CALLING THEIR BLUFF AT WORLD SERIES OF POKER EVENTS, AMATEURS FROM ALL OVER - INCLUDING MADISON - GET A SHOT AT TAKING DOWN THE MICHAEL JORDANS OF THE GAME.(77 SQUARE)

Byline: JEFF RICHGELS The Capital Times jrichgels@madison.com

LAS VEGAS -- Chris Gibbons and Scott Erickson are two of the best bowlers in the Madison area.

Gibbons is a former pro who won a title on the Pro Bowlers Association Regional circuit - pro bowling's minor league. And he and Erickson are on the team that ended up third in the top event at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

That said, neither has much interest in putting up the entry fee of a few hundred dollars to compete in tournaments against top pros like Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber.

Yet Gibbons, Erickson and thousands of other amateur poker players from around the globe paid anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 to compete against top pros like Madison native Phil Hellmuth at World Series of Poker events in Las Vegas. This despite the fact that both say their bowling skills well exceed their poker skills.

They are far from alone; almost 7,000 people entered this summer's competition, which begins airing on ESPN on Tuesday.

Which begs the obvious question: Why are so many recreational poker players willing to pay to compete against those who make a living playing the game?

"Obviously," Erickson said, "the big draw for poker is the hundreds of thousands of dollars on top, where in bowling it's just $100,000 to win (the top events). And I think your chances playing against the top poker players in one event or at one table is better than even one game against the top pro bowlers on those (PBA lane) conditions," which are much more difficult than the typical league bowling condition.

While pros do dominate poker, the fact that a lucky turn of a card can negate even the most masterfully played hand has stoked the dreams of amateurs.

"If you don't think you can win, why enter?" said Gibbons. "Obviously, the odds are stacked against you, but amateurs win all the time and lightning can strike."

The Moneymaker effect

The most notable bolt in poker history was amateur Chris Moneymaker's victory in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. The Main Event is the Super Bowl of the WSOP series, which sanctions 55 events nationwide.

Seth Palansky, director of communications for the Sports & Entertainment Division of WSOP owner Harrah's casino in Las Vegas, said Moneymaker's $2.5 million dollar win - achieved after winning a qualifier with just a $39 entry fee - was part of a confluence of events that led to poker's boom, which continues with another record total number of WSOP entries this year.

With the advent of the camera that allowed TV viewers to see players' hole (hidden) cards in 2002, Moneymaker's win "was really the public's first exposure to a guy who was bluffing all the way and everyone could see the crazy bluffs he was doing and that really captured people's imaginations," Palansky said.

The Internet poker boom also had begun, and those factors together helped the WSOP Main Event grow. There were 839 entries the year of Moneymaker's win; this year's Main Event had 6,844 entries and prize money of more than $64 million, Polansky said.

At this year's WSOP, pros won 38 of the 53 events prior to the Main Event, most of which are Texas Hold'em formats, with semi-pros taking three and amateurs 12. In contrast, there have not been 12 amateur winners in the 49-year history of the PBA Tour - a stat that backs up the sentiments of Gibbons and Erickson.

The superior success of poker pros does prove that poker is not a game of chance, pros like Hellmuth say.

"There is more skill than the world fully understands," Hellmuth said in an e-mail interview with 77 Square. "Check out how many pros are winning this year despite enormous fields! Reading players and good tactics will carry you a long way at the WSOP."

Bluffs and busts

Still, there's enough chance of success for amateurs to draw them to Vegas by the thousands.

Although he has failed to win money in three WSOP events, Gibbons did win a June 2007 tournament at Binion's, earning a spot on the wall of the famed downtown casino that originally hosted the WSOP before selling the franchise to Harrah's. The event was part of a miniature version of the WSOP that draws some highly skilled pros but generally not the elite like Hellmuth.

Gibbons pocketed about $5,800 for the win, which came after more than 12 hours of play and a decision by the six finalists from the 330-person field to split the prize money, although they still played to a winner for the prestige of the title.

"All of a sudden it was like lightning striking - I'm getting these hands and winning," said Gibbons, who describes himself as a serious recreational player. "That was definitely the highlight of my poker career."

In contrast, his Vegas trip this June was a washout, with the lowlight being busting out after just 45 minutes of a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold'em WSOP event.

"I played the worst possible poker I could play," Gibbons said. "I played way too aggressive early."

Gibbons said poker and bowling have several similarities: a significant luck factor that is slightly higher in poker (hitting cards in poker and pin action in bowling), the fact that you're competing with "imperfect information" (other players' hidden hole cards in poker and invisible lane oil in bowling), and making educated guesses (betting decisions in poker and adjusting to the lane conditions in bowling).

Whatever the game, the thrill of competition is what it's about, Gibbons said.

"It's a rush hitting that card or getting that bluff to win that pot - it's like striking out in the 10th (frame) to win a game," he said. "You get instant gratification. You also get the other end of it, too, which I've had more than my fair share of."

An indescribable scene

At the WSOP, thousands of players compete at dozens of tables in one gigantic room that is incredibly brightly lit but also quite chilly. Aside from the occasional player outburst or official announcement, the only sound is the constant clicking of players "riffling" their chips.

Charismatic stars like Hellmuth, Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu draw large crowds around their tables.

"It's definitely something I don't think you can do justice to by describing," said Erickson, who played in the same WSOP event as Gibbons in 2007 but failed to cash and didn't play this year.

Meanwhile, Ryan Beckwith, an aspiring poker pro from Stoughton, took a shot at a $1,500 Buy-in No Limit Hold'em event at the WSOP in early July after winning enough in other tournaments to cover his expenses.

Beckwith lasted several hours before a tough loss crippled him. In that hand, his hole cards of an ace and a king were superior to his foe's ace and six, but the three community cards included a 6 that gave his foe the win.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a long time," Beckwith said of competing in the World Series of Poker. "I think I played really well."

The loss didn't dampen Beckwith's desire. He plans to return in 2009.

Swimming with the 'sharks' The chance to play against famous pros like Hellmuth is one of the obvious draws of the WSOP.

"That's what makes this so unique," said Palansky, the Harrah's publicist. "You can't buy your way onto an NBA court but you can buy your way here and be sitting next to the Michael Jordan of poker, Phil Hellmuth, or someone else at that level."

Beckwith got to play a few hands with famed pro Humberto Brenes, an ESPN and fan favorite who carries a little shark with him that he uses as a prop when he is munching on opponents and chips.

Hellmuth: Bring 'em on

Hellmuth, 44, whose nickname is "Poker Brat" for his legendary blow-ups, some of which have come at the expense of amateurs he's played against, advises the novices at his table to "have fun and enjoy the moment."

"Those 'Poker Brat' moments are purely the heat of the moment for me. I love the amateurs that challenge themselves to play with the best. As far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier!" said Hellmuth, who has written instructional books on poker and recently rolled out an online course, "How to win the World Series of Poker."

The huge numbers of entrants make it harder to win WSOP titles than years ago. But Hellmuth, the all-time leader with 11 titles, said he prefers today's version.

"It was more of a convention back then where all of the great players gathered to play for bracelets, history, and cash," he said. "I love the spotlight of the world on us now, illuminating the skill, subtlety, and beauty of Texas Hold'em."

CAPTION(S):

Casey Fessler Photo

Chris Gibbons is one of thousands of amateur poker players who paid to

compete in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.