J.C. Tran Wins 2008 WSOP Event #49
Posted on July 1, 2008
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JC Tran, 2008 WSOP $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Champion
Poker Pro JC Tran joined the exclusive club of WSOP gold bracelet owners when he capped the field of 2,718 starters in event #49, $1,500 No Limit Hold'em. Tran came to the final table in the #2 spot on the chip count list with 1,438,00 making him a 2-1 underdog behind chip leader Rasmus Nielsen holding 2,998,000 in play money. The two would play heads-up for the gold and cash after the elimination of the seven other final table players.
During the heads-up Tran took charge of the game and although he was holding 2.3 million to Neisen's 5.9 million he aggressively and surgically moved the chips to his stack. In the end his A,Q paired when a Queen came on the flop and Nielsen was down to needing a miracle. There was no miracle on this day and JC Tran had his first WSOP win.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Rasmus Nielsen and JC Tran play heads-up
JC Tran takes down his first WSOP solid gold bracelet plus a very nice $631,170 in cash. Rasmus Nielsen heads across the pond with his $389,557 for second place and John Conroy leaves with the third place money of $278,255.
JC Tran said to watch for him at the Main Event final table and I promised I will be there with the camera to document his win. Congratulations to JC Tran for winning his first WSOP bracelet.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
JC Tran shows the world his first WSOP gold bracelet
World Series of Poker: the Scotty Nguyen Syndrome
Posted on June 30, 2008
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First and foremost, congratulations to Scotty Nguyen for taking down the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. and being the first player to hold the Chip Reese trophy. Scotty has an amazing track record over nearly 20 years of playing poker. His record, of course, includes the 1998 World Series of Poker main event championship and tournament earnings approaching Ten Million Dollars. Now Scotty adds to his legend, taking down the most prestigious tournament in professional poker.
But like so many great careers there is a dark side to Scotty's, one episode of which took place last summer at the 2007 WSOP main event. With twelve players remaining in the hunt for the final table nine, Scotty Nguyen was the chipleader and, as we all know, he did not make the final table. That crash and burn troubled Scotty for many months and will probably never be forgotten in poker lore.
Fast forward to this summer, the very next World Series of Poker main event and add to the mixture: the delayed final table. Combine these two events and I offered to you the "Scotty Nguyen Syndrome".
Syndrome: a predictable, characteristic pattern of behavior, action, etc., that tends to occur under certain circumstances
I don't know when it will hit and it will not affect all players at the same moment but somewhere around 18 players or 27 players; maybe even as high as 36 or even 45 players for some, it will appear. This is not just the World Series of Poker Final Table, no this is the "November Nine", the "Fall Final".
And as sure as it will be 108 degrees in Las Vegas, each an every player who survives to Day Six on July 13th and certainly to Day Seven on July 14th, each of those players will experience the "Scotty Nguyen Syndrome".
To get that close to four months of publicity and interviews and endorsements and fame and potential fortune and who knows what else... The "SNS" is going to massively effect play whenever it sets in. Players will get tight, really tight; decisions will take longer, a lot longer; tempers will shorten, in some cases really, really shorten; table talk, hand winning celebrations and anything resembling angle shooting will be scrutinized, analyzed and penalized? Floor decisions will be magnified out of all proportion, imagine giving a player a two round penalty on the bubble!
The final table bubble itself will be much bigger, extending out to at least 27 players. The media coverage will be more intense and more critical than ever before. And the players...? Well the players will not be themselves because they will be playing under the influence of the "Scotty Nguyen Syndrome".
Rumor has it that Corona will lessen but not alleviate the symptoms of the syndrome but there is a rebound effect if you excede a twelve pak in less than two full tournament levels. Perhaps Harrah's should supply extra massage staff for the final four tables or just rig cold showers above the tables like they do in hazardous material labs. And people say poker is not a sport.....
The Orleans Open begins July 5
Posted on June 30, 2008
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If you didn't make it into the World Series, never fear. The Rio isn't the only place for big tournaments.
The Orleans is offering their annual Orleans Open beginning July 5 and running through July 20.
All 16 events take place one per day beginning at noon in the Mardi Gras room. Buy-ins range from $200 to $2000.
Events are:
#1 July 5 $200 No-Limit Hold'em
#2 July 6 $200 Omaha Hi-Lo
#3 July 7 $200 Limit Hold-em
#4 July 8 $200 7-card Stud
#5 July 9 $300 No-Limit Hold'em
#6 July 10 $300 7-card Stud Hi-Lo
#7 July 11 $300 Omaha Hi-Lo ("Battle of the Sexes")
#8 July 12 $300 No-Limit Hold'em (LIPS tourney)
#9 July 13 $330 No-Limit Hold'em
#10 July 14 $500 No-Limit Hold'em
#11 July 15 $500 "Battle of the Ages"
#12 July 16 $500 Casino Employee Event
#13 July 17 $500 Mixed Limit/No-Limit Hold'em
#14 July 18 $1000 No-Limit Hold'em
#15 July 19 $1000 Omaha Hi-Lo
#16 July 20 $2000 No-Limit Hold'em
The $200, $300, and $500 tournaments are one-day events. The $1000 and $2000 tournaments are two-day events.
All levels are 45 minutes each.
If you play in the tournament, you can get $55 rooms Sunday-Thursday and $100 Friday-Saturday between July 2 and July 23. Use the code 8ORLC07 at this link.
For more information and to print out a registration form to pre-register, click here.
Scotty Nguyen is the 2008 WSOP $50K H.O.R.S.E. Champion
Posted on June 30, 2008
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Scotty Nguyen, 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Champion
Scotty Nguyen is the poker champion of the world! After more than twelve hours of play the 1998 WSOP Main Event Champion finally defeated the last remaining player between him and the championship. Demonstrating his fierce competitive nature the Viet Nam native showed his opponents the way to the door. With his handy long neck beer, sans label, and his distinctive laugh the former world champion became the newest all-around poker world champion and will have his name engraved on the David "Chip" Reese Trophy along with the late Chip Reese (2006) and defending champion, Freddy Deeb (2007).
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Scotty Nguyen Wins!
Jeff Pollack, WSOP Commissioner, summed it up quite nicely when he said, "Scotty may be know as the Prince of Poker, but tonight he played like a King." This is Scoty's fifth WSOP title and definitely the most prestigious. Most of the professional poker community consider this event to be the real Poker World Championship since players must show skill in five popular forms of poker.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Champion Scotty Nguyen consoles the young Michael DeMichele moments after he defeated him
Scotty Nguyen takes home $1,989,120 plus the special WSOP gold and diamond bracelet for outlasting a blue ribbon field of 148 poker players. Second place finisher, 22-year-old Michael DeMichele, collected $1,243,200 for his five days of work. Erick Lindgren received $781,440 for third place. Matt Glantz was paid $568,320 for fourth, Lyle berman gets $444,000 for fifth, Barry Greenstein has an extra $355,200 for his charities after finishing sixth, former WSOP world champion Huck Seed is $284,160 richer with the seventh place money, and Patrick Bueno left in eight place taking $230,880.
Congratulations to Scotty Nguyen for showing the world that poker is definitely a game of skill when played by professionals.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
The David "Chip" Reese Trophy
Alexandre Gomes Wins 2008 WSOP Event #48
Posted on June 30, 2008
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Alexandre Gomes, 2008 WSOP $2,000 No Limit Hold'em Champion
Alexandre Gomes made history when he took the final all-in pot of WSOP event #48 to become the $2,000 No Limit Hold'em champion. It's the first WSOP gold bracelet won by a Brasillian. Second place finisher Marco Johnson couldn't contain the aggresive style of the Gomes and watched his chips and hopes march across the table in an orderly fashion until the final all-in. Holding Q,J of spades Johnson immediately called Gomes' all-in bet only to find the kid from Brasil holding A,K of spades. The turn brought an Ace and Johnson was drawing dead. Alexandre Gomes supporters immediately raised the Brasillian flag and surrounded their new poker hero.
Alexandre Gomes will head back home to South America with the first ever poker gold and $770,540 in first place prize money for topping the huge field of 2317 players. Marco Johnson collected $491,273 for second place and Ryan D'Angelo takes away $326,812 for third. Well known Russian pro Kirill Gerasimov finished sixth and received $177,111.
Congratulations to Alexandre Gomes for making poker history.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Alexandre Gomes admires the first WSOP gold bracelet won by a Brasillian
Ryan Hughes Wins 2008 WSOP Event #47
Posted on June 29, 2008
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Ryan Hughes, 2008 WSOP $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Low Champion
Ryan Hughes should have been home two days ago, instead he's spending Saturday night at the 2008 WSOP collecting his second WSOP bracelet for Seven Card Stud Hi/Low. He won his first bracelet last year in another Seven Card Stud Hi/Low WSOP event. Ryan once again displayed his poker savvy with an aggressive, mistake-free game to overtake early chip leader Ron Long and cruise into the victory lane.
Ryan Hughes collects $183,368 to go with the second piece of WSOP jewelry after topping the 544 player field. Ron Long picks up $113,240 for second and Thomas Hunt takes home $68,686 for third. Noted poker pro and two-plus-two author David Slansky made the final table, going out in the eight spot for $19,306.
Congratulations to Ryan Hughes for his win and his second WSOP gold bracelet.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Ryan Hughes Wins!
Joe Commisso Wins 2008 WSOP Event #46
Posted on June 29, 2008
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Joe Commisso, 2008 WSOP $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Six-handed Champion
Joe Commisso and Richard Lyndaker played heads-up No-Limit Hold'em at the ESPN360 feature table of the 2008 WSOP on Saturday night for more than six hours. The six handed final table took needed only three hours to shed four of the six players and the marathon two way battle that followed required 209 hands to finally eliminate Richard Lyndaker in second place and crown Joe Commisso champion of the 2008 NLHE Six-Handed Event #46.
Joe Commisso collected the largest prize yet for this year's WSOP, $911,855 and the gold bracelet. Richard Lyndaker takes down $570,551 for second place. Edward Ochana received $368,891 for his third place effort.
Congratulations to Joe Commisso for outlasting the 805 players in the 2008 WSOP $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Six-handed Event #46.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Richard Lyndaker finished in second place
World Series of Poker: the Calm Before the Storm
Posted on June 28, 2008
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We are in the final week before the 2008 World Series of Poker main event. There is still a lot of "preliminary" action going on at the Rio; action that should not be overlooked as we all get our over/under bets in for the big show.
The $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament hits Day Four today with 24 survivors including: Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren and the eventual winner.
There are two final tables today: Event #47 a six-handed Hold'em event and Event #48 Seven Card Stud that will have to play down from 13 to a champion today. Event #48 is a $2,000 Hold'em event entering Day Two today; they stopped play late last night as the players hit the money at 198th place. So everyone who goes out today walks away with cash.
The big event today is the noon start of another $1,500 No Limit Hold'em tournament. Last year this event (Saturday before the Main Event) broke all existing records for non-Main Event registrations. That record has already been broken this year back on May 31st. All eyes will be on the registration count today, as anticipation is high for another record turnout.
Sunday will bring us the final $10,000 Championship event prior to the Main Event. Expect a heavy European contingent for Event #50 Pot Limit Omaha. Late on Sunday, Event #51 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. will go off at 5 PM.
Monday brings the 7th and final $1,500 NLHE tournament; speculation is mixed on what a Monday start will mean for these usually big registration events. With two of these low buy-in events the final weekend before the Main Event, it is anyone's guess how many players have come in to town to take a double-shot at a WSOP bracelet.
Tuesday brings us the now traditional $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout Event #53. Followed by the Ante Up for Africa Charity event on Wednesday.
Finally, the beginning of the end and the arrival of the storm. On Thursday the Main Event will kick off four Day Ones with Day 1A. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday will each launch a separate Day One, as the march to the November Final Table begins.
Max Greenwood Wins 2008 WSOP Event #44
Posted on June 28, 2008
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Max Greenwood, 2008 WSOP $1,000 No Limit Hold'em w/Rebuys Champion
Without a doubt this was the loudest crowd of fans to date for a 2008 WSOP feature final table event. The cheering for the heads-up play for the bracelet was heard all the way to the Rio's Masquerade Village. Crazed fans wearing gold crowns and carry hatchets filled the stands behind their poker hero, Rene Mouritsen. On the other side of the stands was an equally fired up crowd of backers for Max Greenwood. The two groups would engage in yelling contest every hand, they also engaged in some off-table prop betting with hand fulls of cash that reached upwards to $25K...and who said live poker was dull and boring?
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Prop betting Danes (gold crowns) vs Canadians (red shirts)
In the final tally it was the young player from Toronto that ruled the day and the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em w/Rebuys event. The final hand saw both players holding a Jack and making top pair with a J,4,5 flop. Greenwood checked, Rene Mouritsen bet out, and Greenwood raised it to a half million. Mouritsen went under the hood for a few seconds and declared all-in. Greenwood immediately called, turning over his Jack with an Ace kicker. A dejected Mouritsen flipped up his Jack with a King kicker and that's how it ended.
Max Greenwood goes back to Canada with $693,444 plus the coveted gold WSOP bracelet while Rene Mouritsen will head across the pond to Denmark with his $445,523 second place bounty. Another Dane, Albert Iversen, takes downt he $267,314 for his third place finish.
Congratulations to Max Greenwood for making a great comeback to win the 2008 WSOP $1,000 No Limit Hold'em w/Rebuys Championship.
photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Rene Mouritsen goes under the hood before making his final all-in bet
Bodog WSOP Qualifier VIP Days: The Helicopter Tour
Posted on June 27, 2008
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WSOP qualifiers will take to the skies in the Heli Tour option
As we mentioned in previous posts Bodog will be adding some extra value to their WSOP qualifier's Las Vegas experienced with Team Bodog members getting to choose from one of three VIP Days.
We covered Day 1 - The Racetrack and Day 2 - The Gun Range in previous posts. This time we'll be looking at the details of Day 3 - The Helicopter Tour.
Day 2 takes place on July 5. Qualifiers who select this day will get to let off some steam at the Las Vegas Gun Range before heading over to do battle against each other at an indoor paintball range. Here are the details:
• Should WSOP qualifiers choose Day 3 as their VIP Day they'll get it off to swank start with limo service to the airport.
• From there they'll board a helicopter and fly over the Mojave Desert with viewings of Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.
• The chopper will land on the canyon floor for half-an-hour for a light snack and drink.
• On the way back WSOP qualifiers will get to buzz the Las Vegas Strip at night.
Bodog's WSOP satellites are still running until this Saturday, July. Find out more about Bodog's WSOP online satellites.