Amateur poker champs

Aces High
Do you have what it takes to win a poker tournament?

 
It’s the new NASCAR. Poker is taking the country; no, make that the world, by storm. Daily poker tournaments are broadcast on mainstream television and the World Series of Poker, this year, will have a payout equivalent to the combined payouts of the four major professional golf tournaments. Millions are wagered daily at online poker sites.
Think you are a good poker player? Want a chance for some fame and fortune? Then the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) May 16 – 20 at the Leelanau Sands Casino is for you.
“The concept behind the HPT is to give everyday players a chance to experience the same competitive environment they see on television,” said Byron “Panama” Liggett, HPT spokesperson. “The reality for most who enjoy poker is that playing on the circuit or making it into the World Series of Poker just is not going to happen. But the HPT brings a taste of this experience as it travels around the country. The top players will make it onto television and there is big money at stake.”
Just how big are the stakes?
“Each tournament differs,” said Liggett. “At our most recent tournament in Minnesota, day care operator Jenny Kriewald took home $53,000. She won a local radio station poker contest and that entitled her to a seat in the competition, so she didn’t have to pay the standard $300 entry fee. The funny thing is her father is the chief of police and he didn’t want her playing poker, but I think he has changed his mind.”

TOUR TRIP
The HPT was founded three years ago and makes 15 stops at casinos around the country. The top six players during the weekend get a seat at the final table -- the Main Event -- on Sunday. Sunday is filmed and broadcast on several stations at a later date. Last year’s stop at the Leelanau Sands had $216,000 in winnings in the final day.
Last year’s second place finisher was Michael Banducci, a Traverse City St. Francis High School graduate, who started playing poker in his dorm room as a freshman at Hope College. Banducci took home $29,455 and will be back again this year.
Banducci, who graduated last week with a degree in biology, won the first poker tournament he played in at the Leelanau Sands when he was home on break his freshman year.
“I started playing a few times a week with some guys in my dorm,” said Banducci. “We would watch these guys on TV; people like Chris Monymaker and we were definitely inspired by them.”
Banducci’s passion for poker increased and he began playing online poker about 12 hours a day by his senior year. So, where does a guy go with a biology degree in one hand and a deck of cards in the other?
“I am going to play poker professionally for the next year,” said Banducci. “I plan to play in 25 to 30 live events (at casinos) and several online events as well. Right now, I play 20 to 30 online tournaments a day. I will spend about six weeks this summer in Vegas playing in the World Series of Poker events.”
 
WORK ETHIC
Banducci might appear to be obsessed but like any professional he works at his craft and in poker that requires a daily commitment. He is also very successful at it. While he is unwilling to comment on his earnings, there are websites that list live tournament winnings and Michael “LuckyLady519” Banducci’s name appears all over the place. It appears that his winnings are well into six figures.
Last year, he finished 10th at a World Series of Poker event, taking home close to $50,000. In the 2006, PokerStars.com year in review newsletter highlights Banducci, giving him praise for winning the first World Championship of Battleship Poker and beating out Gavin “Birdguts” Smith. Smith is no slouch; he is one of the top pros on the circuit and his winnings are in the millions.
So, does Banducci, who at 22 is probably making more money then his fellow graduates, plan on being a professional poker player for the rest of his life?
“No. I don’t think it is healthy to play all the time. So I am going to play for just one more year and then walk away for awhile,” said Banducci. “I am planning on going and getting my MBA and pursuing another
career. I will probably enter tournaments from time to time.”
 
COLLEGE CROWD
According to Liggett, educated players like Banducci are the norm. After all, Liggett himself was a former college history professor.
“You see people from all over the board: degrees in economics and engineering,” said Liggett. “One misconception about poker is that it is another gambling game. Ask a serious poker player and he will tell you otherwise. Poker is a game that requires thought, skill and sure luck, but it should be compared to bridge, backgammon and chess, not casino games of chance.”
Liggett, who is finishing a book on presidents and other famous Americans who played poker, added that, “poker struggled for a long time because casinos couldn’t make money at it.”
“A 25 cent slot machine would produce more income than 10 poker tables,” said Liggett. “House games are games of chance. Poker is played against the other players at the table not the house, so the casino would only get a small fee. Now that poker is popular again, casinos are embracing it because of all of the television coverage. Plus, they have found away to make money at it.”
Why does Liggett think poker has become so popular in the United States?
“This country was built by risk takers,” said Liggett. “When it comes to poker, it is the perfect model of the free enterprise system our country was built on. In poker, each individual with his investment, through wit, wisdom, hard work and some luck, tries to make a profit off of their investment. Sounds like the business world to me.”
 
PRESIDENTIAL PLAYERS
Liggett’s book will be published next year in time for the 2008 presidential campaign season. He found that 19 of the 43 presidents were poker players.
“Nixon was one of the best. During World War II, Nixon was stationed on a small island in the Pacific and he ran poker games for military officials that passed through the island. By the end of the war, Nixon had made $10,000 playing poker and used that money to finance his first political campaign,” said Liggett. “Lincoln got his start as a referee of cock fights and earned his nickname ‘Honest Abe’ from that and he was card player as well. Truman would go on poker playing binges on the presidential yacht sailing up and down the Potomac River. He would be joined by senators and Supreme Court justices and the one rule was politics were not to be discussed.”
Liggett sees poker gaining in popularity for years to come. He points to not only the amazing growth here in the U.S., but around the world. Online poker is growing as well. Industry experts believe there are over five million online poker players in the U.S. with an average of $300 million wagered per day.
For an opportunity to experience high stakes poker as a player or a spectator catch the Heartland Poker Tour this week and weekend at the Leelanau Sands Casino. For info, check out www.heartlandpokertour.com or call the casino at 800-922-2946. Participants need to be at 18 to enter and Wednesday and Thursday the event has $40 entry fee with winners getting seats for Sunday’s final action.   View On Our Website