World Series of Poker under way

Philadelphia Daily News ^

[frogjerk]

LAS VEGAS - The World Series of Poker kicked off the first of 45 events yesterday at the Rio casino-hotel, as defending champ Joseph Hachem faced 26 other elite players for a 2-day, $2 million prize pool Tournament of Champions.

Thousands of players from around the world are expected to come to Las Vegas over the next 2 months before the final table in the $10,000-buy-in main event plays down for the grand prize Aug. 10.

Hachem, a 40-year-old mortgage broker, beat 5,618 players to win the main event last year. This year, organizers say seating will accommodate up to 9,000.

[edpc]

I've been on tilt ever since I took a bad beat with a gutshot straight.

[frogjerk]

I still have 2 bad habits. Getting bored and playing junk and falling in love with a hand that can be beat too easily.

Wanna play in my regular ring game? ;)

[Vaquero]

went to a bar in Valdez, AK once.

sign at the bar read:

"Liquor up front...Poker in the rear".

Nuff said.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

LOL
We had a casino, the Alabama-Coushatta tribe.
It must be the only one in the USA that was closed by a Federal Judge bribed by the big boys who run the casinos in
Louisiana.

[frogjerk]

I've been on tilt ever since I took a bad beat with a gutshot straight.

Was your draw on the turn or on the river?

[jpl]

Does anyone know when TV coverage will air? I'd like to avoid knowing the winners if it's going to be delayed by days/weeks.

Last year TV coverage on ESPN started about a week after the end of the main event, and I think it's the same this year, so look for it mid-August.

[Tanniker Smith]

Well, obviously, we're not playing the same hand. So gofur it!

[frogjerk]

[elc]

9,000 people? Good golly, it's getting out of control!

[Tanniker Smith]

"Liquor up front...Poker in the rear".

Oh, my.

TS
(yeah, that's it. I aint touchin' this with any other comment.)

[Xenalyte]

One of my buddies was in last year's WPT - he won his entry fee by going to wherever it was about a week early and playing in qualifying tournaments. Didn't have to put down a penny of his own money!

(Mind you, he only made it to the fifth round, but that's five rounds farther than I got.)

[PISANO]

I would love to see The Sheik, Mattesow, Hellmuth, and Arieh all bust on the first tI would love to see The Sheik, Mattesow, Hellmuth, and Arieh all bust on the first table

Especially HELMUTH!! His TEN year old antics everytime he losses a hand is priceless to watch!!

[rightinthemiddle]

Thanks!

[Enterprise]

I play Poker Stars for play money too. I built up 5 Mil in Hold 'em, and then I started playing Omaha HI/LO 25,000 buy in tournaments. I am up to 11 Mil now. The bad beats you get, and give, are awsome at times.

[rolling_stone]

Tony G is right up there with those arrogant bad boy types...They should put on a pay per view boxing match with those guys...

[houeto]

[Hugin]

So it's a $10K buyin. Forgive my naivete', when you see these events on TV. It is not uncommon for them to have $1M or more in chips on the table. Are this common folk - a mortgage broker - actually playing these stakes with their own money? Or, are they just playing with chips as a means of keeping "score" to see who stands for the final prize money?

Some pro players fork over the 10K from their own money, as do some rich amateurs. But most win seats by either playing satellite or supersatellite tournaments. Satellites are single table tournaments. Ten people each put up 1k and play until one person is left and gets the seat. Supersatellites are big multitable tournaments. They might cost $200 to enter and give away one seat for each 50 players who enter. Traditionally those tournaments are held at the casino, but in recent years there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of online satellites (often multi-level with very small buyins) that produce the huge fields of the last few years. All of the last three winners won their buyins from satellites on pokerstars.com.

[Sic Luceat Lux]

The Sheik, Mattesow, Hellmuth, and Arieh all bust on the first table.

With the exception of Hellmuth, I agree. Hellmuth whines a bit, but he is a good guy basically.

[al baby]

I like to play solitier strip poker

[IamConservative]

As a player runs out of chips, that player is out of the tourney, but the $10,000 remains in the game.

Thanks. On TV, most of what you see is the final table. They leave you hanging a bit on how it all rolls up.

Sounds kind of like Social Security. You put your money in and someone else goes home with it!