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When the final card flipped and legendary Chicago-based music producer Steve Albini emerged as victor in a 773-competitor World Collection of Poker event, he ran over to buddies watching close by.
“It made me really feel like 1,000,000 bucks,” Albini stated.
Metaphor apart, he actually felt like $196,089 — the first-place purse that he received.
Albini — who produced mega-influential rock albums like Nirvana’s “In Utero” (1993) and Pixies’ “Surfer Rosa” (1988) and who sings and performs guitar for indie-rock band Shellac — received his second World Collection of Poker event on Friday.
His profitable Stud Hello-Lo hand was a five-card flush with a pair of sevens, he stated.
“After we performed the ultimate hand and I noticed I had received it, I didn’t have a rush of emotion,” Albini stated. “It was form of like, ‘Oh, that arms over, on to the subsequent one. Oh, wait, there’s no subsequent one.’”
The producer received his second bracelet at Paris and Bally’s Las Vegas On line casino. He competed within the $1,500 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. occasion, a multigame type of poker that alternates between Texas Maintain ‘Em, Omaha Hello-Lo, Razz, Stud and Stud Hello-Lo.
Albini performs casual money video games in Chicago with buddies like skilled Brandon Shack-Harris and statistician Nate Silver. He’s excited concerning the prospect of one other Bally’s on line casino coming to Chicago.
“Having a card room that I can get to by the Blue Line sounds (expletive) superb,” he stated.
Raised on household video games of cribbage and pinochle, Albini stated he’s lengthy joined informal video games at casinos whereas on tour and is “completely joyful taking part in kitchen desk poker for quarters and {dollars}.” The one event he competes in is the World Collection of Poker yearly.
He received a $1,500 buy-in Seven Card Stud occasion in 2018.
“I used to be by no means brief on chips in that event. I used to be by no means actually confronted with a tricky resolution in that event. That one felt prefer it was form of dealt to me,” he stated.
Not so this time. The native rock-legend was all-in “eight or 10 occasions” this event. The percentages of all these near-fatal bets falling by way of had been low, he reckoned.
“This one additionally felt like a fluke,” he stated.
If luck propelled Albini to victory, it could have come from the particular buckeyes his spouse gave him. He saved them in his pocket as he performed.
“Not a lot as a fortunate talisman, however to remind me of how a lot I really like my spouse,” Albini stated.
Whereas it takes much more than luck to win two World Collection of Poker occasions, Albini has “no illusions” about his skill to play skilled poker. Whereas he’s proud he punched above his weight, he doesn’t suppose he can compete with extra devoted gamers and isn’t keen to dedicate the time to take his recreation to the subsequent degree.
“I’ve a spouse and a enterprise and an occupation and a band and two cats and a bicycle and a backyard. I’ve issues that I’ve to do in my life,” Albini stated, including that if poker turned his livelihood, it may also change into much less enjoyable.
As he weathered all-in hand after all-in hand, Albini stated he didn’t really feel emotional. As an alternative, he was doing the identical arithmetic poker at all times requires of him, gleaning data from uncovered playing cards and delicate expressions.
That coldblooded calculus doesn’t relate to music manufacturing or anything in his life, Albini stated.
“With a view to reach poker, it’s essential be pointedly misleading. It’s essential to be pouncing on the weaknesses of different folks and it’s essential exploit different folks’s errors,” he stated. “These are sociopathic tendencies.”
After taking part in practically 40 hours over three days, Albini was awarded his second “bracelet,” the signature prime prize of World Collection of Poker occasions. He snagged it off the felt and rushed to indicate it to his buddies after his victory. However the bracelet fell to the ground and a hyperlink broke off.
“They’re not jewellery, they’re extra like fairground trinkets,” Albini stated. The producer, well-known for his uncooked, analog model, stated he would possibly depart the prize damaged to recollect.
The eternal, hypnotic pandemonium of the on line casino flooring left Albini with little sense of time as he took his buddies out for celebratory tacos.
“I couldn’t inform you if it was 12:01 or 4 within the morning,” he stated.
He determined to enter a $10,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. occasion subsequent. It began Monday night, and he was set to face off in opposition to a professional-filled area.
“I don’t need to have any expectation of profitable to have an expectation of profitable some cash,” he stated earlier than the event began.
Albini ran out of chips by the tip of the event’s opening day.
Twitter @jakesheridan_
