The Amateurs vs. The Assassins

The World Series of Poker draws the game’s biggest names with its huge stakes and the chance to fleece recreational players. But are the pigeons such easy marks?

BY MICHAEL KAPLAN

Between $50,000 hands of baccarat in a private gaming salon at the Cosmopolitan and five-figure blackjack limits being pressed at the Wynn, plenty of high-stakes action goes down in the posh gambling dens of Las Vegas. But for some two months each summer, the city’s poker mecca is a stretch of converted conference rooms without any showy frills at Horseshoe Las Vegas. The multievent World Series of Poker, held in conjunction with the Paris Las Vegas next door, is highlighted by the Super High Roller No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournament contested by 75 players who each put up a $250,000 buy-in for a chance at the lion’s share of $18.75 million. With its first prize of more than $5.4 million, Las Vegas gambling does not get much headier than this. This June’s event…

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Cigar Aficionado (Digital) - 1 Issue, November/December 2024

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