Guy Laliberte: From poker to space
If all goes according to plan, Guy Laliberte, billionaire and welcome guest at the online high stakes, will set off for the International Space Station today, for 11 days.
Should Luke Schwartz alias FullFlush be right after all, his declared enemy Tom 'durrrr' Dwan would be better off not being seen at the high stakes tables within the next few days. As Schwartz, who is never at a loss when it comes to provocative statements, stated, all of Dwan’s winnings came from one single person: Guy Laliberte.
It remains to be seen if that comment should prove true. Certainly, Dwan has not been the only beneficiary of the Canadian billionaire in the past.
Sponsor of the high stakes
How much the founder of the Cirque du Soleil has lost on the high stakes over the past years can only – if at all – be known by him. Estimations range up to $25 million.
Amongst other things, several Full Tilt accounts such as noataima, lady marmelade und patatino are alleged to be his. Since 1st of January 2007 the total loss on these accounts amount to nearly $20 million Dollars, over a 150,000 hands.
Ultimately, Laliberte became a celebrity in the world of poker due to his participation in the show High Stakes Poker, in which one of the unforgettable moments was his pot against David Benyamine, containing $1.2 million. Too much for Benyamine who became visibly nervous, and to whom Guy Laliberte left the lion’s share of the pot. (Watch video on YouTube)
Guy Laliberte goes to space
The fifty-year-old seeks new challenges and it's well-known that money is irrelevant to him. The newspaper B.Z. from Berlin states that he is worth an estimated $2,5 billion (that reads $2,500,000,000). So it hardly seems unlikely that he's also among the first few private individuals taking a trip to space.
The flight to ISS was arranged by the company Space Adventures with the agreement of the Russian Federal Space Agency Roskosmos. Laliberte's investment for the flight is an estimated $25-35 million. As long as everything goes according to plan, Laliberte should set off for the ISS from Spaceport Baikonur today, on a Soyuz spaceship. The flight is a part of Expedition 21 which is shuttling the 21st long-term crew over to the spacestation.
The docking maneuver on the ISS is scheduled for the 2nd of October. Laliberte's stay in outer space will last for nine days. Naturally, the billionaire has planned something very special for his stay in the space. He plans to broadcast a sort of poetic travelogue, which he describes as a "poetic tale". The choreographed piece will be broadcast on 9th October on the ISS and in 14 cities around the world as a world-premiere, including New York, Paris, and London, and will last 120 minutes.
A "poetic tale" from the ISS
"When I decided to join Expedition 21, I knew there would be an artistic component to my mission," Guy declared and added: "I am an artist, not a scientist, so it was my duty to contribute in my own way. On the very first day of my training, I began to reflect on my artistic approach. The inspiration came from tales and children's dreams. I decided that the artistic framework of our global event would be a poetic tale. My wish is to touch people through an artistic approach and if we manage to do so, we will go beyond awareness."
Laliberte's return to earth after 11 days in space is scheduled for 11th October. The landing will take place near the city of Schesqasghan, Kazakhstan. As to when he will be back on the high stakes tables is anyone's guess, but experience tells us that it won't be long before Laliberte is drawn back to the thrills of the faux-felt.
More than a few pros will breathe easier once Laliberte returns home, knowing that he has returned safely to our planet after a nearly a week-and-a-half in space.
