A Freer Game Part I

Basketball players are sequoia people. Footballamateur player and psychologist Jerry Yang took
players are triceratops and soccer players arehome the $8.25 million first prize. At 5:17 pm on
gazelles. Baseball players have rifles extendingJuly 13, 2007 Hal Lubarsky lost the last of his
from their shoulders. While you do have to workchips in the 2007 WSOP Main Event. But Hal
hard to join the ranks of professional athletes, thefinished in 196th place and took home more than
truth of the matter is that you have to be born$51,000. He outlasted poker greats Doyle
lucky first.Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan along with
The poker table is not so selective. There is no6,162 other players. Hal is now playing regularly in
shape that the poker player must first fill tohigh stakes games in Las Vegas once again.
succeed. All types of people afflicted withDutch Boyd
conditions from manic depression to blindnessBy all accounts, Russ “Dutch” Boyd is a
have found themselves ahead at the poker tablegenius. Dutch was born in 1980 and began
in major competition. Here are four of theirattending college at 12 years old. By 18, he had
stories.graduated law school and by the age of 20 he
Hal Lubarskyhad co-founded one of the first online poker
Hal Lubarsky was born in Brooklyn, New Yorkrooms, PokerSpot. Dutch is also a diagnosed and
with a time bomb in his eyes. Hal was born with amedicated manic depressive.
genetic disorder called retinitis pigmentosa whichAfter an ignoble end to PokerSpot, Dutch
causes the gradual deterioration of the retinas andspearheaded a group of young poker players
eventually, complete blindness. Like most boyscalling themselves “The Crew”. This group
born in Brooklyn, Hal played poker. But unlike theincludes pros Scott Fischman, David Smyth, Tony
other boys, Hal made money – Hal made a lotLazar, Brett Jungblut and has accounted for 4
of money. In fact, at the age of 29, Hal movedWSOP bracelets and 2 WPT championships to
to Las Vegas and became a professional pokerdate. They burst onto the scene in the 2003
player. He would find tremendous success playingWSOP on the heels of Dutch’s 12th place
in the $150/$300 H.O.R.S.E. games and became afinish in the Main Event (and if it weren’t for
fixture at many of the other top games in Lasan unbelievable call by Chris Moneymaker, he could
Vegas.have finished much higher.) He followed that
Then, in the late 90s, the genetic disorder whichimpressive performance up by finishing 2nd to TJ
had remained relatively dormant, caught fire.Cloutier in the 2004 WSOP Razz tournament and
Within six months of noticing a tunneling in hiseventually winning a coveted WSOP bracelet in
vision, Hal was asking dealers to read the cards2006. Along the way, he struggled with his sanity.
on the board to him. Finally, by 2000, Hal was noBoyd would hole up in his home for days on end,
longer able to read his own cards.sure that external forces were threatening his life.
Hal battled with depression as he struggled to findAs is the case with most people afflicted with the
a way back into the world he loved. He triedmental disorder, Dutch had a lot of good days and
internet games with friends present to announcewould hit the poker tables when he was able.
both the community cards and his own hole cards.But most days were not good days. Rather than
But Hal found the action to be too high-pacedface the public ridicule associated with being a
especially with the demands placed on his readers.“schizo”, Boyd hid his condition and
So after a lifetime and career in poker, Hal wasbecame withdrawn. On those occasions when he
unable to see a future in cards.would make public appearances, he often
Then came a breakthrough. After experimentingappeared frantic and weirdly enamored with bodily
with live aids, or “card-callers”, Halfunctions. He infamously interrupted a television
Lubarsky finagled his way into the 2007 WSOPinterview with Mike Matusow to ask if “The
Main Event. While just about every other playerMouth” had ever drank his own urine… and
showed up with the $10,000 buy-in and was giventhen took a drink from a suspiciously colored
a seat, Hal was forced to dangle discriminationSprite bottle. Boyd’s game suffered and
litigation over reticent tournament officials.despite repeatedly buying into tournaments for as
Officials relented and allowed Lubarsky to entermuch $10,000 a piece he wouldn’t make
along with a card caller who would whispermore than $46,000 in a tournament for 3 years.
Hal’s cards into his ear as well as announceIn 2006, Dutch Boyd publically acknowledged on
the board. 6,358 players entered the samehis official website what many of those closest to
tournament Hal did. This field included the mosthim already knew, that he suffered from manic
successful and celebrated players in the world anddepression. That year, he would win his biggest
represented the second largest tournament intournament and $475,712 by coming in first at
history. To win the 2007 WSOP Main Event wouldthe WSOP Short Handed NL Hold’em
take almost a week of playing poker for moretournament. He has since won more than
than 12 hours per day, to make the money one$400,000 with his most recent victory coming in
would have to outlast more than 5,500 otherlate November of 2007 at the WPT Bellagio Five
players and finish in the top 621.Diamond Poker Classic. Despite his many ups and
Hal did not win the 2007 WSOP Main Event –downs, Dutch is still only 27 years old.