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Additional 2009
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2009 WSOP Main Event |
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© July 15, 2009 Las Vegas - The World Series of Poker is the longest-running, largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the WSOP which takes place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino from May 27th through July 15th, with the Main Event final table played November 7-10, 2009. This is the 57th and final event on the 2009 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas. Four more gold bracelet events will take place in London, England at the Empire Casino, to be held from September 19th through October st. This marks the fifth consecutive year the WSOP has been held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Prior to 2005, the WSOP was held at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. As a testament to the expansion of the WSOP since Harrah’s Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event, more money has been awarded to winners within the Rio during the past five years than during the entire proceeding 35-year period at the Horseshoe. The 2009 WSOP Main Event officially began on July 3, 2009 at 12:07 pm. The tournament began with opening festivities. WSOP President and Commissioner opened up the tournament by introducing WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, who recited customary instructions and rules to all players. Effel also thanked players, fans, and the entire staff at the WSOP. He recognized the dealers in particular for their skill and devotion, which received a nice ovation. Effel then announced any player dealt four jacks in this year’s Main Event will receive a special prize from Jack Link’s Beef Jerky valued at more than $100. The microphone then passed back to Pollack who revealed the 2009 WSOP platinum and diamond bracelet to the large crowd. This marked the first time poker’s most coveted prize has been shown in a mass public display. Next, Pollack introduced “Sasquatch,” a huge hairy man-beast who is the face of the official WSOP sponsor Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. Sasquatch was given the honorary “Shuffle-Up and Deal” honors. The monster blathered “Shuffle-Up and Deal” to a room full of 2,000 people and was heartedly applauded by the crowd as he hugged both the Commissioner and the Tournament Director, who were the unexpected targets of Sasquatch’s affections. This is the fourth consecutive year that the WSOP has been guided by Tournament Director Jack Effel. After being assigned as the Assistant Tournament Director in 2005, he assumed the top floor position in 2006 and has now overseen operations for the four largest poker tournaments in history. 2009 WSOP Main Event Recap The total number of entries for the $10,000 No-limit Hold'em World Championship Main Event was 6,494, with 648 players who will finish in he money. The total net prize pool for the Main Event was $61,043,600. The final nine players are competing for a total prize pool of $27,219,668. The payout schedule is as follows: 1st Place Prize: $8,546,435
[ Day 1a ] [ Day 1b ] [Day 1c] [Day 1d] [Day 2a] [Day 2b] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] [Day 8] Day 1a (July 3) Three former world champions played on Day 1a, Berry Johnston (1986), Johnny Chan (1987), and Jerry Yang (2007). Poker Hall of Fame inductees Dewey Tomko and Billy Baxer played and survived Day 1a. Johnston and Chan will return for Day Two. The "Sophomore Jinx" struck again, since Jerry Yang did not make it to Day 2. Several notable non-professional celebrities played on Day 1a, including actor Jennifer Tilly, actor and comedian Brad Garrett and world famous Irish cricket player Shane Warne made it to Day 2a, while actor Jason Alexander finished near the top of the leader board in 30th place. Former Main Event finalist, Gabe Kaplan actor, comedian and High Stakes Poker Host; Orel Hershiser, former major league baseball star and sports announcer; and R & B/Rap star Nelly were eliminated during the round. The players slogged through four complete levels, with play ending at 10:30 pm. For the first time, players started with T$30,000 in chips, triple the number of starting chips, with little change in the blind structure from earlier series'. In contrast, the WSOP Main Event from 1971 through 2005 gave players T$10,000 in starting chips, while players from 2006 through 2008 were given T$20,000 chips, though the blind structure was revised accordingly. The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner is Phi Nguyen, from Hawaiian Gardens, CA, currently entrenched in 35th place.The players who survived Day 1a will return (with those from 1b) to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship on Day 2a on July 7th, at 12 noon. The original Day 1a chip leader was mistakenly reported as Eric Cloutier, from Mont-Laurier, Quebec (Canada). Cloutier is a former professional hockey player. He played briefly for the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Cloutier owns a few sports bars located in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas of Louisiana. He has been playing poker on the tournament circuit for about five years and has cashed in many events. The actual chip leader is Redmond Lee, from London, England. He also performed well two years ago in the 2007 Main Event, when he ended up finishing in 41st place. Lee currently has two WSOP career cashes. Also among the chip leaders is James Navolanic, who ended the day in second place. He is a 21-year-old college student from Cleveland, OH. Navolanic is attending The Ohio State University and is pursuing a degree in communications. This is his first year to play at the WSOP and is his first WSOP event ever. Seven of the top eight chip leaders are non-Americans. | TOP | Day 1b (July 3) The first player eliminated on Day 1b was Mr. Kim Sherlin. He busted out about five minutes into play. Sherlin was eliminated holding two pair. Highlighting again one of those little poker statistics writers are so found of, the most common losing hand in Texas Hold'em is Two Pair. Just as interesting is that statistically, the hand that wins the most is - you guessed it - Two Pair. Former world champions who played on Day 1b included Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston (1972), Doyle Brunson (1976/1977), Jim Bechtel (1993), Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000), Carlos Mortensen (2001), Chris Moneymaker (2003), and Greg “Fossilman” Raymer (2004). though Preston, Bechtel, Ferguson, Mortensen, and Raymer will return for Day Two, Brunson and Moneymaker did not survive the day. Moneymaker was critacally hurt when his pocket Queens were crushed by his opponents Ace - Ace in the hole. A few hands later Moneymaker went all in, with pocket 10s this time, against the same player who was again holding pocket Aces. The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 1b is Alex Kravchenko, from Tver, Russia. The only notable celebrities playing on Day 1b was French singer and actor Patrick Bruel. Proving once and for all that poker is a game for people of all ages, Jack Ury, from Terre Haute, IN played in the Main Event for the third consecutive year. Ury broke his own record which he set last year as the oldest player ever to compete in a WSOP event. Ury is 96-years-young and for the third straight year he will return for Day 2. The Brunson family had three entries into the Main Event who played on this day. Doyle Brunson was joined by Todd Brunson and Pamela Brunson in the tournament, both of whom survived to play on Day 2a. Players surviving Day 1b will merge with the survivors of Day 1a to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship on July 7th, at 12 noon. The chip leader (from Day 1b) is Brandon Demes, from Tempe, AZ. He cashed twice so far at this year’s WSOP – finishing 21st in the Mixed Hold’em event, and 84th in a No-Limit Hold’em event. Ranked second in chips is Andrew Gaw, from The Philippines. Only four of the top ten chip leaders are non-Americans. | TOP | Day 1c (July 5) Taking the microphone, he received a warm reception from the capacity crowd packed inside the Amazon Room. He stated that he will continue to fight for the protection of individual freedoms and for Americans’ rights to play poker. Rep. Frank also stated his strict opposition to the federal government interfering in what he calls “personal decisions about how citizens spend their time and money.” Finally, Rep. Frank urged all players and poker fans to contact their representatives in congress directly and tell them to support legislation which allows Americans the freedom to play poker. Rep. Frank is the fifth major political figure to visit the World Series of Poker in recent years. Three years ago, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) gave a short speech to poker players in the Main Event. Last year, former Senator Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY) addressed the large crowd during the start of the series. Three weeks ago, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) did a “Shuffle-Up and Deal” announcement and last week, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) attended the WSOP for the first time. By coincidence, five of the “November Nine” players from last year’s Main Event final table started play on this day. Kelly Kim is currently doing best of the group, finishing 8th out of the Day 1c field, while Ylon Schwartz and Dennis Phillips also survived. The WSOP has hundreds of compelling stories. Every player who makes the journey to Las Vegas comes with hopes and aspirations. Perhaps no player, nor story, is quite as compelling as that of 55-year-old Kent Senter, from Cape May, NJ. He is married and is the father of four children. Senter worked at Lowe’s until recently, when he was diagnosed with a fatal disease called Multiple Myleoma. Senter was told he has only six months to live. Senter’s wife, Patty, knew that his dream was to play in the WSOP. She arranged to have him play in the Main Event and for the first time ever, Kent Senter took his seat amidst thousands of other hopefuls. Once Senter’s inspirational story became known to the media, he was the center of attention during much of the day. Now that Senter’s dream to enter and compete in the WSOP has come true, he will continue to be a player to watch in the days ahead. The chip leader is Joseph Cada, from Shelby Township, MI. In fact, he is now the overall Main Event chip leader, while Tyler Patterson, from Everett, WA is ranked second in chips. The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 1c is Jeffrey Lisandro, from Salerno, Italy, who is sixth in this huge field. He has enjoyed a phenomenal WSOP. Lisandro became only the fifth player in history to win three gold bracelets within a single year (see article), all three wins coming in non-Hold'em Seven-Card Stud events. With the fourth near final table, Jeffery currently sits atop the leader board in the 2009 WSOP “Player of the Year” race. Three of today's top ten are non-American players. Five former world champions made their entrances for Day 1c. These Main Event winners include: Jim Bechtel, Dan Harrington, Scotty Nguyen and Joe Hachem. No other player made as grand an entrance as the player we "Love to Hate," the irrascable 'Poker Brat,' 1989 world champion and 11-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth. Two years ago, Hellmuth made his grand entrance in full Racing Car regalia (after totalling UltimateBet.Net's stock car, while last year he arrived atop an Army tank as an Eleven Star General, reminesent of WW II General George S. Patton. This year, Phil was carted into the Rio while sprawled across a special platform carried by mock-Roman centurions. Hellmuth, decked out in full toganesque as Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, made his way into the Rio as flocks of scantily-clad “servants” threw rose petals on the ground, in preparation for “Caesar’s” grand entrance. Hellmuth graced the hallways, waving to hundreds of star-crazed worshipers and bewildered bystanders in a media-orchestrated event more reminiscent of a Howard Stern stunt, than a championship poker tournament. When Hellmuth finally assumed his throne on the ESPN stage, hundreds of poker fans completely engulfed the area in what was unquestionably the most bizarre and entertaining entrance ever in WSOP history. About 30 minutes after his grand arrival, Hellmuth granted the media a short interview. Question: Last year it was Patton. This year, it’s Caesar. Why Caesar? Question: How did you think things went today – with your grand entrance on the red carpet? And how many girls were with you? Question: What do you think about when you see hundreds of fans, with cameras and lights following your every move? Question: Are they going to be talking about Phil Hellmuth 2,000 years from now? Question: Do you think this entrance was about fame or infamy? Question: Phil, you played extraordinarily well last year. But you busted out in disappointing fashion. What are your expectations for this year? Question: So, will Phil Hellmuth’s grand entrance at the WSOP be a recurring spectacle every year from now on?
Dennis Phillips, last year's 3rd place finisher and my nemisis at the 2009 Dream Team Poker Media Tournament (see article), also made a spectacle laced entrance. He arrived in the Amazon Room with about 40 supporters (unlike Hellmuth's paid models) adorned in the unofficial “Team Phillips” uniform. They arrived dressed in blue jeans, white oxford button-down shirts with logos, and St. Louis Cardinals baseball caps. The crowd stayed most of the day, cheering exuberently when he won a big hand. He finished in the middle of that pack in 258th, putting him in a similar position following last year's Day 1 appearance. | TOP | Day 1d (July 6) Most observers noted that the Main Event total number of entries very likely would have surpassed last year’s figure, were it not for the unmanageable imbalance in late registrations. This issue will be discussed following this year’s tournament as the WSOP attempts to accommodate as many players as possible, while encouraging and emphasizing the importance of early registration – particularly into widely-popular events such as the Main Event championship which are in serious danger of reaching full capacity. Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP Commissioner, in a press conference prior to the Media Tournament before Day 3 began, stated, "We are looking at several things as the relate to the process of registering for the Main Event." Notable tournament championsip player T.J. Cloutier and NYC Cash Game specialist Mickey Appleman both failed to make the field. Appleman was much more upset with his failure to enter the tournament, stating it was the first time in the last 28 years he did not make the Main Event. Though obviously dejected he did not get to enter the tournament, Cloutier stated that "Jeffrey [Pollack] did the right thing in handling the situation.There was nothing else he could have done." The one aspect of the controversy was that the WSOP website did imply that there were a maximum of 3,000 seats available each day. Even though the staff added numerous tables to the Amazon Room, placed players at the Cash Game area of the Rio and expanded the number of tables at the Miranda and Brazilia Rooms, they said there was no way to add any more tables to allow more players than the 2,804. Because of the large number of players remaining after Day 1c and 1d, when they set-up for Day 2b, they were able to add even more tables to accomodate the 2,924 players remaining. After the impromtu Press Conferences by Nolan Dalla for the WSOP's side and Mike Sexton for the affected players, the Main Event continued with the opening festivities for Day 1d. WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack welcomed journeymen ESPN poker commentators Lon Mceachern and Norman Chad onto the stage, who performed a short routine. In his customary broadcast voice, Mceachern jokingly launched into what seemed might be a longwinded WSOP introduction, which was rudely cut short by the always-wisecracking Chad, standing at right. Chad reminded Mceachern that the nearly 3,000 poker players didn’t exactly want to listen to them and were ready to start playing the biggest poker event of the year. On cue, Mceachern instantly changed course and deadpanned the most famous words in poker, “Shuffle-Up and Deal!” Lon Mceachern and Norman Chad have been teamed up on ESPN’s highly-popular WSOP broadcasts since 2003. Their first tournament together was Chris Moneymaker’s magical championship victory that same year, which is generally regarded as the most monumental moment in televised poker history, primarily due to the advent of the "Hole Cam." While Mceachern actually worked on the 2002 Main Event broadcast (he was teamed up with Gabe Kaplan that first year), the Mceachern-Chad announcing duo has now voiced seven WSOP years and more than 200 hours of ESPN broadcasts. Contrast this number with the work of a typical NFL commentator, who puts in about 60 hours of broadcast time during a normal football per year. Mceachern and Chad have unquestionably become two of poker’s most-recognizable voices and their longtime commitment to the WSOP and contributions to the popularity of the game was appropriately recognized on this day. Former world champions who played on Day 1d included Bobby Baldwin (1978) and Robert Varkonyi (2002), as well as reigning world champioin Peter Eastgate. All three survived Day 1d and Eastgate currently has an average-size. Ivan Demodov, last year's runner up played today, but was eliminated. Notable celebrities who played today included World Champion Los Angles Lakers basketball player Jordan Farmar (if he wins, he would be the first athlete to win World Championships in two sorts in a single year), former NBA basketball star John Salley, female wrestler Torrie Wilson, actor and comedian Marlon Wayans, actor Ray Romano, actor and singer Lou Diamond Phillips, actor and NBC Heads-up contender Shannon Elizabeth, music video director Joseph Kahn and musician Sully Erna. Only Farmar, Wayans, Phillips and Elizabeth survived to Day 2b. The chip leader is Troy Weber, from West Terre Haute, IN and is the overall chip leader at the conclusion of all four starting days. Weber is a 38-year-old salesman of industrial supplies. We was the chip leader late on the first day and managed to add significantly to his advange by winning a sizable six-figure pot with just minutes remaining on the clock at the end of Day 1. He holds one of the largest End Day One stacks in WSOP history. Ranked second in chips is Mikael Ay, from Gothenburg, Sweden. The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 1d is Josh Arieh, from Atlanta, GA. Today, as occurred yesterday in an effort to remove more players on day one, players competed for five levels. While the survivors will play only four levels on Day 2, players from Day 1a and 1b will play five levels to synch the time clocks for both fields for the start of Day 3. | TOP | Combined Day 1 Statistics The combined numbers translate into 68 percent of the overall starters in this tournament surviving the first day. This is the highest percentage in history, due primarily to the larger starting stack sizes. Based on the combined results of all four starting days, the Top Ten chip leaders going into Day 2 are:. 1. Troy Weber, W. Terre Haute, IN. Six of the top ten overall chip leaders are Americans. The official final count shows 6,494 players entered the 2009 Main Event. Based on this figure, this tears event now ranks as the third-largest live poker tournament in history. Only the 2006 and 2008 championships drew larger numbers. Based on WSOP figures during the mega-era (2003 to present), the Day One chip leader has a slightly less than even chance of cashing in the Main Event. Since 2003, there have been 19 Day One chip leaders. The number of chip leaders is higher than number of years, due to multiple starting days. Of the 19 Day One chip leaders during this period, only nine finished in the money (47 percent). Ten players were eliminated out of the money. The previous Day One chip leaders who cashed, finished as follows: 2003 – Barry Greenstein finished 49th. The average place of finish for those who cashed is 226th place During this years Main Event, any player dealt four jacks receives a special prize from Jack Link’s Beef Jerky valued at $100. Through Day 1d, 17 packages have been given away, which amounts to about once per two-hour level. The eventual WSOP champions and their chip positions at the conclusion of Day One were: 2003 – Chris Moneymaker with T$60,475 in chips (ranked 11th). NOTE: 2003-2005 started with T$10,000 in chips. 2006-2008 started with T$20,000 in chips. 2009 starts with T$30,000 in chips. The most dominant Day One Main Event performance in history was by three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner John Bonetti, who passed away two years ago. Bonetti finished the first day of the 1993 Main Event with T$500,000 in chips (the figure is an estimate, since there was no Internet coverage, nor accurate records from that year). Since there were 231 players registered, he had a staggering 22 percent of the total chips in play. Bonetti went on to finished third that year. | TOP | Day 2a (July 7) Former world champions who began play on Day 2a were “Amarillo Slim” Preston (1972), Johnny Chan (1987/1988), Jim Bechtel (1993), Chris Ferguson (2000), Carlos Mortensen (2001), and Greg Raymer (2004). Chan was eliminated early in the day. Preston and Johnston lasted until much later, but finally busted out during Level 9. Ferguson and Raymer are above average in chips. Jim Bechtel is slightly below average. Mortensen will need help as he is low in chips. Nikolay Ezdakov, who set the record last year for most cashes in a single year at the WSOP (with 10), Wendeen Eolis, who became the first woman ever to cash in the WSOP Main Event in 1986 and Dewey Tomko (who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame last year) was eliminated. This was not a good day for writers and journalists, as two of the biggest names in poker publishing, Mike Caro and Barry Shulman, were both eliminated. Jack Ury, from Terre Haute, IN was eliminated on Day 2 for the third straight year. At age 96, Ury broke the record he holds as the oldest player to compete in a WSOP event. Former WSOP gold bracelet winners who survived and will play on Day 3 include (in decending order by chip count): Greg Mueller, Phi Nguyen, Thor Hansen, Vitaly Lunkin, Burt Boutin, Sam Farha, Farzad Rouhani, Erik Seidel, Bob Sleazak, Keven Stammen, Bill Edler, Ted Lawson and Roland de Wolfe and two-time gold bracelet winner Tom Schneider, winner of the 2007 WSOP "Player of the Year" race. World Poker Tour commentator, National League of Poker ambassador (Click to Join Poker Insider Magazine/NLOP's FREE US Legal Poker Room) and former gold bracelet winner Mike Sexton ended the day in good position, with nearly twice the average stack size. Notable celebrities who will continued to play into Day 3, include: world-famous cricket player Shane Warne and actor and comedian Jason Alexander. Actors Jennifer Tilly and Brad Garrett, as well as Celine Dion's husband and manager, Rene Angelil were sent to the rail during Day 2a action. Greg “Fossilman” Raymer and Jason Alexander were placed at ESPN’s feature table. Given the two popular celebrities were seated side-by-side, spectator interest was high throughout the day and night. The feature table was even more entertaining due to Raymer and Alexander discussing a variety of topics and even became involved in some good-natured banter. Though all three famous members of the Brunson Family participated in the Main Event, it was Pam Brunson who outlasted both her brother Todd and Papa Doyle. The overall chip leaeder is Andrew Gaw, from The Philippines. Unfortunately, little is known about Gaw at this stage. But media scrutiny and pubic attention thould be fierce upon Gaw when he returns as the biggest stack, barring players surpassing him in the count from Day 2a (which appears likley). Currently in second place on Day 2a is Eric Cloutier, from Mont Laurier, Quebec (Canada). He also has a residence in Lafayette, LA. Cloutier is a former professional ice hockey player. He played a number of seasons for the Louisiana Ice Gators, and was called up for a brief time to the NHL by the Boston Bruins. Cloutier owns a few bars and restaurants in southeastern Louisiana. He has been playing poker regularly on the tournament circuit the last five years. In a bizarre coincidence, Eric Cloutier’s end of Day One chip count was initially misreported and he was wrongly identified as the chip leader. The confusion resulted from an extra zero being added to Cloutier’s chip count. The error was discovered and Cloutier’s standing fell from T$150,000 in chips to only T$15,000 in chips. During the past three days, Cloutier has fended off congratulations from well-wishers. He explained that he was actually very low in chips when play began on Day 2. Incredibly, Cloutier managed not only to survive, but to bypass more than 1,300 players ahead of him in the chip count. Heends up as second-ranked chip leader, proving that the “Cloutier Chip Leader” headline may not have been wrong, but wasn merely premature. The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 2a is Greg "FBT" Mueller, from Vancouver, BC (Canada). Mueller is now in 12th-place. Players competed for five complete levels. Play ended after Level 9. When play resumes on Day 3 at Level 10, blinds will be T$600-T$1,200 with a T$200 ante. The average stack size is T$97,650. The players who survived Day 2a will return to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship gold bracelet and $8.5 million in prize money on July 10th, starting at noon. They will merge into one combined field with the survivors of Day 2b (to be played on July 8th). Day 3 will be the first time this year all players play on the same day. | TOP | Day 2b (July 8) This day included the largest number of restarts ever in WSOP history. Normally, the field is reduced to about half the starting size after one full day of play. But due to larger starting stacks of T$30,000 this year, combined with a larger-than-expected turnout for Days 1c and 1d, this created a record carryover for Day 2b. Former world champions who completed play on Day 2b included: Bobby "the Owl" Baldwin (1978), Phil Hellmuth (1989), Dan Harrington (1995), and Joe Hachem (2005), as well as defending champion Peter Eastgate. He remains very much alive in the 2009 Main Event after spending several hours on "Death Watch" with the ESPN cameras hovering over his table, as he was chipped down to just 8,000 in chips earlier in the day. He went on a fortuitous final hour rush and ended Day 2 with an average-sized stack. Phil Hellmuth was placed at ESPN’s feature table and increased his meager starting chip stack. | TOP |
Combined Day 2 Statistics The overall chip leader is Amir Lehavot. He is a 38-year-old poker pro who lives in Weston, Florida -- near Ft. Lauderdale. Lehavot was born in Israel. He arrived in the U.S. at the age of 16. Prior to playing poker for a living, Lehavot worked as an engineer, specializing in design. Although all players started the tournament with T$30,000 in chips, during his low point on Day 1d, Lehavot was down to T$7,000 in chips. He crawled back up the leaderboard and ended the day with T$80,000 in chips. On Day 2b, Lehavot took his initial stack of T$80,000 and ran it up to T$610,500. He is currently ranked first out of the 2,044 players who will begin Day 3 after an off day on the 9th. This marks Lehavot’s third consecutive year to play in the Main Event. He has yet to cash in a WSOP tournament. He did go deep last year (without cashing). Lehavot recently started a poker website (with strategycontent) which can be found at: www.pokerwit.com. The site contains Lehavot’s comments about key hands he played at various times during the WSOP. Lehavot’s poker nickname is “AmirSF.” Prior to moving to Florida, Lehavot lived in San Francisco, CA. Day 3 will be the first time this year all players play in the same day. Here is the current status of all former WSOP Main Event champions who played in this year’s championship: 1972: “Amarillo Slim” Preston was eliminated on Day 2. Here is the current status of all former WSOP “Player of the Year” champions who played in this year’s championship: 2005: Daniel Negreanu was eliminated on Day 1. Here is the current status of those players with notable results from this year’s WSOP: David Bach (winner of HORSE World Championship) was eliminated on Day 2. -- Here is the current status of notable non-pro celebrities from this year’s Main Event: Jason Alexander (actor) is Still Alive with a below average stack. Here is the current status of last year’s “November Nine” (the 2009 Main Event Final Table participants): Ivan Demidov was eliminated on Day 2.
Daily elimination percentages are as follows: Day 1: 68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day / 32 percent were eliminated. It may have been a post Independence Day attack of pride, but the United States players began to reassert their dominance as 9 of the Top-12 overall chip leaders are American going into Day 3: 1. Amir Lehavot, USA - T$610,500
| TOP | Putting Day Two into Perspective In 2008, at the conclusion of Day 2, the eventual champion Peter Eastgate was in 484th place. Based on WSOP figures during the mega-era (2006 to present), five out of six Day Two chip leaders have cashed. The previous results are as follows: 2008 2a – Brian Schaedlich finished in 456th place. Players who survive Day 2b will return to continue their quest for the Gold Bracelet and the $8.5 million in first prize money on July 10th, starting at noon. They will merge into one combined field with the survivors of Day 2a. | TOP | Media Invitational Tournament (July 9) Day 3 (July 10) The day began with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack introducing “Captain” Tom Franklin to the capacity crowd of players and spectators. Franklin, a highly-respected poker professional and player-rights advocate thanked Harrah’s Entertainment and the entire WSOP staff for “working so hard to make this as smooth as possible.” Franklin then began play by announcing “Let’s get this party started!” and continued with the customary “Shuffle-Up and Deal” pronouncement. This day marked the first time that this year’s Main Event brought all the surviving players together at the Rio on the same day. Since there were two “Day 2's” and four “Day 1's,” no more than about half the total field has been at the Rio, until this time. Only the top 648 finishers will collect prize money. Players are currently 141 spots from the money. Players are expected to reach the prize money sometime on Day 4. Last year, players reached the money at the end of Day 3. However, due to larger starting stack sizes this year, eliminations have taken longer. The payout point is likely to be reached approximately two levels later than last year. All players who make it to the final table this year (the November Nine) will earn at least $1 million. The 2009 world champion will collect $8,546,435 for first place (plus slightly more money in added interest). Defending champion Peter Eastgate remains very much alive in the 2009 Main Event. Incredibly, he was down to just T$8,000 in chips late on Day 2 but went on a fortuitous rush during the final hour and ended up with about an average-sized stack (110,000). On Day 3, he remained consistent and finished the day with an average-sized stack. It should be noted that Eastgate had an average stack at the completion of Day 3 last year,and went on to win the championship. Former world champions who continued to play through Day 3 include: Bobby "the Owl" Baldwin (1978), Phil Hellmuth (1989), Dan Harrington (1995), Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000), Joe Hachem (2005), and Peter Eastgate (2008). Greg “Fossilman” Raymer (2004) was eliminated today. The ESPN feature table included two of Australia’s most successful poker pros – 2005 world champion Joe Hachem and four-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Jeffrey Lisandro. When Ville Wahlbeck was eliminated today, Jeffrey Lisandro officially locked up the 2009 WSOP “Player of the Year” title. When the decision became known, Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack took the microphone and approached Lisandro, who was playing at the ESPN feature table. He announced Lisandro’s achievement, which received a nice round of applause. All of Lisandro’s opponents at the table also offered handshakes and congratulatory remarks. Winning the POY award did not help in the Main Event, since Lisandro was eliminated late in the day. The first player to reach the million-chip mark this year was Owen Crowe, from Halifax, NS (Canada). He hit the milestone about mid-way through level 14, at about 9:15 pm. However, he slipped back below the magic number during the final hour of play in Day 3. Moments after Crowe reached T$ million in chips, Bertrand Grospellier, originally from Nancy, France hit the T$1.2 million mark and seized the chip lead. He ended the day with a sizable advantage over the remainder of the field. Players competed for five complete levels, ending after Level 14. When play resumes tomorrow at Level 15, blinds will be T$2,000 - T$4,000 with a T$500 ante. The average stack size is T$240,519. At the end of the day they WSOP Staff raced off the black T$100-denomination chips. This means the lowest-denomination chip at the start of Day 4 will be T$500. | TOP | The current chip leader is Bertrand Grospellier, a.k.a. “ElkY,” who is originally from Nancy, France. Grospellier has also lived in Korea while making a living as a Professional Video Gamer. He presently calls London, England his home. However, given his intense travel schedule playing in poker tournaments around the world, Grospellier’s real home is spent in luxury hotels and at poker tables. Grospellier is a master gamesman. Prior to focusing full-time on poker, he was one of the world’s top computer game players. He lived in Korea for six years, where he mastered the video and computer game circuit, winning many top prizes. Grospellier already has accrued nearly $6 million in worldwide poker tournament winnings over the past four years. His major titles include two wins at the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the 2008 Festa Al Lago Championship. He also finished fourth in the NBC Heads-Up World Championship held earlier this year. Grospellier has yet to break through at the WSOP. He has eight cashes, all since 2006. Grospellier’s best showing was ninth place in a No-Limit Hold’em event two years ago. Thoughts from Bertand Grospeiler as told to WSOP Assistant Media Director, Alan Fowler About Day 3: “I got good hands and people tried to push me off hands when I would flop sets, so it was pretty good timing. Anyone that was weak and trying to stay alive, I tried to push around but that’s about it.” About Playing Against Phil Ivey Part of the Day “There are ten days in the Main Event. There is so much time to wait for opponents to make mistakes. That’s why I love the Main Event. In this event you have plenty of time to play your hands, and pick your spots well.” About Poor Performance in Other WSOP Events On His Expectations Here is how the previous end-of-day chip leaders have fared: Day 1-A: Redmond Lee (London, UK) was eliminated, did not cash.
The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner after Day 3 is Kenny Tran, from Arcadia, CA. Tran is now ranked 20th, with 666,500 in chips. Here is the current status of all former WSOP world champions who played in this year’s Main Event. Six former champions remain still alive: 1972: “Amarillo Slim” Preston was eliminated on Day 2.
David Bach (HORSE World Championship winner) was eliminated on Day 2. Here is the current status of notable non-pro celebrities from this year’s Main Event: Jason Alexander (actor) was eliminated on Day 3. Historical Footnote: The highest Main Event finishers for a (non-poker) celebrity were actor/comedien Gabe Kaplan who finished 13th in the 1991 Main Event and actor Telly Savalas, who finished 21st in the 1992 Championship. | TOP | An Interview with Actor Lou Diamond Phillips Lou Diamond Phillips is perhaps the best-known celebrity Still Alivein the 2009 WSOP Main Event. The popular film, television, and stage actor first became known more than 20 years ago for his portrayal of rocker Ritchie Valens in La Bamba. Since then, Phillips has starred in several popular movies, and has won awards for his work on Broadway. He has also directed films. Phillips will return to Hollywood following this year’s WSOP to star in the television series, Stargate Universe. Phillips was interviewed moments after play ended on Day 3 of the Main Event. He ended the day in 171st place, with 359,500 in chips. Question: When did you start playing poker? Question: How many times have you played at the WSOP? Question: You are very close to the money; about 160 spots away from cashing in the Main Event. Question: That’s pretty impressive. But are you content to just make the money or do you have higher aspirations? Question: How does working as a successful actor for so many years help you at the poker table? Question: Any predictions for tomorrow? Question: Right now, let’s say hypothetically that a genie appears and you can be guaranteed 10th place in this tournament and take home $896,730. But you miss making the final table and give up the chance to be the world champion. Would you take the deal? Question: What’s your next project after the WSOP? Question: One last question, Lou. What’s more fun – going deep in the World Series of Poker or playing all those great movie roles?
Here is the current status of last year’s “November Nine” (2009 Main Event Final Table participants): Ivan Demidov was eliminated on Day 2.
The Bastille Day Bounce must have taken place after Day 3 with the 1st and 2nd place finishers were French. The International Set took over with 7 of the Top-10 chip leaders non-Americans going into Day 4: 1. Bertrand Grospellier, France - T$1,380,500. | TOP | Putting Day Three into Perspective In 2008, at the conclusion of Day 3, the eventual champion Peter Eastgate was in 386th place, which was in the middle of the pack.
Based on WSOP figures during the mega-era (2006 to present when the Main Event went to a 10+ day format), the previous results of Day 3 chip leaders ended up as follows: 2008 – Brain Schaedlich (Cleveland, OH) finished in 456th place. Daily elimination percentages are as follows: Day 1: 68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day and 32 percent were eliminated. Female Participants in the 2009 Main Event An estimated nine female players remain alive in the Main Event at the conclusion of Day 3 (precise number is not known, this is an estimate). This list includes: Kara Scott Tobin (UK). Highest Female Finishers (by year) in the WSOP Main Event No female cashed in the Main Event between the years 1970-1985. | TOP | Day 4 (July 10) The day began with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, alongside WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, announcing the WSOP “Dealer of the Year” award. The honor went to Dennis McCollum, from Reno, NV. He is a tournament director at the Peppermill Casino. The “Dealer of the Year” prize is given out to the dealer who best demonstrates excellence over the duration of the six-week-long WSOP. McCollum was presented with a luxury watch made by Corum, the official timepieces of the WSOP. This day is also referred to as “Bubble Day.” This is because several players miss and others make a guaranteed payout. The player who finishes exactly one spot out of the money is referred to as the “bubble finisher.” This is generally regarded as the most disappointing fate any tournament player can suffer, since he/she spent the greatest amount of time at the tables (and likely played well enough to go deep), yet collected no prize money. Reaching the money is traditionally one of the tournament’s most exciting (and stressful) moments. The difference between cashing and busting out represents a $21,365 swing. For this reason, the pace of play slows down considerably as the bubble approaches. Players tend to play much tighter during this stage, fearing the catastrophic consequences of busting out. For this reason, tournament officials institute a hand-for-hand format which forces all players and tables to play the same number of hands leading up to the bubble point. The pace of play during the first two hours of Day 4 (Level 15) was ultra-fast. The tournament played from 789 at the start all the way down to 659 players in that span, which meant 130 players were eliminated. That translated into a bust out about every 52 seconds. The hand-for-hand format began when players were five spots out of the money. It took 13 hands to eliminate the next five players. It also took eight hands to move from 649 to 648 players. This was the longest hand-for-hand session in Main Event history, breaking the mark set three years ago (12 hands). It also took 1 hour and 48 minutes to complete. Perhaps the most exciting hand too place exactly one spot out of the money on the fourth hand-for hand when Richard Harrington (Johnson Bayou, LA) moved all-in with A-A and was called by an opponent holding K-J. The flop came K-J-x, which shocked Harrington and everyone who was watching. With the entire tournament room holding its collective breath (hoping for a bust out so they could be guaranteed prize money), the turn and river came 2-2, which gave Harrington a higher two pair with his aces and deuces. The room let out a collective groan and play continued for more than an hour. During the hand-for-hand format, Tournament Director Jack Effel announced at one point when a player was all-in, “He’s playing against 648 other players who all hope he busts out.” The wait for an unsuccessful All-in was finally rewarded when the unfortunate bubble player was Kia Hamadani, from Los Angeles, CA. He was down to a single chip and finally busted out, thus becoming the official 649th-place finisher in the 2009 Main Event. Fortunately, not all was a lost cause for Hamadani. He was brought up to the main stage and stood in front of a few thousand people, feebly attempting to hide his disappointment. WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack made the announcement that Hamadani would receive a nice consolation prize courtesy of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. He became the first player entered into the 2010 WSOP Main Event, as a result of the $10,000 gift prize paid for by Jack Link’s. Kia Hamadani is KIA, becoming the 2009 Main Event Bubble Boy. Finishing on the Bubble is one of worst feelings in tournament poker. The pain was eased a little when Kia Hamadani finished on the bubble in 649th, when he was awarded an entry into the 2010 WSOP Main Event, worth $10,000 (courtesy of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky). Kia Hamedani, from Los Angles, CA, is a 26-year-old financial analyst, who plays recreationally, but takes his poker seriously. Payout for 648th place was $21,365. Kia was interviewed by several members of the media shortly after busting out: Question: How do you feel? Question: Is there any consolation to getting a buy-in into next year’s Main Event? Question: Can you take us back through how the day went? Question: You seem remarkably calm for someone who just finished on the bubble. Question: If you could rewind your life seven days earlier and you were to know you would be standing here in 649th place, walking away now with nothing but the worst bad beat story of the tournament, would you still have entered the WSOP and gone through all this? The special prize package from Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, valued at $100, for any player holding four jacks in this year’s Main Event has seen 34 packages given away (through eight completed days). | TOP | Play on Day 4 Defending champion Peter Eastgate remains very much alive in the 2009 Main Event. He is presently in 202nd place, which is exactly in the middle of the pack. Amazingly, late on Day 2, he was down to just 8,000 in chips, but went on a monster rush during the final hour and ended up with about an average-sized stack. On Day 3, he held steady and also finished the day with an average-sized stack. Eastgate is primed to make the best run by a defending champion since Greg “Fossilman” Raymer’s 25-place finish in the 2005 Main Event. It should be noted that Eastgate was ranked 74th after Day 4 last year, and went on to win the championship. Former world champions who completed Day 4 included: Bobby "the Owl" Baldwin (1978), Dan Harrington (1995), Joe Hachem (2005) and Peter Eastgate (2008). Phil Hellmuth (1989) and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000) were eliminated, while the other champions all survived. Other Noted 2009 Main Event Eliminations: Poker player and game theorist J.P. Massar (Berkley, CA) finished in 627th place. Massar was the person who inspired actor Kevin Spacey’s role in the movie “21.”
WSOP RECORDS Berry Johnston - 10 Berry Johnston's All-Time Main Event Cashes (10) 1982 3rd $104,000 Most Consecutive Cashes In Main Event Current Streak – Conseutive Main Event Cashes During the day, all T$500-denomination chips were raced off. This means the lowest-denomination chip at the start of Day 5 will be T$1,000. Players who survived Day 4 will return to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship gold bracelet and $8.5 million in prize money on July 12th, starting at noon. The chip leader is Matt Affleck (no relation to Ben and Casey), from Seattle, WA. He went on a rush late in the day and overcame several other players to take the top spot over Frenchman Lodovic Lacay (Paris, France). Affleck ended the day with T$1,819,000. His closest rival is more than T$200,000 chips behind. Affleck does not have many tournament cashes – just four in the past year. But he did cash earlier at this year’s WSOP in the Razz event. He also made final tables at WPT Deauville (France) and the California State Poker Championship (runner up). The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner after Day 4 is Blaire Hinkle, from Kansas City, MO. Tran is now ranked 9th, with T$1,399,000 in chips. Here is how the previous end-of-day chip leaders have fared: Day 1-A: Redmond Lee (London, UK) was eliminated, but did not cash. Here is the current status of all former WSOP world champions who played in this year’s Main Event. 2000: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson – Cashed in 561st place. 2007 WSOP “Player of the Year” Tom Schneider is the only former POY Still Alive. He is 65th place, with T$797,000. Here is the current status of those players with notable results from this year’s WSOP: Vitaly Lunkin (finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th in three events) is Still Alive with a below average stack. Here is the current status of notable non-pro celebrities from this year’s Main Event: Chuck Pachenco (movie producer) – Cashed in 612th place. Here is the current status of last year’s “November Nine” (2009 Main Event Final Table participants): Kelly Kim – Cashed in 423rd place. Daily elimination percentages are as follows: Day 1: 68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day, while 32 percent were eliminated. | TOP | Day 5 (July 11) Many well-known poker players are Still Alive. The list includes Tom Schneider, Phil Ivey, Fabrice Soulier, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Blair Hinkle, Jeff Shulman, Antonio Esfandiari, Dennis Phillips, Peter Eastgate, Joe Sebok, Blair Rodman, David Benyamine, J.C. Tran, Kenny Tran, Prahlad Friedman, Chris Bjorin and Joe Hachem. Only Peter Eastgate in 83rd and Dennis Phillips in 78th remain from last year’s “November Nine.” Kelly Kim was the only other 2009 Finalist to cash in 423th. Of the previous Main Event Champions Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000) – cashed in 561th place, Phil Hellmuth (1989) cashed in 436th place and Dan Harrington (1989) cashed in 252th place, while Joe Hachem (2006) in 137th and Peter Eastgate (2008) in 83rd remain. Defending champion Peter Eastgate remains very much alive in the 2009 Main Event after ESPN cameramen had him on "Death Watch" during Day 2 when his chip stack fell below T$10,000 for an extended time, but went on a monster rush during the final hour and ended up with an average stack. On Day 3, he held steady and also finished the day. On Days 4 and 5, Eastagte remained alive with an average stack, seemingly taking a low-profile strategy to the reaching the final table. Eastgate is primed to make the best run by a defending champion since Greg “Fossilman” Raymer’s 25-place finish in the 2005 Main Event. It should be noted that Eastgate was ranked 12th (out of 79 players) after Day 5 last year, and went on to win the championship. It’s been another incredible run for the Danish student, turned poker professional, who is presently in 83rd place, which is slightly ahead of the pack. Seven females started the day and only two remain in the running for the Gold. They are Nichoel Peppe (Long Beach, CA) who is in 35th place and Leo Margets (Barcelona, Spain) is in 135th place. Phil Ivey, who has won seven gold bracelets, is still in the running to tie his record of three bracelet in one world series. He is currently in 45th place, with T$1,380,000. Humorous Moments at the WSOP About an hour into play, Assistant Tournament Director Jimmy Sommerfeld announced to all players and spectators: “The player who just busted off Table 34, Seat 5 – you left your shoes.” The player did not return to claim his property. A size 10 pair of Salvatore Ferragamo sandals remains unclaimed at the WSOP lost and found. As players bust out, tables are broken down and consolidated. This requires players to pick up their own chips and transfer to new tables. Deep into Level 18, a player was walking across the room and accidentally bumped into a camera crew. Two full racks of assorted chips crashed to the floor and rolled off in different directions. There was a mad dash by the player and tournament staff to recover the stray chips. Aftera few minutes, all chips were gathered and the player finally took his new seat. Mischievous-minded Jimmy Sommerfeld decided to have some fun at the player’s expense. As the player was re-stacking his chips into neat rows, Sommerfeld put on his best stone face. He informed the player that any chips that hit the floor would be ruled technically out of play. After a momentary expression of shock, the player quickly figured out he was the target of a gag and play resumed. Sommerfeld continued his folly. After players were allowed back into the tournament room following a 20-minute break, Sommerfeld jokingly announced to the crowd who were strolling slowly back in, “Cards are back in the air in 15-seconds!” After a few screams of panic and players dashing madly to re-take their seats, Sommerfeld smiled and announced the players still had two minutes to take
their seats. Here is the fate of notable celebrities from this year’s Main Event: Chuck Pachenco (movie producer) cashed and was eliminated in 612th place. Daily elimination percentages are as follows: Day 1: 68 percent of the original starters survived the first day, while 32 percent were eliminated.
Here’s how the previous end-of-day chip leaders have fared: Day 1-A: Redmond Lee (London, UK) was eliminated and did not cash. | TOP | Day 6 (July 13) The 2009 WSOP Main Event continued with the play and conclusion of Day 6. The day included a deep run into the money, as the tournament field size was reduced by nearly two-thirds. All 185 players who started play were already guaranteed $36,626 in prize money. Now, after 11 days and 50 hours of tournament play, the next player to bust out will receive $90,344 and after that, the survivors are guaranteed to cash out for at least $108,047. Players have come to the WSOP from at least 115 different nations and territories. By contrast, only 80 nations were represented at the most recent Winter Olympic Games. WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel estimates the total number of hands dealt out in this tournament through Day Six to be 479,321. One of the most interesting tables on Day 6 contained two players from last year’s Main Event final table. The final two 2008 November Nine Finalists had a big chip face-off at the same table when Peter Eastgate and Dennis Phillips tangled in re-match from last year, but this time it was Phillips who survived the encounter. The irony of déjà vu in this year’s Main Event was obvious to both players as they exchanged several commentsabout being back at center stage almost a year to the day of last year’s success. Defending World Champion Peter Eastgate was later eliminated by Billy Kopp in 78th Place in the middle of Level 25. He ended up as the 78th-place finisher. He busted out with A-J against Billy Kopp’s 8-8. Eastgate initially connected with a pair of aces. But Kopp ended up making a heart flush, which eliminated the Danish poker champion. It was an impressive run for the Danish poker pro. Eastgate made the deepest run by a defending champion since Greg “Fossilman” Raymer’s remarkable 25 thplace finish in the 2005 Main Event. He was the last of former Main Event Champions in the tournament and makes Phillips the final remaining 2008 November Nine player in the tournament. Eastgate did outlast 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem, who also started the day in contentionand was eliminated in 104th place. He busted out after missing a flush draw and received a rousing ovation from the crowd as he exited the ESPN main stage. Prior to busting out, Hachem was interviewed during the middle play on Day 6. He was asked about his goals for this event. “The only reason I keep playing is to make history,” Hachem said. “The money is extra. I want to be part of World Series of Poker history.”, but was Play on Day 6 Two females started the day. They were Nichoel Peppe (Long Beach, CA) who began in 35th place. Leo Margets (Barcelona, Spain) started in 135th place. However, their roles were reversed as Margets survived. Peppe busted out in 75th place. Leo Margets is now the only female player left in the field of 64. She is currently in 18th place. The 2005 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Hachem was eliminated in 104th place. He busted out after missing a flush draw and received a rousing ovation from the crowd as he exited the ESPN main stage. Prior to busting out, Hachem was interviewed during the middle play on Day 6. He was asked about his goals for this event. “The only reason I keep playing is to make history,” Hachem said. “The money is extra. I want to be part of World Series of Poker history.” Sarne Lightman, who presently lives in San Jose, Costa Rica, ended up as the 112th place finisher. Lightman overseas operations of the Latin American Poker Tour, which will be entering its third season later this year. Two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Chris Bjorin (London, UK) was eliminated on this day and finished in 156th place. Bob Riley (St. Charles, MO) was one of the most senior players still in contention coming into Day 6. The 70-year-old poker player finished in 168th place. ESPN WSOP Broadcasts Although the number of WSOP events receiving broad coverage has been reduced to four, the total number of broadcast hours is actually the same as last year. More coverage will be given to the Main Event, since the world championship receives the greatest amount of viewer interest. The total amount of time the WSOP will be broadcast this year is 32 new and original hours of coverage. WSOP broadcasts on ESPN will remain in their customary Tuesday night time slot and begin their 2009 WSOP broadcasts on July 28th. | TOP | Split Starting Days 2009: 2008:
Darvin Moon from Oakland, MD is the New Chip Leader Going into Day 7. Many well-known poker players made it through another day, including Tom Schneider, Fabrice Soulier, Jeff Shulman, Antonio Esfandiari, Dennis Phillips, Joe Sebok, Blair Rodman, and Prahlad Friedman. Phil Ivey (with two gold bracelets this year and seven since 2000) is currently in third place in the chip count. Darvin Moon lives in the small eastern Maryland town of Oakland. Moon owns and operates a small logging company with other family members. Most of his days are spent in pine forests scattered throughout the Maryland panhandle. He is married and was cheered on by his wife, who was sitting in the crowd. This is Moon’s first time to play in the WSOP. It was also his first time to visit Las Vegas. A Short Interview with Darvin Moon Question: How did you get to the WSOP? Question: How long have you been playing poker? Question: What is your usual poker game? Question: You really came out of nowhere to seize the chip lead. ow did you do it? Question: You must feel like a kid in a candy store here at the WSOP. Question: How did it feel to play on the main ESPN stage under the spotlight of television cameras? Question: Why are you wearing a New Orleans Saints (NFL) cap? Question: Let’s say you get offered ninth place right now. You can make a deal and you will get $1 million for ninth, plus you get to be part of the November Nine. Would you take the imaginary deal?
Here’s how the previous end-of-day chip leaders have fared: Day 1-A: Redmond Lee (London, UK) was eliminated, did not cash. Daily elimination percentages are as follows: Day 1: 68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day and 32 percent were eliminated. | TOP | Day 7 (July 14) Following 2009 WSOP champion Peter Eastgate’s elimination in Day 6, no more former world champions remain alive in the Main Event. At the start of play on Day 7, six former WSOP gold bracelet winners were still alive in the Main Event. They included: Phil Ivey (7 wins), Tom Schneider (2 wins), Antonio Esfandiari (1 win), Blair Rodman (1 win), Jordan Smith (1 win), and Prahlad Friedman (1 win). Players competed for nearly four complete levels. Play ended towards the end of Level 29. There are 7 minutes 17 seconds remaining. Next, at Level 30, blinds will be T$50,000 - T$100,000 with a T$10,000 ante. The average stack size is currently T$7,215,556. Day 7 started with a field of 64 players and ended with 27 survivors. This means only about .41 (41/100ths) percent of the original 6,494 starters survived past the seventh day. Only one female started the day still in contention. Leo Margets (Barcelona, Spain) began play ranked in 18th place. She survived and is currently in 26th place. Margets will need to make a big move on Day 8 to make the November Nine. Only one female in history has made it to a Main Event final table – Barbara Enright in 1995. Former gold bracelet winner Blair Rodman, from Rancho Mirage, CA was eliminated in 34th place. Dennis Phillips (St. Louis, MO) who finished third in last year’s Main Event, was eliminated in 45th place. 2007 WSOP “Player of the Year” and two-time gold bracelet winner Tom Schneider, from Scottsdale, AZ was eliminated in 52nd place. Former gold bracelet winner Prahlad Friedman (2003, $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em), from Malibu, CA was eliminated in 64th place. Players who survived Day 7 will return to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship gold bracelet and $8.5 million in first-place prize money on July 15th, starting at noon. Seven-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Ivey remains in contention, currently ranked in fourth place. Card Player magazine editor Jeff Shulman remains alive in the Main Event, currently ranked in seventh place. He finished seventh in the 2000 WSOP championship. A Breakthrough Year for France? This year could be a breakthrough year for France. Of the 27 remaining players, three are from France. Antoine Saout, from Saint Martin des Champs, is presently in 6th place. Lacay Ludovic, from Paris, is in 15th place. Francois Balmigere, from Toulouse, is in 27th place. Interestingly, Ludovic and Balmigere attended college together, but became professional poker players. France appears to have a very bright future in poker, as all three of the French players are under the age of 25. WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel estimates the total number of hands dealt out in this tournament through Day Seven to be fast approaching a half a milion. Here’s how each of the end-of-day chip leaders have fared: Day 1-A: Redmond Lee (London, UK) was eliminated and did not cash. Daily elimination percentages are as follows: Day 1: 68 percent of the original starters in this tournament survived the first day and 32 percent were eliminated.
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