No Bluff Poker

The WSOP makes my schedule a living hell. I try to play as many tournaments as possible but with all the other stuff I have to do, I have to be pretty selective.

I’m trying to do an update on SS/2, getting ready for the seminars with Mike Caro, keeping up with the NBA Finals, taking care of my dogs, keeping dental and doctor appointments, trying to keep the bills caught up, remembering to tweet each day, and trying to get to the cash games! Pretty hectic and would be a lot easier if Louise ever comes home. She must have a boyfriend in Hawaii for her to stay away this long.

I’m pushing Eric Drache to be put in the Poker Hall of Fame. He came in second in the 7 Card Stud this year. I was really pulling for him (besides the fact that he owes me money) so hard, I almost ruptured myself. Eric is one of the reasons poker is honest today in Las Vegas. He was my partner in the cardroom at the old Silver Bird Casino and he wouldn’t allow anything questionable in the room. We had a lot of problems I won’t go into here but organized crime was still in Vegas and we had threats on our lives if we insisted on keeping our room honest. But we did and it carried over into other poker rooms and we got rid of a very undesirable element in the poker world. Eric also was the tournament director of the early WSOP years. He also invented the satellites for the tournaments and Eric is the most popular guy in poker so let’s vote him into the WSOP Poker Hall of Fame.

My date for my colonoscopy gets closer and as I promised last blog, here are six things I’m going to say to the doctor.

1. “If your hand doesn’t fit, you must quit.”
2. “God, now I know why I’m not gay.”
3. “You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out,…”
4. “Hey! now I know how a muppet feels!”
5. “You used to be an executive at Enron, didn’t you?”
6.  My favorite- “Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?”

–DB

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

Official Report
Event #2
Special 40th Annual No-Limit Hold’em Championship
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $40,000
Number of Entries: 201
Total Net Prize Pool: $7,718,400
Number of Places Paid: 27
First Place Prize: $1,891,018
May 28-31, 2009

Tournament Highlights:

The Winner

• The 2009 World Series of Poker Special 40th Anniversary Championship is Vitaly Lunkin, from Moscow, Russia.

• Lunkin is a 38 year-year-old business manager and poker player. His first occasion to cash in a poker tournament was in 2003. Aside from attending the WSOP the previous two years, most of Lunkin’s past poker success has taken place in Russia.

• This was Lunkin’s second WSOP-gold bracelet victory. At the 2008 WSOP, Lunkin won the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship (Event #39), where he pocketed $628,417.

• Incredibly, the two WSOP events won by Lunkin were very different. Last year’s victory came in a massive field of 2,706 players. This year’s title came in what must be considered the toughest No-Limit Hold’em tournament in history. The mega-sized buy-in ($40,000) mandated that just about every player in the field of 201 was at a world-class level.

• Lunkin is married and has two children.

• Lunkin has been playing poker since 2001.

• “This was the most difficult tournament of my life,” Lunkin said through a Russian translator in a post-tournament interview.

• “When I was young, we did not have poker,” Vitaly said about growing up in the former Soviet Union. When asked about his reaction to coming to Las Vegas and winning more money in the past two years than most people earn in a lifetime, Vitaly was quite diplomatic. “I think we don’t have this barrier (between our countries) anymore. “Poker is one of the things that helped our countries come together.”

• Lunkin collected $1,891,018 for first place. He was also awarded his second WSOP gold bracelet

• Lunkin’s victory came on the same day another player won his second WSOP gold bracelet. In an event which concluded about an hour earlier, Thang Luu won the $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low title, after winning the same event last year.

• The massive cash prize for first place at nearly $1.9 million rocketed Lunkin into 34th place on the all-time WSOP money winner’s list, one spot ahead of Chris Moneymaker. He now has $2,534,032 in three WSOP cashes.

The Players

• The final table was comprised of players from three different nations – The Netherlands, Russia, and the United States.

• Only one former WSOP Main Event champion made it to the final table, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer (2004).

• Only three former WSOP gold bracelet winners made it to the final table, Ted Forrest (5 wins), Vitaly Lunkin (1 win), and Greg Raymer (1 win).

• The runner up was Isaac Haxton, from Las Vegas, NV. Haxton started heads-up play against his Russian adversary as chip leader, but was unable to close out the victory. His nickname is “Ike.” Haxton, who holds a degree in philosophy from Brown University, now has nine WSOP cashes and three final table appearances. He cashed three times last year. However, this was Haxton’s biggest poker win, as $1,168,565 was paid to the second-place finisher.

• The third-place finisher was 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer. He was the chip leader during much of the 11-hour finale. When Raymer was eliminated late in the event, he received a rousing standing ovation. Raymer waved gracefully to the crowd as a true champion, obviously disappointed with the final result, but proving once again that he can play No-Limit Hold’em with the best in the world.

• The final table was a memorable experience for Raymer. While engaged in one of the toughest final table battles of his life, Raymer was simultaneously entered in the “Champions Invitational,” which was being played in an adjacent area. The “Champions Invitational” was a competition of all the former living WSOP Main Event winners. Raymer was gradually blinded down while he remained at the final table. When Raymer busted out at about 11 pm, he transferred to the other tournament, only to bust out on the very first hand. It was still an impressive performance by the former patent attorney from North Carolina. Raymer’s cut of the prize pool amounted to $774,927.

• The fourth-place finisher was Dani Stern, from New York, NY (Note: Name is pronounced “Donny”). He cashed in last year’s No-Limit Heads-Up championship.

• The fifth-place finisher was Justin Bonomo, From Las Vegas, NV. Bonomo has joined the ranks of those players considered to be among the best of the game who have yet to win a gold bracelet. Bonomo was the runner up in the $5,000 buy-in Mixed Hold’em event at last year’s WSOP. He also won the WSOP Circuit championship (gold ring) two months ago at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

• The sixth-place finisher was Alec Torelli, from Orange County, CA,

• The seventh-place finisher was Alexander “Lex” Veldhuis, a.k.a. “RaSZi,” from Rotterdam, Holland.

• The eighth-place finisher was Noah Schwartz, from Miami Beach, FL.

• The ninth-place finisher was Ted Forrest, from Las Vegas, NV. His bid for a sixth-gold bracelet came up short, as he was eliminated about 35 minutes into play at the final table.

• Finishing in tenth place was the bombastic Lithuanian-born Antanas Guaga, a.k.a. “Tony G.”

• Former WSOP gold bracelet winner Keith Lehr finished in 11th place.

• Three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner David Chiu finished in 21st place.

• Former WSOP gold bracelet winner David Pham finished in 24th place.

• The unfortunate 28th-place finisher (the “bubble”) was Niel Chriss, from New York, NY. The difference in 28th and 27th place was $71,858.

• Among the 201 entrants were former WSOP champions – Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Doyle Brunson, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Chris Moneymaker, and Johnny Chan.

Odds and Ends

• The tournament began with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel placed at center stage. Effel revealed to the crowd how the Special 40th Anniversary No-Limit Hold’em Championship was initially created. Effel stated that he and his wife Alicia were sitting down to dinner at their Las Vegas home several months ago when Effel asked what the WSOP might do to commemorate the tournament’s 40-year anniversary. Alicia Effel contemplated the idea and suggested a new $40,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship might be added to the schedule. This was taken to Jeffrey Pollack and summarily approved by the WSOP Players Advisory Council.

• Pollack introduced the defending 2008 WSOP Main Event champion, Peter Eastgate, who received a warm ovation from the crowd, and was bestowed with the “Shuffle Up and Deal” honors. Pollack said of Eastgate’s championship reign: “He has served with a quiet dignity and style that has done the WSOP proud. He is a terrific champion.”

• Prior to the start of the event, the tournament room was filled with popular music from the year 1970. Since this is the 40th anniversary of the WSOP, much of the music and memories that his year’s series will flashback to the earlier era. The three songs played as background music prior to the start were “American Woman” by The Guess Who, “Instant Karma” by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, and “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel.

• The event was filmed by ESPN. This is one of four primary broadcasts on this year’s WSOP schedule which will air in the next few months.

• A massive crowd filled the Amazon Ballroom and ESPN stage area from start to finish. Crowd were even larger due to the “Champions Invitational,” which started on the day the 40th Annual No-Limit Hold’em Championship ended.

• In ESPN’s customary post-tournament interview with Norman Chad asking questions, Vitaly Lunkin used a translator. However, the first question was memorable. Chad asked Lunkin (in English) how he felt to win his first WSOP gold bracelet. Unfazed by the question he did not understand, Lunkin rattled off several lines in Russian. After a long-winded answer that few members of the audience understood, Chad deadpanned. “So, it was a good thing?” Chad’s response brought more laugher to a good-natured finale.

• There were nearly a dozen Russian supporters cheering for Lunkin at the final table. Members of the Russian poker team (www.jokerteam.ru) were out in full force, waving Russian flags and singing songs which helped inspire Lunkin’s victory.

• On the day following his victory, Lunkin is/was honored at the official WSOP gold bracelet ceremony. The national anthem of Russia was played inside the tournament room – a WSOP first.

• Vitaly Lunkin is one of only three Russians to win WSOP gold bracelets. The others are Alexander Kravechenko and Ralph Perry.

• The debate is now on as to which Russian player is the best – with Vitaly Lunkin, Alexander Kravchenko, and Ivan Demidov (last year’s WSOP Main Event runner up) as the likely three top choices.

The Event

• This was the first-ever $40,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Championship. The $40,000 figure was selected in accordance with the WSOP’s 40th anniversary which is taking place this year.

• This was the largest prize pool in WSOP history for any non-Main Event tournament. The total prize pool amounted to a whopping $7,718,400.

• Most observers (and the winner) considered this event to be the toughest No-Limit Hold’em tournament ever held. While huge tournaments such as WSOP Main Events require unmatched stamina, skill, and even some luck, this tournament required a completely different skill set.

• Mega buy-in poker tournaments have been held sporadically in recent years. But none has attracted nearly as many players nor has created anywhere close to the size of the prize pool.

• Six players of the 201 won their buy-ins via satellites.

• The tournament was played over a four-day period. This was due to a structure which allowed players a great amount of play. Virtually everyone in the tournament complimented the structure and conduct of the tournament.

• The tournament began with 201 entries, surpassing many estimates of a modest turnout. Day One lasted 13 hours and ended with 89 survivors.

• The End Day One chip leader was Bruno Fitoussi, from Paris, France. Many eyes were also on the second-place survivor, 2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker. However, neither Fitoussi nor Moneymaker made it into-the-money.

• Players reached the prize money (27th place) late on Day Two. Day three began with 23 players.

• Day Three was relatively short, lasting only about six hours. The 23 survivors played down to the final nine.

• On Day Four, Isaac Haxton arrived at the final table on as the chip leader. After several hours of tribulation, he ended up with the chip lead over Vitaly Lunkin when heads-up play began. But after about 90 minutes of trading chips back and forth, Lunkin prevailed.

• The final table lasted 167 hands and lasted 11 hours and 10 minutes.

• The final hand came when Vitaly Lunkin won with pocket aces.

• The tournament officially began on Thursday, May 27th at 12:06 pm. The tournament officially ended on Monday, June 1 at 1:36 am.

WSOP Statistics

• Through the conclusion of Event #2, the 2009 WSOP has attracted 1,119 entries. $8,108,100 in prize money has been awarded to winners.

Note: All results are now official and may be reprinted by media.

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For official news and the latest updates from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit: www.worldseriesofpoker.com

For statistics and historical information from the 2009 World Series of Poker, contact Nolan Dalla at: nolandalla@aol.com or nolandalla@gmail.com

For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit: http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line. Note: All photos must be credited as follows: “IMPDI 2009”

The 2009 World Series of Poker’s title sponsor is Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. For more information, visit: www.jacklinks.com

World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack

Vice President of Sponsorship and Licensing — Ty Stewart

Vive President of Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams

Director of Communications – Seth Palansky

Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming — Howard Greenbaum

WSOP Events Manager — Angele Marshall

WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill

WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel

About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN over the previous year. In December 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent of World Series of Poker EuropeSM in 2007. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at:

www.worldseriesofpoker.com or: www.twitter.com/wsop

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

Official Report
Event #1
Casino Employees Championship
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $500
Number of Entries: 866
Total Net Prize Pool: $389,700
Number of Places Paid: 81
First Place Prize: $83,833
May 27-28, 2009

Tournament Highlights:

The Winner

• The 2009 World Series of Poker Casino Employees Champion is XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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The Players

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Odds and Ends

• The tournament kicked off in grand style with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel at center stage. The center stage platform is positioned at the center of the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio Convention Center, which holds 160 of the tournament’s 295 tables.

• During his introduction, Jack Effel thanked the tournament players, who are all casino employees. He stated, “It’s you who are out there spreading the word about the World Series of Poker which keeps the players coming back again and again. Thank you!”

• During his introduction, Jeffrey Pollack noted “Jack Effel is the best tournament director on the planet,” which brought a rousing ovation. Effel and his staff have worked tirelessly for months refining and some say perfecting the schedule and structures to the players’ benefit.

• Jeffrey Pollack, speaking to the large gathering of casino employees and poker players stated, “Without you, the WSOP would not be possible. You make it happen.”

• While exiting the stage, Jeffrey Pollack casually remarked to that he had difficulty sleeping the night before, in great anticipation for the opening of the 2009 WSOP. Summing up the thoughts and feelings of millions of poker players around the world he stated, “Last night felt like Christmas Eve.”

• Next, Jeffrey Pollack introduced 11-time WSOP gold bracelet winner and 1989 world champion Phil Hellmuth to the crowd, who was bestowed with the “Shuffle Up and Deal” honors. Hellmuth made it clear that he supports the new rules in effect for this year’s WSOP. He also joked with the crowd that he occasionally gets out of line, “but never, ever with the dealers – only the other players,” he said. Although Hellmuth’s introduction brought a predictable mix of cheers and boos from the good natured crowd, his comments were favorably received.

• Prior to the start of the event, the tournament room was filled with popular music from the year 1970. Since this is the 40th anniversary of the WSOP, much of the music and memories that his year’s series will flashback to the earlier era. The three songs played as background music prior to the start were “American Woman” by The Guess Who, “Instant Karma” by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, and “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel.

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The Event

• The first Casino Employees Championship was held at the 2000 WSOP. It was actually called the “Dealers World Poker Championship” at the time, since the tournament was open only to casino dealers (the following year, all casino employees became eligible). That inaugural event attracted 109 entries and was won by Dave Alizadeh, from Las Vegas.

• Casino employees were given their own poker tournament, which became a gold bracelet event from the first year forward. The tournament was added to the WSOP schedule to honor the efforts and commit of poker dealers and all casino employees who help make the WSOP so successful.

• The Casino Employees Championship is included amongst all official WSOP records and statistics. However, it is not an open event, since there are restrictions on entry. The event is generally grouped with the Seniors World Championship and Ladies World Championship, which are non-open events but which are still coveted titles afforded the same distinction as all gold bracelet tournaments.

• From 2000-2003, the championship was a Limit Hold’em tournament. Since 2004, the championship has been a No-Limit Hold’em tournament.

• The largest turnout in history for this event occurred in 2006, when 1,232 casino employees participated.

• Last year, the tournament was held towards the end of the WSOP (Event #55). However, this year the tournament returned to its traditional spot on the schedule as the opening event of the WSOP.

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WSOP Statistics

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• Clocking in at seemingly infinite XXXXXXXXX hours and XXXXXXX minutes, this was the longest final table in the 39-year history of the World Series of Poker. Measured in time from start to finish, the duration of this “final nine” exceeded the mind-numbing 16-hours played in the $1,500 buy-in Razz championship, won by O’Neil Longson (29 June 2005). The nine finalists in this event took their seats and started began at 1:23 pm. The final hand was not dealt until XXXXXXXXX. (Note: The two-hour dinner break was not factored into the length of play)

• This final table lasted XXX hands. This mark shattered the previous record set during the legendary duel between the late Chip Reese and Andy Bloch, which occurred in the 2006 $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. championship (14 July 2006). That final table lasted a whopping 354 hands according to the official logs recorded at the time. Hence, this finale broke the record by XXXXXXXXXXXX hands.

• The length of play exceeded the longest hold’em final table in history by XXXXXXXXXXXXX. The previous record was set at the 2005 Main Event finale, won by Joe Hachem (15 July 2005), which lasted 14.5 hours.

• XXXXXXXXXXX collected ₤868,800 for first place, which is equal to about $1,598,587 in US currency.

• John Juanda is a 37-year-old professional poker player from Las Vegas, NV. He XXXXXXXXXXXXXX now owns four WSOP gold bracelets. His last WSOP victory came back in 2003.

• This was Juanda’s 45th career cash at the WSOP. It was also his 23rd final table appearance.

• Juanda was born in Indonesia. He was a teenager when he arrived in the United States. He earned his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University. He received his MBA from the University of Seattle.

• Juanda has won many other major poker tournaments, most notably the 2005 Aussie Millions $100,000 buy-in poker challenge, and the 2001 World Poker Open Main Event (and numerous others events). He has now accrued over $8 million in career lifetime earnings.

• Juanda arrived at the final table as the chip leader. He lost the lead a few times, but remained thoroughly in command throughout the grueling marathon match.

• Two out of the top three finishers were Russian players. The topic which shall indisputably arise in post-WSOP Europe discussions is the emergence of Russian poker players upon the global poker scene. Indeed, with the performances of XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (X) and Ivan Demidov (3rd)), the 2008 WSOPE Main Event was a coming out party, of sorts. While Russian players Alexander Kravchenko, Yevegeny Kafelnikov, and Ralph Perry have knocked on the proverbial door in recent years with their WSOP gold bracelet victories, the success not just one, but two Russian-based players in such a formidable field is a clear indication that the Russian Federation is producing world-class poker talent, equal to (and perhaps superior than) many other nations.

• XXXXXXXXXXXXX victory means that the seven WSOPE tournaments played so far (2007-2008) have been won by players from Italy, Germany, Norway, Afghanistan, and Denmark (2).

• The runner up was Stanislav Alekhin, from Moscow, Russia. At age 23, he was the youngest player of the final nine. Prior to making poker his full-time vocation, Alekhin was a student. Had he won this championship, it would have been his first major tournament victory.

• This was the first time in WSOP history that two Russian nationals were at a final table.

• The tournament attracted 362 players. This is the same number of players who entered the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event.

• Although the numerical turnout was identical, the top prize of ₤1,598,587 was slightly lower than last year’s first-place payout. This was due to an adjustment to the payout structure which gave lower finishers a greater percentage of the total prize pool. This is referred to a a flattened-out pay structure. For example, the 36th-place finisher this year earned ₤25,340 compared to last year, which paid only ₤27,150. The other prize money in between also increased over last year’s amounts.

• Three of the nine players at the final table were former WSOP gold bracelet winners, who collectively held nine previous titles. By contrast, last year’s WSOPE finale had no previous winners.

• Ivan Demidov took third place. In doing so, he established a poker record that might never be broken. With his WSOP Europe final table appearance, Demidov becomes the first player in history to make the final table of both the WSOP Main Event and the WSOP Europe Main Event – within a single year. Demidov ranks second going into the “November Nine” finale, to be played 9-10 November.

• Swedish poker pro Bengt Sonnert was eliminated in fourth place.

• Four-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu finished in fifth place. Negreanu was one of the tournament’s early chip leaders. He arrived at the final table fifth in chips, and went out in the lateral bust order based on his starting stack.

• Two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Scott Fischman finished in sixth place.

• The highest-finishing local player was Robin Keston, from London. He ended up as the seventh-place finisher.

• Toni Hiltunen attempted to become the first Finnish-born poker player in WSOP history. However, he ended up going out in eighth place.

• Chris Elliott (Alloa, UK) finished in ninth place, an impressive feat considering that he ranked 176th in the chip count when there were 179 players remaining.

• Three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Mike Matusow finished in 18th place.

• Eight-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Erik Seidel finished in 19th place.

• Former WSOP gold bracelet winner Mel Judah finished in 21st place.

• Two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Josh Arieh finished in 33rd place.

• James Keys (Bury St. Edmunds, UK) is the only player to have cashed in both WSOPE Main Events. Last year he took ninth place. This year, he finished 36th.

• Defending champion Annette Obrestad played in this event, but was eliminated near the end of the first day.

• Nikolay Evdakov, from Moscow, Russia played in this event, but did not cash. In 2008, Evdakov shattered the record for “most cashes in a single year” at the WSOP, when he finished in-the-money ten times (the previous record was eight cashes). With all in-the-money finishers now determined for 2008, Evdakov’s record officially ends with ten cashes.

• The buy-in amount for WSOPE Event 4 was ₤10,000, equivalent to about $18,400 (USD) at the current exchange rate.

• XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXThe Main Event was played over six days. The entire duration of the tournament lasted 27 levels, which was XX hours and XXX minutes of actual playing time.

• Two-thirds of the “November Nine” played in the WSOPE Main Event. These six players included: Ivan Demidov, Peter Eastgate, Kelly Kim, Craig Marquis, Scott Montgomery, and David “Chino” Rheem.

• On Day 1-A, two of the November Nine finalists sat side-by-side, in what was a random seat draw. Craig Marquis played against Scott Montgomery in a preliminary battle about six seeks before they face each other again in the world championship.

• Players reached the prize money (36th place) in the middle of Level 14. Stephen Ladowsky (Toronto, Canada) was the unfortunate “bubble” finisher. He finished in 37th-place, just one spot out of the money. Ladowsky’s misfortune cost him ₤25,340, equal to about $45,191 at the current exchange rate.

• Americans held the top four spots in the standings at the end of Day One. They continued their good fortune on Day Two, as they held all of the top five chip positions. Americans remained in the top four spots after Day Three. When the final table began, American player John Juanda was the chip leader, with Russian player Stanislav Alekhin in second place.

• With the appearance of both Stanislav Alekhin and Ivan Demidov at the final table, this marked the first time in history that two Russsian poker players made it to a WSOP final table.

• The start of Day Two chip leader was Andy Bloch (Las Vegas, NV USA). Murmurs began to circulate that this might be Bloch’s much-anticipated breakthrough victory, after making eight final tables (but no wins). However, he ended up busting out in 23rd place.

• This tournament is classified as “WSOPE Event 4,” as well as “WSOP Event 59” as it is the 59th WSOP gold bracelet event of the 2008 calendar year. The only yet-undecided event still remaining is the Main Event finale, which concludes in Las Vegas 9-10 November, 2008.

• World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair included the final four gold bracelet events of the 2008 season. WSOP events 1-55 were played in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) from 28 May through 14 July (plus the November finale). Events 56-59 were played in London, England from 19 September through 2 October.

• All WSOPE results are included in official WSOP records — including all-time wins, cashes, final table appearances, etc.

• This marks the second consecutive year of the WSOPE Presented by Betfair. In 2007, three WSOP gold bracelet events were played in London. Hence, seven WSOP gold bracelet events have been played outside the United States.

• The tournament attracted six former world champions, including Doyle Brunson (1976/1977), Phil Hellmuth (1989), Scotty Nguyen (1998), Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000), Carlos Mortensen (2001), and Joe Hachem (2005).

• This tournament attracted 41 former WSOP gold bracelet winners including:

Josh Arieh
David Benyamine
Chris Bjorin
Farzad Bonyadi
Doyle Brunson
Brandon Cantu
Allen Cunningham
Freddy Deeb
Eli Elezra
Antonio Esfandiari
Joe Hachem
Sherkahn Farnood
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
Scott Fischman
Layne Flack
Barry Greenstein
Thor Hansen
Phil Hellmuth
Dan Heimiller
Theo Jorgensen
Phil Ivey
John Juanda
Alexander Kravchenko
Ted Lawson
Kathy Liebert
Jeff Madsen
Mike Matusow
Carlos Mortensen
Nenad Medic
Daniel Negreanu
Scotty Nguyen
Annette Obrestad
Max Pescatori
John Phan
Erik Seidel
Jennifer Tilly
David “Devilfish” Ulliott
Jen Voertmann
David Williams
Robert Williamson III
Steve Zolotow

• All four WSOPE events this year were played at Casino at the Empire, located in Leicester Square, in Central London. Leicester Square is best known as the theatre district of the city. Casino at the Empire is part of London Clubs, International, which is owned by Harrah’s Entertainment.

• Casino at the Empire holds 25 poker tables. Gaming tables were removed during the 16-day duration of WSOPE in order to make necessary room for the large turnout of players and spectators.

• WSOP Europe is sponsored by Betfair, which is known as the world’s largest betting exchange. According to Betfair: “The exchange allows customers to choose their own odds and bet against each other.” Betfair is a registered, legal bookmaker in the U.K. and is also licensed in Australia, Austria, and Malta. For more information, visit: www.betfairpoker.com.

• During the play of this final table, Betfair offered a live betting exchange on the outcome.

• This year’s World Series of Poker is the largest in history. A grand total of 59,767 players entered the 59 gold bracelet events held during the 2008 calendar year. This number exceeds last year’s total entries, which was 54,288.

• The figures are now final. This was the richest World Series of Poker in history. A grand total of $190,238,576 in prize money awarded in 2008 makes this the richest event in all of sports.

Note: All results are now official and may be reprinted by media.

__________________________________

For official news and the latest updates from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit: www.worldseriesofpoker.com

For statistics and historical information from the 2009 World Series of Poker, contact Nolan Dalla at: nolandalla@aol.com or nolandalla@gmail.com

For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit: http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line. Note: All photos must be credited as follows: “IMPDI 2009”

The 2009 World Series of Poker’s title sponsor is Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. For more information, visit: www.jacklinks.com

World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack

Vice President of Sponsorship and Licensing — Ty Stewart

Vive President of Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams

Director of Communications – Seth Palansky

Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming — Howard Greenbaum

WSOP Events Manager — Angele Marshall

WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill

WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel

About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN over the previous year. In December 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent of World Series of Poker EuropeSM in 2007. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at:
www.worldseriesofpoker.com or: www.twitter.com/wsop

A special thanks to WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla for providing these updates.

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

Official Report
World Champions Invitational
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In:  By Invite
Number of Entries:  20
First Place Prize:  Classic 1970 Corvette
May 31– June 1, 2009

Tournament Highlights:

The Winner

•    The winner of the World Champions Invitational is Tom McEvoy, from Las Vegas, NV.

•    McEvoy won the 1983 world championship.  He holds four WSOP gold bracelets.  Those victories came in — Limit Hold’em (1983), the Main Event (1983), Limit Razz (1986), and Limit Omaha (1992).

•    McEvoy currently has 38 WSOP in-the-money finishes.  This ranks 20th on the all-time list (tied with three other players).  McEvoy’s career WSOP earnings now total $1,284,611.  He has accrued more than $2 million in lifetime earnings for all tournaments combined.

•    McEvoy is perhaps best known as the first champion ever to win his way into the Main Event via a satellite.  Prior to 1982, all tournament entrants had to pay the required entry fee, which amounted to $10,000.  However, satellites allowed players to get a seat in the Main Event for about one-tenth the cost (or less, as mega-satellites were later introduced).

•    McEvoy has authored 12 books, mostly on poker strategy.

•    McEvoy is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He worked as an accountant before turning pro in 1978.

•    McEvoy is 64-years-old.  He has three grown children.

•    McEvoy was instrumental in the fight to make poker rooms “smoke free,” during a debate which took place in many casinos and poker rooms during the late 1990s.  McEvoy is also a tireless advocate of poker player rights and protecting honesty and integrity in the game.

•    “I told all my friends that I wanted to win this tournament more than anyone else,” McEvoy stated in a post-tournament interview.  “I think I have been losing some respect because I have not won in some time, and I wanted this to regain that respect.”

•    Prior to this win, McEvoy’s last major tournament victory came in March 2005, at the Bay 101 Casino in San Jose, CA.

•    McEvoy added:  “This is the toughest field I have ever played against.

•    McEvoy was awarded the first-ever “Binion Cup,” named in honor of the Binion Family, who founded the WSOP forty years ago.  Following the victory, poker patriarch Jack Binion was on hand along with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack to present the cup to McEvoy.

•    McEvoy also received a classic red 1970 Corvette, with a rare 454 engine.  The automobile, in pristine condition, was previously part of the Imperial Palace Auto Collection.  The car is fully restored in showroom condition and has zero miles.  The car was selected because of its rarity, universal appeal, and connection to the first year of the WSOP which was held in 1970.  McEvoy stated he intends to keep the car, which is certainly priceless, both for its collectability and far more meaningful association with this victory.

•    McEvoy was visibly emotional about his win.  He clearly understood the historical ramifications of this, the first event of its kind, playing against a stellar field.  McEvoy was quite candid about what he wants next – which is induction into this year’s class of the Poker Hall of Fame.  McEvoy hopes his lifetime of poker accomplishments, capped by his victory over the greatest collection of champions ever, may earn him a few extra votes this year.

The Players

•    The WSOP Main Event has been won by 34 different players.  There are 25 living champions.  The World Champions Invitational attracted 20 of the former Main Event winners including:

1972 – “Amarillo Slim” Preston
1976/1977 – Doyle Brunson
1983 – Tom McEvoy
1986 – Berry Johnston
1987/1988 – Johnny Chan
1989 – Phil Hellmuth
1991 – Brad Daugherty
1993 – Jim Bechtel
1995 – Dan Harrington
1996 – Huck Seed
1998 – Scotty Nguyen
2000 – Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
2001 – Carlos Morstensen
2002 – Robert Varkonyi
2003 – Chris Moneymaker
2004 – Greg “Fossilman” Raymer
2005 – Joe Hachem
2006 – Jamie Gold
2007 – Jerry Yang
2008 – Peter Eastgate

•    This is the largest collection of WSOP current and former world champions ever in history.  There were 19 former champions entered in last year’s Main Event, but this tournament had twenty.

•    All living WSOP champions were invited to participate.

•    When the champions were introduced at the final table, which included ten players, 1976 and 1977 world champion Doyle Brunson received the loudest ovation.  While the capacity crowd cheered for all the champions, Brunson alone received an extended standing ovation.

•    The runner up was Robert Varkonyi, the 2002 world champion.  Varkonyi received nothing for finishing second.  But in many ways he was still a winner by outlasting so many of his peers.  Varkonyi played outstanding poker over 17 hours and will certainly gain the public’s admiration and respect when the championship finale is shown on an ESPN broadcast later this year.

•    “This was a great experience – such a great honor to play with the champions,” Varkonyi stated afterward.  “I had a lot of fun.  I hope we do it again sometime.  I would like to get another shot.”

•    Interestingly, 2002 was the first year the WSOP used a device where player hole cards could be seen.  Varkonyi’s win was the first WSOP event which used the new technology.  Although the 2002 victory is occasionally rebroadcast on ESPN, Varkonyi’s play in this event is actually likely to be seen by more viewers when the show airs in the next few months.

•    Winner Tom McEvoy was highly-complimentary of Varkonyi.  He also noted that he believed Varkonyi wanted to win the event more than anyone else, other than himself.

•    Finishing in third place was 1995 world champion Dan Harrington.  At the final table, he wore a cap identical to the hat he wore at the final table of the 2004 Main Event – his trademark green Boston Red Sox cap.  Harrington, proud of his Boston roots and Irish heritage used the same hat in cover shots for his widely acclaimed poker book series, “Harrington on Hold’em.”

•    1993 world champion Jim Bechtel finished fourth.

•    2001 world champion Carlos Mortensen finished fifth.

•    1996 world champion Huck Seed finished sixth.

•    1986 world champion Berry Johnston finished seventh.

•    1976 and 1977 world champion Doyle Brunson finished eighth.

•    Defending WSOP champion Peter Eastgate finished in ninth place.

•    1989 world champion Phil Hellmuth was the first finalist to be eliminated.  He came to the final table severely short-stacked, and busted out on the first hand.

•    One of the most bizarre scenes of the event took place on Day One.  2004 world champion Greg “Fossilman” Raymer – who was entered in this event — was also playing at the final table of the $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship,” which was played on an adjacent stage.  Raymer concentrated primarily on the final table.  However, he joined the Champions Invitational at various break times.  Raymer is most certainly the first featured player in history ever to participate in two televised poker tournaments played simultaneously.

Odds and Ends

•    The tournament began with WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack standing at center stage.  He introduced each champion, who went up onstage and received a rousing ovation from the crowd of more than 2,000 gathered inside the Rio’s Amazon Room, the primary site of the 2009 WSOP.  The crush of media and fans rivaled anything previously seen in the 40-year history of the WSOP.

•    The winner of this event was designated “The Champion of Champions.”

•    Prior to the start of play, all champions gathered for a historic group photo.  This is likely to be the most widely-circulated photo of the year in poker, aside from the WSOP Main Event champion to be crowned later this year.  Previous efforts to corral multiple champions into group shots have been difficult, since they rarely gather in one spot at the same time.  The most compelling group shots taken in WSOP history were the inaugural 1970 group photo taken of the legends at Binion’s Horseshoe.  Another 1995 group photo was taken which included about a dozen former champions.  This photo that was taken, which included 19 former champions, includes the most in history.  Special Note:  For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit:  http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line.  A group photo of the final table of ten players is included in the press send out.

•    The event was filmed from start to finish by ESPN.  This was the second of four primary broadcasts on this year’s WSOP schedule which will air in the next few months.

•    During the dinner break on Day Two, two living poker legends – Doyle Brunson and “Amarillo Slim” Preston held a scooter race in the hallway at the Rio.  Bringing back fond memories of former World Series’ the two senior gamblers made a sizable wager as to which player could go fastest on a motorized scooter.  The race attracted a huge crowd.  ESPN filed the race which will be broadcast later.

•    Following his victory, winner Tom McEvoy walked over to his newly-won prize, the candy-apple red 1970 Corvette.  He sat in the front seat along with Jack Binion and tipped his hat to the crowd and the cameras.

•    While most tournament winners are usually exhausted from long multiple days of stress and fatigue, McEvoy was vigorously enthusiastic during the entire post-tournament procession.  He stated, “You can keep me here all night.  I am enjoying every single minute of this!”

The Event

•    This was the first-ever and only tournament of this kind ever held at the WSOP.  There was no entry fee.

•    Despite no cash or gold bracelet being at stake, given the length of time the competition lasted, it was clear that virtually all the players took the match very seriously.  The tournament lasted about 17 hours – much longer than expected than an event with a starting field size of 20 players.

•    Players started the event with 10,000 in chips.  The competition was a two-day event.  Ten players were eliminated on the first day.  Ten players made it to the final table.

•    Because this event was an invitational (meaning it was not open to all players and had no entry fee), the results are not included in official WSOP records.

•    When heads-up play began, Tom McEvoy held about a 3 to 1 edge over Robert Varkonyi.  The final hand took place when McEvoy won the last pot of the night, with a higher flush than Varkonyi.

•    The tournament officially began on May 31st at 5:05 pm.  The tournament officially ended on Monday, June 2nd at 1:36 am.

WSOP Statistics

•    Through the conclusion of Event #3, the 2009 WSOP has attracted 1,985 entries.  $9,361,170 in prize money has been awarded to winners.

Note:  All results are now official and may be reprinted by media.

__________________________________

For official news and the latest updates from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit:

www.worldseriesofpoker.com

For statistics and historical information from the 2009 World Series of Poker, contact Nolan Dalla at:  nolandalla@aol.com or nolandalla@gmail.com

For official photographs from the 2009 World Series of Poker, visit:  http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/impdi For specific media photo requests, email image22@aol.com and list “Urgent Media Request” as the subject line.  Note:  All photos must be credited as follows:  “IMPDI 2009”

The 2009 World Series of Poker’s title sponsor is Jack Link’s Beef Jerky.  For more information, visit:  www.jacklinks.com

World Series of Poker President and Commissioner – Jeffrey Pollack

Vice President of Sponsorship and Licensing — Ty Stewart

Vive President of Broadcasting and New Media – Craig Abrahams

Director of Communications – Seth Palansky

Regional Vice President of Specialty Gaming — Howard Greenbaum

WSOP Events Manager — Angele Marshall

WSOP Marketing Manager – Elizabeth Anne Hill

WSOP Tournament Director – Jack Effel

About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize.  Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament, dating back to 1970.  In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money.  The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN over the previous year.  In December 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties.  In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent of World Series of Poker EuropeSM in 2007.  For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at:

www.worldseriesofpoker.com or:  www.twitter.com/wsop

A special thanks to WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla for providing these updates.

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

Sometimes you hear things that make you appreciative. A lady came up to me to get an autograph and told me her husband had died a couple of months ago. She said he was my biggest fan and had asked that a picture of him and me be placed by his coffin. We had made the picture at the 2008 WSOP. Of course, I couldn’t remember it but I was touched by the thought. The lady said, “You were with him even to the end.” Wow!

The Champions Tournament is over with Tom McEvoy winning it. Tom broke me in the 8th position with me missing a flush draw with an overcard on his two jacks. I was happy to see one of the older players win and there was only one young gun at the final table. Hoorah for the old guys!
This picture of all the winners will be poker history.

2009 Champions Tournament WSOP

Speaking of old timers, I had a nice long visit with Amarillo Slim. I’m now completely sure that the charges of “child molestation” were false. In fact, nothing like that was ever in Slim’s indictment, only referring to inappropriate actions. Anyone who knows Slim knows he cannot be embarrassed about anything and almost always says things that would make a normal person (including me) blush. Slim and his family are intact again, more evidence it was a trumped up charge against a famous guy.

I thought it was hilarious that my cousin sent me an e-mail about colonoscopies, because I am going to have one after the WSOP. Everyone over 50 years old should have one every year and it’s been 7 years since I had one. This is the truth – the doctor who did it was named Dr. Goldenrod so help me. So here are some of the comments I’m going to tell my Dr. when he puts me in the stirrups letting people walk around and shredding all dignity. There were 12 sayings, I’ll put the next 6 in my next blog.

1. “Take it easy Doc, you’re boldly going where no man has gone before.”
2. “Find Amelia Earhart yet?”
3. “Can you hear me now?”
4. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
5. “You know, in Arkansas, we’re now legally married.”
6. “Any sign of the trapped miners?”

I really don’t mean to keep writing about Casper, but he got number 47 on his bite list. With Louise being gone, I hired a model who isn’t working right now to babysit him. She is my nephew Ken’s girlfriend and she has been around Casper and Casper loves her. But Casper is getting old and Sasha tried to move him while he was asleep. Bam, #47. Please beware of the Brunson dogs if you come to my house.

Jenny Woo, who writes for gambling911.com, picked me as the sexiest poker player for the second straight year. Obviously, she picks me because I’m the only one that won’t bring heat on her. It’s pretty obvious that Jenny and I haven’t been intimate because if she had seen my naked body, she would be even more embarrassed than me. Thanks anyways Jen, it’s good for my image. What is really funny is she had Patrik Antonius #2. I’m probably the most heterosexual person God ever put on earth, but Patrik is so handsome, when I look at him I go hmm-

-DB

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

The WSOP is off to a roaring start. If the economy is affecting the poker players, the numbers don’t show it. There have been three events so far and each event has set a record for the number of players entered. I’ve always said that poker players are a great barometer of the economy and this is a positive sign. Let’s hope so anyway.

I’ve played one event, the $40K. I made it through the 1st day and had above average chips but never won a pot the second day. Out of 208 entries, I was #78. Annoying to beat almost 2/3 of the field and wind up $40,000 loser. It was a good event however with the winner getting almost $2 million.

Mike Caro and I are giving poker seminars at the Rio.  Mike is very good with the strategy and tips and I do a Q&A at the end.  They are free to the public and lots of folks are coming so you should get there early if you want to attend.

The Table of Champions is tomorrow. It looks like all of the living winners of the main event with the exception of Russ Hamilton will be there to play for the 1st Binion Cup, a new car and bragging rights. It should be a lot of fun and lots of ribbing going on.

Lots of tweeting going on the Twitter. I’m really surprised at all the information you get from the thousands of people that follow you. I truthfully think Twitter is just a fad that will soon fade away. Maybe not, it is a lot of fun. Louise will be home in two weeks and I’ll teach her how to tweet.

-DB

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

Every year about this time, some sicko feels the need to spread the news that I died. Doug Dalton was the first to call and I had several calls after that. I was tweeting on twitter and Howard Lederer spread the word that if I was dead, someone was twittering on my account. When I do die, hopefully years from now, everybody will have to check to see if it’s true.

Speaking of Twittering, I told Louise, who has been in Hawaii for two months, asked what I was doing. When I told her I was tweeting on my twitter she thought it was a sexual innuendo. I laughed at her and she told me the same thing my sister told me. “Doyle, I think you are going crazy.” Actually, I’ve always suspected I might be a little crazy, so they could be right.

Looks like the guys are playing golf every day. Daniel tweeted me that Ivey, Patrick, E-Dog and him were out every day. Man, am I jealous. The most fun I’ve ever had is when 15-20 guys gather at a good golf course and everybody tries to play high and make fair games. With the WSOP so close there is no reason to try to join them because everyone will be in the poker room next week. It looks like if Eli Elezra and I don’t start the poker games at Bobby’s Room, they don’t get started. I’ll never understand why players are reluctant to sit down and start, the games almost always fill up.

Mike Caro and I are doing 6 seminars during the WSOP.  They are on May 30/31, June 13/14 and June 27/28. Mike does all the hard work with his bullet points and presentation. He is the best at these things, he really does a good job. I do a 20 minute Q&A at the end of each one which is really pretty easy.  Everyone should come if they can make it.

I signed on with Poker Royalty yesterday. Poker Royalty represents quite a few poker players in making deals for their endorsements, etc. I’ve heard nothing but good things about them. I’m a terrible businessman and deal maker so I’m glad to be able to turn over all that stuff to them. As I recall, they have a suite right outside the tournament area that will be handy for bathroom breaks. That will be cool because it’s hard to get to the bathroom during the WSOP. All the fans want pictures and autographs and you seem like a jerk if you don’t talk to them.

It’s been weeks since I’ve played poker. If it hadn’t been for the NBA playoffs, I would really be climbing up the wall. Louise has been gone for 2 months now due to her allergy problems and I’ve been babysitting Cutie and Casper. I haven’t even been to the golf course. I’ll say one thing, because of this I’ve got a fire in my belly I haven’t felt for years. I’m really anxious to get to the poker table and I’m going to see if there are any wins left in this old man. I’m going to win a bracelet this year!

-DB

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

As you probably know, I was a world class athlete in track and basketball as a youngster. I broke my leg severely which ended all of that. I then played poker for a number of years and then found golf at the age of 30. I still had great hand and eye co ordination and became reasonably good in a short period of time. I am a natural gambler and started playing for lots of money. Due to my background, I have always been able to perform under pressure so I always tried to play as high as possible, getting my opponent out of his comfort zone. I was always willing to make fair matches, sometimes even taking the worst of it, because I was confident I could out perform my opponent. So, I developed a nation wide reputation in the golf world and got lots of high action. Lee Trevino used to watch some of our games and was amazed at the stakes we played for.

Jack Binion, the owner of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino started a gamblers golf tournament in the early 70’s. We got all the high playing golfers from all across the US coming and playing. I got to know all these guys and each summer I would travel to their home cities and play high stakes golf with them. I had a “circuit” starting in Dallas, moving down to Mobile, then Nashville, Oklahoma City and several towns in California. Most of these fellows have died and the action dried up.

I had always wondered how the pro golfers would fare playing for a winner take all tournament. After talking to some of the big name tour players, we started advertising this type of tournament. Deane Beamon was in charge of the PGA tour and forbade any tour player from entering, threatening them with suspension from the PGA tour. Joe Black, a college friend, was head of the PGA and told me to invite club pro’s and mini tour players, which I did. This was in the 70’s and we held it for several years, until the old Dunes golf course was torn up. The players loved it, calling it “The Dolly” named after me. I remember Larry Rinker and Mark Weibe were two of our winners.

As I got older and heavier, my leg bent from my old injury and I quit playing. A younger group of poker players started playing and after going out watching them, I saw they had no idea how to match golf games. So I started practicing and even though I could barely break 100 and had to use a crutch to walk, I won well over a million dollars my first summer back. I have continued to play and ESPN has televised two tournaments [I won both]. Golf is all about matching games and I can still perform under pressure, which allowed me to beat these youngsters.

There is a golf book called Texas Golf Legends, featuring all the great golfers from my home state. In the Prefix, there is an apology to a group of names for being left out. The authors said they might put out a second edition. My name was one of the list. lol. what a joke, me listed with those great golfers. Dan Jenkins, who has several golf books out, used to write for Sports Illustrated and covered a couple of our tournaments, so he was probably instrumental in my name being on the list.

I’m 75 years old now, still have to use a crutch to walk, but still enjoy matching up with these young gamblers. I hope I play until I die. Actually, what could be a better place to draw your last breath than on a good golf course!

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

I thought Casper, my toy poodle, had settled down because he was getting older. But when I pulled into a gas station, one of the attendants made the mistake of reaching in the car to pet him. Bam, Casper got his 44th bite victim. If that wasn’t enough, the other attendant laughed at him and said “dogs never bite me, they love me.” Despite my warning, he reached in to play with him and Casper got #45. Two in one day! Casper weights 7 pounds and couldn’t whip a good Texas jackrabbit, but he is absolutely fearless. I try to watch him, but he lulls everybody to sleep by being so nice.

I’m almost back to normal after my dental surgery. The bleeding has stopped and most of the swelling is gone. Now I have to wait several months until my gums heal to get my implants. I sure hope it will be worth it. I didn’t want to wear a bridge the rest of my life.

The WSOP is having an event called, “Table of Champions”. It will be for all the living winners of the main event. There will be two controversial players for that game. Russ Hamilton is caught between a rock and a hard place. Russ is accused of being the mastermind behind the cheating scandal at UB. The evidence looks like Russ is guilty but I’ve learned to wait for the verdict to be handed down. If Russ shows up, he is going to take lots of abuse from angry poker players, and if he doesn’t show, every will say, “See there, he is admitting he is guilty.” My guess is he will be there.

Amarillo Slim is the other person that is under scrutiny. He was indicted for some vague thing that happened with his granddaughter. Slim might have said or done something that was inappropriate, but to call him a pedophile or child molester is ridiculous. I spent 10 years traveling and playing poker with Slim and I never saw one thing that I thought was wrong in that area. Poker owes Slim a lot and he should be recognized for that. I don’t know how many years I’ve got left, but I would like to bet double or nothing Slim Preston is no “child molester”.

-DB

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog

The Celebrity Apprentice is over. What a joke! If Donald Trump was really hiring someone, who do you think he would pick? I think that when Joan Rivers threatened to not come back, Trump assured her she would be the winner. That’s just my opinion, but they certainly got great ratings for the show. I thought it was impossible for anyone to outtalk Annie, but Joan started screaming everytime Annie tried to say anything and Trump allowed it. As to the remark about Annie’s friends being in the Mafia, I’m from Texas and we have possums, raccoons and skunks. There is no such animal as Mafia down there. I like everyone on the show (even Melissa) except the winner. But it goes back to the old saying, “That’s why they make chocolate and vanilla.” 

The month before the WSOP is the slowest time of the year for poker. Everyone is home preparing for the long grind that’s coming. It will be interesting to see how the recession affects the number of players in each event. Because of the internet poker sites sending players, I feel it won’t be down more than 10-20 percent from last year. I’ve always said the best barometer of the economy is the poker players. If they have money, the economy is ok, if they don’t, look out because hard times are coming.

I’m completely lost on what is going on in the gambling world. Since I had this sinus lift by the dentist, I’ve hardly gone out of the house. I don’t know if there is any golf action but I’m pretty sure there hasn’t been any poker games. Mostly because of boredom, I’ve been betting on the NBA playoffs with terrible results. I thought the Lakers would be the champion but now I can’t see anyone beating Cleveland. But the way I’m going you should bet against that. 

We have two bounty tournaments at DoylesRoom, Doyle’s Bounty and Beat The Brunsons. It is a pleasant break to play in those every week. I don’t do too well in these tourneys but my daughter Pam is smoking. I think I probably get too impatient.

I also was supposed to go to Montana for Todd’s tournament. My face is so black and blue and sore, I’ve decided to stay home. I was really looking forward to going because that is my favorite place in the whole world. It reminds me of Texas when I was growing up. Everybody knows everybody and folks will help you in any way they can. Great place and the temperature was 44 degrees last night.

-DB

Source: Doyle Brunson Poker Blog