The $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Event just recently completed. Normally, this would be just a nice footnote in history. The winner of the bracelet in most cases would fade off into relative obscurity unless they were one of the big name pros like Annie Duke. That is not the case this year.

Saturday, I took part in the $1,000 buy-in “Stimulus Event” at the WSOP. As expected, the place was a zoo of people and just got worse the closer that we got to the start of the event. Around 3,000 players started Day 1a of the event, and I was one of those located in the Brasilia Room. My table was the pretty standard mix of players.

Poker is more than Holdem folks. Texas Holdem is where the majority of the money is made for many players, but there are still many other areas of the game where players can make a killing if they know what they are doing. Some mistakes I see come from what I call the “Holdem mentality. ” When someone has the Holdem mentality, they typically are overvaluing a hand or they are trying to use sheer aggression to win hands when they should be using more finesse.

*The WSOP Main Event has had the same buy-in for 40 years. Meanwhile, it has lost its status as the most important poker competition. * WSOP Main Event Buy-In at 10 Big Blinds 10K World Championships and 50K HORSE.

Today is the day when most people consider that the WSOP truly begins. The $40,000 NL Holdem Event kicked off today to celebrate 40 years of the World Series of Poker. Two highly noticeable players that did not play in today’s event were Gus Hansen and Allen Cunningham. A lot of players are surprised at the fact that neither player showed up to play in the event.

Yesterday, I took a trip over to check out the setup for the WSOP, try my hand at some satellites, and register for the Stimulus Event. The crowd at the Rio was right small due to only cash games and satellites running. The Scene at the Rio When you first arrive to the convention center, the first thing you will notice upon walking in is the typical covered red carpet entry. This has a mist blower operating that tries to help cool you off a bit.

I am now officially blogging to all you poker junkies from fabulous Las Vegas, NV. I left on Thursday and drove like a madman to get out here by late Saturday night. In all fairness, the weather in Texas and New Mexico was poor and as a result, I didn’t stop as much as I had planned. My cross country journey was pretty uneventful except for two things.

In certain circles, some people are so respected that if they look favorably upon that person, that person is almost immediately elevated. For example, back in the days when Johnny Carson ran the Tonight Show, if a comedian was invited to come sit and talk with Carson, that comedian’s career was made. Comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld and even Jeff Dunham can attribute a great amount of their success due to Carson’s blessing. Doyle Brunson would be the equivalent figure in the poker world.

What’s your motivation to play poker? At this time, more so than any other, the question of motivation is put to many players, whether it is by themselves or others. Do you play for the challenge? Do you play for the thrill? Or is it just the basic desire to accumulate wealth? Personally, I am one of those that likes the challenge of the game. I like some type of goal to achieve. When I go out to play poker, I set various goals to achieve during my play.

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky is now the official sponsor of the World Series of Poker. According to Jack Lefever, the Marketing Director for Jack Links, "The game of poker is all about sharing good times with great friends. Jack Link's enthusiasts and poker fans are cut from the same cloth - they are fun-seeking, adventurous spirits. The World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link's Beef Jerky is the most esteemed gaming event in the world, and poker's untamed spirit truly embodies the Jack Link's brand.