For poker players, universal draw of World Series lies in riches: Thousands in Vegas vie for $7.5m prize

Thursday, July 14th, 2005

By Steve Friess
Globe Correspondent

LAS VEGAS -- Bernard Lee of Wayland kissed a wallet-size photo of his son and daughter, peeked quickly at his cards -- a pair of kings -- and changed his expression not a bit.

This was a moment of truth, one of a parade of them for the Boston Scientific marketing manager making an improbable run in the fifth round of the seven-round 2005 World Series of Poker No-Limits Texas Hold 'Em Championship yesterday. He was ''all in," meaning he bet all his chips and if he lost, he would be eliminated from the world's richest poker event.

Then the call: His opponent showed a pair of fours. Lee let out a hearty yelp. He had doubled his chips.

By surviving that battle and several others, by 8 p.m. local time last night Lee found himself among the last 28 players in a tournament that started last week with 5,619 entrants and he was assured of taking home at least $274,090. The top prize is the largest in poker history, $7.5 million, which the nine finalists will vie for at tomorrow's final table.

The 5,619 entrants is more than double last year's 2,576 and about seven times the 839 players in 2003, a reflection of the game's popularity explosion.

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