The World Series of “Would Have, Could Have, Should Have”
After a hiatus of more than one and a half years, the live poker circuit was calling once more and required live reporting duties during the biggest annual poker festival in Las Vegas. The World Series of Poker returned as an in-person series and it was the last time the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino played host for the festival as it will be moving to a new location on the Las Vegas Strip as of the summer 2022.
Not just the later time slot was unusual but also the restrictions and widespread travel bans due to the ongoing pandemic, which caused heated arguments from those in favour and against the vaccine mandate. It was apparent to many that the extraordinary circumstances would result in lower attendance numbers across the board.
All these factors led to all but one personal conclusion: I was heading to Las Vegas with very few expectations and somehow still left disappointed for various reasons. I wasn’t happy with my own overall performance because it included too many sloppy mistakes, and one tiny hope in the far back of my mind didn’t work out at all but left me even more confused than before. Out of all the recent WSOP festivals, this one felt the most exhausting from a physical and mental point of view.
So where exactly does the unusual title come into play, what are the various would have, could have and should have during the seven weeks in Sin City?
One particular aspect that hits all three of these categories concerns my previous writing of articles for a poker industry website, which had given me the opportunity to improve on my feature writing skills and a chance to earn money. Ahead of the festival I was certain to fit in some time in the mornings and still be able to submit some articles.
That foolish bubble burst within the first week as I missed two deadlines, the mind already void of any and all creativity. I would have liked to write articles and could have done so, too, perhaps even should, but fitness sessions in the morning seemed to be the wiser choice to survive the near-daily live reporting shifts.
It may have been too ambitious anyways but ended up as one of the biggest disappointments of the entire festival.
One thing that needed time to get used to was the necessity to wear a mask during the live reporting shift. Players were given the option to take off the face mask when they were seated while I kept mine on while on the floor, which at some point became too annoying to even notice anymore.
Another thing I would have certainly liked to do in the seven weeks was some trips into the nature for hiking or photography. Without the excruciating heat that usually seeks Las Vegas during the summer months, it was actually bearable to walk outside during the day to make for a pleasant environment. Alas, nothing even remotely close happened as the select few days off were spent on walks to the Strip for clothing shopping or shutting down the brain entirely.
Could this lack of balance have been avoided? Certain options would have definitely been available if I really wanted to but to be fair, my urge to be social and potentially catch or unknowingly spread the virus wasn’t very sophisticated either. It came at a monetary expense as a decent portion of my salary was spent on solo accommodation within walking distance. Guess we can safely move that one to the “would have” category.
The next issue shall be elaborated more in depth because otherwise it might give away the wrong impression:
I wasn’t happy with my live reporting performance and felt that I could have gathered more content and should have made fewer avoidable mistakes.
That may sound incredibly rich considering I averaged an update every five to seven minutes during the festival except when we had a bigger team during the $10,000 Main Event coverage. If I weren’t so hard on myself and didn’t raise my own dedicated bar so high, I would have never gotten as far in the industry. Very few have been sticking around for such a long time and I may be too stubborn to leave my own chosen path and deliver a product that isn’t up to par.
That just wouldn’t fit to my usual nature and work ethic, after so many years there seems to be no point to give in and be a less “crazy workaholic”. There is one huge downside to it, however, as this manically pedantic approach and craze for perfection is mentally and physically draining while potentially putting the performance of other team members in the wrong spotlight. At some point it even sounds better to just remain a one-man army, which was essentially the reality for my first few years in the poker world.
Would it be wise to slow down and not always aim for the utmost in order to maintain a larger piece of the sanity? On paper, yes. Could that have a positive or negative influence on my overall performance? I guess so but that was never part of the equation and it kind of feels mandatory to deliver a deserving final product.
This willingness to put my own needs at the bottom of the list and making sure to get the work done in a very consistent and reliable way has kept me afloat for many years. It also made sure that I picked up work during the pandemic where many other freelance reporters were struggling and had to search for a “normal job”, whatever that might actually be.
Whenever someone has a poker or event related question, the people tend to either ask Kevmath on social media (Kevin Mathers, the poker lexicon) or me during live events, be it the players, other media or even the TV crews during the Main Event. It has become a running joke and given me the nickname of “robot” even though I simply do whatever it takes to have a conclusive coverage and aim to protect the integrity of the events.
From the perspective of the tournament directors and other staff behind the scenes, I am almost certainly labeled as “royal pain in the ass” and the “guy that never knows when to keep the mouth shut.”
At times, the very direct approach and high intensity can certainly be more of a hindrance than positive asset but that probably won’t change anymore as long as I remain a part of the poker industry. It’s just the way I am and not meant personal in any ways with very few exceptions … I’ll better shut up right here, though. ;)
The live poker reporting trip kicked off mid-way through September and will conclude at the same venue essentially three months later. On average, I worked 5 1/2 days per week and the days off were sprinkled in between. There simply wasn’t enough time to fully reset the body battery and at some point, I worked with a migraine and barely recognized the card symbols while staring at the table.
Once the 2021 World Series of Poker Europe has concluded, I shall disappear for a while to restore my sanity and overall balance because these are most certainly running on fumes. Let’s hope I still remember how to say no and put my own personal needs at the top of the to-do-list.
The lingering feeling of loneliness and abundance of happiness is a whole different box of pandora that will hopefully get fixed at some point. Most of my personal happiness in the last few years was gained through travel and exploring new places but maintaining this has become an unusual challenge during the ongoing pandemic.
That topic is, however, better saved for another entry when I have had the chance to fully embrace the mysteries that come along with it.