World Series of Poker bracelet winner Matt Keikoan is selling his 2010 bracelet on eBay for $15,000 prompting Lee Davy to ask a few poker players where they keep their bracelets, trophies and other ego inflators.
I won a bracelet once.
I beat Kay Lally in a 100-meter sprint. I got to keep my Curly Wurly and she had to part with her bracelet. I never wore it. The pink plastic pigs would jangle loudly when I ran.
A few years ago, I found myself walking around Chez Romanello. He was with me. I wasn’t trying to rob the place. The room filled with the smell of cawl; the kids played hide and seek under the snooker table and I noticed his World Poker Tour (WPT) and European Poker Tour (EPT) awards on the mantelpiece.
“There’s room for a bracelet,” Said Roberto.
One day, he will leave Chez Romanello, but those trophies won’t go with him. Trophies aren’t meant to travel. Once then find a home they stay put until they fall apart, or like me, you get divorced and they end up in a cardboard box gathering rust in a corner of a garage that will never again taste my carbon dioxide.
I used to love those trophies.
They were my externalised ego.
I didn’t think they would leave my sight.
Not everyone feels the same way.
Two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Matt Keikoan is selling his 2010 bracelet on eBay. At the time of writing, six people are watching it. I bet they are well bored. The ‘Buy It Now’ price is $15,000.
Who on earth would buy someone else’s WSOP bracelet?
And why would he part with it in the first place.
It’s sacrilege.
Isn’t it?
Europe’s most winningest live tournament player, Sam Trickett, doesn’t seem to think so. He hasn’t kept all of his trophies, but he does ‘keep some in his office.’
His favourite trophy is the one he has for winning the Partouche Main Event in 2011.
“The delayed final meant my friends and family could come and watch.” Said Trickett.
One interesting note, football mad Trickett didn’t win his first trophy playing football.
“It was a trophy I won in Primary School for Cross Country. I broke the school record. I have no idea where it is. It might be in my parent’s loft.” Said Trickett.
That’s the spirit; I always think it’s better to leave our old crap around our parents house instead of eBay.
WSOP bracelet winner Andrew Barber concurs.
“I keep them all at my childhood home in Springfield, Illinois, ” Said Barber, “I think people would laugh if I said that my favourite was anything other than my WSOP bracelet, but if I discount that one, I’d probably say it’s from the first sailing regatta I won in college. I devoted myself to the sport and it was nice to see it pay off. My first trophy ever was from soccer. My parents threw me in that sport extremely early and it simply didn’t take.”
Another man who has a WSOP bracelet is Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier. I wonder what ElkY does with his trophies?
“I give them all to my Mum,” said ElkY, “She keeps them for me. It makes her proud as well, so it’s great that way. My favourite trophy for poker is my PCA award from 2008, and for StarCraft I got a silver medal at WCG 2001. They were my first huge achievements in those disciplines so I am very proud of them.”
EPT Champion Rupert Elder is also proud of his collection.
“They are on my bookshelf in my sitting room; there’s three currently. My favourite is the bowl gifted to me from Casino di San Remo after I won the EPT. Every EPT winner gets a trophy but I think only Casino di San Remo ever gave out anything additional. My first award I won was a medal for winning Division 8 Chess at my local club when I was about 10. I peaked at Division 4 with an ELO of about 900.”
If you think three trophies is a little lightweight for a potential Bobby Fischer, then spare a thought for former EPT Champ Ben Wilinofsky.
“I’ve only ever won one poker tournament really, EPT Berlin in Season 7. The trophy collects dust in my parent’s house. I don’t know if I could even find it if I had to.” Said Wilinofsky.
What about that trendy looking hippy bracelet they give the champs?
“I have the Shambala bracelet. I break it out whenever I need to wallow in my past glory to perk myself up a bit.”
I feel the urge to break into my ex-wives garage, and send my football trophies to Ben’s house.
“Don’t do that,” said Wilinofksy, “Be original. Create a trophy for me. It could be called the “Ben Wilinofsky Best Moper 2015″ award.”
I tell him that he is mightily close to receiving the award for “Fastest to Respond to Lee Davy on Facebook”.
“The trick is to punt off the EPT events so that you’re always on Facebook.” Said Wilinofsky.
This guy is an evil genius. He would defo hammer Elder in a game of chess with or without ELO playing in the background.
There is one poker player who has to be very careful when handing anything golden over to his parents and that’s WSOP bracelet winner, Justin Oliver.
“I have a couple of medals from High School swimming. They are in storage. I have only won one tournament so far. The award was a bracelet and I gave it to my Dad for Father’s Day.”
Never give your WSOP bracelet to your father if he is a jeweller.
Man, that thing is destined for eBay.
