Every Picture Tells a Story: Downtown Las Vegas (1997)
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY:
DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS (1997)
Today, in the year 2025, it’s 90° outside and the wind is blowing like crazy. Which reminds me of the same date 28 years ago on this day in near identical conditions when the world championship of poker finale was played outdoors.
What? Poker? Outside?
The Fremont Street Experience, which is a giant canopy over the famous downtown Las Vegas boulevard, had just been completed and part of the opening festivities included holding the World Series of Poker final table outside at the apex of the poker and gambling scene. That might have seemed like a good idea during the planning phase, setting up bleachers for spectators which included the largest gathering to watch any poker event up to that time, inviting ESPN to film and later broadcast the finale, and then –to make the special occasion even more memorable– history was made when arguably the greatest card player in history ended up steamrolling over the final table and winning his record-tying third world championship. By the way, kudos and godspeed to the late John Strzemp, who finished second to Unger on this occasion, who passed away only a few weeks ago.
The final table was quite scenic as you can see, but also dramatically different and contrary to the dark, smoky backroom image that had long been associated with the game until this time. Sadly, poker now looks like a game show and I consider poker on television unwatchable. But I still think the Horseshoe, and ESPN, and Jack McClelland, and Jim Albrecht had the right idea when they tried something very different on this day in 1997. Nobody expected it to be high of 96 degrees on this day and wind gusts into the 30s and 40 mphs.
Quick Side Note Story: Wind gusts outside were crazy. When the dealer laid out the flop, which is 3, 4, and 5 cards positioned at the center of the table, on a few occasions the sudden flurry of wind caught the cards underneath and turned the final table into poker confetti. Cards were literally flying through the air. Wait! What was the flop? The final table did not last long that year because it was played six-handed, but only about an hour into the broadcast somebody from the Horseshoe staff brought over a rectangle of plexiglass so when the flop was dealt the plexiglass was laid on top of the cards. That way, they wouldn’t blow away. Yes, these really were the conditions of the final table of the 1997 World Series of Poker, certainly the strangest of all time.
I took this photograph from the Union Plaza side looking down pointing eastward on Fremont Street which shows the expansive ESPN/ World Series of Poker final table area. I have lots of other photographs that were taken on this day. I’ll share some more if there’s a good story to go along with them. Remember, every good photograph has a good story.
