After 1977, I started accumulating big money. The regular games were good, and the side games at the World Series of poker were excellent. But this golden age for poker profits didn't last.

Did you know that satellites ruined the cash games at the tournaments? The players who previously came to town eager to risk their bankrolls against the top pros in side games suddenly discovered they could get their adrenaline rush by playing in these one-table shootouts, trying to win entries into the tournaments just by beating everyone at a single table. It was addictive for them. And it worked perfectly to increase the number of entrants in the tournaments.

But it didn't work well for those of us who had previously benefited when these inexperienced players bumped heads against us during those tournaments. Satellites had arrived, and that kind of easy profit was gone. A few adventurous players still sought us out, wanting the challenge. But mostly, the opportunities for supersoft side games at tournaments were gone.

Despite this, my poker bankroll continued To grow. It was almost sailing, almost all smooth sailing, almost all success. Everything went straight up.

It was a time when the Gamblers Invitational Golf Tournament, hosted by Jack Binion, brought all the gamblers together and boasted some of the biggest golf games in the history of the sport. Those who think that there's big money of the PGA tour have no idea what goes on when a bunch of golfcrazed gamblers get together. And it didn't matter how well or hoW poorly you played the game, if you had a bankroll and a set of clubs, we'd figure out a way to make it a fair gamble.