hours, they started getting bored, so we decided that a movie was in
order. My wife had taped numerous movies for the kids. I always tell her
that it's illegal to tape movies without some sort of permission, but she
never listens to me. Consequently, we watch the movies in fear of an FBI
raid. I decided to chance the possibility of a raid, so we took a vote and
decided that the old classic Wizard of Oz was what we would watch.
The movie ended a couple of hours later and before I knew it, the day
also had ended. The kids were in bed, so I went into the computer room
and checked my E-mail, and then took a look at rec.gambling.poker on
the Internet.
There, I read comments about the World Series of Poker. Some
questioned whether or not it will be held this year. If it is, where will it be
held? Who will be running the tournament, since Jack McClelland and Jim
Albrecht won't be there? How long will the whole tournament be? How
many days will the main event be?
Someone else wrote that after seven years of yearly tournaments, the
Four Queens had canceled its tournament. Someone else asked why the
Taj Mahal and Foxwoods were having their tournaments at exactly the
same time.
The more I read on the Internet, the more that one line from the movie
Wizard of Oz kept popping into my head. The line occurs when Dorothy
wakes up after the tornado has deposited her in some strange land.
Suddenly, Glenda the good witch appears and Dorothy looks at her little
dog Toto and says, "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
After reading a few more posts, I turned off the computer. I guess that
my wife thought I had gone crazy, because I kept walking around the
house saying, "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
Finally, my wife cornered me and said, "OK, Dorothy, what's going on?" I
explained to her that as a member of the poker community, I feel like
Dorothy. I feel like we, the poker community, have been dropped in a
strange and foreign land. I see the yellow brick road and I know that
we'll all be taking it. But just as is the case in the movie, this is uncharted
territory.
I went on to tell her that in the 11 years I have been playing in the major
poker tournaments, I usually could just about plan my whole year by Jan.
1. And one thing was certain-- I knew where I'd be in April and May.
Now, it seems that the Queens is gone and that the World Series will be
downgraded. Regardless of what anyone says, the World Series has
been the only tournament event that has received mainstream coverage.
To make it less than it was will be a step backward for poker. Poker
always has been a tough sell. So, any implication by the host of the most
prestigious tournament in the world that it has been less than successful
is not going to help.
I went on to say that I'm also concerned about the overlapping of
tournaments. I don't think that it's in anyone's best interest to have two
major tournaments going on at the same time.
Finally, as my tirade subsided, my wife said, "Excuse me, honey, don't
leave, I'll be right back." I don't know where she thought I was going.
Even though my tirade had subsided, it wasn't over. I still had things to
say.
A couple of minutes later, my wife reappeared and handed me
something-- a folded piece of clothing. I said, "What's this?" She said, "A
dress, dear-- if you're going to act like a spoiled little girl, you might as
well dress like one."
My first impulse was to get mad, but almost simultaneously, we started
laughing. She had made her point.
So, enough whining and complaining. Who knows, maybe all of the
changes that seem to be down the road will turn out for the better. We'll
just have to wait and see.
I do know one thing, though: We're not in Kansas anymore!
For what it's worth ...
