Why are so many rookies making it the finals in the WSOP

Why the Rookies?

Gather around the fireplace, children. It is time for Uncle Floyd to give you a little history lesson. Stop that bellyaching, okay? I promise this lesson will be fun.

The United States is the greatest nation ever to occupy precious territory on the planet we call Earth. There was once a time when the citizens of this slice of North America were colonial subjects of some uptight Brits who tried to tax us for everything you can possibly imagine. I am not just talking about luxury purchases. I am talking about taxes placed on the most essential basics of life, from which all funds were sent right back to some malodorous king in London. The Brits went too far when they tried to tax our precious tea. Enough was enough, so a gang of brave, possibly inebriated Americans dumped many crates of tea into the Boston Harbor as a symbolic statement of defiance. In that single act of drunken hooliganism, a great democracy was born.

To this very day, we still live in a land which is defined by democracy. I know, there are plenty of radical freaks out there who will have you believe that this is not truly the land of the free and home of the brave. Don’t buy into their propaganda. If you need proof that the U.S. is still a place where every free citizen has the potential to become a rock star, just keep reading this article. Because of what follows is the most compelling case for American democracy that I can think of - and believe me, I’ve given the matter some fairly serious consideration between my second and third beer this afternoon.

In 2003, a very modest gentleman from Tennessee named Chris Moneymaker paid $25 to enter a satellite poker tournament hosted at Poker Stars. Despite his flashy name, Moneymaker had never competed in a single poker tournament, nor ever shared the green felt with any professional players. Chris won that tournament, and by doing so automatically got a seat at the 2003 World Series of Poker. He went on from there to win the whole ball of wax, shocking the poker world.

Obviously, this was the sign of a great new trend in American democracy. And it keeps growing. Every year, more and more rookies are getting into the professional circuit by virtue of winning a satellite online tournament. It is so easy, because the buy-in fees are rarely more than $50. Because the online satellite tournaments have gotten ever more rigorous in terms of competition, the rookies have an opportunity to truly hone their poker skills by the time they arrive in Vegas for the WSOP. Thus, each year you will see more and more rookies competing in the final event. What could be more exciting for the common man who happens to love the game poker?

What does this mean for you? That there is absolutely nothing stopping you from joining the ranks of rookies on the road to professional glory.