Former Champions in the House
The Amazon Room is home to the World Series of Poker's equivalent of the Boston Garden's rafters, with dozens of banners hanging to honor past and present generations of Main Event champions.
Scotty Nguyen's smiling face adorns one of those banners, as he became one of the more memorable Main Event champs by foretelling his opponent's doom before rolling over the winner.
"You call, it's gonna be all over baby!," Nguyen told Kevin McBride on that fateful day, convincing the unfortunate runner-up to call off the rest of his stack while playing the board. This iconic moment remains one of the most indelible scenes in the grand history of the WSOP, and Nguyen is in the building here today looking to recapture that Main Event magic.
Greg Raymer also become a mainstay of the Main Event, winning poker's most coveted crown in a dominant display during the 2004 WSOP, and finishing in 25th place the following year in a spirited defense of his title.
Raymer has a choice spot along the rail today for adoring "Fossilman" fans to take in the action, just a few tables over from Nguyen, and with two former Main Event champions trying to navigate the minefield known as Day 1, we will make sure you know when their chips begin to move.