WSOP 1996
In retrospect, I think it's safe to say that the year 1996 will always be defined in terms of insanity. At least that's how I remember it and I'm pretty sure I am not all alone among learned historians in taking that rather dim view. Now, with the luxury of a decade of hindsight, it seems no less clear to me that the entire world had gone crazy in 1996.
What exactly about the world was so nuts, you ask? Well, for one thing, the cattle. Yes, 1996 was the first year in which we as a society were introduced to the notion that cows could go insane. Specifically, on March 20th, Great Britain had announced that an outbreak of "mad cow" disease had spread across farm lands, effecting meat and dairy products and that soon we would all be walking around on all fours in green pastures, mooing and begging for someone to milk us. While for some individuals, such as myself, who had taken part in fraternity hazing rituals in the South, this proposition was not an entirely alien one, nor was it something we looked forward to repeating. Fortunately, 1996 came and went without the promised outbreak of a mad cow disease in the United States of America, but nonetheless we are all badly shaken by this alarming bit of ecological mayhem. Fortunately, there were other things on which to focus our attention that year. In particular, I remember looking forward to the World Series of Poker more than probably any other time in the 1990s. Amazing as it was to believe, this "little" tournament that Benny Binion had created was celebrating its 17th anniversary. And what a collection of poker legends came together in order to mark that momentous occasion. It seemed from the very first deck to be shuffled that this was going to be an usually exciting year at the WSOP. By the time it got down to the main event, there was a huge field of 295 contestants. With each person contributing $10,000 as a buy-in fee, the pot was pretty massive right from the beginning. Many analysts were scratching their heads, trying to figure out which of the many worthy competitors would end up taking home the big prize. I think it is safe to say that there were few among us who thought that the winner would be a 6'7" behemoth by the name of Huck Seed. As large a man as he was, Seed barely uttered a word during tournament play, but silently dominated the tables until he walked away with the $1,000,000 main prize. It was a case of silent intimidation on the order of which I've never seen repeated. Indeed, Huck himself was never able - thus far - to win a second title. by Mason Raymond | |
