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Better Late Than Never

Phil Hellmuth is known for showing up late to poker tournaments. Like, two hours late. Part of this is doubtless psychological warfare it's your first WSOP event, you're cruising along and feeling good about your game and then one of the most famous poker players in the game sits down out of the blue and starts bossing the table. There's a reason they call it "fashionably" late. That way all eyes are on you when you deign to show up. And it doesn't matter if you're at a Hollywood gala or a poker tournament.

But there are more practical reasons for showing up late, reasons I didn't appreciate until I started working this year's World Series. First of all, if you arrive an hour late that's an extra hour of sleep you can bank. Not that every pro takes advantage of this luxury, but if you're fried after an all-night session an extra sixty minutes in Dreamland can be worth more than pocket Aces. Red Bull is NOT an adequate long-term replacement for R.E.M. sleep.

Delaying your arrival at the Rio has other benefits as well. Let's not beat around the bush most days it's a zoo around here. You can almost hear the braying of a thousand donkeys as they file into the Amazon Room for the noon poker tournaments. Tourists and gawkers and fanboys mill around the lobby and stare slack-jawed at the famous players they've only seen before on TV.

If you ARE one of those famous poker players, getting to your table in one piece can be a struggle. The other day I walked into the Amazon Room a few steps behind Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Of course he's one of the most recognizable players in the game, what with the hair and the hat and the fact that he's about six-five. As we entered the room a woman standing on the rail saw Ferguson walking toward her and BOOM! She whirled around, stepped into his path, and practically leapt into his arms. At first I though she knew him, with such familiarity did she take his (unextended) hand and shake it so. Ferguson actually staggered back a step, but he recovered quickly and smiled and even posed for a picture. But as I looked back over my shoulder I could see the question still lingering in his eyes, "Who in God's name is this woman and does she bite?"

If you show up late, even fifteen minutes late, much of the madness has passed. You can cruise through the lobby, glide through the Amazon Room, and get a quick snapshot of your table from afar. Those who don't play many poker tournaments tend to show up on time or even early they don't want to miss a single second of their World Series experience. That means they're probably dead money, ripe for the picking. And they'll all be watching as you approach, hoping you'll end up at a different table, right up to the point where you pull out your chair and cheerfully ask "How's everybody doin' today!!??" as the fear shows in their faces.