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I'm about two months too late with this post, but is it really true that the Main Event of the World Series of Poker was started with a singing of the American national anthem?

It seems incredibly inappropriate for a supposedly international event (World != America) whatever country it's held in. And how did non-US participants react?

I don't like to go to other countries and behave in a manner to cause offence so I probably would've quietly slipped outside. But how +EV and tilt-inducing would it be to simply ignore everyone standing up singing and mutter anti-American slogans?

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How +EV would it be as you were carted off to the hospital after my big ass knocked all of your teeth out? You're in America, DEAL WITH IT!!! If I was in Canada I wouldn't care one bit standing up for a few minutes, whoopie.....

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I agree whole heartedly! Everyone is talking about how Poker deserves to be treated more like other events etc. Traditionally during sporting events (I am not going to debate whether poker is a sport) the National Anthem of the host country is sung.

Unless they have recently moved Las Vegas to another country and not informed me, it is held in the USA, so if and I say if a National Anthem is going to be sung then is should be ours and not say Australia's for Joe Hachem.

What's the big deal? If you go to say Paris for the WPT and they want to sing the French National Anthem, I certainly would not be offended.