LETS VC YOU AT THE SERIES
WSOP NEWS UPDATES
WALK THIS WAY
Day 25 of the 37th World Series of Poker starts here. As the greatest show on earth outside the Main Event gallops into Day 2 we have the rather unseemly sight of the $1,000 Seniors Event zimmering it’s way into the room. This isn’t ageist and anyone old enough to play in the thing is welcome to disagree but come on, this isn’t tennis or football…or even golf for that matter. Age as Doyle has proved, doesn’t have to be a barrier so segregating or compartmentalising events (Ladies event for instance) just weakens the value of the bracelet.
Where do you stop before it becomes a joke? ‘The One Armed Eastern European Bisexual Pot Limit Razz Event’ ?
Actually if there’s one area where a segregated field would make sense it would be an under 21’s event since the law prevents them from entering all the other events. Give them a deep stack play money buy-in event sponsored by whoever (they’d queue up) with a bracelet and cash prizes at the end of it and run it in one of those other conference rooms, well away from the evils of the Amazon Room. How much fun would that be to watch the future blossom before our eyes…slightly more interesting than the Seniors don’t you think?
Playing today…
WE COULD RENT A COTTAGE IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT IF IT’S NOT TOO DEAR
The Horse Event and the final of the $1,5000 No Limit Hold’em will begin at 2.00pm local time. The Mixed Hold’em begins at 3.00pm local time and the Omaha Hi Lo wont get going until 5.00pm. That leaves the seniors Event. Seemingly over 2,000 people disagree with this writer and are happy to put portion of their pension fund into the event. Fifty and up is the benchmark. Here’s who’s coming to dinner….Paramedics at the ready
Bob Stupak, Shirly Williams, Linda Johnson, Miami John, Chau Giang, Amarillo Slim, Jerry Buss, Allan Smurfit…Devilfish is probably laying low on this one.
Our tips would have been…
1. John ‘Oooh me bad back’ Gale
2. Padraig ‘Lumbago’ Parkinson
and
3. Men ‘the Old Massah’ Nguyen
Unfortunately we hear John is already headed for the rail.
WHEN IS THE FIRST NAP?
$1000 Senior Citizen
Even though most citizens are hoping for a can of Ensure upon their arrival to the tables, they are instead greeted by the traditional twelve-ounce clear plastic bottle of Rio water. Also, despite requests, there will not be a two-hour nap time every hour.
While all events have some players that are less than expert in their poker prowess, never before has such shenanigans been witnessed on such a regular basis on many tables.
For example, Padraig open-raises to $125 with the blinds at $25 and $50. Everyone folds around to the big blind who checks.
”You cannot check, sir,” the dealer instructs. ”He has raised.”
The big blind shoves out his two chips. ”I’ve got the same as him.”
I think the issue is that Padraig, having raised to $125, put out two chips: a black ($100) plus a green ($25).
The big blind, seeing two chips and having two chips out himself, thinks it’s the same.
The dealer fixes the situation by pulling in all the money, including Padraig’s raise, and leaving three greens in front of him. ”There,” the dealer says. ”You need to call that for the flop.”
The big blind checks his hand. ”So I have to call another $75?”
”Unless you want to fold or raise.”
”I don’t want to raise.”
”Do you want to fold?”
”Yes.”
The dealer takes his cards, pushing Padraig the pot.
I feel like I’m qualified to play in this event now; I wonder if they’ll allow alternates.
Her shirt reads BEWARE, I’m menopausal and on tilt……..this is a woman not to be messed with……
NoBeer, NoWork
CALLING ALL CARS — AND ALL JOHNSONS
$1,000 Seniors NLHWho’s on first?
The occasional dealer error, is part and parcel of any tournament and this one is no different. A player bets and the other player folds so the dealer pushes the first player the pot. The first player mucks her cards and the dealer starts shuffling up.
The issue is that there is a third player in the hand, still with cards.
”What’s going on?” the third asks. ”I want to raise.”
”I won the hand already,” the first says.
”Floor,” the dealer yells.
Linda Johnson, having heard ”floor” as ”would people with undeserved nicknames like The First Lady of Poker please come over here and give their two cents,” ambles over, asking what happened.
The dealer, oblivious that she isn’t a floorperson, explains.
Soon actual floorpeople are involved.
Everyone argues and the floor decides to split all the money between the first and third player.
Linda Johnson goes back to her seat, ready to answer the call if her services are required further.
WHO IS THE MASTER?
$1,000 Seniors NLH
Men ”The Master” Nguyen has just bet about 75% of a handsome-sized pot into his opponent who has called him down the whole way.
After taking a moment, the other player calls.
Men tables Ace-King on the King-high board and the other player shows his King-Jack (there is no Jack on deck).
The dealer pushes Men the pot and the other player says, ”Your kicker was better.” This is helpful as Men didn’t realize this.
”Of course,” Men replies. ”I’m The Master!”
I AM A COWBOY - ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE
$1,000 Seniors NLH
Padraig Parkinson has been moved to a new table when his previous table broke.
We head over to get a shot of his new surroundings.
”Don’t take my picture,” the dealer says ”I’m a wanted man.”
”That’s not my problem,” I reply.
”So that’s why I had to sign a photo release,” another player at the table mentions.
”I didn’t sign any release,” the dealer says.
Padraig laughs and says, ”It was implied.”
MOMENTS BEFORE THE HORSE - DAY TWO
The HORSE event starts at 2pm.
The tables are empty, except for all the dealers and one player waiting.
In moments, the rest will converge on this scene.
Who will make it past Day Two to Day Three? We’ll find out soon.
ID CHECK PLEASE
Nowadays we all know of the armies of teenagers and twenty year olds itching to play. They can’t wait to turn 21 to unleash their wrath on the poker community. For now they will have to wait. Over in the seniors event a few youngsters tried some tricks of their own. I was talking to a floorman during one of the breaks while hordes of elderly people strolled by.
”Yeah, we actually had to pick up two people today for being too young. I thought there would be more in a field of 1,800, but there were just two.”
”Really? How did you catch them?”
”We cross referenced their registrations with their players cards numbers. The cashiers were supposed to check their IDs during registration, but I guess a couple slipped through.”
”How old were they?”
”I’m not sure but they were definitely born sometime in the sixties.”
”Will they have their registrations refunded?”
”Since we considered it a cashier error, their money will be refunded. Even though they knew exactly what they were doing.”
This guy says he’s from Cuba…
BETTER WAYS TO SPEND AN HOUR
$50,000 HORSE
With play set to commence at 2pm, most participants enter the arena anywhere from five minutes before to five minutes after, missing at most a hand or three.
One table, helmed by Barry Greenstein and Chris Ferguson, is short a player, his chips entering the pot when appropriate with his hands getting folded.
A bit past 3pm Mr. Missing In Action arrives: internet legend Darrell ”Gigabet” Dicken.
”Probably not a good idea to show up late,” Darrell says, sitting down and talking to Greenstein. ”But at least you gave me odds in our last-longer bet. That was, I don’t know, a little odd, Barry.”
”It wasn’t meant as an insult — I gave Mike Matusow odds as well — but you’re still three years away from me not giving you odds in a mixed-game. Don’t be insulted, though.”
”So any tourneys you’ll give me odds?”
”Not No Limit Hold ‘em.”
”Damn.”
”And part of it is ego,” Barry continues. ”I just assume I’m a better player in these types of events so I think it’s fair to lay odds. The day will come — probably in a few years, like I said — when I won’t give you odds or maybe I’ll ask for them.”
”Thanks.”
”I remember this time when John Juanda and I had a bet with John taking himself and I could take every German in the field and I laid him very high odds, somewhere around–”
The dealer deals out the next hand and Barry ceases the conversation, his smile turning to the poker face all are accustomed to seeing.
”Ship the moneyz!”
ONE LAST HAND - ONE LAST DANCE
$50,000 HORSE
With eight seconds left before the break, the dealer sets down the deck.
”What are you doing?” Steve Zolotow asks. ”Earth to Dan, come in Dan: there are eight seconds left - deal!”
Dan does as he’s told.
PRIZES ANNOUNCED
”All right players in the Old Folks Tournament!” shouted the tournament director over the microphone. His jab was met with boos and hisses and he backed up,”Okay, okay… Players in the Seniors Tournament!” The director had just gotten on the horn to announce that yet another record has been broken this year. This is the biggest seniors tournament with the biggest prize pool in the history of the WSOP.
$50,000 HORSE
A few recognisable faces lead the H.O.R.S.E. event…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
$1,500 MIXED HOLDEM
Meanwhile, over in Event 40…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
NICE PASS
”You had the right idea on sixth when you were thinking of laying it down. You had the right idea, you just didn’t do it!” said Mike Matusow to Kenny Tran. Matusow had just showed his wheel (in the Razz level) after Kenny laid down on seventh when he was threebet by ‘The Mouth’. Kenny also showed his hand right before mucking — A-2-3-4-6. Hell of a laydown sir!
$1,000 SENIORS NO LIMIT HOLDEM
It’s a blast from the past in the Seniors Event, with Amarillo Slim ahead of a few other familiar faces unashamed to call themselves ’seniors’.
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
Can’t find the event? Harrahs have thought of everything!
$1,500 NO LIMIT HOLDEM
So far in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em final only two players have been eliminated - Ernie Crespo in 9th and Nick Goodlall in 8th…
Erica Schoenberg still leads with seven players left…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
CHIP REESE - TOURNAMENT DONKEY?
$50,000 HORSE
Chip Reese, in a heads-up exchange with Phil Hellmuth, has just scooped the Omaha Eight or better pot.
”Unreal,” Phil says, leaping to his feet. ”I had you dead on the flop and, of course, you get there on the turn and the river.”
”Very nice hand,” Eli Elezra says to Chip, egging on Phil as they’ve been having words for some time at this table.
”Phil always says these donkeys lucky on him,” a railbird says to me as I’m scribbling away.
There are many things I can say — I’m not sure which people can criticize Chip Reese in O8B, but I’m pretty sure Phil Hellmuth isn’t one of them — but I opt for none.
The very next hand, it’s Chip and Phil part whatever and it goes to a chop.
”Too bad you didn’t scoop him twice in a row,” Eli says.
Phil flexes his hands and then shoots them out, pulls them in, pushes them out, and yanks them in, breathing in and out the negative energy.
”That’s not going to help,” Eli says.
David Benyamine watches from the rail and Phil yells over to him: ”I’m playing these games the best anyone can possibly play them and yet they suck out on me. I don’t let it bother me, though, I just let them see me smile.”
”Will you smile when I bust you?” Eli asks, looking down at his superior mountain of chips.
”Just wait,” Phil answers. ”Just wait.”
We’re waiting, Phil. And watching.
IT IS EVERYTHING, PHIL
$50,000 HORSE
The Razz portion has started. Greg Raymer and Chip Reese fold. Phil shows them his hand before he folds: rolled Kings.
”Timing is everything, Phil,” Raymer says.
Phil isn’t placated.
GOOD EYE
”Woah, are you sure about those stacks?” asked Lederer. The dealer nodded and began to chop the pot in the Omaha 8 portion of the HORSE tournament. ”Now, I know these chips are ridiculously similar, but I’m good at spotting a dirty stack.”
The dealer spread the two stacks of $5,000 chips, and there was indeed one $500 chip that had weasled it’s way in there. With eight players, one dealer, and at least three media people watching, Howard was the only one to catch the error. A couple of the players at the table went ‘Wow,’ as the $4,500 error was corrected.
”That chip was coming to me too. I can’t believe these chips are so similar,” said Howard with a perplexed look on his face. The dealer apologized a couple of times and Howard just replied,”It’s not your fault.” Howard is right, the $5,000 and $500 chips are so similar you can hardly blame the dealer for making the mistake.
A GAME OF HORSHOES ANYONE?
David Singer apparently has a horeshoe up his ass. At least that’s according to Sam Grizzle, who commented,”How do you get them in there? Do you have like a plastic thingie?”
He must be getting lucky because the table wouldn’t stop talking about it. A few hands later David got into a betting war with another player at the table. The board was King-Ten-King-Ten-Rag and by the time the smoke cleared, David showed his Ace-Ten. His opponent flashed pocket aces before flinging his cards into the muck.
Todd Brunson commented,”The last time I did something like that was to Berry Johnston, and it was twenty years ago. I haven’t done that in twenty years.” A couple of minutes later a floorman came over to move one of the players to a new table. It was David Singer’s time to go. ”No, no! We protest,” said Todd. ”Yeah we protest!” reiterated David Williams.
NO REFUNDS
”Hey, do you think I can get my buyin back from the PLO tourney?” Bill Gazes asked a floorman.
”Well, you could have, but it’s already started. Once the tournament starts, we can’t refund you the money,” was the answer.
”Oh, that’s okay. I just didn’t even think about it and totally forgot. Oh well,” said Gazes before running back to his table.
IT IS SIX PM - DO YOU KNOW WHERE PETER GOULD IS?
Mixed Hold ‘em Championship
That’s the question on many folks’ minds.
With sixty-four players left — one more eliminated and we’re in the money — why would someone disappear from the tournament area?
At 6:40pm, a minute before a player busts out pushing the rest into the cash, Peter enters the room and takes his seat.
”Peter,” I say, getting his attention after he folds a hand. ”Where were you for so long?”
”Vinnie Jones’ wedding reception. You know, the actor?”
Of course I know who he’s talking about, who doesn’t?
With a few minutes to go before a break at 7pm, we’re playing $2000-$4000 limit hold ‘em with $1000 and $2000 blinds.
An early position player open-raises and it’s folded around to Peter who defends his big blind.
The flop… 
Get’s checked by Gould; he calls the bet from the pre-flop raiser.
is the turn and it is checked through.
The river is the 
Peter thinks for a moment and then bets $4,000, which is about half the remaining stack of his opponent.
The guy takes his time and then flings out the call, slicing his stack in half.
Peter turns over 
”Stupid value bet,” his opponent mumbles, mucking his hand.
Peter doesn’t comment about how it was a good value bet since it earned him another $4,000 for his stack.
It’s announced that we’re on break so I go back up to Peter to get some follow-up on the reception: ”So you went to a wedding reception when you’ve got a bunch of chips and close to making the money at the World Series of Poker?”
”I made a promise to Vinnie that I’d go. I’m a man of my word. I can play poker any time but if I break my word that’s not something I can get back.”
Wow.
We need more Peter Goulds in the poker community and in the world in general as most wouldn’t do what he did.
Bravo, sir.
THE ODD COUPLE
David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot and David Colclough are sitting right next to each other in the Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better Tournament. Listening to some of the dealers outside, it’s obvious they aren’t looking forward to it as much as the players are. Once thing for sure is that the action will be fast and furious right off the bat.
Look at how much fun they’re having!
UPDATE
$1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Championship EventWe have a winner.
(Cheung pic Courtesy of Imagemasters)
Robert Cheung, a 46-year-old businessman from Vancouver, Canada outlasted 2,778 runners and picked up over $673,000. It’s his fourth cash at the World Series and third this year. Not bad for someone who’s only been playing seriously for two years.
NO PHONES ON THE RAIL PLEASE
Joe Hachem’s cell phone is sitting on the table rail and that’s a big no-no down at the World Series of Poker. Cell phones must not be used at the table, taken out during a hand, and should never be near the playing surface. Joe Hachem doesn’t care about such trivialities.
Someone at the table warned him,”Hey Joe, you can’t have your cell phone on the table, they will tell you to remove it.”
”Thank you sir, I know this, and I will remove it from the rail when someone asks me to everytime,” replied Joe as the phone remained sitting on the rail. Floormen walked by and nobody told him to move it. He even used it to send a text during a hand and nobody said anything. Joe Hachem is untouchable.
SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT
In the Pot Limit Omaha 8 tournament a betting war ensued on the flop. The pot was pretty big, and one of the two decided to get all their chips in. His opponent made the call and, before anybody could say anything, the dealer pulled in all the chips. One of the players freaked out saying that he had more chips than the other and that the pot wasn’t right.
Well, it’s the WSOP so the players can rest assured that all proper protocols are being followed. Someone mentioned the cameras, but the floor decided that he couldn’t pause an entire tournament just because of a ’small’ error. They tried to recount the pot, but it was unclear what the action was. They finally settled on a little guesstimation. The player figured he probably had about $8,000 more. Close enough! Chips were pulled out of the pot and everybody seemed at peace. One can only imagine what would have happened if David Gray was at the table.
HORSE ROUND-UP
$50,000 H.O.R.S.EWith 52 players dismounting for the day John Hanson leads the field with just over 640,000 in front of him. At the other end of the totem pole we have Isabelle Mercier on 41,000.
In a field full of ‘notables’ rather than the obligatory top ten leader board, here’s a random selection of notable notables and their counts.
Toto Leonadis and Eli Elezra remain right up there in second and third place, just ahead of Allen Cunningham in fourth. A list of other survivors might look like this…
Max Pescatori
John Juanda
Freddy Deeb
Robert Mizrachi
David Singer
Tuan Le
Greg Raymer
Huck Seed
Barry Greenstein
Thor Hansen
Tim Phan
John Hennigan
Daniel Negreanu
David Williams
Erik Seidel
Gabe Kaplan
Joe Tehan
Annie Duke
Dewey Tomko
Erick Lindgren
Chris Reslock
Sam Grizzle
Scotty Nguyen
David Sklansky
Stretching the running puns to the limit, there were of course, a few fallers…
Amongst those eliminated…
Gavin Smith
Kristy Gazes
Alexander Kravchenko
Tony Cousineau
Bill Gazes
Greg ”FBT” Mueller
Phil Laak
Todd Brunson
Chris Ferguson
Marco Traniello
Darrell Dicken
Howard Lederer
Mickey Appleman
David Grey
Captain Tom Franklin
Patrik Antonius
TJ Cloutier
Doyle Brunson
Farzad Bonyadi
Victor Ramdin
Ted Forrest
Ralph Perry
Rafi Amit
Michael Mizrachi
Jason Lester
Steve Zolotow
Joe Cassidy
Robert Williamson III
Ali Eslami
Jim Bechtel
Bill Chen
David Chiu
Maureen Feduniak
Hasan Habib
Chad Brown
John Phan
Kirk Morrison
John D’Agostino
David Levi
Carlos Mortensen
Jennifer Harman
Tony G
John Duthie
Mike Sexton
Patrick Bueno
Jesse Jones
Brandon Adams
BACK IN THE DAY
$1,000 Seniors NLHOK. We give in. Like the players in the ladies event before them, the ’seniors’ won us over with pure spirit and fun. So what if the title is a bag of bollocks, there were still 1,882 players in this tournament fighting it out to the bitter end and like any bracelet event, it’s going to take a good few years off whoever wins the thing…Terry Fueischer is the current chip leader but 121 player come back at 2.00pm to continue the thing. Without running through a top ten for you, here’s a list of notables pulled from the throng.
Readers in the Midlands who always imagined Micky Wernick to be in his early 40’s will be shocked to find he’s slipped under the Harrahs ID radar. All things considered there are three Main Event bracelet winners in this list…no slouches here kids. Well maybe some slouching…but definately no slouches.
TORRID CALL
It took over two hours of ten handed play to get down to the final table of nine. This is it. Unfortunately Peter Gould went out in 17th place but picked up a $6,474 consolation prize. Phil Gordon and Jeff Lissandro also made the top twenty but failed to suck on the final table cigars. Author Michael Craig, who had been chip leader, lurks menacingly still, just behing Christoph Niesert who shot in front when he knocked out 10th place finisher Brent Roberts. Brent hah had 180,000 in front of him before the last hand and moved all-in with pocket Queens. Neisert, with just a little over 200,000 at the time, cracked and somehow called off his tournament life with AK. Luck was on Neisert’s side when he spiked a bullet on the flop.
AND FINALLY
As we set off into the early morning desert air we bring you the end of day scores on the doors of the $1500 PLO Hi Low event. Italian wizz kid Dario Alioto (who’ll always look about 12) is out in front…a random selection of notables and their chips looks like this…
