Where Are The Trophies?

I was going through my collectibles the other day and came across something that stopped me in my tracks.

It was a trophy. I had won it in a poker tournament at The Orleans Casino more than 30 years ago.

Age had taken away the luster of the trophy, but I held it up and read the inscription that informed the world on such and such a date the recipient had won a poker tournament at The Orleans Casino, Las Vegas, NV.

Where have all the trophies gone?

In the 1970s and 1980s, most of the casinos that sponsored poker or blackjack tournaments would include a trophy with the cash money. It was fun carrying a trophy through the casino. People would stop you and ask questions and you could pretend to be modest while exaggerating your poker skills.

I still remember the day I won two tournaments. One was at The Orleans and the other was at the Union Plaza. I collected a trophy and cash for each of the competitions. You can imagine how many people stopped me in the casino to ask about the trophies.

Now I realize we live in a day where time is money and people demand instant gratification. Things happen so fast these days that we hardly have enough time to appreciate an event before it's time to move on to something else.

But wouldn't it be nice if a casino or two would bring back the trophies?

They aren't expensive, but they do offer a player recognition for prevailing against a rook full of opponents. Trophies would enhance the reputation of the casino hosting the tournament and it would give the player something besides money to bring home with him.

At one time I had more than a dozen trophies in a closet. I had won far more tournaments than that, but they were a pleasant reminder that I knew something about playing poker.

I am heading up to Las Vegas Friday for three days of poker and fun in the sun. I will be staying at The Orleans Resort and I plan to talk to the poker room manager about bringing back the trophies. I will let you know their response.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).