Pump Up the Volume

It happens in every $1,500 NLHE tournament, almost like clockwork. The first five minutes of play are marked by a silence unusual to the Amazon Room. Many of these players today are playing in their first WSOP event, playing above their bankrolls, playing in a rare live setting rather than hiding behind their computer screens. Their nerves are palpable. However, as the tension of the first few hands melts away and people begin to relax, it's as if someone turned up the volume knob on a stereo system. People start talking. A few chuckles escape into the air.

And, of course the cry we'll hear every few seconds for the next several hours-- "Seat Open!"