11 Stories You Should Know if You’re Just Getting into the WSOP
Maybe you’re kinda like me (or not) and just getting into the 2013 Stanley Cup World Series of Poker? It’s a long haul, sure, but know the basics of these stories and you can feel confident about having a pretty good grasp on how the deal has gone down at the WSOP this summer, and at least won’t sound like a total poker dunce while hosting your next weekly homegame and/or podcast.
1. Chad Holloway Wins
Whoop-whoop all PokerNews-er-ati! Suck it dealers and floor staff! With Chad’s $85k win in Event #1 comes a) proof that just a few years in poker media can make a clean-cut golden boy look disheveled and scruffy … and b) inspiration for many wearing a badge to think that maybe we shouldn’t give up our on-the-felt dreams just quite yet. [ESPN]
2. Really Long Heads-up Match
That was the story. Basebaldy vs. that other guy … Matt Waxman, for like 7 hours. Solid, grueling slug-fest, with flashes of excitement. Like Larry Holmes vs. Ken Norton in Las Vegas 35 years ago almost to the day. [Source: PokerNews]
3. Total Donkey Wins 8-game Mix
That’s not our take, it was his, when Michael Malm acknowledged he really was a luckbox who barely understood half the games, and neither his opponents nor his rail have begged to differ. Testament that even in the $2,500 8-game Mix, anyone can win. [Oops I Won Too Much Money?]
4. Millionaire Maker Draws Monster Field
No surprise the masses will flock to an event like this … a memorable tournament name + an old-school WPT-style, uber-top-heavy prize pool = Voila! The biggest one-day tournament field ever. Beautiful way for the WSOP to add to its numbers, but moving forward the real question becomes: will the Slots event be an even bigger success? totalrewards.com/millionairemaker
5. Matusow Wins
Everybody wants to be like Mike — well-loved, properly medicated, and ticklishly messed in the head … but hey, it’s all about mental preparation, and that’s why Mike Matusow is letting the new poker era know he’s still for real as ever. Bracelet #4 for Mike (in four different game variants) and a nice-and-happy $266k.
6. Huge Rio Daily Deepstacks #s
Like really huge. They were getting fields over 1,000 strong on a Tuesday … and there seems to be no turning back. A comfortably speedy blind structure and 5-figure payouts for a few hundred bucks seems to be the key. Kinda funny because that’s what worked for the Venetian way back when the WSOP decided to capitalize on the same trend. [Details from 2+2 (which seems to be this sorta event’s ideal customer)] NOTE: The 2pm tourney is now at 3pm for all days, I believe.
7. Donkeybomber Wins!?!
This one means more than his first two (some six years ago, yikes!) because if longtime Pokerati friend and mascot Tom Schneider didn’t take this one down, he’d face another year of telling people this is his year, only to discover no, it really wasn’t. Winning the $1,500 HORSE was no easy feat, either, with 7 bracelets among 4 of the 8 final tableists … but in the end, he kept Julie semi-quiet and brought home $280k. [Dave covered the FT for Bluff]
8. WSOP.com Signing People Up
I happen to know firsthand that signing up for a new account at the Rio is the way to go, via pretty girls running around with iPads, because if you do it that way, in the hallway or Lambada Room, there’s an extra freeroll and other perks in it for you. Coincidence that as WSOP.com started signing up future players, Ultimate Poker started signing up pros? [WSOP.com on Facebook]
9. OMG, Canada!
With 6 bracelets and even more final tables after 20 events, the Canucks are cleaning up disproportionally at this year’s WSOP, or at least through the first period. [PokerListings]
10. And there was a movie, Bet Raise Fold
Remember Boom? That was the original title. The story of online poker as seen through the eyes of online poker players. I ended up on the cutting room, but Stu made multiple appearances, as did Pauly … and even though they couldn’t make it for the bitchin’ premiere party, neither could Howard Lederer nor Chris Ferguson, both of whom had slightly more prominent roles. [BetRaiseFoldMovie.com]
11. Stump the Kevmath
Kevin Mathers seems to be on something of a tear this WSOP — the kinda thing movies, if not legends, are made of. Check out Stump the Kevmath. While the numbers game in play is vintage KevMath in all his glory, who knew he could be such a camera whore? All of Bluff’s video coverage is pretty dern good so you might wanna bookmark their whole YouTube channel.
