June 2007 Archives

It's been a while since I've uttered any kind of decree. Ever since losing my crown in an ugly game of 17-card Chinese poker, my ability to issue edicts, executive orders, and declarations of divine right has been severely curtailed. That said, with several members of Team PokerStars still alive in the $1,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw re-buy tournament, I have decided to declare this No-Straight Saturday.

Under order from PokerStars Blog Editor in Chief, Brad Willis, no member of Team PokerStars shall draw a straight in the third round of any Triple Draw hand. In the event said drawer accidentally pulls a straight, the drawn cards will be re-shuffled into the deck and re-dealt until the member has a wheel.

Still alive going into today's late start in the event are Bill Chen (8,000), Daniel Negreanu (17,300), Greg Raymer (25,300), and Victor Ramdin (32,400).





My only problem in issuing the above is that there are players playing in other events today who might need a straight. Noah Boeken and Tom McEvoy are both back for Day 2 of yesterday's $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event. It will be interesting to see if they can survive the day without making a straight once. Here's to them finding flushes once an orbit.

Both of these events are going to have to squeeze tight today as one of the biggest tournaments yet--a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament--kicked off today at noon. It will likely be 9pm tonight before the Amazon Room is anywhere close to habitable for anyone who suffers form mild claustrophobia.

All in all, it's going to be a big day here at the World Series...and a day free from straights if I have anything to say about it.

The Amazon Room is full of young guns, online poker prodigies, and youthful geniuses who get quite a kick (and quite rich) out of fleecing people two and three times their age. Yeah, they may be young guns, but they aren't one of the Young Guns.

In the house tonight is Lou Diamond Phillips. Sure, it's been nearly 20 years since the Hollywood star rode in "Young Guns," but in my aging and addled mind, he will always be Jose Chavez y Chavez.

The World Series is not unfamiliar with stars of the big and little screens. Just last night I watched Shannon Elizabeth play in the Stud Hi-Lo event while Tobey Maguire sat at the same six-handed table with Isabelle Mercier. However, it was Phillips entrance tonight that dove home for me the equalizing nature of the World Series.

Tomorrow will host yet another in a series of $1,500 No-Limit hold'em events. Usually, the night before these events features a line for single-table satellites that snakes out of the Amazon Room and into the hallway. Unlike in the main casino, there is no special line for Diamond Card holders or casino hosts ushering players into secret rooms where the wealthy gamblers plot the overthrow of Pahrumph. No, the satellite line is a Line. The people who run the line are like the Soup Nazi. You don't mess around, you state what you want, and you move forward.

In Hollywood, Phillips may still have enough cachet to be waved to the front of the line at the best clubs (or, maybe he doesn't--we don't hang out together, so I wouldn't know). Here, Phillips has to stand in line to play a satellite just like anybody else. And that is exactly what he was doing when I left the room a few minutes ago. Alone, arms crossed, Phillips stood about 30 people back and waiting to get a seat in one of the many winner-take-all sit-and-gos that happen all night long.

Phillips' place in line reminds me of the simple premise on which this entire event is based: If you have the money, you can stand in line and get your seat like everybody else. What you do after that is up to how well you play poker. If you do well enough, it doesn't matter if you are Lou Diamond Phillips or Captain Lou Albano, you can walk away with a bracelet.

That's what is happening nearly around the clock here. At this hour, you can watch every variety of unknown, celebrity, or poker pro playing in a variety of different events.

Among those players, you will once again see Barry Greenstein multi-tabling two tournaments. He has a seat in both the $2,000 no-limit hold'em event and the Limit 2-7 Triple Draw rebuy event. During his dinner break from the no-limit event, he ran over and worked up a stack in the 2-7 game. Then, when 2-7 broke for dinner, he made his way back to his no-limit table. I'd lost track of him for a few minutes when I received a text message that read: "21 steps apart. Good chips in both events." It was a reminder of the day he did much the same thing: Seventeen Steps With Barry Greenstein.

Earlier today, I wrote a bit about how the 2-7 event tends to make my head explode. Later, I stepped up to Greg Raymer and said much the same thing.

"It's not really that hard a game," he said. This was coming from the man with Joe Tehan on his right and Todd Brunson two to his left.

"See, that's the thing," I said. "It looks easy, but I think it's much harder than it looks."

Five minutes later, in between hands, Greg had almost convinced me the game was easy. In fact, if it weren't for the fact registration was over, I might have plopped down my cash and sat down. (No, not really.)

That said, Greg's short lesson further spoke to the Lou Diamond Proposition. If I really had the time and really had the inclination to let the likes of Greg, Daniel Negreanu, or multiple-occasion champion Billy Baxter beat the hell out of me for a few hours, I could sit down and play with the best. It's a point that has been made so many times that it's almost trite, but I'm never going to have the chance to play 18 with Tiger or catch a Superbowl touchdown pass from Brett Favre. However, given that I ever stop writing long enough, I might get the chance to get check-raised by KidPoker or play William "BrettFavre" Jensen heads-up.

Or, had the occasion presented itself, I might have just ended up playing alongside Noah "Exclusive" Boeken today. He started the $2,000 No-Limit event today with 4000 chips like everybody else. By dinner he had turned that 4,000 into more than 45,000.


Noah Boeken

In another room, but the same tournament, sat Tom McEvoy, the 1983 World Series Main Event champion and the first person to ever win the big one after getting in via satellite.


Tom McEvoy

Not to belabor the point, but this is what I'm talking about. Thirty years ago, McEvoy was basically an unknown. He made his way into a satellite, played the main event, and has spent the last 25 years making a name for himself both in tournament poker and as a poker author. When McEvoy won his championship, Boeken was two years old. Now, thanks to online poker and the globalization of the game, both men are making their way through a field so big it would've seemed silly a few years ago. On this stage, they are equals with only their chip stacks marking their difference.

That's how the room looks tonight. As Phillips' Chavez said "I told you I would find the way, and the way is west."

So is Las Vegas.

Binaries.

That's what astronomers call two stars orbit around a common gravitational point. While not necessarily all that uncommon in space, it doesn't happen every day here at the World Series. There have been times--like when Greg Raymer and Barry Greenstein made the same final table in the $1,500 stud event a couple of weeks ago--but it's not the type of thing I'd bet on too often.

Today it happened. Two longtime and frequent PokerStars players made the same final table and, between them, raked in a nice chunk of cash in the $2,000 Omaha 8/b event.

Mitch Maples finished in ninth place for $14,578. Martin Corpuz, Jr. made a fantastic run for the bracelet but ended up coming in third place for $97,188.

Mitch Maples


Martin Corpuz

As I'm not an astronomer, I'll leave it to the experts to determine how this might affect the tides or whether it is a harbinger of locusts. For me, I'll just offer my congratulations to Mitch and Martin.

Nice work, gentlemen.

It was the 5pm start of yet another tournament here at the World Series. I began it as I normally, walking through the field and looking for familiar faces. There were my buddies Chris "savemyskin" Fargis and a fellow blogger, Garth. And, hey! There's Daniel Negreanu. Best, I get a picture of him, right?

Normally, when taking a picture, I get down on a knee or steady myself on the back of a chair. However, it seemed like a lot of people hadn't shown up yet, and I do something I never do. I put my butt in a chair.

"You wanna raise, buddy?"

I looked around and realized I'd sat right down in the four seat in front of a live stack. Dewey Tomko was looking at me with a wide smile.

"Come on! Let's gamble!" he said.

It was then I realized I'd somehow sat down in the middle of a...get this...$1,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw rebuy event. It was something I had a hard time wrapping my feeble brain around. I have a better than average understanding of hold'em games. I can hold my own in Omaha. I can putter along without embarrassing myself in the stud games. Oh, and I'm a freakin' Pai Gow champion. However, 2-7 Triple Draw is a game that might make me cry if I tried to play it at this level. Not only that, but, pardon me...a limit rebuy tournament? What gives?

My picture of Negreanu became more important. After all, when Doyle Brunson was looking for somebody to write the 2-7 chapter in Super System 2, he picked Daniel. Picture taken, I scooted away before Tomko could talk me into playing the stack or, worse, get me out on the golf course.

Daniel Negreanu

Once acclimated to my surroundings, Fargis' appearance made sense. Despite being a young guy, he is a champion in this event. The second to last time I was in Tunica, Fargis won the Triple Draw championship there. A few minutes before the event started, I saw Fargis giving Justin Bonomo a quick primer on how to play.

If there's anybody else I know personally who plays this game at the professional level, it's Greg Raymer. Greg may have his World Series bracelet in no-limit hold'em, but 2-7 is his game. About six months ago, I started talking with Greg about the game. Five minutes later, the cleaning crew was cleaning my gray matter off the walls.

I couldn't find Greg and decided he must be dead. Greg is rarely late and I know that if there was one event he wasn't going to miss, it was this one. After walking through the field three times, I was trying to find a way to tell Greg's wife about his premature demise. Fortunately, as I walked out, Greg was just getting settled in and making himself some green tea.


Greg Raymer

On the surface, this game looks like nothing but a gambler's draw game. However, a few minutes with Fargis or Greg and you'll learn how much strategy there is to it. It's enough to send me running for the Pai Gow tables and hoping the dealer pulls a nine-high.

The game is now an hour old and is so stacked with pros. I spotted Victor Ramdin, Bill Chen, and Terrence Chan getting settled in for a long night. Unlike other tournaments, I'm not going to make any predictions about this one.

My head can only take so many explosions.

It was the 5am news. I was up late checking in on the HORSE final table and checking in on PokerStars' announcement of the new Asia Pacific Poker Tour tournament series. Back in my room, the local NBC morning news was on. A man with exceptionally...tall...hair told me it was going to be hot in Vegas.

"Well, no kidding," I thought, yawning.

I don't watch a lot of TV news anymore, so it's no surprise that I see virtually none when I am in Vegas. That accounts for my deficiency in understanding Sin City weatherguy vocabulary. When he says it's going to be hot in Vegas, that the winds will blow in smoke from California wildfires, and, again, that it's going to be hot, one should simply just stay in bed. Or, at the very least, one should walk around naked.

I left the Player's Pavilion overflow tent twenty minutes ago and I'm still sweating. The inside of the Rio reminds me of summer days when I would shove my head in the fridge just to cool off. The overflow tent, while well-air-conditioned on a normal day, is doing nothing to fight off the 100+ temperatures beating down today.

Frankly, I wouldn't have stayed as long, but I ran into my colleague Maria who writes the PokerStars Brazilian blog.

Maria with the Brazilians

Maria is working like a champ here at the World Series and following the Brazilians all over the strip. Today, she was drinking coffee--coffee!--in the middle of the tent while sweating (not the kind of sweating I was doing) a guy named Andre Akkari. Maria introduced me to Andre and I found him to be a really nice guy. He wasn't sweating, which I think is something he owes to living south of the equator.


Andre Akkari

Watch this space for more on Akkari. And, while I don't understand a damned word of what she's writing, I get the impression Maria is doing a bang-up job over there on the Brazilian Poker Blog. So, if you speak Portuguese or can at least read it, go check her out.

***

Barry Greenstein can find the silver lining in a place where no clouds even exist. After busting out of the Stud Hi-Lo event, he was happy one opponent scooped. That meant Barry only had to sign one copy of "Ace on the River" for the person who busted him. When Barry signs his book, he writes out his hand and the one that beat him.

"So, that's the bright side," he said. "It's not the cost of the book. It's having to write out two different stud hands in two different books. Some people like to stick around for the cameras when they bust out. You know me. I don't hang around."


Barry Greenstein

A few tables over, Humberto Brenes sat with his shark card capper at the ready. Apparently it had been in danger today.

"You missed me stomping Humberto's shark," Barry said.

The shock on my face must have been pretty clear.

"Well, I gave him a break. I stomped beside it," Barry said. "I'm going to wait for him to make a final table."

Both men are playing with seemingly every poker player in the Western Hemisphere today in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event.


Humberto Brenes

At least they are playing indoors, 'cause, mama, it's hot outside.

Over the past several years, PokerStars has sent players far and wide to play in some of the world's richest poker events. From Las Vegas to the Bahamas to Monte Carlo, PokerStars players have won millions upon millions of dollars on all of the world’s biggest poker tournament series. Now, PokerStars is getting ready to offer satellites to a brand new poker circuit, The Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT).



Sponsored by PokerStars, the APPT already has stops scheduled in the Philippines, Korea, and Australia, with more dates to be confirmed. The APPT has set these events up in some of the world’s greatest casinos and plans to televise the tournaments around the world.

Manila, Philippines
August 24 - 26, 2007
Buy-in: $2,500

Seoul, Korea
September 28 - 30, 2007
Buy-in: $2,500

Sydney, Australia
December
Buy-in: $5,000

I'm not sure how many countries I've seen while following PokerStars satellite winners around the globe. Regardless, no matter where I go, I never fail to be impressed by how much the winners enjoy their trips. For many of them, the chance to see the world is as important as the chance of winning millions in a poker tournament. I suspect the APPT will be much the same way. There aren't many people, or many poker players, who get a chance to see the parts of the world that will be visited by the APPT.

Satellites for a $5,000 prize package to the Philippines event begin on PokerStars on July 1. Qualifying tournaments will run daily and start at $22. For more information on how you can qualify online for the APPT, visit the PokerStars APPT Satellites page.

I'm not sure what it is about my camera and Isabelle Mercier. If she's having a bad day, my pictures come out blurry, grainy, or poor-framed. If she's having a good day, the pictures come out looking like this:

I took that picture at 7pm tonight. When it came out looking nice, I should've known something was up. However, she was busy in a hand and I didn't stop to chat. Later, I realized Isabelle was having a much better day than evening her chip stack suggested.

When I sauntered up a little later in the evening, Isabelle's stack was just a little below average, but she was glowing.

"This will be my first cash of this World Series," she said.

I sort of cringed. I mean, I didn't want to say anything about putting any horses before any carts. It was still pretty early in her event.

"This one?" I said, hoping she was just being Isabelle-optimistic.

"No," she said, her accent a little more pronounced. "That one."

I followed her pointing finger over to the HORSE event. It was then I had one of those, "Ohhhhhh," moments.

"Bruno and I swapped," she said.

Before long, she'd described the terms of her 5% chop Bruno Fitoussi. At the time, he was four-handed. Now, at nearly 1:30am PDT, Fitoussi is three-handed and holds a serious chip lead. Isabelle is guaranteed $40,000 from his win and could make as much as $110,000.

"A hundred grand," she mused.

It was enough that when Tobey "Spiderman" McGuire sat down at her table, she barely seemed to notice. She continued to play, her skull card capper looking out icily form her chip stack.

The thing is, Isabelle is still alive in the $5,000 short-handed No-Limit Hold;em event. She could win considerably more money if she final tables this one. Still, with her buddy three-handed for the $50K HORSE bracelet, it's not uncommon to see Isabelle standing up and looking toward the chip count screens.

Regardless of what happens tonight, Isabelle is walking away a winner. Hopefully, she'll make it a double cash and we'll see how her pictures look tomorrow.

Update: Isabelle finished just short of the money in the $5,000 Short-handed event. However, Fitoussi ended up finishing second in the HORSE event, so that's not a bad day for Isabelle.

After five days on the HORSE horse, it's time to climb down and see what else is going on. After Barry Greenstein walked out of the Amazon Room, I assumed I wouldn't see him again before tomorrow. Frankly, I think he assumed the same thing.

However, there at table 98 inside the Players Pavilion overflow tent sat Barry with a small stack of chips. It was the 5pm $1,000 Stud Hi-Lo event.

"This is what happens when you have people betting on you," he said with a smile.

Greenstein was already on his way home when he thought about tens of thousands in side bets people had on him in fantasy poker leagues and the like. Around he turned and bought into the Stud event. Despite being a specialty game, the relative cheapness of the event drew a large crowd and featured a lot of big names, so Greenstein isn't alone in the field.


Shannon ELizabeth in the Stud event

Today actually marked the beginning of two interesting events. If the cheap 5pm drew a huge crowd, the noon $5,000 no-limit short-handed event drew the big buy-in crowd.

Nestled off in one corner was Greg "FossilMan" Raymer. As I walked up, Greg had just folded to a pre-flop raise and a player said, "Eight-deuce. I knew you had eight-deuce."

"That's amazing," Greg said. "You knew what I had before I even looked. I should probably just give you all my chips now." Then he checked his watch and asked what time he should plan on leaving.


Greg Raymer checking his watch

Across the way, fellow champion Joe Hachem was in good spirits and sitting just one table away from his brother, Tony.

"How's it going?" he asked me.

"Another day," I said. "Another day where you have lots of chips it looks like."

Hachem looked down at his stack, "Let's not talk about lots yet."


Joe Hachem

Joe's buddy Emad Tahtouh sat one table over and is remarkably facing off against Vicky Coren, the woman who bested him in the EPT event in London last year.


Emad Tahtouh

Elsewhere in the room, I caught sight of John Duthie, Bill Chen, Terrence Chan, Isabelle Mercier, and Victor Ramdin. Chan is looking for his second final table of this year's series. The rest of them are in search of their first big win of their year.


Isabelle Mercier


Terrence Chan


Victor Ramdin

Both of these events are just in Day 1 action and will be a while before we know if any of the Team PokerStars players will finish one off with a bracelet. After getting so close in the HORSE event, it will be fun to see where these two events go.

And, all else fails, I'm sure Barry will do something interesting.

For Barry Greenstein to win today, it was going to take more than just his exceptional poker skill. It was going to take getting a little lucky, and, frankly, not getting unlucky.

Beginning with the second-shortest stack at the table, Barry was still nauseous after losing more than half his stack in the final two rounds of play last night.

"I'm still sick about yesterday," he said just before he sat down to play.

Still, there was a smell in the air just like before a Midwestern thunderstorm. There was electricity in the air and there was a chance Barry could just pull off a comeback worthy of his reputation.

ESPN prepares Barry to play on TV

The one thing Barry didn't have to worry about was outlasting Thor Hansen. On the very first hand, Hansen was all-in for his final 40,000 chips. I wondered how sick a feeling it was for Hansen to begin this event with 100,000 and start the final table of the richest event yet this year with less than half of that. PokerStars' Swedish blogger, Lina, has arrived in Vegas and told me Thor had been playing in today's $5,000 short-handed no-limit event that started at noon.

Hansen's time at the table here didn't last as long as it took the Tournament Director to introduce the players. It's was a Stud-8 round and Hansen departed in eighth place.

Barry actually caught a good break by picking up the button on the first hand of the Hold'em round. With 30,000/60,000 blinds with 60,000/120,000 betting limits, Barry's 750,000 stack was vulnerable to the blinds alone.

He folded the first several hands before finally raising under the gun. He got a call from Amnon in the big blind. The flop came 7sJc7d. Amnon checked, Barry bet out, Amnon mucked. It was a quick 150,000 chip pick-up that gave hope to Barry's sweaters on the rail.



Now in the big blind, Barry folded his 60,000 forced bet after David Singer came in for a raise. However, once in the small blind, Barry refused to give up when Amnon raised from the button. The flop came down Kc6c8c. Barry checked, Amnon bet out, and Barry raised. I'd seen him check-raise a lot yesterday but had yet to see him show one of the hands down. This time, Amnon called. The turn was the ace of spades. Barry surrendered, check-folding to Amnon's bet.

It's was mid-afternoon Thursday, the time when the crowds have left on Wednesday but not yet arrived for the weekend. Still, there was a buzz around the packed TV stage. I hoped it would be a buzz that led Barry to picking up some chips pretty fast.

After calling John Hanson's raise in the big blind , Barry check-folded on a QdQc3d flop. That hand left him with around 300,000 in chips, barely enough to get through one hand. He lost half of that after raising from the button and then calling Kenny Tran's small blind re-raise. Kenny bet in the dark and Barry folded quickly on a 7dAcTh flop.

Now, I though, there were only two stories left. Either Barry would be out soon or we we're about to see the greatest comeback in poker history.

When the game switched to Omaha, Barry ended up in the big blind. When Bruno Fitoussi came in for a raise, Barry put in his last 140,000 Barry held AhKs8s4s to Bruno's AdJcTh6c. By the end of the hand, Bruno had made aces full, but Barry had an eight-low and survived to chop up the small blind.

After folding his small blind on the next hand, Barry put in all his chips from the button. It was a three-way pot with John and Amnon.

The flop came down 9h9sQh. On the turn, 9d, Amnon bet John out of the pot. Amnon held AsQdJs6h to Barry's AhTc4s5h. Barry needed a heart on the river.

Barry seemed to sense what was coming. He grabbed his copy of "Ace on the River" and pulled out his marker to sign it.

"Put away the book!" Freddy Deeb implored.

In response, Barry pulled out the lucky chip Chris Reslock gave him last night and sat it on the rail.

The river...was the four of clubs.

The TD bid him goodbye with a clever, "Let's give a big hand for Joey Sebok's dad!"

Greenstein signed his book for Amnon and headed for the cage. His seventh place finish earned him $259,296. This was his second final table of this year's World Series.

Congratulations, Barry, on another great run.

A member of ESPN crew just stole my watch. He sidled up, directed my attention in another way through a clever bit of trickery and deceit, and then pocketed my watch (remarkably, a replacement for one that was snatched while I was working a few months ago). This guy left me off the hook quickly.

"Hey," he said. "I was at Venice Beach and look what I found!"

There was my watch.

That's the mood right now. This is is the biggest thing that's happened this year, but the tension hasn't quite kicked in yet. The $50,000 HORSE World Championship is scheduled to begin in ten minutes. The ESPN crew is white balancing its cameras and joking around. I spotted Barry Greenstein in a TV interview as I walked in to set up beside the final table stage.

Final table preparations

As I told you last night, Barry Greenstein has made the final table of the HORSE event (check out that link for a rundown of HORSE coverage and a rundown of the final table).


Reserved seats for Barry's sweaters

While Barry's stack isn't huge, the chances of him going out first are slim. Thor Hansen sits on a 40,000 stack--less than half of what he started with and not enough to get him through the blinds in the hold'em round. Privately, there are people (read: dealers) hoping Barry wins this thing. Apparently, he's generous when it comes time to tip out.

As the players it down to play, Barry came in to get his TV microphone.

"Hey," he said when he saw me, "I'm still sick from yesterday."

Yesterday--at least the end of it--was bad. He lost too many million dollar pots and didn't win enough.


ESPN hooks Barry up with his mic

The focus now turns to today.

For some reason, though, I'm hyper and feeling good. Hopefully Barry feels as good in the early going.

Here we go.

There was little doubt in anybody's mind the final table the World Series $50,000 HORSE World Championship would feature a final table with some of the world's biggest poker professionals. There was little doubt in my mind that my duties covering Team PokerStars would find me at that final table as well. That's exactly what has happened.

Thursday afternoon at 2pm, Team PokerStars' Barry Greenstein will sit down with seven other tough pros to compete for a first prize of more than $2.2 million dollars.

Over the course of the past four days, the PokerStars Blog has chronicled the tournament as it worked its way from more than 145 players down to the final eight. if you missed any of the coverage, feel free to check out these items:

When a HORSE is not a horse
Unprecedentedly fun
Dead Meat
HORSE: Back in the saddle
HORSE gets serious
My Dream Final Table
Keeping the Dream Alive
Featured Horse
A New Track
Work Horses
In the Money
Why the Long Face
Greenstein's Gift and Raymer's Exit

If you read any of that, you know that many members of Team PokerStars made it deep in this event. This afternoon, Greg Raymer made it into the money and finished in 14th place for $103,000.

Barry Greenstein came back from dinner break with an appetite for chips. With eleven player remaining, Greenstein's stack sat at 1.8 million. It looked like he would go into the final table with a formidable chip stack. However, down to nine players, Barry was seated at the four-handed table and things turned ugly. With insane betting limits, Barry turned on the aggression and found some success with it in the early going. Then, players started calling him down. Before long, Barry had lost a few pots and had fallen down below one million in chips. The worst of it happened when Kenny Tran made a flush to Barry's aces-up in a round of Stud-8. He picked up one small pot after that and managed to stay alive with enough chips to play.

He enters final table play in seventh chip position. While the situation could look better, Barry has actually been down to the felt once and put his final 30,000 chips in on a stone-cold bluff. He got a well-timed fold and before long had worked his stack up to the monster he had earlier today.

When play begins tomorrow, Barry will face off against Kenny Tran, David Singer, Bruno Fitoussi, John Hanson, Freddy Deeb, Thor Hansen, and Amnon Filippi. The PokerStars Blog will be tableside to see if Barry can make a comeback and capture the HORSE World Championship.

Good luck, Barry

When waiting for three minutes for Bruno Fitoussi to make a call, there are little things you notice in the crowd surrounding the TV table of the $50,000 HORSE World Championship. For instance, 16 people are wearing baseball caps. Two men are wearing cowboy hats. One guy is sporting a do-rag. Two gentlemen--one of them in the caps--are wearing sunglasses on top of their head. Another dude off in the corner, despite the darkness, is wearing his shades over hie eyes.

Something else sticks out. It's something that I haven't see Barry Greenstein holding so far this year. It's a single poker chip sitting on the padded rail in front of him. In the past couple of hours, it's become an obsession of mine. Most people are tipping the servers wish cash and Barry hasn't been seen with a good luck charm that I know of. So, as usual, I'm clueless.

One thing I can't see is what's happening at Greg Raymer's table. Because of the swarming TV cameras and my lack of eyes in the back of my head, I'm forced to choose between one of the two final tables in his event. Because Greenstein is sitting on the table with a flop-cam, I choose his.

At 6:45, a rumor slips in that Greg Raymer has been eliminated. I knew he had been short, so it wouldn't have been a huge surprise. Still, I'm buoyed when a dealer pops in and corrects the rumor.

"It was Mr. Kotter," he said. Gabe Kaplan, not Greg Raymer.

Preferring to see things with my own eyes, I get up and head for the table. Raymer's seat is empty. His chips are gone. And, if I needed one definitive bit of proof, Greg is standing with his bag slung over his neck and shoulders. That's always a sign Greg is on the move. I learned later Greg had gotten a suited ace in against his favorite hand, pocket eights. Greg's departure in 14th place for $103,000 leaves this field void of a World Series Main Event champion. If depressing for me, it has to be good for Mr. Kotter's spirit that the rumors of his demise had been greatly exaggerated.

The only good news that comes out of Greg's bust-out is that I now no longer have to choose my focus. Team PokerStars has one player left in this event. Barry Greenstein doesn't look like he's ready to give up the ghost yet.

With thirteen players remaining, the game switched to Omaha-8. I picked up the action on a flop of 8s5hJc. In early position, Barry check-raised Dewey Tomko and David Singer. He got not one, but two callers. The Qd on the turn didn't slow Barry down. Once again, he bet out. Again, Tomko and Singer both called. The river, Th, killed any low draw made the straight an even better possibility. This time Barry checked. I wonder if he was as surprises as I was when both players checked behind and mucked when Barry showe his AJ for...second pair.

In the next couple of minutes, Tim Phan and Steve Wolff were eliminated. With an average of 1.3 million chips, Greenstein sat at 1.8 million. While that puts him near the top of the leader board, there are a lot of players within 100,000 chips of his stack. Eleven players remain with three left to lose before we break for tomorrow's final table.

And, so what of that single chip sitting in front of Barry Greenstein. As it turns out, Barry busted Chris Reslock in 15th place. Reslock, knowing Barry gives out a copy of his book "Ace on the River" to whoever busts him, pulled out a chip and gave it to Barry.

"This has been lucky for me."

How lucky? Well, just a few weeks ago, Reslock won the $5,000 Stud championship here at the World Series.

It's the little things, you know?

With the bubble now a twinkling sprinkle in the air, the work of making the final table in the $50,000 HORSE World Championship began. Sixteen players, most all of them easily-recognized pros. ESPN, ever watching for a good story, switched up the TV table. Team PokerStars Barry Greenstein found his way to the eight seat.

I've watched Barry play more hands than I can count in this World Series. Unlike some players who wear their emotions like holographic tattoos--Mike Matusow comes to mind--Barry Greenstein's expression rarely changes. He looks sour, dry, and unaffected by anything.

In the Razz round, Barry didn't appear inactive. Rather, he appeared measured, perhaps like he didn't care to get involved in big hands in such a gut-cutting game. Still, while looking ever the sour puss during the Razz round, by 5:30 pm local time, I can see the hints of a smile when he's not in a hand.

The smile foretells something else. From an outsider's perspective, it's like Seven Card Stud is favorite season in five part year of the HORSE. When this round began, either two things were happening. He either slipped easily into a great rush of cards or stomped hard on the aggression button. For a while, it seemed like he was completing the bet on 75% of the hands and taking most of them down. Only Bruno Fitoussi (who yesterday told Phil Hellmuth he didn't give a diddly squat about the money) had the stones to call Barry down on on a hand (and that was after Barry gave up on fifth street.

When the bust-outs where coming as regular as desert wind gusts, most people were predicting Day 4 would be a short one. As we entered the Stud-8 round, I started to think the opposite. Although there are only 14 players remaining in this event, getting rid of final six before the final table will be a challenge.

Greenstein's son, Joe Sebok, appeared on stage for a moment and beckoned his dad into the shadows. I tired to make out what they were talking about. Was Sebok asking for advice or was it something else? ESPN was curious, too, and a boom mic appeared. That was when the conversation was cut short. Some things, obviously, are best left between a father and son.

As the Stud-8 round drew to a close, the Rio's emergency alert system went off with strobe lights and sirens.

With millions of dollars still at stake, no one stopped playing.

At the break, Greenstein sat third in chips with more than 1.3 million. Greg Raymer still has work to do. He sits in tenth place with 600,000.

The fire alarm has ended. Now, it's time for the levels to go up and start playing some hold'em.

Barry Greenstein and Justin Bonomo were in step together as they walked the long hallway that leads to the Amazon Room. I stepped in beside them. Last we spoke, neither was in a good mood. Both had chips at the dinner break last night. Both had a rough go of it in the two hours following.

"You get any sleep?" Barry asked me.

I must look bad, I thought. "A little. You?"

"Not really."

"You play all night?" I asked.

"Nah, my daughter is in town," he said. "I got up early with her."

I made an assumption. "So, you feel better today?"

This is where I expected Greenstein to say, "Sure, I got a little sleep, saw my family, and am now ready to take on the day."

"No," he said. "I'm still frustrated."

It was irritating for Greenstein to lose every pot he player after dinner last night. Today, he didn't look much in a winning mood.

***

In truth, it was Daniel Negreanu who had reason to be sour. At one point yesterday, he had more than a million chips. At the end of the day, he had less than 200,000. It was basically enough to play one big hand and hope.

There were 21 players who started the day. Five of them would finish four days of play with no money. The rest were guaranteed $88,000. Negreanu and Greg Raymer sat on the TV table, while Greenstein say off on another riser with a rail crowding in behind him.

At the TV table, the mood was still light, despite Negreanu's tenuous hold on his place in the event. When Bruno Fitoussi came in for a raise in the Stud round with an ace showing, Daniel re-raised. It was pretty clear this was going to be Daniel's hand. Daniel held J8/J to Fitoussi's A3/A. Negreanu made two pair on the turn and his chips were all in the middle.

"Hold," he muttered.

The dealer tossed out all the cards. With the river dealt down, Negreanu still looked to be ahead. Then Fitoussi flipped up his card. It was a three--a better two pair. He was out of his seat in less than a second. ESPN snagged him for an interview. When it was over, Negreanu called back to the table, "Wasn't that a mis-deal?"

He chuckled to himself as he left the room.

Had Negreanu had chips, that hand might have played out differently. Perhaps Negreanu could've pushed Fitoussi off the hand before seventh street. All-in, though, Negreanu just had to hope. So, instead of being able to play strong or get ticked at Fitoussi for chasing with one pair to the river, he could only walk out disappointed. In short, there wasn't much else he could do.

***

There are two men watch the TV table with religious shirts. One reads "Thank you, Jesus." The other reads "Is it poker or poker-dolotry?" Despite the fact they seem to carry an anti-poker message on their shirts, they seemed rapt with attention as the action plays out. And frankly, it's hard not to enjoy.

Fellow poker writer Jay Greenspan turned to me at one point and said, "This got good."

And he was right. Despite the limit-nature of the HORSE event, the action is tense. Nearly every person left in the event is on the edge between cashing and being out. One bad hand could send them to the rail and an event with not nearly as much importance.

I'd been watching the TV table, but peeked over to see if Greenstein's mood had improved. Though his face and demeanor didn't show it, I can't help but think he was happier. He's turned his 650,000 into more than a million.

On my way back to the TV table, a French journalist warned me "Don't you say anything bad about my Frenchman just because he busted Negreanu.

I didn't have time to worry about Negreanu anymore. With him gone and Barry back on a million, Raymer was my focus. He was down to 300,000 and fading fast. In the Stud-8 round, he lost another hand and fell down to 200,000.

***

There were 19 players left when we hit the Limit Hold'em round. Amnon Filippi was running over the TV table and had worked his stack up to 2.5 million. He couldn't lose a hand he played. He also happened to be immediately on Greg's left. There couldn't have been a much worse situation for the one-time World Champion.

And so it happened that Bonomo came in for a raise and Greg three-bet from the button. Bonomo put in another bet and Greg called. The flop came down Ad2c4h. Bonomo bet out and Greg put in the cal. The turn was the Td. This time Bonomo checked and Greg bet. Bonomo thought for an age before mucking kings face-up.

A couple of hands later, Greg made quad fives in another hand with Bonomo got away. On the very next hand, Greg flopped a set of sevenes and got Amnon to pay him off in a huge pot. With a smile, Greg muttered something about being a cardrack.

Bonomo busted off the TV table a few hands later and suddenly we sat on the bubble. In my earlier walk with Barry, I remember him saying he planned to exploit the bubble and pick up some chips.

He didn't have long to exploit it. It was just a few minutes before the bubble burst and the remaining 16 players were in the money. As if to cap off his run, Raymer made Broadway in an Omaha/8 hand and added some more chips to his stack.

As the players consolidated to two tables, Greenstein held 1,090,000 in chips. Raymer had 760,000.

Now in the money, the players and I turn our attention to the real focus of the day: The biggest final table of this year's World Series.

Whatever the players in the $50,000 HORSE event had for dinner, they all shared the same dessert: Lose three players and you're done for the day. With 24 runners remaining, Team PokerStars' Greg Raymer, Barry Greenstein, and Daniel Negreanu all went to dinner and came back ready to make it to tomorrow. The anticipation was chocolate-mousse-thick. Bruno Fitoussi had his French rail. Thor Hansen had a Nordic rail. Daniel Negreanu just had a rowdy rail.

"Yay-ah, boyee!" Daniel called back to them, not sure whether his response was appropriate. So, when the players re-drew for seats, Daniel was still feeling good and poking fun at Fitoussi. Told they have a few minutes, Fitoussi broke for the door to smoke.

"We just had a dinner break," Daniel said. "You need to smoke again?"

"I am French!" Bruno yelled.

"Oh yeah," Daniel said with a wry smile, "You're French. Everybody in Paris smokes."

Minutes later Daniel would be shadow-boxing and looking for a new mark.

As the players sat back down, I overheard Freddy Deeb trying to get John Hanson to bet $1,000 on a last-longer.

"I don't bet over $200," Hanson said without a hint of sarcasm. I didn't bother reminding him the bottom pay in this event is $88,000.

Barry Greenstein sat just to Deeb's right. Just before he sat down, Barry told me he is only alive because Bruno had folded to his bluff. Down to his last 30,000 in chips Barry had put them in on a stone-cold bluff. Bruno, thankfully, believed him and mucked. Next thing Barry knew, he had over 900,000 chips.

The feature table featured both Daniel Negreanu and Greg Raymer. In between hands, Daniel began making fun of young Justin Bonomo's hairline. Bonomo is sporting a new faux-hawk and is showing just the beginnings of a receding hairline. Bruno, knowing what Negreanu's looks like under his PokerStars baseball cap, asked to see Negreanu's hairline, and then showed of his own perfect hair.

Again, Negrenau said, "Yeah, but you're French. Your hair is like steel wool!"



It took just a little less than two hours to knock off the three remaining players. Greenstein seemed frustrated and wasn't able to win a hand after dinner. Raymer finished much as he started. Negreanu took a nosedive in the final two hours. Still, all three members of Team PokerStars were alive at the end. With 21 players remaining and an average chip stack of 704,761, here's how they stacked up:

Barry Greenstein: 650,000
Greg Raymer: 504,000
Daniel Negreanu: 149,000

When we return tomorrow, five players will leave the room without making a cent. The remaining 16 are guaranteed $88,000. First prize is more than $2 million.

Also hanging in on the short-stack is PokerStars player Pat Pezzin, a friend of Daniel's from Toronto.



After it was over, Raymer seemed unconcerned about his less than average stack. He stood talking to ESPN folks and explained one of his losing hands. I eavesdropped and heard Greg describe his thought process which included what he called his 10% rule--a metric he uses when calculating his odds when calling.

"I go by the ten percent rule," he said. "No matter how tight a person is, ten percent of time, they are full of it." At least, that's pretty close to what he said.



Also in action late today was Team PokerStars' Bill Chen, who paid for his entire table's after losing at credit card roulette, went back to the PLO8 event and finished in 28th place.

Nearing midnight, I also spotted Team PokerStars Noah Boeken with chips in today's $2,000 Limit Hold'em event. Immediately to his left was a member of PokerStars German blogging team, Klaus Hausmann.



Tomorrow will be a day in which the HORSE event again takes center stage. If Raymer, Greenstein, and Negreanu plan to make it to the final table, they'll need to find their inner work horse.

At this point, I'm not counting anybody out.

There is a point in which the important of an event is not only palpable in the movement of chips from one stack to another or the anxious looks on the players' faces. Now, that the HORSE event is down to the final few tables, the importance of the event is measurable by the depth of people on the rail. Now moved into the quarter of the room reserved for TV production, the HORSE event had a rail four people deep. A full television crew is recording nearly everything that happens. The Harrah's big wigs are powdered up and keep an eagle-eye view on the action.

At Table 66, success and failure walk hand in lock step. Rumor had it, early in the day Matt Hawrilenko fell victim to a common mistake in HORSE events. Although I wasn't able to confirm it with Matt (a really, really nice guy who bought in with PokerStars W$), gossip said he accidentally played a hand in the Stud round thinking he was playing Stud-8. I walked up just as he was busting out. He said under his breath, "I can't believe I played that Stud-8," and walked to the rail.

Immediately to his right, Isabelle Mercier was glowing. Having started the day with one of the shortest stacks in the room, she had managed to work her way up to a better than average stack in just the first couple hours of play.

"It's the dream scenario," she said, all smiles. "I dreamt about it all night." She then stopped and pointed to her stack. "It happened."

Relaxed, Isabelle sat down and pulled a giant turkey sandwich out of a bag and began to eat. She looked across the room at someone eying her stack and gave them a wink. Bruno Fitoussi walked over and peeked at her stack. With her mouth full of turkey, Isabelle held up three fingers Trois cent.



Greg Raymer, who came out of yesterday with the spirit of a survivalist, started playing hard today. I watched as his AA2x didn't hold against an all-in Andy Bloch in the O8 round. Later in the same round, Gabe Kaplan turned a jack and then checked the river to Raymer. Raymer checked behind.

"Three jacks, ace-five," Kaplan said.

"Three jacks?" Raymer said. He was incredulous. "Nice catch." The look in his eye was a lot like Jon Lovitz as Michael Dukakis in the Saturday Night Live debate against Dana Carvey's George Bush. It said, "I can't believe I'm losing to this guy."

Isabelle, meanwhile, finished her lunch and popped a toothpick in her mouth. Even at just a few feet away, she looked like an old Texas gambler, toothpick bobbing in the corner of her lips, and eyes focused on the table.

Under the TV lights on stage, the story of the tournament became Daniel Negreanu. After spending the first few days playing measure poker, Negreanu has exploded in Day 3 and, at this hour, has taken over the chip lead.



Word on the street is ESPN has requested the HORSE jockeys play down to to 24 players today. Thirty-two players remain with several short-stacks on life support. As players get ready to return to action, I hear that Raymer and Mercier's table is being moved onto the TV stage.

Again...this is a new track for these jockeys. Let's go see how they handle the turf.

Update: Isabelle Mercier has been eliminated in the $50,000 HORSE event in 31st place.

Photos courtesy of Image Masters

ESPN has been stalking the $50,000 HORSE tournament for the past few days, collecting b-roll footage and waiting for...well, today. With just a few more than 50 players left in the big one, ESPN has moved one of the tables to the main stage. In a Series where no event gets more than final table coverage, mid-tourney coverage of the HORSE event is just another indication how big this thing is.

Another big thing is the betting limits. Today will see the field start to fall apart under the pressure of high limits and levels. A couple bad hands could destroy even the most formidable stack.

Last night's Dream Final Table is still alive. The most vulnerable of the Dream Team is Team PokerStars' Isabelle Mercier. She started the day with barely enough bets to get through one hand. In early action, she managed to pick up a pair and run it through Freddy Deeb for a double up, but she is still in a touchy place.

In other news, Bill Chen has made Day 2 of the the $1,500 PLO8 event and Tom McEvoy has made Day 2 of the Seniors no-limit hold'em tournament.

After several days of battling in which no 12 hour period changed much of anything, I suspect we're on the verge of seeing some big changes on the Amazon room floor.

We're about to see, anyway.

The last time I had walked through the HORSE tournament area, Greg Raymer was on life support. I couldn't bear to watch the end. I feel like a cooler so often that I don't need any more reason to dislike myself. It wasn't long after that I saw Greg walking out to the overflow tent to check on Joe Hachem's progress in the Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event.

Greg said one word. "Whew."

Whew could mean anything. It could be "Whew, I'm glad that's over" or "Whew, I can't believe I hung on so long long."

I didn't want to compound any misery he might be feeling after two straight days of playing HORSE. "How did you finish?" I asked. It was question that could be interpreted any number of ways.

Then Greg told me his chip stack.

It was above average.

"I got lucky," he said. After having to fold his blinds in the Hold'em round, he chipped up a bit in the Omaha round. Then when Razz came around, Greg, in his own words, "sucked out." Twice. After that, there wasn't any stopping him and he was up over 250,000.

I left Greg looking for Hachem and wondered if my Dream HORSE table still had a chance at coming true. In fact, it does.

Barry Greenstein finished the day in much the same shape as Greg Raymer. In fact, out of all the PokerStars players remaining in the event, only Isabelle Mercier is desperately short-stacked. Last we spoke, she still seemed optimistic. And really, she can take some inspiration from Greg Raymer. Just a few hands and the chance at the dream final table is still alive.

In other news, Bill Chen and Joe Hachem are doing great in the $1,500 PLO8 event and Tom McEvoy is running strong in the Seniors Event.

After a few dry days with no pleasant anxiety to drive this bus, it looks like we;re in store for some fun days ahead.

Around here, a lot of folks are participating in fantasy poker drafts and betting on who will make final tables and win bracelets. Me, I'm participating in a little fantasy of my own. It involves a dream finial table in the $50,000 HORSE event. Of course, based on my focus here, it involves the remaining PokerStars players in the field. Nonetheless, it's the kind of final table that everybody would love to watch.

So, with half the field in the event now gone, here's how I hope it turns out.

Seat 1: Greg Raymer

The final table needs a World Series Champion and Greg Raymer fits the bill. What's more, Greg has already made two final tables in this year's World Series and both were in Stud games. At this hour, Greg is sitting on a reasonable stack and is playing studied careful poker.

Seat 2: Barry Greenstein

When you talk about cash game gurus, Barry Greenstein is not the type of guy you can forget. Greenstein plays these games all the time for the kind of money that makes me think about retiring. Greenstein spent a good portion of the day in the top three in chips, but has since fallen back a bit. Still, he's not hurting at all and a couple pots could put him back in position to get there.



Seat 3: Isabelle Mercier

Not because she's a woman, but because she's among the youngest players in the field and has shown great poise throughout. Isabelle has been building her mixed game skills in the past few years and has proven to be a force, especially in Razz. Isabelle has been treading water all day and needs to start winning some pots soon. Okay, and she would look fantastic on camera as well.



Seat 4: Daniel Negreanu

Kid Poker is just insanely good. He has bracelets. He has WPT titles. He is a cash game monster. What's more, he talks a great game and would liven up the table. In Day 1, Daniel looked like he was sitting back and waiting. Today, he has been pouncing and is close to the top of the leader board.



Seat 5: Matt Hawrilenko

Okay, you may not know the name, but others do. He's a huge player and SuperNova on PokerStars. He bought into this event with his W$. What's more, he's been crushing today and, at the moment, sits among the top three in chips. It's good for the game to get new faces in and Matt is proving he belongs.



Seat 6: Pat Pezzin

Pat is a PokerStars SuperNova who bought into this event directly. He won his Main Event seat on PokerStars and tells me he's buddies with Daniel He still has a playable stack and could still get there.



With those players making up the first six seats, I have two wild cards that would make the table interesting.

Seat 7: Eli Elezra

He's a wild gambler who might be able to convince Greenstein to play props during the televised final event. He's been betting hands blind today, which is fun to watch...and is good for pushing chips to other players.

Seat 8: Scotty Nguyen

I mean, come on. He's Scotty Nguyen. Tell me that wouldn't be fun.

We won't hit the final two tables for a couple of days, so it will be a long time before we see dreams come true.

Here's to hoping, yeah?

I stepped into the elevator here at the Rio the other night. It was packed--some, like a fire marshal, might say "dangerously over packed"--with Vegas revelers.

"Be Scottish!" said one of the tourists.

"I'm not exactly Scottish," I replied.

"Be Scottish!"

And then the entire elevator--some 14 people with too much of the drink in their system--screamed at once, "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!"

The callback to the old Saturday Night Live Mike Myers routine did not go unappreciated, but I ran from the elevator as fast as I could. Still, the ringing in my ears continues today as I look around the Rio and realize, there's a lot going on that's not HORSE. And it certainly, if you'll forgive my colloquialism, is not crap.

Perhaps the least appreciated event going on today is the Seniors Event. Open to folks 50 years old and older, the event drew a record crowd today. Despite being the butt of many jokes (among my favorites "The dinner break will be at 3:30" and "We've doubled the number of bathroom breaks"), the field is not a weak one and has a number of known pros among its players. One of them is Team PokerStars' Tom McEvoy.

One thing I like about McEvoy is that, in a normal crowd, I can spot McEvoy a mile away. His hair stands out in a room full of people with not-gray, not-white hair. In the Seniors Event, I walked around for fifteen minutes saying, "There's Tom! No, there's Tom! Wait, Tom's over there."

Fortunately, Tom is wearing a canary-yellow shirt today and finding the 1983 World Series Main Event champion turned out to be easier than I feared. His early big chip stack also made him a quick find.

Tom McEvoy in the 2007 World Series Seniors Event

Elsewhere at the World Series, Monday is playing host to a fun little event: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo. In that field today are a number of Team PokerStars players, one of whom is Joe Hachem. Now, Hachem is a different story for me. Even though Hachem has an immediately recognizable face, he blends into a crowd well.

As I wandered the overflow playing area, I heard someone yell, "Pass the sugah!" I turned, only to find that it was someone imitating Hachem. It turned out to be a fortunate imitation. Hachem was sitting at the next table with a top-ten chip stack.


Hachem, incognito

Perhaps having the worst day of any member of Team PokerStars is Bill Chen. He was dismissed from the $50,000 HORSE event and went immediately to play in the PLO8 game. His seat put him right in a shaft of desert sunlight that was as annoying as it was hot.


Chen squints in the sunshine

Also in the PLO8 field today, Humberto Brenes and OmahaEd.


Humberto Brenes


OmahaEd

So, while the HORSE event takes its dinner break, the other players fight on. They aren't Scottish, and they're not HORSE, but they are all fighting for a bracelet, and that's the kind of thing that all of us wish we were doing.

I spent the afternoon looking for signs that the HORSE event was holding onto the relaxed atmosphere it projected through most of Day 1. I looked for Isabelle to be talking about "the most fun she's had in her life" or Greenstein to be betting big with somebody at his table. The closest thing I found to frivolousness was John Phan ordering beer at 4pm. He drinks it on ice and likes to eat Cheetos (a rough prospect when trying to handle cards with Cheesy-Fingers). Beyond that, the mood has been decidedly more tense.

The entire field re-drew seats today and it seemed like every table was one that would send any novice player back to the Monopoly board. Consider Greg Raymer's starting table included names like Eli Elezra (current chip leader), Chip Reese (last year's winner) and Phil Hellmuth. If the tension wasn't clear enough, Hellmuth's demeanor told the story. Between hands, he would lay down his head and seem to meditate. The only cute thing at the entire table was Cyndy Violette's "Peace, Love, Poker," shirt.

The reason is pretty clear. Yesterday, it was going to take a very bad run of cards to send a player to the rail. Today, all it takes is a few bad hands and the dream of winning the HORSE World Championship is over. Just ask Bill Chen. The guy is wicked-smart, won two World Series bracelets last year alone, and hit the rail before the dinner break today.

Chen's exit, preceded by Team PokerStars' John Duthie today, leaves a still-star-studded crowd, including Greg Raymer, Victor Ramdin, Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu, Isabelle Mercier, and Matt Hawrilenko.

Photo courtesy of Image Masters

I've decided that I will not ask Barry Greenstein about how much he lost in props to Eli Elezra last night. First of all, it's none of my business (nor, by extension, yours). Second, he's got better work to do than keep me up to date on his side action. Among the players in the $50,000 HORSE event who are flying the PokerStars flag, Greenstein finished Day 1 of the event with the most chips.

The marathon HORSE World Championship begins Day 2 with most of the field still in tact. Today will last just as late as last night with three days still to go. I've spent enough time rambling about how big, how important, and how prestigious this tournament is. Everybody understands that part now. With Day 1 out of the way, the real work of winning this thing begins.

While Greg Raymer is starting Day 2 off well, his table-mate and fellow Team PokerStars member John Duthie is not. Duthie is already looking for pasture with a little more green in it after an early Day 2 elimination.

Still alive today are Bill Chen, Daniel Negreanu, Isabelle Mercier, Matt Hawrilenko, Victor Ramdin, and, of course, Barry Greenstein.

Photo courtesy of Image Masters

Greg Raymer was passing out Dentyne Ice to the people at his table. Robert Mizrachi took a piece. Jennifer Harman did not.

"How are the other Team PokerStars players doing?" he asked.

I gave him the rundown. Barry was doing well, Victor was down a bit. Everybody else was treading water.

"I saw Isabelle," Raymer said. "Is she playing today?"

Now, you should understand, it takes ten seconds to walk from Raymer's table to Isabelle's table. They had been playing within thirty yards of each other for seven hours and hadn't noticed each other yet.

"She's doing fine," I said. "Was up to 155,000 at one point."

Greg Raymer

She was not doing as fine as before. When I walked the few steps to her table, there were fewer chips than before.

"I just lost seven hands in a row. Seven hands in a row!" she said. "That's 70,000."

As usual, I wasn't sure what to say. "That's no fun," was all I came up with.

"But I'm going to win the next ten," she said and turned back to the table.


Isabelle Mercier looking for ten hands in a row

Two tables away, the losing was taking a far different form. Eli Elezra had been moved to Barry Greenstein's seat and had an imposing stack of chips. Not only that, he had a chicken-scratched piece of paper that looked familiar. In fact, it looked just like the prop scorecard Barry and Eli kept during the last time the were sat together. Barry looked moderately peeved.

"He sits down and hits every hand," Greenstein said. "And, he's up $135,000 in props."

I looked down at the sheet. Sure enough, it had climbed from $10,000 up to $135,000 without taking many a dip in Greenstein's favor.

"I think I'm going to hit him," Greenstein pondered out loud. "He used to be a commando or something, but I don't think he's that tough anymore."

As proof, Elezra winced as his tableside massage therapist worked a sore spot in his leg. Not so tough.

By the time I stopped keeping notes on the props, Elezra was up $210,000 in props and held the chip lead in the HORSE tournament.


Barry Greenstein--Good chips, bad props

"Who else is playing today?" Greenstein had asked me at one point in the day.

That's what's funny about this event. On the surface it looks like everybody is having a good time, betting it up, talking shop, and having a ball. However, deep in the poker mind, the focus doesn't go beyond the seven other people at the table. If they are going to be successful--if they are going to win--they can't be worried about what's happening at the 17 other tables in the tournament. They may look like they don't care if they win, but they do. They so do.

As Raymer and I finished talking, he said that just yesterday he'd practiced playing HORSE with Bill Chen, Terrance Chan, and others while eating some beef imported form Palo Alto.

He's not just playing for fun tonight. He's looking to win.


Raymer and your intrepid blogger

As the night draws to a close, nearly everyone playing for Team PokerStars is still alive and sitting on at least as many chips as they started with. When only a few people bust after twelve hours of play, the chip average just doesn't get much bigger. This is, after all, a five day event. While today hurt a few folks' feelings (and likely tweaked a bankroll or two), this was just the get-to-know-you period.

The hard rows to hoe will begin tomorrow.

Or, if I may, tomorrow is a horse of an entirely different color.

(Come on, I'm allowed one bad equine pun a day, right?)

Previous HORSE coverage

When a HORSE is not a horse

Unprecedentedly fun

Dead Meat

Pictures courtesy of Image Masters

Nolan Dalla is more than the Media Director for the World Series. He is often its voice. His timbre and tone are unmistakable on the PA system. This evening, as the players in HORSE event prepared to take their dinner break, Dalla announced all the players would be receiving, gratis, a meal at the Fiore Steakhouse at the Rio.

In closing, he said, "There is an open bar."

Daniel Negreanu, noted and often notorious vegetarian, couldn't help but speak up. "Yeah! You can have some dead cow. You can have some dead pig. You can have some baby cow that they beat!"

Negreanu's protestations (I mean, I guess they could've had the free meal at the Indian joint here...) went unheeded as many of the players headed off for a free steak dinner. There was no grousing, I should note, that they were getting a free $100 meal. Anyone who has registered for the $1,500 events here know that they come with a free $10 voucher you can spend at a steak and eggs place. So, a good hunk of $80 red meat is not something a poker player turns down, you know?

If Negreanu was worried about cow carnage, there was only one player who couldn't go to dinner due to the carnage at the tables. Jeff Lisandro was the first and only elimination by the dinner break. He reportedly handled being the first dead meat in the biggest event fairly well and went to play a $1,000 Mixed Hold'em event in the overflow tent outside.

As we return to play tonight, all members of Team PokerStars are still alive and kicking. Spies report Greg Raymer had dinner with his family at the Tilted Kilt. Isabelle Mercier was spotted returning to the Rio by cab with none other than Sammy Farha in tow.

As I headed back to the tournament area, Robert Williamson III was strolling along with a glass of wine in his hand. Steve Zolotow was matching pace with Williamson and said, "I can't see how you have so much wine and can play poker and not fall asleep."

And now the players sit back down for the biggest HORSE event ever played. We'll see how the dead cow and the wine affect the players.

There's still a lot of dead meat to come.

I was sweating Barry Greenstein in today's $50,000 HORSE event. I will occasionally eavesdrop, but try not to get involved in conversations unless invited in. Nick Schulman handed Barry his phone and Barry shook his head. I figured there was some sort of prop bet in the works when Barry said, "Brad, look at this."

Schulman handed me his phone. He was in the middle of a text message that included the word, "unprecedentedly."

"Unprecedentedly?" I asked.

The debate what over whether it was a word. Schulman used it in a sentence and it sounded bad.

"I think you spelled it right, but..." Greenstein said as he looked up at me.

"It's not a word," I said definitively. That seemed to end it. I mean, these guys can play cards for $50,000 an event, but I'm the word guy, right? I sort of hoped Barry had bet Schulman ten grand or something on it.

Because, for around half the crowd in the big event today, that's how relaxed it is. They are betting on who final tables, betting on who wins, and betting just to bet. John Duthie is getting massaged. Daniel Negreanu is eating his veggie grub, and Isabelle...

Well, walk over to her table. It's the one in the back corner where the rail is cut off by a wall. It's quieter back here. And Isabelle looks, in a word, mean. Her shirt is low cut and she's wearing make-up, but I wouldn't trust her with a sharp object.

It's the end of the Razz round and she's bet out on sixth street. Her opponent looks like he wished he had woken up with a case of pneumonia, because that would surely be more fun. He tosses in his call. The dealer hasn't even begun to deal seventh street when Isabelle's chips leave her hand and land on a table with an "I'm already there, so good luck on catching up" slap.

The young Canadian re-inforces her blind-bet message by refusing to look at her river card. I didn't know if she was there yet or not, but the look on her face says she is. Her now looks like he would gladly give Isabelle a pair of scissors if she promised to stab him in the neck. That, too, would likely be more fun.

Isabelle's man now peeks at his river card and, almost as if he is resigned to his fate, tosses in his call. Isabelle pulls up her hole cards and arranges a 7432A low. Her opponent shuffles his cards three times, but it's clear he's got an eight and no better. Isabelle flicks her upper lip with her tongue and doesn't deign to give her opponent another look. Her eyes, without changing, said, "Silly boy."



It's break time and Isabelle counts her chips In less than five hours, she's increased her stack by more than 50%. She counts them out slowly and looks up at the digital leaderboard on the wall. It's not yet been updated.

"I should be up there," she says. I look down and she's wearing a green pair of socks. She's taking them off and slipping into a pair of gold heels. It's clear, when she's on the move at the table, she's doing it comfort. When she's on the move everywhere else, she's doing it in style.

"Having fun yet?" I ask.

"The most fun of my life," she said.

***

I'm just getting over watching Isabelle eviscerate the guy, when I notice a a man walking away with Bill Chen.

Who is THAT guy? There weren't a ton of people in this event and I recognized everybody wearing a PokerStars shirt. Except that guy. So, I asked. It is Matt Hawrilenko and he's playing this event with...wait for it...PokerStars W$.

'nuff said.



***

And so back to report. Dictionary.com tells me that unprecedently is, in fact, a word. I feel like I've just busted out of a tournament. I can't play poker and I apparently don't have as strong a command on the English language as I thought.

I sure hope I didn't lose Barry any money.

Photos courtesy of Image Masters

The American flag on top of the Rio is being blown flat by the desert winds that pressed in this morning. The palms around the hotel are shaking like they are ready to face a hurricane. Inside the Rio, the Amazon room is as quiet as it is at 4am. This is not the scene of a $1,500 no-limit hold'em tournament. This is the $50,000 World Championship of HORSE and there is nothing bigger here at the World Series.

The beginning of the $50,000 HORSE event

It is an event so big that fewer than 200 people have entered. It is an event so big that nearly everyone in the event knows each other, and most of them know each other's secrets, tells, and styles. These are people who have played against each other for years and now are sitting down for what most of them considered to be the test of power dominance.

To ask who is here is less instructive than to ask who is not. Still, it's the people in the seats who will make up this week's stories. They are the world's top professionals and they will spend the next five days fighting to make it to the most prestigious tournament in the world.

When the $1,500 no-limit field was relatively void of these people yesterday, there was little surprise why. The HORSE event will be a marathon. Instead of a Pony Express run across the desert, this event and its structure are a sturdy-backed pack mule with saddle bags made for chip-hauling. They are starting with 100,000 of those chips a piece. There will be no no-limit cooler to send somebody packing in one hand. As Greg Raymer said the other night, sometimes these games are like death by a thousand cuts.

Team PokerStars is well represented here and among the players are the names you will expect. Greenstein, Negreanu, Raymer, Chen, Ramdin, Mercier, Duthie. They are six men and one keen-eyed lady who trust their game enough to lay down $50,000. It's the kind of money that could afford them five main events. In their eyes it's clear that this is the main event, at least for now.















At the beginning of something this big, it's tempting to throw out every superlative in one's vocabulary. It's best, I think, to save a few for later. Because even as the field shrinks, this event will be bigger than anything we see this year.

The dinner break in today's $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament saw a little more than 500 players remaining out of the 2,780 who began. The carnage throughout the day had left just about any player flying the PokerStars flag a tattered mess.

I was killing time while the players ate when Noah "Exclusive" Boeken wandered up.

"You hungry?" he asked.

I wasn't, but that didn't stop my curiosity.

"No, why?"

"David Williams isn't here," Noah explained.

It took a second for me to register the explanation. Then I remembered the Boeken is crashing at Williams high-dollar condo during the World Series.

"I have a chef," Noah said and held up a brown bag. "It's good."

After too many cheese steaks from the Poker Kitchen, I could only think, "Oh, to be a young poker phenom. To have a chef!"

I said none of this, however, and thanked Noah for the offer. I watched him walk into the masses with his brown bag. Now, as my stomach starts to grumble, I'm wondering what was in the bag. It has to be better than any stromboli-nacho-chicken-wing choice I may find in my present locale.

Rather than eat, though, I grumbled my way back onto the floor where cries of "Seat open!" continued to ring. People play fast in these lower buy-in events and it's little surprise how fast it's moving.

Although most stories that might interest the PokerStars crowd had long since found their way to a BBQ, game of Chinese, or a bed to rest for tomorrow's big HORSE event (more on that in a sec), Noah Boeken continued to roll. At the break, he had a double-average stack and a look in his eye that said, "Dinner was good. Chips are better."

There's still a long way to go in this thing--even before they hit the money--but Boeken is looking pretty strong. That said, based on the reliability of my predictions in recent days, I'm just going to say Noah has chips. What he does with them, we'll just have to wait and see.

In other news, I can't let this post or event go by without giving a mention and premature congratulations to my buddy and member of the 2006 World Series PokerStars Team Blog, Paul "Dr. Pauly" McGuire who is taking a break from his Poker News reporting duties to play today. He currently is running hot and is among the the players at the top of the leader board.

This event will run until 2am PDT. That will leave just a few short hours of sleep before the noon kickoff of tomorrow's $50,000 H.O.R.S.E world championship. This event is going to be both exciting and slow at the same time. While the biggest buy-in event in this year's Series and sure to draw the biggest pros in the world, it's an event that will start with a staggering 100,000 starting chips and is scheduled to run five days. Either way, I suspect it will be fodder for many a good story and several bad equine-related puns.

Of course, of course.

Imagine a locker room at halftime of a NFL game. A few dozen sweaty people leave the playing field in a mix of urgency and fatigue. All look for a few moment's respite and maybe a chance to hit the head. Now, imagine if the team had 2,700 players on it and they'd all been drinking water and Red Bull for two hours. That's the scene as the players here head for the first bathroom break.

Today, the World Series $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event sold out before the end of the first level. A total of 2,780 players packed into the Rio in what PokerNews' Change100 dubbed "The Dead Money Parade."

Less than 25% of the field in the $1,500 NL Hold'em Event

It's a chance at World Series glory, a gold bracelet grappled by hand from the middle of a dark ocean floor. This is a sea of faces that I--without much embarrassment--just don't recognize. Walking the floor this afternoon, I finally vocalized to a couple people what I'd been thinking for two hours.

"Who are these people?" I asked. I literally had looked at two hundred faces before I saw one that even glimmered with recognition. Most times I asked the question to fellow members of the media, they just shrugged.

I was 75% of my way through the crowd when I figured it out. This is the live version of an online tournament. It's more than 2,700 players strong. Every once in a while, you see a name or face you recognize, but most of the time, you're playing against unknowns.


Overflow playing area--a tent air conditioned by giant plastic tubes

Lest you think I have any animosity or disdain for this field, you should know that, if I were to play an event this year, it would likely be one a lot like this. In fact, all the Series events I've played in the past have been like this. So, it's not that I can't relate to this field. It's just that it's so big...and so anonymous.

Finally, near the end of my walk, I find some more popular faces. There's Noah Boeken hitting his flush on the river. There's Humberto Brenes talking his opponent into a fold. There's Steve Paul-Ambrose looking down to see if he has cards he's willing to put up against a field so big. There are others, to be sure. And maybe those folks will make it to the final table over the next three days. Who knows?


Noah Boeken all-in (he won)


Noah Boeken gives an interview to the Dutch media


Humberto Brenes, an alternate who got a seat

That's the thing in a field this big. The "Who Knows" factor is huge. That's actually part of its appeal. It's part of the reason the World Series is so popular. Anybody can come here with dream in their head and $1,500 in their pocket and walk away three days later being able to say what a very, very small percentage of poker players will ever be able to say: "I won a World Series bracelet."

The other night, I sat with Jim McManus--well-known poker writer and player--and chatted for a while about poker, writing, and money. We've each had our own levels of success in these arenas, but there was one thing both lacked and wanted. McManus said it quietly, looking into his drink and saying it so quietly it was almost as if he didn't even want to hear it himself.

"I want the bracelet," he said.

The flotsam and jetsam of dreams still float here. It will be three days before we know which of the faces will be the one we won't forget.

Sometimes, in an effort to see a story from beginning to end, one has to make predictions or hint at them. When Joe Hachem began the day running over the the Pot-Limit Hold'em field, it was only natural to get that tingle of excitement and call back his two big 2006 World Series Pot-Limit Hold'em finishes. Hachem, at least for the purposs of this humble news outlet, was The Story today.

If blog writing allowed me to affect an accent, it would sound a lot like Gilda Radner's Emily Latella.

Never mind.

Hachem exited before the dinner break, shortly after a chilly hand that saw him flopping a set against a flush. That leaves us with the age old Friday news story: What's happening this weekend.

This weekend will be huge for two reasons. First, tomorrow will host a $1,500 no-limit hold'em event. When these things go off on the weekend, they are massive. It's so big, several members of the media are just taking the day off to play it.

While that event will surely have a nice payday, the story of the week begins on Sunday when the $50,000 World Championship of H.O.R.S.E kicks off. There is almost as much fun speculating about who will play as actually watching the event.

For tonight, though, the stories have come to an end. After having an insanely good two weeks, it's probably best to take a breather. There's still a long way to go in this thing and a lot of time for more stories.

We'll see you on Saturday.

I couldn't quite put my finger on it. There was this niggling tickle somewhere in the area of my medula oblongata that said, "Pssst, you're missing something." Still, I couldn't figure it out.

It's not a massive field for the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em tournament today, but it's impressive enough that it's sometimes hard to find people. Me? I was looking for Joe Hachem. Word had spread quickly that he had spent the first part of the day climbing the leaderboard.

I'd gotten a call from Barry Greenstein. He, too, was in the event, but went over to play in Day 2 of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Still, it was almost easier to find him...or, at the very least, his seat.

Barry's chips and book wait for his return to the Pot-Limit Hold'em event

Eventually, I coaxed a fellow member of the media to take me to Hachem. There he sat in the one-seat. His collar pulled up, sunglasses on, and headphones blocking out the noise, he was quiet. It was the focused, almost sour look of a man on a mission.

Still, my finger was dancing all around but not landing on It. I mean, in a land where a dozens of tournaments make up the World Series, why did Hachem's early rise today seem significant? Why was it pushing me to think?


Hachem in the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event

I'd given up. I'd decided this would just be an eHarmony post (that's "picture and a paragraph" to those of you who don't have the commercials and their creep host burned into your brain). I was on my way out of the tournament room when it hit me. I ran back to my computer to confirm my revelation.

I was right, albeit a little late on the uptake.

Eleven months ago, Hachem made the final two tables of this very event. A week or so later, he hit another Pot-Limit Hold'em event and made the final table. So, I'm not saying he's going to win this thing or anything, but an early chip lead in a pot-limit hold'em sounds awfully familiar, no?

I've simply been spoiled since I sat down here at the World Series. If each day didn't begin with "Which final table are we covering?" it began with "who is going to make a final table today?" That is to say, as I focus on the PokerStars players who have been playing here so far, more often than not I'm either covering someone sitting at a final table or on the cusp of being there.

Today is not one of those days.

Dry Vegas

When I got up today, I went through my daily rituals only to discover that the insane pace of the last couple of weeks has slowed down. That's for a couple of reasons. First, while it's about to get even busier here in Vegas, the number of tournaments per week is about to go down. As we get closer and closer to the main event, we're going to see less and less of the five-tournaments-a-day schedule in the Amazon room.

Frankly, while all the excitement has been invigorating and we've seen a lot of great successes here, the slower pace might make for at least a couple days that don't involve running from the front 40 to the back 40 every few minutes just in case we missed something. It also might be a little easier for the players who have been forced to enter tournaments late or multi-table to get in the kind of action they want.

As Friday begins here, we will be keeping an eye on Barry Greenstein. Barry is heading into Day 2 of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8/b tournament. He's already made one final table this year, but will have to battle through a insanely tough crowd to make it down to the final table today.



Everybody else today is just getting started in the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event that kicked off an hour or so ago. That event will go all day and night before we have any idea who has a shot at a bracelet.

Looks like if there is another final table report in the near future, it's going to take some workin' on the weekend.

Which is just fine with me.

In the past few days, there have been a ton of great stories coming out of the World Series. More often than even I have been able to cover, there is usually a subtitle that involves PokerStars.

Just the other day, PokerStars Supernova Shankar825 (known in public as Shankar Pillai) won one of the biggest prizes so far this year in a no-limit hold'em event. He picked up more than half a million bucks for his win.

Shankar Pillai

As I type, another Supernova, Keith Block, is down to the final four players in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event. Already guaranteed $128,968, Block is on a complete freeroll after using his Frequent Player Points to buy into this event. Update: Keith ended up going out in the final four, but still managed to earn more than $125,000 on a complete freeroll. Congrats, Keith.


Keith Block

Today, Team PokerStars' own Daniel Negreanu took fifth place in the $2,000 Seven Card stud event. For more on that, check out the final table reports below:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


Daniel Negreanu

While Daniel couldn't pull the bracelet in that event, cash game superstar Jeff Lisandro picked up his first World Series bracelet. And based on where this post has been, you can guess how the final picture will look.



Photos courtesy of Image Masters

Part 1
Part 2

At the first break, Daniel Negreanu doesn't disappear for long. Greg Pappas busted out in the final moments of the last level and Daniel seems like he doesn't want to leave his early-days rush unattended.

Daniel is standing alone on the stage, eager.

"You have two minutes and twenty seconds left on your break," the dealer tells him.

"I'm ready to play," Daniel says and then turns to the dealer. "Are you ready to play?"

Any chip lead here is tenuous at best. In the waning moments of the last level, Daniel's chip lead had been overtaken by Nicky Frangos.

The TD reads off the chip counts, though, and it's clear that it's still anybody's game.

Daniel 214,000
Nicky 274,000
Nes 114,000
Jeff 126,000
Severin 132,000

But something bad is happening now. It's hard to say exactly what, but it's clear Daniel has made a decision to continue playing fast. He still looks eager for the first ten minutes of play. Then, he loses two straight hands, the worst of which ended in him missing one of a million outs on the river in a hand against Nicky. Daniel knows he has to bet to win and, thus, he does. Nicky cocks his head to the left, purses his lips, and then calls with only a pair of fives. Daniel shows his king-high and pushes the monster pot over to Nicky.

Now Daniel is in a precarious position. He can't play fast anymore. The next hand he plays past fourth street is going to be either the one that doubles him up or sends him out to the Omaha 8/B event that begins at 5pm.

It's just five mminutes later that he's all in on fifth street with a pair of jacks and a backdoor flush draw. He's run directly into Severin's rolled up deuces. Daniel needs running diamonds or a jack to suck out. Sixth street is a baby black card.

Now, there are only two cards in the deck that can save him. The nature of stud doesn't offer a ton of drama, but all-in, the river card is still dealt down, and Daniel feels obliged to squeeze it.

"Ahhhh, it's a spaaade," he says and continued to squeeze. "It's a jack!"

He stands up and slaps his card down on the table. It's red and nothing close to a jack.

He's done.

"Time for the Omaha!" he says and bounds from his seat.

In one hour, he'll be sitting down for another tournament.

Part 1

Ten years ago, Daniel Negreanu found a role model in Greg Pappas. Today, they are peers, with even Greg admitting that Negreanu has become a much better player over the years.

"Luckier for sure," Daniel said last night.

Now a seasoned pro, Negreanu has become a role model to many and a mentor to some others. Today, Daniel's protege sits on the rail watching him. Amazing, I think, what can change in ten years.

Twelve years ago, Daniel was a nobody and was amazed at how old-timers didn't give a damn what he thought. Now, there's a line of people out the door who would give up just about anything to spend a year under Negreanu's tutelage.

Greg Raymer appears over my shoulder. He's on break from the $1,500 no-limit event and asks about Daniel. As I'm answering, Greg looks up to the rail.

"Hey, there's my mom."

I've been around Greg at many tournaments and he frequently has family on the rail. This is the first time I've seen his mom.

"Everybody give a big round of applause for 2004 World Series champion!"

The tournament director has noticed Greg and re-introduced him to the crowd. A round of applause rises above the table chatter and Greg gives a polite wave.

After stepping up onto the stage, he walks first to Greg Pappas and takes his hand. "I'm supposed to support all the PokerStars players here," Raymer says, "but you're my oldest buddy here."

There are three kinds of poker players here. There are the Greg Pappas types who have been playing for years but have never been on TV. There are the big-name TV players like Daniel Negreanu who have celebrity as big as their bankroll. And then there is everybody else--up-and-comers, internet ballas, hopeless hopefuls. In this case Raymer has chosen to single out Pappas for a handshake. It's a gesture that says something about the nice guys in the game. Both Gregs are.

As the applause dies down, Jeffrey Lisandro wins a hand and is greeted with complete silence.

The TD asks the crowd, "Jeffrey wants to know what he did that you're not cheering for him?"

Maybe it's fear, but the crowd explodes in cheers, maybe not even sure what just happened. A smile--rare at the table--spreads across Lisandro's face.

It's not too much later that Daniel gets rolled up jacks and gets two callers to fifth street. He has a look on his face that says, "This is the way the day is supposed to go."

Out of the next hand, he makes his way back to the media table and digs into a bag from Bellagio. My stomach still grumbling for something--anything!--Daniel pulls a sandwich and chips out of the beige plastic.

"Portobello! That's good stuff right there," he says.

Just then, I get a sensation like Sigourney Weaver must have felt in Alien when the creature suddenly appears over her shoulder. In my peripheral vision, I see the boom cam descend from above and settle on my left shoulder. It's aimed right at Daniel's munching face.

He says exactly what I'm thinking. "This is really strange. I feel like I'm talking to an alien."

Still munching, he's back to the stage, explaining to the TD why he doesn't like to shake hands, and winning another hand. He's still the chip leader and doesn't look like he wants to give up the spot.

Nor, I think, does it appear he wants to give up his sandwich.

It's vegetarian chili, I'm sure. Daniel Negreanu doesn't cotton to chili packed with dead animal. It's in a small white cup and he's shoveling it into his mouth with a black plastic spoon while talking with Gavin Smith about one of the many side bets going on around here. It's all very interesting and the chili smells good, but I can't take it all in.

Daniel is in my way.

It's 1pm and the ESPN televised table of the $2,000 stud event is about to take off. Negreanu is decked out in PokerStars gear--a hat and a hockey jersey, naturally. He's chosen the media table for his lunch and, as he is about to compete for a bracelet, I can't bring myself to move him.

When he finally makes his way to the table, he's greeted by some old friends and new friends. Among his competitors is Jeffrey Lisandro, a man with poker face such that--even if he's telling you to have a nice day and he hopes you win a million dollars--you think he might rather break your legs. Lisandro is wearing a hat that has become his signature piece of clothing. I wouldn't call it a gangster hat for fear of insulting the wide-shouldered Aussie, but I'm pretty sure I've seen people in gangster movies wearing one. Today, the hat has just one thing in common with Daniel's. Both say PokerStars.net.

It's a situation that can only be likened to what happens on a race track. While two drivers may be racing for the same team, they won't hesitate to put each other in the wall in the right situation.

Enter the wall.

Nobody is in very good shape in terms of chips. It took so long to get to the final table that two bad hands can take a player from chip leader to busto. Daniel is starting the day with 164,500 in chips to Lisandro's 195,000. On the very first hand of final table play, Daniel makes an ace-high flush in a hand that he and Lisandro played hard all the way to the river. The pot is worth 60,000 chips and Daniel casually slides into the role of chip leader.

Over the next few hands, Daniel is in action on almost every one. He picks up kings in the hole and gets a short-stack all-in, only to see the shortie had AA in the hole.

Humberto Brenes, on his way to play in Day 2 of the PLO tournament, is on the rail and says something to Daniel.

Daniel stands and asks in Humberto's thick accent, "The shark is coming?"

This time, the shark was no help and Daniel couldn't find a card to win. Humberto, quietly, made his way off the stage.

It's only a couple of hands later when Daniel gets another player all-in by third street. This time, he needs a seven or a queen to complete his open-ender.

Daniel likes to squeeze his rivers. It's a bit of drama for him, and it's a little drama for the rest of us, too.

"Uh oh," he says. "Uh oh. It's paint."

Up he flips the queen and the first of eight players is gone.

Greg Pappas, Daniel's one-time role model, stands up from the two seat and borrows one of the HD cameras from the ESPN crew.

"How does it feel to hit that queen on the river?" Pappas asks.

We can't hear how Daniel responds. It's then I begin to wonder if Daniel will miss the rest of his vegetarian chili.

It's 2pm and I'm getting hungry.

Daniel Negreanu was chatty today. Most of the last three hours of the night was as much a practice in coffee housing with Greg Pappas as it was a game of tournament stud poker.

Pappas, a member of the pre-televised poker generation, was explaining to the rail that the only people who know him are people who were playing cards before poker landed on TV.

Negreanu looked up and deadpanned, "Weren't you in that movie 'Roadhouse'?"

Negreanu stares down David Chui earlier in the day--Coutesy Image Masters

In fact, Negreanu knows Pappas well. It's not been too many years ago that Negreanu and Pappas were vying for a best all-around player award. When the final standings came out, Negreanu had beaten Pappas by one point. And, in fact, this is more than just a couple of old competitors battling it out again.

More than ten years ago, Negreanu was still a young buck and trying to find his way in the game. Pappas quickly became one of Negreanu's role models. Negreanu once wrote, "Obviously, I'm a big fan of poker, but more importantly, I'm a big fan of the good people in poker. Greg Pappas will always remain at the top of that list."

Tomorrow, Negreanu and Pappas will face off across the felt and battle six other players (including the always frightening Jeff Lissandro) for the $2,000 Seven Card Stud bracelet. Play on the EPSN stage will begin at 1pm PDT. This will be Negreanu's second final table in this year's World Series.

In other news, Team PokerStars' Humberto Brenes has made Day 2 of the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha re-buy event. It may not be necessary to remind you, but Brenes has been putting up some serious finishes this year. He already has three final tables and is looking to pick up a fourth by the end of tomorrow.

As an old boss of mine used to say, "See ya on TV."

There are a lot of benefits to achieving Supernova status in the PokerStars VIP club. Just ask Keith Block. The PokerStars Supernova used some of his FPPs to buy into this year's World Series $5,000 No-Limit Heads Up Championship. After two days of play, Block is now among the elite eight players who head into tomorrow's final day of play.

Block is already guaranteed $46,000 on this FPP freeroll. If his run continues past the final eight tomorrow, he could be in line for the $425,000 first prize and a gold bracelet.

So, if you've been thinking about what to do with all those FPPs sitting around in your account, you might want to talk to Block. He seems to have this ROI thing figured out.

It's been said that poker players will complain about anything--even being given carte blanche to complain. That said, there were a lot of right-thinking people who validly groused last year that the World Series was a bit too hold'em-centric. Among those players was Team PokerStars' Daniel Negreanu.

Daniel Negreanu, courtesy of Image Masters

The World Series, to its credit, listened and put out schedule of games this year that well-rounded poker players have appreciated. Today is a great example of that. Just today, players here have enjoyed limit hold'em, short-handed no-limit hold'em, seven card stud, and pot-limit Omaha with re-buys.

Among those players is none other than Daniel Negreanu. After two days of play, Negreanu has worked his way to the final two tables in the $2,000 Seven Card Stud event. At the dinner break, Negreanu is in the top half of the field and looking to make his first final table of this year's World Series.



Across the ropes, a bevy of Team PokerStars' players is plowing through the $1,500 PLO re-buy field. At this early juncture, it's probably premature--but no less exciting--to start talking about a certain someone (a certain someone who carries a shark around in his pocket)--making his fourth final table of this year's Series. Still that certain someone, picture below getting the business from Noah Boeken, is in the top ten in chips at this hour.



Not far behind him is 2005 Champion Joe Hachem. Hachem has only been in town a few days and looks rested and ready to go after another bracelet. You'll recall, he made two final tables last year and nearly got a chance to have a bracelet for both wrists.



So, not to be premature, but the last few days have been final-table heavy for members of the PokerStars family. I see no reason why we shouldn't make Thursday another final table day.

Right?

I was sitting in the hallway watching the tape-delayed feed of the heads-up match between Terrence Chan and Hoyt Corkins. The $2,500 short-handed no-limit event was in its third and final day and, based on the fact the real-time match was still going on, I felt good about Terrence's chances.

Terrence Chan, courtesy of Image Masters

Although Hoyt had him out-chipped 2.6 million to 1.5 million at the start of the match. I was just settling in for what I knew would be a long closed circuit viewing when a friend walked up.

"I think it's over," she said.

If you're still watching the TV feed, here's your spoiler warning



I turned and noticed no joy in her face.

"Do you want to know?" she asked.

I nodded. It was going to spoil the rest of the televised match, but I had to know.

"I think Hoyt won," she said.

And so I went, headed for the only place I knew Terrence might be. In a small room, he filled out his paperwork to collect his $287,345 win. I let him be for a while and waited in the hallway. When he walked out, he offered, "Follow me to the cage."

I stepped in stride with Terrence. He introduced me to a friend of his before getting into the gory details. Over the course of an hour, he'd been chipped down to around 800,000, he said. He came in for a raise to 75,000 with Ad4d.

"Because he's Hoyt," Terrence said, "he pushed all-in."

It was true. Hoyt had been playing huge pots pre-flop the past two days. Terrence decided, based on the fact he was heads-up and didn't have as many big blinds as would be required to fold a suited ace, he called.

At the cage, there was more business to take care of, and so I waited while Terrence went through the laborious process of getting paid.

That's when the announcement came over the loudspeaker congratulating Hoyt for his win. Terrence winced, winced again, and then looked up.

"He had king-ten," he said. "King on the turn."

I never know what to say in situations like that. Sure, Terrence had just won more than a quarter million bucks, but it was clear the money didn't mean as much as the bracelet.

I said all I could. "Congratulations, Terrence," and left him to his business.

Over the past three days, I've seen Terrence play some of the best tournament poker he's played in years. Sometimes, though, even the best possible effort can't get you there.

But Terrence will get there.

Count on that.

Updated below

We can only assume Terrence Chan is still alive in the $2,500 short-handed no-limit hold'em event. The assumption is based on the fact that a closed circuit TV shows him among the final four players left at the table. That said, the closed circuit TV is on an hour delay, so Terrence could be long gone and we'd have no way of knowing. What we can tell is that, at least until an hour ago, Terrence was surviving the hyper-aggressive play of Hoyt Corkins. Although short-stacked for a long time, Terrence was still breathing inside the big black box and was able to double through Corkins.

That's as much of what we can tell is happening inside the box. Outside the box, it's much easier to keep tabs on the fields. Team PokerStars Daniel Negreanu is still alive in yesterday's $2,000 Stud event. While he is the only member of the Team still alive there, there are a a ton of Team PokerStars players who have made it past the re-buy period in today's $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaaha re-buy tournament. Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Barry Greenstein, Noah Boeken, and Humberto Brenes are still competing in one of the most fun events of the day.

I've yet to talk to Terrence about his time in the box (security is really tight around the Boxed). I'll be curious to know if he'd rather be sitting in the tranquility and privacy of the high-security area or he'd rather be out with everybody else.

Thinking again about it, he's fighting for half a million bucks. So, he'd probably do it in the back of a garbage truck if it came down to it.

Update: At 6:15 PDT, Terrence Chan is heads up with Hoyt Corkins for the bracelet. We know they began heads-up play with Hoyt holding a 2.6 million stack to Terrence's 1.5 million. We can also say that they have been playing heads-up for at least an hour. We're getting to enjoy the heads-up match on an hour tape delay. However, a walk by the big black box indicates the players are still going at it.

You never know what's going to happen around here. For a long while, there was held a great assumption that today's $2,500 Short-Handed No-Limit Final Table would be on the ESPN main stage. Now, that is not to be. Instead, the tournament is being held in what some members of the media have coyly started referring to as The Sequestrium. The big black box of curtains is the hiding place and stage for the semi-live web cast put on by Bluff. Now, while this is great for everyone watching at home, it's not nearly as much fun for those of us watching here who are accustomed to seeing the action as it happens. And, as it happens, we were hoping to watch Terrence Chan play his first final table of the year.

The good part about this is that we'll be able to see the hole cards of the players in the game today. The bad part is, we'll see it all an hour after it happens. If you are the type of person who doesn't like to wait, you should check out WorldSeriesofPoker.com to purchase the live feed.

In fact, it's all happening as we speak...or so we are led to believe. You never really know what's happening in the black box.

There is a lot of controversy about whether Babe Ruth actually pointed to the centerfield wall in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series and subsequently bashed the ball over the far wall. Many fans and historians insist it happened and refuse to believe otherwise, while others just consider it another of baseball's tricky legends. Regardless, it is the stuff of baseball lore and the romantic among us choose to believe.

It's been 75 years since that happened. Here at the 2007 World Series (this one a poker event), Katja Thater called her shot last night. As she walked out of the Amazon Room at 3am, she paused long enough to recall her disappointing fifth place finish in the Ladies no-limit hold'em event. A fifth place this time, she said, was not an option in the $1,500 Razz event.

"One, two, or three," she said and strode confidently out into the hallway.

When Katja walked in today, I think there were a lot of people--myself included--who could see that she had changed her mind. Second or third wouldn't do either. She was going to win and there was no other option.

Early in the afternoon, as was reported in Men in the Men's, Katja was picking up pots right and left and plodding toward the chip lead. By the dinner break, she had it.

There were two stories working in the minds of the media today. First was the fast decline of Eskimo Clark's health at the final table. The second was the fact that two women were at final tables today and had a shot at bracelets. By the end of the day, Eskimo had survived to his fourth place finish and the other lady came in as the runner-up.

And so that left us with Katja Thater, the woman who started playing serious poker just eight years ago when she sat in for her sweetheart Jan Von Halle in a high stakes game. Since then, Katja has become a player with a talent all her own. After final tabling an EPT event this year, she went on to final table the Ladies Event at the 2007 World Series. And then she pounded her way through the Razz field to become the third Team PokerStars member to make at least two final tables in this year's Series. With Jan watching from a riser five feet above her, Katja spent the evening putting on a Razz clinic.



Once heads-up with a 4-1 chip lead, I noticed something amusing. Both Katja and Jan are very stoic Germans. No matter whether they have just busted out of an event or tripled up, the most emotion you'll see out of them is a shrug that says, "Well, how about that?"

However, with two players remaining, Jan's eyes lit up. He pressed on the rail hard enough that I feared he might crash down on the table. And when Katja got Larry St. jean all-in, Jan started his scramble toward the floor. By the time the final cards hit the table, Jan was pushing his way to Katja.

The look on his face was better than if he had just won a bracelet himself.

And then there was Katja. She stepped back from the table, took a deep breath, and then turned to a group of us assembled beside the table.

"Well, that's nice," she said.

I watched Jan dance around a little more, and then couldn't help asking, "Nice? You just won a World Series bracelet and all you've got for us is 'nice?'"

She shrugged. "Yah, nice."


Katja takes a deep breath after her win

There's a lot that happens when you win a bracelet here. There are a couple of ceremonies, a photo shoot, and a series of interviews and appearances. Through it all, Katja remained as stoic as she had been at the table all day long. When ESPN pressed her to talk about her role as a woman in poker, she politely rebuffed them. "It doesn't matter of you are black or white, young or old, man or woman. In poker, it's all the same."

I remembered she had been the same way in the Ladies Event. While other women broke down in tears when they survived an all-in, Katja never betrayed any emotion. Maybe, I thought, it was the nature of Razz. She spent three days working to make the worst possible hand and succeeded. She was, in a way, the winningest loser.


Katja receives her bracelet from WSOP Commissioner Jeffery Pollack


Katja gives an interview to ESPN

When it was all said and done, though, I saw Katja take a moment to herself. She had just defeated more than 300 other players and scored her first World Series victory for a cash of $132,653.

Although I don't have a picture, and though I wouldn't stake my bankroll on it, I swear...

I saw her wipe one tear from her eye.


Katja reluctantly shows off her new bracelet

Congratulations to Katja Thater for becoming the first member of Team PokerStars to win a bracelet in the 2007 World Series.

"How are you even still in this tournament?" I asked. It was a question I knew the answer to, but wanted to see how Terrence Chan responded.

Terrence is a guy who rarely takes a lot of credit for anything and takes bad beats as well as just about anybody. Still, the kind of pots he was losing after getting in ahead with aces and kings were enough to send just about anybody to the rail.

Terrence just shrugged as he is known to do. He mused briefly, "Lose a big pot with aces, lose a big pot with kings..." He didn't finish.

I didn't want to blow too much sunshine, but I couldn't help but tell him that the reason he was still in was because he was playing about as well as he possibly could...and for a guy who is wicked-smart, that's pretty damned well.

In fact, in the past two days, I've only seen Terrence suck out once, and that beat wasn't even that bad. Now, he's sitting among the final six players in the $2,500 short-handed no-limit hold'em event. This will be his second World Series final table, and first this year.

Good luck tomorrow, Terrence. Win one for the good guys.

Some of the finest reporting coming out of the World Series--or at least the most entertaining--has just come from underneath a men's room stall door. In for a quick break, I saw Men the Master heading into the stall. His feet turned forward, there was a moment of silence, and then came a string of phrases that involved some Vietnamese, a rundown of Razz starting hands, and a repeated use of the phrase "That lady."

That lady is undoubtedly Katja Thater, Men's one-time tablemate at the $1,500 Razz final table. After pulling a Razz version of Babe Ruth and vowing to place in the top three, Katja has started her way toward making good on her promise. In the past couple hours, she's taken over the chip lead and sent Men on bathroom tilt.

Razz is a tilty game by its nature. Just before I came in to type, I watched Eskimo Clark (a whole other story of near-death and a battle against the World Series and his own failing health) turn into a tilty mess of chip and card throwing. Much of his animosity seems aimed at the dealer, which, as misdirected as it is, is better than throwing cards at Katja. She's shown she's not one with whom to trifle in poker or any other venue. Not only that, but her sweetheart Jan is a big man and looking down from a riser five feet above the table.



***

In the $2,500 No-Limit short-handed event, Terrence Chan's fortune has been a thing to watch. After doubling up early in the day, he lost half his stack in a AK vs QQ battle. He made Broadway on the river, but the QQ had boated up. At the 2000/4000/500 level, he sat on around 100,000 chips.

Still, he battled on and played a rather aggressive game that was only softened by the fact that he was forced to spend a couple seconds every hand making change for Vinnie Vinh. For the second time this year, Vinh has made Day 2 of an event and failed to show up. When he was finally blinded down to nothing and all-in, Terrence offered the empty chair a simple, "Good luck, Vinnie."

On the other side of the stack, Mimi Tran said, "Well played, Vinnie."

In the middle of the last level, Chan had worked his stack back up to a playable level and got involved in a big hand with Hoyt Corkins. After leading on a flop of 2dKc6d, Terrence check-raised Hoyt all-in on the Td turn. Hoyt tanked for five minutes before mucking. Terrence's stack sat at more than 400,000 with a 282,000 average and 15 players left in the event.



Now, it's time to head back out and see how Men's Men's Room Report is going.

Twenty-some years ago, if someone said "heads up," I'd be looking for the ball that was about to fall on my head. For the past ten years, if someone said "heads up," I would think about poker. These days, as a daddy, I can't hear the words "heads up" without thinking about a Disney show my kid watched called "Johnny and the Sprites." The song goes, in part:

Heads up! Look out for a crazy day!
Heads up! For a new game to play!
Heads up! Cause ya never know the next thing that a Sprites gonna do!
And the next big thing just might happen to you!

Now, it might just be the fatigue or the sense that everything around here is one big hallucination, but I think I'm going to vote for this to be the official theme song of today's $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Heads Up Championship.

This is the kind of event that draws the cream of the crop, not to mention a few sprites.


Daniel Negreanu in his match with Freddy Deeb


Isabelle Mercier heads up against John Phan


Joe Hachem facing off against William "BrettFavre" Jensen


Steve Paul-Ambrose


Victor Ramdin

This event is sort of an experiment-in-progress for the World Series, so saying anything definitive on it is ill-advised. For now, we'll see who makes it through to round two and go from there.

In other news, Katja Thater has just sat down at the final table of the $1,500 Razz event and is vowing to place in the top three. If she can do it, she'll better her fifth place finish in the Ladies Event last week. Regardless, she becomes the third member of Team PokerStars this year to make more than one final table.

Terrence Chan, though not an official member of Team PokerStars, has a lot of history with the site and spends a lot of time playing the high-limit cash games. Today, he came into Day 2 of the $2,500 short-handed event with a near-average stack. That changed when he re-raised an early-position raise and call. The original raiser folded, but the caller moved all-in with AQo. Terrence called quickly with two black aces and doubled up to around 210,000 in chips--a better than average stack and one that is dangerous under Terrence's control.

"I thought you were squeezin'," Terrence's opponent moaned.

For now, although mid-afternoon here, this day is just beginning. And I can't get Johnny and the Sprites out of my head.

"Heads up! Look out for a crazy day!"

Updated below

Monday counts as likely the oddest day I have ever spent covering tournament poker. It's fair to say that I end most days here saying, "Well, I guess I've seen it all now." And then, the next day, something else happens.

It seemed that the entire room was on tilt today. Not just the people in the room. The room itself. Early in the day, I heard one woman verbally disembowel an opponent after he told her she was taking too long to make decisions. Late in the night, I watched as another woman stood and in a voice loud enough to be heard across the room ask a chronically-stalling Men the Master, "Who do you think you are?" That was the tame stuff.

The room was a surreal circus today as one player ignored his failing health--and perhaps failing consciousness--and kept his seat in the $1,500 Razz event over the protestations of...just about everybody. Another player in the $2,500 short-handed no-limit hold'em event spent the day on a manic, coffee-spilling, around-the-room marching tirade of cinematic proportions. That was certainly not the tame stuff.

And that left the poker. The day began well as Barry Greenstein took me along for the ride on a multi-tabling adventure that became Seventeen Steps With Barry Greenstein. The room was also abuzz with word of two world champions playing together at the same short-handed table. That became Champion vs. Champion.

All that was left tonight was the after-midnight epilogue. When the short-handed event hit the money, Barry Greenstein was still alive, thanks in part to some hyper-aggressive bubble play. His day ended just before the end of the last level. Short-stacked, he pushed all-in with A9, got called by K9. His hand didn't hold and he headed out to get ready for tomorrow's $5,000 heads-up championship.

The story of the tournament at that point, however, was that of Terrence Chan. His life and times have been oft-chronicle on this blog. All day long, I watched him hang around looking for his spots. Just before the bubble burst, he started picking up lots of chips and looked to go deep. Right after the bubble burst, he played a hand against Joe Tehan that had most of the media scrambling to figure out what happened. After coming in for a raise with QQ, Terrence faced a small re-raise from Tehan. Terrence put in a third raise and Tehan immediately moved in. Terrence's brain works in a way I'm not sure mine ever will. In went his call in what was likely the biggest pot of the day. Tehan had been making a move with pocket fives. As they say, nothing bad happened and Terrence found himself at the top of the leaderboard.

That joy only lasted for a few minutes. Just a while later, he got aces in against Tehan's queens pre-flop. A queen on the flop cost Terrence a 220,000 chip pot and the spot as chip-leader.

Still, as the night ends, Terrence ha a near-average stack with around 40 players remaining.


Terrence Chan, back when his stack was...smaller

Also at work today was Team PokerStars Katja Thater. She managed to endure the oddest and most frustrating tournament of the day and cashed in the $1,500 Razz event.



At this hour (2:00am PDT) Katja is still alive in the event with 14 players remaining. There has not yet been a decision made about whether the final table will play out tonight or tomorrow.

Manic Monday is now gone. What happens on Tuesday...we'll just have to wait and see.

Update: Katja Thater has made her second final table of the 2007 World Series. Today at 3pm she will sit down with seven other Razz masochists to fight for the bracelet. It's only been a week since Katja took fifth in the Ladies event. Tonight, she said she plans to place higher. "One, two, or three," she said. Good luck, Katja!

"Why are you watching this table?" a friend asked me as I sat watching one six-handed table for an inordinate amount of time.

The question was a joke. Although the field was stacked, the table in the middle of the room was The Table worth watching.

"It's the first time Greg and I have ever drawn a table together," said Joe Hachem.

It was the six-handed $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event and two of the players at the table, Hachem and Greg Raymer, had won the Main Event in the past four years. Not only that, but wunderkind Jason Strasser sat there, too.

Lest you think the champions, both members of Team PokerStars, were soft-playing each other, consider this exchange after Hachem bluffed Raymer out of a pot.

Raymer: "Hachem showed me the bluff."
Hachem: "I was just having some fun. If you hadn't given me the little speech, I would've mucked.
Raymer: "I'm glad I gave the speech then. Now I know what that little twitch means."

It was not long after that when The Table finally broke. Hachem, with a less than stellar stack, turned to me and said, "I want this on the record. In the history of me moving tables when short-stacked, I last two hands on average."

That statistic alone made my decision on who I was following. Hachem ended up at a talkative table where, apparently, the bad beats had been falling right and left.

The dealer went to work and Hachem turned around to say, "That's two hands." Noting my notebook, he said, "I'm deliberately folding."

Hachem had not been picking up cards. In six hours of play, he'd only seen two pocket pairs. Once he called a raise with 77 and had to fold on the flop. The second time, he had pocket kings in the big blind. Everybody folded to him.

Now, at a new table that was impressed by his celebrity, he seemed intent going to work. When a player opened for 1,110 under the gun, Hachem moved all-in from the button for 4,300. When the player fell into deep thought, Hachem said, "Come on. Fold! You'll have a story to tell: 'I let the world champion live!'"

His opponent mucked.

A British fellow in the three seat pointed to me. "Make a note of this," he said, "He's bullying the table and he just sat down."

Since it seemed Hachem had the table under control, I wandered over to Raymer's table to find most of his chips moving into the hands of erstwhile poker force Vinnie Vinh. Raymer was headed for the cash security boxes soon thereafter.

Hachem's fate would not be much better. Upon my return, he'd run into aces and muttered a simple, "Of course."

The news, however, is not all bad. At the dinner break, Barry Greenstein (fresh off his seventeen step poker program), remained in the $2,500 event with an average stack. Also alive were Bill Chen and Terrence Chan, friends who were also forced to sit together for a while today.

In other news, Team PokerStars' Katka Thater has battled her way deep into the $1,500 Razz event and has chips as they near the bubble.

We should also mention that comedian and PokerStars friend Norm MacDonald finished in 20th place in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em today.

Finally, if you'd like a different take on the action here, I'd encourage you to check out some of PokerStars other blogs:

German Poker Blog
Swedish Poker Blog
Portuguese Poker Blog
PokerStars.net Blog

Barry Greenstein is wearing a comfortable pair of rubber-soled black slip-ons. In a juking running back-style gait, it is 17 of his steps from Table 34 to Table 58. Like Ladanian Tomlinson, his eyes are never set short. He's looking 30 feet away at his next move.

Greenstein is the only member of Team PokerStars who is currently enjoying a literal translation of the phrase "on the move." Isabelle Mercier had exited at 2:48pm, mid-way through Level 3. Joe Hachem is having the hell beat out of him by a male masseuse. Joe's arms are bright red against his tattered t-shirt. The masseuse is sweating and looks like he's in Round 4 of a prize fight. Greg Raymer is chatting at the other end of the table. Vanessa Rousso is in the middle of a heated argument with a youngster at her table. If they still have chips, all of them--except Barry--are stuck to their seats.

Barry is on the move and wearing a seventeen-step path in the Amazon Room carpet.

***

Last night, he'd really figured to be busto. At the end of the night, he had 2,200 chips in the $1,500 Razz event. "They wouldn't let me bust out," he said over a hand of high stakes Chinese poker at 3am.

Now, as is his wont, he is in the middle of the 12pm $2,500 NL Short-Handed event. He has more than doubled his stack and sits on 11,600 in chips.

Greenstein in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Short-Handed event

And now, he has a decision to make. With only 2,200 chips in the Razz event, he is shorter than short. The ante is 100, the bring-in is 100, and the betting levels are 400/800.

"I only have enough for one hand," he said.

It's only the first or second hand after the Razz cards go in the air and Barry has xx/73. His bet takes the pot, and before I can ask him what he had in the hole, he's juking his way through the seventeen-step trip back to Table 34 where his NL Short-handed stack waits. He has just missed his big blind but makes it into his seat in time to play his small blind. The button raises to 1,600 and Barry, with nary a thought, puts his entire stack in the middle. He has the guy covered, but losing the hand would not be good for his stack's survivability.

A man at the next table stands up. His name is Raymond. "Barry, did you even look?!!" he yells. It is, maybe, a little inappropriate, but Barry handles it well. And, it turns out to be irrelevant. The button folded after a moment of thought.

I'm not even sure Barry stacked his chips before running--no, now sprinting--back to Table 54's Razz game. And then he's back to Table 34 to play his button. And then back to Razz. This all happens in the span of 30 seconds and I am, despite an early morning regimen of exercise, am winded.

Barry is smiling. It's a wide, genuine smile of someone who is legitimately having fun. He looks down at the Razz table and says, "Let's see how good a job I can do of not missing a hand here." And then he turns to his tablemates and says, "You know why I'm playing two tournaments? Because they didn't have three going on."

The laughter at his table is more than polite. It, too, is genuine. This is, I assume, as much fun to do as it is to watch.

***

I notice that Barry has copies of "Ace on the River" under both chairs. He does more than sign the copies for the people who bust him out. He actually records the winner's hand and his own hand for posterity. It's a gesture that is more than marketing for his book. When people get the book, it's a symbol that they broke one of the best.

For now, though, Barry is intent on not signing either book for a while. In fact, now back at his short-handed table, he yells across to the next table.

"Raymond, next time I don't look at my hand, don't say anything okay?" he says.

This, I think, is maybe the most interesting move he's made yet. Not only is Barry running back and forth every 20 seconds, he's taking the time to play the meta game against the guy who tried to steal his blinds a few minutes before. Now, the button must be left wondering if Barry had a hand when he re-raised all-in, or whether he was re-stealing with junk. His jawing at Raymond could mean either. I know what he held, but I'm not telling, because heaven knows, the last thing I need to be doing today is mucking up Barry's meta game. He's in the middle of a biathlon and I'm just doing my best to not get run over.

Even ESPN's Norman Chad has stepped in to note this action. Coming from the Worldwide Leader in sports, Chad has taken out his notebook and is recording Barry's trips back and forth. Barry quips during one of his passes, "You've got to be in good shape to play poker." It will prove, in just a few minutes, to be more prescient than even Barry realizes.

But for now, he's picked up an ace in the Razz game. His hole cards must be junk, though, because he's waited until it's his turn to act, mucked, and ran off to Table 34, calling behind him, "Notice, I've never folded out of turn."

***

Barry has been anted down to 1,700 when he picks up a king and has to bring it in for 100. He knows that he can't take too much more. The only comfort he can take is that he doesn't have a lot of decisions to make. "I know on third street whether I'm going all the way or not."

For now, though, he's not going anywhere. Tournament Director Chris Spears has mysteriously and unexpectedly called for an unscheduled break. "Complete the hand you're on. We have to take a break."

This gives Barry time to play a few hands of hold'em and wonder, like the rest of us, why Spears called the action to a halt. Barry is still smiling. "There's been a bomb scare in the Razz event." He thinks for a second, and then adds, "Which is not surprising because Razz does lead to mental instability."

We learn within a few minutes that the break was forced by a possible medical emergency. A few of us raise our eyebrows, because it's only been a few days since a medical emergency forced the stoppage of a stud hi-lo event. Our eyebrows raise even higher when we learn that today's medical emergency is brought to us by...the very same player. Apparently undaunted by his first ambulance trip, the player--well-known in poker circles, but I'm not going to use his name here--is back in action...well, perhaps on his way to being out of commission.

Someone, and I'm not going to say who, mused, "X walked out of the hospital when he couldn't find anyone to play cards with him."

I laugh, because it's probably true. But I also can't help but wonder if we aren't actually going to see somebody die at this World Series. The concern seems evident in the eyes of the TDs as well. They are huddled together in an impromptu meeting--one that has, to Barry's chagrin--blocked his egress from Table 58.

With a few minor adjustments in his strategy, Barry forms a new path to Table 34 and worries whether he might bowl over one of the cocktail servers who have appeared in the new path.

That's when I notice that Barry, while having fun, is caught up in mass of calculations that has nothing to do with cards. He's working on the timing of his seventeen steps, plotting the time it takes the dealers to scramble the cards, and taking advantage of dealer change delays. When the dealers at both of his tables push in at the exact same time, Barry mutters, "That's a bad beat."

The medical emergency now apparently resolved--the afflicted player is back in the one seat and requesting a blanket--the Razz event is back underway and Barry is now picking up raising hands. Showing a 7, he comes in for a raise and gets called by Annie Duke's 3. He checks when he pulls an ace on fourth street. Annie bets out and Barry, flashing me an ace in the hole, mucks.

Razz is maddening sometimes.

***

For a moment, I can't tell if it is stress or adrenaline that's tightening up Barry's face and loosening up his game. Before I have time to ponder it further, Barry is joking again, laughing out loud, and seeming to enjoy every second of his seventeen step program.

Back at the Razz table, somebody comes in for a raise with a three and Barry pops him back with a seven showing. Annie calls with a four, and the original raiser calls as well. It's clear, regardless of what Barry's holding, the rest of his chips are going in the middle. The inevitability plays itself out. When the guy pairs one of his cards on fifth street, it looks like Barry's hand has a chance. However, by the river, the guy has made a 65432 and Barry's two-tabling is done.

It is at this moment that Barry slows down for the first time in an hour. Seeming for a moment to completely forget the other event, Barry reaches beneath his chair, grabs "Ace on the River" and autographs the book for a man named Jeff Campbell. Barry prints out the 65432 in the inside cover and hands it to the man who broke him. The gratitude on Campbell's face is genuine.

Barry now casually walks back to the no-limit event. He has only lost 1,300 chips in the time he's been running back and forth--no worse, and maybe even better than having sat there and endured a cold run of cards.

There are people who might look on Barry's two-tabling as unconcerned silliness. One look at Barry's face as he resumes his game would prove otherwise. He seems truly disappointed he couldn't make it happen in the Razz event.

"That was too bad," he says and sits back down at Table 34.

Too bad, yes, Barry. But, it was the most fun I've had watching someone play poker in years.

Conspicuous in his early absence at the World Series was Team PokerStars' 2005 champ Joe Hachem. I was aware he was coming in this weekend, but wasn't sure which event he'd jump into upon his arrival.

It turned out to be today's $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em short-handed event. His starting table was a dubious welcoming committee. In the two-seat sat 2004 champ Greg Raymer. In the six-seat was the always dangerous Jason Strasser.

Hachem stares down Raymer

"Bradley!" Hachem called, just seconds before getting involved in a hand with both Raymer and Strasser.

"Joseph," I returned, then let him get back to the take at hand. There's no time for greetings when a bracelet is at stake and the competition is so stiff.

Speaking off tough tables, just a few steps away, Isabelle Mercier and Barry Greenstein sat right next to each other. Mercier chastised me for my brief vacation from Vegas while Greenstein tried to build a stack that can rest while he finishes off his stack in yesterday's Razz event. Late last night, I saw Greenstein in a Chinese game after breaking from the Razz tournament.

"I've got 2,200," he said. "They wouldn't let me bust out."


Greenstein in the middle of another multi-tabling day

Around the room, more familiar faces stuck out at the tables.


Vaness Rousso


Victor Ramdin

Here in just about an hour, Day 2 of the $1,500 Razz event will get underway with a lot of names from Team PokerStars. We'll be on hand to watch people beat their heads against the wall for that one, too.

Now, back to the Raymer and Hachem show.

Now here's a scene you don't see everyday outside of the silver screen. The producer and stars of Hollywood blockbuster 'Ocean's Thirteen' taking time out to sign a PokerStars' poker baize and copies of the movie on DVD. The stellar cast was reunited at the Hotel Du Cap in Cannes, France, while attending the movie’s worldwide premiere, to sign the prizes for our third 'Ocean's Thirteen Charity Tournament', to show their appreciation for PokerStars' involvement in the charity Not On Our Watch (see below).

This was the first time the cast had all gathered together for a photo call since shooting the movie poster. Also in attendance was Team PokerStars' 2005 World Champion Joe Hachem, who gladly offered up playing tips to the stars, in particular Don Cheadle and Matt Damon who turned up early to meet the champ. Visit the PokerStars Gallery page to see more photos.

The cast and crew of the movie are all keen poker players, and had a poker room built on the movie lot to entertain themselves when they weren't shooting. But this time the stakes were much higher...

Producer Jerry Weintraub, together with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle, have together launched the charity Not On Our Watch to help raise awareness of the suffering in Darfur, the western region of Sudan, Africa.

The plight there is very real -- hundreds of thousands of people there have lost their lives due to the ongoing instability in the region, and millions more have been displaced and are entirely reliant on international aid for their survival.

It's a situation that requires help -- and fast. And that's exactly what PokerStars and its players have provided. First, PokerStars donated $1 million to the charity. Then it ran two charity re-buy tournaments. Not only did it donate the entire prize pool created by its players to NOOW, but it also matched it!

PokerStars players' efforts have been fantastic so far. And, for their charitable efforts, eight of the players -- with guests -- have attended the 'Ocean's Thirteen' premieres in both Cannes and Los Angeles. Other winners will receive copies of the DVD when it goes on general release.

The prize for the third 'Ocean's Thirteen Charity Tournament' will be no less spectacular. The winner will receive a signed baize, framed.

Details of the tournament will be revealed soon. But don't miss this chance to join PokerStars and the producer and cast of 'Ocean's Thirteen' in helping to stop the suffering in Darfur.

If you want to donate direct to the charity it couldn't be easier. To transfer funds simply go to the main lobby, then to Requests, and drop down to Transfer Funds. Type in the User ID NOOW and the amount you wish to donate. The funds will then be taken from your account and credited to the charity. All money will go directly to the charity and PokerStars will match all funds donated!

NOTICE: Any money contributed to Not On Our Watch through PokerStars may not be considered a tax-deductible donation in some jurisdictions.

As has become almost a custom in the big PokerStars events, the online poker giant guaranteed 150 World Series Main Event seat packages in its mega-sat and the players blew the guarantee away. Tonight, PokerStars awarded 220 World Series Main Event seat packages in its big mega satellite. Congratulations to the follow players for winning their chance at the World Series Main Event bracelet.

SWEETS
Built2Last
arulx
cantona
GROGAN
steveg12
Barolo
jade royal
alessio
bostoner
Tommie
StuDaKid
jimmysplunky
Loosealot
lucky karma
C_Jay_M
lexwilly
MarktheShark
paigedunn
DonaldTrump
Jillybean
gobears
l'artiste
sully7
mde147
betgo
IAMTHEBIGDOG
Bent Arrow
ibiza007
Joseba
VoodooChild1
BorisKarloff
Gowon
Raidan909
MoneyMan29
df1986
DoctorIn2010
Mr_Farfles
slummer
kqnd
NCFIXER
BadVoodoo
chil03
Denroid
dannyboy2
oscar acosta
danistar5
Shadwims
rqsa
Dublin1
JasonGray
AceSpades11
XTedForrestX
AirikF50
dirtay8
Racecar_Rob
Pokerr Wiz
ImFromMU
Hadro
spidern90
AaronLoew
tollamus
FedexG
Pothog23
oshan2
San Petros
jnb31
jae11
Fischer80
vikes85
wynn1365
urodoc
Fuel55
BeechSquad
laserboy11
AL__BEANS
cheers98
Kaptein Miki
Balmix
nailman1
LXIXME17
danimalx
inorout22
DrEskilstuna
THEPIRAT
CharlieSh
g3nius
AAlimper
smurph31
adsonvonmelk
apegod
RAYKEN56
irishdolly22
vouna
VonBear
edin0001
delegator
NaysOne
twopairlover
aces5758
bigredAK
janetlee123
EasyCompanE
shinanguag
program1
K5os
mural
Cassja
mabiekim
Abes Boy 27
sinphx
Periphetes
thekingsweed
vor1p
PowellJam
VegasGQ
AFCAJAX
Blucer
Pede25
BADMF17
scorpio04
djerberg-dk
robdeforge
Blarney888
Hank10-2
Freakshp1o17
schwertner2
MobyD21
Rick BFA
CRUSH701
stiesnking
MiamiVice65
ashton155
miko555
eaglesfan71
Zpaceman
COC11
A.Brandon
ErnieNorman
Allingomes
mitojr
PolishGreat
moneyymakerr
jchasek
Skintz
thiggins26
gunning4you
sergiobraga1
rtz84
i_like_flops
Medrakil
pondoc
IBluffUOut4
hopjes
Mr_Bribe
stingray2307
ANGEL660
Supa4real
BigRoofus
paymenow66
dbruun
shg18
malex19
javachip
viva_444
TIEDINKNOTS
mantilaro
deviass
The Goott
camera2
quigs80
BadcardsAA
barny156
micaninho
What_a_liar
gmanrom
Whoizhe2
cughes
The Jademan®
bones2g
RJA34
DONKEYHERDER
ig2609
FrozenVeins
tinatiger
Samuel032
TomCowley
madpeepers
Firka
fyb2006
LTD_CA1
JLeezy11
guffagirl
skpster75
Ricechex2
maxit11
spiral1982
adrian40
GRATTAN23
Mourinho99
luckbox777
YingAndYang
nihanstain
EASY DZ
lendusachip
DoWorkSon7
-IriSh-cH0p-
Handsome SOB
LuckySharkPT
Kennethmedh
frank2109
sick_rådi
shipopatamus
snowman_013
USCphildo
dangdang187
TheNutz2004
TourneyRiise
Pekegang
gabriella07

In Dallas, storms pounded DFW airport. It was so bad, at least as rumor had it, that the airport actually shut down for two hours this morning. The line for the flight to Vegas was as deep as the number of seats on the plane--deeper, even--and nobody but me seemed to care to muse about how Benny Binion would've handled such a situation. There, in the A terminal, hundreds of salivating gamblers were dying to get on a plane and couldn't. Rain stopped all progress. Word on the street had been that the Dallas PD (or "po-po" as a local card slinger had taken to calling them) had been enjoying an all-out assault on poker rooms. It all reminded me that Benny left the fair city years ago when his sheriff lost the election. Since then, the Binion legacy--even such as it is now under Harrah's control--remains a product of Las Vegas and not Dallas. It may be called Texas Hold'em, but the game's championship is right here in the Rio.

Five days respite outside Nevada state lines have done nothing to cool the air here. It's hot in only a way a desert can be. Anthony Holden's new book "Bigger Deal" reminded me that his fellow author Jim McManus once referred to it as holding a hair dryer a couple inches from one's nostrils. And that's just about right. I would only had that one would need a second hair dryer for the eyes.

The desert stretches in so many acres outside of this neon city, it's improper to simply call it vast. It's impossibly vast. It's a dry forever, where miles and miles stretch like an old lady's skin--liverspotted and cracking--and then more miles and miles are as windblown and smooth as an ice skating rink. Solitary mountains rise up from the flatlands and cast purple shadows over the scrub and remind us--at least those of us looking from 25,000 feet--that there are still places in America where nobody lives.

And then, when you hit that special spot on Flamingo, you realize there is still a place in Las Vegas where seemingly every poker player on earth has chosen to spend part of his or her summer. It is here at the World Series where records are still being broken. It is here at the World Series where poker players will continue to vie for a prize so coveted, they are willing to...well, they are willing to do almost anything.

I did not, sadly, return to find friends at the final tables running today. It was for that reason only I cut my Father's Day weekend short and landed here in Sin City (can we still call it that?) with typing fingers ready. Alas, it was not to be. However, as I told some friends upon my landing, when you look out across the desert and see that fabled capital "n" Nothing, you can choose to look at is a place where nothing exists...or nothing exists yet.

Or, choose your own glass half full/half empty scenario. They all apply here in this place where, on many days, hope is as valuable as chips. Team PokerStars' and its minions have already had a great Series. Final tables have been graced with names like Raymer (twice), Greenstein, Paul-Ambrose, ElkY, Thater, and Brenes (three times!). I have little doubt the ethereal pages of this blog will see more of those names and more from Team PokerStars in the coming days. What's more, there are tons of other PokerStars players here with their eyes on the same bracelets. That is to say nothing of the hundreds of PokerStars qualifiers who will converge on Las Vegas in a couple weeks for the Main Event.

There is a great opportunity here for one to become jaded, to begin to doubt one's self, or begin to doubt the game the brings everybody together. It's a fatigue that can only be described and understood by people who have actually felt it. Those same people know, though, that all it takes is one...good...day to turn it all around.

And so, we begin again. ESPN has taken a short break and returned. The PokerStars Blog has taken a short break and returned. Now begins 30 days in the desert in which any scenario is not too wild to consider. In just the first week here, we saw a well-known pro collapse at the table and leave in an ambulance. We saw another pro leave Day 1 with a chip lead and never return.

It's the World Series...and we're back.

Just 12 hours remain in my time away from the arid confines of Las Vegas. By this time tomorrow, I will be back on the tournament floor and digging for the stories, back stories, and tall tales that come out of the World Series.

Also by that time, PokerStars' mega World Series satellite will be underway. No fewer than 150 Main Event packages will be given away tomorrow afternoon starting at 4:30 ET. The mega sat is running in place of the Sunday Million, so it's sure to be a monster. To register, click on Tourney/Special in the tournament lobby.

If you're one of those people already planning for a trip to Vegas, you're in for quite a time. Despite a lot of hand-wringing about the events' numbers falling off, the World Series is still breaking records. As for the Main Event, we'll just have to wait and see.

This weekend, Team PokerStars' has been working hard to continue its insane run at final table performances. Here's a look around the floor, courtesy of our friends at ImageMasters Photography.

Isabelle Mercier


Daniel Negreanu


Bill Chen


Katja Thater


Vanessa Rousso


Greg Raymer


Victor Ramdin


Isabelle Mercier....again

We'll see y'all in Vegas.

It was a monster day for Team PokerStars at the World Series. Today alone, four members of the Team spread out around three final tables.

Team PokerStars' newest member Daniel Negreanu attacked the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em shootout event and made it all the way to the final table. After an aggressive assault on the final nine players, Negreanu ended up finishing in third place for a cool $101,351.

Daniel Negreanu mugs for the camera

2004 World Series champ Greg Raymer has already made his second final table of this year's Series. After taking sixth place in the $1,500 stud event a few days ago, Raymer came right back and took fourth in the $2,000 Stud Eight-or-Better event for $41,460.


Raymer in the stud event

Just the other night, ElkY made a hard run through a massive no-limit hold'em field and ended up going out in 21st place. His answer to that was turning around and entering the next no-limit event. Today, he played at the $2,500 no-limit hold'em final table. While he finished ninth, he still won an impressive $29,124.

And in a grand attempt to bury the lead, let's talk a bit about Humberto Brenes. He's now played six events at this year's World Series and made the final tables of three of them. Today, he sat at the same final table as ElkY and placed seventh for $55,918.

So far this year, Team PokerStars has seen all of these people, plus Barry Greestein ($1,500 stud), Katja Thater ($1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em) and Steve Paul-Ambrose ($5,000 Mixed Hold'em) at final tables. The Team alone, not counting Supernovas and other big PokerStars players, has filled nine seats at final tables in just the first week and a half of play.

As I enjoy just a couple days respite with my family, I'm wondering who will be sitting at the final table when I touch back down in Vegas.

If Humberto does it again, I'm going to have to brush up on my Spanish so I can start getting a better feel for what's actually happening. I don't know how you say "rush" in español, but I think it rhymes with Humberto.

Brenes, Thater, ElkY, Raymer, Negreanu--ALL make final tables!

Even the business types around the World Series know that people need a breather after a while. If you wander the hallways outside the main tournament area, you'll find an oxygen bar where anyone can sit down for a snoot-full of prettied-up air.

Oxygen bar at the World Series

As it happens, ESPN is taking a breather this week and the PokerStars Blog (that is, I) decided it would be a good few days to recharge the batteries outside of Sin City. Of course, what happens when I leave the cool and comfortable confines of the Rio? That's right, we have ANOTHER final table featuring TWO members of team PokerStars.

Last night, ElkY and Humberto Brenes both made the final table of the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event that began on Monday. Yeah, that's right. For the second time this year, two members of Team PokerStars have made the same final table (the first was a few days ago when Barry Greenstein and Greg Raymer made the $1,500 Stud final table).



Now, that's a pretty amazing accomplishment in itself. However, there's something even more significant going on here. Humberto Brenes has played six tournaments so far at this year's World Series. He's made the final table of three of them. It's been more than a decade since Humberto won a World Series bracelet. This year, he seems bent on making it happen. He just placed third in the Pot-Limit Hold'em championship a few days ago. Today, he'll be taking another shot at putting a third bracelet on his wrist.


Humberto Part Three--in 3D?

And that's not all. Last night, Greg Raymer made the final table of the $2,000 Stud Hi-Lo event (his second stud final table this year!) and Daniel Negreanu made his first final table of the year in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em shootout!

Last night, Team PokerStars' Katja Thater, recognized in the media as far and away the best player on the final table, had a rough run of luck and ended up placing fifth for $49,151 in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em ladies re-buy event.



So, congratulations to Katja for her great run yesterday, and good luck to Elky and Humberto today!

For most people, getting to walk the red carpet at a Hollywood premiere is something that they'll only see on TV. For four PokerStars players, it became a reality at the American premiere of "Ocean's Thirteen."

James Bryce, Larry Fisher, Fred Halling, and Po Han were the winners among the hundreds of players who played in PokerStars Ocean's Thirteen Darfur Charity tournaments. PokerStars matched the tournaments' buy-ins and re-buys and added those to its $1 million donation to Not On Our Watch, a charity formed by the cast members and producer of the film to aid the suffering in Darfur. Just a couple of weeks before, four other players had won tournaments to attend the film's premiere in Cannes.



As the top four players in their Ocean's Thirteen charity tournament, Bryce, Fisher, Halling, Han, and their guests were treated to a night on the town in Hollywood with Isabelle Mercier and Vanessa Rousso. The night began with cocktails hors d'ouveres at the Sofitel hotel. Soon, they found themselves in a stretch Hummer H3 limo which carted them off to Hollywood Boulevard. They arrived to find the street closed for the premiere and a block-long red carpet leading to Grauman's Chinese Theater. Thousands of fans peered down from risers across the street while paparazzi snapped photos.





Once outside under the lights, the PokerStars winners saw many of the film's stars, got to walk the red carpet, and watch the premiere of the film. Later, the group headed off to party where they saw Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, George Clooney, Ellen Barkin, Don Cheadle, Shaobo Qin, Eddie Jemison, and Casey Affleck.



It was a night the group will not soon forget. Winner Larry Fisher said, "I think any event that benefits charity is a good thing, and then to have such wonderful prizes for the winners tops it off. It's also great that more than one person can win such an event, as it probably wouldn't have been as much fun without all the others that went."

Congratulations to the winners of the event and thanks to all the people who supported the charity tournaments to aid Darfur.

It's been a good summer for Katja Thater. It's only been a few days since her sweetheart Jan Von Halle made the final table of the $1,000 no-limit hold'em event. Now, Katja is headed to her own final.

Just minutes ago, Katja and eight other ladies finished up for the day after making the final nine of the No-Limit Hold'em Ladies event. Katja has already had one final table finish on the European Poker Tour this year. Now, she's looking to win her first World Series bracelet.

Jan was on the rail as Katja finished up today and rushed into the tournament area to give Katja a big kiss. I can't say for sure, but Jan certainly looked like he was happier now than when he made a final table of his own.

You might also know that Jan runs the German blog for PokerStars, so you can be sure to find German language coverage on at the PokerStars German Blog tomorrow.

Congrats, Katja!

In the regular workaday world, Mondays are cause for concern. They mark the beginning of what is sure to be another five days in the dog-eat-dog worker bee world. In poker, especially at the World Series, Mondays are merely another day in the life. The only difference you can see is the tourists have all gone home to the real world.

This Monday begins with a lot of promise. First thing this morning, I found myself in a small conference room at the Rio with Daniel Negreanu. Monday marked the official announcement that Daniel was joining the ranks of Team PokerStars. Munching on a veggie sandwich and fussing with a Wii system in the corner, Daniel was all smiles as Barry Greenstein handed him a brand new PokerStars shirt and hat. For more, check out: Daniel Negreanu joins Team PokerStars.

I also had a chance to talk to Barry Greenstein a bit this morning. If you read The Forgotten Final Table, you know that Barry was one of the dissenters in the vote to go to sleep before playing the Stud final table the other morning. Most of the people at the table wanted to take a break. Barry didn't. At the time he said he wanted to play the $5,000 Limit Hold'em event the next day. Today he revealed that his reasoning was a bit more devious. He said when he realized that some of the people were vehemently opposed to playing on, he stepped up his efforts to finish off the game that night. His reasoning was simple: If his opponents were mad about having to play, they wouldn't play as well. "It's a pretty cut-throat way to look at the world," he conceded,but, that's poker, eh?

Greenstein has chips going into Day 2 of the $5,000 Limit event today. I'm wondering how well he'll concentrate. His girlfriend Alex Vuong has gone deep in the $2,500 HORSE event and starts the day as the only woman left in the event.



In other great news to start the day, Team PokerStars' Katja Thater begins Day 2 of the ladies event as one of the chip leaders. A few minutes ago, I saw something that I may not be able to convey properly in words.

Katja, a beautiful woman who also boasts a stern poker face, sat at the table with her face on. She doesn't crack a smile. She shows zero emotion. At the same time, at the other end of her table, a girl breaks into tears when her hand...holds up. Holds up.

For some reason, and I'll let you decide what it is, I think Katja has a good shot at a final table today.



Mondays are fun-days here at the World Series. If you don't believe me, come see for yourself.

This morning, PokerStars announced the arrival of poker legend Daniel Negreanu as the latest addition to Team PokerStars.

Negreanu is widely accepted as one of poker’s true legends. His ability to read players, spot the best action and mentor fresh talent -- in addition to his 'nice guy' table image – have made him a household name, both in poker circles and beyond.

Barry Greenstein welcomes Daniel to Team PokerStars

The Toronto native moved to Las Vegas aged 23 to become a professional poker player. At the 1997 World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, Negreanu took down back-to-back titles earning himself the Best Player Award.

Since then he has added three World Series of Poker bracelets to his trophy haul, winning his first in 1998 (in the first WSOP event he had ever entered) at the age of 23, making him the youngest bracelet winner ever at that time. Negreanu has also been a dominant figure on the World Poker Tour, winning two titles and also boasting more top three finishes than any other player.

A perennially popular player, Negreanu was named the World Series of Poker "Player of the Year" in 2004 and "Favorite Poker Player" by Card Player Magazine in February 2006.


Humberto Brenes welcomes Daniel to Team PokerStars

Negreanu has written over 100 articles for Card Player magazine, has a syndicated newspaper column in over 50 cities and also has a best selling book on the market entitled, "Hold'em Wisdom for All Players." For his second book, Daniel has assembled a team of 'Superstar Contributors' to write a book called, “Daniel Negreanu's Power Hold'em Strategy." He regularly plays against these contributors in televised tournaments and high stakes games including Late Night Poker, High Stakes Poker, the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and Ultimate Poker Challenge (as a commentator and stand-in host).

Negreanu can be found playing at PokerStars under the name 'Kid Poker'.


Daniel checks out his new duds

In the past 24 hours, three members of Team PokerStars have made final tables at the World Series. The most recent was Humberto Brenes who won $197,348 in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship.

To read the whole story check out:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Early this morning, Barry Greenstein and Greg Raymer both made the final table of the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event. To read more about that, visit The Forgotten Final Table.

At this hour, Team PokerStars ElkY is making a run at the final table of the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event, as well. That event is down to the final four tables. Update: ElkY busted in 21st place for $20,806.



All the while, Katja Thater continues to play in the annual ladies event and a whole bunch of Team PokerStars' players are fighting in the $5,000 Limit Hold'em championship.



All in all, I'd call it a good weekend for the Team, eh?

As the World Series gets into swing, the Sunday Million again proved to be a proving ground for the tournament circuit. Nearly 7,000 people played in this week's event. A three-way chop guaranteed the top three players big money. When it was over, dangdokodang took first place. Final table results are below.

PokerStars Sunday Million Results
Based on finishing order and three-way chop that left $30,000 for first place

1. dangdokodang (United States) $132,029.84
2. ANDAMAN 974 (Reunion) $147,560.79
3. goodvibe1 (Germany) $82,231.37
4. bani33 (Hungary) $55,240.00
5. eom2000 (Finland) $41,430.00
6. Brooks2330 (United States) $30,382.00
7. wandsworth (United Kingdom) $21,405.50
8. peterjenning (United States) $12,429.00
9. 1bigbluffer1 (Netherlands) $8,147.90

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Joe Patrick ran a heckuva bluff last night to stay alive and make it to this final table. He pushed with a little pair and a gutshot to Keith Lehr's overpair. Lehr thought for an age before folding. Today, Patrick showed little to none of the man who bluffed his way to the final table. He played very few hands in the first few hours of final table play.

So, when he did finally come in, he expected to win. He got his pocket nines in against Jason Lester's all-in. Lester held AJ snagged a jack on the river to double up.

Just ten minutes later, a three-way all-in turned the hand from a five-handed to three handed event. Joe got pocket sevens all-in against Jeff's QQ and Jason's AK. The board didn't improve anybody's hand. Joe exited in fifth place earning $99,142

***

It's times like this that I giggle at people who talk about poker being a game of luck. I mean, look at this three-handed match. Allen Cunningham, Humberto Brenes, and Jeff Lisandro? No matter who wins the bracelet, it's going to be somebody who has so many hours, WSOP cashes, and/or bracelets, that it serves as one of the greatest arguments for poker being a game of skill. Take Humberto, for instance. This is the 45th time he's cashed in a World Series event. This is the second time he's made a final table this year.

The crowd around the table was a good illustration of how people have come to respect the skilled players. With the young guns' crowd gone, the seats filled in with a quieter crowd, ready to see international poker stars fight for the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em Championship.

However, as three-handed play began, Humberto more than likely had to pick a hand and go with it. Short-stacked among the final three, he pretty much had one raise or one re-raise against the two monster stacks. Facing a raise from Allen Cunningham, Humberto jammed with Th9c. Cunningham called with AcQh.

"Nine is coming!" Humberto said, but I think he knew his day was done. Cunningham flopped a queen. Humberto picked up a gutshot. By the turn, Humberto was open-ended. He missed on the river and went out in third place for $197,348.

In the end, the title went to Allen Cunningham, after a hard-fought heads up match with Jeff Lisandro.

Part 1
Part 2

Watching this final table makes me realize how much poker has changed. In the history of final tables, perhaps the most radical thing that had happened in recent memory was the outdoor final table in 1997--an experiment that was not repeated. Now, if it's not radical, it's unusual.

Take for instance Travis Rice's cheering section. They are poker's equivalent to soccer hooligans. No doubt they are having fun. The 20 of them have been through a couple cases of beer and a bottle of Crown in the few hours since this final table kicked off. They are loud and proud of their man, not to mention themselves.

They, no doubt, would say much the same thing about Humberto Brenes' theatrics at the table. Humberto, when you know him, is hard not to like. However, his tableside antics can grate on his fellow players' nerves.

There are many people who think it's all good for the game. It's turned poker into more of a sporting event, with soap opera characters, screaming fans, and good TV. However, there are some other people who wonder whether a slow degradation of the game's integrity is underway. Former PokerStars card room manager Lee Jones recently wrote an interesting piece on poker etiquette. Even he, a poker purist, admits he's off on a bit of a rant. Still, when I look at some of the faces of poker veterans, I wonder if they like the New Poker as much as the old poker. To be sure, they like the money better. I figure they'll put up with whatever it takes as long as the money keeps coming in.

***

Back at the table, poker is in fact being played. Humberto got his money in good against Jason Lester, but came out behind. Still, he had chips to play, and as he said during a break, "My comeback...it will make a good show."

Shortly after the break ended, so did Gavin Griffin's quest for his second World Series bracelet. On a flop of 2d9dQs, Gavin moved all-in for 185,000. Jeff Lisandro called in a shot with KdJd. The turn paired Lisandro's jack. The river, an eight of diamonds, made Gavin's straight, but filled in Lisandro's flush. With no theatrics, Gavin stepped off the stage. The $59,924 he won wasn't the kind of cash he won in Monte Carlo this year, but it will help pay for his tournament entries at this years World Series.

With Gavin's exit, here's how the six players stacked up.

Jason Lester: 380,000
Allen Cunningham: 570,000
Travis Rice: 460,000
Joe Patrick: 600,000
Humberto Brenes: 375,000
Jeff Lisandro: 1,550,000

As for that comeback, Humberto was ready for it. On a flop of 8sJh8h, Humberto and Jeff got in a raising battle that ended with Humberto all-in. Humberto held AcJc to Jeff's KcJd.

"Who has the best hand?" he asked the crowd

The turn and river, 3c and 9c, were no help for Jeff, and just like that, the clown prince of the final table was back in the game.

***

Back in the Travis Rice cheering section, the ice cooler tumbled down the stairs.

"Party foul," somebody muttered.

It wasn't long before Rice got his money in behind to Allen Cunningham. His rail looked up from their ice-wrangling and screamed for the suckout.

They didn't get it.

Now, the room was suddenly quieter. In the wake of the 20-strong Rice Rangers, a litter of beer cans and drink cups. Allen Cunningham had take over the chip lead with five players remaining.

Part 1

And so, Alan Jaffray's hat. B.J.'s crack reporting revealed that Spencer Sun wore it when he won the Tournament of Champions six or seven years ago. Jaffray's face somehow reminds me of the John Prine song, "Illegal Smile" as the cards get tossed around the table. The hat and its red flower are a talisman for Jaffray. I was left to wonder if maybe he didn't read the instructions.

About fifteen minutes after the first break, Jaffray came in for a raise, only to have Gavin Griffin re-raise. Folded back to Jaffray, he moved all-in. Gavin, paying no heed to the flower power on Jaffray's head, called in an instant.

Jaffray revealed AhJc. Gavin held two black kings. The board offered precious little drama and Jaffray smiled his way toward the cage to collect his ninth place winnings, $31,800

As he shuffled toward the door, a lady called out from the rail, "How much for the flower?"

***

With Jaffray's departure, the action took a powder. Even the rowdy rail had grown tired of the monotony and started playing props on the players cards and paying each other off with money and/or drinks of the official beer of the World Series. To be young and in Las Vegas...

I began to think that maybe even ESPN is bored. With yet another uncontested pot in the books, ESPN stopped the action so it could turn and tape the awarding of the bracelet from this morning's Seven Card Stud event. Told it will only take two minutes, the players rolled their eyes and head for the bathroom. Ten minutes later, play resumed to the same slow action as before...or did it? Something was about to happen.

That something started when Gavin, Keith, and Jeff saw a flop of 8s6c7h.

Gavin bet out 150,000 and Keith moved all-in for 215,000. Jeff Lissandro then went into the tank.

Keith implored Jeff, "Don't do it!"

And then Lisandro did. He moved all-in. Gavin, with a bit of disgust in his eyes, folded.

Keith held TsTc to Jeff's QcQd.

Maybe it's an Aussie thing. I've seen Joe Hachem turn his back on the table when he can't bare to watch. Lisandro did Hachem one better. He disappeared completely. His disappearing act was not needed. The turn and river blanked out and Keith exited in eighth place.

With seven players remaining, the chip counts looked like this

Jason--110,000
Allen--360,000
Travis--460,000
Joe--695,000
Gavin--380,000
Humberto--410,000
Jeff--1,565,000

Now the players were ready for action. Humberto came in for a raise. When Jeff re-raised, Humberto threw his thumb toward the lights on the ceiling. It would be an all-in raise. Jeff called.

Humberto: AsQd
Jeff: Ad3d

On a flop of 7d7h5c, Humberto begged the dealer, "Queeeeeeeeeen!"

He didn't get a queen, but he didn't see a three either. The turn was a jack of clubs.

Humberto yelled, "Ocho!"

Again, he didn't get what he was asking for, but the ten of hearts on the river didn't hurt him.

Humberto raised his arms into the air and flashed the red LED light in his shark's mouth. Jeff's Aussie buddies were unimpressed and moved to actually boo.

Humberto, now in second place, has 820,000 chips. When the Aussie booed again, Humberto turned, showed them his shark, and returned, "Ooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

Part one

If I were an aged southern belle who had never seen a televised poker event until today, I would have a few questions. Like, why is Gavin Griffin's hair cut into a hot pink mohawk? Why does Humberto Brenes carry toy sharks around in his pocket? Good lord, did that man Keith Lehr actually take out his glass eye and put it on the table in front of Brenes yesterday? And, pray tell, why is Alan Jaffray wearing my hat?

Because I'm not an old lady from Georgia, and because I hang around this scene a bit too much, I know that Gavin's hair is pink as part of his support for breast cancer awareness (we first saw his pink-hued hair in Monte Carlo when he won the EPT grand Final in March). I know that Humberto uses his sharks to cap his cards (and annoy his opponents). I know Lehr's eye easily comes out of his head and he could use it to cap his cards if he wanted to.

As for Alan Jaffray's proper-lady hat (a black number with a big red flower and bow that looks like something somebody from New Orleans would wear to a funeral), even I was lost. Fortunately, I'm friends with PokerNews' reporter B.J. Nemeth. Nemeth tends to know...well, everything. He tells me Jaffray's hat actually sat on the head of a Tournament of Champions winner years ago and has, get this, been on the cover of CardPlayer magazine. Today, the actual owner of the hat is playing in the ladies event. Meanwhile, Jaffray, despite his trimmed goatee, looks like he could play the lead in Driving Miss Daisy.

These men all sit together today at the final table of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em championship. The star-studded table is a circus in itself. Jason Lester is sitting in the one seat and defending his title in this event. Allen Cunningham is wearing a flowered shirt. Travis Rice, in the three seat, has a rowdy rail that cheers every time Travis does anything. Oh, and Jeff Lisandro, as usual, looks like--given the right conditions...say, I sneezed at the wrong moment--he could and would beat me into a shivering mass of bruises.

Most circuses start off with something boring, like a dog that can balance a beach ball on its butt or something. This particular table of unpredictability was only boring for the few minutes. It should not have surprised anyone that the spotlight would shine on Humberto when the real action started.

Humberto raised the pot and defending champ Jason Lester re-raised. The rest of the players folded back to Humberto. This is where Humberto's sideshow is at its best--or, depending on your perspective, worst. He stood and sang the theme from Jaws, swam his shark through the air toward Lester, and in one grand motion, moved all-in. Lester, with decidedly less flair, called.

Humberto, still on his feet from the shark-themed one-act play, turned and asked the crowd in his booming Costa Rican voice? "Who has the kings?"

The crowd responded in kind, "Humbertooooooooooooo!"

Lester, again, with considerably less flair, flipped over JJ.

It was readily apparent that the crowd was divided against Humberto. Half of the railbirds cheered for Humberto while the other half chanted for a jack. That latter half had been steadily fueled with a diet of Milwaukee's Best, brought in 20 at a time.

The flop: 2d8s2s

That's when the chant of "Jack, jack, jack!" got louder.

Turn: 7s

Humberto coyly inched his king of spades closet to the board.

Still, the anti-Humberto half of the crowd chanted for a jack.

River: Ts

Humberto pulled his smiled even wider and wiped his mouth like he just had a good meal. He then waved his hat to the crowd of people who were fighting against him.

Keith Lehr says, "The shark has to go."

And that is how the first hour of the final table began.

It was 3am when the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event reached the final eight. Scheduled to be a two-day tournament, the second day had dragged long into the night. As it happened, I found Team PokerStars' Greg Raymer in the bathroom. He'd been asked by the tournament directors to fill out an ESPN bio sheet and take a break. He decided to take a break first. Which, I suppose, is why I found him in the bathroom.

There had been a lot of confusion all day long. No one was sure whether the final table was going to play out that night or come back on Sunday. By the time the decision had to be made, it was already Sunday.

Raymer didn't look tired, but he indicated he'd rather come back and play after getting some sleep. The vote at the table was 5-3 in favor of sleeping. Among the three dissenters was a man accustomed to not sleeping, Barry Greenstein.

My job here is to pay very close attention to all people who come from the PokerStars ranks. While not necessarily more important, the members of Team PokerStars tend to stand out in my coverage. So, when both Greg Raymer and Barry Greenstein make a final table together, it tends to grab my attention. Greenstein was set on playing tomorrow's 5pm Limit Hold'em event and wanted to play on this morning. The TDs eventually decided that is exactly what would happen.

Around here, final tables are a big deal. ESPN has a huge stadium-like stage set up for its televised coverage. Bluff Radio has a high-security cloaked area where it broadcasts tape-delayed final tables that ESPN isn't covering. And even when no major media outlet is paying attention to a final table, there is usually a rail three-deep of looky-loos.

This morning was an exception. Whether it's the plodding nature of Seven Card Stud or the fact that it's 5:30 in the morning, the final table of this event was watched by no more than a dozen people, only half of them being people who weren't paid to be there.

And yet, this was going to be a place where one of the most coveted prizes in all of poker would be earned. There are people in the world who actually buy World Series bracelets that they didn't win. For a guy who has covered more final tables than he can count, this particular conclusion was surreal. Sitting there at the baize were two of the world's most recognizable poker pros, Barry Greenstein and Greg Raymer. And watching? A skeleton crew of media and a few people who had wandered in after a night at the clubs.

In a perfect world, this story would end with one of those two men winning the bracelet. Both of them are as likable as you'd ever want and not media whores. Neither seemed bothered by the fact that they didn't have cameras in their face or a cheering section on the rail. They played their games, and they did what they could to win. In the end, it wasn't enough. But, from the perspective of a guy who has seen them play all over the world, it was pretty cool to see this odd thing happen. It was a fight for a World Series bracelet that only a few people could actually say they saw.

Greg ended up busting in sixth place shortly after his set of queens cracked was by a flush. Greenstein ended up going out in fourth place shortly after his two pair was bested by a better two pair.

Both men exited with a certain flair, Raymer signing autographs and Greenstein signing a copy of his book, "Ace on the River" for the guy who busted him.

This morning, as the rising sun turns the Las Vegas mountains purple, there will be no bracelet for these two champions. And even if nobody saw it happen, these two guys proved they are worthy of the admiration they get when the cameras are rolling.

Nice work, gentlemen.

It was sure to be a late night as this event was schedule to only run two days. Now nearly 3am, the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event has reached the final eight. It was a great field throughout and the final eight feature none other than Team PokerStars' Barry Greenstein and Greg Raymer.

Currently a decision is being made as to whether they final eight will play down to the winner as scheduled or break until tomorrow. The field is divided 5-3 with the majority voting to wait until tomorrow.

Updates to come.

Update: The decision has been made to play on. This stands to be a very late night...er, morning.

Saturday has turned into Sunday here at the World Series and three members of Team PokerStars had best find themselves a pot of coffee.

ElkY is still sitting well in the the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event that began today at noon. That event is just about to hit the money and will likely play until around 2am.

ElkY hydrates for the long haul

Later still could be the nights for Greg Raymer and Barry Greenstein. Both men are playing in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event and have chip stacks that could get them to the final table. With more than 20 players left, the final table is likely still a ways off. Tonight there is word that, barring a unanimous decision otherwise, the final table players will finish it off before bed time. I can't even conceive of how late that would go.





If you missed it, the big news for tomorrow (given that tonight ever ends) will be the $5,000 PL Hold'em final table. For more on that, visit, Shark Back in the Water.

It took less than 45 minutes after the dinner break to set the star-studded table for the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em championship. And who be there? Well, you guessed it. Humberto Brenes has made his second $5,000 final table of this year's World Series. This marks his 45th World Series cash.

He'll be up against a host of tough players, including defending champion Jason Lester, PokerStars W$ buy-in Alan Jaffray, and 2007 EPT Grand Final champion Gavin Griffin. Here's the line-up going into tomorrow's 2pm PDT final table.

Seat 1 - Jason Lester
Seat 2 - Allen Cunningham
Seat 3 - Travis Rice
Seat 4 - Alan Jaffray
Seat 5 - Joe Patrick
Seat 6 - Gavin Griffin
Seat 7 - Humberto Brenes
Seat 8 - Keith Lehr
Seat 9 - Jeff Lisandro

Previously:

Top Pros Seek Championship bracelets

Living and Dying on Five Streets

Eye on Humberto (if you missed this one, you really should read it)

Some people like Humberto Brenes' shark card capper. Some people don't.

Keith Lehr does not.

Mid-way through the last level, Lehr grew a little tired of Humberto and said, "Hey, why don't you pull out that shark now. I'll give him something to eat."

Lehr put his head in his hands. Two seconds later, an eyeball sat on the felt.

I heard a slight gasp from the rail and looked up to see Lehr's empty eye socket. He looked down at his glass eye and said, "It's been in worse places. I'll guarantee you that."

I've now covered three World Series, a bevy of World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour events. I've played poker in cities across America and in countries around the world.

I've never seen that.

At the dinner break, 12 players remain in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event. Jan Von Halle was eliminated in 18th place after his AQ ran into Allen Cunningham's AK and then a series of other bad things happened. Alan Jaffray, PokerStars W$ buy-in, has survived near elimination by doubling up twice.

In the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud event, Barry Greenstein, Bill Chen, and Greg Raymer are still alive at their dinner break. Raymer says he's winning just about every pot he plays and currently sits at the top of the leaderboard.

Back in the $5,000 event, Humberto Brenes bet into Lehr on a QQTT board on the last hand before the break. Lehr muttered a bit before folding.

Brenes flipped over 57o.

I bet Lehr didn't see that one coming.

"Do you know where we can get a medic?"

One of the tournament directors looked only vaguely troubled. One of his colleagues pointed to the security stand and said, "Tell them."

The first tournament director pulled one of the ubiquitous microphones up to his mouth and started to call for security when the other one stopped him.

"Don't do that. That's the last thing we need."

The rail around the area was already thick. A call for security to the area around Table 65 would do nothing to help the already crowded conditions.

At times around the World Series, there have been gallows-style conversations about the possibility of somebody dying at the tables.

"With this many people in the room," I recall one person saying last year, "Statistically, it's a good bet."

The man sitting off to the side of Table 65 was not dying, although the pained look on his face made it look like he thought he was. I was sitting just a few feet away, my focus on the people sitting around one of the few remaining tables in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event.

When the bubble popped in the event, the story at table 65 was all about Humberto Brenes. After starting the day without a huge stack to speak of, he'd worked his way up to 260,000 in chips, nearly double the average. To his right, Jan Von Halle was below average at 70,000. Across the way, W$ buy-in Alan Jaffray sat on 130,000.

Humberto was buoyed and looking happy.

"Now I have a good chance. Good chips," he said with his mischievous smile.

With the medics now working to calm the not-dying man, I pondered the physical requirements of a good poker player. There are those here who drink Red Bull like it's water and shotgun cigarettes on the break. There are others who get long, tough massages. There are still others who refuse to eat anything within hours of their event so as not to play on a full stomach. When Allen Cunningham folded his cutoff and sprinted for the bathroom, I wondered if he was employing perfect position-based emergency bathroom break strategy or whether he just couldn't hold it any longer.

While Cunningham sprinted, Humberto tried to bust a shortstack. He held 55 to the shortie's 44. They got it all in pre-flop, making the four on the turn a bit of uncontrollable bad luck. A few hands later, Humberto got AK in against QQ. Though he screamed for an ace on every street, he never found one (nor did he find a king). He shrugged as if to say, "Whatta ya do?" and looked down to see he'd lost 80,000 over just a few hands.

Secure in the fact a man wasn't dying within my sight-line, I focused on other things, like how Barry Greenstein was taking breaks from his stud tournament to come over and coach (or, at the very least, provide some encouragement or a kick in the pants) his son Joe Sebok. Sebok was still alive but short-stacked in the PL Hold'em event. Staying alive in a tournament, it's clear, is not only dependent on your cards. There's something mental about it, and words from one of the world's top pros can't hurt.

***

Humberto was stretching his legs when he walked over to me. He was patting his stomach unconsciously, almost like he was thinking about a good meal.

"Ace-king versus two queens wasn't that bad," he said. "But two fives versus two fours...whew."

Still, he was happy. "I'm now 45 times in the money at the World Series," he said.

As he looked around for a Bluff magazine to confirm his claim, he thought it would take a few minutes for the TD to balance the tables. It didn't take long and Humberto ended up missing his big blind.

It was a harbinger of things to come.

***

All along, Jan Von Halle looked miserable. To be fair, his expression is almost always the same on and off the table. Still, his rail full of friends just couldn't seem to help the fact Jan was now short-stacked. Just as I'm writing this, Jan got AK all-in against Allen Cunningham's QdTd. The flop, Ah8d9d, was scary, but, as they say, nothing bad happened and Jan doubled up to around 100,000.

While Humberto couldn't seem to find any traction, Jan was now in stride. He either picked up a hand or executed a pretty good re-steal while facing a Joe Sebok button raise. A few minutes later, after the event was down to 25 players, Jan picked up pocket aces for the first time since he's been at the World Series. Keep in mind, he played three days in the $1,000 re-buy event, so he was certainly due.

The Fates paid him off. At the very same time Jan picked up his aces, one player picked up queens and another had AK. They got it all in and Jan got both of their stacks. Now, with 22 players remaining, Jan sits among the chip leaders. Alan Jaffray, PokerStars W$ buy-in is up there as well.

Now, blue strobe lights are flashing, the tell-tale sign of a fire alarm. It's yet another in a series of faux-emergencies that rarely, if ever, detract from the living and dying that goes on at the tables.

That's just sort of how the World Series goes. It's not a matter of life and death, but sometimes it feels like it.

"This is supposed to be a two-day event, right?"

Bill Chen was eying the $1,500 Seven-Card stud tournament. After playing most of the night last night, the players just came back for a 4pm PDT start and with 130-some players left in the field, the possibility of finishing in two days seemed less than likely.

Chen lamented the possibility he may not be able to play another event he was looking to get into. "Maybe we'll pay until nine in the morning," he mused and went back to the game.

Bill Chen

In a world of what Anthony Holden calls "iPod kids" in his new book "The Bigger Deal," the sub-set of stud players are remarkably different. Slow and plodding, they take great pride in their ability to play one of the pre-hold'em games.

Joining Chen in the $1,500 Stud field for Day 2 are none other than Team PokerStars Barry Greenstein and Greg Raymer (who happens to have started the day in the Top Ten in chips).


Barry Greenstein


Greg Raymer

Again, today is one of those days in which a person could watch just about any kind of game they want. The $1,500 short-handed event is down to the final table. The Stud and PL Hold'em games are in Day 2. The $1,500 NL Hold'em event kicked off today with more than 2,600 players. And, here in just a bit, a $2,500 HORSE event will be kicking off.

If we could just find a Badugi tournament around here, we'd just about have all the games we need.

There's something pretty interesting going on at this year's World Series. While all the lower buy-in events have been slammed with massive and sometimes record-breaking fields, they aren't seeing as many of the top, well-known pros. That's because a lot of he well-rolled, name-players are stacking the bigger buy in championship events.

The $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em Championship is no exception. Nearly every face in the Day 2 starting field today is one you'd recognize. Among them sit a few familiar faces from the PokerStars world. Humberto Brenes is looking to cash in his second big-buy-in event of the year after final-tabling the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha championship. Gavin Griffin, still basking the glow of winning the 2007 European Poker Tour Grand Final is running strong. And once again, poker pro and PokerStars German Blogger Jan Von Halle sits near the top of the leaderboard. If you were reading earlier in the week, you'll remember Jan has already made one final table this year in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em re-buy event. Also still alive at the start of Day 2, PokerStars player Alan Jaffray. He bought in with his W$ and stands to get a good return on his investment today.

Jan Von Halle takes a quiet moment before Day 2 begins


Humberto Brenes, smiling as he un-bags his chips for Day 2


Alan Jaffray

Fifty one players started Day 2 today. They'll be playing down to the final nine today in anticipation of the final table tomorrow.

There's little doubt, it will be another in a series of stacked final tables.

This morning, as I was preparing for what is sure to be a long day, I got a voicemail message from a guy I haven't heard form in more than two years. I was sure Greenwood Phil had dropped off the face of the earth. And maybe he has. All I know is that he and 2,627 other people showed up today to play a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event.

With all the hand wringing I've seen from people who insisted poker was a fad and on the way out, I think today is a little fun. As I elbowed my way through the crowd, I found:

Some guy I used to play with in underground games

A guy who I met at a party in Philadelphia two years ago and hadn't seen since

My old boss

2,600 other people who want to win a World Series bracelet

The crowd is so big today, the tournament is still running outside in the Poker Tent/Barn/Pavilion.


World Series overflow

"It's hot," Noah Boeken said. Still, just before the break, Boeken jumped from 1,000 in chips to 5,000, so he can put up with the heat for a bit. Still, he said, "My table is the last to break." So, he'll be there for a while.


Team PokerStars' Noah Boeken playing in the overflow area


Supernova RaiNKhAN in the main room


Team PokerStars ElkY playing near the rail in the main room

I remember a few years back when the World Series fields started getting big. A relative of mine said, "Five years from now, nobody will be playing poker." At the time I laughed.

And today, I laughed again.

In the movie "Goodfellas," there is a character who gets little screen time but remains--if only for his name--one of my favorite guys in the movie. They call him Jimmy Two Times, because...well, he says everything two times.

Tonight, as I sweated the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event, two things became abundantly clear. First, tournament directors were predicting there was little way the tournament was going to make the money tonight. Second, PokerStars' German blogger Jan Von Halle was going to once again make me greenish with envy. With just a little time left to play in the evening, Von Halle sits near the top of the leaderboard. Mid-way through the evening, he stacked Mike Gracz with pocket jacks versus Gracz' gutshot bluff. After making his final table in the $1,000 re-buy event yesterday, I'm wondering if Jan can make it two final tables in two tournaments. There's still a ways to go, but right now Jan is looking good.

Jan Two-Times?

Elsewhere in the field, Team PokerStars' Humberto Brenes and ElkY are fighting two make day 2. Steve Paul-Ambrose, while short-stacked at this hour, is working to make it four cashes in four tournaments.

Saturday will mark Day 2 in this event, as well as Day 2 of the $1,500 Stud event that started at 5pm. Saturday will also play host to one of the monster $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em events. We'll be here for it with bells on, if only to continue a certain Jan-envy that pervades PokerStars bloggerdom.

In the three or so years I've been writing blogs for PokerStars, I've been fortunate to meet a lot of young players in various places around the globe. Not only do these guys have an insane understanding of the game, they have one additional quality that some of their contemporaries do not: They are mature beyond their years. If you look at the kind of money these guys have made off poker in the past several years, you could almost expect them to be a little too proud.

In the first half-day of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event, I've seen four of these guys. If you read here regularly, you already know their names and faces. If you're just tuning in, here's a few guys that I enjoy watching play.

Terrence Chan

Terrence Chan is everything from a huge cash game player to tournament force. He's led Team Costa Rica to a World Cup of Poker win and gone deep in a number of tournaments I watched him play. Today, he's got a nice chip stack after the first few hours of play. When told it looks like he's off to a good start, he humbly responded, "I'm not going to complain."

I look back over the years and I've written a lot about Terrence. I first met him at the 2005 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. There, he made the final three tables. In the years since, I've seen him develop even further into a fantastically good tournament player. Moreover, I've seen him turn into the type of cash game player that I cannot imagine ever being.

I feel pretty comfortable with my knowledge of poker, odds, and strategy. When I talk to Terrence, I feel like I know nothing. I remember one night last year during the World Series. Terrence and I both ended up at a dinner at Ruth's Chris and while waiting for our table, Terrence started telling me about a hand he'd played against Robert Williamson. I offered my thoughts on the hand and Terrence proceded to blow my mind with an analysis that, to this day, makes me wonder if I even know how to play poker.


Gavin Griffin and Jason Strasser

Sitting together a little earlier in the $5k event were 2007 EPT Grand Final champion Gavin Griffin and tournament wunderkind Jason Strasser. When Griffin won the event in Monte Carlo this year, he did it through a cloud of sickness. He was sniffly and looking like he should be in bed. He ended up walking away with the title and everybody I talked to commented about how he acted more professionally than a lot of people twice his age.

Gavin, who a few years ago was the youngest person to ever win a World Series bracelet has proven himself to be a thoughtful and humble player who doesn't succumb to the power of television fame and the hubris that usually comes along with it.

To Gavin's left today was Jason Strasser. I've written so much about this guy in the past few years that even Strasser's mom was noticing how impressed I am with the guy. I've seen Jason in several different countries and he has never failed to impress me. Now a Duke graduate, he is going to finish out this World Series and head for a job on Wall Street.

The other night, we talked for a bit during a tournament break and I asked him how he felt about giving up the poker life as he knows it and heading onto Wall Street. Poker, he said, will be there in two years. However, if he didn't take a shot at Wall Street and stuck it out with poker, Wall Street might not have a place for him in a couple years.

This was coming from a guy who has been more successful in poker than just about any young player I know who will take the time to talk to me on a poker break...and a guy who was able to offer me a few bits of life advice and encouragement that I couldn't get from somebody twice my age.


Isaac Haxton

I can't claim to know Isaac very well. I just met him a few months back when he final tabled the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. At the time, I dubbed him The Lizard King, based on his vague resemblance to an early Jim Morrison. However, as he worked his way through the field in the Bahamas, for reasons I won't go into, I got a distinct sense that this son of a shrink and poet had a good head on his shoulders. After winning $800,000 in the PCA, he has not yet proven me wrong.

Right now, all of these guy's event is on dinner break. The field is about as tough as they come, so it's anyone guess what's going to happen. Regardless, on days when we're just starting over for the week, it's good to look out across the poker prairie and see a few faces that you can you root for.

People around here--whether they be players, dealers, or journalists--remind each other of the following on a regular basis: The World Series is not a sprint. It's a marathon. You can't win a bracelet on your first day, your first tournament, or in the first week.

This Series is seven weeks long and fatigue--mental and physical--can set in faster than you want. The good thing is, tomorrow is not just another day. It's another tournament, another chance at a bracelet, or another chance to find the perfect poker story.

We now have one week in the books here at the World Series. Today begins a second week of tournaments, the biggest of which began this afternoon. The $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event began the day with the kind of field that nearly guarantees an insanely good final table.

One walk through the tournament area was proof. For instance, at one table I found a re-match of this year's PokerStars Caribbean Adventure heads-up match. Winner Ryan Daut and runner-up Isaac Haxton sat at the same table (along with Team PokerStars' ElkY and Vanessa Rousso).

Ryan Daut, 2007 PCA winner at the 2007 World Series

Elsewhere in the room, Greg Raymer and Steve Paul-Ambrose sit together, within view of Humberto Brenes, Bill Chen, Barry Greenstein, and 2007 EPT Grand Final winner Gavin Griffin.


Humberto Brenes eyes an opponent's bet


Bill Chen

This event is just underway and promises to be the focus of today's activities. Tomorrow offers another massive $1,500 no-limit event that is sure to once again turn the Amazon Room into a madhouse.

So, today, we (and by we, I mean...me) will not be writing about a bracelet winner or someone who is even tantalizingly close to a bracelet. For now, the focus goes to starting over fresh for the second week of the World Series.

The $1,500 six-handed no-limit hold'em event was down to 127 players. One hundred twenty-six paid. With more than 1,400 starters, the players were about to reach the money in seemingly record time. As often happens on the bubble, hand-for-hand play slowed the tournament down to a crawl. Hands were taking five to eight minutes a piece. Steve, the TD, announced the fastest tournament in history had just become the slowest.

And that's when I found Team PokerStars' Steve Paul-Ambrose...again.

"Is this going to be three cashes for you, Steve?" I asked, already pretty sure of the answer.

"Three for three," he said, seemingly unimpressed with himself.

After final-tabling the first event this year, Steve played another tournament and picked up another cash. Now, he was on the bubble of picking up his third cash in as many tournaments.

Steve just graduated from college and is spending summer playing poker with no immediate plans to head into the job market. Friends and fans will remember that Steve won $1.3 million in the 2006 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. At the time, he said he would not turn pro and, instead, finish off his studies. And that is exactly what he did.

Now, Steve is looking at poker through the eyes of a college graduate. He's planning on playing a lot of World Series events this year and then taking the year to play poker. After that, maybe he'll look for a job.

As I walked away, I offered Steve some premature congratulations. He looked over his shoulder and said, "I'll probably bubble now."

Steve's little poke at the power of positive thinking didn't cost him. It took an hour, but the bubble popped and Steve was, indeed, three for three.

Now, onto making it four for four.

If you do a Google search for "killer dolphin," you end up with a lot of results about a likely urban legend surrounding trained Navy SEAL dolphins with blowdarts mounted on their heads.

If you'd searched the Amazon Room at the Rio for a killer dolphin, you'd have found him sitting at the final table of the $1,000 no-limit hold'em re-buy event. In polite society, he goes by the name Dolph Arnold. On PokerStars, where he plays a VIP Club Supernova, he is simply "dolphin."

Dolph lives up to his screen name, skimming quickly just under the water's surface, and then exploding with enough force to surprise everybody at the table.

Off the table, Dolph is a genial guy who will ask if you want him to suck in his gut while you take his picture. At the table, however, he has the look of a grizzled poker veteran. Underneath an orange Texas cap and behind black shades, the man from Houston seemed to come out of nowhere.

It would only seem that way, though. In fact, Dolph's been playing poker since the late 1940s and has had no small amount of success on the poker circuit. He's made seven World Series final tables over the past decade and, after today, can boast of more than $400,000 in lifetime tournament winnings. As a a retired casino marketing man, Dolph's been around casinos for longer than some of his opponents have been alive. And there's the matter of some of the world's biggest players calling Dolph a "cash game legend."

In the early going at the final table, it didn't look like the dolphin had much of a chance at open waters. In fact, when he got all-in with KQ vs AJ, it looked like it was time to head back to Houston. Then, he spiked his king on the river for the double up.

With chips to play, the dolphin the found himself facing off against Amir Vahedi. On a Jd9c2c flop, Dolph pushed all in with Tc7c against Vehedi's pocket queens. A red queen on the flop gave Vahedi his set.

And then an eight on the river turned Dolph into the chip leader. Vahedi, crippled, was out just a few hands later.



If there was any tension in the moments leading up to four-handed play, a dinner break ended with the four remaining players arm-in-arm and laughing. I don't think anyone has ever said anything about dolphins being good mediators, but I, for one, think they are. Or, at least Dolph "dolphin" Arnold is. For any direct confirmation about the post-dinner lovefest, we could only nod as one official said, "We ain't talkin' about it."

From there, the love ended for the dolphin. Less than an hour after players returned from dinner, Dolph's luck turned, and with it, his day ended.

Dolph finished in fourth place for a win of more than $150,000.

This year's World Series is like satellite TV compared to the days before cable television. In the past, you were lucky to see more than one event playing at the same time at the World Series. Now, spectators can watch just about any kind of event they want.

Here's what's going on in the Amazon Room at this very moment:

* Final table of $1,000 No-limit Hold'em
* Final table of $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo
* Day 2 of $5,000 Seven Card Stud
* Day 2 of $2,000 No-limit Hold'em
* Day 1 of $1,500 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold'em

Here's a quick look some faces from some of the events:

Doplh "dolphin" Arnold, playing at final table of $1,000 rebuy


Vanessa Rousso in short-handed event


Tom McEvoy in short-handed event


Steve Paul-Ambrose in short-handed event


Bill Chen in $5k Stud Event

Yesterday afternoon, I walked up to Jan Von Halle and asked how he was doing.

"I'm stressed," he said. "I'm in wo tournaments at once."

Not only was he into the $1,000 re-buy event for $10,000. He also had a stack in the $2,000 no-limit hold'em event...which he was barely playing.

I suppose it's safe to say that he didn't really expect to be sitting at the final table of the $1,000 re-buy today. Yet, there he was, a pro poker player who, when he's not playing three tournaments at once, also runs the PokerStars German Blog.

Short-stacked to start the day, Jan didn't have any illusions about his situation. He said before he sat down that he felt like he was headed for an eighth, ninth...or third place finish.

"That's what I'm feeling," he said.

Regardless of what was going to happen, though, the $12,000 investment in the two tournaments was not going to be a bad one. Even if he were to bust out on the first hand of he final table, he was still guaranteed $34,196.



Jan's competition at the table was not the kind you'd find in a sandlot tussle. It was the kind of bare knuckle fighters you find behind a country bar on Saturday night.

Seat 1 - Michael Chu
Seat 2 - Shane Schleger
Seat 3 - Tommy Vu
Seat 4 - Dolph "Dolphin" Arnold
Seat 5 - Michael Gracz
Seat 6 - Robert Aron
Seat 7 - Jan Von Halle
Seat 8 - Barry Cales
Seat 9 - Amir Vahedi

Many of them were names you'd recognize. Among them were chip leader Amir Vahedi sporting a PokerStars hat (he plays on PokerStars, but that's a secret, so keep it to yourself). Two seats to Jan's right was PokerStars Supernova Dolph "Dolphin" Arnold, the veteran poker player. The retired casino marketer is from Houston and has been playing poker since the 1940s.

Regardless of how tough the competition was, Jan's stack was the equivalent of a noodle in a knife fight. He basically had two moves--push or fold. After folding for as long as he could, he finally tried to pick up some dead money. After one player limped, Jan jammed with 9d2h, sure his opponent would fold. It was a bad time for the big blind to wake up with AsKs. The Ac5c5d was almost as bad as it could've been for Jan. Although a three on turn gave him four outs, a ten fell on the river and Jan was out in ninth place for $34,196.

Congrats, Jan. You do us blogger types proud.

Breaking news: It is with both pride an envy that I announce PokerStars German blogger Jan Von Halle has made the final table of the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em re-buy event.

While I'm greener than the felt on the tables, I can take comfort in the fact that Jan was playing big-time poker for a long time before he joined PokerStars Team Blog--or, to be fair, before there was even such a thing as a PokerStars Blog. So, I will feel completely comfortable in my little blogging role tomorrow.

I will. I really will.

Before I protest too much, let me just offer my heart-felt congratulations.

Jan, good luck tomorrow. You earned it, buddy.

If we venture into the realm of things that don't involve math, pot odds, implied odds, implied tilt odds, and the price of a re-heated hamburger (all easily calculated figures here at the World Series), there are are several loose truths that occupy the time of a working poker journalist.

Stud is slow

There are people who don't know that seven card stud exists. They are people who came of age in an era when poker was no more than no-limit hold'em. It's like being born at the dawn of the Internet. It's hard for the young'uns to even conceive of having to research a term paper at the library. That is what Google is for, after all.

In large part, that same generation has a hard time conceiving of a limit seven card stud game that allows for no all-in aggression and requires the patience of Job. It's no fault of their own. After all, they were born into a world where microwaves were ancient technology and baked potatoes only took 10 minutes to cook instead of an hour. Anyone who can download "Pet Sounds" instead of standing in line for the vinyl copy (okay, even I'm young enough to have not done that) can't be expected to wait two hours to find a stud hand they can play past fourth street.

So, that's why we find a decidedly older (and perhaps wiser) crowd in the $5,000 World Series Seven Card Stud Championship. Sure, there are some young guns (most notably in my mind, Isabelle Mercier and Jay "WhoJedi" Newnum), but most of the crowd are the hardened veterans who can wait for hours for the...perfect...hand.

And that, friends, is why one can walk away from the event for two hours and come back and find it largely untouched by sickening suck-outs brought on by all-in bluffs. This is a tournament that won't be won today. In one word, Humberto Brenes summed it up for me: "Tomorrow."

Looking toward tomorrow are Team PokerStars' Barry Greenstein, Humberto Brenes, Greg Raymer, and Isabelle Mercier.

Hold'em is Big

There's no need to argue this point strongly. Today's $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em contest proved that, despite the past year's changes in the poker environment, the poker economy is still thriving and able to pull massive crowds. To wit: this year Harrah's constructed a wedding-style tent behind the Amazon Room to handle overflow crowds. Apart from an unfortunate wind storm yesterday that caused the temporary shutdown of the tent, the room has been used every day.

Among the crowd, I found Team PokerStars' Katja Thater. Her eyes keep cutting back to the $1,000 re-buy event where her sweetheart Jan has fone deep (more on that in a second), but she is more fixed on her table. She's relaxed, her shoes kicked off, and looking to go deep.



However, going deep tonight won't get her to the final table. She and ElkY and a few hundred other people are still fighting it out. They will be done in about three hours and will still have a long way to go if they are going to make the final table.

Re-buys are fun

I'm not sure whether it's the reckless, I-don't-give-a-damn nature of the tournaments' beginnings or the supreme deep stacked poker that takes place at the end. Regardless, I love watching re-buy tournaments.

As I type, the final two tables of yesterday's $1,000 no-limit hold'em re-buy event are playing down to the final nine. At this hour, Amir Vahedi has the chip lead, but the rest of the field is insanely tough and you're likely to recognize half the field. I would've included pbdrunks among those still in, but, just before I walked in to write this up, he declared, "That was the wrong time to make a move." He got his money in with 66 on a QJJx flop vs QJ.

While the bad news is that pbdrunks is on the rail, the good news is his chips went to none other than Jan Von Halle, PokerStars' German blogger.


pbdrunks in the final moment, with Jan stacking chips

Yesterday, as the 50 mph wind gusts were tearing Vegas apart and causing panic in the poker tent, I said to someone, "This is why I like the World Series. No matter how routine and same-old same-old it can be, there's always something interesting to break up the monotony."

That's the thing. While there are truths here, most of them are pretty loose. They give you something to expect--a metric to follow, sort of--but, in the end, you never really know what's going to happen. Stud is slow, hold'em is big, and re-buys are fun. But, I couldn't predict with even a modicum of certainty who is going to win any of the three events. And so, that's why I'll be back here tomorrow.

And that's why I hope you will, as well.

We started this day breathing the conditioned air surrounding the EPSN final table. Humberto Brenes sat down in the one seat and did his best to shark and shank his way to a third World Series bracelet. Today, it was not to be.

With that, we head back out onto the massive tournament floor in search of more action.

Steve Paul Ambrose has already made one final table this year (4th place in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event). Today, he was aiming to make his second. He made Day 2 of the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em re-buy event and made it down to the final four tables and finished in 30th place. That earned him, at least, another in the money finish.

Steve Paul-Ambrose

At this hour, PokerStars German blogger Jan Von Halle is still alive but short-stacked in the same event. Also of note, EPT Grand Final winner Gavin Griffin sits in the top ten in chips.


Jan Von Halle

Today also marked the start of two other events. Noah Boeken has ust made it to town and is playing in today's $2,000 NL hold'em event. Elky and Katja Thater joined him and, after six hours of play, they all are still alive. I suppose it's no big secret that Von Halle and Thater are sweethearts. If it were, Katja's constant looks across the room to see how Jan is doing might seem a little suspicious, no?


Katja Thater


ElkY

Today also marked the beginning the of the championship $5,000 seven card stud event. Much like the $5,000 PLO rebuy event, this one is stacked with top names, including, but not limited to a face that just made it back from L.A.


Guess who?

That's Isabelle Mercier, who came blazing in at the last minute from California where she's been for a couple of days. She was seated right next to Bill Chen. Chen, the author of Mathematics of Poker, found himself smiling at Isabelle's display of a seven card stud theory book in her giant purse.


Mercier and Chen, left, kick off at Table 143

Also in contention in the Stud event are Greg Raymer, Barry Greenstein, and Humberto Brenes.

So, we may be done with final table action today, but, with five or six weeks to go, I figure we'll be back under the TV lights in no time.

Thirty minutes remained before the final table of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha final table was to begin, Humberto Brenes was standing at tableside on the phone. From the speaker, I could hear rapid-fire Spanish. I could only assume it was coming from Brenes' native Costa Rica.

His hand over the receiver, he said, "My daughter. For good luck."

Vegas can be an unsettling place for any family man. Hustlers and hoods stand on the neon's fringe. After too long here, a person can start looking at those fringe-dwellers and start to think they are, for lack of a better word, normal.

That's why Brenes tethers himself to his family, either telephonically or otherwise. His entire family is on their way here in a couple of weeks. He says a few other things and then gives me a nod that says, "I need them here." And I know what he means.

Today, though, his good luck will have to be manufactured over the phone. His support comes from a few friends in the front row. It's his 20th final table in his 35 year professional poker career. With two bracelets already to his name, he seems more comfortable than anybody at the table.

With a few minutes before the start of play, Brenes pulls SuperShark007 from is pocket and pushes it toward a TV camera.

"007!" he yells, and sits down to play.

***

"Welcome to the 2007 World Series of Poker," the tournament director said, "You guys are in for a treat today."

Usually, when a TD opens a table like that, he's overstating it. Over time, tables start to look the same, and for writers can rarely be described as a "treat." This one, however, is. The line-up is full of top pros and PokerStars players.

Starting chipcounts
From WorldSeriesofPoker.com

Humberto Brenes (San Jose, Costa Rica) 275,000
John Juanda (Las Vegas, NV) 220,000
Larry Jonsson (Malmoe, Sweeden) 900,000
Minh Ly (Las Vegas, NV) 240,000
Burt Boutin (Henderson, NV) 460,000
Robin Keston (London, England) 335,000
Sirous Jamshidi (Philadelphia, PA) 865,000
David Ulliot (Hull, UK )1,300,000
Erik Cajelais (Montreal, QC) 1,075,000

Brenes we already know, but two other players here have logged significant time on PokerStars as as well. Sweden's Larry Jonsson is a med school dropout who is now a pro poker player.

Robin Keston, from London, is now playing in his eighth WSOP and, of all games, considers PLO to be his best. Alas, if it's his best game, it would not be one he would win today. After getting involved in a hand with John Juanda, Keston called Juanda's all-in on a 8sQhQdTh board. It turned out to be the wrong call. He had two kings to Juanda's trips. With only a re-draw to his kings, he was drawing to a two outer and missed.

On the next hand, Keston moved all-in after a Minh Ly raise...only to have have Sirous Jamshidi come over the top of him. Minh and Sirous both held aces to Robin's kings. Robin also has live diamonds with KhKd8d6d . Flop is 9dTTs2d. He suddenly looked like he had hopes. He was drawing very live to flush and straight outs. The three of hearts on the turn is no help and the six of of clubs on the river was just as useless. Just like that, Robin was out in ninth place, earning $57,721.

***

Fifty-some thousand bucks is nothing to sneeze at, to be sure. Still, in this event, it may barely cover the players buy-ins and re-buys. At $5,000 a pop, 145 people started this event. Those players re-bought 421 times to build a massive $2,748,610 prize pool.

Not a lot of people talk about how much they are in for, but for some people, the bottom money was barely enough to make them feel whole again. Brenes confided late last night, he's in the event for $20,000...a paltry sum considered the auto-re-buys and double add-ons available in the tournament.

The $20,000 now is of little matter. Brenes and everybody else at the table are guaranteed a least a little profit. The question will be whether that profit carries with it the even more valuable bracelet.

It's clear Brenes wants it. While he's wearing both his bracelets from the 1990s on is wrists, his attitude suggests he will not be entirely happy without winning another. Again, I note, he seems more subdued than on the first day of the tournament. During the re-buy period, he was animated, verging on nutty. The TV cameras were conspicuously absent, but Brenes' personality was not.

Now, while Brenes has his SuperShark007 on a side table beside him, his spot in the one-seat is quiet. Like they used to say in the old westerns..."It's quiet. Too quiet." Though he's come in for one raise so far, he's gotten no action.

A five-minute bathroom break leaves the table with eight players remaining, including one Humberto Brenes, his shark waiting to pounce. It wouldn't take long.

With the blinds taking ever-larger bites from his stack, Humberto looked at the dealer and threw his thumb toward the roof. It would be a raise to 120,000, one that would undoubtedly commit him to the pot. Devilfish called and they saw the flop: 2h4h6s. With only 100,000 left to play, Humberto moved all-in. Devilfish called with nary a thought. With two queens and the heart flush draw, Devilfish was ahead against Humberto's As5s8sKh. With a nine of clubs on the turn and queen of hearts on the river, Humberto was gone.

He gave his shark one last look at the table and then headed for the rail in eighth place. He won $79,710, a tidy $59,000 profit.

"I had to move," he said on his way out. He accepted congratulations with a "Muchos gracias," and walked out.

It's sort of hard to consider if you're an outsider. Most people would be happy to be handed $80,000. However, after you've battled through the toughest field in the World Series so far this year, an eighth place finish is less than inspiring. The disappointment was evident on Brenes' face.

Still, after 35 years and 20 final tables, Brenes knows how to handle this. The first week of this year's World Series is still days away from being over. The chances for another bracelet are many.

Or, if you will, the shark still has time to feed.

Humberto Brenes just hadn't been himself all day. After a Monday that was a lot like a summer day on Amity Island, Humberto Brenes' shark found himself in shallow waters today in the $5,000 PLO re-buy event. Many members of the media commented that Brenes had been unusually quiet, and his shark "SuperShark 007" wasn't seeing much time on the felt.

As the evening grew late, Brenes found himself among the final ten players in the event. Still, he remaining quiet. That was until Robert Williamson III tried and failed to play the role of Chief Brody. Williamson got his money in behind--but drawing pretty live--on the flop. By the turn, Williamson had two pair to Brenes' overpair. However, the river brought a straight for Brenes...and out came SuperShark.

It took another half hour, but eventually Williamson's flopped flush wasn't bigger than Devilfish's flopped flush. And then there were nine.

As mentioned in today's previous report, The Official Nut, Brenes already has one Omaha bracelet. Tomorrow, although against long odds against some huge chips stacks, Brenes will go for his second Omaha bracelet.

Final table

Seat 1: Humberto Brenes
Seat 2: John Juanda
Seat 3: Larry Jonsson
Seat 4: Minh Ly
Seat 5: Burt Boutin
Seat 6: Rob Keston
Seat 7: Sirous Jamshieli
Seat 8: Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott
Seat 9: Erik Cajelais

Prize structure

1 - $825,956
2 - $483,755
3 - $332,582
4 - $230,883
5 - $174,537
6 - $134,682
7 - $107,196
8 - $79,710
9 - $57,721

Tomorrow afternoon we'll see if it's safe to go back in the water.

***

Also tomorrow we'll be watching Jerrod Ankenman. He's doing pretty well for himself in today's $1,000 re-buy event. If you didn't already know, Ankenman is a frequent player on PokerStars and is the co-author of the book Mathematics of Poker (also written by Team PokerStars' Bill Chen).

At the start of the day, no one really thought Ed "OmahaEd" Tonnellier had a shot at the bracelet. In fact, he didn't even think he had a shot in the $2,500 Omaha. At 3pm, he was already making plans to register for the 5pm Omaha/Stud Hi-Lo event. He was short-stacked and vulnerable to the rising levels. He figured he had one good hand. If his hand held, he'd have another one or two. Otherwise, it was a little profit and onto the next tournament.

Ed never made it to that 5pm tournament.

Late afternoon saw Ed running over the table. He brutalized John Phan, then David Benyamine, then Chris Bell. With the dinner break in the offing, he offed Annie Duke. Before he knew it, he was heads up.

And then before he knew it, he was standing on the rail.

"It wasn't supposed to happen that fast," he said.

As it happened, Ed found himself coming up with huge draws and second best hands too much. With the levels so high, and Tom Schneider already having a good chip lead, there wasn't much Ed could do.

And so tonight, he finds himself $118,000 richer and looking forward to the next tournament. While he's a PokerStars Supernova and has done well in recent tournaments, he said he was playing on a shorter bankroll than he would've liked. Now, he's planning to play as many of the Omaha and HORSE events as he can.

But what about the $50,000 HORSE event.

"I told myself if I had a $200,000 score, I'd play the $50K HORSE event," he said.

Really?

Well, yes. That's how confident he is. While never cocky, Ed is the type of guy who is supremely confident in his game and feels like he could hang with the people who will be playing in the big one.

Congratulations to OmahaEd for picking up his biggest cash, yet.

***

We should also take the time to congratulate Jon "pokertrip" Friedberg. If you see him playing on PokerStars, you'll see his player icon is a WSOP bracelet. That's the one he won here last year. Today, he made another final table and ended up placing third in the $1,5000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event for $101,276.

Congrats, Jon on another good score.

"Wait, wait. See," he said, digging in his pocket.

Humberto Brenes is an imposing man. He stand tall, wide in the shoulders, and has a face that--if it weren't always smiling--could be fierce. With a tip of the hat to Dr. David Banner, I wouldn't like to see him angry.

Brenes' hand came flying from his pocket and suddenly a red light was in my face. It shot directly from the mouth of a bite-sized shark.

"It's Super Shark 07," Brenes said, his smile growing ever larger. In a half a second, he'd pulled another shark from his right pocket. "This was 06." And then the red light again. "Super Shark 07."

***

Today arrived with the news that the World Series has dubbed Planters as the official nut of the WSOP. Mr. Peanut can now be found printed on every baize around the room, his monocle an ever-peering eye into the poker player's soul.

Brenes has become pretty well-known for his table antics. The shark is just part of his shtick. In fact, he's more than just a Costa Rican with flair. He's a poker champion with whom people should be careful not to trifle--especially if you're playing Omaha.

Long thought a game mastered more by Europeans, the Costa Rican has made the game his. Now in his mid-50s, Brenes is no doubt the best known player from his country. Nowhere near Europe, and a long way from Omaha, Brenes already holds one World Series Omaha bracelet and he's aiming to pick up another one this week.

As I type, Brenes sits at the final four tables of yesterday's $5,000 PLO re-buy event. There's still a long way to go, but Brenes is making his way just fine. Still, as the field was star-studded, he has some competition.

Looking forward, I think if Planters ever decides to give up its sponsorship of the World Series, Brenes has a real chance to taking over the important role of the World Series Official Nut.

A couple of hours ago, OmahaEd was pretty much counting himself out. He was short-stacked going into the final table and didn't have many bets in his arsenal. In fact, he was already eying a $2,500 Omaha event scheduled to start at 5pm. That was his plan, anyway.

There are two final tables going on right now. A Pot-Limit Hold'em event is running on the main stage (featuring none other than last year's PokerStars qualifier turned bracelet-winner Jon Friedberg). At a side table, the finals of the Omaha Hi-Lo/Stud Hi-Lo are going on. Many poker TV start began at the final table and that has made the rail very crowded. I'd venture a guess that as many people are watching the OE event as are watching the one on the main stage.

Ed is fun to watch. In a cowboy hat and boots, he sits on the table next to David Benyamine. When Ed puts his his bets, he does it with force...enough to scare small children, I'd say. Then he sits back with a genial smile that says, "Call me if you dare."

Three people have dared so far. The first was John Phan who lost a sizable hand in the Omaha round. Later, in a Stud round, he got all-in versus Benyamine with a set of fives that improved to a full house and the wheel for the scoop. Benyamine made his set of eights on sixth street, and for a moment, there Ed feared he was headed for the rail.

"That's the first time my heart started beating like that in years. He hit that eight, and I thought...is there some kind of karma here?" he said. (Just yesterday, Ed laid a beat on a guy that might have led to Ed's feelings that he was a due a bad beat).

Just as the round ended, Ed scooped a big Stud pot and now, if he lets me, might be on his way to me calling him OmahaEd-Stud.

Now, with six players remaining, he sits third in chips behind Tom Schneider and Annie Duke.

Around the PokerStars tables, the named OmahaEd is just one of those names you've come to expect to see. A Supernova in the PokerStars VIP Club, OmahaEd (sometimes known as Ed Tonnellier) is just one of those guys everybody seems to like.

Today, OmahaEd will sit down at his first World Series final table. Although he is the short-stack, he's still in a good mood and ready to play in the $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo/Stud Hi-Lo event.

Here's how he described his adventure so far:

***

Two days ago was the start of the $2500 half hi-lo Omaha and half hi-lo Stud event. With the buy in and nature of the event it was naturally star packed and only 327 players. My day one table had, at times, on it: Layne Flack, Erick Lindgren, "Gank" Brett Jungblutt, Huck Seed and a host of others.

By the end of Day One, I was sitting about the middle with average chips of $19,000 (started with $5000) and 88 players left. Day 2 was up an down like a yoyo, almost out twice and kept coming back. Some new top players joining my table were Scotty Nguyen and David Benyamine. Then when we redrew the table at 24 players and three tables I was in second place with 165,000.

Didn't last long. A horrible hour took me right down to 65,000 started with three tens losing to 3 hidden spades for a flush in the stud round.

Then Annie Duke crushed me twice with inferior hands that got there but I managed to get back to 125,000 off of Scotty when I hit a two on 7th street for a wheel against his 6 low and two pair.

Josh Arieh comes to our table as well as Chris Ferguson and players are busting out fast until we have 8 left and final table is 8, as well as minimum 16,000 and change. Well, I got lucky Josh was in full blown aggressive mode and busted out 9th
to give us our final table of 8 going at 3 pm today Vegas time.

My final table includes Annie Duke, Tom Schneider, Chris Ferguson, John Phan, David Benyamine, Joseph Bolnick, Chris Bell and myself. The bad news is that I am by far the short stack with 69,000 and everyone else over 125,000. Oh well -- at least it is my first WSOP final table and cashing minimum 16,000 with only one backer having 20% of me.

I hope I can move up a couple positions at least to do my family and fans proud (first prize is over 200,000) but I will have to win the first hand I commit to with betting at 8,000 - 16,000.

Updated below

I'd been sweating Barry Greenstein in the $5,000 PLO re-buy event for about half an hour before he noticed me standing on the other side of Ram Vaswani. For the past couple of hours, he'd been writing on the back of tournament entry ticket. I suspected what was up, but it would take Barry's confirmation before I was sure. He called me over to the one-seat where he'd been sitting since five o'clock.

"The bad news," he said, "I'm in this thing for thirty or thirty-five thousand."

I felt that twinge in my pocket where I had my cash wrapped around my credit cards. What I had trapped in the rubber band would not have even covered the first buy-in to the tournament.

"The good news," he said with a smile, "is that I'm up 120,000 on Eli in props."

Sure enough, the chicken scratch on the back of the card was the props scorecard vs. Eli Elezra.

So far, Barry was up about $90,000 in the tournament without being anywhere near the chip lead.

"Oh," he said. "And take a picture of this, because it's the last day I'm allowed to wear it."

The chest of his shirt was emblazoned with a huge PokerStars.net embroidery patch.

I knew the rules around here regarding logos were strict.

"Too big?" I asked.

In fact, the total size had little to do with it.

"The dot-net is too small," he said. "It has to be the same size as the PokerStars."

It's hard to comprehend in this tournament's environment. Rules are rules, after all, but this tournament is the Wild West of poker tournaments. Every player seems to have an endless supply of Bellagio $5,000 chips in their pocket. Those who don't have chips have $10,000 bricks of cash or more. I saw Brian Townsend casually push $20,0000 in loose cash into the leg pocket of his cargo shorts, like it was a cell phone or a candy bar.

But, indeed, this Series is governed by rules, as is this event. The first thing any poker player learns about Omaha is that you can only play two cards from the four cards you're dealt.

Ben Grundy, one time EPT final table player at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, stepped up to me and said with conspiratorial whisper that the one-seat at his table had just tried to play the three kings he was dealt.

"Nobody has told hime yet that he can't use three cards," Grundy said as he hurried back to his table. Later I heard Grundy calmly explaining the add-on rules to his opponent.

"You can take a double add-on if you want," he said, his face giving away nothing.

***

It was probably a foregone conclusion, but ESPN didn't make the call on it until mid-evening. Indeed, the networld would televise this $5,000 event. How could they not. Consider Greg Raymer's story.

"I got knocked out of $2,500 Omaha/Stud Hi-lo event at 5:15. So, I went to my box, got my chips, went over there and registered, and got to this table."

This table happened to be one of the 15 tables that was so packed with familiar faces, you'd think it was a Tournament of Champions.

Raymer's table? Everybody on it had been on a televised final table of a main event. Among them, were John D'Agastino, Erick Lindgren, Andy Black, Ted Lawson, Burt Boutain,and Daniel Negreanu.

Raymer got to his table late and sat down to find a playable hand.

"First hand I got AA25 one suit," he said. "Raised the pot and get three callers. Flop is A98 rainbow. Get it all in three ways. Ted Lawson has KQJT. Queen on the river, he scoops. Andy Black had a set of tens witha backdoor flush draw."

Just like that, Raymer was in need of a re-buy. Before long, he was in the event for $25,000. When I caught him at a break, he seemed ever-so-slightly dispirited.

"I may not put in anymore at all," he said.

"With $25,000 already invested?" I said, my face and stomach both scrunching up.

"Protecting what you've got in is meaningless," Greg said. "If I go broke, rebuying for $5,000 or $10,000 is no different than if I registered late. That $25,000 is gone."

Still, his wife had been following along from their North Carolina home and was texting words of encouragement. At point, she read online that Greg was up to 40,000 chips.

"She didn't know I'd bought 50,000 worth," Greg said.

By the end of the re-buy period, the 145 players had all bought in once and re-bought collectively 450 times. The prize pool was a whopping $2.89 million...most of which had been paid in cash or chips across the tournament tables in the three-hour rebuy period.

***

Those who figure to make the final table should plan on a late night. Tournament directors had planned to have these 145 players play down to the final nine before breaking for the night. That changed late in the evening when they decided to play until 3am, regardless of how many are left.

One person who can go to bed when he wants is Greg Raymer. Right after he got back from the break, Greg sat in the big blind. Ted Lawson came in for a raise and Daniel Negreanu re-raised.

"My sense is, he doesn't have aces," Greg said later. "Obviously, he has a hand, but he knows he's not going to shake Ted Lawson."

Greg looked down at QQ88 double suited and made a decision. "I decided to make a play at the pot because I don't think he has much."

So, Greg potted it. Lawson went away and Negreanu called. Greg bet his remaining chips in the dark, knowing full well they had to go in regardless of what came on the flop.

"What flop am I going to fold to?" he said.

The flop came 46Q all hearts. Negreanu called instantly with the king-high flush. The board didn't pair and Raymer was out.

***

And so now, at 11pm, Raymer and Greenstein have made their exit. Vanessa Rousso is very close. Team PokerStars' shining hope in the $5,000 event is none other than Humberto Brenes. During one break, he broke out what we've taken to calling Chark 2 (with the "c" being intentional). His shark card capper is serving him well so far today and at the dinner break he sat in the top ten in chips.

And so goes the sickest tournament so far in this year's World Series.

Update: Humberto Brenes has finished Day 1 of the $5,000 PLO rebuy event third in chips. Play resumes in this event at 3pm PT.

It's 100 degrees in Las Vegas today. And windy. Outside the Rio, giant umbrellas have been erected over giant fans. The fans blow cool mist, which evaporates almost as quickly as it leaves the fans' blades. The desert winds push back against the fans, and one has to be careful where they stand. Loiter in the wrong place and an eight foot umbrella will catch the wind and fly into your head. The poker gods won't even be able to help you of you're caught between one of the umbrellas and one of the fans. It may not kill you, but it will hurt badly enough that you wish it had.

I was just escaping the capricious flight of the shade umbrellas when I ran into a guy I play with in my hometown. He goes by HardLuckHank on PokerStars, although I rarely see his luck run bad.

"I'm playing the event at 5pm," he said. I was just getting my feet wet on the ground after enduring a bumpy cross-country flight. I wasn't sure which event he was talking about.

"Pot-limit Omaha," he explained. "Unlimited rebuys for the first three hours."

"That should be fun," I said. "What's the buy-in again?"

"Five thousand," he said with a smile.

If I could raise a single eyebrow, I would've done it at that moment. Further investigation showed that not only could players buy in for $5,000, re-buy as many times as they want for $5,000, the could also take a single or double add-on at the end of the re-buy period.

I struggled through some quick math and decided my hometown hero must be mistaken. That was no small chunk of change to be dropping on a gambler's game. In the end, I discovered he was right. He ended up sitting right next to Doyle Brunson when the tournament kicked off an hour and half ago.

I looked around and there was barely an unfamiliar face in the crowd. Name a big name pro, and there they were. I turned in circles snapping pictures.

Greg Raymer checks his four cards during a hand with Andy Black


Vanessa Rousso


Barry Greenstein


Humberto Brenes beseeches the dealer

The Team PokerStars players all seemed a little intent on playing the tournament rather than taking a break to soothe my worried mind. I'm mean, I'm not worried about their bankrolls, but I have to think competing in this particular event can be tough on the psyche. Certainly more damaging than American Airlines wanting to charge me $3 for an in-flight bag of chips.

In search of something less frightening, I wandered the newly re-modeled tournament room. It is more than impressive. Banners of all past champions hang around the room. And the final table area is like a sporting event, with bucket seating on risers, HDTV monitors of the action, and a Milwaukee's Best lounge overlooking the final table.



I shudder to consider what the final table players of the $5,000 PLO re-buy event will be fighting for. But I'll tell you this, I'm excited to find out.

After all...it ain't my money.

Many years ago, a friend of mine talked about something he called The Shampoo Effect.

"You ever notice how, after you shampoo your hair, if you follow the directions to rinse and repeat, it takes a lot less shampoo to do the job on the second time around?" he asked.

He went on to apply this to other areas in life.

I thought about this last night as Team PokerStars' Steve Paul Ambrose placed fourth in the first event of the 2007 World Series, $5,000 Mixed Hold'em. Before he sat down, Steve had his sights set on the bracelet. After a tough run at the final table, he ended up placing fourth. While he won more than $145,000, he was a bit disappointed.

"That kind of sucked," he said.

He looked back on his play and gave himself an honest critique.

"I think I played reasonably well except for one hand in the first level. Basically
I bet the flop and turn, and then MrSmokey1 bet back into me on the river. I was definitely folding, hollywooded a bit, and next thing I knew I'd put the call in. So that was dumb," he said. "Other than that, I thought I played well."

There was a period of time during the final table that it looked like Steve had a real chance at the bracelet. That all changed during a limit section of the Mixed Hold'em event.

"Unfortunately I had a rough 3 hand stretch at 60k/120k limit where I went from chip leader to almost out," he said. "Not really much I could do in those hands I don't think. Overall, I'm happy, although I'm kind of disappointed at the moment."

If I get the chance, I'm going to introduce Steve to The Shampoo Effect. While many old college buddies would use the theory in relation to Happy Hour, I think it could reasonably apply to final tabling a World Series event.

So, Steve, I suggest you spend the day rinsing and we'll be looking for a repeat at another event this year.

In the meantime, congratulations to PokerStars Supernova Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirakis for winning Event #1 and becoming the youngest person to ever win a World Series bracelet.

Sometimes a good deal is hard to pass up. After more than 7,000 players started the June 3 Sunday Million, the final table was all about a good deal. The top five players all decided on a chop. After the deal was in place, the UK's pokerjoel1 walked away with the official victory. Final table results are below.

PokerStars Sunday Million Results
Based on finishing order and five-way deal that left $30,000 for first place

1. pokerjoel1 (United Kingdom) $113,415.77
2. mrp123 (United States) $80,603.53
3. Bonuskort (Norway) $100,824.04
4. PLAYAMAN (United States) $115,524.62
5. varuni (Italy) $58,416.04
6. nickym998 (United Kingdom) $31,064.00
7. bootlegbobby (United States) $21,886.00
8. Xpugn0 (United States) $12,708.00
9 . Sangreal76 (Netherlands) $8,330.80

Updated below

This was the Steve Paul-Ambrose I met in January of 2006.

He was quiet, unassuming, and decidedly unlike most of the other folks of his poker generation. At the time, he was also $1.3 million richer after winning the 2006 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

A lot of people in Steve's position would've ended up turning into high-rolling, fast-talking, self-important twenty-somethings. Steve, instead, went back to college and signed on with Team PokerStars. The next year, Steve went on to go really deep in the 2007 PCA and had a real chance at repeating his performance in 2007.

And now? Well, now Steve sits with the second-biggest chip stack at the final table of the first event of the 2007 World Series.

1. Fred Berger 942,000
2. Steve Paul-Ambrose 771,000
3. Greg Mueller 687,000
4. Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirakis (PokerStars Supernova) 562,000
5. Tony George 546,000
6. Kirk Morrison 512,000
7. Roger McDow 320,000
8. John Younger 94,000
9. Jon Turner 88,000

Steve's story from yesterday is about as good as it gets.

He said, "Yesterday was pretty crazy. The highlight of the day was losing almost all my chips with 77 vs QQ on a QQ7 flop. I started the hand at ~75k and raised to 8k(2k/4k blinds limit) in early position. Guy to my left 3 bets and I call. Flop comes
QQ7 two hearts. I check, he bets, I raise, he calls. Turn's an A. I bet he calls. River's the T of hearts. I bet, he raises, I reraise, he reraises, I tank and just call. That left me with one big bet. I tripled up the next hand with AQ and won the next two hands to get up to 90k. So in the space of 4 hands I went from 75k to 8k to 90k. After that there was nothing too crazy, I won a pretty big flip with two tables left but that was about it for big hands. Hopefully today goes well, I'm super excited to have a shot at a bracelet (and $530,000 too)."

You might have also noticed that PokerStars Supernova "MrSmokey1" is sitting at the final table as well. MrSmokey1 is just one of a whole bunch of Supernovas who have descended on the World Series this year.

Here are the payouts the guys will be fighting for tonight:

1. $536,287
2. $328,554
3. $218,329
4. $146,259
5. $108,105
6. $84,788
7. $63,591
8. $46,633
9. $33,915

Good luck, guys.

Event #3 $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

All the while Event #1 was winding down to the final table, a couple of familiar names started climbing up the leader board of the first $1,500 no-limit hold'em event. Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker are both still alive and sitting on impressive stacks.


Greg Raymer sits in the massive field
Photo Courtesy: Imagemasters Photography

Also impressive--and a little scary--is the fact that this event set a whole new record for the number of players in a preliminary event. At the final count, 2,998 players sat down for their chance at World Series glory.

All of this is a clear reminder that I need to be on the floor in Las Vegas. Just like the past two years--the action is just too hot to not be in the middle of it. So, full coverage begins tomorrow.

Tonight, we root for Steve, MrSmokey1, Greg, and Chris.

Update: Steve played a tough game tonight, but ran into some tough spots. He finished in fourth place for a whopping $146,259!

Nice job, Steve.

Updated below

I try not to be a fanboy. I've spent the last few years hanging around some of the best poker players in the world. I should be less than giddy by now. I should be calm. I mean, once Greg Raymer has cooked you a steak, one should be able to look at big time poker pros through an indifferent lens, or at least one free from superlatives and phrases like "ZOMG! He's so sick!"

That said, Barry Greenstein is beginning the World Series with what, in any other venue, would look like a piece of fiction.

Yesterday, Greenstein called my World Series East Coast Bureau to let me know that he was going to attempt something that would make me regret missing the first three days of the 2007 WSOP. As reported here yesterday:

...he's not going to be sitting in his seat at the Rio when play begins. That's because, at the very same time at the opposite end of the Strip, Greenstein will be sitting down as one of the final ten players in the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Championship.

"That's a bit more than multi-tabling," I mused.

"I'm multi-casino-ing," Greenstein said.

So, what to do? Well, it's going to involve a bit of good luck, a mix of Greenstein's poker skill, and a lot of fast driving. His plan at the moment is to play hard in the WPT event and try to build a winning stack. Today, they are only scheduled to play down to the final six players. Greenstein figures that will take a few hours. His hope is that, in his quest to win another WPT title, his World Series stack will survive. Then, when play breaks at Mandalay Bay, he will rush to the Rio and start playing hard to build a big stack in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event.

As it happened, Greenstein ended up placing seventh in the WPT event and gunning it for the Rio's Amazon Room. He'd missed five hours of blinds.

And now, Greenstein is one of the 95 remaining players in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event. With 451 players starting the event, Greenstein's stack is very close to the chip average. There's still a long way to go before we start considering more superlatives. However, there's gotta be something said about a guy who skips the first five hours of a major tournament and manages to finish the day with an average stack. I'm still trying to figure out what that something is, but the fanboy in me keeps screaming "ZOMG!" I need to find a way to shut that boy up.

I learned today that there was a chance Greenstein could've ended up close to the chip lead. After winning a few big limit pots in the Mixed Hold'em tournament, he noticed that--for the first time in the entire tournament at his table--somebody at had raised more than three-times the big blind. He peaked down at J9 of spades and threw it away. The flop: QT8 with two spades. He would've stacked two people, both of whom had big hands as well. Psychologically bruised, he went back to work and ended up with his near-average stack to end the day.

Oh, and not only that. After finishing up at the Rio, Greenstein did, indeed, head over to the Bellagio and played cash games until 5am. Marathon man, I say.

In other news, Greenstein isn't the only member of Team PokerStars playing in the first event of this year's World Series. Team PokerStars' Katja Thater played exactly one hand in the event.

"I flopped an open-ended straight flush draw (17 outs) and my money went in on the flop," she said. "I lost this hand and I am out."

2003 World Series Champion Chris Moneymaker didn't fare much better. Two words describe his exit: Aces cracked.

Still, there are four other members of Team PokerStars' who still have chips going into Day 2 of the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event.

Isabelle Mercier: 55,000
Steve Paul-Ambrose: 55,500
Vanessa Rousso: 53,500
Current Average: 47,473
Barry Greenstein: 43,000
Humberto Brenes: 10,000

Play in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event resumes today at 2pm PT/5pm ET. Also in the works today, Event #3, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em.

Greenstein tells me he's not going to be playing the $1,500 no-limit hold'em event today and will instead focus solely on his stack in Day 2 of the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event.

I don't know about you, but this whole "playing one tournament" at a time thing seems really intriguing to me. I'm curious to see how Greenstein adjusts.

Update: Greenstein had one of those days that could've just as easily made him a huge stack in the $5,000 event or send him home early. As it happens, this day sent him out of the Rio. He lost a race to end it all and is now out to the Bellagio to check out the cash game line-up there.

In other news, as of 7pm PT, Humberto Brenes and Vanessa Rousso have been eliminated. Isabelle Mercier and Steve Paul Ambrose are still in the hunt.

(Updated below)

Before the first cards leave the dealers' hands, the first major story of the 2007 World Series has already begun.

I just got off the phone with Team PokerStars' Barry Greenstein. It was the kind of conversation I shared with him during last year's World Series. In 2006, Greenstein slept just a few hours a day in between his tournament play and his marathon side games. He was a man bent on both winning another World Series bracelet and making a lot of money in the juicy cash games.

Marathon man, Barry Greenstein, during the 2006 World Series

Greenstein is no stranger to playing two tournaments at once. I recall a couple times last year in which he left one chip stack abandoned during a WSOP event while he he started another event. This year, he's taking that multi-tabling strategy to a whole new level.

Last night, Greenstein realized he was in a pickle. He knew very well that the first event of the World Series starts today at noon. He had no intention of missing it. Not only is he a constant competitor. He's also very aware that people are counting on him. A lot of fantasy poker players have Greenstein on their teams. He doesn't want to let them down.

"I feel when people are putting their money on me, I've got give my best effort," he said.

That said, he's not going to be sitting in his seat at the Rio when play begins. That's because, at the very same time at the opposite end of the Strip, Greenstein will be sitting down as one of the final ten players in the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Championship.

"That's a bit more than multi-tabling," I mused.

"I'm multi-casino-ing," Greenstein said.

So, what to do? Well, it's going to involve a bit of good luck, a mix of Greenstein's poker skill, and a lot of fast driving. His plan at the moment is to play hard in the WPT event and try to build a winning stack. Today, they are only scheduled to play down to the final six players. Greenstein figures that will take a few hours. His hope is that, in his quest to win another WPT title, his World Series stack will survive. Then, when play breaks at Mandalay Bay, he will rush to the Rio and start playing hard to build a big stack in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event.

We spent a few minutes discussing his strategy (which, just in case 2007 PCA winner Ryan Daut or Chau Giang--still alive at Mandalay Bay--are reading, I'm not going to reveal). One thing he did say is, "I feel absolutely no pressure at that WPT event. I'm going to be winging it in, get a hold of chips, and get over to the Rio. The first event is a good event."

I don't know who keeps records on this, but I'm not sure this kind of thing has ever happened before. Of course, if it has, I'm sure Greenstein was somehow involved. It takes one kind of talent to play four tournaments at once on a laptop screen. It takes another kind of talent to simultaneously play two big buy-in events at two casinos at opposite ends of the Strip.

Good luck, Barry.

And good luck to anyone who happens to be on the roads between Mandalay Bay and the Rio this afternoon.

Update: Make way at the Rio. Barry Greenstein is on his way. The exact details are still up in the air, but suffice it to say, Greenstein just missed the WPT televised final table. He placed seventh for $54,665. Now, he's off to see how five hours of missed blinds treated his stack in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event.

Previous coverage: Dawn breaks on the 2007 World Series

In 2005, I stood with my seat assignment in my hand and looked across what seemed like the back 40 of a rural Missouri farm. Instead of corn, though, I only saw tables and chairs. My spot, Table 2--Seat 1, was far enough away that it could've been an ear of corn on the last stalk...on the last row...of the field. It was a new generation of the World Series. Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, and PokerStars had made sure of that in 2003 and 2004. Now, the tournament room was set up to handle 2000 players at one time, enough to seat almost everybody in the 2003 World Series...three times.

At the time, it seemed even tournament organizers were surprised. As Johnny Grooms shouted "Shuffle Up and Deal," the dealer at Table 2 looked down to find she didn't have a button. For the next half and hour, we used the lid off a Starbucks cup. It was during that time my pocket aces held up against pocket kings. The caffeine, the sugar from my packet of Sweetarts, the impending Red Bull rush, and the fact that it was my fifth wedding anniversary could barely compare to the feeling of seeing that first pot pushed to me.

What was that? Wedding anniversary? Well, yes, it was. It was five years of wedded bliss, culminating in a messy bust-out of that tournament just before the dinner break. At the time, the PokerStars Blog had no intention of heading back to Las Vegas before the Main Event. Instead, I took my bride in a rented convertible up the California and Oregon Coasts. I was overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Florence Oregon when Dan Goldman, the man who had asked me to blog the Main Event, called.

"You have to get back to Vegas now. There's just too much going on. The Blog has to be here."

And, a few days later, I made it so.

That's how this modest little blog ended up at the WSOP.

That year, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer became a poker folk hero for a couple of weeks. My fingers couldn't stop typing about the possibility that he just might win two consecutive massive-field Main Events. His 25th place finish that year both buoyed my spirits and broke my heart. All in all, though, it confirmed for me that there is such thick drama in poker--even after so many stories have been written--that writing about it can be almost as intoxicating as playing it.

***

The World Series begins today and with it the PokerStars Blog begins its third year covering the world's biggest poker event. Like every year, drama surrounds both the opening day and what will happen over the next month and a half.

The PokerStars Blog once again is excited to have behind-the-scenes access to all members of Team PokerStars. We're also looking forward to hooking up with the crew of Supernovas planning to descend on the WSOP. I'd be happy to tell you all that I have planned, but, in truth, I've found that the best World Series stories happen outside the bounds of all perfect planning. That means, I have plans, but if history is any indication, those plans will have evaporated in a steam of World Series fervor by Event #5 or 6.

World Series Media Director Nolan Dalla sent me some interesting statistics today and they are awash with Team PokerStars.

All-Time WSOP Money earners

2. Joe Hachem -- $7,899,828 in five cashes
5. Greg "FossilMan" Raymer -- $5,433,450 in five cashes
20. Chris Moneymaker -- #2,528,153 in three cashes

Most WSOP Cashes

5. Humberto Brenes (45)

Most WSOP Final Tables

15. Humberto Brenes (20)
17. Tom McEvoy (19)

With that kind of record for those folks, the rest of Team PokerStars at the tables, and an army of PokerStars' Supernovas and qualifiers hitting the tables, there's little question we'll see some more good numbers put up this year.

So, keep it here for all the news that's fit to print, and maybe even a little that's not. The cards go in the air at noon PT today. I'll be keeping tabs by phone for the weekend, before setting down on the ground on Monday. Why? Well, you'll recall, this weekend happens to represent my wedding anniversary (seventh this time). So, I'm doing the right thing and heading out first thing Monday morning--unless of course somebody on Team PokerStars decides to final table the first event...in which case, my bags are already packed.

See you all in Vegas.

PokerStars Blog 2007 World Series Main Event Coverage

PokerStars World Series Winners

Day 1A

Begin the Big'un -- The 2007 World Series Main Event Begins

ElkY off to a flyer -- Supernova Elite starts strong

PokerStars Qualifiers Tip the Tables as Day 1A Begins -- PokerStars flags flying everywhere

In search of the nuts -- davebreal, barny156, and Mr. Peanut

More Glory for Cory -- Cory Zeidman returns to deliver more beat downs

Wisdom among the dunces -- An owl presides, a Ramdin abides

Badih "LEB_BEL" Bounahra Hopes the Third Time's a Charm -- The Belize Bomber looks deep

Royal Flush Rubdown -- What you can win with a Royal Flush, besides chips

Who got the look? -- PokerStars style at the World Series

Daniel Snowden survives buzzsaw table -- PokerStars qualifier builds early stack

The Stack that Hal Built -- Hal England cancels Everybody Loves Raymond

Day 1B

Day 1B set for the lucky -- Luckiest day in a century

Duthie's on Tap and Running Hot -- EPT creator starts strong

Alan Smurfit's New Card Protector -- The best card protector a card player can have

Doing it for real -- Fantasy Land at the World Series

Vamooooooo Brazil -- Brazil invades World Series

His face rings a bell -- Blogger encounteres nemesis doing well in Series

Rob "Vaga_Lion" Akery Aches for the Big Score -- From microstakes to big games

Two writers and a blouse-- Distractions for two writer/players

Un-tilt-- Getting happy at the World Series

A Big Move from "NVme5" and "gunning4you" -- PokerStars qulaifiers play different styles

Adam takes on the big boys -- Wading through the pros

Day 1C

Day 1C marks big turnout -- Biggest flight of Day 1

Fossilman arrives -- A interview with a world champion

Licensed to thrill -- What's on your vanity plate?

Bernie is back FPP winner from 2005 makes it big in 2007

Hachem the railbird -- When Hachem is on the rail who does he watch?

Feature table with Chris Moneymaker -- Another world champion on the featured table

Battle of the network stars -- Celebs in the crowd

Rousso's blind aggression -- Pretty lady, tough in the blinds

Anticipation of tilt -- Anger and nicotine in the main event

Sunday Million Results (trust me, worth the story) -- It's a small world after all

Gladys' Night (and the chips) -- Lady in waiting

Day 1D Coverage

Jeff Norman, World Series Chip Leader -- PokerStars player takes overall chip lead

Negreanu's early wobble -- Steady on the table, tilty off

Granny to the rescue -- God bless, Granny

Like Peas in a Pod -- Forum pals play same day at Series

Rudolf's Just Desserts How sweet it is for a poker playing chef

Big moves early on Day 1D -- Happy German starts strong

RaiNKhAN, the Freshmaker SNG king sings, runs good, amd munches on candy

Crunching numbers for dinner -- World Series by the numbers

A Razor Slashes at the Table -- Phanning out

The Six Dollar Man -- Not a freeroll, but close

PokerStars Live! -- What is PokerStars were even more real?

Day 2A

A New Day -- Day 1 finally gone, Day 2 begins

Blood Sweat And Tears -- The carnage of Day 2

Rain Storm A Comin' -- Jeff "mrrain" Banghart

Has Anyone's See ElkY's Lobster? -- ElkY oit of luck?

When You Don't Want to Go Home -- Clinging to life at the World Series

Playing the Big and Short Stack -- Staying alive

Chasing the Lizard King -- Childhood chums live it up in the poker world

The Midas Touch -- Blogger good luck charm good for Mexican attorney

Day 1-ers make it through tough field

Day 2B

Fasten your seatbelts

Chip leader Jeff Norman surfs in

Moneymaker on fire

Four places, four faces

How to play small stacks, how to play big stacks

Gladys!

RaiNKhaN meet Gus, Gus meet RaiNKhaN

When Stars collide

Jacks beat up kings again

RaiNKhaN set to meet mrrain in Day 3

Day 3

The bubble cometh

The Run to the money

From Mexico to Las Vegas

Brazil Still In Action

Hungry Humberto

Floating with the bubble

Dinner without Duthie

Marco Mills Mints a Multitude of M's

Day of the Dario

Day 4



Day 4 of the Dario?

Dario: I won't be stupid

Dario takes a hit

Shark in deeper waters

Josh Evans eyes final table

Ryan Lawrence

Dario takes Hit(s)

I am the weatherman

Han's Handy Hands

lol donkaments

World Series PokerStars Winners

Day 4 at Crystal Lake

Day 5

Alive in Day Five

The Wheel of Misfortune

Personality and poker

The Four Horsemen of the featured table

Winston has the nuts

Ryan's Slaughter

Jason Welch form the brink

Where we've been

A different kinf of rain dance

The View through Roy Winston's eyes

Day 5 of the online kings

Day 6

Roy's 4's

Lazy Sunday

Scott Freeman's Magic

Focus

Patience is a virtue

John Armbrust from the felt

Big han's for BABYHAN

Strong Rain forecast

John Armbrust's finish

Almost Everybody Loves Raymond Rahme

RaiNKhaN storms up leaderboard

Three PokerStars Players at final table

Final Table


2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 1)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 2)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 3)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 4)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 5)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 6)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 7)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 8)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 9)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 10)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 11)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 12)

2007 World Series: Final Table Coverage (Pt. 13)


PokerStars Blog 2007 World Series Preliminary Event Coverage

2007 World Series of Poker Begins--The PokerStars Blog begins its third year of World Series coverage

Multi-Casino-ing With Barry Greenstein--Team PokerStars' Barry Greenstein plays a WPT event and WSOP event at the same time

Don't Doubt Greenstein -- Barry Greenstein begins Day 2 of $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event with near-average stack after missing the first five hours

Steve Paul-Ambrose starts it right--First event clears space for Steve Paul-Ambrose at final table

Rinse and repeat?-- Team PokerStars' Steve Paul-Ambrose places fourth in $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event

The Sickest Tournament--$5,000 PLO re-buy, sick with top pros

Scenes from re-buy madness--behind the scenes stories from $5,000 PLO re-buy event.

OmahaEd makes final table--Trip report from OmahaEd

OmahaEd lives up to his name -- In-game report on OmahaEd at the final table

The Official Nut -- Humberto Brenes fighting for further Omaha glory

OmahaEd just misses bracelet -- It's close but no cigar at OmahaEd's first World Series final table

Going to need a bigger boat -- Humberto Brenes makes PLO rebuy final table

Humberto Brenes PLO Rebuy Final Table Report Table-side with the shark

Another first breath -- Catch up with Team PokerStars

World Series Truths -- From stud to re-buys, not-so-universal truths

PokerStars blogger makes final table -- Jan Von Halle makes $1,000 re-buy final table.

Jan Von Halle's final table finish -- Ninth place in $1,000 rebuy

Events aplenty -- Too many events to watch at once

At sea with the dolphin -- A final table with Supernova Dolph "dolphin" Arnold

Three for three -- Steve Paul-Ambrose can't stop winning

A week in the books -- One week down, six to go

Worldwide Heater -- Four young guns who you can't hate

Jan Two-Times -- Jan Von Halle still alive in $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em

A fad, indeed -- $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event pulls massive crowd

Big events, big names -- Top pros seek championship titles

Seven Card Studs -- Team PokerStars' players in Day 2 of Stud event

Living and Dying on Five Streets

Eye on Humberto (if you missed this one, you really should read it)

Shark back in the water -- Humberto Brenes at second final

Forgotten Final Table -- Greenstein and Raymer make $1,500 stud table

Humberto Brenes at $5,000 Pot Limit Hold'em Final Table Part One

...Part Two

...Part Three

...Part Four

Team PokerStars scores big -- Humberto, ElkY, and Katja running strong

Mondays are fun -- Negreanu joins PokerStars, Katja shoots for bracelet

Katja Thater makes final table -- Katja showing the ladies how it's done

Breather -- Four members of Team PokerStars at three final tables

Team PokerStars days at the final table

Coming in from the desert -- The return to Las Vegas

Raymer welcomes Hachem -- Joe Hachem arrives at World Series and finds Greg Raymer waiting for him

Seventeen steps with Barry Greenstein -- How to multi-table two Series events

Champion vs. Champion -- Joe Hachem and Greg Raymer square off at same table

Manic Monday -- When the World Series gets...odd.

Heads up! -- World Series hosts $5,000 heads-up championship

Men in the Men's -- Men the Master reports on Katja Thater from a men's room stall

Terrence Chan makes final table

Katja Thater wins bracelet -- Thater grabs first WSOP bracelet in $1,500 Razz event

Tourney in a Box -- Chan and five others sequestered for live broadcast

Outside the box -- What happens outside the live broadcast

Finding Terrence -- Terrence Chan just misses first bracelet

Another final table? -- Team PokerStars' shooting for more final tables

FPPs turn to gold -- Supernova Keith Block goes deep in $5,000 heads-up event.

Daniel Negreanu makes final table...again -- Negreanu makes final table of $2,000 Stud event

$2,000 Stud Final Table with Daniel Negreanu -- Part 2 -- Part 3

The Light of the Stars -- PokerStars success continues at World Series

Spoiled rotted -- An unusul day without a big final table

Sound familiar? -- Joe Hachem goes after Pot Limit Hold'em field field

Upstream -- The huge $1,500 No-Limit field

No Limit Exclusive -- Noah Boeken still alive in $1,500 NL event

When a HORSE is not a horse

Unprecedentedly fun

Dead Meat

HORSE: Back in the saddle

HORSE gets serious

My Dream Final Table

Keeping the Dream Alive

Featured Horse

A New Track

Work Horses

In the Money

Why the Long Face

Greenstein's Gift and Raymer's Exit

Barry Greenstein makes HORSE final table

HORSE Final Table pre-game

Barry Greenstein takes 7th in HORSE event

Starting Over -- Life after the HORSE event

Isabelle's EV -- How Isabelle Mercier made a bunch of money in the HORSE event without making it into the money

Hot Friday -- Brazilians, Greenstein's multi-tabling, and the Vegas heat

How to Make My Head Explode -- The Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Re-Buy event

Two Stars, One Final Table -- Two PokerStars players make same final table

The Equalizer -- The World Series' even playing field

No-Straight Saturday -- The Deuce-Seven Triple Draw event enters Day 2

Day of the Boeken -- A Day of hope for Noah Boeken

Maybe Sunday -- Giving up on Saturday and Day of the Boeken

Gambler's Sunday -- The beginning of the $10,000 PLO Championship

Crime, Gambling, Healthcare -- Scenes from the PLO Championship

Getting There -- The last-minute quest for a bracelet

Demons Out-- The madness of the $1,000 rebuy event

Hachem's Cash -- How Joe Hachem's money is only lucky of you put it in play

One Bullet at a Time -- The nature of the Limit Hold'em Shootout

Facing off with Doyle -- How a PokerStars player fought Doyle Brunson

Shooting into the money -- Isabelle's first cash

Shot Out -- The end of the Limit Hold'em Shootout

Fireworks and Stars -- Poker on Independence Day

The Day Before Tomorrow -- Putting the preliminary events behind us

Supernova Party-- The best pre-party at the World Series