Poker Player Makes Guiness Book of Records
Written by Renee K | Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
Dave Cain broke the poker endurance record and entered the Guinness Book of World Records.
The previous record of 72 hours and 2 minutes was established in 2004 by Larry Olmsted of the United States.
The procedure allows for a 15 minute break in eight hours so that the player can brush his teeth and change his clothes. Olmsted achieved this feat in a full ring game. He started with a bankroll of $100 and ended with almost $1,000.
Cain decided to go for the poker endurance record while playing head-up deep-stacked poker, which is supposed to be more difficult. The stage was set in the Library Bar in Lincoln in the United Kingdom on the 14th of September. That Cain has broken the record has been certified by Guinness.
But Cain did not stop at breaking the record. He set a target of 100 hours for himself. He did not want to try and break his own record later so he wanted the new record to be as long as possible. However that was a milestone Cain could not reach.
He was forced to give up around the 74 hour mark. The decision to stop was taken by Cain on health grounds. Speaking after the record breaking event Cain said, “During Wednesday afternoon I had something of a mental breakdown, it was extremely scary for me and even worse for friends and family who witnessed it. … Following that I felt like I was in a cage being taunted tortured and punished for a crime I didn’t commit.” The medical staff in attendance advised Cain to stop. His pulse rate had fallen to 55 bps.
But at that time Cain was nearing the world record and would have preferred to die than to give up the attempt. Cain then recreated the exact situation before his breakdown and had to be instructed on how to play. He had even forgotten the rules of poker. Slowly he pulled himself together to break the record and though he wanted to reach the 100 hour mark he just could not carry on.
Guinness has not yet confirmed the exact time that will stand in the new record. There is a lot of cross verification and compilation that needs to be done. Witness statements, handover sheets, record log and video footage – all have to be scrutinized meticulously.
The event needed a lot of manpower. Involved in conducting this record breaking exercise were 1 steward, 2 official witnesses for every hour, dealers, IT support, medical support and a stream of opponents. And Cain has thanked all of them. He had special thanks for those who played against him. He said, “The players who came and paid their money to play – none of which wanted anything in return even if they beat me – a fantastic and very generous thank you.”
Apart from the fame that Cain will undoubtedly get, there is another motive for the endeavor. The funds that will be raised from the event will be donated to St. Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice and Louth & District Hospice.
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· Written by Renee K · Filed Under Poker Gossip · Comments Off
