It's nearly midnight. Do you know where your Runner is?
In 32 hours or less, it'll all be over, one way or t'other.
I'll admit it, I was nervous when Runner Runner first kicked off. Unlike most promotions, literally nobody knew how long it would last. If the Runner slipped up badly in the early going, and/or the Bounty Hunters were particularly clever, the event could have been over before the fans were settled into their seats.
That would have sucked.
Fortunately, as fate and skill would have it, the Runner has successfully eluded capture for almost 17 days. Now if you ask me if I want to see the Runner caught, I can smile and say, "Yes, indeed." I was never sure about that before, but the Solve For Why guys got it right when I was on their podcast. They said that the best outcome was for the Runner to get caught, but in the 11th hour. For one thing, we get an exciting capture scene and the attendant videos – that'll be half the fun. Brian Lamanna noted, "Then people will realize that it is possible to catch the Runner. And you get even more engagement next time."
Exactly correct, Brian.
So, yeah, I'm hoping for the Runner to get caught. We are, in fact, in the 11th hour, and a successful capture at this point will be exquisitely timed. Furthermore, I sense that one or more parties are actively searching for the Runner. I didn't necessarily have that feeling in the early going, but – well, let's just say that my spidey senses tell me that the Runner is not out of the woods, and may be in more imminent danger of getting caught than they've been at any point during the chase.
The journey is the destination
And since Runner Runner is about to end, let us pause for a moment while the chase is still on to revel in it. Whoever ends up taking that Platinum Pass to the Bahamas will have a grand experience, many stories to tell, and a lifetime of memories. But unless I am terribly mistaken, they will relive the chase more than the event in the Bahamas. Thousands of people will play in the PSPC – exactly one will get there the way the Runner/Hunter did.
Life is best lived in the moment, not worrying too much about the ultimate destination. Why did PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg enter the $25k high-roller event at the WPT Championship? I can promise you that had he won it, the prize money would have been a round-off error in his personal net worth. No, he entered for the thrill of competition against the best in the game, and the excitement of looking at his cards and seeing two aces peeking back at him. Okay, that was a poor example. But the point is that poker is about much more than money, and Runner-Runner is about much more than a Platinum Pass.
The chase is the thing, and I've loved every minute of the sweat we've all had, watching the Runner/Hunters match. So let's raise a toast to both fox and hounds, because in 32 hours or less, it'll all be over, one way or t'other.
