People often get envious that I’m spending two weeks in Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker. That’s because they’ve never spent two weeks in Las Vegas during July. I am away from home and Lisa and that is no fun at all.

Sure, I get to play poker, but hell, I could play as much poker if I were in Asheville, and there’s no bluegrass music or trout fishing here.

No, there’s pretty much one reason why it’s okay to be out here for two weeks: the people.

Many friends I don’t see except during the WSOP and a handshake or hug with them is the highlight of my time here.

As I write this, I’m sitting in the media room at the WSOP. Two rows in front of me sit Brad Willis, Howard Swain, Stephen Bartley, Mad Harper, and Lina Olofsson. Brad is the chief American blogger for PokerStars and the others are the spine of PokerStars’ European blogging team. I spent untold hours with them when I was with the European Poker Tour; I miss them awfully. So sitting here seeing them in front of their Macbook Pros tells me that God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.

Left to right: Stephen, Howard, Brad

Lina and Mad

This trip is especially fun because some of my Asheville poker buddies are out here, so when I get time away from the job, there’s always somebody to share a meal or a poker table with. That’s invaluable.

I also to get to visit with old PokerStars colleagues who are in town for the WSOP (or in one case, moved back to Las Vegas to live).

Russ, Jeanne, and Richard at the 2+2 party

Jesse Frazier (from Asheville) and I even got into our Sunday best and went to the big party for Doyle Brunson at a fancy nightclub at the Wynn. It was fun until the place got so crowded you literally couldn’t walk across the room. But until then, we enjoyed mingling with the A-list crowd and acting like we actually belonged.

Lee and Jesse at the Doyle's Room party. Ship the red carpet

Frankly, you can take this city and toss it over the Hoover Dam into Lake Mead for all I care. The overpriced food, surly cabbies, dazed tourists, Faustian heat, hard women – all of it.

But once a year, the magnet of the WSOP attracts, like moths to a flame, a certain circle of my friends, and I wouldn’t miss seeing them for the world.

Lee, Pat, Kenny, Steve, Tom, and Jesse. The AVL basement game relocated to LAS