Sunday, June 28, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
As usual at 2:20PM in the Amazon Room there was a brief pause as Jeffrey Pollack presented the new WSOP champions with their bracelets. And today we again witnessed a Team UltimateBet player receiving his second career bracelet, as Brandon Cantu followed Matt Graham’s lead and won his second WSOP event last night. And that meant this afternoon the Amazon Room crowd turned toward the Corum stage to see Brandon get his reward.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, bracelet ceremony, Brandon Cantu, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop bracelet ceremony
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Sunday, June 14, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
Every day at 2:20 pm World Series of Poker Commissioner takes to the small stage set up by the Feature Table Arena and presents the previous day’s winners with their gold WSOP bracelets. The ceremony always attracts a fair number of reporters, photographers and camerapeople who aim their instruments of recordation at the dais and the latest poker champion. Today the crowd was just a bit larger than usual, because one of the players who received a bracelet is a bit larger than life–Phil Ivey, who last night won his second bracelet this year (and his seventh overall).
As the appointed hour grew close and the media thronged around the stage a rumor circulated that Ivey wasn’t coming to the ceremony. I wanted to get a picture of the media gaggle surrounding the stage and if Ivey wasn’t gonna show, chances are much of the press would as well. But at 2:20 there was Ivey, standing next to Pete Vilandos, who won a bracelet in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold-Em event last night. Vilandos was the first to take the stage and accept his bracelet, and the players in the room stood to listen to the Greek national anthem:
And then it was Ivey’s turn to shake Jeffrey Pollack’s hand and take possession of his seventh bracelet. And time for a platoon of shutterbugs to press close (or loom overhead) to get shots of Ivey standing at attention for the Star-Spangled Banner:
I’d like to see what the media crush would be like, if, say, Phil Hellmuth won his twelfth bracelet. We still have five weeks to find out.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, bracelet ceremony, jeffrey pollack, Phil Hellmuth, phil ivey, ub, ub wsop, ultimatebet, ultimatebet wsop, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop bracelet ceremony
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Thursday, June 11, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
Hard to believe that we’re two weeks into the 2009 World Series of Poker. We’ve already reached Event #23 out of the 57 that are scheduled. Still a long way to go, but there’s a good bit in the books as well. If I may make a few observations:
- Attendance numbers seemed to be in line with last year. It’s hard to make direct comparisons because the schedules don’t directly correspond and some new events (the $1,000 Stimulus event especially) may skew the numbers. But the economy hasn’t resulted in dramatically smaller fields at the World Series, at least not yet. Tomorrow is another $1,500 No-Limit event, a broad barometer the poker economy.
- If the tournament numbers look good, the cash game numbers in the Amazon Room have to be through the roof. This is the busiest I’ve ever seen the cash games during the WSOP, there must be 45 tables in use right now and I don’t think they’re spreading games smaller than 2-5 NL (and many games are much, much bigger). In years past the Amazon Room really cleared out late at night when the tournament fields shrank–not this year. There’s always a buzz from the cash-game area.
- The bracelet awards ceremony at 2pm has been a huge success. The whole Amazon Room turns it’s attention to the dais by the Feature Table stage to watch Jeffrey Pollack and Jack Effel award the bracelets to the newest champions. I wasn’t a big fan of the idea to play each winner’s national anthem, but it’s pretty cool to see the entire room stand, unbidden, to honor the winner and his native land. Even though there was a snafu and they played the Swedish national anthem after Finnish player Ville Wahlbeck won the $10K Mixed event, the bracelet ceremony is a smash hit and should become an instant tradition at the WSOP.
- All things considered, it’s been a fairly smooth ride so far. Some events have filled up earlier than expected, leaving some players on the outside looking in and grumbling about it. The decision to cap play on Day 2 at 3am and then play long sessions for the bracelet have worked out as well. The food in the Poker Kitchen is pricey but its not hard to find something edible (I’ve been in the rut with the chicken BLT wraps, which I can eat while working with little fear of dripping anything on my keyboard).
Hardly a comprehensive look at the World Series so far, but a few items that may be of interest. I’m starting to see people getting tired, a bit run down. Actually, I see that every time I look in the mirror. But that’s a universal truth about the WSOP, everyone gets that thousand-yard stare after two weeks or so. And then the Main Event rolls around and the real lunacy begins.
Actually, there’s another universal truth about the World Series–Phil Hellmuth will always show up late to the start of a tournament. And apparently he’s just arrived in the Brasilia Room for the $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven event. Via LearJet and limo, giving Phil perhaps the largest carbon-footprint of anyone in the field.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, bracelet ceremony, Phil Hellmuth, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop review
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