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LAS VEGAS -- Chris Gibbons and Scott Erickson are two of the best bowlers in the Madison area.

Gibbons is a former pro who won a title on the Pro Bowlers Association Regional circuit -- pro bowling's minor league. And he and Erickson are on the team that ended up third in the top event at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

That said, neither has much interest in putting up the entry fee of a few hundred dollars to compete in tournaments against top pros like Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber in the few open PBA Tour events.

Yet Gibbons, Erickson and thousands of other amateur poker players from around the globe paid anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 to compete against top pros like Madison native Phil Hellmuth at World Series of Poker events in Las Vegas. This despite the fact that both say their bowling skills well exceed their poker skills.

They are far from alone; almost 7,000 people entered this year's WSOP, which begins airing on ESPN on Tuesday.

Which begs the obvious question: Why are so many recreational poker players willing to pay to compete against those who make a living playing the game?

"Obviously," Erickson said, "the big draw for poker is the hundreds of thousands of dollars on top, where in bowling it's just $100,000 to win (the top events). And I think your chances playing against the top poker players in one event or at one table is better than even one game against the top pro bowlers on those (PBA lane) conditions," which are much more difficult than the typical league bowling condition.

While pros do dominate poker, the fact that a lucky turn of a card can negate even the most masterfully played hand has stoked the dreams of amateurs.

"If you don't think you can win, why enter?" said Gibbons. "Obviously, the odds are stacked against you, but amateurs win all the time and lightning can strike."

Written by Jeff Richgels

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