Tuesday night saw the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Champions Invitational play out on ESPN. A rather subdued final table competed for a vintage 1970 Corvette and the title of “Champion of Champions.”
The taking of the now-storied photo of 20 former WSOP Main Event champions kicked off the ESPN telecast on Tuesday and the final table began with an unconventional 10 players taking to the felts. Up for grabs was a red 1970 Corvette Stingray that formerly appeared in the Imperial Palace car collection. The WSOP Champions Invitational winner would also take home the Binion Cup, an oversized trophy with the inscription, “The Champion of Champions. The 40th Annual World Series of Poker ‘Champions Invitational’ Winner in Honor of Poker’s First Family.” The cup also bore the date that the final table played out, June 1st, 2009.
1989 Main Event Champion Phil Hellmuth came armed to the final table with a stack of 1,125, or just 1% of the chips in play. In fact, he held just three chips, which promptly went into the middle with 10-5 of spades against Carlos Mortensen’s pocket twos. The flop came 4-Q-J with no spades, but an ace on the turn gave Hellmuth a gutshot straight draw. Needing a 10, 5, or 3 to fall on the river to double up, Hellmuth watched as an 8 hit. Hellmuth holds the record for the most number of WSOP bracelets won with 11.
2008 Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate’s exit in ninth place meant that the two youngest winners of the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament had been eliminated. Eastgate’s 8-7 ran into “Action” Dan Harrington’s pocket aces and an open-ended straight draw on the flop failed to materialize. A bevy of poker authors remained in the final eight players, including Tom McEvoy (“Championship Hold’em”), Doyle Brunson (“Super System” Volumes I and II), and Harrington (“Harrington on Hold’em”).
Eastgate’s departure set up the first Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand. The cards of one player are not revealed, leaving the viewing audience and ESPN announcers Lon McEachern and Norman Chad to guess what they may hold. Harrington raised to 1,800 with A-Q of diamonds and Mortensen made the call after his cards were obscured by the logo for the popular beef jerky brand. The flop came 3-3-8 and the action went check-check. A four fell on the turn and the action again went check-check. The river was a nine. Mortensen bet out 2,500 and Harrington called. Mortensen sheepishly turned over 6-7 of clubs for what Chad called “squadoosh.”
Watching the action in the WSOP Champions Invitational were several notable poker pros. “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro looked on as Brunson called all-in on a draw. Chad quipped, “He’s priced in, but he’s calling off all of his chips on a draw. I don’t remember that being mentioned in ‘Super System’ 1 or 2.” Brunson’s draw never hit and he was ousted from the televised table. McEvoy celebrated his elimination of Brunson with poker pro Kathy Liebert, who railed him throughout the finale.
The first installment of ESPN’s “40th Annual Memories” vignette was a tribute to Stu Ungar featuring comments by Joe Hachem, Howard Lederer, and Steve Zolotow. Ungar died in 1998 after winning 10 of 32 $5,000 buy-in events he had entered. Then, Berry Johnston, who won the 1986 Main Event, busted in seventh place. The 73 year-old has cashed in every WSOP since 1982, when he took third in the Main Event for $104,000.
“The Nuts” once again featured 40th Annual WSOP Trivia. Lederer, Jennifer Harman, and Bodog pro David Williams participated this week, answering questions from three categories: “2008,” “Poker Feats,” and “Is Poker a Sport?” In the end, Harman advanced to the next round, joining Adam Schoenfeld, who won last week. Huck Seed’s exit in sixth place and Mortensen’s departure in fifth rounded out the first of two one-hour episodes on Tuesday night.
The “40th Annual Memories” in the second installment of the WSOP on ESPN, which aired at 9:00pm ET, focused on Harrington’s back-to-back Main Event final tables in 2003 and 2004 after winning the feature tournament in 1995. Harrington took third in the former for $650,000 and finished fourth in 2004 for $1.5 million. A quiet Harrington remained in contention in the Champions Invitational.
The second Wild Card Hand featured McEvoy raising to 3,000 with unknown cards. 2002 Main Event Champion Robert Varkonyi called from the big blind with A-5 of clubs. The flop came 10-4-A. Varkonyi bet out 5,000 and McEvoy called immediately to see a queen fall on the turn. Varkonyi checked, McEvoy bet 12,000, and Varkonyi folded. Chad commented, “I originally thought Tom had pocket eights. Now, I think he had pocket fours and flopped a set.” Instead, McEvoy held A-6 offsuit.
I can’t recall very many three-handed final tables as silent as the one that took to the felts on Tuesday night. The survivors represented Main Event champions from the last three decades: Varkonyi (2002), Harrington (1995), and McEvoy (1983). McEvoy’s K-Q of diamonds finally sent Harrington to the rails in third and, in the final hand of the WSOP Champions Invitational, McEvoy turned a 10-high straight to take down the title. He told Chad following his monumental win, “I hadn’t won much lately and I think I was losing some respect from my peers… I was just determined that I was going to win it and I did.”
Tune into ESPN next Tuesday night at 8:00pm ET for the $5,000 buy-in Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament.
Hi
I am the daughter of the late Bill Smith. I am sick and tired of so many negative comments about him being only a drunk. How many people can say they won the main event??? Not too many. He died in 1996. He came to visit my brother (Wayne) and I practically on his death bed. He was a hell of a player. He was a good guy. He took me to underground games in Texas in the 70’s. I am turning pro player this year. I don’t drink all I do is play no limit Holdem. Look out. It’s in my blood.
Thank you,
Vikki