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Nick Schulman
Photo: WSOP.com
Viacheslav Zhukov $330,277 – Event #58 $3,000 PLO/8
Dominik Nitsche $654,797 – Event #59 $1,000 NLHE
Nick Schulman $294,321 – Event #60 2-7 NL Lowball
Things are underway in the WSOP Main Event when players rolled into the Amazon and Pavilion Rooms on Saturday for Day 1A. We witnessed the usual crush of players standing just outside the locked doors begging security to let them in, especially when they saw me sneak in with WhoJedi. The smart veteran stays out of the way as the mass of dead money run toward their tables with 15 minutes, and a Jack Effel speech, before the cards actually fly.
1,066 players registered for Day 1A, and while the WSOP staff played it up like an increase, those numbers are skewed when you take one less starting day into account. I was surprised when I walked into the Pavilion and found it void of Main Event players and only one section in Brasilia in use. Fully expect the next two days to pick the numbers back up with Day 1B already showing more players and Day 1C will be even bigger.
Doubtful this year will top the 6,865 players in the 2011 Main Event, but 6k will be a nice number one year after the DoJ indictments and online poker shutdown.
The biggest surprise of the day was Phil Hellmuth showing up practically on time without his normal, ridiculous spectacle entry. A few hours later, Phil Hellmuth was also quietly walking out of the Amazon Room after busting.
Amazon Room at the start of WSOP 2012 Main Event Day 1A
In other WSOP news, Nick Schulman won his 2nd WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 2-7 Lowball No Limit tournament (both of his bracelets coming in the same event, first in 2009) over an impressive final table. John Juanda seems to like the game as well, making the final table of this event for the 4th year in a row. Schulman beat Mike Wattel heads up for the win and $294,321.
You can file the last $1,000 NLH event of the summer under “Something New Every Day”. Usually events go longer than the schedule due to hard stop times and exhaustion. This $1k had multiple starting days and was schedule to play down to the final table Saturday evening with the players returning Sunday for the final table. Instead the 50 other players managed to dust off their stacks to German Dominik Nitsche a full day early. The young pro picked up $654,797 and the final bracelet before the November Nine.
Link Dump
Tweet of the Day – Ashton Griffin states something in 140 characters that a lot of poker players don’t understand.
The hardest part about poker is detaching yourself from the value of money without becoming a sociopath away from the table.
— Ashton Griffin (@arfarfhowl) July 7, 2012
Kevin Pollak Talks About Playing in the 2012 WSOP – Actor Kevin Pollach took his seat on Day 1A of the Main Event and Julio Rodriguez caught up with him for an interview. No word if he did the entire interview using the voice of Christopher Walken.
Scandal just part of the deal at WSOP – The most annoying WSOP article I’ve read this summer. Not sure if the author understands the WSOP or has spent much time around the Rio. I certainly know a lot of players interested in the ongoing FTP/Stars/UB saga.
Main Event Snapshot with Tatjana Pasalic – Tatjana showed up in a cat suit costume for Day 1A, to the delight of her tablemates and every photographer in the room. Ray Ramona just doesn’t generate that kind of buzz. Or SEO value.
