a world-class sports facility right in the heart of Ottawa (maybe there's room in Lebreton Flats?). Let's make a place where pro football, soccer and hockey can be played and fans don't have to lament the thought of a one hour traffic-jam once the game is over. A lot of hurdles would need to be cleared, but I really think if everything came together on this, the fans would show up and these ventures can be successful.

I want to also add when the Ottawa Renegades first needed a new owner to save it, Melnyk publicly stated he would not take over the franchise as his name was mentioned in rumours several times. But when talks of MLS officials visiting Melnyk to discuss a new franchise here, a simple "No comment" was offered when asked about this visit. So...does MLS really have a chance here in Ottawa?

So the 1st round of the NHL draft was last night, and I pretty much got what I expected. Some of the highlights and lowlights include:

- Not getting a picture with the Stanley Cup. Over an hour before the draft started and they already stopped people from lining up for it. Boo!

- Listening to Eugene Melnyk give a speech. For someone who talks to the media all the time, SBP should give him a few lessons on how to speak into the mic.

- Gary Bettman getting booed. I was saying to Steve I have mixed feelings about booing the guy, as I really do think he worked very hard to make sure the Sens stayed in Ottawa. But eventually mob mentality took over: BOOOOOOOOO!

- Bettman getting cheered every time he announced a new trade. Funny how he looked taken aback when the anticipation of the crowd was evident ready for the news. The Jokinen and Tanguay deals sent a huge buzz through the crowd.

- Wayne Gretzky coming up to the podium to make a selection. A standing ovation for #99. You know they wouldn't do that in Nashville.

- Alfredsson announcing the Senators selection. Alfie chants aplenty. And the drama was built up after the Sens traded to move up to the #15 selection from the #18 pick. I had no idea who this Erik Karlsson kid Ottawa picked is (then again, I didn't really know hardly any of the selections) but the talk seems to be he has the potential to be a star.

- Boos every time a Leafs sweater or Cliff Fletcher found their way on the jumbotron.

- The boos for GM Brian Burke when he made his way to the stage (His funny response, "It's great to be back in Ottawa!"). I explained to Steve it's not the fact Burke will likely be the Leafs GM next year, but the fact that in 2007 he was the head of the organization that shattered the dreams of every Sens fan.

We stayed until Edmonton made their pick at #22, then headed back after being there for about 4 hours. So, all in all, it was just nice to have a taste of hockey before the season starts. But I am glad I didn't have to pay for it!

The average film-goer doesn't pay too much attention to the credits other than the actors and actresses that star in the movie. Some might even expand their knowledge to directors, but beyond that most of the talent behind the scenes goes unnoticed in the public's eye. But many film enthusiasts are very well informed of the work done by special effects master Stan Winston, who died this past June 15th at age 62.

Winston has won four Oscars for his work in visual effects, and collaborated with some of the best directors of today, including Steven Spielberg and James Cameron. His most famous work might be for Jurassic Park, where dinosaurs were brought to life in a most realistic manner. One of the first screenings of the movie had the audience give a standing ovation after the T-Rex made its way on the silver screen. We might take these special effects for granted now, but Winston was the innovator that made scenes like that possible.

Stan Winston was also responsible for many other effects driven movies, such as Aliens, Terminator, Predator, Edward Scissorhands and the recent Iron Man. Most kids grew up on these films, like I did. And when you learned Winston was going to be behind the visuals effects in a movie, you knew at least one part of the film won't have any problems with it.

No doubt his knowledge has been passed on and absorbed by many in Hollywood, but he will be missed by those who knew his talents and creations were indeed something special.

Who am I to turn down an invite to enjoy some tasty chicken?

Over in Orleans...way, way into Orleans (we're talking Trim Rd here), the people responsible for The Works restaurant decided to expand from burgers and move into the realm of poultry by opening an establishment called Roost. And as Dr. Hibbert would say, "Diagnosis: delicious!"

Already it won me over with a corn muffin included with all chicken dishes. Must tastier than the Montana's version (all that was required was to add more oil!), it set up the rest of the main course perfectly. I already ordered an appetizer, "steamrollers", soft tortilla shells stuffed with roasted red pepper cream cheese, jalapenos & green onion and it was delicious. So sinking my teeth into some tasty chicken was highly anticipated.

A nice touch with the quarter chicken breast ordered was the choice of four different BBQ sauces. Now I love my St Hubert's sauce but having this option is just a fantastic idea. You have a variety of cold and hot sides you can choose from so you're not restricted to french fries. You can try a variety of different salads: mango cashew, three bean & water chestnut, double smoked bacon & chipotle, all in addition to of course the fries, onion rings, and mashed potatoes amongst others if you want to keep it simple.

You can get a chicken meal and beverage with tip and spend about $20 which is pretty reasonable. And get this: I was full enough that I DIDN'T ORDER DESSERT! Which is probably a good thing, since in the last few weeks I've been indulging a little too much. But anyway, yeah, Roost, give me a holler if you want chicken!

It may seem counter-intuitive, but when you're gauging whether or not you played a good game of poker, you shouldn't focus so much on the results. You could have played the best poker of your life, and wind up dead last. It may not be fair, but as the expression goes: Thaaaaat's poker!

Because luck plays a big factor in the game, your overall skill isn't enough to win. The cards do eventually have to co-operate and you can only get away with so many deceitful bluffs and blind stealing. If you get a cold deck of cards for extended periods of time, your chips will dwindle. And if you are the victim of a bad beat, well, what can you really do about it?

I remember a hand I played a few years ago at my first tournament that I hosted, where I had pocket Aces and needed to make a move as I had a very small stack of chips remaining. When you see Aces, especially in that predicament, the weight of the world comes off your shoulders, as you have the best starting hand you can possibly get. Guess what happened? I got called by Ace-10, which is one of the better scenarios you can come across as you become an over 90% favourite with your Aces. Well, the flop produced two tens and I was gone. What can you do? I put my hand in with the best of it, got outflopped, and was sent to the rail.

But if the same scenario presented itself, I'd do it again. You have to endure these bad beats once in a while and you can't win every hand you play. In the long run, don't look at the fact you didn't win the game that night. Look at the fact you played some good poker and you will be rewarded more times than not later on in the future.

So ho-hum about the new coach hiring. What really caught my attention today was who wasn't returning for next season.

It was pretty much a given Ray Emery will be bought out and Wade Redden will sign elsewhere. But GM Bryan Murray oddly declared he wouldn't try to sign the Senators other unrestricted free agents as "...I can't possibly give them what they're asking for at this point in time."

So Randy Robitaille, Martin Lapointe and Mike Commodore apparently won't be back. Chris Kelly, Shean Donovan and Cory Stillman will see what types of offers they can get from other clubs when July 1st rolls around. They could potentially re-sign with Ottawa, but if the Senators don't try to do it now, it's just too likely another NHL club will overpay for their services and lose them.

That means there will be at least eight new faces in the lineup. This also assumes Ottawa can keep some of it's restricted free agents, notably Antoine Vermette and Andrej Meszaros, otherwise that number gets larger.

I have to admit, this makes me a little nervous. How many player changes are too many? Are there enough players in free agency as well as their farm system to fill the gaps? Changes had to be made, no question, but what is the right number?

Well, I have to admit, I was pretty indifferent to the announcement of Craig Hartsburg as new coach of the Sens. My vote was for Pat Burns, but his name was hardly mentioned and it was apparent the Senators were going in a different direction. I am glad it's done though, the draft is next week and free agency will begin about 10 days after that. It's important for management and coaching to map out a plan to get the team ready for the 2008-09 season and be on the same page. Certainly Hartsburg has a vision for how he'd like to direct the team, and how he expects to get the results on the ice.

The cliche is that the players ultimately have to decide their fate as they're the ones that have to play the game. However, Sens fans have learned that bad coaching doesn't exactly help things. The team was pretty much in chaos once goalie Ray Emery returned and, although we'll never know exactly what transpired, it's fair to say John Paddock lost the locker room and would eventually cost him his job.

So I didn't know much about Hartsburg, other than he coached the Canada World Junior team to back-to-back gold medals the last two years. He's coached in Anaheim and Chicago, both at a time when neither team were any good so it's difficult to judge him based solely on his won-loss record, and just finished fours years with the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He does seem to understand the pressure that comes with coaching in a Canadian city. His press conference made mention of all the right things, saying he looks forward to the challenge and that he expects accountability from his players.

Guess all that's left to do is see what happens. On to the draft!

As much as we complain about big budget sequels, "Hollywood" movies and the clear lack of originality of the films churned out year after year, we are always duped into anticipating said blockbuster sequels made by one of the big Hollywood studios hoping that the movie will match the hype accompanying it. I remember when the trailer for The Phantom Menace was released in 1998 and how everyone was so excited about it people were paying money to see movies they had no interest in watching for the sole purpose of watching said trailer. The hype, of course, surpassed the movie itself tenfold, but the anticipation made it all very, very exciting.

So what movie am I here to hype about that will surely disappoint when released on May 22, 2009? Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. I've always said that a Terminator sequel, without time traveling, was the way to go if they wished to expand the series. By the time the third movie arrived, whether you call it a Flaming Moe or a Flaming Meaux, the drink still tastes the same. And since there is an interesting back story to the whole trilogy we haven't seen yet: the battle of the humans vs. the machines in a post-apocalyptic war zone complete with laser beams, hey, I love it already.

Of course, there are concerns. For instance, there is no Arnold. And the director's name is McG. WTF? Amusingly, his blog on the Warner Brothers website is kinda funny as he admits it's pretty lame but says that's what he was called to differentiate himself from his Uncle and Grandfather who shared the same name, and to change it now would be "fraudulent". Guess it's no worse than SBP...

If the movie sells tickets, two other sequels will be made and Christian Bale has committed to all three films as the hero John Connor should they be made. The first film will introduce us to the rubber-skinned T-600 series as described by Kyle Reese in the first Terminator movie, and will show how Skynet patrols the earth to bring humans to the brink of extinction. Can't wait to see how it unfolds: please oh please be good!

Well, I'm back. And just in time to read the latest headlines regarding the Hockey Night in Canada theme song, in which it won't air on CBC again, perhaps forever.

The sneaky folks over at CTV bought the rights to the 40 year-old tune and it will air on TSN and its sister stations starting next season. Of course, CTV also secured the rights to the 2010 Winter Olympics and you can bet they will be airing it then accordingly.

This was the likely end result if the people over at CBC couldn't settle with composer Dolores Claman and man did they drop the ball. Is it okay if I use the word "incompetent" to describe the people over at CBC responsible for losing the song? If they can afford to drop hundreds of millions of dollars on airing NHL games, surely they can manage a fraction of that to hold onto a song considered a part of Canadian heritage?

Anyway, it's not like anyone is going to stop watching hockey on Saturday nights because the theme song is no longer playing, but man, I think a good round of firings is in order. (Fire him, him and....hmmm, better keep the egghead. Might come in handy!"). HNIC just won't be the same.

The Hockey Night In Canada theme song might not be used again next season! I read that the composer's representatives and CBC's attempts to reach a new agreement after it expired on Wednesday have not been going well. Apparently there's a lawsuit that may be filed against CBC, for what reason I don't know.

Apparently, Dolores Claman, the composer, gets paid $500 each time the song is played on the air, and she claims that she is asking for virtually the same deal she had in place, but was told that CBC "wanted to move in a new direction."

The CBC is likely underestimating the public backlash that will happen if they don't reach a deal. How can Hockey Night in Canada be the same without its song? No matter how good the new theme song would be, which apparently will be chosen in some contest, no one will like it better than the original. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Anyway, I'll be off this weekend to Niagara Falls, good times! Will resume the blog when I get back.

- Detroit was the better team and I'm glad they were able to come out on top and win the Cup. It took them six games but that result is much too flattering for Pittsburgh. I will say this about the Penguins: They are terrific with less than 2 minutes left after they are outplayed for the majority of the previous 58.

- It was cool to see the players hoist the Cup in elation and seeing their excitement after finally winning the series. However, if you're a Pittsburgh fan, why would you stick around to watch? This team shattered your dreams, they are parading around with Lord Stanley and they are LAUGHING at you! I'd exit the arena post-haste, maybe toss a beer bottle or two at the players (I keed, I keed).

- Glad we finally don't have to hear another Gary Roberts story or see another documentary about him. He's a fourth liner, he's old, he's a cheap shot artist and takes needless penalties. But don't worry Toronto, I'm sure he'll make it in the Hall of Fame for his achievements in 1989.

- So if you are a GM of an NHL team and wanted to build a contender, how would you do it? Load it with European players, emphasize skill over grit, make sure the Captain is Swedish, and have a goaltender who's no better than average? You wouldn't have said that after Anaheim won last year, would you?

- My buddies and I put together three different playoff pools, we had a draft format, a pick any 20 players pool, as well as a bracket challenge where you picked who you'd think would win each playoff match up to the eventual Stanley Cup champion. I was the only one who had a Detroit-Pittsburgh final lined up as well as being the only person who picked the Red Wings to take the Cup so that helped me win that one, I lost by one point in the "top 20" challenge thanks to Sergei Gonchar's last minute goal, and did horribly in the draft pool. But in the end, profitable, so it's all good!

- Although I'm not a fan, I'm happy for Rob since he's a big Red Wings supporter since the days of Steve Yzerman, and I'm also happy for Steve & Janice as Harbour Grace, Newfoundland native Dan Cleary will be making a trip there with the Cup and that should be a huge party.

- I'll never feel guilty about any downloaded MP3 again. Did you hear Madonna signed an exclusive deal with a ticket, ahem, "broker"(StubHub, an affiliate of Ebay) to get a cut of the profits from the huge mark-ups sales of her tickets. Yeah, she needs the extra money doesn't she? Hey Holly, I need to put Hard Candy on my Ipod stat, make me a copy already!

- I watched two overtime periods last night and I was done. What I saw was Detroit dominating Penguins in every facet of the game (except for that one weak goal against Osgood, which I believe was the Penguins fourth shot of the third period). I can't see how Pittsburgh, playing the way they are, has any chance of winning both games 6 and 7.

- The Leafs minus Mats Sundin for next year seems more and more likely. Without him in their lineup, barring a big free agent signing (and I don't think any will want to play for them if they want a run in the playoffs) I can seriously see the Leafs finishing dead last in the league. Think about it: Who will lead them in scoring with Sundin gone: Nik Antropov? Jason Blake? Would you take any of those guys in the first four-five rounds of a hockey pool?

- Speaking of Sundin, how did he win the Mark Messier leadership award this year? He's a good player no question, but if your team hasn't made the playoffs three years straight, you haven't really led anything.

- SBP bought some tickets to some upcoming events: Chris Rock will do his stand-up schtick at the NAC and yes, in August I'll be heading to see Def Leppard at Scotiabank place with opening act Billy Idol. I predict good times!

- Can someone explain to me how oil companies, with increasing prices of oil due to "supply shortages" amongst other things, can still make manage to make record profits? If Futureshop wanted to sell 50" plasma TVs but only had three to sell, they wouldn't be in business very long.

- Ultimate season started a few weeks ago. We are losing, yes, but we are having fun. At the same time, having only a couple of losses during the winter and finishing 1st was a pretty sweet deal.

- I'm glad Senator Obama won the Democratic nomination for President. Is it possible that Americans can still drop the ball though and elect McCain next election? One of McCain's promises included staying in Iraq until 2013, woo-hoo.

Some idiot decided to call me at 3:45am. "Who is this?" "Guess!" What? I haven't been able to fall back asleep since. I could have stayed up for the game 5 triple OT if I knew this was going to happen.

I don't think I could ever get tired of it. The sounds of the ruffling of the chips, the announcement of "all-in", the tension as the cards get revealed one by one while your tournament life is at stake (well, maybe not so much if it's my life at stake). The 2008 World Series of Poker started this past Friday, with a total of 55 bracelets up for grabs. Already there is a final table for event #1 as over 400 players anted up $10,000 to play pot-limit hold em, with Andy Bloch, Mike Sexton, Kathy Liebert and lesser-known Canadian pro Nenad Medic remaining as I write this. Awesome!

I guess the elation of winning a major event, sports or otherwise, is what drives many people. If I was told before a tournament, nope, you're not taking any money home, but you are coming in first place with that bracelet, would you still do it? Absolutely. There's nothing more prestigious to a poker player than to say you won at the World Series. I'm nothing more than one amateur amongst a sea of thousands who dream just like I do, but even just thinking about it gets the blood flowing.

The buy-ins are NOT cheap. And that's the reason why it's possible last year's attendance might be my first and only time there. At least I could say gave it a shot once, as there's many players who'd want to be a part of it but will never be able to go. Still, I'm greedy, once isn't enough. I want to go again. Maybe it'll be, ahem, in the cards for me somewhere down the line...