Sunday, July 19, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
I’ve been home for 48 hours and the “real world” is finally starting to feel more real and less surreal. Doing laundry, scrambling an egg, grocery shopping…these mundane chores are an absolute delight after seven weeks in Vegas. Of course, even though the Rio is no longer the center of the poker universe, the World Series of Poker isn’t over yet. It’s just gone on hiatus until November 7th, when the November Nine returns to the Rio to determine the next World Champion.
And that’s the weird thing about leaving Vegas now that the final table of the Main Event is delayed–you don’t know who wins. Who takes home the lion’s share of the money. Who enjoys the ultimate triumph and who sufferes the ultimate heartbreak. You know, the good stuff.
So I’m not quite ready to leave Vegas behind, not quite ready to put the World Series in the rear-view mirror. Because the November Nine will be coming up sooner than you think. And when it does Joseph Cada will be right there, sitting at the final table and trying to take his place among poker’s immortals.
Tags: 2009 main event, 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, joseph cada, Main Event, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop main event
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Friday, July 17, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
There is a story in the Detroit News today about Joseph Cada, who is the youngest member of the November Nine. Here’s what it looked like on the front page:
There’s a line from the article I thought was a bit amusing. Here’s Joe’s mother, Anne Cada:
“We had 15 people all huddled around the computer getting updates,” she said Thursday. “There was a delay in what’s going on there and the updates on the computer and all the sudden I got a call from Joe and all he said was ‘I made it.’ The place just erupted with the loudest ovation.”
I found it amusing because some of my friends were writing the updates that Joe’s mom was reading, and as I watched the crowd going nuts after Darvin Moon eliminated Jordan Smith in tenth place I took this shot of Joe, who was probably talking to his mon:
Tags: 2009 main event, 2009 november nine, 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, joseph cada, Main Event, november nine, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop main event
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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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Monday, July 6, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
Today is gonna be nuts.
It’s Day 1D of the World Series of Poker Main Event and to be honest it’s already been nuts. The seats for today’s flight are sold out–if you haven’t already bought into the Main Event, you ain’t playing in it this year. There was a mini-riot by the registration room as players prepared to pony up ten grand were told their money wasn’t good. And they weren’t too happy about it. So there are scores of unhappy poker players out in the hall mingling with about 2,800 anxious poker players who are about to file into the Amazon, Brasilia and Miranda rooms (they’ll be using Miranda today for sure). Add the fact that a sewer line or something backed up and it stinks in here, I mean it STINKS, and that just about everyone on Media Row is coughing and sneezing (the cold that flattened Annie Duke yesterday is a Rio-wide pandemic)…like I said, today is gonna be nuts.
Tags: 2009 main event, 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, world series of poker main event, WSOP, wsop main event
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Monday, July 6, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
The end of the World Series came early for Brandon Cantu as well, as he was eliminated just before the last break of the evening. Cantu made a move against a player who’d flopped a set of Jacks on an A-J-6, and after the call Brandon was drawing at a mircle with Ks-8s. A Queen fell on the turn, giving Brandon a gutshot draw, and as he screamed “Ten! Ten!!” the dealer placed an Ace on the river that gave the 50,000-chip pot to his opponent. And not long after the period was placed at the end of Cantu’s World Series when he was all in on the flop against a player who turned the nut flush.
But his disappointment at being eliminated today should be tempered by the fact that he had a fantastic Series. He finished second in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold-Em event, losing out on his second bracelet in cruel fashion when he was heads-up with Ray Foley. But he rebounded from that bitter defeat a few days later by racing out to a huge chip lead in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha/8 tournament and then coming from behind to defeat Lee Watkinson to finally capture his second bracelet. A shot of that earlier, happier time:
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, Brandon Cantu, Main Event, world series of poker, world series of poker main event, WSOP, wsop main event
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Saturday, July 4, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
I did a quick run-through of the Amazon Room (small field on Day 1B, the Brasilia Room is not in use for the Main Event today) and found several sharp-dressed players:
And in honor of America shaking off the monarchist yoke 233 years ago:
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, world series of poker, world series of poker main event, WSOP, wsop main event
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Friday, July 3, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
With the start of the Main Event split into four Day Ones, which day you play becomes a major strategic question for players to consider. Do you play on Day 1A, which would leave you with three days to rest up before you play again (or give you a chance to get outta Dodge early if you bust out). Or 1B, which gives you an extra day off and two days to rest should you survive. Maybe 1C, giving you the opposite benefits of 1B, two days off before and one day off after. Or 1D, so you can come in completely rested and refreshed and not having to deal with a long layoff before you play again.
The last few years Day 1A has seen the smallest fields, while 1D has had the largest (those fields swelled perhaps by last-second satellite winners). So you have to factor that in as well. Along with calculating which day will see the most pros in the field, the most first-time qualifiers…it’s enough to make your head spin.
The only member of the Team UB/AP family I’ve seen in the field today is Matt Vengrin, who’s sitting at Table 87 in the Orange section. If Matt makes it through the next two levels (we’re only playing four levels today, not the five that were originally scheduled) he’ll have three days off before resuming the fight on Tuesday the 7th. But there’s still four long hours of play before Matt extends his stay.
Tags: 2009 world series of poker, 2009 wsop, 2009 wsop main event, matt vengrin, world series of poker, world series of poker main event, WSOP, wsop main event
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Friday, July 3, 2009 - Gene Bromberg
We’ve had a rather smooth start to the Main Event, with some mild mob-scenes around the rail and minor traffic jams on the floor with all the camera crews and photographers zipping about. There’s a bunch of media types who haven’t been here the whole series and they haven’t quite figured out the samba swing required to sashay with ease between the tables. But they’ll figure it out soon enough.
Traditionally Day 1C and 1D are the busiest openers for the Main Event and the Brasilia Room, though in use, only has a dozen or so tables in use. No official tally on the size of the field as yet, we may get that after the first break. But here are a few folks in the field today:
Tags: 2009 main event, 2009 world series main event, 2009 world series of poker, 2009 world series of poker main event, 2009 wsop, world series of poker, WSOP, wsop main event
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Friday, April 3, 2009 - Ultimate Bet Marketing
Unbelievable, isn’t?
Much to mention, and much to talk about… First major thing is that the UB Marketing team would like to congratulate Scott Ian for his amazing performance on the Sunday $200k Guaranteed. With a field of over 1000 players Scott achieved to make it to the final table and end up the tournament with a 3 player deal from which he walked away with over $30.000. Amazing performance and best wishes in his future tournaments!!
Huge news from the CEREUS network, and that is that we have already qualified over 50 players to this year’s WSOP Main Event. Chances are still available through our Step tourneys and every Sunday we are guaranteeing 1 seat @ our $530 satellite.
Last night our popular Wednesday $1000+50 event had some major online pro action. This tournament is getting more popular everyday due to the high profile players that usually play it. Proof of it, yesterday Shaun Deeb aka Tedsfishfry took down the event and cashed an approx. of $40.000.
Our jackpot was recently hit like 3 times in less than 4 days, the biggest it got was $800.000 and every day our jackpot tables are getting more popular. You can find them from the lowest to the highest stakes depending on your style of play and who knows; a bad beat could end up rewarding you thousands of dollars.
Thanks for paying us a visit and remember to check http://www.ultimatebet.com/poker-promotion for our latest promotions. For our Blackjack players we have some juicy prices this month to the player who achieves the most blackjacks during the day, so check the promo page and learn of the exciting prizes we have for you for the following weeks.
Tags: Cereus, Scott Ian, Sunday 200K, ub marketing, wednesday 1000+50, wsop main event
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