Poker pays off for East Grand Forks, North Dakota, farmer

Tuesday, May 17th, 2005

Two months after getting married in Mexico in January, Renae and George Cariveau held a local wedding reception.

Playing in a poker tournament, George already was 30 minutes late for the reception when his cell phone rang. Renae must have been furious, huh?

"No, she told me to try move up a couple of places so we could pay for the open bar," George said.

Being an understanding wife has paid off again. Earlier this month in an Internet satellite tournament, George earned his way into the 2005 World Series of Poker. The normal entry fee for the Texas Hold 'Em tournament is $10,000.

But it cost the East Grand Forks farmer just the $27 entry fee into the satellite tournament to gain that $10,000 spot. He outlasted more than 1,000 others in the online game conducted by Pokerstars.com. That's the same online site that produced the entrants who have won the past two World Series titles Chris Moneymaker in 2003 and Greg Raymer in 2004.

"I'm hoping for a three-peat," George said.

If that happens, the 33-year-old will be able to pay for an open bar that lasts for days. You see, in 2003, Moneymaker won $2.5 million in a field of 800 people who paid the $10,000 entry feel. Last year, Raymer won $5 million with 2,500 entries in the 2004 event, which is shown repeatedly on ESPN.

This year's tournament is expected to have at least 5,000 entries or another doubling of the prize pool. Some will pay $10,000, and others will win their way into the tournament in qualifying tournaments like George did.

"My goal all winter was to win my way onto the World Series or the World Poker Tour," George said. "I play a lot online or in casinos in the winter because I have the time.

"I've probably made more money playing poker in the last year than I have farming. I'm not sure if that speaks to my poker skills or the sad state of farming."

Hold 'Em's recent popularity explosion is because it constantly is on television. Unlike the vast majority of players, George has been around the game for a long time.

As an employee of a casino management company, he started playing 13 years ago in Las Vegas. He remembers watching the poker players who now are TV celebrities such as Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson at the Mirage casino. Years of experience and diligent study have provided an edge.

"The popularity comes from the fact that anyone can win," George said. "Chris Moneymaker had never played in a casino against real live people before he sat down for the World Series. He had only played on the Internet.

"Plus, it has that allure of the Old West, sitting around playing cards with the boys."

And the girls. Wife Renae is among the ever-growing list of women players. "When we play heads-up, she kicks the snot out of me," George said. "I can't read her."

Renae also is trying to win her way into the tournament online. The $10,000 entry fee is too rich for the Cariveaus.

Even if she doesn't qualify, she'll be there because George's online prize included $1,000 for airfare.

He also can earn free hotel accommodations if he wears clothing that includes a product logo, such as for a poker website.

"I might sell my forehead for ad space," George said. "In fact, for the right amount of money, I'll shave my head and put a logo on it."

The tournament in Las Vegas begins July 7, good timing since there's usually a lull in field work then.

"I might not play until July 9, because the first day is actually three days because of the high number of entries expected," George said. "They don't have room for everybody all at once.

"I would have never expected this 10 years ago when casinos looked down on poker players because it didn't make them much money. Now, every poker room in the countryside is packed."