CHAPTER 2
Wanna Bet?
Thirty days in Des Moines
During the 1990s, John Hennigan, an eccentric gambler who had been making a living by his wits and skills in poker and pool for several years, moved from Philadelphia to Las Vegas. His reputation and nickname, “Johnny World,” preceded him, due to his already exceptional skills and willingness to bet on anything. His talent has stood the test of time: he is a legendarily successful player in high-stakes games, and in major poker tournaments has earned four World Series of Poker bracelets, a World Poker Tour championship, and more than $6.5 million in prize money.
John was a perfect match for Las Vegas. He arrived already in rhythm with the town: sleeping all day and spending all night in poker games, pool halls, bars, and restaurants with adventurous, like-minded peers. He quickly found a group of professional gamblers with similar interests, many from the East Coast.
Although John and Vegas seemed made for each other, he had a love- hate relationship with the lifestyle. Playing poker for a living has the allure of giving you the freedom to make your own schedule but, once it boils down to your per-hour net advantage, you are tethered to putting in the hours. You’re “free” to play or not play whenever you want, but you can feel compelled to punch a clock. Worse, the best games are at night, so you’re working the graveyard shift. You get out of rhythm with the rest of the world, never see the sun, and your workplace is a smoke-filled room where you can’t even see outside. John felt this keenly.