The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz
By Allen L. Spath

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," were words uttered by Dorothy, but easily could be the words of many a hometown player finding their way into a Vegas poker room for the first time. The glitz, the sound of chips snapping together in the nervous hands of table warriors, and the totally charged feeling in the air all add to the mystique and allure of the poker room and the dreams of instant riches to be made.

And if you were to survey players, card room managers, former and current champions or even the poker writers featured in this magazine, each one would give you an opinion on who they consider the current "Wizard" in this land of Oz. That is, the most feared opponent at a final table and the one who has the complete game; knowledge, skill, intimidating table presence, and most of all, world-class experience!

I'm not talking about a player searching for a heart, a brain or courage. In fact, this person might often be accused of not having a heart or even wanting one. And as for selecting poker as a career path, one might be led to believe that his prior educational pursuits didn't much enter into the decision he made: as his parents most assuredly gasped upon learning of his decision to play poker for a living. But courage, well, he exudes the very essence of the word. His play is aggressive and calculated, he is extremely focused on his mission to seek and destroy, and his ultimate goal is to win every championship event he enters. A side benefit of his dominating victories is the jewelry he wears like battle campaign ribbons, clearly marking him the "Wiz", while he pockets the lion's share of the ever-increasing prize monies. A by-product of his unyielding play is that he garners admiration from a growing poker community who inwardly envy his masterful play, yet outwardly continue conspiring to dethrone his rein by turning the tables on him and making him the conquered foe.

This wizard could easily be compared to as the Tiger Woods of poker, the man to beat, the man who makes few mistakes, the man who can win without his "A" game. A person with persistence who can't and won't let him settle for mediocrity. He is his own worst critic, analyzing and reanalyzing his play until he either concludes the choice was sound, or if he himself discovers a chink in his armor. A flaw, heaven forbid, the type of thought that would certainly eat upon his conscience until he again returned to the table and proved to "himself," that it was a fluke, just a blip on the radar screen. A moment of relaxation he won't let himself fall victim to again. Why, because he actually is the "Wizard," the only person he concedes can beat him on a regular basis and that must gnaw at him like a piranha with a fresh catch. He is the personification of perfection and some might caste him as "certifiable;" in the sense that he is consumed with his passion to reach the pinnacle of his profession, and lay claim to the title "the greatest player the game will ever see."

Perfection isn't pretty, it's not often achievable, but who's going to tell the "Wizard?" My opinion is that this individual is currently the most cunning world-class poker player alive and what we see of his masterful play in casino tournaments, on TV, even the Internet, might indeed be only a brilliant, well orchestrated, choreographed facade (part of the table image he's developed to further intimidate his opponents). His uncanny ability to project a certain mystique has convinced us of seeing something that is only an illusion, but none-the-less, a powerful image that snares the results only us amateurs can dream of achieving. So for my money, take that cone shaped, pointy hat seen worn by most common wizards, and make sure it is size 7 ½ to fit my choice as the current Wizard of Oz: The man from Wisconsin, the Wizard himself, Phil Hellmuth.