OT: WSOP Main Event

[Serge28]

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=a ... &type=lgns

World Series of Poker crown worth $9.12M

LAS VEGAS (AP)—The top prize at the main event of the World Series of Poker will be $9.12 million this year, and 666 players will get some piece of a $64.3 million prize pool, tournament officials said Sunday.

More than one-third of the tournament’s entrants entered the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament Sunday, the last day players were able to register. The 2,461 players pushed the total field to 6,844 players.

There were nearly 500 more players than last year but far fewer than 2006, when a record 8,773 players entered and Jamie Gold won $12 million.

As a Russian and a chess player, I thought this was kind of funny:

The final player in the tournament called from the airport to say he was on his way just as tournament officials were getting ready to void his entry.

Eugene Yanayt said he had spent the night drinking after a chess tournament in Philadelphia and was delayed because airport officials wouldn’t let him on his flight to Las Vegas.

“I kept drinking all night and then they wouldn’t let me on the plane,” the 24-year-old from Los Angeles said. “I showed them my ticket, it’s like ‘Come on, I gotta play in the World Series of Poker.’ They said, ‘No, no, no.”’

“I’m really glad I’m here, I thought I could end up anywhere, I don’t know,” Yanayt said as he played and drank a beer, his luggage at his side.

Has anyone here ever played in the Main Event at the WSOP? I know we have some poker players on this board, and I also definitely want to play in it someday.

[drew881]

I was randomly in Vegas a few years back and attended WSOP for an hour or so to watch the players. Wasn't very interesting, but fun to see the famous people in person. Saw Brunson, Helmuth, Ferguson and Tomer Benvenesti (probably the best to see, just to see how fat he is).

Откуда вы Сергей?

[MickeyDavis]

I have played in some of the WSOP events, but not the main event. I agree, live poker is boring to watch. But fun to play.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

I was randomly in Vegas a few years back and attended WSOP for an hour or so to watch the players. Wasn't very interesting, but fun to see the famous people in person. Saw Brunson, Helmuth, Ferguson and Tomer Benvenesti (probably the best to see, just to see how fat he is).

Откуда вы Сергей?

I love playing No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, and I also love watching No Limit Texas Hold 'Em on TV via a quality TV production (like the World Poker Tour or ESPN's WSOP and U.S. Poker Championship coverage) where you can see the players' cards.

However, I do not find it interesting enough to watch live without being able to see the cards. I guess if a friend of mine was in a big tournament like that, I'd go and watch them mostly to support them, but that's it.

[drew881]

Yeah. It was free. It was in the Horseshoe (I think its at the Rio now?) when I went, so the only investment we really had was driving up to the old part outside of the strip. They had it divided into a main room, and then the featured tables, where they will show the cards on a big screen if the hand is turned over. Still not as much info on TV, but you have some. Still, I wouldn't go back, even if I was in Vegas for other reasons and it was playing at the same time. You may see a huge celebrities, but it is really just a room of rich people you have never heard of and young d-bags (at least a couple make it far every year).

[Buck You]

When is this on?

[WEFFPIM]

When is this on?

Now until March

[MickeyDavis]

They are doing something different this year. When they get down to the final table next week they are stopping until November. The final table will start November 10, a winner crowned November 11 and the final table broadcast will be that same night (edited of course) on ESPN.

[Serge28]

I was randomly in Vegas a few years back and attended WSOP for an hour or so to watch the players. Wasn't very interesting, but fun to see the famous people in person. Saw Brunson, Helmuth, Ferguson and Tomer Benvenesti (probably the best to see, just to see how fat he is).

Откуда вы Сергей?

Екатеринбург!

[Serge28]

When is this on?

The Main Event is happening right now - I believe it started on July 3rd. Like MD said, they're gonna play til they get to the final table and then reconvene in November (first time they've ever done it this way). ESPN won't televise any of it though til September 2nd.

P.S. I just looked up that Russian chess player and apparently he's a FIDE Master with a USCF rating of 2300. Furthermore, the tournament that he left was the World Open and he was leading the under 2400 section at the time with 6 points after 7 games. He left without playing the final 2 games! Considering that the winner of that section finished with 7 points and the first place money was $20,000, it's baffling. He ended up 16th. Not that anyone cares about this, or this entire paragraph, but Wisconsin's own highest rated player, Alex Betaneli, also finished with 6 points in the 15th place, and the up-and-coming Wisconsin Master and current state champion Erik Santarius (whom I almost beat to win the UW Winter Open back in February) finished 9th with 6.5 points. And then yesterday, they both sat next to me on the Badger Bus heading from Milwaukee to Madison. Like Betaneli said afterwards, "What are the chances?"

[MickeyDavis]

The delay of the final table will help any pros who make it there. They will be able to watch their amateur competition on TV and see what they did to make it to the final table. The amateurs already know how most of the pros play so they get no such advantage.

Case in point, when Jamie Gold won he did it with some amazing bluffing. But he was an unknown, no one knew how he played. Had the other players at the final table been able to see all the bluffing he did to get that far he very well may not have won the tournament.

[Nowak008]

One of my buddies won a seat from full tilt and got 2,000 for expenses. Made it to day 2. With about 40,000. Can't say I'm not jealous because he isn't half the player I or a lot of my friends are. Hopefully he does well and bank rolls my poker career.

[hr8]

When is this on?

The Main Event is happening right now - I believe it started on July 3rd. Like MD said, they're gonna play til they get to the final table and then reconvene in November (first time they've ever done it this way). ESPN won't televise any of it though til September 2nd.

P.S. I just looked up that Russian chess player and apparently he's a FIDE Master with a USCF rating of 2300. Furthermore, the tournament that he left was the World Open and he was leading the under 2400 section at the time with 6 points after 7 games. He left without playing the final 2 games! Considering that the winner of that section finished with 7 points and the first place money was $20,000, it's baffling. He ended up 16th. Not that anyone cares about this, or this entire paragraph, but Wisconsin's own highest rated player, Alex Betaneli, also finished with 6 points in the 15th place, and the up-and-coming Wisconsin Master and current state champion Erik Santarius (whom I almost beat to win the UW Winter Open back in February) finished 9th with 6.5 points. And then yesterday, they both sat next to me on the Badger Bus heading from Milwaukee to Madison. Like Betaneli said afterwards, "What are the chances?"

I find that interesting, do you know how far he made in the poker even? If he doesn't make more than $20k that'll suck for him. Anyways, I used play chess back in high school, but didn't play enough trnys to get a good rating. But I have beaten 1800 players before, I could even put up a fight with some with 1900 to 2000 rating. I also play poker, so that's why I found that a little interesting.

Where are you from anyways?

[Serge28]

When is this on?

The Main Event is happening right now - I believe it started on July 3rd. Like MD said, they're gonna play til they get to the final table and then reconvene in November (first time they've ever done it this way). ESPN won't televise any of it though til September 2nd.

P.S. I just looked up that Russian chess player and apparently he's a FIDE Master with a USCF rating of 2300. Furthermore, the tournament that he left was the World Open and he was leading the under 2400 section at the time with 6 points after 7 games. He left without playing the final 2 games! Considering that the winner of that section finished with 7 points and the first place money was $20,000, it's baffling. He ended up 16th. Not that anyone cares about this, or this entire paragraph, but Wisconsin's own highest rated player, Alex Betaneli, also finished with 6 points in the 15th place, and the up-and-coming Wisconsin Master and current state champion Erik Santarius (whom I almost beat to win the UW Winter Open back in February) finished 9th with 6.5 points. And then yesterday, they both sat next to me on the Badger Bus heading from Milwaukee to Madison. Like Betaneli said afterwards, "What are the chances?"

I find that interesting, do you know how far he made in the poker even? If he doesn't make more than $20k that'll suck for him. Anyways, I used play chess back in high school, but didn't play enough trnys to get a good rating. But I have beaten 1800 players before, I could even put up a fight with some with 1900 to 2000 rating. I also play poker, so that's why I found that a little interesting.

Where are you from anyways?

I don't know exactly where he finished, but it was definitely short of the money:

http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/tourn ... 8&grid=411

And, hey, anytime you can beat 1800s, you're pretty damn good. Personally, I had a terrible outing last time I played in a tourney, going down from 1780 to 1744.

P.S. I'm originally from Yekaterinburg, Russia.