January 31, 2005

By Rebecca Gladden

The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas (www.palms.com) will host the Michael Waltrip Celebrity Poker Tournament on January 31 through February 1, 2005. The goal of the tournament is to raise money for the winner's favorite charity and for Waltrip's Operation Marathon, which benefits the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

12 NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers will compete in the Texas Hold 'Em tournament with a top prize of $100,000. The top six players from day one will advance to the finals on day two.

Although only 10 of the 12 competitors have been named publicly, I have decided - in true Vegas spirit - to predict their finishing order and odds of winning the tournament. The odds are based on my completely unscientific and subjective opinion of each player's potential poker-playing proclivity.

Remember, only 10 of the 12 participants are known at this time:

10. Casey Mears (20:1) - Too young, too polite, too agreeable to really make an impact here. Bring him back in about 10 years and ask me again.

9. Elliott Sadler (12:1) - Sadler is a little too much good-ol'-boy to really go for the throat when it counts in a high-stakes poker match. But, he'll have fun along the way and will really enjoy the refreshments.

8. Jimmie Johnson (10:1) - Jimmie raced through the 2004 season with methodical precision, garnering a series-high 8 wins but finishing second to Kurt Busch. Johnson will use the same calculated approach in poker, but will not rely enough on his hunches. He might finish higher if Lady Luck smiles on him as much at the table as she did in the Chase.

7. Michael Waltrip (9:1) - Michael takes Operation Marathon very seriously, but he probably doesn't take poker that way. Since part of the proceeds are already earmarked for his charity, he will play a lighthearted game and provide lots of comic relief. Michael has an outside chance to make the finals, though, since the tournament is his namesake.

6. Kevin Harvick (7:1): Kevin has more than a bit of the devil in him as racer, and this intensity will serve him well in Texas Hold 'Em. Look for Harvick to put the bump and run on several less-experienced players early on, but falter when the field narrows late in the day.

5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (6:1) - Dale often wears his heart on his sleeve and may not be able to pull off the necessary poker face. He probably does well at poker night with his buddies and several Buds, but the formality of a high-pressure public poker game may not suit his persona. Nevertheless, he will surprise those who do not give him enough credit for his intellect, and will make the finals.

4. Ryan Newman (4:1) - With a Bachelor of Science degree in Vehicle Structure Engineering from Purdue University, Ryan will have no trouble mentally calculating the odds of winning with any given hand. While other college students are hanging out in clubs, engineering students have some serious poker parties.

3. Dale Jarrett (3:1) - In the medical field, there is a term used to describe the health impact of cigarette smoking on a patient. To determine a person's "pack-years," you multiply the number of cigarette packs smoked in one year by the number of years they have smoked. If you smoke 1 pack a day for 20 years, you have accumulated 20 pack-years of smoking; if you smoke 2 packs a day for 20 years, you have 40 pack-years; etc. At age 48, DJ is the oldest player in tournament and has likely accumulated more "poker-years" than any of the other players. His experience will keep him in the tournament until the later rounds.

2. Kyle Petty (5:2) - Kyle hangs around bikers, and bikers as a group play a mean game of poker. He also has a vested interest in doing well, with proceeds of the tournament benefiting the camp that he and his wife founded on behalf of their late son Adam Petty, who was killed in a 2000 accident while practicing at New Hampshire International Speedway. Kyle will certainly be a sentimental favorite to take the final pot.

1. Jeff Gordon (2:1) - Jeff Gordon has already proven himself as a tough Texas Hold 'Em player. Gordon appeared on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on July 15, 2004, and won that night's tournament, advancing to the championship game. In his preliminary round, Gordon defeated magician Penn Jillette (who has quite a bit of card-handling experience), despite the constant distraction of Jillette bellowing the phrase, "Jeff Gordon goes All-In!" every time it was Gordon's turn to bet. Gordon also defeated former "Police Woman" Angie Dickinson, whose poker-playing days date back to vintage Vegas all-nighters with the likes of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack pals. As a four-time Cup champion, Gordon knows how to win; his intellect and cool demeanor make him my odds-on favorite to take it all.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.

You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca

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