Sunday was the day. The “November Nine” finally reconvened to play out the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. The crowd was massive and play was held in the Penn & Teller Theatre at the Rio. Dennis Phillips flew in around 300 supporters, all dressed like him, complete with St Louis Cardinals caps. Each player had their own entourage to support them at this epic final.
Jack Effel opened the festivities and finally the cards were in the air. Kelly Kim was the short stack of the tournament and actually played the very first hand, which happened to be from the button. He won the hand, and then was relatively quiet until he was nearly blinded down to nothing. His stack got down to less than 1 Million and Ivan Demidov put him all in. Amazingly, Kim woke up with pocket kings in the big blind and called. The kings held up and he had a few more waiting chips. And wait he did. Kim only seemed to have one goal, and that was to finish in at least 8th place.
Dennis Phillips lost most of his stack in the early going when a couple of well timed re-raises from both Ivan Demidov and Ylon Schwartz forced him to fold big pots. At one point he was the 2nd short stack with just under 5 Million chips. He was able to claw his way back up.
Craig Marquis then became the short stack and was all-in pre-flop. Scott Montgomery made the call with A-Q. Marquis held pocket sevens. The flop would come A-10-7 to give Marquis a set and leave Montgomery drawing thing. However, in poker, even the smallest percentages can win. Montgomery was able to catch a Jack on the turn to give him a gutshot straight draw and then he caught the miracle card on the river when a King fell to give him the straight and eliminate Marquis in 9th place. Marquis will receive no additional money as all players were paid out 9th place money in July.
Kelly Kim was the next player eliminated. As expected, he moved all in and received multiple callers. In the end, Darus Suharto had a pair of nines to beat Kim’s fours and Kim finished in 8th place and took home $1,288,217.
Chino Rheem could never get anything going and was finally all in with A-K against Peter Eastgate’s A-Q. Unfortunately for Chino, Eastgate would spike a queen on the flop and the pair of queens would hold. Rheem finished in 7th place, making $1,772,650.
Players went on dinner break and came back to watch both Dewey Tomko and Henry Orenstein inducted into the Professional Poker Hall of Fame. Action was somewhat slow for a while after dinner until Darus Suharto decided to move all-in over the top of a raise from Scott Montgomery. Montgomery finally made the call after tanking a while. Montgomery held As-Qd and Suharto held Ah-8c. The flop would fall all spades to give Montgomery the nut flush draw and the turn would complete Montgomery’s flush. Darus Suharto would take home $2,418,562 for his strong finish at the WSOP Main Event.
A huge pot would then develop between Ivan Demidov and Scott Montgomery. Pre-flop, Demidov would come over the top of a raise from Montgomery to make it 4.025 Million to go. Montgomery would then decide to move all-in and Demidov insta-called. Demidov held pocket Kings and Montgomery had only Ad-9d. Amazingly the flop fell with two diamonds to give Montgomery the nut flush draw. The turn and river both missed Montgomery and Demidov doubled up through Montgomery to over 51 Million in chips. Scott Montgomery was left with only 6 Million.
Four hands later, Montgomery was all in with Ad-3d against the pocket sixes of Peter Eastgate. An ace would hit the flop to put Montgomery in the lead. An ace would also hit the turn, leaving Eastgate needing a six. Someone mentioned that they had folded a six, so there was only one six left in the deck. Amazingly, the case six in the deck hit the river to give Peter Eastgate the full house. Scott Montgomery finished in 5th place for $3,096,768.
Hand 154 of the event saw the elimination of Ylon Schwartz. On the turn, the board read 2s-Kh-8h-Kd. Peter Eastgate bet 1.75 Million and was called by Schwartz. The river fell the 5d and Eastgate bet 4.6 Million. Schwartz then moved all-in for 20.775 Million. Eastgate went into the tank for a very long time contemplating a call. He finally made the call and Schwartz told him “Good Hand” as he showed A-10 for air. Eastgate showed pocket fives for fives full. Schwartz finished in fourth place. $3,774,974 would be his prize for fourth.
It didn’t take long after that to get down to heads up. Peter Eastgate made it 1.5 Million to go pre-flop of hand 168 and Dennis Phillips called. The flop fell Jc-3s-4d. Eastgate then made a bet of 1.5 Million. Phillips then came over the top all in for 16.8 Million and Eastgate snap called. Eastgate had flopped a set with pocket threes and Phillips had 10-9 for nothing but a backdoor straight draw. An Ace fell on the turn, leaving Phillips drawing dead and as the third place finisher. The man who started the day as chip leader finished in 3rd and took home $4,517,773.
The final two that will return Monday night at 10 p.m. Pacific are Peter Eastgate and Ivan Demidov. Eastgate has the chip lead with 82,585,000 and Demidov has 54 Million. Eastgate has the lead, but Demidov has the experience, making the final table of the WSOP-E. It should be a great heads-up match to determine the 2008 WSOP Main Event Champion.
Barry Greenstein attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he studies Computer Science. While at college, he would host various poker games where he would offer to teach people how to play poker. The only stipulation was that they must play him in a poker game after the lessons. His games attracted various students and professors. Upon graduating with his Bachelors Degree, Greenstein became a regular in the California card rooms, where he honed his skills
One of the players that Greenstein played with frequently was Larry Flint, who was the owner of Hustler Magazine and owned the Huster Casino. In 2003, Flint put together a 7 Card Stud event with several of the top names in poker and himself. Flint wanted the event to result in only a single winner, but in the end Flint and Greenstein wound up chopping the prize money and Greenstein took home his first large score in poker at $770,000.
Later in the year, Greenstein earned his nickname “The Robin Hood of Poker” during a WPT event in Tunica, MS. Greenstein made the final table of the World Poker Open and eventually took down the top prize. He then donated the prize of over $1.2 Million to charity. Greenstein also took a WPT title in 2006. He placed first in the WPT Invitational held in Los Angeles, CA. For a long time Greenstein donated all of his tournament winnings to charity, but he had to slow down and only donate his overall profit from tournaments.
Barry Greenstein also holds three bracelets at the World Series of Poker. He won an lowball bracelet in 2004, and won a Pot Limit Omaha bracelet in 2005. His third bracelet came in 2008 when he won the Razz event. Greenstein also has made two final tables at the WSOP in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship. In both 2007 and 2008, he made the final eight, finishing 7th and 6th respectively.
When not playing at the tables, Greenstein is a member of Team Pokerstars. He is a regular ambassador for the site and is featured prominently on their site. Greenstein also authored the book Ace on the River. This book is primarily his autobiography, but it also delves into the pro poker lifestyle. He frequently autographs a copy of his books and gives it to players that knock him out of different tournaments. Greenstein is a high stakes poker player and is featured on shows such as High Stakes Poker and regularly plays in the “Big Game” at the Bellagio. Greenstein also is extremely respected by his peers. He is even called upon at times to settle disputes amongst professionals.
Greenstein has been around the poker community a long time and has adapted as the games switched from lowball and stud to Texas Holdem. He is skilled in all forms of poker and continues to compete at a championship level. His bracelet in 2008 was just one of many great accomplishments in his career and Greenstein looks to be a successful member of the poker community for many years to come.
Generally it is believed that being a good person is incompatible with being a good poker player. But for Brian “Sailor” Roberts that was the picture he presented to the others. Growing up in San Angelo, TX, Roberts’ first gambling that he took a shine to was craps. As a 12 year old caddie in local golf club he specialized in shooting craps against his colleagues.
He did not cherish gambling as his only goal and aim. He was a talented football player during his high school days and had planned to play the same at the college level as well. But then a change of mind landed him the Navy. His duty years coincided with the years of Korean War. He had almost become familiar with all types of war ships. The nickname “Sailor” came to him in this fashion. But one thing was certain. All through his times in the Navy he continued his craps game and seemed determined to be a professional gambler when once permanently found foothold on land.
In the 1950s he teamed up with Amarillo Slim Preston and Doyle Brunson. The group travelled throughout the country. They specialized in playing poker and sports-betting. For an unbroken period of six years this continued. The provisions of the Federal Wire Act caught up with Roberts in 1962 and he was arrested for conducting betting on sports over the telephone. After a year’s prison life Roberts concentrated only on poker.
In 1970 when World Series of Poker was in its infancy, Roberts was among the invitees for the first game. He was a regular in the event for many years. It was in 1974 that he got his first WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 2-7 Draw Event. His prize earnings were $35,850 when he won over Larry Perkins. In the following year he achieved cherished goal winning the WSOP Main Event. This he accomplished by outlasting 20 players. He took home the Championship Bracelet and prize earnings of $210,000.
It was the practice until 1975 to award the Main Event Winner just a trophy and the prize money. In 1975 the idea of giving a physical bracelet began. In this sense Roberts may be said to be the first person to have won a bracelet. Subsequently past champions were also awarded the bracelets retrospectively as a decision had been made that for Main Event Champions the bracelet would be the reward of recognition.
Roberts continued to play at the WSOP for many more years though he did not meet with a high level of success. The 1982 Main Event saw him finish in the 8th place. He passed away later on due to sclerosis caused by hepatitis. He was fondly recollected for his generosity to every one. In 1961 he looked after Doyle Brunson who had just then undergone an emergency surgery. He was also noted for compassion for a luckless fellow gambler and helped such people often. The best tribute to his personal popularity was when nobody felt jealous when he won the Main Event.
Despite a relatively short career in the poker world, he was noted for being a good man and that was not said of many in the field. It is true that this did not guarantee substantial earnings at the table, but it brought him the unreserved respect from others.
A stately figure, 6’ 6” tall, ‘Treetop’ Jack Straus had a long and storied career. He played college basketball in 40s when he was at Texas A&M. He graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Business Administration but preferred to be a teacher.
The manner in which he was attracted towards poker remains unclear. But he is often spoken along the same lines as Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim. Equally fascinating is the fact that was showed great creativity in bluffing at the poker tables. Once he was playing a hand blind after a rush. Raising the states he glanced and found he had just 7-2. But the flop was 7-3-3 and Straus had the prospect of a raise. After his opponent made the call, the turn fell a 2 and he boisterously made a big bet. Naturally the opponent was perturbed and it is said that Straus told his opponent that he would let him see one of his hole cards for $25. The opponent obliged and saw the deuce card. The opponent put Straus on pocket deuces and eventually folded his hand. This earned him the distinction of being a great bluffer.
He is remembered for two great events in the World Series of Poker. In 1973 he won his first WSOP bracelet when he won the 2-7 Lowball bracelet with take home earnings of $16,500. The second one is significant not for the achievement as such but the way it was done.
It took place on the first day of the Main Event in 1983. Jack Straus placed moved all of his chips to the middle and was called. He in turn lost the hand. Naturally he was preparing to leave the place when one chip said to belong to him was discovered either under a chair or under a napkin. It so happened that the floor authorities allowed him to continue with the single chip. In a while he made a remarkable comeback. This is the origin of the phrase “a chip and a chair” in the poker world. His progress was phenomenal that day and on the following day he found himself at the final table. A galaxy of big names like Dewey Tomko, Doyle Bruson and Berry Johnston were there as well. Eventually it was a toss between Straus and Tomko and in the end he walked away a world champion. He went home with the bracelet, not to mention the $520,000 in prize earnings.
He was a regular in many subsequent tournaments. Although he played in a lot of tournaments, his game was much more suitable to cash game. The reason was obvious. His capacity to bluff was much more useful in cash games back in that era as tournament play was much more conservative. There were a number of small time events where he fared well but his best were in his WSOP finishes.
In November 1988 while a high stakes cash game was in progress he died suddenly due to unexpected massive heart attack. One cannot assert with authority how his game would have stood up to the modern era of poker. He likely would have continued to play cash games and endured. Whether this would have come about or not his fame as a legend in the game lives on.
Scotty Nguyen, a great poker player, has a very interesting story to tell. Born in Vietnam and settled in the US at the age of 14, he practically lived in a card room instead of hitting the books in school, which resulted to his expulsion. When he moved to Las Vegas in his early 20’s, he became a dealer and started to watch card players carefully, creating his own strategy how to play and win the game.
He went on to become a dealer at the tables in order to learn more for another couple of years before finally deciding to become a poker player. He knew he was on the right track when he was able to take down a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1997 when he won the Omaha 8 bracelet and $156,959. His biggest score in the professional world came in 1998. He was at the final table of the Main Event when he was up against Kevin McBride, moving “all in” on a board of 8-8-8-9-9. McBride was carefully considering his move when Nguyen dropped his famous line playing McBride with the words “You call this one, and it’s all over baby”, which actually worked as McBride did call and played the board. Nguyen had a J-9 for a full house and was named the World Champion of Poker. Nguyen’s line has become famous throughout the poker world and Kevin McBride for the most part has faded into obscurity.
His main even win was the 2nd of 5 bracelets. The 2001 $5,000 Omaha 8 or Better event was also a glorious day when he won 3rd bracelet. He also won the bracelet for the $2,500 PL Omaha event in the same year. His biggest triumph was in 2008 when he came out the top winner of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship wherein 148 top professionals gathered to compete in this World Series of Poker event. Nguyen was the last man standing bringing home a staggering $1,989,120 or roughly about 2 million dollars!
Scotty Nguyen became a legendary poker player and has 31 titles under his belt in almost all walks of poker, and still counting. To date, his value amounts to $10 million from his total winnings. He also defeated Michael Mizrachi in a single hand, winning the 2006 WPT Event held in Tunica, MS. Today, he says he is done playing cash games, as he finds them stressful. When he won the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event he stated that there isn’t much left for him to do in the poker word was to take a bracelet in the game of lowball. Of course, technically he still needs a win in Razz, but he might consider that covered with his H.O.R.S.E. win.
Scotty Nguyen is a living legend in the world of poker for his outstanding accomplishments in this field. His magnetic and enthusiastic disposition at the table totally deserves the attention of the crowd. Expect more of his presence as long as he still has the desire for playing poker.
Of the greatest lowball poker players the name Billy Baxter would shine in fine splendor. Even at a very young age he took to gambling as a career, to begin with in the ambiance of a pool hall. When he was 18, Baxter was attracted towards poker and as many poker players concentrated on Stud or Holdem; he had great skill in Lowball poker.
The World Series of Poker in 1975 was the launching point for Baxter as he won his first bracelet in 2-7 Lowball. In 1978 he proceeded to win the $10,000 Lowball event as well. He repeated the feat in 1981 in the same event. The same year he won Ace to Five Lowball Event. He seemed to make it a habit to win 2-7 Lowball Event bracelets as he did so in 1987 and 1993. It was not until 2002 the he would win something besides lowball by winning the $1,500 Razz event. Though this game is a lowball variation of Stud, it provoked Max Shapiro to warn players against doing two things, and those were tugging on Superman’s cape and playing Baxter in a lowball game.
Apart from 7 bracelets, Baxter has to his credit 9 cashes in lowball at the WSOP. Of the 16 total cashes, two were final table and two were runner-up slots. Even the recent 2008 WSOP lowball saw him cash though he lost by a whisker to make it to the final table. But his virtuosity is not limited to Lowball as he has shown exceptional skills in No Limit Holdem as well. It must be remembered that his skills in NL were subsequent acquisitions. This year alone he has bagged two NL events and had been in the finals for two more events. His consolidated earnings in tournaments have exceeded $1.7 million. It is likely that the actual amounts could be more because full figures not connected with World Series are unavailable. He reached the peak of glory in 2006 when he was ushered into the Poker Hall of Fame.
It is interesting to recall that though a champion poker player, Baxter’s gift to the game came from outside the ambit of the game in the form of a lawsuit. Professional gambling earnings were subjected up to 70% tax prior to 1986 when William E.Baxter Jr. v. United States case ruled that it could attract just 50% as a business. The judgment of a Nevada Court enables professional gamblers to have the same tax structure as small businesses.
A permanent place is assured to Billy Baxter in poker with lowball. This should be seen in the light of his 7 world titles. He gauged the direction of the many changes in poker and remained a powerful figure. It is no exaggeration to say that his fierce advocacy has changed the status of professional gamblers. He is quite active in poker at the age of 68. With his ability to adapt and expand his knowledge of poker, there would be no surprise if Baxter did not win another couple of titles before the end of his illustrious career.
It is impossible to find a man quieter than Erik Seidel at the table. You can almost always see him well dressed and sitting quietly and if you talk to him you would think that he is no more than a quiet polite man. If you were to play against him, then you would believe that he was nothing more than a mediocre player at first. Unfortunately for you, you would quickly find that you were wrong about what you probably consider an antisocial man. Before you knew what was going on, all of your chips would be his.
Erik Seidel is a New York man that started his gambling career with backgammon. At this time he was attending Brooklyn College, however, though he later dropped out. After leaving college he took up backgammon professionally. Soon after that, he also began to play poker. He continued these two games until 1985. This is when the decision was made that it was time for a new job. He continued to play poker in his spare time for the years that he was a stock broker. After a few years, the stock market crashed and he lost his job but continued to play poker. Seidel took his first try at the World Series of Poker during 1988 after he worked on his game for a while.
Erik Seidel’s first nine games didn’t go as planned. He had absolutely no cashes during that time. Seidel eventually found himself against the World Champion, Johnny Chan, during the Main Event, and though he lost, it became obvious that great things would be seen from him later on.
Eric Seidel spent a few years playing high stakes poker while he was a stock broker. Seidel refrained from playing poker as a professional even as he won the bracelets in 1992 and 1993. After winning the $210,000 and his third bracelet in 1994 when he won the $5,000 Limit Holdem event, Seidel to decide to turn professional. He soon moved to Vegas with his wife.
Moving was the best decision Seidel could possibly make. He now ranks 5th all time for WSOP bracelets. On the whole, Seidel won eight different world series of Poker Bracelets to earn that ranking. He of course won them in different areas, including two wins in bracelets in No Limit Holdem, two wins in Limit Holdem, two wins in 2-7 Lowball, one win in Pot Limit Omaha, and a win in Omaha 8. In his career, he has managed to win over nine million dollars in tournaments. He also won his very first WPT title in April of 2008. He won the Foxwoods Poker Classic earning $967,390. He also now embraces the titles for the former Diamond Jim Brady, Four Queens classic, and Fiesta Al Lago events.
Erik Seidel enjoys music and is a huge music buff. He can usually be seen with a set of head phones that allows him listen to his favorite music as he plays. He also works for Full Tilt Poker. He is one of the people in charge of site design.
Seidel is just 48 and chances are he will be around for a long time to come. It will be interesting to see where he finishes on the all time list for WSOP bracelets.
Sunday was the day. The “November Nine” finally reconvened to play out the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. The crowd was massive and play was held in the Penn & Teller Theatre at the Rio. Dennis Phillips flew in around 300 supporters, all dressed like him, complete with St Louis Cardinals caps. Each player had their own entourage to support them at this epic final.
Dennis Phillips lost most of his stack in the early going when a couple of well timed re-raises from both Ivan Demidov and Ylon Schwartz forced him to fold big pots. At one point he was the 2nd short stack with just under 5 Million chips. He was able to claw his way back up.
Kelly Kim was the next player eliminated. As expected, he moved all in and received multiple callers. In the end, Darus Suharto had a pair of nines to beat Kim’s fours and Kim finished in 8th place and took home $1,288,217.
The final two that will return Monday night at 10 p.m. Pacific are Peter Eastgate and Ivan Demidov. Eastgate has the chip lead with 82,585,000 and Demidov has 54 Million. Eastgate has the lead, but Demidov has the experience, making the final table of the WSOP-E. It should be a great heads-up match to determine the 2008 WSOP Main Event Champion.
