"Shuffle up and deal!" said Tournament Director Tony Burns. And the Moneymaker Poker Tour's first stop, at the Palm Beach Kennel Club, is underway. Cards have been in the air for 20 minutes, and already I've seen a kid in a Brown (University) hoodie walking away, typing what was no doubt a terrible bad beat into his phone.
But before all that could happen, a great deal of sh*t had to get done. Here are some snapshots...
There's something promising about this scene – like, just add water and you get a poker tournament.
Tom Wheaton, founder of Faded Spade Playing Cards, which is a partner of the Moneymaker Tour, chatting with Tony Burns, the tour's Tournament Director.
The dealers have to get ready, the media people have to get ready, and sometimes, the two align...
Will Thomas shooting dealer Sharon Duncan counting chips. Everybody has a job to do.
Two hours in, all the preparation has paid off...
Only thing more promising than a bunch of empty tables – a bunch of full ones.
And the kid in the Brown hoodie? I saw him back at the registration window. Re-entries are going until 2:30pm, and it's not over until it's over.
Postscript PSA: My entire life has a musical soundtrack, so I pay attention to the music that poker venues deliver. The tunes at PBKC are pure 80's MTV gold – my editor-in-chief Brad Willis would be quite at home. Currently on the speakers, Little Suzi by Tesla, which was a big hair band before it was an over-hyped car. This is, in my 65-year-old opinion, a huge improvement over most poker rooms.
