This week on the ESPN.com poker news show “Inside Deal,” 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Niner Eric Buchman breaks down his $200,000 win in a $2,000 Limit Hold’em event. In addition, ESPN poker columnist Gary Wise talks bracelet prop bets and dishes out the latest dirt from Las Vegas.
Bernard Lee returned to his hosting duties after a one-week hiatus to play in the WSOP. The Foxwoods sponsored pro discussed the importance of the WSOP Ladies’ Event, which attracted about 10 male players this year: “[Women are] an untapped market for the world of poker. Probably less than 5% of the players who play open events are women, so they’re going to want to continue that tradition.”
In 2006, Buchman finished second in a $1,500 Limit Hold’em event for $174,000. On his runner-up performance, which marked just his second WSOP cash, Buchman told “Inside Deal” hosts Lee and Laura Lane, “It felt kind of disappointing and kind of good at the same time. At the time, it was a lot of money to me. I was okay with finishing second on 2006.” Last year, Buchman was fourth in the WSOP Main Event, which he described as “bittersweet;” he collected a solid $2.5 million for his efforts.
In 2010, Buchman finally landed in victory lane, besting a top 20 that included Jeff Shulman, Shannon Shorr, and Matt Matros. Buchman, as you’d expect, was craving his own piece of hardware: “I really wanted to win this time and I really just cared about first when I got to the final table. I really didn’t want to finish second. I thought this was my tournament to win and didn’t want to make mistakes. When I got heads-up, I had a pretty good chip lead and in Limit Hold’em, when you have a pretty good chip lead, it’s hard to come back from that.”
Dwan’s appearance at the final table of Event #11, $1,500 No Limit Hold’em, ignited a frenzy in the poker world. Wise, who is camped out in Las Vegas covering the action for ESPN, told “Inside Deal” viewers, “Tom Dwan has become the focus of the World Series. He stands to win somewhere between $9 million and $12 million if he wins all of his prop bets, which are mostly based on winning a bracelet this year, winning two bracelets over the next three years, and making more cashes than whoever he bet against.” Aussie Simon Watt trumped the poker pro in Event #11 to earn $614,000.
Also making waves at the 2010 WSOP, and for all of the wrong reasons, was newly un-retired tournament poker pro Shaun Deeb, who dressed in full drag and entered the Ladies’ Event. Deeb, donning a straw hat, tank top, and a pair of fake breasts, could receive sanctions from Harrah’s for his actions. Wise predicted, “I think we have a situation that a lot of people are talking about right now, but ultimately very little is going to come out of for this particular World Series. We might see Harrah’s take a more forceful stance in the future with regards to men entering the Ladies’ Event.”
Finally, Wise broke down the WSOP Academy’s single-table sit and go satellite to the 2010 Tournament of Champions. The controversial name tossed into the invite-only field was actor Don Cheadle, who has never cashed in the WSOP or any of its Circuit Events: “Generally speaking, people were pleased by the WSOP Academy’s decision to have the play-in event. I personally would have liked to see someone like Nam Le in there instead of Don Cheadle, someone who has paid their dues in the poker world and earned the chance to be in the TOC.” In the end, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier bested Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi to earn his place in the Tournament of Champions later this month.
“Inside Deal” is released every Tuesday on ESPN.com.
