Columnist Dean Juipe: Pros deserve rich rewards for tolerance

Dean Juipe

Friday, Oct. 16, 1998 | 11 a.m.

A friend who was in the city last weekend wanted to find a nice, quiet place for a little $2 blackjack.

It took some scouting around, but eventually a table was found. As is customary, a plate with the table's minimum rested just off to the dealer's side. In this particular case, it read $1 to $1000.

"Geez, I don't want to be playing next to someone who's betting a thousand dollars a hand," the out-of-towner exclaimed, intimidated by the prospect of bumping elbows with a high roller.

"Don't worry," came the reply. "Anyone betting a grand per hand isn't going to be sitting at a dollar table."

The point is, the good players want to sit with other good players. They wouldn't waste their time at a $1 table, where the clientele isn't as well-heeled and the action is often disturbingly unpredictable.

And here's the appropriate parallel: It's amazing the Las Vegas Invitational can attract any of the top golfers in the world, given the pro-am format that bogs down play for the first three days of the five-day event.

This isn't a complaint. Well, it is a complaint in that the setup is far from ideal, but it isn't a complaint designed to elicit change -- because the LVI isn't going to change.

Amateurs are welcome in the tournament not only for the $5,000 entry fee the LVI commands from them, but because outsiders and their money are the lifeblood of the community. In theory, the LVI exists to promote tourism in Las Vegas and it succeeds at that level.

But not everyone who has five grand to blow has mastered sport's most difficult game. The quality of play among the amateurs varies from poor to passable, and the poor players are an awful drag for galleries who paid to see professionals.

It's a curious connection but poor players not only haven't mastered the rudiments of play, they tend to lack an understanding of proper decorum.

They'll ask the pro for advice on a five-foot putt.

They'll go through their whole pre-shot routine -- including the practice swing -- before tapping one in from two inches.

They'll dawdle and chitchat when they should be thinking of advancing their ball.

They'll insist on telling everyone in their group -- and especially the pro -- their life story.

It's tedious and it's a wonder the pros put up with it even twice a year, as they do at Pebble Beach and at Las Vegas. The attraction for the pros at Pebble Beach is the wonderful course, and at Las Vegas it's the break from the norm with the exotic resorts and sensational night life.

Actually, the pros are surprisingly resilient when it comes to dealing with the amateurs. Most of them are very forgiving.

They're also accessible and understanding.

Of course we're only seeing the pros who choose to play here, so it's no surprise those in the Las Vegas field appear to be on their best behavior. Many of the big-name players routinely skip the LVI because they don't want to be bothered with five-day tournaments and with amateurs of dubious ability.

For those who do play here, there's a trade-off: The money is good even if the situations they encounter are less than ideal.

So let's hear it for the tour players in town this weekend. Given what they have to put up with, it's a wonder all of them don't look for a better table.