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06-25-06 03:32 PM #1
World Series of Poker Starts Today
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06-25-06 03:34 PM #2
heres the whole even schedule:
2006 World Series of Poker Schedule
June 25 to August 10, 2006
All events played at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Date Day Time Event # Tournament Buy-In
25-Jun-06 Sunday 9:00 AM Satellites/Live Action begins
26-Jun-06 Monday 12 noon 1 Casino Employee No-Limit Event (2 day event) $500.00
27-Jun-06 Tuesday 12 noon 2 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500.00
28-Jun-06 Wednesday 12 noon 3 Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500.00
29-Jun-06 Thursday 12 noon 4 Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500.00
30-Jun-06 Friday 12 noon 5 No-limit Hold'em Short Handed, 6/table (3 day event) $2,500.00
1-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 6 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000.00
2-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 7 Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $3,000.00
3-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 8 Omaha Hi-low Split (3 day event) $2,000.00
4-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 9 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $5,000.00
5-Jul-06 Wednesday 12 noon 10 Seven Card Stud (3 day event) $1,500.00
6-Jul-06 Thursday 12 noon 11 Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500.00
6-Jul-06 Thursday 2:00 PM 12 Omaha Hi-low Split (2 day event) $5,000.00
7-Jul-06 Friday 12 noon 13 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,500.00
8-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 14 No-Limit Hold'em w/re-buys (3 day event) $1,000.00
9-Jul-06 Sunday 11:00 AM 15 Ladies Event No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,000.00
9-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 16 Pot-Limit Omaha (3 day event) $10,000.00
10-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 17 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,000.00
11-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 18 Pot-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $2,000.00
12-Jul-06 Wednesday 11:00 AM 19 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,000.00
12-Jul-06 Wednesday 12 noon 20 H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event) $50,000.00
13-Jul-06 Thursday 12 noon 21 No-Limit Hold'em- Short handed 6/table (3 day event) $2,500.00
14-Jul-06 Friday 12 noon 22 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000.00
15-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 23 Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $3,000.00
15-Jul-06 Saturday 2:00 PM 24 Omaha Hi-low Split (3 day event) $3,000.00
16-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 25 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event) $2,000.00
17-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 26 Pot-Limit Omaha (2 day event) $1,500.00
18-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 27 No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,500.00
19-Jul-06 Wednesday 12 noon 28 Seven Card Stud (2 day event) $5,000.00
19-Jul-06 Wednesday 2:00 PM 29 Pot-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $2,500.00
20-Jul-06 Thursday 12 noon 30 No-Limit Hold'em- Short handed 6/table (3 day event) $5,000.00
21-Jul-06 Friday 12 noon 31 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000.00
22-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 32 Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $5,000.00
22-Jul-06 Saturday 2:00 PM 33 Seven Card Razz (2 day event) $1,500.00
23-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 34 No-Limit Hold'em w/re-buys (3 day event) $1,000.00
24-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 35 Seven Card Hi Low Split (2 day event) $1,000.00
24-Jul-06 Monday 2:00 PM 36 Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event) $1,500.00
25-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 37 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500.00
25-Jul-06 Tuesday 4:00 PM 38 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/rebuys (2 day event) $5,000.00
26-Jul-06 Wednesday Satellite Day
27-Jul-06 Thursday Media/Celebrity Event and Satellite Day
28-Jul-06 Friday 39 No-Limit Texas Hold'em World Championship Event $10,000.00
28-Jul-06 Friday 12 Noon Day 1A 2000 play down to 800
29-Jul-06 Saturday 12 Noon Day 1B 2000 play down to 800
30-Jul-06 Sunday 12 Noon Day 1C 2000 play down to 800
31-Jul-06 Monday 12 Noon Day 1D 2000 play down to 800
1-Aug-06 Tuesday 12 noon A + B 1600 to 700
2-Aug-06 Wednesday 12 noon C + D 1600 to 700
3-Aug-06 Thursday Day off for main event
3-Aug-06 Thursday 10:00 AM 40 No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,000.00
4-Aug-06 Friday 12 noon ABCD Play 1400 down to 600
5-Aug-06 Saturday 12 noon Play 600 down to 300
5-Aug-06 Saturday 10:00 AM 41 No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,500.00
6-Aug-06 Sunday 12 noon Play 300 down to 150
6-Aug-06 Sunday 10:00 AM 42 No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,500.00
7-Aug-06 Monday 12 noon Play 150 down to 60
7-Aug-06 Monday 10:00 AM 43 No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,500.00
8-Aug-06 Tuesday 12 noon Play 60 down to 27
8-Aug-06 Tuesday 10:00 AM 44 No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $1,500.00
9-Aug-06 Wednesday 12 noon Play 27 down to 9
9-Aug-06 Wednesday 10:00 AM 45 No-Limit Hold'em (1 day event) $1,500.00
10-Aug-06 Thursday 12 noon Final Table
Satellite Schedule
$225 Buy-In Super Satellites will take place daily at 3 p.m and 9 p.m.
$1060 Buy-In Mega Satellites will take place nightly at 7 p.m.
(Super Satellite Days on July 26 and July 27: $225 buy-in Super Satellite will take place at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. $1060 buy-in Mega Satellite will take place at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
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06-26-06 07:14 PM #3
Any more word about the ppv? Are they broadcasting the whole main event or just the final table?
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06-26-06 10:47 PM #4
heres the recap of day 1 of the WSOP:
2006 Tournament of Champions
Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas
Official Report
No-Limit Hold’em
Number of Entries: 27
Total Prize Money: $2,000,000
Current Standings:
1. Andrew Black Dublin, Ireland 94,175
2. Daniel Negreanu Las Vegas, NV 44,325
3. Daniel Bergsdorf Umea, Sweden 24,500
4. Kido Pham Dallas, TX 23,825
5. Mike Matusow Las Vegas, NV 21,300
6. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson Pacific Palisades, CA 16,600
7. Mike Sexton Las Vegas, NV 16,100
8. Darrell Dicken Las Vegas, NV 15,425
9. Gus Hansen Copenhagen, Denmark 7,375
10. Chris Reslock Atlantic City, NJ 6,375
Black Back on the Attack!
Rio Hosts the 2006 Tournament of Champions
As final table begins, Irishman Andrew Black is the chip leader,
Daniel Negreanu a distant second, eight more round-out the field
Las Vegas, NV -- The third annual Tournament of Champions kicked off today at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The TOC is a one-of-a-kind freeroll competition consisting of the top World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuit players of the past year. The high-level of competition makes the tournament one of the toughest events to win in poker. Annie Duke was victorious the inaugural TOC held in 2004. Last year, Mike “the Mouth” Matusow won the championship.
The invitational tournament offers a total prize pool of $2 million – including a million-dollar first-prize. Nine places will be paid. For all players -- the special event cost nothing to enter, as all prize money is posted by Harrah’s Entertainment and its esteemed corporate partners -- including Sobe Adrenaline Rush (energy drink) and PartyPoker.net (online poker school).
The 27 invited players this year included all of the WSOP Circuit event winners from August 2005 through June 2006 (12 seats). Players who made it to the final table of the 2005 WSOP main event were also invited (nine seats). The remaining seats were filled by individuals selected by Harrah’s Entertainment and its sponsors (six seats). Those players ranged from poker legend and two-time WSOP champion Doyle Brunson, to Sarah Strong, who beat out 100,000 competitors to win sandwich-king Quizno’s special promotional qualifying tournament.
With so much prize money and bragging rights for one of poker’s most prestigious titles at stake, ESPN was on hand to film the entire event for future broadcast.
On Day One, 17 players busted-out. Players were eliminated in the following order:
27th – Abe Korotki went out first when he flopped a set of eights against Daniel Negreanu’s set of jacks. The higher set won.
26th – 1989 WSOP champion Phil Hellmuth went out early when his Q-Q was flattened by 2000 WSOP champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.
25th – Greg Merkow flopped top pair but lost to Gus Hansen’s 6-6 when “The Great Dane” caught a six, good for a set.
24th – Peter Feldman was dealt 4-4 and had the best hand until Chris “Jesus” Ferguson caught a jack on the river to go with A-J. Feldman went out 24th.
23rd – Steve Dannenmann was eliminated when his 8-8 lost in a big three-way pot with Daniel Negreanu and Joe Hachem. Negreanu had A-Q and flopped an ace, putting Dannenmann out of the tournament.
22nd – The reigning world poker champion Joe Hachem had the best hand when he moved all-in with Q-Q. Steve Dannenmann was all-in as well, holding 8-8. Daniel Negreanu had A-Q and caught an ace on the flop, eliminating the top two finishers of the 2005 WSOP in one single hand.
21st – Jeff King started his final hand with A-K but lost to Andrew Black’s 9-9. A nine came on the river, which was the crowing blow for King.
20th – Law student Brad Kondracki busted out with A-J. He ran into Chris “Jesus” Ferguson’s Q-Q. A queen came on the turn and ended Kondracki’s hopes of a winning verdict.
19th – Sarah Strom, a crowd favorite, showed she could play poker with the best. She outlasted champions Hachem and Hellmuth, and might have finished higher had it not been for some very bad luck. Strom was low on chips and moved all-in with A-Q against Daniel Negreanu, holding an embarrassingly bad hand – 5-2. When the flop came A-3-4 giving Negreanu a straight, he went over and gave Strom a conciliatory hug. Strom smiled and waved to the crowd. She could be proud of her play in this tournament.
18th – John Spadavecchia, a veteran of many poker battles lost this one when he played an A-8 aggressively and missed, losing to Doyle Brunson when the final board showed J-10-7-8-5.
17th – Mike O’Malley busted-out when his A-Q was crushed by Daniel Negreanu’s 3-2. It proved to be yet another weak hand that turned into a monster. O’Malley moved all-in holding top pair when an ace flopped, and Negreanu called with a pair of threes. Another three fell on the turn (good for three-of-a-kind) and O’Malley waved goodbye.
16th – Vinny Vinh went out with 6-6 against Chris Reslock’s 7-7. Reslock would be a giant killer over the next hour, as he eliminated three consecutive players.
15th – Clint Baskin was eliminated when his 9-9 was cracked by Chris Reslock’s A-K. Reslock rivered a king, and Baskin melted away in 15th place.
14th – Tex Barch was short on chips and moved in with J-9 against Chris Reslock’s K-Q. Reslock made a pair. Barch didn’t. Barch went home.
13th – Poker icon Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson went out in unlucky 13th place when his K-Q lost to Aaron Kanto’s Q-Q.
12th – Scott Lazar, a movie producer in Hollywood, went out next with A-K against Kido Pham’s Q-Q. Lazar failed to make a pair, and was cut from the script in 12th place.
11th – Aaron Kantor took a tough beat when his A-K lost to Andrew Black’s A-10. Black flopped two pair (aces and tens) and Kantor was left wondering what went wrong and ended up going out just short of the money.
That left ten players to return tomorrow for the final table. The ten finalists, born in six different nations, represent four different countries – USA, Sweden, Ireland, and Denmark. The ten finalists of the 2006 Tournament of Champions consist of the following players:
Seat 1: Kido Pham
Thang “Kido” Pham was born in Vietnam and now lives in Dallas. He pulled off a major upset in the Bally’s Las Vegas WSOP Circuit championship and arrives at the final table in fourth place.
Seat 2: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
Chris Ferguson is one of the world’s most popular poker players. He won the WSOP in 2000, and currently owns five gold bracelets. He arrives at this final table in the middle of the pack.
Seat 3: Darrell Dicken
Darrell Dicken, a.k.a. “GigaBet” won the WSOP Circuit championship at Harrah’s Rincon, near San Diego. He arrives with a modest chip stack.
Seat 4: Mike “the Mouth” Matusow
The defending champion of this event is Mike Matusow, who won last year’s $1 million top prize. He also finished ninth in the WSOP main event last year, earning another $1 million. Should he repeat as TOC champion, he would truly be the million-dollar man.
Seat 5: Daniel Negreanu
Canadian-born Daniel Negreanu now lives in Las Vegas. When he won his first WSOP gold bracelet in 1998, he was the youngest winner in WSOP history at the time. He now owns three gold bracelets and arrives second in the chip count.
Seat 6: Andrew Black
Andrew Black finished fifth in the WSOP main event last year, earning $1.75 million. The mystical Irishman is clearly on a mission here and arrives with an impressive chip lead – twice the amount of chips as his closest rival.
Seat 7: Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton has evolved into one of poker’s greatest ambassadors and is one of the game’s most recognizable faces. Sexton is a widely-respected television poker commentator and writer and won a WSOP gold bracelet in 1989.
Seat 8: Gus Hansen
“The Great Dane” is one of poker’s most aggressive players. He has enjoyed much success in poker – yet for all his poker glory, he has yet to win a WSOP gold bracelet. He has a big challenge at the final table, as the player in ninth position.
Seat 9: Chris Reslock
Chris Reslock won the Showboat Atlantic City WSOP Circuit championship. He was tough on the first day, eliminating three players. But he ran cold towards the end of Day One and arrives at the final table as the shortest stack.
Seat 10: Daniel Bergsdorf
Daniel Bergsdorf finished seventh in the WSOP main event last year, earning $1.3 million. The Swede is third in chips at the start of the final table.
Prize money will be distributed, as follows:
1st Place -- $1,000,000
2nd Place – 325,000
3rd Place – 250,000
4th Place – 150,000
5th Place – 100,000
6th Place – 75,000
7th Place – 50,000
8th Place – 25,000
9th Place – 25,000
Final table play starts on Monday, June 26 at 12 noon PST.
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06-27-06 09:02 PM #5
three of vegas hometown heros finished 1st,2nd, and 3rd.
Poker’s greatest ambassador and popular television commentator outlasts Daniel Negreanu in grueling 17-hour final table marathon.
Tournament of Champions Final Results
2006 Tournament of Champions
Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas
Official Report
No-Limit Hold’em
Number of Entries: 27
Total Prize Money: $2,000,000
Official Results:
1st Place Mike Sexton Las Vegas, NV $1,000,000
2nd Place Daniel Negreanu Las Vegas, NV 325,000
3rd Place Mike Matusow Las Vegas, NV 250,000
4th Place Chris Reslock Atlantic City, NJ 150,000
5th Place Andrew Black Dublin, Ireland 100,000
6th Place Darrell Dicken Waterloo, IA 75,000
7th Place Chris Ferguson Pacific Palisades, CA 50,000
8th Place Kido Pham Dallas, TX 25,000
9th Place Daniel Bergsdorf Umea,Sweden 25,000
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06-29-06 12:26 AM #6
Chris Gros Wins The Casino Employees World Poker Championship
Shatters All-Time Attendance Record – with 1,232 Entries
No-Limit Hold’em
Number of Entries: 1,232
Total Prize Money: $554,850
Casino Employees World Championship
Official Results (Final Table):
1st Place Chris Gros Henderson, NV $127,616
2nd Place Bryan Devonshire Burnsville, MN 66,582
3rd Place R.J. Wright Las Vegas, NV 38,531
4th Place Scott Clark Las Vegas, NV 27,720
5th Place Christopher Himmenger Las Vegas, NV 22,176
6th Place Craig Federspiel Las Vegas, NV 19,404
7th Place David Wortham Hemet, CA 16,632
8th Place Marsha Waggoner Downey, CA 13,860
9th Place Barry Goldberg Las Vegas, NV 12,474
10th Place Alejandro Posso Sunrise, FL 11,088
Chris Gros Wins First Event
at the 2006 World Series of Poker!
Casino Employees World Poker Championship
Shatters All-Time Attendance Record – with 1,232 Entries
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07-01-06 01:36 AM #7
Brandon Cantu Wins Second-Largest Live Poker Tournament in History! 25-year-old Las Vegan wins a whopping $757,839 in prize money.
Las Vegas, NV – Each and every poker player needs a little luck. Just ask Brandon Cantu. Sure, poker is a game of skill. But luck can also carry a good player a very long way.
On June 28, 2006 Cantu, a 25-year-old semi-professional player from Las Vegas, was competing in his biggest poker tournament ever. With 64 players still contending in the tournament on the second day, Cantu found himself nearly all-in with most of his chips in the pot and drawing slim against none other than Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, the 2004 World Series of Poker Champion. With Cantu’s tournament life hanging in the balance, Raymer had the best hand, by far. But luck sometimes appears when least expected. The angels of mercy resuscitated Cantu with two near-miracle diamonds to complete a flush, which eliminated the poker superstar and stunned those who witnessed the decisive moment. That pot ignited a flame in Cantu that would never extinguish. In fact, as it turned out, that crucial hand made Cantu three-quarters of a million dollars in extra prize money.
In Event 2, Cantu burned through a record-field of 2,776 players – an astonishing number in size and scale. Consider that the $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em event was the second-largest poker tournament ever in history. Already on pace to shatter every previous poker mark ever recorded, the first open event of the 2006 World Series of Poker was a complete sell-out. Only the 2005 WSOP main event attracted more participants (with 5,619). The total prize pool amounted to $3,789,240. There were 277 players who collected prize money.
After two long days of play, the final table was set. ESPN was on hand to film the finale for later broadcast. When the first hand was dealt out in front of a standing-room only crowd packed inside the Rio Convention Center, the seating positions and chips counts were as follows:
Name
Chip Count
Seat
Lee Padilla
$753,000
1
Phong “Mark” Ly
$516,000
2
Mark Swartz
$359,000
3
Brent Roberts
$260,000
4
Juan Carlos Mortensen
$337,000
5
Brandon Cantu
$773,000
6
Ron Stanley
$283,000
7
Drew Rubin
$573,000
8
Don Zewin
$337,000
9
The first player to be eliminated was a bit of a surprise. In fact, the final stages of the tournament were an absolute nightmare for Carlos Mortensen, the 2001 world poker champion. Towards the end of play on Day Two, the superstar Spaniard (who was actually born in Ecuador – a little-known fact) was sitting comfortably, with an impressive chip lead. Given Mortensen’s aggressive style, he was clearly a favorite to go far. Many poker observers began speculating that Mortensen might be on his way to a third WSOP gold bracelet. Then, everything began to unravel. Mortensen lost about half of his chips late on the previous night, and then proceeded to lose the other half within an hour at the final table. The final dagger came quickly. On his last hand, Mortensen was getting perilously low on chips and moved all-in with pocket fours. Phong “Mark” Ly was in the blind and called. Ly caught a queen on the turn to make a higher pair, which dashed Mortensen’s dreams of victory. Mortensen, a.k.a. “The Matador” got to play the ill-fated role of the bull in this event, and was dragged out of the ring in ninth place good for $71,617 in prize money.
After Mark Swartz was eliminated in eighth place (good for $88,668) two more long-time poker veterans were eliminated. Ron Stanley, perhaps best-known for his close encounter with poker legend Stu Ungar at the 1997 WSOP final table, moved all-in with A-9 suited after Lee Padilla opened for a raise. Don Zewin, who has been playing in WSOP events for 25 years, re-raised all-in with 8-8. Padilla was pot-committed and made a tough call with A-J of spades. Remarkably, Padilla caught three spades – good for a flush. Within mere seconds, Padilla had knocked out two consummate professionals and the tournament was suddenly down to just five players. Ron Stanley, a.k.a. “The Carolina Express” (1991 WSOP gold bracelet winner), was derailed at the seventh-place finisher, good for $107,614. Don Zewin -- who finished third in the 1989 main event (losing only to Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan) -- collected $126,940 for sixth.
That big hand put Padilla up over 1,000,000 in chips for the first time -- only 15,000 behind Cantu in the chip-count. That would be as close as he would get.
Brent Roberts, a college student from Staten Island, NY, arrived at the final table as a player primed to make history. Roberts, who turned 21 only three weeks ago (Note: The legal age to enter the WSOP is 21), would have been the youngest World Series winner in history, eclipsing Eric Froehlich’s mark set last year. But it was not to be. Roberts took 7-7 up against Lee Padilla’s A-Q and lost when a queen fell. One must now wonder where Roberts will go from here. Winning $151,570 in his first WSOP tournament ever is quite a benchmark of accomplishment. (Note: It is believed that Roberts is the youngest player in WSOP history ever to make it to a final table)
Lee Padilla’s last hour was a complete disaster. He went from a million in chips down to the felt in what can only be described as a disappointing series of bad hands and unfortunate breaks. Padilla, an almond farmer from Modesto, CA, went out fourth when his A-3 was cracked by Mark Ly’s A-10. Fourth place paid a very respectable $176,579.
Mark Ly was the only player to knock Cantu from his chip perch at any point. Ly hit the 2,000,000 chip-mark when he won a monster pot with A-Q versus Cantu’s 6-6. But Cantu wasn’t fazed. Soon thereafter, Dr. Drew Rubin was eliminated when his A-6 lost to Cantu’s 8-8. Rubin, a clinical psychologist from Hollywood, FL, was diagnosed as the third-place finisher and billed the prize pool for $226,597 – which came to about $7,500 an hour for his time.
Down to heads-up play, Brandon Cantu enjoyed a 3 to 2 chip lead over Mark Ly, about 2,400,000 to 1,760,000. The final outcome did not take long. Ly lost most of his chips when he overplayed his hand holding J-4, after the turn showed A-J-6-7. Ly re-raised all-in holding second pair. Big mistake. Cantu called instantly with A-K – good for top pair, top kicker. The river failed to rescue Ly, who went out just two hands later.
Phong “Mark” Ly a Vietnamese-born 27-year-old professional poker player, was the runner up. Ly, who is married with two children, now resides in Los Angeles. He received $416,816
In his first major final table appearance, Brandon Cantu won an astounding amount of money -- $757,839 for first place. He also received the coveted gold bracelet, traditionally presented to each and every WSOP winner.
“I have no skills in life other than poker,” Cantu joked afterward when asked why he decided to turn pro. “That’s it for me, maybe I’ll retire.”
But Cantu also admitted to having at least one goal, which he has not yet achieved. “I still have not won our home poker game tournament,” he said. “It has a $20 buy-in. They all keep making fun of me that I never win. When I win that one, my life will be complete.”
by Nolan Dalla
Note: All content in this report may be re-printed by media.
Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #2):
Total Entries to Date: 4,008
Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 4,343,640
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07-01-06 08:31 PM #8
Furst Takes First!
High-Tech Whiz Rafe Furst Wins First WSOP Gold Bracelet! “Tiltboy” triumphs in dazzling final table spectacle, pockets $345,984
Las Vegas, NV – There are exceptionally rare instances when both the poker tournament and the actual winner jointly possess such astonishing depth of character and convolution that words, sentences, paragraphs, and narratives cannot possibly depict the full magnitude of both man and feat. Event #3 at the 2006 World Series of Poker was just such a tournament.
After ten years of toil on the poker tournament trail, after a life span of revelry, after ultimately dedicating much of his energy to a charity and the pursuit of science and research, Rafe Furst, a 37-year-old Chief Technical Officer from Los Angeles, won his first WSOP gold bracelet. It is difficult if not impossible to describe Furst in just a few words: “Tiltboy.” Stanford University grad. High-tech whiz. Book co-author. Charitable philanthropist. Former Roshambo champion. And now – World Series of Poker champion.
This modern-day Renaissance man topped a record-field of 1,102 players in the $1,500 buy-in pot-limit hold’em competition. It was the largest pot-limit hold’em event ever in the 37-year-history of the World Series of Poker, eclipsing last year’s 1,071 record number. Furst’s triumph was not just unforgettable because he won, but more memorable for how he won. The California Tiltboy flat-out played the best poker of his life, surviving ten chip-lead changes at the final table. In fact, Furst defied poker’s grim reaper on at last two occasions, catching miracle, life saving cards on the river both times that made the final outcome not so much a marvel as the fulfillment of righteous destiny.
After two complete days of play, the pot-limit final table was set with the nine survivors. Sports television leader ESPN was on hand to film the spectacle for later broadcast – a show not to be missed. When the first hand was dealt out in front of the standing-room only crowd packed to the rafters inside the Rio Convention Center, including large cheering sections for several of the crowd favorites, seating positions and chips counts were as follows:
Name
Chip Count
Seat #
Rocky Enciso
$247,000
1
Eric Lynch
$455,000
2
Rafe Furst
$222,000
3
Rick Chase
$95,000
4
George Bronstein
$15,700
5
Can Hua
$122,000
6
Burt Boutin
$140,000
7
Alan Gilbert
$88,000
8
John Juanda
$147,000
9
The first player eliminated was Alan Gilbert, a software engineer from southern California. Gilbert arrived second-lowest in chips. He failed to gain any significant momentum on the final day. On his hand of doom, Gilbert’s pocket tens were flattened by Can Kim Hua’s pocket queens. Ninth place paid $33,845.
John Juanda’s three previous WSOP gold bracelets would normally be a factor at any final table, both in terms of intimidation and self-confidence. But, Juanda’s bid for Number Four never materialized. Juanda’s stay was short and unpleasant, wrecked when his pocket queens were trounced by Hua’s A-K, after a king flopped. The pair of kings held up and Juanda collected a less-than satisfying $37,606 for eighth place.
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At the start of play, Rick Chase arrived low on chips but managed to survive a few hours in front of the cameras. The TV producer from Malibu, CA was finally unplugged after running card-cold for an extended period and was ultimately cancelled. Chase ran away with $45,127 for seventh place.
Then, came “the Furst Miracle.” Devine intervention interceded when Furst was dealt A-A and found himself all-in against Can Kim Hua with 7-2. As bizarre a set up as the double-reverse bad beat story sounds, Hua’s 7-2 was actually a heavy favorite when all the chips were pushed to the center of the table. The four board cards showed Q-7-7-3. Hua held trip sevens and Furst (with the power pair) was down to just two outs in the deck for survival. Kaboom! An ace rained down from the heavens and salvaged Furst’s dream of victory.
Hua must have felt like a skydiver without a parachute for the total freefall he took at this final table. In three breakneck hands, he went from chip-leader to the pavement. Can Kim Hua, a poker pro and veteran of many final table battles, was eliminated by Burt Boutin and had to settle for sixth place, which paid $52,648.
Once again, the bully morphed into the bullied. Boutin must have thought there was a mini-trampoline hiding under his stack, for as quickly as he won a big pot, he lost it all back – and more. Boutin, a stockbroker from Las Vegas was dealt poker’s equivalent of a margin call when his two pair (sevens and fours) was bankrupted by Rocky Enciso’s higher two-pair (kings and sevens). Boutin’s dividend paid out sixty grand.
Other than the eventual winner, George Bronstein may very well have enjoyed the most satisfaction at the final table. He arrived with a stack so low (15K compared to the chip leader’s 455K) that he must have felt like a K-Mart shopper trapped inside a Neiman-Marcus. But in the end, Bronstein picked up far most cash than he had bargained for. Had his pocket tens held up against A-K on his final hand (it didn’t – an ace fell instead), Bronstein most certainly would have finished higher and perhaps been in contention for a bracelet. Instead, fourth place paid $75,212.
Then, came “Furst’s Second Miracle.” On the key hand, Furst re-raised all in with A-8 suited and was hanging on for dear life, staring straight ahead at Eric Lynch’s A-K like it was free one-way bus ticket to Pahrump. Amazingly, Furst and Lynch ended up splitting the potentially decisive pot when the final board showed J-10-6-J-6 (both players made two pair with an ace kicker).
Things went from bad to worse, to even worse, to the worst possible fate for Eric Lynch. The chip leader during much of the final table had several opportunities to lock up a victory, but was never quite able to catch the one vital hand that might have brought the ultimate poker triumph. In what was possibly the most exciting moment in a night of exhilarating hands, Rocky Enciso started things off when he made a pre-flop raise holding K-Q. Eric Lynch moved over the top and all-in with A-7. Rafe Furst peaked at A-K and called instantly. Enciso was pot-committed and also called. The flop came K-J-3 and the Furst’s cheering section went wild. With a dominant hand and holding the most in chips, Furst stood on the doorstep of victory. Then, the door slammed shut. When a queen was peeled from the deck giving Enciso two-pair, the rush of emotions within the crowd upturned. Enciso’s family and friends roared. Meanwhile, Furst, Lynch, and a packed gallery of spectators stood in hushed disbelief. A blank on the river sealed Lynch’s fate. Eric Lynch, a well-known online tournament player who plays under the name “Rizen” could rise no higher than third. His prize money amounted to $104,544.
If there was one bright spot to losing the biggest hand of the tournament, it was that Furst still had more chips, which allowed him to use his big stack as a sledgehammer. In the end, Enciso was nailed on the final hand of the tournament, holding J-4. He lost to Furst’s 8-4 when the final board showed 10-8-4-10-2. Furst had two higher-pair (tens and eights versus tens and fours) and was declared the winner.
Rocky Enciso finished as the runner up. The full-time poker player from Glendale, CA -- who also finished 12th in the H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2004 WSOP -- enjoyed his biggest poker payday ever -- $180,508.
Rafe Furst won his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet and collected $345,984 in prize money for winning the biggest pot-limit hold’em tournament in history. But even in the midst of television’s bright lights, creating instant fame and fortune -- Furst remained his unassuming self. Perhaps it was his cerebral temperament. Perhaps it was his peaceful nature. Perhaps it was a tranquil inner sense of satisfaction attained and enjoyed only by the most confident and secure of men who do not need nor value material goods nor notoriety to feel good about themselves.
“I feel like I played very well. I never had my money in with the worst of it in this tournament, at least up until the final table,” Furst said. “There were some unbelievable hands played tonight….four or five times we saw river cards spiked. It just became bizarre after awhile. It was almost like you expected it (to happen).”
Furst is the co-founder of “Put a Bad beat on Cancer,” a collection of poker players who have all pledged to donate one-percent of their WSOP winnings to the charitable foundation which is seeking a cure for the dreaded disease. Four years ago, Furst (along with poker celebrity Phil Gordon) created the project, which first appeared at the 2003 WSOP after a full-year coast-to-coast road trip. During that time, Furst and Gordon dedicated all of their time and energy to the good cause, yet refused any salary or compensation. The foundation is active at the 2006 WSOP and is already attracting many pledges. But as Rafe Furst would be the first to say in hoping that more players will sign up – there are never enough good deeds nor good people to do them.
by Nolan Dalla
Note: All content in this report may be re-printed by media.
Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #3):
Total Entries to Date: 5,110
Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 5,847,870
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07-04-06 02:45 AM #9
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07-06-06 01:47 AM #10
heres the latest update for you mad:
2006 World Series of Poker
Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas
Official Results and Report
Event #6
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $2,000
Number of Entries: 1,919
Total Prize Money: $3,492,580
Defending Champion (2005): Erik Seidel
Official Results:
1.
Mark Vos
Brisbane, AU
$803,274
2.
Nam Le
Huntington Beach, CA
$401,647
3.
J.R. Reiss
Omaha, NE
$209,555
4.
Thomas Hunt
Las Vegas, NV
$160,659
5.
Willard Chang
Honolulu, HI
$136,211
6.
Kevin Peterson
Plano, TX
$115,255
7.
Vanessa Selbst
Montclair, NJ
$101,285
8.
David Wells
Toledo, OH
$87,315
9.
Carlos Mortensen
Madrid, Spain
$73,344
10.
Alfredo "Toto" Leonidas
Glendale, CA
$59,374
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! (Redux)
Australian poker pro Mark Vos wins $803,274
WSOP event attracts near record-field of nearly two-thousand players
Las Vegas, NV – Mark Vos has a plan. And, despite winning over three-quarters of a million dollars tonight, he’s sticking to it. You see, Vos – at the tender age of 23 – made a personal decision that he will spend the next five years of his life “working” and the five years immediately after that “relaxing.” Vos’ plan is to play poker (which he defines as “work”) and then take the second-half of a decade off. It’s an unconventional career path to say the least.
If “work” means coming to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker, overwhelming a near-record field of 1,919 players, and earning $803,274 in just three days, then – then, there are certainly worse jobs. One has to ask, “Are there any job openings left? Where does one sign up?” Indeed, Vos won the $2,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em championship and earned his very first WSOP gold bracelet. Vos, a college student-turned-poker player from Brisbane became only the third Australian national ever to win an event at the World Series of Poker. He joins former Aussie champs Gary Benson (1996 -- Seven-Card Stud) and Joe Hachem (2005 – championship event) in the trifecta of poker winners from down under.
After two long days of play, the final table on Day Three started with nine players, including 2001 world poker champion Carlos Mortensen. Vos arrived a distant second in the chip count to Kevin Peterson, a poker pro from the Dallas area:
Name
Chip Count
Seat #
David Wells
$275,000
1
J.R. Reiss
$222,000
2
Willard Chang
$214,000
3
Kevin Peterson
$1,130,000
4
Nam Le
$323,000
5
Vanessa Selbst
$492,000
6
Mark Vos
$528,000
7
Thomas Hunt III
$468,000
8
Carlos Mortensen
$215,000
9
Despite being short-stacked, the first player eliminated was something of a surprise. “The Matador,” Carlos Mortensen didn’t last long. Mortensen’s pocket sevens turned out to be an unlucky number when he was all-in and ran into ace-nine. An ace flopped and Mortensen waved farewell. Ninth-place paid $73,344.
Next, David Wells (no relation to the major league baseball player) struck out when he took a tough beat – king-ten against his opponent’s king-eight. An eight flopped and Wells was yanked from the game. The stock trader from Scottsdale, Arizona collected $87,315 for eighth place.
Vanessa Selbst was the second female player to make a final table appearance at this year’s WSOP. She had enough chips to be a force early, but was caught bluffing at the worst possible time. Selbst tried to move Kevin Peterson off of his hand with an all-in pre-flop re-raise, but she might as well have been standing on the railroad tracks staring at a roaring freight train. Peterson called instantly and flipped over pocket aces. He caught two more aces on the board to make four-of-a-kind, flattening Selbst’s chances to become history’s tenth female WSOP gold bracelet winner (in open events). Vanessa Selbst, a Yale University graduate last year, received $101,285.
The end-result for Kevin Peterson had to be disappointing. The chip-leader at the start, Peterson went through a very rocky two hours and failed to survive. He lost most of his chips holding pocket queens against Nam Le’s ace-king. A king flopped. That was the first serious hatchet chop into Peterson’s stack. Others would follow. The final blow was Peterson’s all-in move with queen-ten suited, losing to J.R. Reiss’ small pocket pair. Peterson picked up $115,255 in prize money.
A short time later, Willard Chang went out with a weaker hand that he would have liked under the circumstances. With blinds and antes escalating, Chang moved in hoping not to get called holding king-three, which was covered by Nam Le’s king-queen. Both players flopped a king, but the queen –kicker played and Chang was eliminated. Willard Chang, am engineer from Hawaii, received $136,211.
Thomas Hunt must have felt like a gang victim when he moved all-in with his few remaining chips in the small blind and was called down by all three opponents. The players checked on each successive round, and when J.R. Reiss revealed an ace to go with an ace on board, everyone mucked their cards – including Hunt, who ended up as the fourth-place finisher. Thomas Hunt, a physician from Las Vegas, billed the prize pool for $160,659.
Down to just three players, J.R. Reiss moved all-in with top-pair, top kicker (ace jacks to the board’s – 10-8-4-J-6) and was called quickly by Nam Le, holding nine-seven, good for a straight. Reiss, a professional gambler from Omaha, Nebraska added $209,555 to his bankroll.
When heads-up play began, Nam Le enjoyed nearly a 3 to 1 chip advantage – 2,775,000 to Vos’ 1,065,000. But great poker players shine in moments of adversity. It took Vos 45-minutes to seize the chip lead, plus another hour to lock down the victory. After Vos made a flush and took the chip lead, Le made one last valiant stab at the top prize, temporarily regaining the chip lead for a short time. He could have broken Vos when he had his opponent all-in with queen-jack to Vos’ pocket sevens. But Le failed to connect with a pair, and that would ultimately spell doom fro the aspiring champ.
Vos picked away chips from Le’s stack and gradually built up a 2 to 1 chip lead. The final hand was somewhat unanticipated as Vos was dealt queen-ten suited against Le’s pocket sixes. After catching a queen on the flop, Vos bet out and Le called. A blank fell on the turn, and Vos bet again. Le called. The river brought a queen, giving Vos trip-queens. Vos moved all-in and Le, suspecting a bluff, called. That was a mistake. The trip queens gave Vos the championship.
Nam Le, the second-place finisher, collected $401,647.
“I prefer to play poker online,” Vos said immediately following his victory. “I still prefer cash games online, but there is nothing like the experience of playing in a live tournament and making it all the way to the final table. Cash games are my day job, but the tournaments are for excitement and fun.”
Vos said he plans to stick with his game plan. “(Winning) does not really change things,” he said. “I mean, it helps. But I still plan to play poker…..then (in five years) I’ll relax, settle down, and find a place to live and decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
by Nolan Dalla
Note: All content in this report may be re-printed by media.
Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #6):
Total Entries to Date: 9,165
Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 12,256,090
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07-06-06 11:23 PM #11
WSOP - Event 10: End of Day 1
Event #10
Seven Card Stud
Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 478
Total Prize Money: $652,470
Official Results:
CHIP COUNTS:
Player Name
Hometown
Chip Count
Table #
Seat #
John Q. Hoang
$79,000
122
1
David Williams
Las Vegas, NV
$55,500
118
7
Victor Shkurka
Davie, FL
$53,000
120
3
Jack Duncan
Newport, WA
$38,500
118
3
John Womack
Lauderhill, FL
$36,700
124
6
Eugene Borbas
Tustin
$33,500
156
6
Jon Knauf
Garland, TX
$31,700
123
5
John Hennigan
$30,300
123
3
Miami John
Las Vegas, NV
$24,900
120
2
Charlie NG
Las Vegas, NV
$23,100
124
5
Alvin Willis
Hains City
$21,000
124
8
Jim McManus
Kenilworth, IL
$20,300
120
6
Choi Luong
Westminster
$20,000
118
5
Ivan Schertzer
Miami, FL
$20,000
123
1
Humberto Brenes
Miami
$16,800
124
3
Len Lombardo
Naperville, IL
$15,300
123
4
Matt Hawrilenko
Philadelphia
$14,800
122
4
Carl Brucker
Cincinnati, OH
$14,200
122
7
Pat Pezzin
Toronto
$14,200
124
7
Johnny Chan
Las Vegas, NV
$12,600
120
1
George Shahrelay
CA
$12,300
123
6
James Lee
Brick
$12,000
124
1
Kevin Song
Rowland Hts, CA
$11,300
122
8
Levon Torosyan
Los Angeles, CA
$11,100
123
7
Ros Shepp
Las Vegas, NV<
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07-07-06 03:44 AM #12
Thanks Dan, see a couple of Full Tilt players in the mix (Peterson and Vos).
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07-07-06 03:52 AM #13
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07-07-06 10:00 AM #14
Hey mate, how you been?
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07-09-06 01:19 AM #15
2006 World Series of Poker
Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas
WSOP - Event 12
Official Results and Report
Event #12
Omaha High-Low
Buy-In: $5,000
Number of Entries: 265
Total Prize Money: $1,245,500
Defending Champion (2005): David Chiu
Official Results:
1.
Sammy Farha
Houston, TX
$398,560
2.
Phil Ivey
Las Vegas, NV
$219,208
3.
Kirill Gerasimov
Moscow, Russia
$112,095
4.
Mike Henrich
Omaha, NE
$87,185
5.
Mike Wattel
Phoenix, AZ
$74,730
6.
Brian Nadell
Las Vegas, NV
$62,275
7.
Jeff King
Colchester, CT
$49,820
8.
Jim Ferrel
Phoenix, AZ
$37,365
9.
Ryan Hughes
Phoenix, AZ
$24,910
10.
Jeff Freedman
Simi Valley, CA
$14,946
-
07-12-06 11:25 AM #16
2006 World Series of Poker
Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas
Official Results and Report
Event #16
Pot-Limit Omaha
Buy-In: $10,000
Number of Entries: 218
Total Prize Money: $2,049,200
Defending Champion (2005): Rafi Amit
Official Results:
1.
Lee Watkinson
Los Angeles, CA
$655,746
2.
Mike Guttman
Melbourne, Australia
$360,659
3.
Mark Dickstein
New York, NY
$184,428
4.
Rafi Amit
Bucks, UK
$143,444
5.
Hasan Habib
Downey, CA
$122,952
6.
Nicholas Gibson
Windsor, UK
$102,460
7.
Jani Vilmunen
Porvoo, Finland
$81,968
8.
Thomas Wahlroos
Helsinki, Finland
$61,476
9.
Mickey Appleman
Fort Lee, NJ
$40,984
10.
Ben Roberts
London, England
$24,590
Las Vegas, NV – In spiritual circles, St. Francis of Assisi is best known as the patron saint of all animals. St. Francis was a 13th century friar who rescued, housed, and protected wounded and needy critters who could not care for themselves. If St. Francis has a modern-day disciple, his name is most certainly “Lee Watkinson.” And, if you don’t believe it, just ask a chimpanzee.
On July 12, 2006, Watkinson got a monkey the size of an 800-pound gorilla off of his back. After playing in major poker tournaments throughout North America and cashing dozens of times since 2002, Watkinson finally won his first WSOP gold bracelet. Watkinson prevailed in a blistering field of 218 players – comprised of the very best Pot-Limit Omaha specialists in the world. Each player paid $10,000 to enter the event, which created a total prize pool $2,049,200.
It took two days to play down to the last nine competitors. The final table included three former WSOP gold bracelet winners – Rafi Amit (1 win), Mickey Appleman (4 wins) and Hasan Habib (1 win). However, what was most remarkable was the international composition of the nine finalists. Demonstrating that Pot-Limit Omaha is the most “European” of poker variations, five different countries were represented – including three players from Europe. This competition was also unique because it marked the first time at this year’s World Series that a defending champion made it to the final table. Rafi Amit won this event in 2005.
There was also a greater sense of camaraderie present at this table than seen elsewhere. At one point, the entire table ordered a shot and drank a toast together. All poker games everywhere should be as joyous as this one. ESPN television was on hand to capture it all.
Name
Chip Count
Seat #
Jani Vilmunen
$485,000
1
Mark Dickstein
$212,000
2
Mickey Appleman
$102,000
3
Mike Guttmann
$283,000
4
Thomas Wahlroos
$168,000
5
Hasan Habib
$349,000
6
Rafi "Refael" Amit
$99,000
7
Lee Watkinson
$276,000
8
Nick Gibson
$207,000
9
Of all finalists, no player brought as much experience to the table as 60-year-old Mickey Appleman. The eclectic ex-social worker turned sports bettor turned hippie poker player arrived as the second-lowest stack and went out with a monster draw that missed everything. On his final hand, Appleman was dealt 9-8-8-7. The final board showed 10-6-3-4-2. Appleman missed it all – the straight, the flush, and the set. A lone pair of jacks scooped the large pot and the four-time WSOP winner Appleman exited in ninth place, paying $40,984.
Thomas Wahlroos went out next. The Finish-born poker pro was down to his last 44,000 (average stack was about 300,000) and moved all-in with K-10-9-4. The final board showed 10-7-4-Q-5. Wahlroos made two pair, but his opponent flipped over a higher two pair, which translated into an eighth-place finish. Wahlroos received $61,476.
Jani Vilmunen had higher expectations than a seventh-place finish. The early chip leader suffered through a brutal final half-hour. Vilmunen’s toughest beat took place when he made a full house (sixes over fives) holding 8-7-6-5 when the final board showed J-6-5-6-Q. Incredibly, Lee Watkinson had A-A-Q-Q. Only a miracle queen on the river saved Watkinson from elimination. Had the queen not tumbled from the deck, the final table outcome would have been completely different. It is perhaps fair to say that the hideous river queen may have cost Vilmunen a gold bracelet. It is most certainly a hand he will not forget. Vilmunen, the second Finn at the table, went out a short time later in disappointing fashion. Seventh place paid $81,968.
At six players, Englishman Nick Gibson was low on chips and committed his last 90,000 on an inside straight draw. Gibson had Q-J-J-10. Gibson was all-in after the flop came with K-9-6. Defending champ Amit had A-K-J-2 and called holding top pair. An ace on the turn gave Amit two pair. Gibson missed his draw on the river and went out in sixth place. He collected $102,460.
Hasan Habib survived several all-in situations before finally succumbing to a fifth-place finish. On his final hand of the night, Habib moved all-in, flopped two-pair and then picked up a straight draw on the turn. But he failed to improve and Rafi Amit showed a higher two-pair. Habib, who has won millions of dollars in tournament poker, including a WSOP title in 2004 for Stud Eight-or-Better, received $122,952.
When play became four-handed, it seemed anyone’s tournament to win. Lee Watkinson enjoyed a slight chip lead, but in a card game as volatile as Pot-Limit Omaha, anything was still possible. Rafi Amit learned this lesson the hard way when he lost a few key pots and many of his chips. Then, Amit went out when he flopped two pair against Watkinson’s flopped straight. Amit still had four outs to make the full house, but came up short. Rafi Amit, from Israel, played brilliantly and had to be proud of yet another final table appearance in this event. The 26-year-old collected $143,444 for fourth place.
Mark Dickstein, a New York City investment manager, made the most out of his $10,000 investment in this event. Try making 17 times the initial outlay in just three days. Dickstein went out when his A-K-J-9 was cracked by Watkinson’s A-Q-J-4. The final board came with three spades to go with Watkinson’s A-J of spades – completing a flush. Dickstein received $184,428 for third place.
Heads-up play started off with Watkinson holding a 3 to 1 chip advantage over Aussie Mike Guttmann. It took over two hours for Watkinson to overcome a very tough fight by the CEO from Melbourne. Midway through the duel, Guttman seized the chip lead momentarily when he rivered a flush against the shell shocked Watkinson. But that would be Guttmann’s high-point of the tournament. The man nicknamed “Sticky Micky” came unglued in the final stages of the tournament, seemingly helpless to stall Watkinson’s aggressive tendencies.
The final hand of the night was deal out when Watkinson held A-Q-6-5 versus Guttmann’s J-J-10-8. All of Guttmann’s chips went into the pot on a pre-flop re-raise. The final board showed 5-4-3-7-K. Watkinson’s 6-5 connected with the 7-4-3 on board to complete the straight. As runner up, Mike “Sticky Micky” Guttmann collected $360,659.
Afterward, Watkinson described the victory as more of a relief than a thrill. He finished second in this same event two years ago, which until tonight was the closest Watkinson had ever come to winning at the World Series.
“When I was playing heads-up and lost (the chip lead), I started thinking it was déjŕ vu all over again,” Watkinson said in reference to finishing in second-place at a number of majors in recent years. “But then, I just re-focused my game and realized that it takes a different kind of strategy to win a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament. I just played the percentages, wanting to get my money in with the best possible situation.”
Watkinson owns a few businesses, including a record company and a clothing line – which were started exclusively with his poker winnings. The Washington State native holds a degree in economics, which perhaps explains why Watkinson is so astute as an investor and poker professional.
Yet, as excited as Watkinson was to win over half a million dollars and the WSOP gold bracelet, he was quick to shift everyone’s attention to a greater, more humanitarian purpose. Watkins was joined up on the poker stage by his fiancé Timmi DeRosa. Together, they described their plans to constructively use some of the $655,746 in total prize money. Watkinson and DeRosa told of their longtime commitment to rescuing and retiring captive chimpanzees, many of which have been used in everything from major motion pictures to research laboratories.
Watkinson and DeRosa told about how chimpanzees are not as useful as they become older and are commonly discarded. So a few years ago, the couple made a commitment to rescue as many creatures as possible and eventually build an animal sanctuary. “All the animals need our help,” DeRosa said. “But we really try to focus on the chimpanzees.” For this purpose, the Cortland Brandenberg Foundation was co-founded by Watkinson and DeRosa.
This is certainly the first time ever in history that chimpanzees will benefit directly from a World Series of Poker victory. Following his win, as the arena stage was being cleared, Watkinson said he intended to got out later in the night and buy the chimps some cake and ice cream. Perhaps instead of St. Francis, we should call the latest WSOP poker champion “St. Watkinson.”
by Nolan Dalla
Note: All content in this report may be re-printed by media.
Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #16):
Total Entries to Date: 16,694
Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 28,759,692
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07-15-06 06:46 PM #17
A 77 year old grandma wins the senior World Poker Championship.
Official Results:
1.Clare Miller Alamogordo, NM $247,814
2.Mike Nargi Maumelle, AR $129,293
3. Jake “Doc” Wells Cibolo, TX $74,882
4. Judy Carlson Blackhawk, CO $53,872
5.David Claiborne Twin Falls, ID $43,098
6. Ron Rose Dayton, OH $37,710
7.Doug Schuller Fresno, CA $32,323
8. Stan Schirer Las Vegas, NV $26,936
9.John “JV” Vorhaus Monrovia, CA $24,242
10.Scott McClellan Henderson, NV $21,549
Las Vegas, NV – There was a point very late in the 2006 Seniors World Poker Championship when tournament officials approached the surviving players and offered them the option of calling it a night and returning the next day. The seniors had played two lengthy, grueling days during which more than a thousand players had been eliminated.
Amongst the nine exhausted survivors, there were some weary faces. When the tournament director approached 77-year old Clare Miller, her answer was uncompromising and to the point.
“Deal the cards, we’re playin’!” she snapped.
Poker is a natural pastime for all seniors. It very well may be the only competitive game which allows persons 50, 60, 70, or even 80-years and older to compete on an equal playing field with younger players in their 20s and 30s. Where else but a poker table could a 77-year-old grandmother become a “world champion?”
Poker not only affords opportunities for seniors to compete and win. More important, poker brings people of all walks of life together in a friendly social atmosphere. Many friendships are built around poker tables. Kuei Chi Chang, an 80-year-old woman from Las Vegas, who competed in her first-ever poker tournament at the World Series of Poker last week, said it best: “Poker makes me feel young again.”
This year’s Seniors World Poker Championship was the largest such competition ever in poker history. In a World Series which continues to shatter every conceivable record ever posted in poker, 1,184 players flooded into the Rio Las Vegas to compete for over a million dollars in prize money, including first place -- $247,814 in cash.
The event began with a solemn moment. The roll call of names from poker’s glorious past were called out over a silent room packed to full capacity. Poker’s proud pioneers were remembered -- including Benny Binion, Johnny Moss, and Puggy Pearson who passed away only a few months ago. “Oklahoma Johnny” Hale was the perfect host for the proceedings. As the event’s Grand Marshall, Hale inducted two new members into the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame. Mike “the Mad Genius” Caro and Paul McKinney were introduced in a brief ceremony.
With that, the senior’s event began. The competition was open to persons aged 50 and older. The event attracted an eclectic mix of poker players. Paul McKinney, last year’s 82-year-old seniors champion (and the latest inductee into the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame) was on hand to defend his title. Jan Fisher, the popular writer and columnist for Card Player magazine entered, along with her father, Dr. Peter Fisher. The Fisher’s participation likely marked the first time that a father and daughter played together in the seniors championship. Also, a husband and wife from Alamogordo, New Mexico entered the tournament. Shelby Miller would outlast all but 39 players in this event. His wife, Clare Miller would ultimately fare much better.
The final table began with nine players, including one former winner, Ron Rose. The first player to exit was the well-known poker writer and commentator John Vorhaus, a.k.a. “JV.” The 50-year-old poker celebrity from Los Angeles, author of the highly-acclaimed “Killer Poker” book series, received $24,292 for ninth place.
Stan Schirer went out next. The 70-year-old Las Vegas retiree, originally from Nebraska, was the third-lace finisher in the WSOP main event back in 2001. This time he finished eighth, good for $26,936.
Doug Schuller, a concrete dispatcher from Fresno, California cemented a seventh-place finish. The 54-year-old said plays poker as a hobby. Not too many hobbies pay $32,323 in prize money – which is what Schuller took home.
Ron Rose arrived with most impressive poker resume – with several major tournament victories including a win in the Seniors World Poker Championship back in 2003. Rose’s bid to become the first two-time champion in this event’s history was foiled as the former Internet guru from Dayton, Ohio had to settle for a sixth-place finish. Rose earned $37,710.
David Claiborne was the next player to exit. The auto dealer from Twin Falls, Idaho drove off with $43,098 for fifth place. Claiborne also finished in the top five percent in last year’s main event.
Judy Carlson was one of two ladies at the final table. Carlson ended up as the fourth-place finisher. The Blackhawk, Colorado poker pro added $53,872 to her poker bankroll.
Third place went to Jake “Doc” Wells. The horse veterinarian from Texas galloped off the final table with $74,882 in prize money.
Clare Miller had the chip lead most of the way. There had been a point earlier in the night when Miller caught a big break. She won a race with ace-king versus pocket queens, which essentially gave her the chips that would propel her on to victory. “It was luck,” Miller modestly explained in a post-tournament interview. “You have to have a lot of luck to win.”
The final hand of the tournament came when Mike Nargi was dealt pocket threes and moved all-in. Miller, holding queen-eight suited, called. The final board showed 10-4-2-6-8. An eight on the river eliminated Nargi and gave Miller her victory.
The runner up, Mike Nargi is a 53-year-old former craps dealer from Arkansas, who now gambles professionally. Nargi had a nice run at the poker table before he finally sevened-out. Second-place paid $129,293.
Clare Miller was overjoyed with her victory. She broke into tears and her voice quivered as she experienced the thrill of a lifetime. Afterward, Miller told her own personal story that she and her husband had struggled in their earlier years together. Through a lot of hard work and love, the couple built a few businesses and eventually became quite successful. In their retirement years they turned to poker as an activity they could play and enjoy together. The fact that Mr. Shelby Miller finished 40th in the same tournament was clear evidence that this would be the Miller’s day. Fittingly, the happy couple is celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary this week.
Miller put everything into proper perspective when she was presented with the coveted WSOP gold bracelet and prize money totaling nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars. “We are very lucky and live very comfortably now, so at this stage the bracelet is probably more important,” she said. “But they don’t mean anything compared to my 41-years with Shelby.”
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