LETS VC YOU AT THE SERIES
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In the long run there’s no luck in poker, but the short run is a hell of a lot longer than most people know. Welcome to Day 17 of the 37th World Series of Poker at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. One seat here…
Playing today…
First on the menu today is the $3,000 No Limit Hold’em event. The buy-in seems like an attractive price, just enough to attract the value, and just enough to keep the riff-raff out. Cards will be in the air at some time close to noon, local time.
DON’T MIND ME BABY, I’M JUST KILLING TIME
From the Vaults…a little walk down memory lane whilst we’re waiting for the shuffle up and deal thing.
A big hi from us to a 14 year-old Matt Savage on the left.
After Greg Raymer won the $5 million at what they used to call Binions World Series of Poker in 2004, his wife wife Cheryl pleaded with him to get rid of his battered old watch and replace it with something more elegant. Raymer obliged her, in a manner of speaking. He bought an elegant new watch on a trip to Paris.
The price tag? $80.
TWO GIRLS - ONE STORY
Walking from my room this morning, I almost trip over a little girl laying on the ground playing with her dolls.
”Sorry,” I say, stepping around her. Then, not noticing any parental supervision around, I ask, ”Where are your parents?”
”Fighting,” she replies. ”My daddy didn’t do well in the poker thing and mommy wants to go home.”
”Oh,” I say. ”I’m sorry to hear that. Well, have a nice day.” I head over to The Rio.
Not even a half hour later, in the main hallway sauntering towards my turn for the media room, I bump into — and almost knock over — another young girl, this one maybe eight whereas the other was six or seven.
”Sorry,” I say again.
Her mother comes up and apologizes for her daughter.
”No problem. Have fun today.”
”Yeah, a lot of fun with my husband losing his money to you people.”
”I’m not in the tournament,” I correct. I point towards my badge.
”I saw it and you’re part of the whole show. And my family is giving money to it which, in part, goes to you.”
I don’t know what to say so I continue on to the media room, a muffin singing its sweet blueberry song through the oxygenated air.
LAND OF THE FREE - THE BRAVE STAY HOME
2004 World Champion Greg ”Fossilman” Raymer has entered the building, followed by comedy legend Norm MacDonald.
”So he won’t even come to the States?” Norm asks.
”They won’t let him,” Greg replies. ”With the legal quagmire around online poker, PokerStars won’t let him travel here.”
They continue on, looking for their respective tables in this sea of wannabes and never-gonna-bes.
TWO POKER GENIUSES
Event 28: No Limit Hold ‘em
With the event starting at noon, some tables are missing a few people who are doing their best Phil Hellmuth impersonation.
At one table, there are only two players. As the hands are dealt out, one player says to the other that they should take turns stealing the blinds.
”But what if I have a good hand?”
”It doesn’t matter, if we just take turns stealing the blinds, it’ll work out better.”
Collusion ahoy!
FIGHTING OVER RIO REAL ESTATE
”Isn’t this nine-seated?” Joe Awada asks the dealer.
”Yes.”
”Then why am I sitting here?”
”Where, sir?”
”I’m in the five seat, so I shouldn’t be more to the right of the table, but I should be in the middle, squared off on the box.”
”You’re right, sir.”
”Can you fix the table? I’m not sitting where I’m supposed to be sitting.”
SHANNON ELIZABETH
One of the players on Shannon Elizabeth’s table hops off the table after folding, snaps open his cell phone, and speed-dials away. ”Dude,” he says into the receiver. ”I’ve got Shannon Elizabeth at my table.”
He hangs up and gets back to his seat.
Five minutes later, another guy after folding goes through the same exercise.
In the next half hour, a total of five players call various friends to tell them they’re at the table with Shannon Elizabeth. I’ve never seen this for any other player.
I guess because Tony G is pretty…just not that pretty.
BRANDI LAYS DOWN TOP TWO
”Hey come on, show the bluff! Show the bluff. I folded two pair,” said Brandi. Jeff Madsen mumbled something that made Brandi shoot him the stink eye.
”Don’t worry you’re going to double me up soon,” continued Brandi mean muggin Jeff.
A DAY WITH U2 FLOORMEN
”It’s a beautiful day,” a floorman says to another one.
”How so?” the second asks.
”Think about it: what more do you want from a day? We’re in the air-conditioning, we’re watching poker” — he turns and points at one of the plasma televisions — ”we’re watching golf, there’s pretty ladies and plenty of action. Plus, it’s Father’s Day and I’ve got a $100 bet with John that I’m sure to win.”
ROLF LOWERS THE BOOM
After raising pre-flop, European sensation Rolf Slotboom is called by the big blind.
The flop of 
is checked to Rolf, he bets half the pot, and is called.
The 
is also checked to him, he produces another half-pot-sized bet, and keeps his customer.
The dealer spikes an 
on the river. The big blind knuckles the table.
”I think that killed me,” Rolf says. ”I check.”
The big blind turns over pocket Nines.
After a moment, seeing there is no 
Rolf turns over his pocket Tens, sans the 
.
He smiles, thinking that Omaha is still a more fun game.
ONE MINUS ONE EQUALS THREE
Bill ”Stop Calling Me William” Chen posts his $25 small blind via a $100 black chip. The dealer makes change from a player, tossing him back three greens and leaving one in the small blind.
”Why did I get three back?” he asks the dealer, who doesn’t know how to reply to the mathematical icon. ”Oh, I get it, never mind.”
A few hands later, after a hand is checked to the river, he shows just one card (an Eight which paired the river) and gets his opponent to muck.
”I need to see both cards, sir,” the dealer says.
”He mucked,” Bill replies.
”I still need to see both.”
Bill takes the over card, leans over the table, and turns it face-up in front of the dealer. In the process of doing this, the back of his shirt rides up and his pants almost fall off, becoming impromptu low-riders.
Having seen enough, I walk away.
No, I saw too much.
POKER IS FUN FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT JEFF LISANDRO
Event 26: No Limit Hold ‘em
”How much you have left?” Jeff Lisandro asks.
”$3700 or so,” his opponent replies.
With a Queen - Jack - Nine - Eight rainbow board, Jeff pushes his remaining $3500 chips into the $5000-plus pot.
His opponent doesn’t take a second to think, shoving in his chips in Phil Hellmuth fashion.
Lisandro shakes his head, upset despite getting a ferocious massage from one of The Rio’s finest and fittest.
He turns over Ace-King and his opponent has Queen-Jack.
”You called?” Lisandro asks after seeing that two pair took no hesitation.
”Yeah, I didn’t think you had a set, so my two pair is the nuts. I put you on Aces or Kings, not Eights or Sixes.”
”What about the straight?” someone else at the table asks.
”What straight?” He looks at the board. ”Oh, I didn’t see that the turn was a Nine.”
No help comes from Lisandro and he’s out, thanks to the lack of a Ten on the river and an opponent not savvy enough to think of anything beyond his own hand’s strength.
$2,000 NO LIMIT HOLDEM
The final is underway with just Darryl Ronconi eliminated. At present the situation looks like this…
$5,000 H.O.R.S.E.
Over in the HORSE event and Phil Ivey, hand picking the events he plays it seems, leads with seven players left…
$1,500 NO LIMIT HOLDEM
In the Hold’em event that started yesterday, Scott Yellen leads over Tom Dobrillovic…
ROLL CALL!!!
David Colclough
Jen Harman
$3,000 NO LIMIT HOLDEM
In the other Hold’em event, Shane Schleger, ‘Shaniac’ to intimates, is ahead of Norm MacDonald and Evelyn Ng…
IMPOSSIBLE FLEXIBILITY
Walking to the back of the tournament room, waiting for the break to be over, a masseuse is stretching backwards, her hands waterfalling up and over her nimble frame and touching the floor.
Amazed, we walk over.
”I’ve got to stretch,” she says. ”All day I do this” — she bends out her elbows, digging them into an invisible patron — ”and if I don’t stretch out, I cannot finish a shift.”
Gutshot Photographer Extraordinaire Jen snaps off a few photos of the exercises while I comment how I’ve never had a good massage: they’re either boring or painful and I never feel better after.
TALK BIG - WIN BIG
Event 28: No Limit Hold ‘em
2006 World Champion Jamie Gold has just bet $1500 into a $2000 pot and his opponent doesn’t know what to do.
”You know I have an Ace,” Jamie says, ‘’so don’t call if you can’t beat it.”
The board is Ace - Queen - Jack - Nine - Seven and his opponent calls off a quarter of his stack and cannot beat Jamie’s aforementioned Ace-rag.
Stacking up the pot, Jamie asks, ”why did you call me? I told you I had the Ace.”
”I figured you would lie this year since you told the truth last year.”
”C’mon, why would I change? Didn’t it work out okay for me then?”
I guess it did, Jamie; I guess it did.
I look at Jamie and I try to figure out if he is staring back at me, he notices I am staring.
”Those glasses are so reflective,” I say.
”It’s just a vain attempt to get people to just not talk to me for one day,” he replies.
DANCE, MAGICIAN, DANCE
Event 28: No Limit Hold ‘em
It’s been said before but it’s nevertheless applicable: poker isn’t the same game that it was a yesterday, never mind a year ago.
”I think I’ve got you,” a player says to Antonio ”The Magician” Esfandiari after Antonio bets $1000 into a $1300 pot on the river.
The board is Queen - Queen - Jack - Nine - Four with three Diamonds.
”I don’t think you do,” Antonio replies.
”If I fold, will you show?”
”No.”
”How about this: if you do one of your chip tricks, I’ll fold.”
Antonio grabs a stack of chips, whips them around, and them splays them out with a chip between all of his fingers as he’s done on countless shows.
He then does the anti-gravity trick where he cups the chip in his hand and flexes in such a way that the chip shoots up into the air, caught by his other hand.
”Good enough?” Antonio asks.
”Yeah, I call,” the guy says, breaking his word and flipping up King-Jack before Antonio can do anything.
”Wow, that’s brutal,” Antonio replies. ”After you ask me to do you a favor you play me like that?”
”I could tell you were bluffing.”
”I’m sure you could.”
Antonio turns his hand, only one card showing: the Jack.
A moment later, he pulls his next trick: he has an Ace kicker.
DAVID TUCHMAN DOMINATES
Event 28: No Limit Hold ‘em
”Live at the Bike,” one of the best, if not the best, poker shows of all time, had a successful run online due to its two talented hosts, Bart Hanson and David Tuchman.
This dynamic duo of broadcasting aren’t just talented and swell guys but they’re also world-class poker players.
David was nice enough to take a few moments with me between hands at this big no limit event.
David Tuchman (left) Shaniac (terrified)
”Barron, could you tell the announcers to shut up already?”
”Why?” I ask.
”Don’t you hear them? They keep yelling out stuff for the Razz event. I mean, c’mon, I know those Razz guys are old, but enough’s enough.”
A moment later, a waitress comes by, except she isn’t soliciting drink orders (”water? coffee? red bull?”) but she has the odd medley of candy, cigarettes, and flowers.
”You want anything, David,” I say. ”It’s on me.”
”I’m all set.”
”Really, I’ll buy you some flowers if you want.”
”It’s okay. What are you writing about today?”
”All sorts of shenanigans. I’m thinking about interviewing everyone on your table and asking them what it’s like to be on the table with Broadcasting Legend David Tuchman and if that is too intimidating for them.”
Mimi Tran, two to David’s right, glares at me as she didn’t want me to let David know how scared she was of his skills.
”Hold up, let me play my big blind.”
He sits down and everyone folds, including Mimi on the button and the small blind.
”Wow,” he says, ”I guess you were right.”
I CALL
Event 28: No Limit Hold ‘em
After four limpers, 2006 Rookie of the Year Jeff Madsen pushes all his chips into the pot for a huge raise.
”C’mon, God,” Phil ”The Unabomber” Laak shrieks from his immediate left, ”deliver me the truth!” He looks at his cards, shakes his head, says ”Not today, kid,” to Jeff, and he folds. ”Maybe next time, Doctor Madsen.”
A few hands later, Phil asks ”You called that, kid?” after the big blind called off his whole stack when his opponent went all-in from the small blind. Neither player was short-stacked, both with more than enough room to operate.
The flop has already been revealed (Ace-King-Jack).
The small blind went all-in preflop with an Ace-rag offsuit.
The big blind called with a suited Queen-Ten, spiking the nuts, his opponent drawing to a runner-runner boat or chop.
”It’s the year of the call,” Phil says to Jeff. ”2007 is the year of the call.”
”True,” Jeff replies.
”These young kids, I’m telling you, they know how to do it,” Phil continues. ”They know how to make those big calls.”
Laak starts laughing.
”2007: the year of the call. 2006 was the year of the value bet; 2005 was the year of the check-raise; 2004 was the year of the limp; 2003 was the year of the–”
”What was 2006?” Jeff asks.
”The year of the value bet. Don’t you remember, kid? It was all about the value bet.”
”You’re right.”
”Of course I’m right. Value bets everywhere, just like the year before was all kinds of check-raising tomfoolery. You couldn’t buy a pot to save your life because as soon as someone checked and you tried to make a move to pick up what’s out there he’s like all in there with a massive check-raise to force you to commit in a bad spot. They still do it, no doubt, but not like in 2005.”
”They knew how to check-raise better in the old days?” Jeff asks.
”Oh, yeah, kid, they did. 2005 was when the check-raise really mattered. And no one limped like they did in 2004. Wait, did I say 2004 was limping or, no, that’s right, 2004 was the year of the limp: limp with big pairs, big cards, little pairs, little cards, limp limp limp.”
”Right,” Jeff says. ”Last year was the value bet.”
”Absolutely. But nothing is like this year with the year of the call. ‘You got me; I call.’ and ‘You got the nuts; I call.’ and ‘You might be bluffing; I call.’ and ‘I don’t have much except Queen-Ten; I call’ and ‘I only got a couple of outs; I call’ and ‘I should raise here every time; I call’ and you know what I mean.”
I’m not sure I do; I’m even less sure Phil does.
MONEY MONEY EVERYWHERE
Mimi Tran and Barry Greenstein are looking all over the floor for a chip Barry dropped.
Mimi is hunched over looking in the patterned carpeting.
”Before I forget,” Barry says, pulling out a roll of cash (hundreds of hundred dollar bills) and peeling off ten of them.
He holds them out but she doesn’t see. ”Mimi,” he says. ”Here.”
She turns and grabs the money, folding it up and tucking it away in her pocket.
”Wait,” Barry says, feeling in his pocket. ”I found it. Never mind.”
$2,000 NO LIMIT HOLDEM
Another day another bracelet, this time for Ben Ponzio who beat David Hewitt heads up to win just short of $600,000.
$5,000 H.O.R.S.E.
Another final today saw a player packed festival with Ralph Schwartz prevailing over the likes of Bill Gazes, Phil Ivey, Robert Mizrachi and the in form Russian Alexander Kravchenko (Ed: Who Barron told you to put your money on)… Ivey has to wait a little longer for his next bracelet.
$1,500 NO LIMIT HOLDEM
As two more bracelets were awarded the next final line up was settled when the German giant Benjamin ‘King’ Kang, was eliminated in tenth place with Nines against the Jacks of chip leader Seth Weinger. Weinger will hope to become the first Seth to win a bracelet this year in the final tomorrow afternoon.
THE BUBBLE HAS BURST
”Congratulations everybody, you are in the money!” said the tournament director over the microphone,”Congratulations to Phil Hellmuth on his record sixtieth cash!!!”
The players applauded Hellmuth, who had a big smile on his face. Some guy in the crowd cried,”Phil will you marry me!”
$3,000 NO LIMIT HOLDEM
Event 28, the $3,000 No Limit Hold’em, has finished for the day. Feng Chen leads the way but most will notice the name Hellmuth in amongst the leaders more than anyone else. His 60th WSOP cash with a 12th bracelet in sight…
Other notables include…
Greg ”FBT” Mueller
Steve Dannemann
Tim McCarthy
John Racener
Thomas Wahlroos
Norm MacDonald
Danny Wong
Phil Laak - Evelyn Ng
Joe Tehan
Tony Cousineau
Dale Pinchot
Francois Safieddine
Carl Olson
Jon Friedberg
Phillipe Boucher
Of course, winners also mean losers…
John ”The Razor” Phan
Phil Gordon
Jamie Gold
Ben Roberts
Andy Bloch
Chau Giang
David ”The Dragon” Pham
Joe Sebok
Isabelle Mercier
Bertrand ”ElkY” Grospellier
Jeff Madsen
Mike Matusow
Chris ”Jesus” Ferguson
Noah Boeken
David ”Devilfish” Ulliott
Howard Lederer
Antonio Esfandiari
Fabrice Soulier
Hoyt Corkins
Marcel Luske
Steve Paul-Ambrose
Rob Hollink
Dewey Tomko
Hasan Habib
Jennifer Tilly
Michael ”The Grinder” Mizrachi
Shane ”Shaniac” Schleger
Chris Moneymaker
Jason Strasser
Freddy Deeb
Erik Seidel
Josh Arieh
Greg Raymer
Clonie Gowen
Gavin Smith
Gavin Griffin
Scott Clements
Jennifer Harman
David Sklansky
Men ”The Master” Nguyen
Joseph Hachem
Johnny Chan
Alex Jacob
Barry Greenstein
Humberto Brenes
Andy Black
T.J. Cloutier
Minh Ly
Amir Vahedi
Shannon Elizabeth
Vanessa Rousso
Tony ”G” Guoga
John Gale
SEVEN CARD RAZZ
Seven Card Razz made its debut with day one completed a short while ago.
BJ Hoover leads a strong field, with the likes of Men The Master, Chau Giang, Chris Reslock, Gavin Griffin, Marcel Luske and Annie Duke all featuring highly in the opening stages of one of the Series’ more exclusive events…
Among the notable others…
James McManus
Tom McEvoy
Tom Schneider
Humberto Brenes
James Van Alstyne
Robert Williamson III
Lacey Jones
Mickey Appleman
Jeffrey Lisandro
David Sklansky
Jennifer Harman
Todd Brunson
Barry Greenstein
Bill Edler
And the casualties…?
Marco Traniello
Chad Brown
Barny Boatman
Victor Ramdin
Max Pescatori
Cyndy Violette
Mel Judah
Chris ‘Armenian Express’ Grigorian
Ted Forrest
Mark Seif
Chris ”Jesus” Ferguson
Berry Johnston
Vanessa Rousso
Paul Darden
Chip Jett
Brandon Cantu
Dewey Tomko
Shawn Shiekhan
Tony G.
Captain Tom Franklin
Doyle Brunson
Dutch Boyd
Eli Elezra
PLAY CONCLUDES
That’s everything for Day 17, with another two events finished and another final table ready for tomorrow.
The $3,000 No Limit Hold’em will play on, as will the RAZZ event.
Naturally, a new day means a new event, with the Six-handed No Limit Hold’em starting tomorrow. This Hold’em is a popular game that might just catch on.
Throw in a Mega-Satellite for the $50,000 HORSE event that that’s Monday to look forward to.
Let’s all sing…
”Boy, the way Glenn Miller played!
Sawngs that made the Hit Parade.
Guys like us, we had it made.
Doze were duh days!
And you knew where you were then.
Girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
Didn’t need know welfare state.
Everybody pulled his weight.
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.
Doze were duh days!”
