GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI
08-09-2006, 12:53 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA080906.01A.Blount_WSOP_poker.1e9e4ee.html
Sports
S.A.-bedecked player hopes to be poker champ
Web Posted: 08/09/2006 12:04 AM CDT
Chuck Blount
Express-News Staff Writer
An amateur San Antonio area poker player is on the cusp of making the final table of the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event — the richest and most prestigious poker tournament.
And he's taking his hometown along for the unlikely ride.
Richard Lee, 55, who has accumulated $4.65 million in tournament chips, was in seventh place out of 12 players as the field played down to the nine-player final table late Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Lee, who lives in Shavano Park and is semi-retired from the jewelry business, is guaranteed at least $1,154,527, as the prize gradually increases with each elimination to a record-breaking $12 million payout to the winner.
This year, 8,773 players paid $10,000 each to enter the tournament, up from last year's field of 5,618.
"Last night he told me, 'Johnny, I'm going to win — I was born for this,'" friend Johnny Cisneros said.
Lee's best previous tournament finish was 12th at Larry Flynt's 2005 Grand Slam of Poker in Los Angeles, earning him $5,600.
Various online poker Web sites have solicited Lee to wear merchandise to promote their businesses. Cisneros said Lee was offered $10,000 to wear the logo-laden clothing Tuesday, and six figures if he were to make the final table.
Lee refused all offers and instead promised to wear San Antonio-themed clothing to promote the city. He wore a red long-sleeved T-shirt Tuesday with "San Antonio" stitched on the front.
"On the plane on the way out here, I fell asleep and had the most bizarre dream," Lee said. "I dreamt that I won the whole thing as I was wearing a lot of San Antonio paraphernalia."
J.J. Saulino, assistant to Mayor Phil Hardberger, spoke with Lee on Tuesday and said he and Hardberger wished him luck.
Lee "had called to see if there was anything he should say about the city through all the interviews he was bound to give," Saulino said. "I just told him to tell everybody all the reasons why San Antonio is such a great city."
Lee survived a scare on Day 5 of the Texas Hold'em tournament when his stack dipped to a dangerously low $195,000 in chips when the average hovered around $1 million.
He picked up a large pot late in the evening to end the day with over $2 million in tournament chips.
He also staved off elimination Tuesday after an ill-timed bluff was picked off by John Magill for a $2 million loss. The pot dropped Lee to just $450,000, but he went on to double up in chips multiple times to get back over $4 million and back in contention.
"When you have a field as big as this one, you have to play aggressively and know when to play aggressively," Lee said. "When the cards aren't coming your way, you have to be exceptionally patient."
If Lee wins, he would emerge as one of poker's biggest stars. The first-place money would vault Lee to No. 1 in all-time poker tournament winnings and guarantee a yearlong media blitz as the reigning world champion.
After Tennessee accountant Chris Moneymaker won the Main Event in 2003, ushering the start of the poker boom, the world champion has enjoyed increased attention each year. Moneymaker, 2004 champion Greg Raymer and last year's champion, Joe Hachem, all got lucrative sponsorship deals with pokerstars.net, putting their faces on television daily through advertisements.
But even if Lee doesn't win, he's destined to turn into a more public face in San Antonio and the poker world. ESPN regularly airs episodes of the World Series of Poker and is dedicating 12 hours of coverage to the 2006 Main Event, including four to the final table.
The final table begins at noon CDT Thursday. For viewers who do not wish to wait for the tape-delayed broadcast, the network is offering final-table play on pay-per-view for $24.95.
[email protected]
Staff Writer Amy Dorsett contributed to this report.
He is currently in 3rd place with 11 players left.
Sports
S.A.-bedecked player hopes to be poker champ
Web Posted: 08/09/2006 12:04 AM CDT
Chuck Blount
Express-News Staff Writer
An amateur San Antonio area poker player is on the cusp of making the final table of the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event — the richest and most prestigious poker tournament.
And he's taking his hometown along for the unlikely ride.
Richard Lee, 55, who has accumulated $4.65 million in tournament chips, was in seventh place out of 12 players as the field played down to the nine-player final table late Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Lee, who lives in Shavano Park and is semi-retired from the jewelry business, is guaranteed at least $1,154,527, as the prize gradually increases with each elimination to a record-breaking $12 million payout to the winner.
This year, 8,773 players paid $10,000 each to enter the tournament, up from last year's field of 5,618.
"Last night he told me, 'Johnny, I'm going to win — I was born for this,'" friend Johnny Cisneros said.
Lee's best previous tournament finish was 12th at Larry Flynt's 2005 Grand Slam of Poker in Los Angeles, earning him $5,600.
Various online poker Web sites have solicited Lee to wear merchandise to promote their businesses. Cisneros said Lee was offered $10,000 to wear the logo-laden clothing Tuesday, and six figures if he were to make the final table.
Lee refused all offers and instead promised to wear San Antonio-themed clothing to promote the city. He wore a red long-sleeved T-shirt Tuesday with "San Antonio" stitched on the front.
"On the plane on the way out here, I fell asleep and had the most bizarre dream," Lee said. "I dreamt that I won the whole thing as I was wearing a lot of San Antonio paraphernalia."
J.J. Saulino, assistant to Mayor Phil Hardberger, spoke with Lee on Tuesday and said he and Hardberger wished him luck.
Lee "had called to see if there was anything he should say about the city through all the interviews he was bound to give," Saulino said. "I just told him to tell everybody all the reasons why San Antonio is such a great city."
Lee survived a scare on Day 5 of the Texas Hold'em tournament when his stack dipped to a dangerously low $195,000 in chips when the average hovered around $1 million.
He picked up a large pot late in the evening to end the day with over $2 million in tournament chips.
He also staved off elimination Tuesday after an ill-timed bluff was picked off by John Magill for a $2 million loss. The pot dropped Lee to just $450,000, but he went on to double up in chips multiple times to get back over $4 million and back in contention.
"When you have a field as big as this one, you have to play aggressively and know when to play aggressively," Lee said. "When the cards aren't coming your way, you have to be exceptionally patient."
If Lee wins, he would emerge as one of poker's biggest stars. The first-place money would vault Lee to No. 1 in all-time poker tournament winnings and guarantee a yearlong media blitz as the reigning world champion.
After Tennessee accountant Chris Moneymaker won the Main Event in 2003, ushering the start of the poker boom, the world champion has enjoyed increased attention each year. Moneymaker, 2004 champion Greg Raymer and last year's champion, Joe Hachem, all got lucrative sponsorship deals with pokerstars.net, putting their faces on television daily through advertisements.
But even if Lee doesn't win, he's destined to turn into a more public face in San Antonio and the poker world. ESPN regularly airs episodes of the World Series of Poker and is dedicating 12 hours of coverage to the 2006 Main Event, including four to the final table.
The final table begins at noon CDT Thursday. For viewers who do not wish to wait for the tape-delayed broadcast, the network is offering final-table play on pay-per-view for $24.95.
[email protected]
Staff Writer Amy Dorsett contributed to this report.
He is currently in 3rd place with 11 players left.