Phan Phantastically wins 2nd bracelet of Series

Recapping last night, and a preview of today’s tournaments at the WSOP:

John Phan continued a tradition since 2000: A multiple bracelet winner at the World Series of Poker. Phan takes down the $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball title over Shun Uchida, earning just over $150,000 for his second bracelet of the Series.

The other final table yesterday, the $1,500 Mixed Holdem event, was suprisingly won by RV enthusiast Frank Gary over Jonathan Tamayo. After Michael Binger was eliminated in 3rd, it appeared to be Tamayo’s tournament to win. However, Gary took control during the limit holdem period; winning several large pots that gave him a big enough chip lead to put Tamayo away in the first hand of the NL holdem round to win the bracelet and $219,000, which should cover his gas costs for the rest of the year.

The final table for today, plus a preview of today’s tournaments on page 2:

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The last of the $50K H.O.R.S.E. mega satellites is going on now. The $2250 buy-in mega caught the eye of about 40 people, including Anna Wroblewski, Mike Wattel, and Jimmy “Gobboboy” Fricke. Oh, and Tom Schneider, who is no longer seated because he is now headed out of the Amazon Room. “Outski,” he said. “Outski and Hutch.”

At the first break of the mega, Tom stated that he was short-stacked and would probably be out soon. (Ding!) Regardless of the satellite outcome, he plans to play in the $50K event tomorrow and was very honest about how he would do so. He has sold some pieces of himself and is in discussions with a few other possible takers. At this point, he believes he will have to put up a good chunk of the buy-in himself, somewhere in the range of $20K and $35K.

While Tom doesn’t seem too thrilled about forking over that kind of dough, he doesn’t see being able to skip this event with so much prestige and money on the line. So, with bias firmly intact, go Tom!

In an effort to talk to more pros about playing in tomorrow’s $50K H.O.R.S.E. event, I ran into two players who are weighing their options and making decisions today about what to do.

Kenna James admitted that he does not have the money for the buy-in, though as Dan has previously noted, how many people really do? Kenna noted that a backer had contacted him about the possibility of working a deal, and he is considering that, as well as trying to win his way in through a mega satellite, the last of which is this evening at 5pm. With the announcement of the two additional satellite opportunities over the past few days, this gives him more outs. Personally, I didn’t get the feeling that he was super determined to play the H.O.R.S.E. event, but that remains to be seen.

Mark Newhouse is feeling good this year. With the disagreement with Dustin “Neverwin” Woolf out of the way and a backer firmly in place, he can be found walking around the Rio all the time, even standing around watching other tournaments on his own tournament breaks. He seems more determined than ever to make waves. For this reason, the $50K H.O.R.S.E. has definitely been on his mind.

While Newhizzle has a backing deal for the entire WSOP, he chose to exclude the H.O.R.S.E. event from that deal because “I don’t want that kind of makeup.” He also noted that despite his self-confidence, he doesn’t feel like a huge favorite in this particular event and wouldn’t want to take a chance on it by buying in directly with a backer’s money. He played two mega satellites last week and was not able to score a seat, but when I told him that there were mega opportunities still available, he immediately called his backer to discuss that option. If he wins a seat, he will play.

The $50K H.O.R.S.E. event is only two days away, and players are considering their options:

A. Buy-in directly with $50,000
B. Find backers but face $50,000 in makeup if they don’t cash
C. Sell pieces of themselves if there are enough takers
D. Play the last-minute mega satellites at $2,250 a pop
E. Sit out of one of the most prestigious events in poker

I chatted with David Singer about his choice, and he is no doubt going with A. The bottom line is that he has been doing well of late. Looking at his Hendon Mob results, he has over $400,000 in live tournament winnings this year alone, and that doesn’t count the Full Tilt online heads-up championship that added another $560,000 to that number. In 2007, he won nearly $1.7 million.

David sees no reason to do anything but plunk down the $50,000 to play. When I suggested that he might not hesitate because he finished sixth each of the two past years in this event, he insisted that is not a factor in his decision. He simply has the money for the buy-in and wouldn’t miss the tournament.

How much should a person have in his or her bankroll to buy in to a $50K event? “Lots,” he said, displaying his wry smile. “You can quote me on that. But say you have a $1 million bankroll, $50K for a one-time event leaves you with $950K. That’s not a bad decision.”

Yeah yeah, I know … this is really Episode 13. But Pauly and I figured this edition about hallway backing deals was a little more timely — we get ahead of ourselves sometimes — and I’m a faster typer than I am a click-and-dragger, so it’s easier for me to explain why the numbers don’t line up than it is to go in and actually change a couple file names, re-upload, click OK a few times … actually, huh, that probably wouldn’t have been too hard, but hey, I’m a busy guy … and we’re no PokerRoad.

Anyhow, a couple days ago, your ToP hosts camped out in the hallway between the Amazon Room, the Satellite Room, and the Payout Cage to discuss some hallway wheelin’ and dealin’, and end up in our own negotiation over a sliver of the action in $50k HORSE; the fine line between Layne Flack’s life coach and Eskimo Clark’s backer, too. Yep, Tao of Pokerati serves up lots for you to chew on in three minutes … but hopefully is giving you a good taste of the real WSOP.

Episode 14: Stakehouse

According to Seth Palansky, Harrah’s Communications Director, the buzz is definitely all about the $50K H.O.R.S.E. event coming up on Wednesday, and pre-registration is up. Technically, I don’t know what that means because official numbers are not being released, but that might be a good sign. Seth isn’t sure if he’d bet on the number going up much from last year…

2006 $50K H.O.R.S.E. - 143 players, $6,864,000 prize pool
2007 $50K H.O.R.S.E. - 148 players, $7,104,000 prize pool

My personal estimation is that the number will rise again. According to the pros I’ve been asking, they all think the number will go up, but no one is willing to give a number. It might be a bit pie-in-the-sky, but with the increased realization that the $50K H.O.R.S.E. is the real gauge of a world champion poker player, along with the wicked prize pool and a greater number of players becoming skilled in mixed games, I’m predicting 175. (Flame away if you must.)

This just in …

Saturday was not the last HORSE mega-sat. Two more have been added. Just now. Suspect it’s a simple matter of WSOP supply meeting demand?

From the WSOP newswire …

Attention Poker Media & Players,

The Rio Poker Team has added 2 special H.O.R.S.E. Mega Satellites to the schedule.

Monday, June 23 & Tuesday, June 24 at 5:00 PM in the Satellite Room at the RIO Convention Center, poker enthusiasts can vie for a seat in the $50,000 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. that begins on Wednesday in the Amazon Room.

For just a $2,250 entry fee, poker players can win their way into the largest buy-in tournament in the country, the World Championship $50,000 H.O.R.S.E.

Details on tournament structure can be found here: http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/tourney/horse-wsop-satellite.asp

I’m really starting to think the main event is going to be pretty huge this year — bigger than last year, just shy of 2006. But perhaps HORSE might be smaller? If so, gives a pretty firm indication of life at the top of the poker pyramid these days. Either way, I think we were just sayin’ something about everybody wanting in … keyword, of course, being wanting, as opposed to actually buying.

The underbuzz at the Rio these days is the upcoming HORSE event. Everybody wants in, but few have the necessary liquid capital bankroll cushion to comfortably do so. The WSOP ran the last $2,250 mega-sat yesterday. These have had some interesting fields … and it was kinda funny late at night to see the last couple tables of a tiny-looking tourney on totally unspecial tables in a hidden corner (right in front of CardPlayer) with a handful of B-level pros … all fighting for $50k for 1st place, $30k for second. $1,500 NL Democratic Conventions are one thing, as our Omaha Hi-Lo bracelet events … but there were some really high-pressure battles amongst some very solid players going on in these attempts to win one’s way into $50k HORSE.

Off the tables, players are shopping around for backers, as very few players have the true bankroll to justify such a big buy-in against arguably the strongest field in the world. Using the most basic bankroll management math, a player should have $5 million put aside just for poker for HORSE to be a no-brainer buy-in. I gotta think there aren’t more than 25 or 30 mixed-game-capable players in the world with the five double-ems in the family BR, yo? Yet we can expect to see probably about 150 runners competing for the Chip Reese title.

CORRECTION: I made a mistake on the podcast when saying a proper poker bankroll for a $50k buy-in is $5 million. Oops, added an extra zero … $500k should suffice.

Recapping last night with a preview of Sunday activities:

In the $1,500 NL holdem event, Jesper Hougaard returned from the dinner break seemingly in better spirits, as he was able to recover from giving up a 6.5-1 chip lead to Cody Slaubaugh to get back to having a very slight chip lead. A single $25,000 chip separated the two when the final hand was played out as Jesper’s QQ (with a 3rd Q on the flop) crushed Cody’s A-10. Hougaard takes home the bracelet and $610,000, while Cody has the consolation of winning $389,128 for finishing 2nd.

The $10,000 Omaha 8 or Better World Championship led to another name being removed from the list of best players to never win a bracelet as David Benyamine won $535,687 and the coveted WSOP bracelet. Greg Jamison finished in 2nd, Mike Matusow finished in 5th, Eugene Katchalov was 6th, while David Chiu ended up in 8th. Benyamine’s win places him only 2 points behind Jacobo Hernandez in the ESPN WSOP Player of the Year race. The announcement that the $50,000 HORSE event later this week will count towards the standings means that plenty of big names are still in the hunt to take down that title.

The final table for today, and other stuff on page 2…

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Happenings from yesterday with a preview of today’s action::

The two final tables yesterday have been covered enough here so on to the day 2 action. The $5,000 NL Holdem final table is now set for this afternoon under the ESPN360 cameras shortly after 2pm.

Seat 1: Anders Henriksson 311,000
Seat 2: Jacobo Fernandez 848,000
Seat 3: Rajesh Vohra 1,040,000
Seat 4: Ben Sprengers 441,000
Seat 5: Adam Geyer 645,000
Seat 6: Scott Freeman 423,000
Seat 7: Scott Seiver 2,512,000
Seat 8: Chuck Sklar 439,000
Seat 9: Dave Seidman 653,000

More after the jump:

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What’s happening at the WSOP while I wonder if the new boss is as same as the old boss…

The only final table yesterday concluded early Thursday, and we finally got a bracelet winner that had won one previously. The $5,000 NL 2-7 KC Lowball w/rebuys event saw Mike Matusow outlasted Jeff Lisandro and the rest of a talented final table, featuring Tom Schneider. Matusow was down to 405,000 in chips with Lisandro and Barry Greenstein had the other 3,100,000 in chips when the dinner break began. Returning from the break definitely appeared to rejuvenate him, as he was on the attack early and often. Eventually, Lisandro eliminated Greenstein, but headsup was mostly controlled by Matusow, until he eventually won when his Q-8 hand beat Lisandro’s Q-9 and Matusow wins his 3rd WSOP bracelet and the $537,000 that came with it.

Final tables for today and other action after the jump:

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Action today that’s not the $5k NL 2-7 KC Lowball tournament:

The $1,500 PLO Event is down to 14 players, Vanessa Selbst is currently the overwhelming chip leader, with over 450k in chips, which is double what 2nd place has. Eugene Todd Bro and Chris Bjorin are the only other recognizable names left.

The $2,000 Limit Holdem event is down to 61 players, with 45 getting paid. Richard Li is chip leader, Daniel Negreanu’s in the top 10. Other recognizable names include Phil Hellmuth, Matt Matros, Thor Hansen, and ESPN announcer Mike Patrick.

The $5,000 NL Holdem Event drew a field of 731 with just under 400 remaining. Michiel Brummelhuis, who had a final table earlier this week is current chip leader. John Hennigan, Eli Elezra, and Gavin Griffin are among those in the top 10.

The $3,000 HORSE event started at 5pm with a field drew a field of 414. Chau Giang appears as current chip leader, Marcel Luske, David Benyamine and Perry Friedman are notable names in the top 10.

More from me in the AM, great stuff from Dan and Jen throughout the evening.

Robert Goldfarb — the Arizona Posse-ite who is, um, due? — is doing double-time as a player and a reporter (without a media credential, no less) … and after some technological snafus, his cell phone is linked up again with Pokerati … so be sure to check in with his P*ttering for some reports from the higher stakes tables.

He’s chronicling his own pursuits, his observations from the tables, and Pat Poels’ already being hard at work trying to win his way into the $50k HORSE event.

There’ve been some slight adjustments to the WSOP sked — not removing any tourneys, just shuffling a few around the $50k HORSE event and the $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw to accommodate TV/filming issues.

World Series of Poker® Announces Changes in 2008 Schedule

LAS VEGAS – February 18, 2008 – Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) said today it is swapping dates for two events at the 2008 World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light.

The $50,000 buy-in World Championship HORSE event, originally scheduled to start at noon on Sunday, June 22, is now set to begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 25. The $2,500 buy-in 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball contest originally scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. June 25 is now set to start at noon on June 22.

The changes were made to enable ESPN to film extensive coverage of the HORSE World Championship. ESPN is expected to begin airing of its coverage of 2008 WSOP action in July.

The 39th edition of the WSOP will run from May 30 through July 16, 2008, and will include 55 bracelet tournaments. Buy-ins for open events will range from $1,000 to $50,000. The buy-in for the Main Event – the No-Limit Hold’Em World Championship – will remain at $10,000. The full event schedule is at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

In poker’s version of retiring a jersey number, the WSOP has officially given the $50k HORSE event some honorary name cachet by making it forever (?) the Chip Reese championship event.

From Harrah’s:

World Series of Poker® To Award Trophy To $50,000 Event Champion
In Memory of Poker Great ‘Chip’ Reese

LAS VEGAS – December 12, 2007 – Future winners of the $50,000 buy-in event at the World Series of Poker – currently the HORSE World Championship – will receive a trophy named after the late David “Chip” Reese, according to Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light.

“A true gentleman and the youngest person admitted to the Poker Hall of Fame, Chip Reese was recognized by his peers as the most successful player in the biggest mixed cash games of all time,” Pollack said. “But he was also a great tournament player with three WSOP bracelets, including one for his historic victory in the inaugural $50,000 buy-in HORSE tournament in 2006.

“As a tribute to this great player who embodied the very best of our game, next year’s $50,000 HORSE World Championship will be played in Chip’s honor and memory,” Pollack said. “And the winner will receive the ‘David “Chip” Reese Award,’ as well as a WSOP bracelet, to commemorate their achievement.”

More information about the World Series of Poker is available at the Web site www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

Hmm, attaching a name to a specific tournament … interesting concept.