WSOP: Scott Ian Strikes the Right Chord in the Main Event

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WSOP: Scott Ian Strikes the Right Chord in the Main Event

Paul Oresteen | July 10, 2009

Scott Ian used a break in Anthrax's international tour to play the Main Event.

Most celebrities that play the Main Event of the World Series of Poker show up for one day, joke it up for the cameras, gladhand the media and then dump off their chips with questionable play. Not often do celebrities play sound poker and make a multitude of personal sacrifices all in the name of a deep run in the event. Except Scott Ian of Anthrax.

He literally has a world tour scheduled around playing in the Main Event.

He played a festival in Hockenheim, Germany on July 4th, after the show he flew back to the states to play in Day 1d on July 6th. He had a day of rest before playing Day 2b on July 8th, then left again to play the “Rocklahoma” festival in Oklahoma on July 9th. Finally, he traveled overnight to play in Day 3 on July 10th.

Do you have a heavy metal home game?

We have an online metal home game. It’s me, Jerry Cantrell, Kirk Hammett, Slash, Greg from Mudvayne and Vinnie Paul.

Do you get chances to play poker when you’re on the road with the band?

I do all the time. We live in such a technological world that our tour bus now has Wifi, it makes it that much easier for me to play online all the time. I’ve got tons of time to kill in hotels and dressing rooms. Since I’ve started playing online it’s definitely helped me pass the time while on tour.

Anthrax is on tour right now, how in the world are you able to play the Main Event?

I didn’t get to play the Main Event last year. I played a couple of smaller events and Ante Up for Africa but then had to leave and play shows. Which crushed me, because I was dying to play the Main Event. So I’ve been waiting for this for a year. Summer is peak time for touring rock and metal bands. Somehow it worked out where the first leg of our run was in Europe and I got here on Sunday, played Day 1d and survived. I played 2b and was at the airport at 4:30 in the morning heading to Tulsa. We headlined a festival called “Rocklahoma” last night to like 12,000 people. I was back at the airport in Tulsa at 4:30, had to go through Denver to get here and finally got back to my hotel at 9:30 a.m. I ate breakfast and came here. And let’s say I make the final nine - that’s November 15th and I would have to fly to Sweden on the 16th and play for two and a half weeks. It’s insane how it worked out down to the day that I could be here and play this. That never happens in my life.

Would you consider yourself a right-brained or left-brained poker player?

I’ve got both sides. My natural instinct is a right-brained guy, but I’ve been taking lessons from Annie (Duke) for a little while and it’s all math. I’ve kind of got both going for me. If I’m stuck with a decision and I don’t have a read or a gut feeling I’ll let the math decide for me. I’m playing Day 3 of the Main Event so I’m pretty excited about things.

Does playing poker offer you a different type of release than playing guitar?

Yeah, because I don’t have any stress at all when it comes to playing shows or making records. There’s no question like, “Is it gonna happen?” or “If I do this one way will is the song going to get done” When I’m on stage with the band I know exactly what I’m doing. I have all the information in the world. I know everything that’s going on. Whereas poker is the same amount of rush with a giant mountain of stress on it.

What’s more important for you to win - a Grammy or a WSOP Bracelet?

Holy crap. Umm… I’ll tell you that a bracelet pays a lot more. It would worth a lot more to me for my bankroll. A Grammy would be amazing, but I play in a heavy metal band and that’s nothing we’ve ever given a shit about. The Grammy’s added a heavy metal award years ago and that first year Jethro Tull beat Metallica. So that kind of shows you what the Grammy’s mean to me as a guy in a heavy metal band. So, I would much more excited to win a bracelet.

You were in VH1’s Supergroup. If you could build your own dream lineup, who would play with you?

Wow, that’s insane. Bon Scott from AC/DC on vocals, “Dimebag” Darrel on lead guitar, Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy on bass and I guess I’ll go with Keith Moon on drums.

What was your first job?

I had a paper route, but when I was 15 I worked in a print shop. I literally glued pads of paper together all day.

What’s the more decadent lifestyle - poker player or rock star?

If it was the 80s I would say rock star. But with my experience now, poker players are way more over the top than most rock stars these days. That crazy rock star lifestyle is seen few and far between these days. The old guys just don’t do it anymore and a lot of the younger bands aren’t like that. We don’t have any new rock stars. In the last three years I’ve hung out with pro poker players, the shit that goes on and the retarded amount of money that gets thrown around on stupid shit is more than I’ve ever seen rock stars ever do.

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