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las vegas (AP) — After six days of poker, 1,159 players remain in the hunt for poker’s biggest prize, the $12 million top purse for the winner of the main event at the World Series of poker.
Dmitri Nobles has the lead at 549,200 in chips when play resumes Friday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino after a day off.
Ken Jacobs, son of poker pro Tom Jacobs, was fourth with 375,300, while Canadian “Kid poker” Daniel Negreanu was sixth with 331,000.
On Friday, for the first time this tournament, all the survivors of the original pool of 8,773 entrants will be playing in the same room at the same time.
The $10,000-buy-in, no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament also will begin paying off those who get knocked out, starting with the 873rd-place finisher, who will receive $14,597. The final table of nine will play down starting Aug. 10.
Defending champion Joseph Hachem was well back in the pack with 114,100 in chips. Other notable pros still in the hunt include Humberto Brenes with 148,300, Ted Forrest with 130,900, Josh Arieh with 85,600, Cyndy Violette with 79,000, Juan Carlos Mortensen with 77,600, Hoyt Corkins with 67,900, Annie Duke with 67,000, Freddy Deeb with 64,500, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson with 55,200, Kathy Liebert with 48,500 and Phil Ivey with 23,400.
Notables who have busted in the 37th annual World Series of poker main event include Phil Hellmuth Jr., Doyle Brunson, Greg Raymer, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Jennifer Harman, Huck Seed, Adam Schoenfeld, “Machinegun” Patty Gallagher, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Eric Froehlich, Barry Greenstein, John Juanda, Andrew Black and David Williams.
Also on the sidelines as play resumes are Lennox Lewis, Erik Seidel, Erick Lindgren, Max Pescatori, Vince Van Patten, Lyle Berman, Sean Sheikhan, Sam Farha, Benjamin Lin, Liz Lieu, Jennifer Tilly, Gavin Smith, Tiffany Williamson, Paul Darden, James Garner, Tobey Maguire, Chris Masterson, Mekhi Phifer, Antonio Tarver and Norm MacDonald.
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T he grumpiest man I ever knew was an old poker pro in las vegas named Sarge Farris, who was universally understood to be the best five-card-stud player in the world.
Unfortunately for Farris, no one had played five-card stud seriously for ages. Chances are, he wasn’t too sunny even in the days when he could find a game, but by the time I met him in 1980, he was also universally understood to be one of the world’s leading curmudgeons.
The game of choice for high-stakes poker had already become Texas Hold ‘em. And that was before the hold ‘em boom of the last few years, which has turned the legendary World Series of poker into what it is today:
A TV show.
The World Series is “American Idol” for pallid people who’ve spent too much time hunched over something — a poker table, if they’re old-school, or a computer, if they’re part of the new wave who discovered they could play online without the inconvenience of getting dressed.
With the last and flashiest event of the annual series of tournaments under way, this seems like a sensible time to explain a bit about the game and the event itself. I wasn’t there at the beginning in 1970, but I knew some of the people who were.
They used to rope Sarge Farris into playing hold ‘em, even though it wasn’t his strong suit. What else was he supposed to do with his time? Watch game shows?
poker face for TV
No-limit Texas Hold ‘em has everything television needs, neatly packaged around green oval tables.
Winners. Losers. Fast action. Colorful characters, drama, tidy story lines, huge bets.
The best poker players write books, sell signature model sunglasses and endorse poker Web sites.
You could say they are almost like actors, except that it’s actors who want to be like them. Ben Affleck, Dean Cain, Shannon Elizabeth, Louie Anderson and Brad Garrett all entered this year’s World Series.
Jennifer Tilly not only plays — very well, thank you — she lives with Dublin-born poker pro Phil (The Unabomber) Laak.
When I covered the early stages of the World Series 25 years ago, the vast media contingent consisted of me and a guy with a video camera the size of a bazooka. The World Series was played downtown at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, and the entrants were easy enough to impress that Benny Binion wowed them by putting crab legs on their players-only buffet line.
About 80 players ponied up the $10,000 entry fee for the final tournament, a no-limit hold ‘em contest known as the Big Game, the Main Event or simply by the catch-all title of World Series. Stu Ungar, a stunningly scrawny former New York gin whiz , won the championship and $375,000.
When the 2006 Big Game began Friday at the 51-story, off-Strip Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, a record 8,725 gamblers were in the field. The last player sitting when the tournament ends Aug. 10 will collect $11 million.
Editing furiously, minions from ESPN will have Big Game telecasts ready to roll by Aug. 22. Or, if you can’t wait, you can watch the duel at the final table on live pay-per-view for $24.95.
ESPN has telecasts of the World Series’ various tournaments scheduled through Halloween. That’s in addition to this year’s repeats and repeats of tournaments from past years, and does not include all the other poker competitions on what seems like every cable network from Bravo to the Travel Channel.
Show ‘em
Eager to put more rumps in seats around the poker tables of las vegas and Reno, card sharps and casino managers recognized decades ago that they needed to promote the game.
They tried making a spokesman of Amarillo Slim Preston, an old-time hustler who once won a bet by riding a camel into a casino, but he wasn’t much of a player anymore. The buttoned-down frat kid champions of the next wave, like Bobby Baldwin and Chip Reese, were too intimidating.
It took a TV executive to finally figure out the secret a few years ago: Show everyone’s hole cards.
Thanks to tiny cameras in the railings of the tables, viewers can now see exactly what former lawyer Greg (FossilMan) Raymer, the guy with the weird sunglasses, has for ammunition when he throws a $400,000 raise at Chris (Jesus) Ferguson, the computer science Ph.D. with the long hair and the cowboy hat.
It helps that Texas Hold ‘em is a fundamentally simple game, even if it doesn’t seem that way when you’ve just been reraised by a guy you thought was falling asleep.
Rules of the game
Legend says hold ‘em was invented by cowboys who needed a poker derivative that could include lots of players without exhausting a deck of cards.
A hand starts with each player receiving two hole cards. After a round of betting, the dealer lays three cards, known as the flop, face up in the middle of the table. Another round of betting precedes another up-card, known as fourth street or the turn. Then come another round of betting, the laying of the final card — called the river or fifth street — and yet another opportunity to bet.
What sets hold ‘em apart from most other poker games is that all players use the five cards face-up on the table, combining them with their two hole cards to make the best five-card hand. Since so many cards are common knowledge, bluffs come as frequently as Sarge Farris frowns.
To jump-start the action before each deal, the two players to the dealer’s left set out mandatory bets known as the small blind and big blind. At your average kitchen game, the small blind might be 50 cents and the big blind $1. The player to the left of the big blind must match the $1, fold or raise, and betting continues clockwise.
In tournaments, the blinds increase regularly, making it an expensive proposition to sit and wait for a great starting hand on the order of two aces or the ace-king combo known as Big Slick.
A growing pot
The first World Series of poker did not include a no-limit hold ‘em showdown. Binion gathered 35 poker pros at his casino in 1970, and after a week or so of high-stakes games, they voted Johnny Moss the best player on the planet and gave him a silver cup.
The next year, Moss — a fair-sized grump himself — won a tournament and left with the title again, along with $30,000. Entries and prize money have grown dramatically since. By 1983, when a delightfully forthright failed accountant from Grand Rapids named Tom McEvoy won the event, first prize was $580,000.
The prize jumped to $1 million in 1991 and had inflated to $2.5 million when Chris Moneymaker won in 2003. He was a rookie who earned his way into the Big Game by spending $39 to enter a tournament online, and he topped a field of 838 players.
Apparently on the theory that if Moneymaker can win, anyone can, the field more than tripled in 2004, and jumped to 5,619 last year. After another quantum leap this year, it’s clear that the World Series of poker has become a full-fledged cultural phenomenon.
Nah, probably not.
By Neal Rubin
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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people over the years say things to me like, “Looks like you’re winning big. You should probably quit before you give it back.”
Frankly, they just don’t understand how poker works. They’re often the same people who suffer huge losses at the table, but only manage very small wins.
You should never be preoccupied with your winning percentage. Basically, it’s a meaningless statistic. People brag to me that they’ve won 22 days in a row and that they’ve come out on top 80 percent of the sessions they play. The thing is, when you look deeper into their results, you’ll often find a very unhealthy pattern.
While these players are winning more than three-quarters of the time, some of them are still net losers in poker. It’s amazing, but true.
I looked at an old friend’s poker records and immediately found the problem with his approach to the game: Monday 3 hours +$147, Tuesday 2 hours +$220, Wednesday 1 hour +$400, Thursday 2 1/2 hours +$160. Then comes Friday: 16 hours -$2,210. Yikes. That’s a recipe for disaster if I’ve ever seen one.
Because my friend was so obsessed with having to win every time, he couldn’t quit when he was losing. That leads to poor play and fatigue, which is better known in the poker world as tilt.
Despite the fact that he won four out of five days, he was behaving the exact opposite of how he should have.
Winning raises confidence
When you’re losing at poker over a long period of time, it’s difficult to play effectively. Conversely, when you’re winning, your confidence rises and this can only help you at the table.
As a rule, your winning sessions should be longer than your losing ones. Nevertheless, too many players do what my friend did and keep digging a deeper hole. In fact, about 90 percent of the world’s poker players share this common problem, and it’s often their biggest downfall.
The good news is there’s an easy fix.
Before you even sit down at a poker table, decide how long you will play. For example, if you show up at 6 p.m. and decide to play six hours, you should quit at midnight, regardless of your result. This strategy will help you shift focus from wins and losses to putting in quality hours at the tables when your mind is alert.
When I started playing professionally, I put myself on a very strict schedule: Monday to Friday from noon-8 p.m., much like a real job. If the game was particularly juicy, I’d play a little bit longer, but only under one condition: I had to be winning.
Stick to a plan
Your mind often plays tricks on you when quitting time rolls around especially if you’re losing. The voices in your head will tell you, “Stay, stay, get your money back. You’re playing well, get these guys!” Do not listen to that evil voice. It will only destroy you.
Your mind wants you to believe that losing hasn’t had a negative effect on your play. Believe me, it has. Continuing to play will only hurt your confidence, your stack and your overall game. Go home. There’s always tomorrow.
As you become more disciplined, you can consider playing longer if the game is lively and you’re ahead.
It’s always OK to quit early if you’re losing. Also, whether winning or losing, it’s smart to leave if you’re not playing your best or if you’re just feeling tired.
The next thing you should do is start focusing on a new statistic. Forget about your win/loss records. Instead, start tracking your hourly rate. Divide your results by the number of hours you’ve played. If you’re earning one big bet an hour, that’s a good result.
Leave the braggarts to their amazing 22-session winning streaks. You take it one hand at a time and focus on making good decisions every time out.
The results will take care of themselves.
By Daniel Negreanu
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las vegas — Amateurs, seasoned pros and celebrities sat down together Friday as the chips were divvied up and the cards dealt for the World Series of poker.
By 2:30 p.m., there were 8,580 entrants registered for the world’s biggest poker game, pushing the top prize to $11.7 million.
Alternates were waiting in the wings and new players were being accepted until Monday, when the grand prize could swell even larger.
At the very least, the last 12 players still standing when the 37th annual no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament wraps up will win at least $1 million. The final table is scheduled to begin play Aug. 10.
“Everybody’s got dreams and aspirations but you’ve got to get through a lot of people here,” said Greg Severson, a 45-year-old building contractor from Upland, Calif., who qualified for his $10,000 seat online.
“One step at a time,” he said. “First break, dinner break, first day. One day at a time.”
By the break after the first two hours, about 80 players already had been eliminated. The first field of 2,140 players was set to play as long as it takes to get down to 900. A staggered start over four days will cut more than half of the field by Tuesday.
Celebrities such as Spiderman star Tobey Maguire, Mekhi Phifer from ER, James Garner of The Rockford Files and Maverick and boxer Antonio Tarver ponied up to the felt for $10,000 each. poker pros Gus Hansen, Eli Elezra, Michael Mizrachi, Barry Greenstein and Juan Carlos Mortensen also took to the tables Friday.
Thirty-three days of poker have led up to the main event at the Rio hotel-casino. In earlier rounds, 21-year-old University of California, Santa Barbara student Jeff Madsen became a millionaire, and pro Phil Hellmuth Jr. won his 10th bracelet, tying the record with poker greats Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson and Johnny Chan.
James McManus, a poker player who became famous when Harper’s magazine assigned him to cover the World Series in 2000 and he ended up placing fifth for $247,760, said on Day 1 of the main event, he’s already “kind of pooped.”
“I’ve been here since June 26th,” McManus said. “If I advance, it’ll be seven weeks. It, at least for me, answers the question, ‘How much is too much poker?’”
Opening day highlights
BIG NEWS: The world’s biggest poker tournament kicked off with 8,580 registered players, easily topping last year’s 5,619, and pushing the top prize to $11.7 million. The 12 final players will win at least $1 million. More players can still enter for a $10,000 seat until Monday.
STUD OF THE DAY:Saturday Night Live star Norm MacDonald’s pocket aces failed him when Australian pro Mark Vos’ queen and jack both paired on the board. Vos later knocked MacDonald out with an ace-high straight when MacDonald made a lower straight. Vos amassed $79,500 in chips and held the lead heading into the dinner break.
BUSTED OUT: James Garner, Tobey Maguire, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Chris Masterson, Mekhi Phifer, Antonio Carver and Norm MacDonald.
CELEBRITY UPDATE: After busting out, Maguire paid $540 to enter a so-called “second chance” tournament that runs every day at 5 p.m. By 7 p.m. he had about 2,000 in chips, after starting with 1,500, and was getting a massage. Entrants play just for the stakes entered; their main event lives are over.
By Ryan Nakashima
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Dear Mark,
Could you please explain the ace as it relates to poker, both using it as high or low, and using it in a straight? Also, can the Ace ever be used in this scenario: Queen-King-Ace-2-3 to form a straight? Ray W.
The genesis of the Ace’s mighty rise to power can be traced back to the French Revolution, when the lowest numbered card (in that era the one) was positioned above the King to represent victory over the monarchy by the common man. Its chest did swell with pride, Ray.
Many games today, such as poker and blackjack, alDeal Me InColumn.ems low the player to choose whether the ace is to be used as a high or low card. For example, in Hold’em poker, an Ace is considered the highest card in the deck, with one exception: it can help form what’s called “the wheel,” or the lowest straight possible; an Ace - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5. With this 5-high straight, the five is the top card, not the Ace. Conversely, the highest straight, called an ace-high straight or “Broadway,” is
Ten-Jack-Queen-King-Ace. Unless you are playing a game where an Ace is specifically given a high or low value, it’s usually played as either, never both. Wrapping the Ace, Ray, a Queen-King-Ace-2-3, would never constitute a straight.
When playing best low hand, there are some poker games that permit the Ace to play low, ignoring both straights and flushes. For example, the 5-4-3-2-Ace is the best possible low, even if it makes a straight or straight flush. Other games count straights or flushes against you, but let the Ace play low, making 6-4-3-2-Ace the best possible hand. In games where the ace is ranked below the deuce, a pair of aces would also score lower than a pair of deuces.
Dear Mark,
Here is a tip your readers might be interested in. Deal Me InColumn.ems When ordering a cocktail in a casino, you might as well order a quality drink. Why get Scoresby when you can order Johnnie Walker Black. Robin L.
Holy befuddled with booze, Batman! Robin’s got it right. Casinos will actually serve you the best call liquor behind the bar, that is, if you ask. But, Robin, if you’re trying to hustle premium drinks versus some hooch from the well to offset your losses at the table, fugedaboutit. A little select spirits might be a good thing, but too much of it and you’ll find yourself, not the drink, on the rocks. Besides, they don’t call it chip remover for nothing.
Dear Mark,
Can a player toss in his cards, then change his mind, and get them back from the dealer? Jay F.
No way, Jay, afterthoughts are not allowed in poker.
That collection of faceDeal Me InColumn.ems down cards near the dealer composed of discards and folded hands is called the muck, garbage pile or trash. When someone throws one’s cards into it, the thrower automatically withdraws from further participation in the current pot.
gambling Wisdom of the Week: “poker is a microcosm of all we admire and disdain about capitalism and democracy. poker can be rough-hewn or polished, warm or cold, charitable and caring, or hard and impersonal, fickle and elusive, but ultimately poker is fair, and right, and just.” — Lou Krieger
By Mark Pilarski
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