WSOP Main Event Starts Today

For poker players, today is the grown-up version of Christmas, your birthday, last day of school, and your first trip to Disneyland all rolled into one. It's a day full of excitement and anticipation and hope for good things to come. Today, you start out even with everyone else and you, technically, have the same shot as anyone else. Of course, as in Animal Farm, and life, some are more equal that others and it is highly unlikely that Joe and Jane Schmo will be coming back in November for the final table. But as Darvin Moon will tell you, it's not out of the question!

There are, of course, a number of players to follow at the Main Event proceeds. Since, in my last article, I predicted an end to Daniel Negreanu's two-year bracelet shut out, I will of course be following him to see if I'm still right. I'd love to see Erik Seidel add the big one to his already impressive collection of bracelets. I can't explain why, but I'm a sucker for Mike Matusow and would love to see him at the final table again. And, those of us who are Tom Dwan fans -- a group that has probably grown during this WSOP -- would like to see him get his first bracelet this year, especially in the daddy of all tournaments.

But my attention will be directed, in particular, to Day 1B and one player you haven't yet heard of. His name is Donnie Vann and he traveled across the country from Jacksonville, Florida just to make his dream of playing in the World Series of Poker come true. Donnie won his seat in a $150 satellite at his local casino. But it is not because of the distance he's traveled or how he earned his seat that I'll be following Donnie. It's because of what a terrific guy and inspiration he is. You see, while some poker players complain about bad luck, Donnie has had more than his share of bad luck in the past. Because, as a result of an accident when he was a teenager, Donnie is a quadriplegic.

But Donnie doesn't complain and, instead, has the most positive outlook on life I've ever heard. I had the chance to interview Donnie for Poker Player Newspaper and will post the link when the article is up. Until then, good luck to Donnie and everyone else who is hoping to make their WSOP Main Event dream come true.