Calistri's Corner

As we strolled the university hallway last week, my professor told me that his family was going to spend a few months in China, leaving him behind to teach in Austin. He said, “I think I may need to develop a vice.” I immediately responded, “I’m the right woman for the job.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not morally bankrupt; the last time I checked I still had a positive balance in that account. I’m just a person that can throw themselves into a project or a topic to the exclusion of almost everything else.  And my history tells me it can be anything; from weaving to statistical ARIMA analyses. My passions can last weeks or years - or as in poker, they could last a lifetime.

One of my latest vices started in September of 2005. I had been hired to cover the Ultimate Bet tournament in Aruba. It would require a full compliment of reporting, including photos. Up until then, I had dodged the digital camera age (I had only recently succumbed to a cell phone). But with a job at hand, I did my research and bought a camera and off I went.Â

Initially, taking poker photos was more challenging than I realized.  Tournaments don’t allow flash, and the venues are generally poorly lit.  Poker is hardly an action sport. And players spend years trying NOT to show any expression.  I was lucky that one of my favorite poker photographers, BJ Nemeth, was also in Aruba.  He started me off with the basics. By the time we caught up with each other again in Tunica in January 2006, I had a better lens - and we tackled more photographic terrain.Â

Today, I’m a full blown poker photo junkie; albeit with still much to learn. I live for the challenge: to capture one fraction of a second that can say more about a player or the moment than the proverbial thousand words. And I love that each player is different. I could take a hundred pictures of Ted Forrest, and they might all look the same. I could take a hundred pictures of Gavin Smith and not find any two that captured even a vaguely similar expression.

So today I thought I’d unload a few moments with some players you probably know.

-Scotty Nguyen and Michael Mizrachi celebrating after the 2006 WPO
-Mike Matusow articulating in Aruba 2005
-Men “The Master” Nguyen and Corona at the 2006 WPO
-Mike Caro looking for my tells at the 2006 WSOP
-Erik Seidel likes the board at the WSOP Circuit at the Grand 2006

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 1st, 2007 at 2:30 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.