Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
This is Day 7 of the Main Event, though we actually started play 12 days ago. Twelve days of poker to reduce 6,464 to the 54 who are still alive. 54 players, 54 names that might be the next to join the Ring of Champions that line the Amazon Room walls. The ESPN camera teams are swarming around the truncated playing floor, swooping in every time a dealer shouts, “All in and call!”
Media access has been severely restricted, pretty much only ESPN and PokerNews are allowed on the floor and the “moat” for media that’s just inside the spectator rail means we can’t catch the action or take the sort of photos we’d like. I did get a picture of Billy Kopp, and if you’re not sure who that is you might want to start doing some research, because he’s the chip leader at the Main Event with almost 14.5 million.
Kopp has had a great World Series, final-tabling the $5,000 No-Limit Hold-Em event (he finished 8th) and nearly making a second final table when he finished 11th in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold-Em tournament. Kopp has nearly a four-million chip lead over his closest pursuers, and we’re just deep enough now that can’t help thinking that Kopp will be there at the end. But we’re not so deep that Kopp is even a lock to make the November Nine. Still too much poker to be played, the money is starting to get big, the pressure as well, and there are 53 other players in the field who think that before too long, they’ll be where Billy Kopp is right now. At the top.
Tags: -billy kopp, 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, ub, ultimatebet, world series of poker, WSOP
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
If you visit the World Series of Poker (next year, as we’ve only got 2 more days left this go-round) you really should stop by and watch a final table. Not necessarily a 15-hour marathon from start to finish, but a few orbits, just to get see the lights, the cameras, the action. I’ve covered a couple dozen final tables and I still get a little rush when I walk onto the set and see those big boom cameras swooping overhead.
And who knows, you sit in the Feature Table stands and you might end up on TV, or in a really nice photo:
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, world series of poker, WSOP
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Monday, July 13, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
Poker is all about the individual–to win you have to beat the other eight people sitting at the table with you, and all the other people in the room. The pronouns typically used are “I” and “you” and “me” and “them”–not “we”, not “us”. For you to succeed, they must fail. Their pain is your gain…and vice-versa.
But even poker players are capable of rooting for others to succeed, especially when they share a vested interest. And that’s what’s behind the tournament currently playing out in the Brasilia Room, the first Dream Team Poker event at the World Series of Poker. Teams of three players take to the felt and battle each other while cheering on their teammates, with prizes awarded for both team and individual success. The overall team score is calculated (based on when each player gets knocked out) and so even if you get bounced from the event you can cheer on your teammates and maybe make some nice money.
Which is what happened to my friends Pauly, Dan and Lana, who just won the team portion of the event. Lana got knocked out early on the first day but Dan and Pauly both made deep runs (both finishing in the teens) to lock up the team title when there were still 21 players left. Of course me and a bunch of my fellow media types skulked away from the Main Event to see the moment when Team Tao of Pokerati clinched the title:
And if you think that team poker isn’t all skill, consider that the WSOP Media tournament was also a Dream Team event, and that Lana’s team also won first place in that, and that Pauly’s team (of which I was a member) took third. See. All skill. And did I mention I (well, we) finished third???
You’ll notice that the three champs are all wearing identical jerseys–in these events you pick a team name and they supply jerseys for you to wear in the event. And I have to admit that I got a little bit too excited when I picked up my royal blue jersey with black trip before the media event. I went around Brasilia yesterday and took some shots of the more interestingly-named teams.
I think we can all relate to this:
Dunno if this person neutralizes Swiss people, or if he’s a Neutralizer from Switzerland. Nor do I know if that matters:
If you read Bloom County you’ll get this, if not…not:
Uh…I’ll just post this without comment:
And cueing Ray Parker, Jr:
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, Dream Team Poker, team poker, world series of poker, WSOP
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Monday, July 13, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
It’s odd that we’re getting to the meat of the Main Event, to the moments of high drama where incredible sums of money hang on the turn of a card, and yet it feels like someone let the air out of the room. The Amazon Room, specifically, which has been the center of the poker Universe for seven weeks but now stands half-empty. Compare this shot, taken as the Main Event began…
…with this picture, taken as play started today:
You won’t notice the change when you watch the Main Event on TV because there’s still a lot of action at the tables for the cameras and spectators to follow. But there’s definitely a different vibe now, all that empty space swallows up so many people and so much noise that you can’t help but think that the World Series is almost over.
Almost. There are still 145 players fighting for the World Championship and tens of millions in prize money. That’s all that’s still at stake, life-changing riches and poker immortality. Just that.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, amazon room, world series of poker, WSOP
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Sunday, July 12, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
That’s what some of my friends call insanely gigantic hands that dwarf humanity’s feeble powers of comprehension. You get monsterpotten in tournaments like the Main Event, where players sit behind vast chip-cathedrals hundreds of big blinds deep. And while you might think that you could never, ever, EVER lose all those glorious chips, sometimes that’s exactly what happens. In a single hand.
That’s the ghasty fate that befell Tom Lutz, who was just eliminated in the biggest pot (so far) of the 2009 Main Event. After a 9c-6c-3d flop Tom and Warren Zackey began a raising war that saw each bring out every weapon in their arsenals. When all was said and done, 4.15 million chips were heaped in the center of the table. When the hands were turned over, Tom has Ac-Qc for the nut flush draw and two overcards, while Zackey held 10c-10d. As PokerNews put it, the two were flipping for four million.
The turn was the 8d, the river the 5s, and just like that. Tom was out. Out of the Main Event, when just a few hours before he’d returned to play 3rd overall in chips. I took this picture of Tom not long after play resumed today; after losing that monsterpotten to Zackey, hopefully he’ll find the strength to smile again someday.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, tom lutz, world series of poker, WSOP
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Sunday, July 12, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
Phil Hellmuth and Scott Ian were the last members of Team UltimateBet to be eliminated from the Main Event, but there are still (at least) two players sporting the black-and-gold of UB as play resumed today. And one of those players, Scott Buller, is gonna be on TV in a couple of months. After taking 2nd in the Seniors Event this year, Scott found himself at the ESPN Feature Table and all-in with pocket Kings against Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier’s pocket Aces. It seems almost unfair that a player like ElkY should EVER be allowed Aces, but that’s the dilemma Scott found himself in. After a Qd-10d-3h flop Scott was looking for some runner-runner flush/straight possibility, or a King…and that’s what spiked on the turn, the Kc, and when ElkY couldn’t catch an Ace or a Jack on the river Scott doubled up to over 500K. Here’s a shot of Scott at the Feature Table just before that hand:
One player who didn’t have immediate worries about busting is Tom Lutz, who came into play today 3rd in chips with 1.6 million. Which is a ton of chips…until you realize that to win the Main Event you need to collect almost 195 million chips. Eh, heck, 1.6 million is still a lotta chips:
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, Main Event, scott buller, tom lutz, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop main event
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Saturday, July 11, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
For some just playing in the World Series of Poker Main Event is the realization of a lifelong dream. For other, cashing in the Main Event is a story to be retold over and over again for decades. But for some, there’s only on reason to play in the Main Event–or any poker tournament, for that matter. And that’s to win it.
Phil Hellmuth has a legacy to think about. He’s won more WSOP bracelets than anyone else, has played at more WSOP final tables than anyone else, has more WSOP cashes than anyone else. He won the Main Event twenty years ago. But still, that’s not enough. With every deep run comes an opportunity to rewrite history, history Phil himself wrote in years past. Coming into play today Phil had a big stack, big enough to work his usual magic and position himself for another deep run in the biggest poker tournament in the world, just as he did last year.
But it wasn’t meant to be. Famous for his line “I can dodge bullets, baby!”, Phil lost a big pot to Jose Manuel Gomez Rebenaque when Rebanaque called an 80,000 bet on the river with pocket Aces, and Phil wasn’t able to rebuild and retrench after that. He had chips, just not as many as those rising to the top of the leaderboard, when he lost a huge pot to Abraham Mourshaki when Mourshaki flopped trip Jacks and Phil called a 120,000 bet on the river. The end came shortly thereafter, when Phil was dealt…pocket Aces, and when the money went in after a Jc-10d-5c flop. Phil found himself in big trouble against Kenny Hsiung’s J-10 and Kevin Jenkins’ 8h-9h, and when the 7d fell on the turn it gave Jenkins a straight that held up to take the pot.
And that’s when WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla took the microphone and announced, “Ladies and Gentleman, just eliminated from the Main Event…Phil Hellmuth”. There was a smattering of applause in the half-empty room, an ESPN film team followed Phil as he walked out the door. “Love you, Phil!” a fan called from the far rail, but Phil walked out the door and was gone.
For Scott Ian, the Main Event WAS his World Series, as he was in Europe touring with Anthrax during the rest of the Series. He returned to the States just in time to take his Main Event seat, and then after surviving to Day 2 he had to hop on a plane and fly to Tulsa, Oklahoma to play a gig at the Rocklahoma music festival. A flight at dawn back to Vegas and Scott resumed his seat on Day 3, battling all day with a shortstack to make it to Day 4. And on Day 4 he gritted it out, folding several times to big re-raises when his entire stack was in peril, and battled his way into the money. If Phil was crushed after his elimination, Scott saw the bright side. As he tweeted, “I cashed in my first main event. Outlasted 5857 players. So stoked. Post main event euphoria.”
But that’s how it is for everyone who cashes in the Main Event but doesn’t win–there’s congratulations, and condolences as well. There’s only one winner, and everyone else walks away from the table bitterly disappointed. But there’s reason to be proud of cashing in the Main Event, and both Scott Ian and Phil Hellmuth have reason to be proud of what they accomplished this week. Even if pride is an emotion that might come harder for some at this particular time.
And with that, we’re done for the night. Tournament Director Jack Effel announced a bit ago that we were ending early tonight, with 407 players still in the hunt for the World Championship. We’ll resume tomorrow at high noon, with 406 players sure to ride that roller coaster of ecstasy and despair, while one will claim the ultimate prize–the title of World Champion.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, Anthrax, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Ian, world series of poker, WSOP
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Saturday, July 11, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
It took 13 hands and nearly two hours of play, but the money bubble has finally burst in the 2009 Main Event. Kia Hamadani was the unfortunatle soul who finished in 649th place, when his 4-3 offsuit (he was all-in in the blinds) could not overcome Reed Hensel’s mighty 9-2 offsuit. No Kings blundering into Aces here.
But still no doubt a crushing blow for Hamadani…though one that was perhaps mitigated when Jeffrey Pollack and Jack Effel brought him up on stage and announced that, as a consolation prize, the WSOP and Jack’s Links Beef Jerky would buy him into the 2010 Main Event. And a $10,000 buy-in to the biggest poker tournament of the year, especially one you (expletive deleted) bubbled the year before, isn’t bad at all.
This, of course, means that Scott Ian and Phil Hellmuth have both cashed in the Main Event. The media wasn’t allowed on the floor during hand-for-hand so I’m not sure of their chip status, but I do know that Phil has now cashed for a record 75th time at the World Series of Poker.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, world series of poker, WSOP
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Saturday, July 11, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
We’ve been bobbling on the Bubble for nearly two hours now, we’re still stuck on 649 as that last victim refuses to give up the ghost. There have been a few close calls, none closer than when a player moved all-in with Aces, was called by King-Jack, and the flop came K-J-x. Barf. The ESPN crews pressed close, players (ignoring repeated warnings to stay at their tables) pressed closer, and the dealer laid a deuce on the turn and a…deuce on the river. A low groan rose from the mob as everyone realized the Bubble was still intact, though the player who survived did get a nice ovation when Tournament Director Jack Effel told the crowd what happened. No one should get bounced on the Bubble holding Aces. It ain’t right.
So we’re stuck in the doldrums right now, waiting for that bubble-busting hand. Jack Effel just announced that a player laid down Kings preflop…and his opponent flashed Aces. Might be awhile before we finally reach the magic 648 barrier. And as you can see, the pressure of the bubble can be difficult to deal with:
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, the bubble, world series of poker, WSOP
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Saturday, July 11, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
We’ve played 14 levels so far at the Main Event–that’s 28 hours of poker. Twenty-eight hours sitting in that chair, playing hand after hand, disaster always one card away. The 789 players returning to the Amazon Room today have watched as thousands of other hopefuls saw those hopes betrayed, crushed, destroyed. And then watched as their precious chips were dragged across the felt to be incorporated into the victor’s much-bigger stack.
All that poker. All that time. All that tension and anxiety and exhilaration. And so far, all that has been for naught.
At least so far as money goes–not one player in the Main Event has made a dime so far. Not Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, who has run away from the field and is the chip leader with 1.3 million. Not Phil Hellmuth, eleven-time bracelet winner and the 1989 winner of this event, who returns today with 485,000 and a chance to post his 74th career WSOP cash…and perhaps be on track for far more. And not Scott Ian, who gritted it out yesterday with a shortstack and wrote today that “I’m gonna fight ‘em til I can’t”.
For some players in the field the Bubble is a psychological barrier that cannot be overcome. You’ll see players folding hands without looking at their cards, terrified that they might look down at two Aces and feel compelled to play a pot. A pot that might cost them their stack and any chance at cashing. And for a lot of the players in the field cashing in the Main Event is almost as great an achievement as winning the Main Event–the latter isn’t a possibilty they’ve honestly contemplated, but to make the money? To go home with money in their pocket and grand tale to tell? That’s worth folding Aces.
And then there are the players who know about this Bubble dynamic, and prey upon those who are terrfied to put a chip in the pot. In 2007 I watched Lee Watkinson (who went on to make the final table) go all-in preflop about ten times in twenty minutes because he had the table covered and no one was willing to gamble for their tournament lives. Watkinson picked up the blinds and antes risk-free–they shouldn’t have bothered dealing the cards, it would’ve saved everyone a bit of trouble.
I should say that at the moment the Amazon Room sounds like an echo chamber–all you hear right now is “All in and call, 64! All in and all, 58! All in and call 74!!” The desperate shortstacks are trying to gather ammunition to make a run for the Bubble, the gamblers are using the Bubble to add pressure to their big bets. But once we get closer and closer to that magic number of 648, the number of players who will cash in the 2009 Main Event, that’s when we’ll see who turtles and who bares their fangs.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Ian, world series of poker, WSOP
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