See that guy over there? The short guy with the white baseball hat.
That's Pete Abbott. Yeah, three final tables at the World Series of Poker,
two gold bracelets, and you know he told me he only played 6 events.
He said he was tempted to play them all after he won the first limit hold-
em event, but then he added, "That's just not me--to put up that kind of
money to play games that I rarely play."
From his Gardena days right up to the Millenium, Pete has consistently
been a winner. He never seemed to want to damage his bankroll by
"taking a shot" at the really big game. He was always content to make
good money just playing 10-20 or 15-30, and once in a while playing a
local tournament. He had been in the money a couple of times but
nothing to write home about. One year he won $8000 at the World
Series and never played anything but one-table satellites. He told me
later, "When I find something that works, I hate to get away from it."
On several occasions, when it seemed the time was right, Pete would
ask me questions about how hard it was to win a bracelet or compete at
the Series against all the great players. I was always flattered when
Pete asked me about "things", and on several occasions, I told him he
should give the World Series' events a shot. I never forced the point,
even though deep down I knew Pete was good enough to win
anywhere he played. He had just not given tournaments a fair chance
and worse than that, he had some preconceived notions about the "big"
tournaments.
This year Pete decided he would take the big step. So after he had a
couple of satellite wins under his belt, he gave it a shot. He entered
that first tournament, and now everyone has heard of Pete Abbott.
I met a couple of guys who I knew, that also remembered Pete from the
old Gardena days, and we all agreed we knew how good he was even
way back then. Later I talked with some other people who had only
played with Pete Abbott once or twice in their lives, and funny thing,
they also said they knew he was a great player from that very first time
they played with him.
Okay, okay, I've gone too far. I know it. It's obvious there really is no
Pete Abbott, but guess what? There will be in just a few short days.
This year's World Series will produce him or her (who said I was a male
chauvinist). Everyone will jump on the Pete Abbott bandwagon. There
will be a flood of people, floormen, shift bosses and players, who have
played with the new phenom, who will extol his or her virtues.
If you are wondering why I have gone through so much trouble just to
try make the point that an unknown will end up doing something big at
this year's World Series, I guess there are two reasons. The first reason
is that as sure as I'm sitting here it's gonna happen, and I want to say,
"I told you so."
The second and main reason is because frankly, I get tired of hearing
this time of year, just preceding the World Series, how Joe Blow or
Skinny Jim or whoever, is the favorite to win this event or that event or
better yet the "Big One." It's always a group of well-known players
who are mentioned as the "sure to dominate." The pundits and
prognosticators always have one of the "boys" in the "lately lucky" or
"the fraternity" coming away with the grand prize, otherwise known as
"The Big One."
Many years ago, I too was guilty as everyone else, in thinking that big-
time success in the tournament poker world was exclusively for a closed
fraternity of players. What eventually made me see the light was when
I had a taste of some of that success. I know about now some of you
may be saying, "Is Vince trying to be modest here? And, if he is, he's
getting a little nauseating." Rest easy. Modesty is not my strong suit.
I'm not trying to make anyone believe that I think I'm not a good player.
Of course, I think I'm an excellent poker player. But no less excellent
than Pete Abbott, or many other people who I play with. The only
difference is they, for one reason or another, still buy into the "closed
fraternity theory". Bunk! If you’re a good poker player, you can be the
next Pete Abbott. Honest. I've seen it way too many times to count. In
fact, how many people ever heard of Noel Furlong before last May.
Come to the World Series. Try a few satellites. Play a couple of
tournaments. If you come away with nothing more than the notion that
you probably play as good as most of the people there, you are on your
way. Don't mortgage your house or anything like that, but if you've
been beating the game you normally play and you've built up a little
stash, give it a shot. Believe me. It's not a closed fraternity or sorority.
If you're a good poker player, you can win at the World Series of Poker.
For what it's worth ...
That's Pete Abbott. Yeah, three final tables at the World Series of Poker,
two gold bracelets, and you know he told me he only played 6 events.
He said he was tempted to play them all after he won the first limit hold-
em event, but then he added, "That's just not me--to put up that kind of
money to play games that I rarely play."
From his Gardena days right up to the Millenium, Pete has consistently
been a winner. He never seemed to want to damage his bankroll by
"taking a shot" at the really big game. He was always content to make
good money just playing 10-20 or 15-30, and once in a while playing a
local tournament. He had been in the money a couple of times but
nothing to write home about. One year he won $8000 at the World
Series and never played anything but one-table satellites. He told me
later, "When I find something that works, I hate to get away from it."
On several occasions, when it seemed the time was right, Pete would
ask me questions about how hard it was to win a bracelet or compete at
the Series against all the great players. I was always flattered when
Pete asked me about "things", and on several occasions, I told him he
should give the World Series' events a shot. I never forced the point,
even though deep down I knew Pete was good enough to win
anywhere he played. He had just not given tournaments a fair chance
and worse than that, he had some preconceived notions about the "big"
tournaments.
This year Pete decided he would take the big step. So after he had a
couple of satellite wins under his belt, he gave it a shot. He entered
that first tournament, and now everyone has heard of Pete Abbott.
I met a couple of guys who I knew, that also remembered Pete from the
old Gardena days, and we all agreed we knew how good he was even
way back then. Later I talked with some other people who had only
played with Pete Abbott once or twice in their lives, and funny thing,
they also said they knew he was a great player from that very first time
they played with him.
Okay, okay, I've gone too far. I know it. It's obvious there really is no
Pete Abbott, but guess what? There will be in just a few short days.
This year's World Series will produce him or her (who said I was a male
chauvinist). Everyone will jump on the Pete Abbott bandwagon. There
will be a flood of people, floormen, shift bosses and players, who have
played with the new phenom, who will extol his or her virtues.
If you are wondering why I have gone through so much trouble just to
try make the point that an unknown will end up doing something big at
this year's World Series, I guess there are two reasons. The first reason
is that as sure as I'm sitting here it's gonna happen, and I want to say,
"I told you so."
The second and main reason is because frankly, I get tired of hearing
this time of year, just preceding the World Series, how Joe Blow or
Skinny Jim or whoever, is the favorite to win this event or that event or
better yet the "Big One." It's always a group of well-known players
who are mentioned as the "sure to dominate." The pundits and
prognosticators always have one of the "boys" in the "lately lucky" or
"the fraternity" coming away with the grand prize, otherwise known as
"The Big One."
Many years ago, I too was guilty as everyone else, in thinking that big-
time success in the tournament poker world was exclusively for a closed
fraternity of players. What eventually made me see the light was when
I had a taste of some of that success. I know about now some of you
may be saying, "Is Vince trying to be modest here? And, if he is, he's
getting a little nauseating." Rest easy. Modesty is not my strong suit.
I'm not trying to make anyone believe that I think I'm not a good player.
Of course, I think I'm an excellent poker player. But no less excellent
than Pete Abbott, or many other people who I play with. The only
difference is they, for one reason or another, still buy into the "closed
fraternity theory". Bunk! If you’re a good poker player, you can be the
next Pete Abbott. Honest. I've seen it way too many times to count. In
fact, how many people ever heard of Noel Furlong before last May.
Come to the World Series. Try a few satellites. Play a couple of
tournaments. If you come away with nothing more than the notion that
you probably play as good as most of the people there, you are on your
way. Don't mortgage your house or anything like that, but if you've
been beating the game you normally play and you've built up a little
stash, give it a shot. Believe me. It's not a closed fraternity or sorority.
If you're a good poker player, you can win at the World Series of Poker.
For what it's worth ...
A Closed Fraternity?
By Vince Burgio
By Vince Burgio
