Wu-sup WSOP.

The time we spent in Tunica has been nothing short of an interesting experience. Despite the lack of things to do, cigarette smoke-filled everything, rude people and nasty weather… we had a pretty good time.

Of course we wouldn’t have stayed over a week if Ethan didn’t do so well in the WSOP Circuit Events. Out of the five tournaments that he played, he got to the final table twice. He finished 5th place (out of 514 players) on Day 1 then on Day 4 he finished 2nd (out of 905).

Now I’ve never actually sat and watched the progress of said tournaments. Everything before the final tables was pretty boring… and I’m not just saying this because I’m not a card player. Any poker player will tell you it’s not much fun being in a big conference room with 500 to 1,000 smelly men, watching them fold, check, raise, call, fold, check, raise, call…and on and on and on for hours and hours. If you earn, and keep, enough chips to make the final table you’d better be prepared to play at least 14 hours of tournament before you break for the night. The afternoon of the next day you are rewarded with the final table, usually against 8 others, which could last well into the evening. Of course at this point things get a bit more exciting. I can’t imagine the stream of emotions that the players feel. They are moved to a stage with lights that are way too hot and the tournament director’s running all over the place; microphone in mouth, pretending he knows what’s going on. Lucky for me, I was safe and secure in a chair in the corner of the stage… and still I could hardly keep it together. Shove, all-in, call, flop, turn, river… Ah! It all goes really fast… and really slow at the same time.

Watching the table go from 9 players, to 8, to 7, to 6, etc. was so stressful. I nearly had an anxiety attack. In fact, the man beside me told me to keep my sighs to myself! With this said, I now have a whole new perspective on what my husband, and other poker players, do for a living. Without putting him on a pedestal, he’s the most patient, relaxed, easy going person I know. I don’t have any idea how he holds it together at the tables… live or online.

I believe that no experience is worthless. What did I take away from this not-so-great experience in Tunica?

Poker is definitely a REAL job.