Running 2006 World Series Of Poker Thread

[Lester Bangs]

Are Moneymaker and Raymer still alive in the Main Event?

Raymer -- Yes, about 50k entering today's "second day." He took a couple of tough hits toward the end of his Day One, but sounds as though he is playing his typically solid brand.

Moneymaker is also still alive, I believe, but I can't get a chip count on him.

Guy to watch out for is Robert Varkonyi, who hasn't done boo since winning it all in 2002. Enters his Day Two with 70k. Hachem is at about, I believe, 80k.

I'm on the Allen Cunningham bandwagon.

Then there's this assmunch, from an AP story:

Hedlund, meanwhile, turned a series of improbable hands into a huge stack. Holding an unsuited eight and five, the Swedish pro from Lulea crippled one opponent when he made two pair. With an unsuited four and five, Hedlund knocked out another when he made a low straight.

A later garbage holding of an unsuited seven and nine turned into a monster when a seven on the flop gave him a pair, then another and another on the next two cards gave him a nearly unbeatable quad.

 

[playthrough]

Tipping $100 off $7.5 million is beyond embarrassing.

In a semi-related note, a lot of players are bitching about the take Harrah's is getting from the WSOP. They charge a fee on top of the buy-ins, then turn around and also take a percentage of the buy-in for whatever (I think it's 4 percent for the ME, higher percents for smaller events). I know there is some big overhead to these things with all the dealers, etc., but there's just no need to rob the pots. The whole enterprise has to be such a huge cash cow, from merchandise to TV rights to players steaming out of the poker room to the bad table games at the Rio ... and Harrah's will squeeze every last nickel from it. And players will have no recourse, since they can't exactly boycott the biggest game of the year.

 

[Cosmo]

Lester,
You know, as much as we bemoan donks making wine out of dog shirt, the game would be awfully boring if everyone played the same way, strictly by the book.

As they say, that's pokah, baby.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

And players will have no recourse, since they can't exactly boycott the biggest game of the year.

Well, that might be changing.

A group of pros led by Ferguson and Lederer and including Raymer and Hachem have filed suit against the WPT. This might be the first step in a Professional Poker Players Union...

http://www.wptlawsuit.com/
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/jul/19/071910071.html

 

[Lester Bangs]

Lester,
You know, as much as we bemoan donks making wine out of dog shirt, the game would be awfully boring if everyone played the same way, strictly by the book.

As they say, that's pokah, baby.

You nailed it. I look at it kind of the way I look at Bill Simmons. I understand it and I know that it takes all kinds and I really try to avoid saying things like "Sports Guy sucks," and go more with things like, "well, he's just not a person I enjoy reading." Well, playing 7-5 offsuit isn't how I play and I hate seeing guys play that way and have success ... but there is a place for it and it's particularly effective in leveling guys who play by-the-book poker, though I like to think I win more than I lose because I do play it safe. You're right, for sure, in that it's all part of the fun.

 

[Faour]

Thought I would weigh in on this since I just got back from Vegas...Nice to see so many degenerates like me out there in the sports world.

I qualified online a couple months ago, then found out my brother was supposed to get married that weekend. Sold my seat, then they moved the wedding. So I got back in on a pokerstars qualifier a couple weeks ago. A $9 initial investment...

Anyway, I made it very late in the day on Saturday before I got knocked out with 27 minutes to go. At my first table, I was sitting next to the guy who took a chunk out of Annie Duke's stack. We had Annie, Chris Ferguson, Brent Carter and Jason Lester at the table at one point, so I suspect I will get some TV time. Lester is an incredible player. Maybe not the name that Ferguson is, but I think he was the best there. Annie showed us her new tattoo. (I think my gawking face was caught by the ESPN cameras).

I learned a lot playing with them. The way they clock everybody at the table is unbelievable; they had us all made after about 30 minutes. I stayed away from them unless I had monster hands, and just tried to pick on the weaklings.  

It was interesting to see the discord between the old-time pros and the internet gang. Some of the pros appreciate what online play has done. Others can't stand the unpredictability of the play.

I have to say, there doesn't seem to be much middle ground on the internet players. Some of them are incredible, and others are complete jokes. I was fortunate to build a nice stack early on the donks, but that backfired on me at my second table when I couldn't get a guy off a flush draw when I had big slick and caught two pair on the flop. Cost me most of my stack. (He caught runner/runner to make his flush. Gotta give him credit for calling two monster raises on a two-card draw).  

Anyway, I highly recommend doing it once in your life. Pokerstars has a lot of cheap qualifiers, and they treated us like Gods, too. It wasn't much fun when I got deep into hour 13 on Saturday, but the experience is outstanding. I learned a lot about my game this weekend.

The side play is great, too. Several of us pulled an all-nighter playing multiple tournaments at Caesar's, Treasure Island and MGM. (I cashed in one of the big ones at Caesar's and won the 4 a.m. at Tresaure Island).  

And keep an eye on a kid named Rob Berryman. He has about $95,000 in chips after day two. Made friends with him at a sit and go on Thursday night, and we stayed in touch all weekend. Kid has perfect poker instincts, he's fearless, and the deeper he goes, the better chance he has to cash. You'll hear a lot from him down the road.

Fred Faour
Sports Editor
Houston Chronicle

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Good job, Fred.

Three questions...
1. Could you give more details about Annie Duke's tattoo? (Yes, I have a wee crush on her.)
2. Did PokerStars take care of your airfare and hotel, or did that come out of your pocket?
3. Did you slap your brother around for scheduling the wedding during the WSOP?

 

[imjustagirl2]

I need an update on Phil Ivey.

 

[Faour]

1. All across her lower back. 'Don't ask, the answer is yes' with roses and leaves. It didn't suck. She was entertaining as heck. She made a terrible play early to lose most of her stack, but doubled up on Ferguson. They both had garbage hands, too.

2. Stars picked up the hotel, plus gave us $1,000 in cash for airfare, etc. As I'm sure you know, that doesn't go very far in Vegas. We got a great goody bag when we got there, too. Probably $500 worth of apparel. Unfortunately, we couldn't wear any of it, because Harrah's banned all .com branding.

3. He hasn't heard the end of it yet and probably never will.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

1. All across her lower back. 'Don't ask, the answer is yes' with roses and leaves. It didn't suck. She was entertaining as heck. She made a terrible play early to lose most of her stack, but doubled up on Ferguson. They both had garbage hands, too.

I still can't believe she's involved with Shannon Elizabeth's ex-husband.

 

[Birdscribe]

1. All across her lower back. 'Don't ask, the answer is yes' with roses and leaves. It didn't suck. She was entertaining as heck. She made a terrible play early to lose most of her stack, but doubled up on Ferguson. They both had garbage hands, too.

I still can't believe she's involved with Shannon Elizabeth's ex-husband.

Really? So Mrs. Family/I'm-going-to-have-all-my-kids-at-home-because-that's-the-ONLY-way is single? I missed the memo.

That's OK; I have a crush on Jennifer Harmon ;D

BTW, great stuff, Fred. What handle do you use on PokerStars?

 

[Cosmo]

Ivey is in 501st right now with 23,500 chips ... very short stacked.