Playing satellites is a great way to earn a seat cheaply into a bigger buy in tournament, and it is also a great way to make a profit in itself. The World Series of Poker offers a range of single table satellites which pay a single winner. These satellites range from $60-$1,000, and they pay out according to a 10 person table. For a person who plans on playing multiple satellites, it can be a quick way to make a profit on the investment.
Generally, single table satellites attract a fairly weak field of players. These players are trying to take a shot at a cheap way to win a seat into a tournament. Especially at the WSOP, a large portion of the players are tourists who would not buy into the event without winning a seat. They usually don’t have much experience with multi table or single table tournaments. Thus, you can expect that their level of play is not that sophisticated. Count on obvious over bets preflop with large pocket pairs and AK, AQ, AJ. Usually players are pretty transparent post flop as well. They will over bet their top pairs, and definitely get it all in with two pair or better. Some of this corresponds to weak players, but a large part of it is the structure that is being played.
With the $175 satellites and smaller, the rounds are only 15 minutes long. This means that players have to catch a decent hand and ride it. In the $65 satellites, players only get 800 in chips and 15 minute levels. Even when the blinds start at 25/25, losing a small pot means you are already a short stack. The $175 satellites are not much better, as they only offer 1,000 in starting chips and 15 minute levels. A lot of players realize that if they have A J or A 10, and flop top pair they should stick their chips in because they might not have time to wait for a better hand. For this reason, it is important to limp into as many unraised pots as possible because hitting a set, straight, flush, or event two pair can be a monster in attaining someone else’s chips. Most of the players playing these level satellites are playing ABC poker. If they have a big hand preflop, they let you know with the size of their raise. If they have a weak hand, they will fold to any bet.
In order to get better value, the $275 satellites and bigger are the way to go. They offer, at least, 1,500 chips and 20 minute levels. If you play a pot and lose, you won’t necessarily be so short that you only have an all in move. They also give you more time to see how players play before the blinds get so high that you can’t use the information to your advantage. These satellites also have greater chopping incentive.
Satellites have great chopping incentive, and the bigger the satellite the better incentive there is. The $65 satellites at the WSOP offer almost zero chopping incentive. Players are paid $50 in cash and $500 in chips. Since there is only one chip to be won, that will usually go to the winner. The $125 satellites offer 1,000 in tournament chips and $120 in cash, so this can be easily split up when it gets to heads up. The $175 offers 1,500 in tournament chips and $120 in cash. This could theoretically be equally chopped three ways. The bigger the payout the larger the incentive is to chop multiway. The $1,000 satellite is often chopped heads up for $5,000 a piece because the amount makes a difference to most people. With the better values, I often negotiate that third place always gets their money back. At least that way you have a least a 30% chance of making your money back to play another satellite.
Chopping is always situational, and many factors which are not discussed in this article should be taken into consideration. The general rule of thumb would be to chop unless you have your opponent at a significant lead in chips. If you are not a strong heads up player, or you feel that your opponent is hitting cards, a chop might be the right move.
I have a friend that was playing the $1,000 satellite at the WSOP. This satellite has amazing value in that it gives you 5,000 in chips and 20 minute levels, and it pays 10,000 in tournament chips, and $150 in cash. My friend got down to four handed when the rest of the table asked him to chop. He said no because he thought he had an edge over the table. He got to heads up, and his opponent asked him to chop. Again, he said no because he had his opponent 2:1. It didn’t take long, and the short stack doubled up. In a series of unfortunate hands, my friend found himself as the slightly shorter stack. My friend then flopped two pair, and went all in. He was called by his opponent’s straight flush draw, and his opponent won. My friend was upset and wishing he would have chopped heads up for an extra $4,000.
Sometimes it isn’t the most profitable choice to chop, but in most cases it can be the best decision. The money won from these satellites can be used to add to your bankroll, or to play more satellites. After winning a few satellites, you might find that you have an edge to refuse chopping heads up and play for the win.
Now that you’ve won and/or chopped several satellites, you will have a pocket full of tournament chips that have no cash value. If you are not planning on playing any tournaments, you will have to sell them to other players that do plan on using them. There are some players that sell these chips at a discount. For example, they will sell a $500 chip for $400. Why would you sell a chip for $100 discount when you can get full face value for them. The poker community is actually a pretty tight nit group who are willing to help each other out when it doesn’t mean losing money over it. Most players will buy these chips at face value, and if you can’t find anyone to buy them go to the tournament line at the start of registration. There are plenty of players that plan on buying into the event straight up, so they will be willing to just buy them from you. If that doesn’t work, then you can try to sell them at a discount. However, if everyone sells them at a discount they won’t be worth very much for players that are trying to make a living from satellites.
Greg Mueller has become the fourth player to win two bracelets at the 2009 WSOP, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that prior to this years World Series Mueller had 13 career WSOP cashes but no bracelets. His first bracelet this year came in the $10,000 world championship limit hold’em event, where he topped a field of 185 and pocketed $460,836.
His second victory came on Monday in the $1,500 limit hold’em shootout, where he outlasted a much larger field (572 players) in a shootout format. Mueller ended up facing Marc Naalden heads-up for the championship, where after building a 5-1 chip lead he eliminated Naalden and earned $194,854 in the process.
Here are the final table results:
1. Greg Mueller — $194,854
2. Marc Naalden — $120,614
3. Mille Phung Shiu — $77,138
4. David Williams — $51,145
5. Matthew Sterling — $35,058
6. Flaminio Malaguti — $24,824
7. Joep van den Bijgaart — $18,136
8. Jose Barbero — $13,655
The WSOP H.O.R.S.E World Championship event is widely considered to be the most difficult tournament at the WSOP, as the large $50,000 buy-in and mixed-game format usually results in only the best players in the world entering. This year, 95 players put up the cash for a chance at the $1,276,820 first-place prize money and the opportunity to call themselves the best all-around poker player in the world, and in the end it would be David Bach in the winners circle.
Bach had to endure an 18 hour and 44 minute final table that also included a seven-hour heads-up match against John Hanson, making it the second longest WSOP final table in history. “I never wanted to touch one until I earned it,” said Bach.
Here’s are the final standings from the event:
1. David Bach – $1,276,802
2. John Hanson – $789,199
3. Erik Sagstrom – $522,394
4. Vitaly Lunkin – $368,813
5. Huck Seed – $276,610
6. Ville Wahlbeck – $219,655
7. Chau Giang – $184,087
8. Erik Seidel – $162,382
Time to reread your favorite poker books and polish your chip protectors as the World Poker Tour has revealed the twelve stops for their eighth season. Vegas residents should note that a record four events will be held at the Bellagio this year, so plan your season accordingly.
Bellagio Cup V
July 13-19, 2009 Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Buy-in: $15,400
Legends of Poker
August 22-26, 2009, Bicycle Casino, Los Angeles, CA
Buy-in: $10,000
Borgata Poker Open
September 19-24, 2009, Borgata Hotel, Atlantic City, NJ
Buy-in: To be determined
Festa al Lago
October 20-26, 2009, Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Buy-in: $15,400
Foxwoods World Poker Finals
November 5-10, 2009, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT
Buy-in: $10,000
Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic
December 13-19, 2009, Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Buy-in: $15,400
Southern Poker Championship
January 24-27, 2010: Beau Rivage, Biloxi, MS
Buy-in: $10,000
L.A. Poker Classic
February 20-25, 2010, Commerce Casino, Los Angeles, CA
Buy-in: $10,000
WPT Celebrity Invitational (at L.A. Poker Classic)
February 27 - March 1, 2010: Commerce Casino, Los Angeles, CA
Invitation-Only Event
Bay 101 Shooting Star
March 8-12, 2010, Bay 101, San Jose, CA
Buy-in: $10,000
Hollywood Poker Open
March 20-24, 2010: Hollywood Casino, Lawrenceburg, IN
Buy-in: $10,000
WPT Championship
April 17-24, 2010 Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Buy-in: $25,500
Some people say that they go on tilt after playing bad. They say that just knowing that they made a mistake is enough to send them over the edge. I’m from a totally different way of thinking. I know I’m not a perfect poker player, and that mistakes are inevitable. I accept that, and do my best not to make mistakes. However, when mistakes happen I am grateful that I’m able to pick up on them and learn to (hopefully) never make the mistake again. The thing that really irritates me is when I’ve made the right moves, the right read, have the player right where I want him, and inevitably they catch up and take my chips. Since I like to think that poker is a game of skill, it truly puts me on tilt when I play well and still lose. At least when I play bad and lose, I’ve invested money into my poker education.
The other day I went to play one of the DeepStack Tournaments at the Venetian in Las Vegas. I went into it thinking if I busted out it was no big deal and I would just go play cash game. Since the cash games were so juicy looking I knew I could easily get my buy in back if I busted and still make a profit for the day. I had nothing to lose…or so I thought.
The tournament started off kind of slow. I won a few small pots and lost a few small pots. I was able to limp into a five way pot when blinds were 75/150. I had 5h 3h, and the flop came out 5d 2d 3c. It was checked to me and I led out for 600. The big blind called and everyone else folded. The turn brought a 9d. He checked to me, and I bet 1100 . He looked down at his cards and made the call. I was pretty sure at this point that he probably had a flush. The river came a fourth diamond. He shot me a look and then checked. It seemed as though he didn’t like that fourth diamond hitting the river, and with no diamond in my hand I knew the only way I could win was to bet. If he hit the flush on the turn, he probably had low diamonds in his hand. It was highly likely that I could get him off his hand with a decent size bet. I assumed that a bet of 1850 would be enough to get him off his hand. After some pondering he decided to call and turned over 2c 7d. “Wow,” is all I could say as I sent my cards to the muck.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the hand. One, I made a good read on my opponent knowing that he was weak, but I couldn’t figure out how he could make the call there. It was the first time I have been so frazzled in a tournament that I literally had to walk away for a few hands to cool off. After clearing my head, I returned ready to play again.
The next few rounds were up and down. I lost a few races with the short stacks on my table, but was able to chip up to above average. Then I got moved to another table with Tommy Vu who had the chip lead on the table. Seat two was a guy in his late twenties or so, who was boasting to the table about his recent cash in a WSOP event. This guy quite obviously had an ego, and this irritated me right away.
The blinds were 400/800, and I looked down at pocket kings in the highjack. Seat two raised to 2200 in early position. I made it 6300 to go, and he called. It was heads up, and the flop came 9 6 8 rainbow. He grabbed a stack of chips and bet, and I immediately moved all in for 15k. I was sure that I was ahead at the time, and wasn’t worried about a set or a straight. He called and turned over Ad 7d. Instead of him hitting an ace or his open ender, he went runner runner diamonds to knock me out. This was a real blow to me because I had been playing well all day with minimal mistakes, and had I won the hand I would have had the chip lead at the table, and in contention for the chip lead of the tournament.
So my fun in the tournament was over, and I should have been putting my name on the list to play cash game and make some money for the day. Instead, I walked over a slot machine, pulled out a hundred dollar bill, and proceeded to take my frustrations out on the max bet button. Before I knew it, that hundred was gone and I was off to the next machine. I realize now, that there was no amount of money short of hitting $100,000 or more that could have satisfied me. It took five machines and five hundred dollars to convince myself that my day of fun and excitement was over. I went home with the worst tilt hangover I’ve ever experienced.
After much anticipation, I finally made my way down to the 2009 World Series of Poker last week from Thursday, June 18th to Monday, June 22nd, as I have done for the past four years or so as a way of celebrating my birthday. I’ve been lucky enough to attend the WSOP during the huge expansion years where the attendance has jumped up to unprecedented heights, and although last year was a bit of a let down overall, the feeling around the 2009 Series was that it could once again put the WSOP back on an upward swing in terms of attendance and prestige.
I once again elected to stay at the Rio Hotel, the current home of the WSOP, as it is easily the best way to fully enjoy the event, as you can just walk downstairs from your room at any time and check out an event, play in a satellite or two, and just watch the masters at work.
After a perfect Italian meal at Café Martorano inside the Rio, I headed down to the main WSOP floor to check out the satellite action. I don’t know exactly why I was looking to play in a satellite event since I had zero plans or intentions to actually participate in a large buy-in tournament, but I guess the single tournament format of the satellites appealed to the online SnG player inside me.
I ended up buying into a $125 satellite, with 1st place (all satellites were winner take all) awarding $120 in cash and $1,000 in tournament chips, which can be applied to a normal WSOP tournament. I wasn’t surprised when I sat down at my table and noticed that most of the other players were of the standard tourist fair with limited poker knowledge and almost no single-table tournament experience.
I decided to play the satellite much like I would any of my usual online SnG tournaments, sticking to a fairly tight strategy to begin with and then amping up the aggression and “steal” mentality as the blinds went up. Well, as it turned out I didn’t need to put too much effort into my strategy, as on the third hand I received pocket 8’s in early position and decided to just limp to try and flop big. Three other players limp in behind me and the flop came K-J-8 with two diamonds. I made a pot sized bet and was immediately raised by the player to my left, which was then followed by a call by the player to his right. Figuring I was up against A-K and maybe a diamond draw, I pushed all-in and to my surprise was called by both players.
My first opponent turned over K-J for two pair and the other turned over A-6 of diamonds for the flush draw. With two cards to come I had to dodge a king, jack and any diamond and was lucky enough do so, eliminating both players and tripling myself up very early in the match. From that point on I was able to pick off a number of pots, as simple tournament strategies including continuation bets and betting in position were able to work very effectively against my relatively weak table. Considering that there was never a check-raise throughout that entire satellite, it became very obvious that everyone was going to check a weak hand and fold to a bet.
Overall I ended chipping my stack up comfortably by stealing pots and blinds and didn’t have to show my hand more than twice throughout the entire game, just when I tripled up and then again when I knocked out the 8th player from the table with my pocket 4’s against his Q-10. Once it got to heads up the other player and I decided to make a deal, which ended up resulting in us each taking home $60 in cash and a single $500 tournament chip, which I then quickly sold for $400 on my way out the door.
One satellite down, and I have more than $300 in profit to show for my efforts. Not a bad way to start my WSOP weekend!
Jeff Lisandro won his first bracelet of the year in Event 16 $1,500 Seven Card Stud, but his bracelet in Event 37 $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Championship was well deserved. On Day 3 of Event 37, twelve players returned at their chance at a World Series bracelet. Of those returning, the field was tough with Doyle Brunson, Scotty Nguyen, Justin “Boosted J” Smith, and Perry Friedman still in.
Lyle Berman was the first to drop from Day 3, and one by one they continued to fall. Doyle Brunson finished the event in 7th place. He had lost a big pot to Abe Mosseri after check calling Mosseri all the way down to 7th street. Mosseri was able to made a flush, while Brunson only had a pair of jacks with no low to be seen.
Brunson was crippled and committed a few hands later when he was the bring in showing a deuce. Farzad Rouhani was eager to get his chips and raised to put Brunson all in. With not much of a choice, Brunson made the call. Rouhani was able to boat up, and Brunson missed his low draw on 7th street to knock him out.
The knockouts continued until the final table was left with only two. This is the order in which players were eliminated from Day 3:
12. Lyle Berman - $33,668
11. Scotty Nguyen- $33,668
10. Perry Friedman- $41,885
9. Anthony Rivera- $41,885
8. Justin Smith- $54,896
7. Doyle Brunson- $62,234
6. Abe Mosseri- $74,258
5. Yan Chen- $93,513
4. Frank Mariani- $124,684
3. Mike Wattel- $176,605
Then it was down to two. Farzad Rouhani and Jeff Lisandro started their heads up play around 12:45 am. Rouhani had a slight chip lead over Lisandro, but they started heads up at 80,000/160,000 limits which made it fairly even stacked. After an hour or so of heads up play, Rouhani had Lisandro four to one in chips. It looked as though the final table wouldn’t last as long as everyone expected.
A crowd of people began to gather at the final table, and Lisandro’s supporters were making more noise than Rouhani’s which must have boosted Lisandro’s confidence. The tides began to turn, and within a few hands Lisandro had fought his way back. Rouhani began to be over powered by Lisandro, and Rouhani was unable to regain his chip lead.
After more than three hours of heads up play, Rouhani became critically low on chips and was essentially all in on every hand. For several hands Rouhani was all in, and it looked like it was going to be over, but the two contenders kept splitting the pot. Finally, the moment came. Rouhani was all in and the hands ran out:
Rouhani: (As 5s) 2c 3c Ts 2h (Kd)
Lisandro: (2s 6d) 6s Tc Th Kh (5h)
With Rouhani unable to complete a low, and Lisandro taking the high, it was all over. This final table was athe longest match in the 2009 World Series so far. Both players played extremely well and fought hard, but ultimately it was Jeff Lisandro that would take home the gold. Rouhani took home $266,804 for his 2nd place finish. Jeff Lisandro takes home the bracelet and $431,656.
He may be the godfather of Texas Hold’em, but Doyle Brunson, at least for the time being, is going to remain just one bracelet under Phil Hellmuth’s record-setting 11 WSOP bracelets. The Texas Dolly made the final table (his 24th overall) at the $10,000 seven-card stud eight-or-better world championship event, but was quickly eliminated in seventh place. Brunson remains tied for second overall on the WSOP bracelet list with Johnny Chan.
Here is a recap of the ten bracelets Brunson has one thus far in his career.
1976: $5,000 deuce-to-seven draw
1976: $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event
1977: $1,000 seven-card stud split
1977: $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event
1978: $5,000 seven-card stud
1979: $600 mixed doubles
1991: $2,500 no-limit hold’em
1998: $1,500 seven-card razz
2003: $2,000 H.O.R.S.E.
2005: $5,000 six-handed no-limit hold’em
Just a few days ago we reported that Phil Ivey had won his sixth WSOP bracelet when he took down the Event #8 $2,500 NL Deuce-to-Seven lowball tournament on June 4th, and now just over a week later he’s already done it again, winning a second 2009 WSOP event. Ivey took down the Event #25 $2,500 Omaha eight-or-better/seven-card stud eight-or-better, netting $220,538 and a seventh gold bracelet in the process.
With this win, Ivey now sits tied in sixth on the all-time bracelet list with Billy Baxter. He owns bracelets for wins in Omaha eight-or-better/seven-card stud eight-or-better, S.H.O.E., seven-card stud, pot-limit Omaha, no-limit deuce-to-seven lowball events and seven-card stud eight-or-better.
Here are the final table results from the Event #23 $2,500 Omaha eight-or-better/seven-card stud eight-or-better tournament:
1. Phil Ivey – $220,538
2. Ming Lee – $136,292
3. Carlos Mortensen – $89,342
4. Dutch Boyd – $69,919
5. Jon Turner – $45,237
6. Eric Buchman – $34,747
7. Tom Koral – $27,993
8. Peter Gelencser – $23,600
When playing heads up poker, there is a whole new element of physical anxiety and psychological warfare compared with multi person play. This causes physical reactions which play a role in the way that a person might react to their opponent. For this reason, a player should be in tune with what their body is going through with the constant mental strain of heads up.
One common physical response to playing heads up is an influx of anxiety. While playing heads up, there isn’t a chance to fold and take a breather while the other players play together. Instead, it is a constant battle to either retain or build on your chips. Your brain is in survival mode, and the goal is to kill your opponent before they kill you. Most players experience a rise in blood pressure or jittery nerves due to the strain of playing heads up. This is natural reaction that happens when a person is under fluctuating brain stimulus. Some people may not notice they are having this reaction, but it tends to manifest itself in some pretty gruesome ways.
Patience is one of the first things to go while playing heads up. When playing heads up in a structure that allows for plenty of time and chips, there is no reason to get frustrated and push all in with 30 big blinds. Losing patience usually happens when you have had to let go of hand after hand to your opponent. Sometimes it is frustrating when you look down at 7 3 off suit five hands in a row, you open, and are forced to fold to a re raise from your opponent. It is easy to get the mindset of, “I’m not going to let him push me around anymore,” and then move all in with some substandard hand even though you have plenty of chips to play with.
This happened recently to Nathanael Poysti in the $10,000 Heads Up Championship and the World Series 2009. He was in the third day of the heads up match against Alec Torelli. They were in the third round of the match, and Poysti had plenty of chips to play with. He started getting frustrated, as Torelli had been chipping away at him. Poysti open shoved for 75k with Q 10, which was roughly 35 big blinds. Torelli called with A J and was able to eliminate Poysti. Or rather, Poysti eliminated himself.
Understand that when playing heads up, that anxiety and frustration will occur more frequently, and make sure it doesn’t get the best of you. If you find yourself starting to feel the strain, take a few deep breaths. This will help calm your anxiety and ease some tension. Just like everything else related to poker, think it through. You might have lost 7 out of the last 10 hands, but if you have chips there isn’t a need to go into panic mode. It’s a back and forth game of trying to get inside your opponents head, not letting them get into yours.
Famed English poker pro Roland De Wolfe beat out a final table stacked with notable players including Andy Black, Antony Lellouche and Scott Clements to take home first place honors during the Event #27 $5,000 PLO Hi/Lo event at the WSOP. The win represents De Wolfe’s first ever WSOP bracelet, and also earns him the honor of being only the second player ever to win poker’s “Triple Crown”.
Along with Gavin Griffin, De Wolfe has won an EPT, WSOP and WPT title, putting him into the most elite club in poker. For his first place finish in the $5,000 PLO Hi/Lo event, De Wolfe also picked up $246,616. Only a handful of players have victories in any two of the three Triple Crown qualifying series, so it’ll be interesting to see just how much time passes before the third Triple Crown inductee is named.
There’s a lot of WSOP play left to go, but already the leaderboards for the Player of the Year race are heating up, with forerunner Ville Wahlbeck maintaining an impressive lead with 255 points. By comparison, when Erick Lindgren won the WSOP Player of the Year award in 2008 he only had 235 points. Here’s how the rest of the top ten pans out thus far:
1. Ville Wahlbeck 255
2. Brock Parker 220
3. Phil Ivey 220
4. Pete Vilandros 175
5. Steve Sung 160
6. Daniel Negreanu 155
7. Jeff Lisandro 150
8. Jason Mercier 147
9. Roland De Wolfe 145
10. Scott Clements 135
The day started out with ten hopefuls waiting to be condensed to the final table of the Deuce to Seven NL Event 23 at the World Series of Poker. Roland De Wolfe was the first to fall which was not much of a surprise being that he was the short stack. Then Justin Smith took the fall, and players were down to the final table.
The day started out with a lot of excitement as two more players were unable to build their chips. Michael Binger was a short stack and moved all in from early position. John Juanda made the call. To everyone’s surprise, Binger opted to draw two cards. This seemed to perplex Juanda as well, and he took a moment to decide how many he was going to draw. He decided to stand pat, which turned out to be the right decision. Juanda turned over 10-8-6-4-2, and Binger was out pairing his nine for 9-9-K-7-2.
David Benyamine would be the next to go out after he moved in over the top of Sung’s raise. Sung made the call and stood pat, leaving Benyamine to draw one card. It wasn’t the card he need as it paired his nine to make 9-9-6-5-4 against Sung’s J-8-7-3-2.
At this point, six were left. Vince Musso started off the day as the chip leader, but John Juanda and Ville Wahlbeck were the favorites to win the event. Nick Schulman had been riding his short stack to stay alive, and Steve Sung had been gaining momentum with his aggression. Archie Karas was the silent contender at the table.
Vince Musso has lost the chip lead, but was able to double up through Juanda. After Musso raised to 36k from the small blind, Juanda pushed him all in. Musso called and each player drew a card. Musso showed an 8-7 low which was good against Juanda’s 9-8 low.
Musso wasn’t able to hold onto his chips though. He jammed once again, and Ville Wahlbeck called. Wahlbeck stood pat, and Musso decided to draw one. Walkbeck table a perfect 7-5-4-3-2 leaving Musso drawing dead with a 9-5 low.
Archie Karas was the next victim and moved in against Steve Sung who called. Both players rapped pat, but it was Sung who came out on top with 10-9-8-7-3 against J-10-8-5-2.
John Juanda, who was once the chip leader at the final table, had lost some substantial pots. He lost a big one to Steve Sung when Juanda put Sung in for his tournament life. Sung called after tanking for a few minutes and both players stood pat. It was a close showdown as Juanda showed 9 8 6 5 4 for low, and Sung showed 9- 5- 4- 3- 2 to best him. This was a critical pot, and after losing this Juanda was the short stack with only 250k left.
Juanda did end up moving all in against Nick Schulman who made the call. Each player drew one card and Juanda turned over 9- 6- 5- 4- 3, but Schulman had the best of it with 8- 7- 5- 3- 2. Juanda became the 4th place finisher of this event.
Nick Schulman was playing incredibly well at this point. Despite the aggression coming from Steve Sung, he was able to take down a few nice size pots without a showdown . In a three way pot, Schulman was able to bet his way to winning over 500k. Then Sung decided to stand up against Schulman after he raised to 60k. Sung came over the top for 170k, and Schulman insta shoved on Sung. It was a decision for his tournament life, and the chance at another bracelet for Sung, so he went into the tank. Ultimately he decided to call. Sung stood pat, and then it was Schulman’s time to tank. He decided to stand pat as well. It was extremely close. Sung turned over T-8-5-4-3 against Schulman’s T-8-5-4-2. It turned out to be a very good pat from Schulman.
In the heads up match between Nick Schulman and Ville Wahlbeck, it became an uphill climb for Wahlbeck very quickly. Schulman had Wahlbeck 3:1, and Schulman was a strong contender at this point. He was aggressive, and he was getting great hands against Wahlbeck. In smart heads up play, Schulman was patiently cautious about lending Wahlbeck too many chips. In the end, it all came down to a bluff and a perfect hand.
Schulman opened for 75k, and Wahlbeck came over the top for 250k. Schulman called and each player drew one card. Wahlbeck quickly moved all in. Even more quickly, Schulman made the call. Wahlbeck knew he was crushed when he turned over a busted low with 9-9-8-5-2 against Schulman’s perfect 7-5-4-3-2.
In a dramatic ending, Nick Schulman became the champion of the No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw tournament for 2009. He took home an impressive $279,742 for 1st place and the most sought after bracelet in the world.
Try as we may, eventually when playing in an S&G tournament we are going to get tired, distracted and just downright lazy. Although you may be able to perform most tasks up to typical standard when tired and uninterested, in poker it can lead to bad decision making and losing money.
It’s easy to preach and just tell you to never be exhausted whenever you play, but that’s not a realistic expectation. Instead, here are some suggestions for how to get your attention and focus back on the S&G at hand.
1. Remove the distractions – Are you watching a movie or TV while trying to play? You need to get the major distractions out of your mind and out of eye sight when playing otherwise you won’t be paying attention to the game and could be missing out on important information.
2. Promote blood flow – Often times, just the act of sitting in a chair for a few hours can leave your body restless and tiresome. If you can afford to, sit out for a few hands and stand up and walk around the room for a little bit. This will get the blood circulating back through your body and should raise your alertness enough to be able to focus on your hands.
3. Instant energy – Personally, energy drinks make me jittery, but I have been known to take some supplements in order to get some kick boosts when I know I might be playing some long sessions or a number of S&G’s. Grab your favorite energy supplier of choice and always have it within reach when you start to feel less than optimal at the online tables.
Some players dream that when they play the World Series of Poker, they will be able to cash in an event. Some players dream of winning a WSOP bracelet one time in their lives. If your Phil Ivey, you dream of two or three bracelets in the course of the whole series. If your Brock Parker, you dream of winning two bracelets within a week of each other…and you actually do it.
Brock Parker first found an interest in poker through the card game Magic. The card game Magic, like Poker, is a game that depends on strategy, reading opponents, and having a little luck on your side. Through Magic, Brock was able to find an appreciation of Poker and started playing online. He has cashed in several other events, but this year he really proved what he was made out of.
The first Six Handed Limit Event 14 of the Series, and it was taken down by Brock. He beat out 367 players to make it to the final table. Once he got to the final table of the event, he was not the favorite to win. Daniel Negreanu led the final table, and once it got to heads up Negreanu had Parker at a 3 to 1 disadvantage in chips. Parker never gave up though. He played solid, caught cards, and was able to over take Negreanu for the win.
Parker then went on to play the Six Handed NL Event 19. Parker again played solidly as the final table dwindled down to just two players. Joe Serock and Brock Parker were heads up for the money, the bracelet, and all the glory. Parker started hitting cards, and Serock lost some key hands. Serock eventually jammed with pocket tens, but ran into Parker’s queens to bust out.
It has been quite an accomplishment for Brock Parker to come into the World Series as a relatively unknown player, and then come out with a World Series bracelet. Not only has he won a bracelet, but he has won two within days of each other. He will definitely be a player to watch in upcoming tournaments.
If you’re one of the many players that first got into poker thanks to the Chris Moneymaker 2003 WSOP poker boom era, you’ve missed out on a lot of the history behind the World Series of Poker. There have been 28 WSOP Main Event champions, stretching as far back as 1970. Take a moment to brush up on some of the biggest names in poker you’ve probably never heard of. Also, take a look at the dramatic difference in the 1st place cash as early as just seven years ago.
2008: Peter Eastgate - $ 9,152,416
2007: Jerry Yang - $8,250,000
2006: Jamie Gold - $12,000,000
2005: Joseph Hachem - $7,500,000
2004: Greg Raymer - $5,000,000
2003: Chris Moneymaker - $2,500,000
2002: Robert Varkonyi - $2,000,000
2001: Carlos Mortensen - $1,500,000
2000: Chris Ferguson - $1,500,000
1999: J. J. "Noel" Furlong - $1,000,000
1998: Scotty Nguyen - $1,000,000
1997: Stu Ungar - $1,000,000
1996: Huck Seed - $1,000,000
1995: Dan Harrington - $1,000,000
1994: Russ Hamilton - $1,000,000
1993: Jim Bechtel - $1,000,000
1992: Hamid Dastmalchi - $1,000,000
1991: Brad Daugherty - $1,000,000
1990: Mansour Matloubi - $895,000
1989: Phil Hellmuth - $755,000
1988: Johnny Chan - $700,000
1987: Johnny Chan - $625,000
1986: Berry Johnston - $570,000
1985: Bill Smith - $700,000
1984: Jack Keller - $660,000
1983: Tom McEvoy - $580,000
1982: Jack Strauss - $520,000
1981: Stu Ungar - $375,000
1980: Stu Ungar - $385,000
1979: Hal Fowler - $270,000
1978: Bobby Baldwin - $210,000
1977: Doyle Brunson - $340,000
1976: Doyle Brunson - $220,000
1975: Sailor Roberts - $210,000
1974: Johnny Moss - $160,000
1973: Puggy Pearson - $130,000
1972: Amarillo Slim Preston - $80,000
1971: Johnny Moss - $30,000
1970: Johnny Moss n/a
Earlier this week I was chatting with Andy Black while he was playing the $1,500 PLO World Series event. It was about an hour and a half into the tournament, and suddenly one of the guys on his table yells, “Andy, what seat are you supposed to be in?!” Andy turns to him seeming a bit confused, but realizes there is a kid standing next to him looking at his seat assignment card. Andy pulls out his assignment card and realizes that he was sitting in the right seat, but on a totally different table. I’m standing there wondering why the original dealer hadn’t caught the mistake in the first place, but it really wasn’t too surprising. It is the series after all.
The floor is called over so he can decide what to do. “Well, he will just have to move to his original table and seat.” It seemed like a logical enough ruling. Then the players started asking about his chips. He had won a few pots at the table, and now he was going to move to another table and take his chips with him. The floor just bluntly said, “There isn’t anything I can do. He’s going to move to his original seat and take his chips.” It didn’t seem right to me, as it put the players at his first table at a disadvantage. The chips they had lost to him had been taken out of play and they wouldn’t be given the chance to get them back. On top of that, his next table will have the advantage of taking more chips from him. It seemed like a domino effect of mistakes.
This story was brought up to several other floor men, not affiliated with the World Series of Poker, and they said the ruling wasn’t correct. Being that Andy had made the mistake, one floor man said that he would have moved him to his original seat and made him play at the starting chip count. “It’s his fault that he sat at the wrong table, and he could use the extra chips to bully his next table around because of the chips he won at the wrong table.” Another floorman suggested taking the extra chips and just adding them to the pot as an ante for the players on the original table. Either way, it definitely seemed like a decision for the tournament director to make, or someone higher up. It is just one of many rulings that will be made at the WSOP this year that may or may not be appropriate for the situation.
Although the WSOP is in full swing, many eyes in the poker world are still fixed on the legendary Card Player Magazine “Player of the Year” honors, which is entering the halfway point of the season. Here’s a look at the top ten players in the running for the title at the moment.
Player Rank Final Tables Points Winnings
Poorya Nazari 1 1 3,000 $3,000,000
Jude Ainsworth 2 3 2,840 $1,009,885
Cornel Cimpan 3 2 2,730 $1,703,828
Anthony Gregg 4 1 2,500 $1,700,000
Yevgeniy Timoshenko 5 1 2,448 $2,149,960
Constant Rijkenberg 6 1 2,400 $1,960,400
Steve Brecher 7 1 2,340 $1,025,500
Stewart Scott 8 2 2,336 $1,500,542
Chris Moore 9 2 2,110 $481,500
Bertrand Grospellier 10 3 2,102 $926,659
This year was supposed to be the year of cutbacks, and the poker community was anticipating smaller fields because of the hard times. However, it seems that is not the case and the fields are just as strong as ever this year.
The series kicked off with the $40,000 buy in event which attracted over 200 players. Most people were wondering if the event would break 100 players, but those skeptics were definitely wrong. There were big name pros who were taking part in the event as well as lesser known players. The event proved that even the big buy in events were going to be a hit this year.
Event 4 brought the $1,000 “Stimulus” Event which catered to those that may not be able to afford $1,500 or bigger buy in tournaments. This event saw an impressive 6,012 players which was only pales in comparison to the Main Event. It was so popular that the event completely sold out and players were turned away from registering. This event was supposed to be a four day event with two day starts, but ended up needing five days to finish.
Event 3 also broke records this year. Event 3 was the $1,500 Omaha High Low Split 8 or Better, and it saw a lot of big name pros. Not only were the pros interested in playing this event, but it brought it over 950 players. This was the biggest live Omaha tournament to date, and no one could have expected such a strong turnout.
There is still a lot of time and events left in the 2009 WSOP, and it seems that this is the year to break all records.
Phil Ivey is no stranger to winning poker tournaments and taking home titles, but he has been looking forward to the chance to take home another WSOP bracelet. Tonight, he was able to prove why he is the best poker player out there by taking home his 6th bracelet from the WSOP. In the Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball event Ivey was up against John Monette. Phil put on his game face and really sought to crush his competition with is aggressive play. In the end it payed off and Phil was able to gain a significant chip lead. John kept his hopes up and tried to put the pressure on Phil as the short stack, but in the end it was Phil who came out on top. Phil Ivey took home the bracelet and $96,361.
There is still plenty of time to make the drive/flight down to the Vegas for the World Series of Poker, and it’s a trip I strongly suggest you consider. I’ll be heading down there myself from June 18th – 22nd, and although the WSOP can’t compare in grand overall scale against some mega events like the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup, there is no shortage of reasons to attend this epic poker extravaganza.
Here are 5 of those reasons:
1. Meet the pros, get their autograph.
2. Freebies from many different poker companies and online card rooms.
3. Play in some of the juiciest side games in the world. The cash game tables during the WSOP are loaded with fish.
4. Play in an inexpensive satellite for a chance at making it into one of the larger tournaments.
5. Bare witness to the largest gathering of poker players you’ve ever seen.
Bonus Reason: The chance to be berated on live television by Phil Hellmuth.
To the typical player, making it in the money at even a single WSOP event could be the accomplishment of a lifetime. However, to be considered among the ten most successful WSOP players of all time, you would need at least 45 cashes to even make the list. Considering that practically all of the names here are continuing to cash in the WSOP even as the fields for the tournaments get larger and larger, it appears that these ten players will be all but impossible to catch up to on the all-time most WSOP cashes list.
#10 and #9 (Tied) – Brent Carter and John Juanda – 45 cashes
#8 – Chau Giang – 46 cashes
#7 – Humberto Brenes – 52 cashes
#6 – Erik Seidel – 53 cashes
#5 and #4 (Tied) – T.J. Cloutier and Berry Johnston – 55 cashes
#3 – Chris Ferguson – 57 cashes
#2 – Men Nguyen – 62 cashes
#1 – Phil Hellmutth – 69 cashes
The Russians are coming….at least in the poker world. Popular Russian poker player Vitaly Lunkin survived a star-studded field and an all-star final table to become the winner of the $40K Anniversary Tournament at the WSOP. This becomes the second bracelet win for Vitaly, who won a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event at the 2008 WSOP.
In order to pick up over $1,891,012 in cash, Vitaly had to outlast a final table that consisted of Ted Forrest, Noah Schwartz, Dani Stern, Lex Veldhuis, Alec Torelli, Justin Bonomo, Greg Raymer, and Isaac Haxton. In more amazing was that he did not knock out a single player at the final table other than Isaac Haxton, whom he played heads-up against for the title.
Here are the total final table results:
1. Vitaly Lunkin — $1,891,012
2. Isaac Haxton — $1,168,566
3. Greg Raymer — $774,927
4. Dani Stern — $548,315
5. Justin Bonomo — $413,166
6. Alec Torelli — $329,730
7. Lex Veldhuis — $277,940
8. Noah Schwartz — $246,834
9. Ted Forrest — $230,317
A new level of no-limit hold’em competition has been ushered into the 2009 World Series of Poker, as Thursday, May 28th marked day 1 of the $40,000 no-limit hold’em event. Now the second most expensive tournament in WSOP history (behind the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event), the $40,000 no-limit hold’em tournament, according to a number of pro players, has the potential to become the new “main event” of the WSOP in terms of respect, as it would eliminate amateur players due to the large buy-in.
“I think it’s a great way to bring together the best no-limit hold’em players in a concentrated field, probably resulting in one of the best final tables anyone has ever seen,” said Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP commissioner.
Originally, Harrah’s had said that the $40,000 no-limit event would most likely be a one-time tournament, though the resounding interest in the tournament has made the organizers think twice about whether or not to bring it back for next year.
Not all players are happy about the new tournament, however, especially with the fact that it is taking place so early in the WSOP schedule of events. “I think it’s asinine. I’ll be playing in it, but I think it’s asinine,” Mike Matusow said on his Card Player TV show, The Mouthpiece. “Why would they possibly want to break everybody on day 1?”
Regardless, many believe that the winner of this event will be considered the best no-limit hold’em player in the world, perhaps taking away some of the prestige from whoever wins the main event later on.
Times are tough, money is tight, and the government is having trouble stimulating the economy. This year the WSOP is doing their part by adding a $1,000 buy in tournament to their list of events this year. Excluding the Ladies Event, this is the most affordable tournament the WSOP has hosted in recent years. This event will start Saturday March 30 with each player getting 3,000 in starting chips and 60 minute levels. The four day event is expected to get record breaking turnouts, and WSOP officials are urging players to buy in early to reserve their seats.
Some of the top pros have already stated that they will be playing this event. Joe Sebok and Michael Mizrachi are two players who have already confirmed their entry into tomorrow’s event. Since the field is expected to be so huge, there will surely be a number of other pros to enter as well. For players interested in playing this event, be sure to sign up early as seats are expected to sell out.
Stay tuned for more updates on the World Series of Poker.
Today was the first day of the much anticipated 40k buy in at the 2009 World Series of Poker. There were many questions as to who would show up and how many players would be able to afford the steep buy in. Even in the time of a recession, there were over 200 players who registered for the event. It was no surprise that this tournament would be attended by high profile players like Phil Hellmuth, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Annie Duke, and Johnny Chan (just to name a few). It was a surprise that there were lesser known players that decided to take their stab at this event as well. This proves that there is a market for people that are willing to pay the high price tag for the chance to play an exclusive event with the world’s top pros.
There were several tough tables of world champions sitting together sharing stories, chips, and knockouts. One table featured Phil Ivey, Scotty Nguyen, David “The Dragon” Pham, Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth, and a few other pros. On a few occasions Ivey was able to detect weak bets from other players and by coming over the top he got them to lay down their cards. In true Mike “The Mouth” fashion, Matusow was ranting about Peter Eastgate’s fold on High Stakes Poker with trip threes. Even though Mike hasn’t played many hands, he is still holding steady on his chips. Justin Bonomo is continuing his sick run this year, and has over 500k in chips while the average is 170k. Other noteworthy players like Howard Leaderer, Johnny Chan, Barry Greenstein, and Chris Ferguson have been eliminated and will have to wait until next year to see if they have a chance to claim the title for this historic event.
WSOP Commissioner Jeffery Pollack seemed to be pretty happy with the amount of players that attended this event which means that a similar event might be added as a permanent fixture to the WSOP schedule.
After hosting the start to the first event of the 2009 World Series of Poker on Wednesday, May 27th, Phil Hellmuth gave a special press conference to announce the release of the first book to be produced under his brand new publishing company, Phil’s House Publishing. “Deal Me In”, by Stephen John and Marvin Karlins, is a collection of “heartbreaking and inspiring stories” from 20 of the world’s greatest poker players.
Outside of publishing the book, Hellmuth played a large role in recruiting big time poker pros to participate in the project. “I knew that once I had Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, Erik Seidel, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Ivey, then everybody else would want to be in the book,” said Hellmuth. “These chapters are just so wildly diverse. Phil Ivey’s story, where he has so much discipline, and control, and money management -- you just don’t expect that looking at the Ivey of today.... Doyle Brunson talking about people getting shot [at his table].... [And] Layne Flack’s [emotional] story made me cry.”
Deal Me In is currently available at Hellmuth’s personal PokerBrat.com website, where it will be sold exclusively until September when the book will be opened up to other distributors. The first printing of the book will include approx. 20,000 copies that’ll be ready to ship by June 22nd.
The second annual Dream Team Poker Event was held a Caesars Palace earlier this year, and it was such a success that the WSOP has added it to the schedule of 2009 events. The event will be held on July 12-13 after the Main Event recesses for the summer. Although this event will not have a bracelet prize as the other events do, it is expected to have a record breaking turnout.
"After seeing the terrific response to the recent Dream Team Poker tournaments in Las Vegas, we thought a team-based event would be a fun addition to the end of the WSOP," said Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP commissioner.
If it is anything like the previous Dream Team Poker events there will be some star studded teams exchanging banter and handing out bad beats. Jamie Gold will be running from his table to Ashley Nataupsky’s table to give her advice and team support on a big hand she is involved in. Beth Shak will be bantering to Phil Hellmuth’s wife about him while they are in the middle of a hand together. Jamie Gold will talk himself into calling Joe Sebok with the worst hand and then come out on top to take the chip lead. All this poker drama will unfold at the tables as teams ban together to take the event title. The excitement is never ending and it adds a whole new feel to tournament poker.
The event is based on a three person team. The entry is $560 per person or $1,680 per team. There will be a Dream Team booth set up at the WSOP for those that want to sign up or have questions about the event.
The World Series of Poker is right around the corner and thousands of people will flock to Las Vegas for their chance to compete for event titles. For those that are coming to Vegas with a small bankroll it is essential to be smart about investments. Chris Furgason advises players not to spend more than 3% of their bankroll on any tournament. Using this model, if your bankroll is $10,000 then you should be maxing out at $300 tournaments. To buy straight into a WSOP $1,500 event you should have a bankroll that exceeds $50,000. Even with a $100,000 bankroll you could only afford to play in one $3,000 event or two $1,500 events before swaying away from this model. However, there are ways to compensate for a meager bankroll and still get a shot at playing during the series.
Satellites
The WSOP runs single table satellites around the clock. The buy-ins range depending on the event you are trying to get into and how many winners are paid. Typically there are one or two winners per satellite. These single table satellites are a great value for the money, as you only have to beat out a few people in order to get a seat into the event you want to play. With the tournament chips you win from these satellites you can buy into tournaments, other satellites, or you can sell them to other players.
There are also mega satellites which range from $330 to $1060 which are multi table satellites into the bigger events. Nightly $300 tournaments at 7 p.m. and $200 tournaments at 11 p.m. give players a chance to play tournaments more affordably as well.
Other Options
The WSOP provides a lot of hype, and poker players around the world are excited to take part in the experience. However, poker explodes everywhere in Las Vegas during the World Series. The Venetian holds a DeepStack tournament which offers low buy-ins, large fields, and great structure. Caesar’s Palace also has their Mega Stack series which is similar to the Venetian DeepStack. Binion’s and the Orleans also have affordable tournaments which get substantial turnouts for minimal buy-ins. These should be tournaments on every poker players agenda who is on a bankroll budget and is planning on being in Vegas during the series.
The Basics
Saving money on the basics like food and hotels can allow you to invest your money where it counts. Most hotels with poker rooms offer poker room rates which allow their guests to stay for a discount if they log in hours in their poker room. Each hotel has different criteria for their poker room rates, so call the hotel individually to find out their offers.
Unless you are a superhuman poker grinder, while you are in Las Vegas you will probably want to take a night to relax, drink, and see the sites. Drinks can be expensive if you aren’t gambling, but downtown Las Vegas is a great place to drink for cheap and still be entertained. Fremont Street has outside entertainment of bands, artists, and other street acts. It is located right next to Binion’s and the Golden Nugget which have their own poker rooms. It also has some of the cheapest drinks and food on the strip (no guarantee on the taste).
Binion’s Hotel in Las Vegas has a great poker tournament series starting next week. Held at the famous downtown hotel which has been known for its birth to poker, Binion’s Hotel is offering affordable buy in tournaments that are sure to attract many players. Binion’s Poker Classic has a vast selection of events which include no limit, pot limit, limit, hold’em, stud, Omaha, and even crazy pineapple. If that isn’t enticing enough, six of the events qualify for Card Player Player of the Year points. Below is a schedule of events:
May 25- $100 Casino Employee’s NL Hold’em
May 26- $150 NL Hold’em
May 27- $150 Omaha 8OB
May 28- $150 NL Hold’em
May 29- $150 PL Omaha
May 30- $200 NL Hold’em
May 31- $150 NL Hold’em
June 1- $200 PL Omaha/PL Hold’em)
June 2- $200 NL Hold’em
June 3- $150 NL Hold’em
June 4- $100 Ladies NL Hold’em
June 4- $150 Limit Hold’em
June 5- $500 H.O.R.S.E.
June 6- $200 NL Hold’em
June 7- $150 NL Hold’em
June 8- $200 NL Hold’em Shootout
June 9- $300 NL Hold’em
June 10- $200 Omaha 8OB/Sevencard Stud 8OB
June 11- $150 NL Hold’em
June 12- $500 PL Omaha
June 13- $200 NL Hold’em
June 14- $150 NL Hold’em
June 15- $150 NL Hold’em
June 16- $200 Sevencard Stud 8OB
June 17- $200 Omaha 8OB
June 18- $150 NL Hold’em
June 19- $300 NL Hold’em
June 20- $200 NL Hold’em
June 21- $150 NL Hold’em
June 22- $200 PL Omaha 8OB
June 23- $150 NL Hold’em
June 24- $200 H.O.R.S.E.
June 25- $150 Limit Hold’em
June 26- $200 6 Handed NL Hold’em
June 27- $200 NL Hold’em
June 28- $150 NL Hold’em
June 29- $150 Crazy Pineapple
June 30- $150 Omaha 8OB
July 1- $200 NL Hold’em
July 2- $500 NL Hold’em
July 3- $150 NL Hold’em
July 4- $200 NL Hold’em
July 5- $150 NL Hold’em
July 6- Super Satellite Day
July 7- $1,000 NL Hold’em Championship
|
|
