LETS VC YOU AT THE SERIES
WSOP NEWS UPDATES
We have, believe it or not, only the four tournaments running today.
Up first for a noon start is Day 1 of the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Event.
STATS OF THE DAY
We wont bore you with a list of who’s in the room today…It’s more of a ”Who’s not in the room today.”
We can though, digress and talk about some ‘Not a lot of people know that’ data from last year while we wait for them to get the cards in the air. Here’goes…
1. Did you know that three players cashed 8 times at last years World Series? Humberto Brenes, Phil Hellmuth and Randy Holland. When Humberto sits down to play today, it’ll be his THIRD final of this 2007 World Series. That’s some record, and he’s not even English!
David Lloyd: ”I taught Humberto everything he knows…although the English isn’t going as well as expected…”
2. And 24 players made a total of five cashes. The most successful of these was Andy Bloch. He won himself $1,117,680 in total.
3. Not only did Jeff Madsen cash four times in 2006 but each was on a final table. Of those four finals, two resulted in a bracelet ($2,000 No-Limit Hold’em and the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em- Short handed 6/table.)
Not a lot of people know that…
LUCK OF THE DRAW
$5,000 No Limit Hold’emA few nasty line-ups have been drawn up in this thing.Table Good; Alex Jacob, David Levi, Andy Black, Joe Cassidy and Amir Vahedi
Table Bad; Gutshot born and bred Roland de Wolfe, Minh “Tha why I don’t say anything” Ly, Paul Wasicka, and Andy Bloch.
Table Ugly; Phil Ivey, Michael Mizrachi, Mark Seif and Dutchman Noah Boeken
Table Butt Ugly; Scotty Nguyen, Barry Greenstein and the legend Billy Baxter.
WHEN IS A RAISE A RAISE?
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
”The Master” Nguyen, facing a $200 bet from a player two to his right–Harry Demetriou sandwiched between the two of them–makes it $700 to go on the turn.
The board is: 
Chau Giang, on the button, pushes out a $1000 chip and a pair of $100 chips.
The original bettor folds and, just as he does, Men asks, ”Is that raise?”
The dealer, not realizing perhaps that Chau hadn’t put out a $500 chip but a $1000 one, says, ”No, he didn’t say raise.”
”It more than half the bet,” Men says. Before the dealer can explain further, Men tells him to call the floor.
As they wait for the floorman, Chau enunciates his opinion on the situation in something that may or may not be English.
”No,” Men corrects, understanding what none of us can. ”You put out more than half bet.”
The floor comes over, hears the situation from the dealer, and says, ”There is no half bet rule in no limit, therefore, since he didn’t say ‘raise,’ it counts as a call.” He starts to walk away but two people speak at the same time.
Harry interjects, ”You’re wrong.”
Men says, ”Call another floor.”
Enter Floorman #2. He hears the story from #1. ”No,” he decides. ”It’s a raise.”
”I don’t think so,” #1 continues.
Here comes #3, who hears the story from #1 and #2. While he listens to them, Men, Harry, and Chau all explain what they think, their voices getting louder and louder.
A fourth floorman might be able to settle this situation, so if one additional floor is good, you would imagine that three more would crack this case in an instant.
The six floor people all discuss. One of them–#4, #5, or #6–tells the three warring individuals, ”Stop talking. If I hear another word from anyone, I’m issuing penalties.”
Thomas Wahlroos, from another table, is listening to Floor #1-6 argue and says, ”It’s a raise. It’s in the rules.”
Penalty-issuing Floor tells Wahlroos, ”Don’t say anything else or you’ll get a penalty too.”
Thomas glares at him but says nothing .
The floor decides that the $1200 counts as a raise.
Chau is furious. I don’t know what he’s saying but he’s angry.
Men tells him he’s wrong.
Harry says Chau is right.
”Stop!” the same floor yells. ”The next person who talks–just stop! You won’t like the results. I’m walking away but the dealer will tell me if this continues and, if it does, there will be penalties.”
I want to ask what those penalties are but I don’t want to risk getting a penalty myself, especially when one member of our team will be doing today after partying all night after his boy won the Limit Championship bracelet last night.
After the floor vacate the scene, silence reigns over this once-stormy table. Men tosses out another $2,500.
Chau picks his hand up enough so I can see it–pocket Eights–but then he mucks.
F-Bomb Rules
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
”How does this F-bomb rule work?” Phil ”The Unabomber” Laak asks a floorman.
”You cannot say the F-bomb; if you do and someone hears it, you’ll get the penalty.”
”No,” Phil corrects, ”I thought I heard that the F-bomb only counts if you say it at someone: like I can say the F-bomb whenever I want out of frustration or whatever and it’s fine, but if I say ‘F-bomb you!” at a player or say ‘You’re an F-bombing moron’ at a player, then I’m in trouble.”
”No F-bombs in any fashion.”
”That’s not what I think I heard.”
”Just don’t say it,” the floorman says and walks away. As he passes me, he shakes his head as this isn’t the type of questions he thought he’d get first thing in the next tourney.
”I think I can say the F-bomb,” Phil continues once he leaves, ”but it’s all about context. Maybe I’ll ask another floor.”
HUMBERTO WATCH
$2,500 No Limit Hold’em FinalAt the start of play the line-up looked like this…
Humberto has been busy moving up the rankings, so too has John Phan but ElkY Grospellier went out in ninth when he made a move with…
but found Davin Porter calling quickly with Ace/Jack. A deuce came on the turn for the Frenchman but an ace on fifth street sent ElkY home in 9th place for just over $29,000.
Talking of streets…Word on them, is that there’s a bounty out on Humberto’s ‘CHAHRK’ Not sure if it’s a full blown hit or just your regular kidnapping but the going rate is currently twenty bucks. Any takers?
Somewhere in a parallel universe, there’s a shark playing poker with a mini Humberto on top of the stack.
INTRODUCING BRANDI HAWBAKER - AS IF SHE NEEDS ONE
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
If you’re like the rest of the poker community, your first priority is to get online poker back on track; your second priority is to find out all you can about Brandi Hawbaker.
If you’re one of the few people in our world that doesn’t yet know everything and anything about Ms. Hawbaker, consider this your introduction to this soon-to-be iconic drama queen with some of her well-known quotes:
”I have been highly misrepresented online as to whom I am as a person. Nothing I can say will change that… Perhaps it is the wine or the half a Xanax.”
”I excel at every game. (One of the only other women who can say the same thing is Jennifer Harman.)”
”I understand and know all the percentages. I played the $1500 event and knew that I was a 76% favorite with my AK suited, all money in preflop. I am going to be a fierce competitor at this year’s WSOP.”
”I will be putting my chips in with the best of it and will not need to get lucky. In fact, the only thing that can stop me is if I get unlucky. Before the flop, I will be on average around a 75-95% favorite on every hand I go all in with.”
You read it here first: expect Brandi’s beauty to entice her opponent to call her all-ins with their King-Twos versus her pocket Kings and other such scenarios. Only the mythical Seven-Two-Two flops can stop her from becoming this year’s Jeff Madsen.
WHAT YOU EAT WHEN YOU ARE THE CHAMP
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
News Flash: blueberries are out; wraps are in.
WILL YOU STILL NEED ME, WILL YOU STILL FEED ME?
Event 22 – No Limit Hold’em641 players entered today’s $5,000 event bringing with them a prize pool of over $3 million. Player sixty four will be the bubble boy…or girl.
IT IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, BABY
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
”I’m sorry to ask this,” the dealer asks Scotty Nguyen who is sitting to her immediate right in the ten seat. ”If you don’t want to, I’ll understand, but I’d love to have a picture with you.”
”Sure, baby, Scotty can do.”
”Great. Thanks.”
The hand completed–she did manage to give the pot to the appropriate person–she pulls a disposable camera (I didn’t know they still made them) from her fanny pack, hands it to the number five seat, and asks if he would mind snapping one off.
He obliges and Scotty wraps his arm around the dealer and gives a huge smile. Fortunately, the floor people don’t see these shenanigans…and life goes harmlessly on.
Again, though, there’s a price you pay to play this game–or to have recognition and a memory that’ll last a lifetime beyond the now.
IS THERE ANYTHING WORSE?
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
”I love that episode,” Clonie Gowen says to John D’Agostino.
”Don’t remind me,” he answers, looking down at the table.
”No, it’s terrific,” she continues. ”Any time any of my friends wants to start playing poker, I send them a tape of that show. That way, they know what not to do.”
”Thanks,” he says, thinking about how he’s ten times the player she’ll ever be or has ever been and how cruel life is to make him suffer the trials and agony of being mocked by one of the most overrated ladies of poker.
The next hand is dealt and after it’s folded to John, I don’t even know if he looked at his cards, but he says, ”I’m so pissed.” He fires out a raise of four times the big blind and everyone folds off their hands, letting him off the hook for a possible tilt.
What show was Clonie talking about? I don’t know yet, but I will find out.
ADVENTURES IN CALL-INDUCING
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
Chris Ferguson folds his under-the-gun hand and stares down at the table.
His neighbor (Scott Seiver) to his left in the three seat decides to strike up a conversation. ”I heard the best bust-out story yesterday from the Shoot-out.”
Chris turns his attention and lets the kid continue.
”So it’s three-handed and one of the guys tells me after how he busted himself out.”
”How so?” Chris asks.
”He made a big raise, like twenty-five big blinds, pushing himself all in. The guy in the big blind, this old guy, has him covered.”
”So the old guy is thinking about calling so the guy who went in starts flapping his wing, clucking like a chicken. The old guy says, ‘No one calls me a chicken!’ and calls with an Ace-Seven offsuit. The kid has pocket Jacks. Running Sevens on the turn and river knock him out and he figured the guy wouldn’t've called if he hadn’t started doing the chicken dance.”
Ferguson takes a moment to appreciate the story and then he erupts with laughter, giggling like a schoolgirl getting tickled.
Everyone is shocked, as this isn’t the understated poker legend. And here he is, howling.
I never knew he knew how.
GAMBLING IS LEGAL IN LAS VEGAS
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
On a two-toned board, it has been checked by the early position player as well as David Benyamine in middle position. Minh Ly, last to act, bets the pot. Now the early position player goes all-in for about twelve times that amount.
David calls and it’s back to Minh. This will put him all-in as well. After about three minutes, Minh folds, showing the suited Queen-Jack that gave him not only a couple of overcards, but the flush draw.
As he shows his cards, Sam Grizzle returns to the table. ”This hand still going on?” he asks me. ”I went to the bathroom, ate a sammich, and went to the bathroom again. And it’s still going on?”
”Yeah,” I answer him as he goes back to his seat. ”Great laydown, Minh,” he says before the hands are revealed. ”Tough to throw away Queen-high there.” Then he says to another player, ”I’d throw away the Ace-King of Diamonds there”–the flop had two Diamonds–”I ain’t stupid enough to call off a bunch of my chips to gamble.”
The players show their hands: the first has the top pair and David Benyamine has the King-high flush draw. David glares at Sam as the implication was that he shouldn’t've called off that many chips–about a quarter of his stack–on the hand.
”I ain’t here to gamble,” Sam repeats to no one in particular. ”I’m here to make money.”
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?
Event 22: No Limit Hold ‘em
Clonie Gowen raises Chris Ferguson’s big blind from late position. Everyone folds except Chris.
Ferguson checks the flop, Clonie bets $2500 into the $3000 pot, and after ten seconds he makes it $12,500 to go.
She smiles at him and says she knew she should’ve checked the flop.
Phil Laak, who has just been moved to this table and is sitting to Chris’ immediate left, starts laughing.
Clonie folds and asks why he’s amused.
”Because,” he answers, ”as soon as you smiled at him I think I caught a little twitch in his grin. He hasn’t given nothing away in five years and I think I saw something and it made me think he was winning the hand. I don’t know, maybe I didn’t see it.”
No one questions the Unabomber’s madness.
SPECIAL AWARD
After searching the thousands of tourney players, spectators, and staff, it is with great pleasure that we present:
Wednesday, June 13, 2007’s World Series of Poker
”How Often Did You Get Carded?” Award To:
21? Noooooo!
WE HAVE A WINNER
No second bracelet for Greg Raymer here today. The Fossilman will have to cuddle up to the $33,698 tonight instead of that all important bit of wrist-ware. This was his second final of this year’s WSOP and his third cash.Eventual winner was the 26 year-old pro from Phoenix, Arizona.
Born in San Francisco, Ryan had been a student at Arizona State University before opting out of college degree to pursue a career in poker. This was his sixth cash at the World Series, his best finish prior to today’s win was ninth place in an Omaha-High-Low event.
JEUX SANS FRONTIERS
Francois Safieddine, a thirty three year old nightclub owner (he owns three, the swine) from Denver, Colorado started the day low on the totem pole but fought his way through to his first bracelet.
Safieddine, originally from the Lebanon, is fluent in English, French and Lebanese which comes in handy at a final table populated by players from Belarus, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France and the USA. He didn’t get to decipher Humberto’s Ricanish but hell, who does. He knows what a CHAHRK looks like when he sees one and was likely pleased to see Humberto go out early in seventh place.Runner-up, John ”the Razor” Phan is currently in one of those ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride phases’ of his WSOP poker career (An albatross many have carried), missing out on a bracelet last year in a head to head with Jon Friedberg. This was Phan’s second final table of this series.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
This one was played behind the sheets, for the cameras and time delay broadcast.
It wasn’t the fairytale ‘Negreanu and Lindgren going at it hammer and tongs over the final table’ ending that some had banked on. Even Fred Goldberg went out with a whisper in ninth place. It was left to Don Baruch and Jared Davis to fight it out in a head to head in a battle where Baruch always held the chip lead.This looks to be Don Baruch’s first cash ANYWHERE. We’ve looked and there are no records. He could be an alien…we’ll keep you posted.
MY OLD MAN’S A DUSTIN
$5,000 No Limit Hold’em
We’re all done. We’re not sure if Dustin Dirksen wears ‘Gawd Blimey Trousers’ but it’s nice think that he might do.
Nice to see Tex Barch, Main Event finalist when Hachem won in 2005 hot on Dustin’s heels along with two of the best female players in the world sitting well in third and fourth, although how that geezer from Coldplay got this far is a mystery to everyone.
Harry Demetriou was the last faller of the day after flopping a set of Aces on the last hand. The opponent was funking for 8 outs having flopped the straight draw. One of them came and Harry was gone.
We’ll close up the day with the top 20…
Tony G looking Rockyesque here…Or is it ‘Taxi Driver’ ? ”Are You looking at G?”
David Benyamine - man on a mission
We’ll be keeping an extra special eye on Ross Boatman, Alex Jacob and Ben Roberts tomorrow so stay tuned. A few other notables left in the field might look like this…
Berry Johnston, 57,000
Peter Gould 52,000
Phil Laak 52,000
David ”The Dragon” Pham 43,000
Mike Sexton 42,000
Eric Froehlich 34,000
Jan Von Halle 29,000
Mark Gregorich 28,000
Nick Schulman 28000
Cliff ”JohnnyBax” Josephy 26,000
Robert Mizrachi 24,000
Toto Leonidas 22,000
Jeff Cabanillas 13,500
Alan Goehring 11,000
Gong but not forgotten….Look, we said it was all about ”Who’s NOT in this event” so just this once we’ll labour the point…
Amir Vahedi
Andrew Black
Andy Bloch
Anna Wroblewski
Annie Duke
Antonio Esfandiari
Barry Greenstein
Bill Chen
Bill Gazes
Billy Baxter
Brandi Hawbaker
Brandon Schaefer
Chad Brown
Chau Giang
Chip Reese
Chris ”Jesus” Ferguson
Clonie Gowen
Cyndy Violette
Dario Minieri
Darrell ”Gigabet” Dicken
David Williams
David ”Devilfish” Ulliott
David Chiu
Dutch Boyd
Eli Elezra
Eric Molina
Erica Schoenberg
Erik Seidel
Freedy Deeb
Gavin Smith
Greg ”FBT” Mueller
Howard Lederer
Isabelle Mercier
J.C. Tran
Jim McManus
James Van Alstyne
Jamie Gold
Jason Lester
Jean-Robert Bellande
Jeff Lisandro
Jeff Madsen
Jeff Shulman
Jim Bechtel
Joe Awada
Joe Sebok
Joe Tehan
John D’Agostino
John Juanda
Johnny Chan
Jon ”Pearljammer” Turner
Jon Friedberg
Justin ”ZeeJustin” Bonomo
Katja Thater
Kenna James
Kido Pham
Kirk Morrison
Larry Jacobs
Layne Flack
Lee Watkinson
Marco Traniello
Mark Vos
Mary Jones
Men ”The Master” Nguyen
Miami John Cernuto
Michael Mizrachi
Mike Matusow
Mimi Tran
Minh Ly
Nam Le
Noah Boeken
Patrik Antonius
Paul Wasicka
Paul Wolfe
Phil Ivey
Randy Holland
Rene Angelil
Richard Brodie
Roland de Wolfe
Sam Farha
Sam Grizzle
Scott Fischman
Scotty Nguyen
Sorel ”Imper1um” Mizzi
Steve Dannenmann
Thomas Wahlroos
Todd Brunson
Tony Cousineau
Tony Ma
Vanessa Rousso
Young Phan
ALL Eliminated!
Goodnight - Good Morning from the Rio…See you all tomorrow.
