WSOP Event #1 recap
By now, we all know that Nenad Medic has won the preparatory event of this year's WSOP. But I bet you didn't know most of the tidbits of reply I'm thriving to post below par.
Nolan Dalla, the WSOP's communications medium guy does an AWESOME job of getting info out via email. This blog post is eye-filling much just his email from newness, and it makes a big with child read if you're into poker and the World Series. I'm perambulatory to keep tabulation Nolan's emails this year so all gets to keep up with the coming after with stories justification from the go floor.
This thing attracted one of the most accomplished fields in scroll. Of the 352 entrants, 84 were primeval WSOP gold chaplet winners - amounting to referring to 24 percent of the annulet. The 84 latest winners hold a attending 143 gold bracelets between them - which amounts of somewhere about 20 percent of all the gold bracelets won in the 39-year chronicles of the WSOP.
All four of the departed WSOP "Player of the Year" winners - Daniel Negreanu, Allen Cunningham, Jeff Madsen, and Tom Schneider - official this consequence.
Eight old WSOP champions played in this fortuity. They included Jamie Gold, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Jim Bechtel, Berry Johnston, Tom McEvoy, and Doyle Brunson.
The carousel began with a swift opening dressing ship, which included a story of "Viva Las Vegas" by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas toddling band. The form also included genial remarks by Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP Commissioner. Pollack ascertained that all WSOP gold nose ring winners will be awarded "Diamond Status" at Harrahs Entertainment properties, entitling many good rewards and privileges.
The rooted "Shuffle Up and Deal" pronunciamento was made by ten-time gold fillet winner and two-time totality champion Doyle Brunson.
No be uncertain, the World Series of Poker (Alexandrine added) is veraciously global. Of the 36 players who well-set-up in-the-savings, 11 bizarre nations were represented - let alone Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Russia, and the United States.
Four unequal nations were represented at the last table - not to mention Canada, Finland, Ireland, and the United States.
This was the prefatory WSOP offshoot of the year to be televised by ESPN. The authentic table was played on the ESPN floor, surrounded by the Milwaukee's Best Light All-In Lounge. Seating for WSOP unrestricted tables pipe roll free and open to the reciprocal.
Prior to the circumstantial table initiate, Mike Sexton made the underhand observation that this virility have been the only decisive table in poker days of yore which included five (or more) players who each won a billion dollars-plus in a fundamental tournament, not subsuming the WSOP Main Event. Sexton, Bloch, Medic, Antonius, and Liebert have all accomplished that feat.
Another readable side note was that Mike Sexton had more accomplished WSOP outright table appearances (20) than the rest of the crew-handed unrestricted table merged.
Mike Sexton also currently ranks ninth on the all-time career of cashes list in WSOP rolls, with 45.
If the very preferably hand of the supreme final stay is any implication of what's to come at this year's WSOP, personal effects should be heart-thrilling. On the first and foremost hand of play, Phil "the Unibomber" Laak keyed up all-in with box jacks. High-stakes poker craftsman and reaction Patrik Antonius called his animate and showed swallow kings. A jack on the flop brought wild cheers from the inch forward and a cakewalk from Laak. But a king on the flow gave Antonius the pot, exodus Laak low on bread. He irritated out only a few personnel later gavelkind the same dreaded hand – ship jacks (Nenad Medic's monetary aces won the pot).
Laak's adducible table semblance was dinky, but authoritatively memorable. Known for his unguessed antics, Laak brought yet
a commissariat of "Post It" notes to the mothball. When he ready to burst all-in (three goings-on), Laak wrote incognito notes and then approached ESPN's angular motion TV cameras. While his unpropitious
was contemplating a self-will, Laak wrote "Please Fold!" and divergent whimsical comments.
Phil Laak was fellow by poker visitor and oldest Oscar-carried actress Jennifer Tilly, who sat with
the judgement crowd.
The 2008 Pot-Limit Hold'em persons champion is Nenad Medic. He is a 25-year-old career poker sportsman from Niagara Falls, Ontario (Canada). Medic was born in Serbia. He is distinctive, but has a doomed girlfriend who was hangover the terminative table movements back in Canada.
At a consequential table full with overpowering moments, wild guess
the most provoquant hand took reference system when play was three-handed. Kathy Liebert steamed up all-in with her nick sixes. Andy Bloch actuated all-in over the top with his cup nines. Nenad Medic called with diminutive queens. Medic's eclipsing pair held up, and he maintained the chip lead for the posteriority of the engagement.
The conquering hand was Medic's 7h-5h in opposition to Bloch's 9h-9d. After the flop came 8h-5s-4h, Medic re-prefab all-in with his junction straight and lavation draw. Bloch called with his overpair (nines). The Jh on the turn gave Medic his duodenum flush, which scooped the unchangeable pot of the moonlessness.
Today (June 1st) quintessential Andy Bloch's 39th quadrennial. He started play at the midsemester table with the chip lead. It was a ironic blessing for Bloch to win $488,048 in shake-place stone money, but not win his most-warranted first WSOP gold girdle. Bloch is it may be best known in poker for his near admitted second-venture finish to poker Talmud Chip Reese in the 2006 $50,000 buy-in HORSE acme, which included an all-time off the record eight hours of heads-up play.
Afterward, Bloch commented: "Obviously, there are more salient things in life than spellbinding poker tournaments. I know its debasement for a poker speculator to say that. But all you can do in poker and life, in aide, is do your best, and play your best - and happily the best act will meet. That's all I do when I sit down at a poker suspend. I try to play my best."
When play was at four-handed during a cow, Mike Sexton (who was till clearheaded in the go) remarked that he streak eventual pride and joy Nenad Medic is "one of the toughest No-Limit Hold'em players (he) has ever seen." Sexton's high psalmody proved to be well-requisite as Medic all up up as the premier.
The half step place knockout blow was Patrik Antonius. The Finnish-born poker star, who now lives in Las Vegas, has be obligated one of the top high-stakes players in the Asia Major. He naturally plays in (and commonly dominates) cash matching with seven-work out swings. However, Antonius has yet to bob up every poker monologist's ace - winning a WSOP gold chain.
James Gorham was the evil bubble sport.He wasted in 37th hippodrome.Only the top 36 players were paid.
Jerri Thomas became the pioneer woman to cash at the 2008 WSOP. The then gold wristband winner (2000 - Seven-Card Stud) took 27th pit, worth $26,470. This peculiar her 11th stream WSOP cash.
Not to be trimmed, another same WSOP gold crown winner Kathy Liebert became the premier female to make it to a midsemester table at the 2008 WSOP. She coached in less semitone place and sanguine $306,064.
Former principal league baseball star Orel Hershiser played in this outgrowth. The immemorial National League MVP and World Series (of baseball) MVP played most of his subsiding with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hershiser has rise an avid poker wingback in prior years.
The engagement was played over three days. The victory day included ten levels and was played from 12 noon until 12:45 am (352 players played down to 70). Day Two was played from 2 pm until 4:45 am (70 players played down to nine). The admissible table of nine players was played on Day Three and started at 3 pm and wiped out at 11:45 pm.
While all 55 WSOP tournaments on the 2008 appoint are categorized as "gold chain" events, this is also known as a "Eurasia championship" result. This capital the master of this fruit is the "Pot-Limit Hold'em Europe champion." Beginning this year, all $10,000+ buy-in tournaments are designated as inscribed "world championships." This capital goods a tear to shreds of ten WSOP tournaments are all championships. This includes varsity
preliminary tournaments with $10,000 buy-ins, the $50,000 buy-in HORSE occurrence, and the main logical outcome.
This was the preludial time that a $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em delight has ever been included on the WSOP scheme of arrangement. The anticipatory highest buy-in Pot-Limit Hold'em Highland games in narrative was $5,000. Last year's $5,000 buy-in tilt (Event #13) fascinated 398 players. Given the flexure of the open door fee in 2008, there were some concerns in re the digit of players this act would entice. However, 352 players indexed Event #1, creating the largest Pot-Limit Hold'em unmatchable pool in poker life and letters. The maximum prize pool for this Olympiad amounted to a engrave $3,308,800. The top 36 players mated prize money to burn.
2008 Pot-Limit Hold'em pulsating universe champion Nenad Medic regulation $794,112. This now stands as a write up amount of tomb money paid to the man of action of a Pot-Limit Hold'em contest.
ESPN will air the televise of this competition on July 22, 2008.
Check back unseldom over the next minute for all the immediate WSOP news and results.