As of this writing, the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a little over half over. As for me, I’ve played in six events and will probably play another six or so. To date, I have one cash – a 10th place finish in the $10,000 Omaha Eight or Better tournament – for nearly $35,000 and that puts me in the plus column at the WSOP by about $10,000. Ironically, the two guys who knocked me out in the two $10,000 buy-in events I played in went on to win bracelets! Congratulations to Frank Kassela, who won the $10,000 Eight or Better Stud tournament, and Sammy Farha, who captured the $10,000 Omaha Eight or Better bracelet. Obviously, they took good care of my chips.
I live in California now, so I’m commuting back and forth to the WSOP this year. I’m taking this week off to relax and spend time with my son, Ty (22 months old). I love being with him and want to spend Father’s Day at home. I’ll get back to the WSOP on Tuesday, June 22nd.
As for my upcoming schedule, I’m going to play in two Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better tournaments this week and then next Sunday (June 27th), I’ll play in the WSOP Tournament of Champions. I’ll probably play in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha tournament as well as two or three more events in addition to the Main Event.
I’m excited about the WSOP Tournament of Champions (a $1,000,000 freeroll for 27 players) because it’s where I have an opportunity to defend my title! I won this event in 2006, the last time it was played. I look forward to finally getting a chance to defend my title.
The WSOP Tournament of Champions is supposedly poker’s All-Star event. It is a made-for-television event that is guaranteed to have an amazing final table. The three former WSOP Tournament of Champions winners (Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, and myself) were awarded exemptions as well as the reigning WSOP champion, Joe Cada, and WSOP European, champion Barry Shulman. Two qualifiers, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier and Andrew Barton, are in, as are 20 players voted in by the public.
They announced the 20 top vote getters for the WSOP Tournament of Champions this week and there were virtually no changes from the first ballot that was publicized a couple of months ago. Here is the list of players (in order of finish) that were voted into the 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions: Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson, Allen Cunningham, Johnny Chan, Scotty Nguyen, Barry Greenstein, John Juanda, Erik Seidel, Jennifer Harman, Huck Seed, Dan Harrington, T.J. Cloutier, Sammy Farha, Howard Lederer, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, and Antonio Esfandiari.
I congratulate the 20 players that were voted in, but honestly, I feel that a couple of deserving people were left off the list. Two guys that I feel should be in that aren’t are Carlos Mortensen and David Chiu. Mortensen is a multiple WSOP bracelet winner and a two-time World Poker Tour (WPT) champion. He’s also the only player in the world who has won the Main Event at the WSOP and the Main Event of the World Poker Tour – a feat we may not see duplicated in our lifetime.
Chiu has won four WSOP bracelets and, like Mortensen, has a WPT World Championship title to his credit. In addition, and perhaps most significant to this event, is that Chiu won the inaugural Tournament of Champions in 1999 (an event that I created). Another player I believe deserves to play in the WSOP Tournament of Champions is Poker Hall of Famer and seven-time bracelet champion Billy Baxter.
I know some internet pros and young players feel slighted that none of them were voted into this event. Even “if” they are better players than a number of players voted in – which I don’t disagree with – I don’t feel they deserve to be in poker’s All-Star game just yet. They need to pay their dues over time and let their credentials speak for them. In time, they’ll get their chance to play in this prestigious event.
There is a lot of buzz at the WSOP about the side bets a number of the top pros have on winning bracelets, cross-booking each other, etc. I think these bets create an exciting atmosphere. I’m also guessing that WSOP officials are happy about them because it gets the top players to literally play every event on the schedule. And any time you have Phil Ivey and other top players playing in all of your tournaments, you have to love it.
I was pretty much exhausted and drained after playing in only a half-dozen events and am enjoying a little R & R. I know how tough it is to play in all of the tournaments like a number of players are doing. Those guys (and a few gals) are playing multiple events every day and are up until 3:00am many nights – and take it from me, it’s a grind. It’s not easy to cash, let alone win, at the WSOP.
Playing 12-hour days so many days in a row is brutal on your body. It also gets very cold in there in the wee hours in the morning. I salute all those who play so many events and wish them luck in their quest to add to their bracelet count.
Let me take a moment to pay tribute to the foreign players and how well they do at the WSOP. England is having its best WSOP ever and those Russians are really tough. Although outnumbered significantly, there seems to be a number of them that show up in the money in every event!
I’ve been coming to the WSOP since 1984 and I can assure you that overall, the competition is much tougher today than yesteryear. There are so many terrific young players as well as good foreign players out there. Anyone who plays at the WSOP and goes home with a profit should be proud of themselves. And to those lucky enough to win a bracelet, pat yourself on the back and enjoy it. Trust me, they’re not easy to get.
