At World Series of Poker, Betting His Shirt to Win

On Tuesday night, Dannenmann thought his luck had run out.

"I was about to be eliminated," he says. "I was down to about 260,000 chips. At that time I started drinking bloody marys. I got loose and I was having fun, and in three hours I had 2.1 million chips."

"He was out there being his usual lively self," recalls Anita Dannenmann, 39, who says she's a "government employee" but declines to get more specific. "He's always cracking jokes."

A CPA who specializes in taxes, Dannenmann began playing Texas Hold 'Em -- the poker variety used in the World Series -- only a couple years ago. He hosts a game for about a dozen friends Tuesday nights, playing on a makeshift table.

"We put two tables together with blue painter's tape down the middle so the chips don't fall between the tables," he says. "My friends keep saying, 'When are you going to get a real poker table?' "

One of those friends is Jerry Ditzel, 62, a hazardous-waste broker from Severna Park. Ditzel agreed to put up half of Dannenmann's $10,000 entry fee, so he'll be collecting half of the winnings. He says he's not surprised at his buddy's success on the green felt tables.

"When he gets on a roll," Ditzel says, "he plays as good as anybody."

It has been a big year for Dannenmann. He married Anita on Jan. 8, which is, not coincidentally, Elvis Presley's birthday.

"He's a huge Elvis fan," Anita says. "He said, I want to get married on Elvis Presley's birthday, and I said okay."

Before play began yesterday afternoon at Binion's Horseshoe casino, the Elvis-loving accountant was feeling philosophical.

"I don't think about what comes next," he said. "There are people in London who were going to work the other day and they had no idea they'd die in a bombing. Don't think about tomorrow. Enjoy what today is. We eat an apple but sometimes we don't taste the apple, if you know what I mean."

He hasn't even thought about what he'll do with his winnings, he says. "I'm a very successful accountant. I'm not doing this for the money. I'll split it with my pal Jerry and I'll stick the rest in the bank. I'll donate some to charity because there are people who need it more than me."

Perhaps he'll also shell out for a new shirt -- or at least get his lucky tan one laundered. Or maybe not. You wouldn't want to wash that luck away.