Pauly and I take the Tao of Pokerati studios remote — and set up shop in the Milwaukee’s Best Light Lounge to watch the chipstacks of a PLO/8 final table (on dinner break) as Eric Seidel goes for bracelet #9 (against Casey Kastle) in what may or may not be a record final table. While Phil Hellmuth has the decades left to stay ahead of the pack, Seidel stands a better chance than Doyle Brunson of catching him, chronologically at least.
And Tao of Pokerati is all over it a day and a half ago! Listen live, or at least semi-live, as Pauly and Benjo (filling in) speculate on my whereabouts (and the Pokerati sex slave business empire) when their hardcore reporting and potential slander of California Jen is interrupted by Doyle Brunson’s cashing for $124k in the Big HORSE event.
Wrapping up yesterday’s action, with a preview of today’s tournament (with a moment of silence for John Bonetti):
The $5,000 NL Holdem 6-handed event finally reached their final table at around 5:30am, now they have to attempt to get some rest before returning in front of the watchful eye of the ESPN360 cameras at 2pm with this sextet:
Seat 4: Richard Lyndaker 2,345,000
Seat 3: Joe Commisso 1,961,000
Seat 5: Tom Lutz 1,493,000
Seat 1: Samuel Trickett 1,045,000
Seat 6: Edward Ochana 928,000
Seat 2: Davidi Kitai 298,000
The $1,500 Stud Eight or Better stopped play with 13 players remaining as they play down to a winner starting at 3pm. Here’s the approximate chip counts of the baker’s dozen (chip counts and seats to be rearranged later):
(Table 14)
Seat 1: Ryan Hughes 73,000
Seat 4: Margaret Macre 173,000
Seat 5: James Richburg 274,000
Seat 6: Ron Long 33,000
Seat 7: David Brooker 45,000
Seat 8: Daniel Nicewander 41,000
(Table 15)
Seat 1: Mike Hefer 71,000
Seat 2: Tim D’Alessandro 82,000
Seat 3: David Sklansky 110,000
Seat 4: Thomas Hunt III 101,000
Seat 6: Alessio Isaia 172,000
Seat 7: Joshua Feldman 121,000
Seat 8: Jonas Klausen 346,000
Other tournament action (plus the final 24 in the $50k HORSE) on page 2:
More…
What’s happening tonight at the WSOP:
The $1,000 NL Holdem with rebuys event has a winner, Canadian Max Greenwood took down the bracelet, making a remarkable comeback from being shortstacked 3-handed to take down the bracelet and almost $700,000. Rene Mouritsen of Aarhus, Denmark finished in 2nd (for the 3rd time at a WSOP event the past two years) to win just over $445,000. Fellow Aarhus resident Albert Iversen finished in 3rd. Greenwood was down to just over 400,000 when he went allin with a pair of 5’s against Mouritsen’s AJ. Another ace hit the flop, and a brick on the turn meant that Greenwood was down to two outs. Miraculously, Max hit that 5, doubling up twice more off Mouritsen to take the chip lead before Mouritsen would take it back when Iversen’s set of 5’s was run down by Mouritsen’s turned flush. After just over 30 hands of head-up play (and boisterous rooting from both player’s friends), all the money went in on a Jack high flop with Max’s AJ ahead of Mouritsen’s KJ. No help came and Greenwood completes the remarkable comeback.
The only tournament to start today, the $2,000 NL Holdem event, drew a field of 2,317, with just under 400 remaining with a couple more levels remaining in the day. Notable names at the top of the leaderboard: Erik Cajelais, Marco Johnson, Erica Schoenberg, Blair Rodman (who won this tournament last year), David Pham and Chau Giang.
Other tournament action today on the next page:
More…
By the end of Day 2 of the 5-day event, there were only 67 players left standing in the tournament. The 81 players who have been eliminated left $4,050,000 behind for the others.
Among those gone from the field is reigning champion Freddy Deeb, courtesy of Steve Zolotow in an Omaha-8 hand. Last year’s second-place finisher Bruno Fitoussi was taken out of this year’s event by Hasan Habib in a razz hand. David Singer’s run for a third final table in three years was thwarted by Rob Hollink in a stud-8 hand early on Day 2.
Taking a look at what is possible, there are several players who could make for some interesting stories here:
1. Barry Greenstein cashed in 2006 (12th place) and 2007 (7th place).
2. 2007 final table players who are still in the running to make it happen a second year in a row include John Hanson, Kenny Tran, Thor Hansen, Gabe Kaplan, and Greenstein. It won’t be possible for Amnon Filippi because though I swore I saw him on Day 1, it seems that he didn’t play this event as his name is not on the bust-outs or chip count list.
3. Of course, Doyle Brunson could make a run at that 11th bracelet, and he would win the first-ever Chip Reese commemorative trophy. Could there be anything better?
There are more stories to develop as the field thins further. The chip leader going into Day 3, which starts in just moments, is Lyle Berman. Could a WPT guy win the biggest tournament at the WSOP? Let’s see how it goes! Updates throughout the evening…
Recapping last night’s events with a preview of today’s action:
The $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better event was won last night by Martin Klaser, who was dominant in the brief heads-up battle with Casey Kastle to take down his first bracelet and just over $216,000. Kastle winds up with almost $138,000, the biggest cash in his career.
The $1,000 NL Holdem with Rebuys event got down to their final table, here’s how it’ll look like under the hot lights of the ESPN360 cameras at 2pm today:
Seat 1: Scott Freeman 675,000
Seat 2: Max Greenwood 728,000
Seat 3: Curtis Kohlberg 209,000
Seat 4: Rene Mouritsen 1,007,000
Seat 5: Alex Bolotin 308,000 - His 3rd final table of this Series
Seat 6: Albert Iversen 921,000
Seat 7: Aliaksandr Dzianisau 186,000
Seat 8: Phung Ngo 556,000
Seat 9: Jesse Chinni 2,160,000
Other action from yesterday on the next page:
More…
What’s doing tonight at the WSOP while I welcome Tuscaloosa Johnny to the Pokerati fold:
The $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better event is down to it’s last 3 with Casey Kastle, Martin Klaser, and Michael Fetter remaining. Kastle currently holds the chip lead, Erik Seidel was eliminated in 4th in his attempt at winning his 9th bracelet.
The $5,000 NL Holdem 6-handed event have returned from their dinner break with 280 out of a starting field of 805 to return. Notable names near the top include Alex Jacob, Mark Vos, Gavin Griffin, and Hevad Khan.
Other tournament action is available by clicking on the more thingy:
What’s happening at the WSOP tonight:
The $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha w/rebuys event just concluded with a winner, and it’s Layne Flack who put on a dominant performance at the final table, taking an overwhelming chip lead that no one would be able to catch him. Layne wins his 6th WSOP bracelet, putting him in some elite company as one of 10 poker players who have won at least 6 bracelets (Hellmuth, Chan, D. Brunson, Seidel, Cloutier, Moss, Baxter, Heimowitz, M. Nguyen are the others). Daniel Makowsky finished in 2nd, and Ted Forrest will have to try yet again to get his 6th bracelet, as he finished in 5th. Dario Alioto finished in 4th for those following the Italian contingency.
Other action from today after the jump:
This is kinda a leftover link (thanks to Short-Stacked Shamus for sending it to me 10 days ago) … but check out the June 5 episode of the Ante Up poker podcast.
About halfway through this episode of the what is clearly the best poker podcast on the Florida gulf coast, Chris and Scott conduct a phone interview with AJ Benza, who I gotta say is pretty damn funny when not in Gabe Kaplan’s shadow. With genuine Brooklyn candor, he discusses not only what he knows about his own show, but also “Doyle Brunson’s tits,” Dustin Diamond as “a misunderstood asshole,” David Goldhill (the new head of GSN), and what it is about High Stakes Poker that works: “Let’s get guys back on TV who drink, smoke, and punch people in the eye.”
Today’s topic is cliche imagery at the WSOP. Frankly I think Pauly and I hardly scratch the surface this go-round … but we do shed some light on old guys using Doyle Brunsony scooters, broke suckers that just won’t go away (and a new dynamic in rail-sweating as everyone looks for their piece of a shrinking poker pie), and, in ‘08, the relative lack of hussies and swag.
Tom’s continues to be on a tournament tear — having cashed for his 5th time in 2008 this weekend by finishing in 10th place in the $1,500 Razz event to bring him close to even for the WSOP so far! (He got busted by Archie Karas, holding the nuts.)
This cash ties him with some new Russian guy – sorry, haven’t yet figured out who’s who amongst the New Red Army (”Wolverines!”), but I know it’s not Alex Kravchenko – for most ITM (in the money) finishes … and puts him on pace to threaten the record of eight. From Nolan Dalla’s official updates (sent out before the conclusion of Razz):
Through the conclusion of Event #23, only one player has cashed five times to date – Nikolay Evdakov, from Moscow. Evdakov is in serious contention to challenge the record set for “Most WSOP Cashes in a Single Year,” shared by four players — Michael Binger (2007), Chad Brown (2007), Phil Hellmuth, Jr. (2006), and Humberto Brenes (2006), with eight in-the-money strikes.
That’s kinda fun, no? Because the most overblogged pro of the Series clearly knows his way around different events, he did a quick hallway interview with PokerNews while on break after busting out Doyle Brunson en route to crossing the money bubble in the $3k HORSE event:
Longtime Tom fans — Karridy and Angry Julie especially — will love the ending, and Tom’s face during it.
Happenings at the WSOP while awaiting the inevitable Gary Wise article tomorrow on the Ladies’ final table:
Not in the tournament, I don’t think … but I did just see him hobble by (distinguishedly) in apparent defeat.
Speaking of Doyle, I’ve also noticed Arizona player Mike Wattel decked out in Doyle’s Room gear — a DR.net wide-brimmed golf hat and heavily washed DR.com golf shirt. Congrats to Wattel for whatever deal he’s worked out. Am guessing it’s no coincidence that he has been logo’ed up by the same room as his ex-girlfriend Cyndy Violette.
(Syntax dilemma of the day: Does Cyndy Violette support Doyle’s Room, or does Doyle’s Room support Cyndy?)
Am also noticing a lot more dot-commage all over the place this year. From my perch in the pressbox, right in front of me I see some Euro journo wearing a big PokerStars.com splay on the back of his T-shirt … and several other players in the second-chance tourney right in front of me wearing all sorts of FullTiltPoker.com swag.
Not sure yet what this means … either it’s irrelevant because there’re no TV cams around, or in general The Empire* is lightening up over the terrorist threat dot-coms present?
Some WSOP thoughts as you watch this guy work his opponent.
Today is day 1 for the hordes of amateurs ready to begin their World Series of Poker, as its day 1a of the $1,500 NL Holdem event. This weekend we’ll find out if the field will break the record for the largest field in a non-Main Event tournament (3,151 at event #49 last year).
According to BJ Nemeth over at Pokernews, as of 1:30a PT, over 3000 have registered. The fact that this will be the only event, besides the Main Event, to have multiple day 1’s also will help make this possible. It’s been mentioned that there will be no alternates this year, but with one room (Brasilia and its 650 seats) not available until mid-June, how many people will be shut out of a seat? From all reports, things did run much smoother than last year’s day 1 (save for the random clock malfunction); will the same hold true for those attempting to register at the last minute today?
What happened yesterday:
More…
Doyle Brunson has not died — this according to his own blog, where he reports on his pre-WSOP vacation in Montana. Hmm, I wonder where he coulda heard such rumors — I know one of my generally reliable sources told me that was the story on 2+2 last week, but I could find nothing of the sort. While Pokerati has not independently confirmed the status of Brunson’s vitals, we’ll take his electronic word for it for now. Developing …
UPDATE: Pauly is still alive, too.
So the WSOG has been a really cool event … it grew this year from 60 players to 80 players, probably only 30 of whom were poker players. I hope it continues to grow to the point that poker has only a minor connection to it … because when they can get the Charles Barkleys and Michael Jordans competing in it, then I gotta think it would be a huge TVmajig. (Currently it will be airing on CBS as a time-buy, paid for primarily by Full Tilt.)
Here’s an article about the WSOG in USA Today. What I find most fascinating are the comments it has gotten — comments not by staunchly pro- or anti-poker people … but by run-o-the-mill Americans who have a slight interest in reading a not-so-prominent article about a quirky variant of golf. They give a lot of insight into the challenges that poker faces in the future (on TV and otherwise):
Rating: A-
This is one of the best comedies I’ve seen in a long time. I laughed myself to tears during several parts of the movie. I walked into the theater with low expectations and left thinking about seeing it again.
The casting was brilliant, as many of the actors are experienced improv comics and had no problem adding their own flavor and likely varying quite a bit from the original script. From Woody Harrelson to Ray Romano, from Richard Kind to Dennis Farina, and from David Cross to Chris Parnell, most everyone took their characters to the highest level. Even Cheryl Hines surprised me – only because I’m not terribly familiar with her work – in her deadpan scenes.
Numerous poker players were strewn throughout the film, like Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Laak, and Antonio Esfandiari. Gabe Kaplan had a main role, which wasn’t tremendously impressive but an integral and sometimes funny role nonetheless. Phil Gordon played a recurring role throughout the movie as the tournament commentator, and he was fantastic. Some of his lines were the best of the movie.
Mark your calendars before the dollar goes even lower against European currencies … WSOP-Europe 2008 is set for September 19-October 1. Click below for further details and the full press release:
It seems that Doyle Brunson has been called out - by buddy Patrik Antonius - to play a heads-up match.
Patrik told CardPlayer during an interview that he would play Doyle any game for any amount of money. Doyle seems a little irked in his recent blog post because he doesn’t like playing heads-up, and he seems to be a taken off guard that Patrik issued the challenge through a magazine article. Since they are friends, it seems that Patrik should have approached Doyle directly, wouldn’t you think?
I really like Patrik and I think he is a great player, but he cast the gauntlet and I’m prepared to do battle. So, I accept his challenge.
I think he made a mistake when he said, “I’ll play him any game for any amount.†I’ve got 7-10 different games, all of which I’ve played in Las Vegas casinos for high stakes, that I’m willing to commit to for at least a seven figure match. There will be no animosity between us; we are both pros who love a good gamble. It will be interesting if he accepts and I’m sure we will both have a great time playing.
Seven figures, huh? Can some math genius figure that out for me? That’s a lotta dough!
The 64-player field competing for $500,000 (on a $20k buy-in) this weekend has been set (up) — with pairings drawn last night at a kick-off party at Pure.
Click here to see the full bracket and make your picks. (This bracket-maker is kinda new to me, so not sure whether or not you can see my predictions here.)
Some of the more interesting pairings to me:
Tom Schneider vs. Gavin Smith
Clonie Gowen vs. Jennifer Tilly
Sammy Farha vs. Doyle Brunson
Hooman Nikzad vs. Greg Raymer
Chris Ferguson vs. John Juanda
Chris Moneymaker vs. Jerry Yang
Jean Robert Bellande vs. Sam Grizzle
It seems that Doyle Brunson has made his decision in the presidential race. He stated in his most recent blog post that he is throwing his support behind Barack Obama and is urging the poker community to do the same.
In other obvious news, Doyle’s blog will now be appearing on PokerRoad.
For the last few years, the biggest game in Vegas has been at Bobby’s Room — a glass enclosed high-high stakes area at Bellagio, complete with fine oil paintings of its most regular players … Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Sammy Farha et al. But the action there has dwindled, and according to Doyle’s Blog (scroll down to the Jan. 7 entry) has moved, at least temporarily:
We moved the ‘Big Game’ down to the Venetian Cardroom this weekend. Not that we had a problem with the Bellagio, but just to have a change in scenery. The Venetian is a beautiful place and they treat us very well so they may get some of our business. I really liked it because I had a nice win there.
The Five Diamond World Poker Classic brings the best in the poker world to the Bellagio each year, and 2007 was no exception. The preliminary events began in late November, and here are some of the better-known winners:
• Event #3 - $2,500 NLHE – 247 entrants, Dutch Boyd won $237,685
• Event #6 - $1,500 NLHE – 508 entrants, Chris McCormack won $239,590
• Event #7 - $2,000 NLHE – 362 entrants, Roy Winston won $230,365
• Event #8 - $2,500 NLHE – 319 entrants, David Pham won $279,845
• Event #12 - $5,000 NLHE – 307 entrants, JC Tran won $523,075
It should be noted that Tom Schneider came in fourth place in Event #3, and Courtney Harrington of PocketFives and PokerRoad made two final tables. Sully Erna, lead singer of Godsmack, came in second to JC in Event #12. Other notables who made final tables included Theo Tran, Kevin Saul, Jared Hamby, Nick Binger, Amnon Filippi, Dan Alspach, Marco Johnson, Shannon Shorr, and David Williams.
David Pham also sealed his status as the CardPlayer Player of the Year.
Next up was the $15,000 WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic main event. The total number of players was 664, and the prize pool was $9,661,200 – the biggest prize pool ever outside of the WSOP main event and WPT World Championship.
Hopes were high that several big names would make the final table, but many of them just couldn’t get there. Phil Ivey was the Day 1 and Day 2 chip leader but imploded on Day 3 to be eliminated. Gus Hansen was doing well for days until he busted in 22nd place, and Daniel Negreanu took a chip lead into Day 5 but was sent home in 14th. Other bustouts included Erick Lindgren in 10th, Jimmy Tran in 8th, and Raymond Davis in 7th.
The best known player at the final table was David “Devilfish†Ulliott, Ryan Daut is a young player who won a WPT title in January, and Jordan Rich and Eugene Katchalov are young pro players. Ken Rosen is a virtual unknown, and Ted Kearly is a 75-year old former college football coach.
In the fastest WPT final table on record, Eugene Katchalov took his final table chip lead to victory for a $2,482,605 payday. All of the action was summed up here.
It seems that everyone has a blog these days, and Doyle Brunson has begun his own journal of sorts.
Not long after the return of Doyle’s Room to the U.S. market in October, he began writing the occasional blog post on his site.
This week, he wrote a touching post about his dear friend Chip Reese. It begins:
A week ago my phone rang at 5:30 a.m. I answered it extremely irritated at being awakened so early in the morning. My nephew, Ken Hale said, “I think Chip just died.â€
It took a moment to sink in and then disbelief overtook me. How could my best friend, who was 56 years old and apparently in good health, be gone? It felt like a big hole in my body which could never be filled. I jumped out of bed and drove to Chip’s house as fast as I could.
I went into his house and cried with his children Brittany, Taylor, and Casey. Chip had gone to the doctor that afternoon and had a chest x-ray which showed a shadow on his lung. The doctor gave him a shot, told him he was coming down with pneumonia, and sent him home. The doctor, who was a poker player Chip had been teaching, called him at 10:00 to see how he was feeling. Chip told him he felt fine and when the doctor told him he was at the Red Rock Casino playing poker, Chip asked him if he wanted him to come watch him play. The doctor said, “No, if they saw you sitting behind me, they wouldn’t play with me any more.†They laughed and hung up.
Chip went to his room, talked to his girlfriend for 30 minutes, told his kids good night, and went to bed. Casey went to his room at 4:00 and Chip was dead.
So wow, so much is going on right about now. A lot of smart people doing a little bit more than just geeking out about poker and the industry’s/game’s/lifestyle’s future. Wish I could be everywhere:
We’ve got the Global Poker Thinking Society getting together at Harvard — featuring Howard Lederer, Charles Nesson, and Crandall Addington.
And then this weekend is the California Poker Conference — where speakers include WSOP Commish Jeffrey Pollack, PPA Executive Director John Pappas, and some influential old-timers such as Mike Caro, Lou Kreiger, Barbara Enright, and many others.
And then on the next day, Pappas heads back to Washington DC, where he’ll be hosting the Poker Player’s Alliance DC Fly-in — a little Beltway lobbying fest on behalf of pro-poker legislation. This is the one I really want to be at — and we’ll try to stay on top of things from afar — because twisting Congressional arms enlightening our representatives is a lot of fun. I gotta say, it also kinda makes me proud to know that our success wooing Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) as a co-sponsor to HR 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act, kinda inspired it.
JP: We had a really great meeting in August with Congressmen Pete Sessions in his Dallas, Texas, office. It was myself and a number of our local PPA members, including Clonie Gowen, who’s a Dallas, Texan, and Robert Williamson III, another Dallas, Texan. We went in and sat down with him and talked to him about the Wexler bill and why it just didn’t make sense that a game of skill is being outlawed on the Internet. And it really resonated and it really came through and what I saw was, wow, this is something we need to replicate, this is something we needed to do more of. Based on that meeting, I thought we needed to get people out to Washington. Whether we make 20 meetings or 200 meetings, I think it’s going to be a worthwhile event.
Very cool! (And well done, Pokeratizen politicos!) Good times, all around. And indeed, we should do more of that.
I’ll be in Vegas … assuming I make my flight, which leaves in — yeow! — four hours, to do the TV Co-hosting thing with Tom Schneider for the inaugural Poker Bowl. This should be a pro-studded affair … even Doyle Brunson will be playing, along with Greg Raymer, Scotty Nguyen, reformed self-colluder ZeeJustin … and Absolute spokesman Mark Seif. Like seriously, we have so much to talk about!
And so little of it to do with how to play 
in middle position.
Didn’t see this one coming … wonder what’s behind the move. Perhaps Brunson just learned about superaccounts?
Excerpts from an email sent by the Doyle’s Room Affilliate and Sales Director:
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that DoylesRoom.com is back in the USA Market. Commencing October 19, 2007, all US-players are welcomed to enjoy our redesigned, faster and better poker tables.DoylesRoom.com US-players that moved to Full Tilt will be allowed to re-access their existing account. The affiliate referral code will remain the same and will continue to track their play.
This change will not affect our other projects with the Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America markets, as we are committed to work closely with ALL our affiliates.
During the past 6 months our affiliates department has been working on new tools for the affiliates, including special promotions and a brand new member’s area. If you have not seen our new affiliate interface, we encourage you to login to your account. Also, we have been working to improve our poker client and we added new features and games for all your players.
The Ante Up For Africa charity poker tournament started this afternoon after Don Cheadle and Annie Duke’s press conference at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Celebrity players Ben Affleck, Charles Barkley, Matt Damon, Adam Sandler & Martin Sheen are joining poker pros Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Tilly, Phil Gordon and Doyle Brunson (who has the Rocky theme song ring tone) to aid the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
The amount of people visiting the Amazon room and the 2007 WSOP Gaming Expo (which is Girls, Gaming and Gear…gee thanks) is causing a traffic jam and an epidemic of claustrophobia. While there is a “dunk the stripper†water tank with a wet girl in a bikini, Ben Affleck seems to be attracting a larger field, which is blocking my view of Matt Damon.
Not only do Annie and Don hope to make a large contribution after today’s event (even after Hellmuth asked “do you really expect to win?â€) they are very excited to increase awareness in the United States.
Yes, you read correctly. In one room there are half naked girls strutting around in very little fabric while in the room down the hall there is a charity event taking place to help people that have been driven from their homes and have lost 200,000 neighbors to war.
LAS VEGAS–The $50k HORSE event finished up this morning … and FREDDIE DEEB is officially crowned the best all-around poker player in the world for the time being.
You can only presume HARRAH’S OFFICIALS are breathing a sigh of relief — after having pimped the tourney as the biggest deal, it makes a much better story to give the title to an immigrant who came to America to save his family from war and turned to poker as a way to make good while AMERICAN IMMIGRATION BUREAUCRACY futzed around with his ability to earn a living.
Had JOHN HANSEN won, the story would’ve been about a relatively unknown bad-ass from the NEW YORK hardcore poker underground. Less savory.
Speaking of LEGALLY QUESTIONABLE poker players, did you know drug kingpin JIMMY CHAGRA — released from prison earlier this year — played in the SENIORS EVENT?
He was on “Talkin’ Trash” with BRIAN WILSON just a couple days ago. [via Gary Wise on 2+2.]
JEFFREY POLLACK did a little semi-live blogging from the HORSE final table. Maddest props to the Commish — not only for letting us know what he heard from the poker-players town hall, but also for providing his first-ever outbound link. Puts him on a short-list of people who just-might qualify for Pokerati posting privileges some day. We’ll be watching as he continues to cut his Wicked blogging chops.
In the meantime, The Jeffster tells us:
1. There is insufficient play in the middle levels of limit games and too much in the beginning.
2. There are some instances where the color-up process isn’t being handled correctly.
3. The tent is not a comfortable place to play.
4. There needs to be more room between the spectators on the ropes and the players.
5. The next day’s breaking order should be posted when an event ends for the night.
6. We need to improve media access to final tables.
7. The sequestered tables are tough to cover for the media and follow for the fans.
8. Tournament clocks should be more visible.
9. The Amazon Room is too cold.
10. We should continue and better publicize escort service to the parking lot late at night.
Yesterday’s “other” bracelet went to a guy named SAIF AHMAD, who won the $2,000 Limit Hold’em event with relative ease.
View from the rooftop of Pokerati’s VEGAS EDGE bureau:
ERIC ROSENBERG poses an interesting question on his new-ish blog — about why official poker “stats” don’t subtract known tournament buy-ins from “winnings.” The WSOP, of course, has records of every bracelet-bound buy-in … so it could be done. Likewise, they bar-code initial seat cards, so it’s theoretically possible to provide PokerNews or whoever with the basic info on every single player whose chips they try to track.
Maybe next year?
Rosie has also spurred further conversation about BACKING-DEAL DISCLOSURE — specifically as it pertained to BILL CHEN’S WSOP-approved chip-dumping agreement. It’s not about gratuitous rabble-rousing so much as it is about decisions that will affect the future of poker, regardless of what they are.
So the $1,000 7-Stud Hi Lo continues today. Pokerati’s own TOM SCHNEIDER sits down with 4,300 chips. We’ll find out if North Texas pokerer DAMON RAMIREZ is still alive. And DOYLE BRUNSON takes his second stab at bracelet #11 with 10,700 chips. Pokerati fantasy man STEVE WONG also ain’t too far behind.
Follow the 7-Stud Hi Lo action today here.
Today’s other tournament action:
Day 1 of $2,000 No Limit Hold’em
Day 2 of the $5,000 World Championship of Short-handed No-Limit Holde’m.
And the final table for $2,000 Omaha Hi Lo gets underway, with at least one familiar professional face, who will see if he can hold on to the chip lead.
Seat 1- Martin Corpuz, Jr. 292,000
Seat 2- Ming Lee 373,000
Seat 3- Mitch Maples 70,000
Seat 4- Thang Luu 238,000
Seat 5- Jess Robinson 255,000
Seat 6- Frankie O’Dell 318,000
Seat 7- Marcel Luske 427,000
Seat 8- Marvin Ryan 104,000
Seat 9- Stuart Paterson 58,000
LAS VEGAS–They’re still three-handed in the HORSE event … Bruno Fitoussi, Freddy Deeb, and John Hanson. Chips are such that it’s still anyone’s game.
Meanwhile, Tom is somehow still alive in the 7-stud Hi Lo event. Waiting to receive a text about his chip count. (He must be playing lots of hands now, which can be dangerous for him in this game. At least I think. When he and his friends start talking stud situations, I do a lot of head-nodding and “uh huh”s.)
UPDATE:
Hav 4500 was down 2 475 at 200 400
Also alive in that event is North Texas player Damon Ramirez. (Understandable that he is not being tracked yet … because he has only 19 career cashes under his belt.) Last we heard on Damon, he was pretty short-stacked while sitting at Doyle Brunson’s table.
UPDATE: Brunson finished Day 1 second in chips.
Damon Ramirez, not Doyle Brunson
LAS VEGAS–New episode of Beyond the Table is up. I’m listening in pop-up right now … you should do the same. Or you can download the mp3 here.
On this week’s special edition — recorded in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, and Las Vegas — you get to hear Tom, Dan, and Karridy muse about:
LAS VEGAS–With Doyle Brunson still alive at the final four tables of the $5,000 limit hold’em event, Phil Hellmuth just won his 11th World Series of Poker bracelet. Because of a weird quirk pertaining to the super-secret semi-live internet broadcast, the official site won’t have this info up for another hour.
But we know it happened … because Doyle and Johnny Chan just made the bracelet presentation.
We still don’t know who finished second and third, by the way … so I am just going to assume it was Rick Fuller. Nice job, dude!
CORRECTION: Rick got 3rd, winning him $247,518. Silver medal goes to Andy Philacheck ($395k) And Phil got the 11th bracelet … and $637k.
UPDATE: Doyle Brunson went out in 35th place in the quest for the next limit hold’em bracelet.
LAS VEGAS–It’s official, I’m important. Or at least all the people without badges in the Amazon room think I’m important. Even though Dan seems to think he needs a better one, my press credential seems to work very well at the table since now the players either think I must know something about poker if I’m working the WSOP, or they think they can get on my good side and I will put them on the internet. Bottom line…they no longer think I’m a bored housewife who’s husband stuck me in a tournament to keep me out of the Forum Shops.
High Noon marked the starting time for the $2k NL Hold’em Event, while yesterday’s $1k NL Hold’em (with rebuys) is down to 20ish players. I watched Amir Vahedi make an amazing call with a Qc-Qh-9c board. Amir held pocket sixes against the short stack with A-4. Amir is rocking in Day 2.
Across the ropes is the $5k Stud event started this afternoon and it is another super pro field. Jen Harman, Doyle Brunson, David Williams, Mel Judah, Thor Hansen & Brandon Cantu. It’s no secret the WSOP added many more events this year to allow the old-school players some real time with the “other” poker games including Razz, Omaha, Stud & more limit games with bigger buy-ins. Many pros feel the large field/small buy-in NL Holdem events are “crap shoots” and not only is there a better chance at a bracelet (Tom) in the other events but they are actually more fun since you don’t have to push all your chips in on one hand with a bunch of little newbie players that are afraid of getting out played on the turn and river. Yes, that’s right, I said afraid. And if you are not afraid…you will be. You will be.
I spoke with both David Levi and Steve Wong this evening for their updates which you can view on CardPlayer. David was not excited about ending day1 with 25k in chips but worked hard to finish today with 230,000k in chips and Steve Wong is rocking the Fontana in 4th with 476,000 bones! They both humbly said they were feeling good about their play but knew they had a long way to go. Two of my favorite Bellagio Sports Bar friends Amir Vahedi & Freddie Deeb are tied for 23rd with 240,000 in chips.
The Donkey Bomber is not only in 14th place tonight but CardPlayer even mentioned his name! Go Tom, more from you Dan/Karridy.
Fellow Houstonians, Sammy Farha is 9th with 345,000 and John “whadayagonnado boys” Bonnetti is hanging in there with 30k.
Other notables still in are Joe Sebok, Phil Ivey, Lyle Berman, Andy Black, Tran and Chan and Barney Boatmaaaan. But leading the pack is one of the greatest players in the world, Phil Hellmuth with 528,100 (don’t lose that 100 dollar chip, Phil).
Sadly Marcel Luske, Gavin Smith, Joe Bartholdi (who told me Friday he was ready to play this tournament) and Doyle Brunson have been eliminated.
And last but not least…The Ladies or as Wicked Chops Poker would say…crazy bitches.
Newcomer Anna Wroblewski leads the women with 350,000 in 7th place with Vanessa Rousso behind her in 53rd stacking up 115,000. Other ladies holding their own are Isabelle Mercier, Melissa Hayden, Erica Schoenberg, Jennifer Harman, Liz Lieu (who won her seat in a satellite), Kathy Liebert and Kristy Gazes.
Good luck to all and to all a good night.
I’m off to Caesar’s Palace next week to play in Jennifer Harman’s Charity Event to benefit the SPCA (a no-kill shelter). As many of you know, my beloved cat (Miss Kitty) passed away last month and we quickly adopted a new kitten (Socks) from a “kill†shelter. Sadly, when a mother gives birth to kittens and puppies they are all put to sleep together if not adopted within the shelter’s time frame (usually 7 days). Raising funds for a no-kill shelter, such as the Nevada SPCA, allows these organizations to keep the animals alive until adopted.
Since the tournament is the day before the Bellagio WPT main event there will be many pros like Kristy Gazes, Evelyn Ng, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Chip Reese and many more to help raise funds to feed the little guys that need a home.
I’ll have an update on what happened, who was there and how much was raised for our furry four-legged friends.
There were two hands talked about in Austin last week more than any others. One was relayed by Crandell Addington … when Doyle Brunson flopped a set of Aces and laid down a boat on the turn in like 442 AD. (Brunson was right … the other guy had quads, which would go on to lose to bigger quads on the Nile.)
The other was this hand, between Clonie and Vanessa Rousso on Cash Poker … which is basically like High Stakes Poker, only a bit smaller of a game and grittier:
Wow. After that, somebody clearly needs a big hug.
I missed the first segment of the premiere of High Stakes Poker: the third season. But lo and behold, the guys over at Wicked Chops have just that much! Can we say perfect?
Check it out yourself:
You’ll see Jamie Gold betting into Doyle Brunson’s nuts on the very first hand. The game starts out tough. And Gabe Kaplan, he refers to the Matusow shirt I dug as something from a “gay beer garden.” And at the end of the above video, he even talks about the fashion trend sure to be started by Jamie Gold’s square of tape. (Dude, Gabey, we are so in sync! We should be together. Love, Stan.)
Question: do you think GSN sees the airing of their episodes on YouTube as good (free advertising/promotion) or bad (copyright infringement)? Mark Cuban, of course, wants to know.
So wow, I almost forgot! Today [ed note: last night] is the premiere of “High Stakes Poker: the Third Season” on GSN. I can’t believe Sang’s missing this! (He’s on an unexpected date with a stripper right now.) This show is clearly the best poker on TV right now — and there’s been a tantalizing little buzz about what’s in store for this go-round. Real people we want to get to know. Real poker we want to play.
At tonight’s table (clockwise): Doyle Brunson, Mike Matusow, Jamie Gold, Daniel Alaei, Sean Sheikhan, Victor Ramdin, William Chen.
8:11 pm — Hmm, my guess is that everybody is gunning for Jamie Gold, and America can’t wait to see him get torn to bits … both poker-wise and personality-wise. Yep, that’s what this episode has got to be about. He knows it, and most of us know he knows it … and presumably he knows we know he knows it.
8:13 pm — Hmm, I think I like Matusow’s Guayabera … white, with flowery-red vertical lines. Gotta get me one of those.
8:14 pm — Ooh, Bill Chen … awesome. Yep, he looks the most out of place at this table. Remember that super-smart, super-dorky Asian math whiz who tried to tell particle physics jokes in high school? Like that guy … right down to the glasses and clump of hair at the back of his head that defies the square root of gravity times pi.
8:15 pm — I bet Chen knows pi to way more digits than Doyle Brunson.
8:15 pm — The way they have the logo, with “the third season” written in a smaller font below, suggests that High Stakes Poker is going for a “Six Feet Under” vibe.
8:19 pm — Jamie Gold is wearing a black hat with a logo covered up by a square of black tape. Looks kinda cool! You know, that should be a knew hipster fashion thing … hats with an “insignia” consisting of a patch of tape (or fabric) the same color as the hat itself. What a statement! Commentary on corporate legal interests in the age of TV-celebrity narcissism and untested internet laws. It could be like the new Malcolm X hat. Genius.
