LETS VC YOU AT THE SERIES
WSOP NEWS UPDATES
SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?
Good Saturday morning from the Rio, here in sunny Las Vegas where ‘the action never stops.’ For the few of you who haven’t been here yet, this is the side entrance, off the car park, that gets you halfway down infamous ‘the Long Walk’ from the Casino proper to the Amazon Room. Note the fans outside for those who prefer an artificial breeze to the kind that blew down the tent last week.
NICE DAY FOR IT…
Playing today…
The $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Event 27 is scheduled for a noon start local time (8.00pm GMT)
Both the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em and the Seven Stud Hi-Lo final will resume at 3.00pm
The $4,000 H.O.R.S.E event will saddle up at 4.00pm PDT (Midnight GMT)
GOING GOING GONE
The $1,500 No Limit Hold’em got underway without a great deal of fuss, with all the usual suspects in there, save for the few who’re still locked into other events (although that hasn’t stopped some this year…) Considering the size of the field (they even have players sitting down half a mile away in the Rio Poker Room again), Harrahs should be applauded for a smooth operation. We have a few casualties…
Thomas Wahlroos from Finland, Shannon Elizabeth from Hollyweird, Humberto Brenes via Costa Rica and Kirk Morrison (New Zealand or USA…make your own mind up). All eliminated.
An early bird board with a few notables looks like this…
TITBITS
Andy Bloch is wearing the shirt from hell…it must be part of some prop or other. Our camera refused to take the picture…the meter just read ”Are you kidding?”
There are no official numbers out yet but somewhere over 2,600 seems to be the number on everyone’s lips.
SEQUESTRATION
The final table for the webcast has caused lots of complaints. First of all, the players are locked into the playing area and are not allowed to leave without escort for the duration. Up until recently, another problem for the players is that their family and friends aren’t allowed in. The tournament officials made a provision so that the players could bring a couple of friends or family members in with them for support. This is a good thing, though some people have whole posses of support.
The players are searched before going in to ensure that they have no communication devices that may be used to get information. Dutch Boyd made the final table in the 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo event and was livid that he was going to be forced to play in a box. He was talking to Nolan Dalla asking why and how the Rio could make players play under such conditions.
THE BULGARIANS ARE COMING
Europeans (whether English, Swedish, or Dane) dominate the poker community.
However, in all this discussion, a key group are missed: the Bulgarians.
The Bulgarian Poker Alliance is looking to change that. I had a chance to speak with one of their members (Emil Petkov) who said how he thought the nine Bulgarians (that he knew about) coming over the World Series of Poker Main Event would make an impressive showing.
”Also,” he adds, ”I think a key group no one should overlook are the Germans. Poker is getting very big there and with such a large population, that’s a big group to pull from.” (Editors note: One bracelet so far in 2007 - Michael Keiner).
CHAT WITH PRAZ
Had a chance to talk to Praz Bansi outside during a break. Sunny Chatta, another guy over from England, came over to say hello as well.
”So I see you’re still hanging in there, how has it been today?”
”Well today has been really tough, I got involved in a big hand last night right before the end of play where I played a monster pot with 8-2. There was 6,000 in the pot and I made it 5,500 to go just to steal the blinds. Well the big blind moved on me and it was only a little more I was getting like 2-1… it’s a gamble, but I decided to take it.
”I thought there was a re-draw for today, but instead I’m at the table with all the same players. I can see them licking their lips whenever I enter a pot, so I’m going to have to tighten up a bit for now. Hopefully I can pick up a hand… I picked up Aces earlier and everybody passed. I was down to 27,000 at one point but managed to get back up to 70.”
”How has your trip been so far?”
”Oh man I’m running so bad… sooo bad! I’ve been playing cash games over at Bellagio and I’ve just been running terribly. I keep flopping sets and getting outdrawn and it’s awful. Online it’s okay because you move on to the next hand so quickly, but in the live games you have to watch them stack up your chips and you have to count out the hundreds and pass them over. Then you’re just thinking ‘wow that money used to be in front of me just a few seconds ago. Sonny over here has gotten absolutely robbed so many times in this event like four times, so bad.”
At this point Sunny and Praz had a little strategy discussion over their plans for the next level.
”Please don’t print this, I don’t want people knowing how I play, you know?” said Praz. For now, his plans will have to be kept a secret, but we’ll be following to see how it works for him.
NICE DAY FOR A WHITE WEDDING
”Check raise me again honey and it’s divorce!”
Nothing seems to faze newly-weds in Las Vegas. The dinner jackets and ball gowns mingle in the halls with sweaty poker guys dressed to the nines in the shorts, sandals and baseball caps, and no one misses a beat. Who could forget the bride who joined us all out on the Fontana balcony during the WPT Event at Bellagio last year…
An Embassy Regal out on the terrace…perfection!
THE DETAIL
$1,500 No Limit Hold’em - Event 27
The official numbers came through slightly below predictions. Even so 2,315 players competing for a prize pool of $3,159,975 is still extraordinary turnout. 198 players will be in the money, taking home at worst $3,476. The winner will cash $603,069
ELIMINATION - NOT SO BAD…
As Chad Brown, Andy Black, Chris Moneymaker, Mark Seif, Jason Strasser and Victor Ramdin each make their excuses and leave the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em, you might say, “Well, so long…”
But fear not; this is the World Series and elimination from one tournament just means entry into the next; albeit with a longer break for lunch. For anyone following coverage from Las Vegas it doesn’t take a genius to spot the abundance of Hold’em events. If Hold’em is your game and you’re not here, then where the hell are you?
Out now, In later; a $3,000 No Limit event tomorrow at high noon… No luck? Try again six-handed on Monday.
Tuesday brings the gilt edged version of the same, with the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em. If you’re still in a funk then take Wednesday off and come back Thursday at Noon for another $1,500… and so on. You get the picture.
Hold’em is still the form of poker the world plays and organisers are not disturbing the balance.
NICE CALL
Screams and cheers erupted from one of the tables in the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em event. A player was yelling ”NO CLUB… NO CLUB!!!”
The river blanked out and the player started slapping himself on the back. He finally realized he was being a bit of an idiot celebrating in Rolf Slotboom’s face right after eliminating him. The players congratulated the celebration guy on making ‘a hell of a call’. I didn’t see the hand, so I asked Rolf what the heck happened.
”I played a pot with a player who I had played with yesterday, and I knew he was really loose and aggressive. So the hand before that I had just lost a big pot and the next hand I picked up Ace-Five of clubs. This other player knew I was playing really loose and aggressive as well, and I was down to $75,000 or so. He had $90,000 and was in the big blind. I looked down and saw the Ace-Five and pushed in all my chips.
”Well, he was in the big blind and he finally called with the Jack-Ten of diamonds. He knew I was playing really loose and aggressive, but he also should have known that I knew he knew that. So I would have to have at least an Ace to push, even though I will do the same with 8-9 suited sometimes.
”So the flop comes down and he flops a jack as well as a straight draw. There was also one club there for me as well. The turn came a club so I could’ve still caught one to win, but it didn’t come.”
Rolf Slotboom
LARRY VANCE
The dealers at the Rio have been doing their best to get through the series. It seems like some of them don’t have as much experience as they should to be dealing some of these big events. Larry Vance was in the $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament and the rest of the tables were already on break. Larry was finishing up a hand. I walked over to have a look and the dealer was chopping up a pot between Larry and a woman. He was standing there waiting to get his chips back so he could go on break.
The lady said, ”Wait!!” and asked the dealer why he was chopping the pot.
The dealer replied,”He has a seven low.”
”Yeah, but I have a better seven!” she replied. Larry looked over at her hand and realized that she was about to scoop the pot.
”WHAT THE F***!? You said you had a flush! You didn’t say you had a low too!” he said.
”I just forgot to say it,” replied the lady.
”What the f*** that is the sickest thing ever! How could you not tell me you had a low too… You didn’t know?”
”I know how to play this game, I just forgot to say it,” she answered.
”Yeah, you know how to play this game…” said Vance sarcastically as he walked away muttering to himself.
BIG SLICK LOST
Years ago, UK Cardroom Managing legend Roy Houghton used to have a great way of solving dealer errors when cards had been mucked by mistake. He’d move up close to the player who’d lost his cards and ask them to whisper what they were. Roy would then search vigorously through the muck to find them, giving the player the benefit of the doubt.
It seems this fair practice has found its way over to the Rio.
Gossip from the rail reaches us that two players, both holding A/K got it on in the $1,500 event. One of them was all-in but unfortunately, somewhere along the line the dealer had mucked his cards.
The floor was called and the player quietly told the floor his exact two cards and where they were in the muck. No one at the table objected and the cards were brought back into play. The board was dealt and the hand was chopped. Justice prevailed and everyone lived happily ever after.
SCORES ON THE DOORS
Eli Elezra and Scotty Nguyen are head-to-head now in the in the $3,000 Seven Stud Hi-Lo Final. Scotty has around 620,000…Eli fractionally in front on around 800,000. David Sklansky went out in third, Dutch Boyd in fourth and Norway’s Thor Hansen was the first out in eighth place.
In the $2,000 No limit Hold’em, Travis Rice leads the way but with a few familiar faces like Ross Boatman (130,000), Brandon Schaefer (155,000) and Praz Bansi (110,000) each still in there with a shot. Thirty five players remain…the top five look like this…
Over in the H.O.R.S.E event 64 players remain. The likes of John Juanda, Jesse Jones, the in-form Russian Alex Kravchenko, Sam Grizzle, Michael Keiner, Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey lurk in the chasing pack whilst a few other notables are doing their best to get up with the pace… That list would include Cliff ‘Johnny Bax’ Josephy (27,000), Richard Gryko (26,000), Markus Golser (15,000) and Marc Goodwin (14,500). The top five look like this…
And finally, in today’s $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event the players are on a dinner break. Tony Pussy is out in front with over 75,000. A few notables in the field would include…
Eric Froelich (36K)
Alex Jacob (22K)
David Williams (21K)
William Thirsen (16K)
Sigi Stockinger (13K)
Rene Angelil (10K)
Ben Roberts (6K)
Erica Scoenberg (3.5K)
Jennifer Tilly (3K)
Barny Boatman (3K)
SUNNY CHATTHA
Speaking with Sunny Chatta, I asked him to retell to me how he’d gone out of the $2,000 No Limit event; the same event Praz Bansi is still in.
”Well I had the Ace-King of spades and someone in front of me made it $12,000. I made it $50,000 to go, basically committing myself. He called me with pocket Fives and that was it.”
We had discussed the hand earlier, and we both were surprised that someone would be so willing to get that many chips in with just pocket Fives.
”I had been playing kind of like a rock, but I ran into a young gambler,” said Sunny. We’ve seen plenty of that going on.
Sunny Chatta
BEER ME!
The Milwaukee’s Best Lounge is an elevated bar next to the final table. It was packed tonight. It could have something to do with the belligerently drunken heads-up match between Eli Elezra and Scotty Nguyen.
Or, it could be the fact that they’re giving away free beer, and (the reason I suspect it’s so busy) Andy Bloch is serving drinks! Droves of people dying to meet Andy Bloch are up there enjoying free beer. It’s weird, they must be really intimidated because they’re not saying much to Andy. They just get their beers and hurry away.
WHAT A MATCH BABY!!!
Eli Elezra just took down a bracelet in the 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo event. It was possibly the drunkest, rowdiest final table in the history of the World Series of Poker. It was as if it was a race to see who could get drunker just as much as for the bracelet itself.
Several times during the match, a drunken Eli Elezra reached over to look at Scotty’s cards. Scotty rolled with it pretty well begging the servers to cut Eli off and then begging them to cut him off! After that Scotty held up his beer to take a sip and Eli reached out with his half full cup. Scotty laughed and poured some of his beer out into Eli’s cup and they both drank.
It seemed as though the beers were permanently implanted into their palms the entire match, only letting them go to pick up fresh ones.
Eli reached over and knocked over Scotty’s chip stack, something he did on multiple occasions. The stands were pretty empty, but it’s because the observers wanted to be closer to the beer up in the lounge.
As for the secondary attraction - the poker being played - the match started out in Eli’s favour. At one point Scotty pulled back and took over the lead but Eli kept fighting — and drinking.
In the end Eli came out on top, and threw his hands in the air. Scotty looked a little saddened by the loss, but word on the streets is that they made a money deal when the chips were pretty even. Even so, the bracelets are a significant part of why players want to win and there’s no doubt that Scotty is going to wonder what it would’ve felt like to take home another one.
HORSIN AROUND
The H.O.R.S.E. event is in full swing. The field includes a bunch of heavy hitters including Phil Ivey, David Benyamine, Johnny Bax, Daniel Alaei, Bill Gazes, and the man himself, Doyle Brunson.
Doyle was getting moved from one table to another and he gathered up his chips. He took his crutch and started to walk. A few railbirds begged him for an autograph and Doyle said, ”Just one second…” in that Texas drawl that seems so fitting in a poker environment. He ambled over to his new table slowly and carefully using his crutch for support, dropped off his chips at the table and made the trek back to the rail.
Much to their delight, he autographed a magazine and, to a girl in the group, flashed his trademark smile. As he left the girl looked like she might just pass out from excitement and she pulled out her camera and began taking pictures of the legend taking his new seat.
They weren’t the only ones amazed at the sight of good ole’ Doyle. This man was on the phone with a friend, ”Dude, you won’t believe who is sitting RIGHT in front me. Doyle Brunson man!!! Yeah!!! He’s like ten feet away!!!”
It was more like 80 feet away, but who is counting.
ROLL CALL!
Taking a stroll through the $1,500 No Limit tournament it seems like it’s lacking some familiar faces. Alex Jacob is still in. I got there just after he took a brutal beat when is Ace-King went down to his opponents King-Queen. A $24,000 pot that should’ve been scooped in Al’s direction.
Alex Jacob
”It’s okay if you don’t take my picture, I’m a nobody,” laughed a jolly fellow.
I take a lot of pictures everyday and usually only take shots of familiar faces. It’s amazing how often I shoot a picture of a well known player only to bring the camera down from my eye and see eight sad faces wondering why I don’t want a picture of them.
This guy was having a hell of a time though. My camera was running low on batteries, so I only had a few more shots left. I walked over and showed him the blinking battery indicator on the LCD.
”Nah, it’s alright man, I understand you only want pictures people will care to see.”
He was being really nice and laughing up a storm, so here’s you’re picture buddy. By the way, I didn’t catch his name.
Casey Castle is still in it…
SEVEN CARD STUD HI-LOW
A quick recap on the Seven Card Stud Hi-Low event, won by Eli Elezra. Bracelet and beer taken from under the nose of Scotty Nguyen.
KEEPING THE BRITISH END UP
Meanwhile it’s getting tense over in the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em. Within five minutes David Daneshgar and Sam Alshashairo were eliminated leaving just 12 players.
Praz Bansi keeps alive hopes of a European winner, with Richard Toth having his tournament kicked and stomped by opponents’ Aces twice and exiting in 17th place.
Praz lives on as the short stack, but as the field dropped to 12 he had little choice but to move in. With a bold and brave push with Six-Three, Travis Rice called and no doubt thought he had the best of it when he showed King-Nine.
But fortune favours the brave, or the reckless depending on your take and two Threes hit the flop, stripping Travis of a good chunk of chips.
Regardless, Praz is back up to fighting weight.
HAPPY ENDINGS
As far as the H.O.R.S.E. event goes it has officially bolted for John Kabbaj.
When it’s time to move all-in you can do worse than look down at pocket Queens. Things can only look better when your opponent calls with Jack-Six; plain sailing into the money you’d think.
The flop only showed the first signs of the dark thunder clouds on the horizon. Surely they would pass by harmlessly? The Seven on the turn brought them closer though, too close because the Five hit the river sending Kabbaj into a squall and out of the tournament.
Worse for Kabbaj; this made him the bubble boy. Event 26 is into the money. The Englishman heads to the rail with nothing but the thanks of the remaining 24 players.
But just as they squeeze you out, they haul you back in again! Word now is that as Kabbaj went out as another player was doing the same thing, meaning the cheque for 24th place will be split two ways. A few thousand dollars in consolation for John.
GETTING CLOSER
$2,000 No Limit Hold’em
When England’s Martin Green went out we were down to ten players, one table and a re-drew for seats. Martin won $26,667 for the eleventh spot.
Seat 1: Evan Schwartz - 800,000
Seat 2: Justin Rollo - 1,000,000
Seat 3: Darryl Ronconi - 600,000
Seat 4: Adam Ross - 232,000
Seat 5: Ben Ponzio - 330,000
Seat 6: Praz Bansi -545,000
Seat 7: Danny Noam - 474,000
Seat 8: David Hewitt - 405,000
Seat 9: Ken Einiger - 820,000
Seat 10: Travis Rice - 835,000
Prize money…
1 $ 599,467
2 $ 374,216
3 $ 244,566
4 $ 165,008
5 $ 111,970
6 $ 82,504
7 $ 61,878
8 $ 45,672
9 $ 34,770
10 $ 26,667
Praz Bansi raised it up before the flop and got a caller in Travis Rice
Flop 
Travis checked, Praz bet out and Travis called
Turn 
Travis checked, Praz pushed and Travis called instantly with a flopped set of sixes. Praz’s A/3 off-suit was drawing dead. He picks up $26,667 for tenth spot and misses out on the ‘official’ final table.
$2,000 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
Whilst its cheaper cousin wraps up a few rows away, the $2,000 Hold’em bags up for the overnight wait for tomorrow’s final. As reported, Praz Bansi narrowly missed out, leaving a final nine…
HOUNDS OF LOVE
They’re either playing down to a final table today in the H.O.R.S.E event or stopping at 4.00am…whichever comes first. Alexander Jung is out in front with 267,000 but with 22 remaining, the big dogs are out in force, baying at Alexander’s heels.
David Benyamine 132,000
Phil Ivey 121,000
Sam Grizzle 85,000
Bill Gazes 75,000
Gavin Smith 70,000
Daniel Alaei 66,000
Jesse Jones 65,500
Doyle Brunson 46,000
Alex Kravchenko 31,000
Robert Mizrachi 26,500
Low man on the totem pole is Australian legend, Billy ”The Croc” Argyros on 10,000
$1,500 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
The $1,500 No Limit Hold’em comes to a close, with Mike Hewitt taking the overnight lead…
Other notables include…
David Williams
Raymond Davis
Burt Boutin
Scott Wyler
Tim West
J.R. Richards
David Campbell
John White
William Thorsson
Darren Kowalczik
Lee Watkinson
Nam Le
Gary Spitzer
Todd Borowski
Casey Kastle
Tony Pusey
Jim Pechac
Arnold Spee
Seth Weinger
Sigi Stockinger
The day went not so well for others though. Among the event’s eliminations…
Minh Nguyen
Wendeen Eolis
Eric Froehlich
J.C. Tran
Alex Jacob
Bryan Devonshire
John Phan
Ben Roberts
Joe Tehan
James Van Alstyne
Josh Arieh
Captain Tom Franklin
Victor Ramdin
Joe Awada
Jennifer Tilly
Young Phan
Davood Mehrmand
Phil Gordon
Erica Schoenberg
David ‘The Dragon’ Pham
Jason Lester
Chris ”Jesus” Ferguson
Jared Hamby
Joe Sebok
Barry Greenstein
Chris Moneymaker
T.J. Cloutier
Phil Hellmuth
Mark Seif
Michael Binger
Max Pescatori
Andy Black
Jason Strasser
Joseph Bartholdi
Steve Dannenmann
John Gale
Andy Bloch
Kirk Morrison
Humberto Brenes
Thomas Wahlroos
Shannon Elizabeth
$5,000 H.O.R.S.E.
The players came back from the break and a few had certainly come back with a spring in their step and started falling in double time…First Doyle Brunson and Gavin Smith went, then Billy the Croc and Sam Grizzle followed suit. All of a sudden, it looked like all the ‘big names’ were disappearing from the leader board. This continued as Jesse Jones went out in 15th then Benyamine walked in 14tH.
By 4.00am twelve remained and play concluded for the day. They resume at 3.00pm local time with the plan being that they get to a final table by 5.00pm.
Table 55
1: Alex Kravchenko 166,500
2 :Greg Mascio 55,000
3 :Phil Ivey 152,500
4 :Jeff King 100,500
5 :Bill Gazes 76,000
6 :Rick Schwartz 56,000
Table 56
1: Thomas Schultz 145,500
2 :Jeff Campbell 138,000
3 :Ralph Schwartz 350,000
4 :Robert Mizrachi 165,500
5 :Yuebin Guo 218,000
6 :Alexander Jung 297,500
Form guy Alex Kravchenko from Moscow, may well be worth a wager in this one having already got there once this year, winning the Omaha 8 or better bracelet (Alex pic courtesy of ImageMasters).
THAT’S ALL FOLKS
Thanks for staying with us, Back in 8 hours…bright and early.
