2009 WSOP, Main Event Day 7

The 64 players returning to the Rio for Day 7 of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event had already accomplished some impressive feats. They’d outlasted 99 percent of the field in one of the largest poker tournaments in history. They’d made it through six grueling days of tournament poker. They’d outlasted every previous world champion. And none of it mattered anymore. As experienced tournament pros like Joe Sebok, Tom Schneider, and Phil Ivey took their seats amidst relative newcomers like Leo Margets, Grayson Ramage, and Warren Zackey, the only thing anyone was thinking about was surviving the day and getting one step closer to a seat at the final table. When action was called to a halt, only 27 players remained but the names at the top of the leaderboard had barely changed, with Darvin Moon still eclipsing the rest of the field, followed by Billy Kopp in second chip position and Phil Ivey in fourth.

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Darvin Moon finished Day 7 the same way he began: with the chip lead. Moon ended the day with 20,160,000 – the lone player over 20 million in chips, with Billy Kopp (15,970,000) as his nearest competitor. Steven Begleiter, Jeff Shulman, and Antoine Saout all lurked near the top of the leaderboard, but all eyes were on the man in fourth place, Phil Ivey. Ivey slipped a little in the last level of play, but still bagged up an impressive 11,350,000 to end Day 7. Antonio Esfandiari and Ludovic Lacay were both very active on Day 7, but finished in the middle of the pack, while Leo Margets, the last woman in the field, ended the day near the bottom of the chip counts.

On rare occasions, I play cards with a few friends. Never in a casino and never online. But, I've been following this tourney on twitter and on Bluff Magazine’s website and I've always enjoyed watching Ivey play the few times I've caught him on TV. No showmanship, no hype, no overblown marketing attempts, .... he's just a solid poker player, imo.

However, he does have his “moments”. Like, just the other day ...

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:12:08
Table Talk
Andrew Lichtenberger: “If I wear my hat backwards, will it make me look like a badass?”

Phil Ivey: “... Nothing you do will make you look badass.”

LOL!! Good luck to Phil Ivey. He's beaten ridiculous odds just getting this far.

But when it comes down to crunch time...you gotta have the cards.

True dat. Skill will usually get you past the riffraff. (except for the occasional infuriating bad beat)

But once it is down to the cream, skill only takes you as far as the cards will let you go. You can be the best poker player on earth, but 2-7 off suit still won't cut it.

I watch poker constantly when it is on and have to say Ivey is a pro...not only his play but the way he handles himself. You need to be humble at the table win or lose. I can’t stand Helmuth or Matisow.
It’s all about the cards at this point...sure you can bluff a hand or two but really, it’s all about the cards. If i had 20 mm chips, I sit and watch,burn some blinds until the final table comes along and BAM...instant Millionaire.

“he’s just a solid poker player, imo.”

He’s easily the world’s greatest poker player right now, IMO and among the opinion of his peers. Rumors have it he’s worth 9 figures.

He became the youngest to reach 6 WSOP bracelets last month and followed it up with #7 a couple weeks later. If he has the drive to, he will almost certaintly shatter Hellmuth’s record in the next decade.

Yeah, I wish I could have edited my post up there. I didn't intend to slight the man at all. LOL ... Like, I'm not nuts.... I just screwed up a post, that's all. Phil Ivey really is in a all class by himself. I should have said: "A lot of the pros need gimmicks or to "put on a show" in order to stir up some interest and “name recognition”. All Phil Ivey needs to do is show up and play cards."

I can’t stand Helmuth or Matisow.

I'd love to be at a table with Helmuth and pull some real cherry hole cards and watch him sputter. I wouldn't say a word. Just let him blather on...getting more pissed and more pissed....never rising to his bait until finally, his head explodes.

He is such an overrated blowhard.

It never used to be that way. Back in Doyle Brunson's heydey, there were gentlemen that played the game. Guys like Phil Ivey. Not like the rest of these these posturing punks who do nothing but yack all day while just pushing the rest of the table around with their big stacks. No style. Can't stand 'em.

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