LETS VC YOU AT THE SERIES
WSOP NEWS UPDATES
COWBOYS AND CHARLATANS
Day 27 as the World Series rolls on. Look around and the Cowboys left in the H.O.R.S.E. event are back for Day 4. Will they care one jot as to who features on the two final tables to be played today? It’s unlikely, but nevertheless there will be a bracelet winner under 50 and over 50 before the day is over.
On the menu tonight…
Enjoy it whilst it lasts… it will all be over before you know it…
ENTER THE APPLEMAN
Walking into the Rio, getting ready for another fun-filled fantastic day, I stumble and almost fall in the hundred-plus degree heat.
I make my way up the stairs, catching myself on the railing when it seems like I cannot go on.
That’s when I see him: Mickey Appleman, in shorts, sitting down on the cement, his bare legs roasting on the concrete.
”Mickey,” I manage, my mouth so dry, ”isn’t this too hot to be laying out?”
”I like to punish myself,” he answers.
So do we all, man, so do we all.
Welcome back to the WSOP: World Series of Punishment.
SHARK TALES
Omaha High-Low
Humberto Brenes posts his $50 blind and smiles for the photographers walking by, snapping his picture. He doesn’t gnash his teeth in shark-fashion, perhaps it’s a bit early in the day for those shenanigans.
A few limpers come into the pot and a player in the hijack raises. Everyone folds around to Brenes who says, ”Humberto no scared.”
He calls as do the limpers.
The flop comes 
Everyone checks to the pre-flop raiser who bets $50.
”Humberto no scared,” Brenes declares, calling. Everyone else is terrified and they fold.
is the turn.
Brenes checks and his opponent bets.
”Humberto es scared! Aye!” He folds and smiles.
Bring out da chark!
Bring out da chark!
Bring out da chark!
REFLECTIONS ON YESTERDAY
Omaha High-Low
Jamie Gold: 
Paul Wasicka: 
Michael Binger: 
Most remember the above three hands as they were held at perhaps the most exciting point in the history of the WSOP Main Event: 2006 when we were three-handed.
The flop came 
Michael Binger went all-in and Jamie Gold went all-in.
Paul Wasicka, after a lot of deliberation, folded. Jamie Gold had him covered and he didn’t want to go broke on a draw, no matter how rubust.
Jamie Gold busted Binger and went on to become the 2006 Main Event Champion.
However, if Wasicka had called, he would’ve won the hand and had a commanding chip lead, which might’ve led to his immortality.
This hand is the discussion at Mel Judah’s table today as no one is paying much attention to the action of the tournament but is instead debating the merits of calling versus folding.
”Hindsight or not,” Mel concludes, ”it’s a very hard hand to pass; it could lead to him winning the tournament and will be something he regrets for the rest of his life.”
On that cheerful note from Mr. Judah, let’s get back to the action from 2007, shall we?
MARCEL LUSKE VERSUS ERIK SEIDEL
Omaha High-Low
At the early stages of these huge tournaments you don’t often have two big names sitting side by side; however, as they say, there are exceptions to every rule.
Erik Seidel and Marcel Luske are planted not only at the same table, but right next to each other, with Marcel to Erik’s left.
There aren’t any altercations between the duo until this hand:
With a few limpers, Erik raises from the hijack and Marcel cold-calls from the cut-off.
The button folds but the blinds and the limpers all call.
is the flop.
It’s checked over to Erik who bets.
”I call,” Marcel says, pushing in his chips and then adjusting his exquisite red tie.
The blinds fold but one of the limpers hangs around.
The turn is the 
which Erik bets.
”You still betting?” Marcel asks. He doesn’t get an answer so he calls. The final limper doesn’t.
is the river and is bet and called.
Erik Seidel: 
Marcel Luske: 
”Friendly game,” Marcel says. ”Chop it up, dealer.”
MAD MAX
David Singer came over to the rail and he’s sporting some ear plugs. ”So you have some earplugs there?” asked someone.
”Yeah, Max is right next to me and he’s playing up the Italian pirate angle a bit too much.”
Max has been feeling a little frisky today. He was the low stack and the money is getting really close. Max picked a hand and decided to go with it. He won the pot, shot out of his chair with his arms up in the air and began shouting. Max Pescatori still in!
Max has been acting a little nutty lately. Making googly eyes and chatting up a storm.
HOW THEY LINE UP
21 players remain in the HORSE event, lining up at the Starting Gate as follows…
1. Bruno Fitoussi - 1,248,000
2. Daniel Negreanu - 149,000
3. Justin Bonomo - 295,00
4. Greg Raymer - 504,000
5. Amnon Filippi - 2,343,000
6. Mike Matusow - 696,000
7. Dewey Tomko - 248,000
1. Mark Gregorich - 386,000
2. Pat Pezzin - 102,000
3. Steve Wolff - 263,000
4. Kenny Tran - 1,959,000
5. Chris Reslock - 536,000
6. David Singer - 1,017,000
7. Max Pescatori - 81,000
1. Tim Phan - 889,000
2. Noah Jefferson - 167,000
3. Gabe Kaplan - 625,000
4. Barry Greenstein - 650,000
5. Freddy Deeb - 963,000
6. Thor Hansen - 537,000
7. John Hanson - 1,215,000
NOAH BOEKEN AND ROLF SLOTBOOM
Limit Hold ‘em
As we draw closer to the money, the talent at each table increases as the concentration of poker skills rises.
Two of the favourites to win the tournament — Noah Boeken and Rolf Slotboom — are situated together, sitting across from each other in the one and five seats respectively.
Noah has built up an impressive stack, plays a lot of pots, losing some and winning others, inching his chips up and up.
Rolf almost never volunteers money into a pot but when he does he either picks up the blinds and the limpers or wins the hand after the pot after no one wants to tangle with the tightest guy at the table.
Between hands they joke with each other, laughing and having a time as if there isn’t a prestigious bracelet on the line. While on the surface it might seem like they aren’t focused on just that, I doubt that’s the reality.
Both want to win and win bad.
One may just do that.
Before they can tangle in a pot their table is broken and each go their own way.
”Terrific,” I mumble to myself as I want to catch some altercation betwixt the duo.
”They’ll be on the final table later,” a railbird comments.
I bet he’s right.
$50,000 HORSE
Amnon Filippi leads the HORSE but Frenchman Bruno Fitoussi maintains his pursuit of the lead…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
COOLERED
Nothing beats getting coolered in a $50,000 event. David Singer will probably remember this hand for a long time to come. After flopping quads on a K-6-6 board and capping the betting, the turn brought along another King. Steve Wolff and Singer went for three more bets before all of Steve’s chips were in the middle.
Singer turned over his quad sixes, probably feeling pretty good about it. Imagine his surprise when Wolff turned up his quad kings! Wolff had hit a one outer on the turn to lock up the hand and remain in his seat. Word travelled through the rail to the people in the back, all you could really hear was a combination of,”Raise, raise, quads, kings, raise, sixes, quads, raise, kings, quads!”
MEANWHILE BACK ON THE RANCH
Daniel Negreanu is out first in the H.O.R.S.E. During the Stud round he fell victim to Frenchman Bruno Fitoussi. Both made two pairs, but Fitoussi’s included Aces, sending Daniel to the rail a little annoyed. This was the event to win, and Negreanu knew that.
As chips went back and forth across tables Max Pescatori went out, followed by Justin Bonomo and Noah Jeffersen, who became bubble boy in 17th place.
With 16 players left there was a redraw for seats…
1. Chris Reslock - 227,000
2. Amnon Filippi - 2,352,000
3. Dewey Tomko - 340,000
4. David Singer - 948,000
5. Kenny Tran - 1,900,000
6. Steve Wolff - 731,000
7. Mike Matusow - 75,000
8. Barry Greenstein - 1,091,000
1. Bruno Fitoussi - 1,800,000
2. Mark Gregorich - 700,000
3. Greg Raymer - 750,000
4. Tim Phan - 1,100,000
5. Thor Hansen - 500,000
6. Gabe Kaplan - 500,000
7. Freddy Deeb - 1,100,000
8. John Hanson - 280,000
COME AND GET IT
From 7:30pm until 9pm at the Rio much of the action outright dies as most, if not all, events have their respective dinner breaks.
Wandering the room, looking for a story, anything to write about, I run into the flamboyant Teddy ”VerSlick” Monroe who’s playing in the $50-$100 limit hold ‘em game.
”They done busted me out of the last tourney catching one- and two-outters,” he complains. ”Mark my words: I’m taking down both the next Omaha Eight and the Short-handed events.”
With those predictions, eat ‘em if you got ‘em.
YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO DINNER…
Mike Matusow went out of the H.O.R.S.E. event in 16th place during the Omaha 8 or Better round, against Amnon Filippi. Half an hour later H.O.R.S.E. specialist Chris Reslock followed.
All the while Bruno Fitoussi continued to play impressive hands, winning chips to increase his stack. Barry Greenstein showed signs of doing the same.
Greg Raymer
Greg Raymer couldn’t get the same momentum going though. The big man went out in 14th place in the Hold’em round; Ace-Seven against the pocket Eights of John Hansen.
Tim Phan and Steve Wolff went next as players stopped for dinner. 13 left.
TWO TABLES, FIVE NAME PLAYERS, LOTS OF NOISE
Omaha High-Low
On two side-by-side tables five well-known pros reside: Robert Williamson III, Todd Brunson, and Bart Hanson on one and Tony G and Humberto Brenes on the other.
The two tables produce enough noise for twenty as Williamson chatters away about the recovery-process for his WSOP bracelet, offering a reward, and all the cranks that came with the scenario; Tony G talks about his website business and all the money he’s making.
”How you doing, Todd?” a friend of his asks after walking over from a few tables over.
”I was doing a lot better before this idiot asked me to change out his $1000 chip,” Todd replies, holding up the offending piece. ”I made him change and have gotten sucked out on ever since.”
”Here,” a player at the table says, flinging a couple of light blues at him. ”Give me the yellow just so I don’t have to hear you moan anymore.”
Todd flings him the chip and keeps the pair of $500’s. He doesn’t say thanks.
$1,000 SENIORS NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
They made it. The final of the Seniors event found its winner in Ernest Bennett, who beat Anthony Korfman heads up.
Ernest Bennett
KEY CONFRONTATION: BRUNSON VS HANSON
Omaha High-Low
With $200 and $400 blinds, Bart Hanson is very short on chips with about $4000. In early position, he open-raises to $800 and is called by the big blind, Todd Brunson.
The flop of 
is checked by Todd. Bart bets $400 and Todd calls.
is the turn. Todd checks, Bart bets $800, and Todd calls.
The river is the 
and this time Todd bets out. Bart thinks for a moment but then decides the pot is too big and he calls, putting himself below $2000 in chips as he flips his hand up ahead of Todd:
Bart: 
Todd: 
Bart is crippled as Todd adds a bunch to his chip stack as he scoops it.
”I knew that idiot’s yellow was bad luck,” Todd mumbles, not even happy after rivering Hanson.
$1,500 OMAHA HI LO
Over in the other final of today Canadian Lukasz Dumanski took the bracelet ahead of David Bach. The 24 year old had been third in chips heading into today.
Vanessa Rousso’s man Chad Brown came fifth whilst George Danzer finished in ninth spot.
Omaha Hi Lo winner Lucasz Dumanski (photo courtesy of imagemasters)
THE SHARK IS BITTEN AND SO IS TONY G
Omaha High-Low
A short-stacked player open-raises to $800, leaving himself with $400. It’s folded around to Humberto Brenes in the big blind who says, ”Humberto is coming for you: re-raise.”
The other player calls and is all-in.
Humberto: 
Opponent: 
”Humberto has you,” he says to the player. Then, to the dealer: ”Be nice to Humberto, por favor.”
The player gets a Ten on the flop to make his high and Humberto doesn’t improve further, so Humberto only gets 25% of the pot for splitting the low.
”Da shark coming for you,” Humberto smiles at the dealer. ”You hurt Humberto with that Ten.”
”Save the shark for the fish,” Tony G replies. ”There are plenty of them.”
A DIFFERENT DAY
Entering the tournament area at the beginning of each day, the poker chip cadence creates an atmosphere of focus and discipline, but today chatter competes with the clattering chips.
Despite any Phil Hellmuth explosion, the Omaha corner is laid back. Most of the pros like Annie Duke, Bill Gazes, Phil Hellmuth, and Tony G who busted out of the H.O.R.S.E . event are playing the Omaha Hi-Lo. Their poker faces aren’t as pensive or serious as in the past two weeks, and when you walk past some of the tables it feels more like a school lunchroom than a $1,500 WSOP event.
David Sklansky began the tournament with coffee and a newspaper…reading here and there between folded hands and answering calls on his cell phone. A few tables over, sitting back to back at neighbouring tables, Annie Duke and Bill Gazes frequently twist towards each other to chat in between hands. Mel Judah and Phil Hellmuth animatedly share their old poker war stories. Tales circulate about hands won and and hands lost.
Maybe the air is lighter because we are half way through the WSOP, or maybe this Omaha game is a breather for those trying to get over a H.O.R.S.E. event lost. Either way, the chips may continue their clatter, but the back of the Amazon room is a little different today.
END WITH A BANG
The H.O.R.S.E. event concluded in spectacular fashion this evening when a three way pot developed between Gabe Kaplan, The Deebster, and Thor Hansen.
The game was Seven Card Stud 8 and there was furious action on every street. Thor had been dealt rolled up threes (two in the hole with one showing) and Freddy Deeb had been dealt a pair of sixes. Deeb picked up a set on fourth. By the end of the hand, Thor had made a full house with no pair showing on his board.
Little did he know, that Freddy, who also had no pair showing, had picked up a monster of his own. There was more betting and raising on seventh with Thor finally calling, leaving himself about 40,000 in chips. Deeb turned over his hand — quad sixes! The hand was so concealed that Thor couldn’t have seen it coming. Deeb himself probably didn’t expect Thor to have such a monster of his own. One can only imagine how devastated Thor was feeling.
Gabe’s hand went straight into the muck, and he probably expected to lose due to the action that went down in front of him.
$50,000 H.O.R.S.E.
After four full days of play the final of the H.O.R.S.E. is ready for the off tomorrow. One player from the eight remaining will ride off into the sunset a lot richer…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
Amnon Filippi leads the field, followed by Freddy Deeb. Bruno Fitoussi and Barry Greenstein both had mixed days, winning their way to bigger stacks but lay behind the leaders.
Amnon Filippi
Of all the finalists Thor Hansen has the toughest job. He starts with 40,000, one hundredth of the chips Filippi has. He might need a double up or two and with someone like Thor Hansen you hope he can do it.
Meanwhile there were good tips for the taxis…
Gabe Kaplan
Dewey Tomko
Mark Gregorich
Stephen Wolff
Tim Phan
Greg Raymer
Chris Reslock
Mike Matusow
Noah Jefferson
Max Pescatori
Justin Bonomo
Patrick Pezzin
Daniel Negreanu
$2,000 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
Another final to take place tomorrow is the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em. This one features Tommy Rounds as chip leader…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
Taxi’s were waiting for some notables, including…
David Plastik
Rick Fuller
Don Zewin
Joe Sebok
Steve Buchanan
Richard Redmond
Phil Nguyen
Tom Koral
Warren Karp
Rehne Pedersen
Rayan Nathan
Noah Boeken
David Zucker
Rolf Slotboom
Terrence Chan
$2,000 OMAHA HI LO SPLIT
Finally, bringing day 27 to a close, was the $2,000 Omaha Hi Lo Split event, which wrapped up its first day a short while ago.
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
Blair Rodman leads with Flying Dutchman Marcel Luske not far behind. Other notables include…
Robert Williamson III
Minh Nguyen
John Juanda
Ed Clark
Michel Abecassis
Frankie Flowers
Tony Cousineau
Todd Brunson
Minneapolis Jim Meehan
Cat Antoniuk
Doug ”Rico” Carli
Bill Chen
Steve Billirakis
Simon Zuo
Brian Nadell
Meanwhile the inevitable exit for others…
Jani Sointula
Jesse Jones
Rob Hollink
Joe Tehan
Tony G
Phil Hellmuth Jr
Steve Zolotow
Bill Gazes
Scotty Nguyen
Eric Lynch
David Sklansky
Robert Mizrachi
Scott Clements
Jeffrey Lisandro
John ”The Razor” Phan
Annie Duke
Alex Kravchenko
Mel Judah
Mickey Appleman
Miami John Cernuto
Humberto Brenes
Cyndy Violette
Chris ”Jesus” Ferguson
Berry Johnston
Howard Lederer
Chau Giang
TJ Cloutier
Andy Bloch
Davood Mehrmand
Allen Cunningham
Erik Seidel
John Guth
Paul Darden Jr
Victor Ramdin
ALL ELIMINATED…
PLAY CONCLUDES…
That’s it for Day 27. 41 events are now complete; events up to 44 are in full swing leaving just ten more events until the main event just over a week away.
Tomorrow will see a new H.O.R.S.E. champion crowned with the final table underway at 2pm. Also at that time the Omaha Hi Lo Split starts its Day 2. An hour later the final of the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em gets underway.
Sandwiches around that are two new events. At 12pm Event 45 begins – the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed tournament. Then at 5pm, Event 46 gets underway; the $1,000 Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Eight or Better.
Stick around. It all starts at 8pm GMT.
