The 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is underway. Already, most of this year’s 57 WSOP bracelets have been awarded. If you have never been to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the summer, you owe it to yourself to attend one year to witness the spectacle that is the WSOP. Table after table jam-packed with poker players. A symphony of shuffling chips permeates through air. A room overflowing with hopes and dreams of becoming the next WSOP bracelet winner. Does it get any better than this?
On any given day, up to six different bracelet events were played. Each day started off with a new WSOP bracelet event at Noon, while another often commenced at 5:00pm. Meanwhile, the other WSOP bracelet events reassembled for Day 2 and final tables kicked off at 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Additionally, two multi-table non-bracelet tournaments were played (7:00pm and 11:00pm), while two multi-table WSOP Main Event satellites were offered daily (3:00pm and 8:00pm). All the while, there were single table satellites that occurred all day ranging from $65 to $1,030 down the hallway in the Brasilia Room.
This year, the WSOP started off with a bang, as 201 players registered for the first major event – the $40,000 No Limit Hold‘em tournament. It was created as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the WSOP and won by Russian Vitaly Lunkin. Outlasting poker professionals Greg Raymer (2004 WSOP Main Event Champion) and Isaac Haxton, Lunkin took home the coveted WSOP bracelet in addition to almost $1.9 million. Also during the first weekend, the Stimulus Special (Event # 4, $1,000 No Limit Hold‘em) had a record turnout. The 6,012 participants made up the largest non-WSOP Main Event field in the history of poker. In the end, the tournament was won by poker professional Steve Sung, who took home $771,106.
However, one of the most anticipated events of the 40th annual WSOP was not even a bracelet event. On Sunday, May 31st, the WSOP Champions Invitational brought together all of the past WSOP Main Event winners. Although 34 different players have won the WSOP Main Event (remember, there have been players with multiple titles such as Doyle Brunson, Stu Unger, and Johnny Chan), there are 25 current living champions. Of these, 20 former winners came together in the Amazon Room, making this winner-take-all event one of the most competitive fields in the history of poker.
The winner of this unprecedented Champions Invitational would take home a vintage red Corvette from 1970, marking the inaugural year of the WSOP. More importantly, the winner would have the ultimate bragging rights as “The Champion of Champions.”
At the beginning of the tournament, Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced each player’s name one by one, culminating in a historic picture of all of the living WSOP champions. The massive crowd was electric with anticipation for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
After 10 champions were eliminated on Day One, the final 10 players reassembled on June 1st. The field was comprised of a mix of old school and new style online aggression: Two-time champion Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson (finished 8th), “Action” Dan Harrington (finished 3rd), reigning WSOP Main Event champion Peter “Icegate” Eastgate (finished 9th), and 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth (finished 10th). Overall, this final table would be one for the ages.
In the end, Robert Varkonyi, the 2002 Champion, succumbed to the winner of the WSOP Champions Invitational, Tom McEvoy. McEvoy, the 1983 WSOP Main Event champion, is a four-time bracelet winner in his own right and author of 12 books, mainly on poker. However, he is best known as the first WSOP champion ever to have earned his seat into the Main Event via a satellite. By laying the groundwork, the majority of the players can today earn their seats in satellites, whether online or in live casinos.
Clearly emotional after his victory, McEvoy commented, “This is the toughest field I have ever played against.” After the grueling final table, McEvoy received the Corvette and the first-ever Binion Cup from its namesake and poker patriarch, Jack Binion.
I have known Tom for several years. When I first began taking tournament poker very seriously back in 2004, the first book I read about playing No Limit Hold’em tournaments was Tom McEvoy’s and T.J. Cloutier’s “Championship No Limit and Pot Limit Hold’em.” Before every tournament, I still re-read the book to prepare and focus on the upcoming event. This book truly helped set the foundation of my game. I even own a signed copy that I carry with me to every tournament. Congratulations Tom on your historic victory. In the end, the Champions Invitational is an event that all fans alike will enjoy and I will look forward to seeing later this fall on ESPN.
As for my WSOP, I could not have gotten off to a worse start. I played in six preliminary events during the second week, starting with the Stimulus Event. Originally, I was shut out of the $1,000 No Limit event because it was sold out. However, on Day 1B, it was announced that there were six available seats, as several pre-registrations were voided. Thus, I was fortunate to get into the event. However, my K-K ran into A-A during Level 7 and I was sent packing.
The rest of the week did not go much better, as once again my K-K faced A-A (Event #7), Ah-Qh went up against K-K on a Qs-9h-7h flop (Event #11), 10-10 lost to 9-9 on a nine-high board (Event #13), and my A-2 (I had checked my option from the big blind) got tangled with A-8 on an A-10-8-A-9 board (Event #15). Finally, playing in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event (my only non-No Limit Hold‘em tournament), my aces and eights got run down by a two-outer. On 7th street, my opponent, holding only a pair of nines, hit trips and I could not improve.
Finally, don’t forget to listen to my radio show, “The Bernard Lee Poker Show,” on RoundersRadio.com and 1510 AM in the Boston area on Tuesday nights from 7:00pm to 8:00pm ET and repeated throughout the week. Recent and upcoming guests include Tom McEvoy, Mike Matusow, and Brandon Cantu.
Sorry your events did not go well, Bernard.
Hope the rest of the WSOP was good.