Electricity

It’s kinda like playoff Hockey. It’s just not the same as the regular season. Sure, you can still enjoy the regular season games, and often times, you’ll see some great hockey. But, when playoff time rolls around, it just feels different. You could be in the arena hours before game time, but…you can still feel a difference in the air.

The same comparison holds true for the H.O.R.S.E. event. I got a chance to sit right in the middle of the floor as the event came together, and the feeling was really exciting. This is more than a poker tournament to many of these guys – this is the poker tournament. To some of the players in this field, playing in this tournament is a badge of honor. No matter how you got the buy in – you’re here, among the legends, and at least on some level – you belong.

It’s really nice to be able to enjoy watching a poker tournament again. You can’t help but get a little burned out at times doing this. Watching people you have no connection to play a game like Stud/8 until 3 in the morning can seriously sap your soul.

So I made it a point to take a couple hours out and just walk around the tournament area. As I strode around, the feeling was noticeable. These players had been marking their calendars, and now the big dance was upon them. It’s just not the same as the regular season.