What better way to celebrate a birthday than by playing in the WSOPMain Event? 60 isn’t every birthday, so this man received one of the greatest gifts of his life.
Rob Johnson with his wife Lynne at the 2023 WSOP.
The idea came up in 2017, and since then, his six children have been raising funds to be able to gift their father, Rob Johnson, a $10,000 admission package and an incredible gaming experience in Las Vegas.
It all started when sons living in different locations decided to meet at their parents’ house to celebrate Independence Day 2022. They grew up playing cards and watching tournaments like the Main Event on TV, so they decided to repeat the ritual after everyone gathered.
Things went better than planned and they suggested a little poker, for which they were each given 10 chips, but the father only got 9. When he protested the change, they produced a $10,000 WSOP chip, drawn by his daughter Ellie.
“First off, the day didn’t start off well, everyone said they weren’t going to play on the 4th of July, but then they came one by one. Then I got frustrated when they cut my chips. Then Sally leaned forward and said, ‘Here it is, Dad. “I was blown away when I read it. First, they had a great idea, and second, they really planned it out. These kids are amazing.”
Even though the birthday date is October 26, they decided to send gifts early so he could play on his first day and have already arrived at the Horseshoe and Paris facility in Las Vegas. All the family members, including his wife, were wearing yellow T-shirts with a photo of the birthday boy that read “I paid for it! Daddy’s playing! Happy 60th snatch!”
“Tell you what, just getting a chance to play would be awesome. If I could make it to the next day, it would be icing on the cake. Other than that, it would be surreal. I don’t even know what to think about it.”
The gifts don’t stop there, he Alsoalso booked for a trip to Scotland in 2024, but in a year-long wait after receiving the surprise, the litigator played poker player, spending final months preparing. This includes watching training videos to improve his skills. What is the strategy for day one? We have to see that at the poker table.
