The To 10 Stories of the '08 WSOP
10. WSOP sees record-setting fi elds
To all the folks saying the popularity of poker is on the decline, have a look at this: The 2008 WSOP not only set a record for the largest non-Main Event in history with its second event, a $1,500 NL Hold’em, it also boasted the largest $2,000 buy-in NL Hold’em event and the largest H.O.R.S.E tournament which attracted over 800 runners. While the Main Event didn’t quite break the record size, it still made a nice comeback from last year’s decline with 6,844 entrants and a prize pool of over $64 million and was the second largest Main Event in history (after 2006). Seems like poker isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
9. BLUFF is fi ve for fi ve on ‘players to watch’
Okay, this may not be a top story on anyone else’s list, but we are pretty friggin’ proud of it. In the June issue, we selected a number of WSOP fi rst-timers who we thought would make a splash. Seems like they all dove straight in, and each and every pick we made fi nal-tabled a WSOP event. If you think we aren’t writing enough about it – well, it’s because we are too busy patting ourselves on the back.
• Mike Sowers – 8th place, $10,000 PL Hold’em (Event 1) • Andrew Robl – 3rd place, $5,000 Mixed Hold’em (Event 4) • Jimmy Fricke – 9th place, $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split - Eight or Better (Event 16) • Jeff Williams – 2nd place, $1,000 NL Hold’em w/Rebuys (Event 5) • Tom Dwan – 8th place, $10,000 Mixed Event (Event 8) and 8th place, $5,000 NL 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Rebuys (Event 18
)8. J.C. Tran fi nally wins his fi rst WSOP bracelet
J.C. Tran has long been overdue for his fi rst bracelet. Tran was unable to capitalize on two fi nal tables early on in the Series, and it looked as if he would have to wait another year before he got another crack at poker immortality. J.C. then decided he might as well get it out of the way this year and beat out over 2,700 players in one of the last $1,500 NL Hold’em events of the Series (Event 49). The win solidifi ed his status as one of the best poker players in the world and banked him a nice $631,170 to go along with his new gold bracelet.
7. Ante Up for Africa another huge success
The WSOP continues to attract celebrities looking to test their poker chops, but no event draws in the big names quite like Ante up for Africa. Don Cheadle and Annie Duke put on another great event that was highlighted by John Hennigan donating 100% of his winnings back to the charity. Matt Damon, Ben Affl eck, and Adam Sandler were just a few of the superstars in attendance. The charity event raised close to half a million dollars.
6. Year of the Pro
With the ever-increasing fi elds at the WSOP, many people felt that fi nal tables fi lled with big name pros was a thing of the past. This year’s WSOP proved that poker professionals are just that – professionals – as many of them weaved their way through huge fi elds to populate fi nal tables and take home quite a few bracelets. Barry Greenstein, Erick Lindgren, Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, Nenad Medic, J.C. Tran, David Singer, Kenny Tran, and John Phan all took home WSOP hardware. The trend was particularly apparent in the early ESPN events, which garnered star-studded fi nal tables that will be surely have folks setting their DVRs to record all the action.
5. Scotty Nguyen wins the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E.
After a devastating fi nish at last year’s Main Event, Scotty Nguyen came into this year’s WSOP looking to shake the disastrous memories of 2007. Shake them he did, as he took home the most coveted title in all of poker and earned the fi rst etching on the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy. Scotty’s name was defi nitely not at the top of any lists as a favorite for this event, but he proved that he’s no one-game wonder by beating the fi eld of 148 runners. That deep fi eld included names like Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Huck Seed, Barry Greenstein, Andy Bloch, and Erick Lindgren, who were all among the sixteen players that cashed in the event. If a win like this doesn’t erase bad memories, we’re not sure what will.
4. First ever “November Nine” is set
Much of the buzz leading up to this year’s WSOP surrounded Harrah’s decision to delay the fi nal table and air it as close to live as possible in November. As the Main Event wound down to its fi nal summer days, the poker world sat on edge waiting to see who this fi rst group of nine would be. Although big names such as Brandon Cantu, Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow all made a run at the fi nal table, this year’s November Nine is comprised of mostly unknown names. Dennis Philips, an amateur from the Midwest, leads the way with 26 million in chips. All eyes will be on him, as he will retain the chip lead in the Main Event longer than anyone in the history of the Series. BLUFF will profi le each of the November Nine in depth in the upcoming months, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.
3. Tiffany Michelle fi nishes 17th in the Main Event
Once in a blue moon members of the poker media get a crack at the big dance. Most of the time they prove why they are in the media and not on the felt (well done BLUFF publisher Eric Morris and editor in chief Matthew Parvis). Michelle took the opportunity and ran with it, fi nishing 17th, one of the highest Main Event fi nishes for a woman ever. Coming into the fi nal day of play, she was one of the chip leaders and many were anticipating the fi rst woman at the WSOP Main Event fi nal table since Barbara Enright did it in 1995. Sadly, Tiff’s run ended a little too soon, and she would have to be satisfi ed counting her 17th place pennies. We as an audience, on the other hand, like to think about how much more fun it would have been to watch a hot girl for the next few months instead of the nine dudes who currently wait to duke it out in November.
2. John “The Razor” Phan wins his fi rst two bracelets
We all know the saying; “It’s easier to win two bracelets than it is to win one.” Actually, that saying doesn’t exist, but maybe Phan can coin it. He certainly made it look easy as he cruised to two big bracelet wins. If you were watching the fi rst heads-up match, you would never have guessed that the man’s fi rst bracelet was at stake. Phan and his opponent were busy ordering shots and going all in blind. Apparently, blind, drunken poker is a good way to erase all the near misses of WSOPs past. Why didn’t anyone tell us that? John continued to ride the momentum when he fi nal-tabled the Bellagio Cup Main Event a few weeks later. Not a bad summer if you ask us.
1. Erick Lindgren wins 2008 WSOP Player of the Year
Few players have had the type of success Erick Lindgren has had. Coming into the Series this year, the man had accomplished almost everything possible in the world of poker. WPT titles, magazine covers, and unprecedented cash game winnings. Yet with all his successes, the WSOP bracelet still eluded him. This year, Lindgren came out fi ring, not only taking down his fi rst bracelet early on, but playing in top form throughout the Series and parlaying his focus and skill into the WSOP Player of the Year award. The highlights of his summer were the bracelet he won in the $5,000 Mixed Hold’em (Event 4), a fi nal table in the No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Rebuys (Event 18), and a fi nal table in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event 45). We think its safe to say that Lindgren got the WSOP monkey off his back this year, which means we will need to fi nd someone new to pick on for not yet winning a bracelet… You available for an interview Michael Mizrachi?
