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WSOP Top 10 Tuesday - from the World's Greatest Unknown WSOP Historian

174 replies

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted May 28, 2024, 7:05 PM#1

Welcome to the World Series of Poker Top Ten Tuesday thread. Having spent the last ten+ years researching and analyzing

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted May 28, 2024, 7:07 PM#2

Lightning does strike twice (or more). 10. Father-Son: In 1983, Donnacha O'Dea reaches the Main Event final table and finishes sixth. In 2011, his son Eoghan O'Dea reaches the Main Event final table and finishes sixth. They are still the only father and son to both make the WSOP Main Event final table.

  1. Biggest Women's Cash: On May 5, 1989, Thomas Chung wins the $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em for his first bracelet as Robin Brown finishes third for a WSOP women's-record $53,000. Two years later, on May 10, 1991, Chung wins the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for his only other bracelet as Mim Penney finishes second for a WSOP women's-record $88,750, breaking Brown's record.

  2. Party Crashers: In 1996, Huck Seed is the last of the 295 entrants to register for the Main Event as he has to beg to be allowed to play as he's technically too late. He wins the championship. The very next year, Stu Ungar is the last of the 312 entrants to register for the Main Event as he has to beg Bill Baxter for a buyin. He wins the championship.

  3. Employee Omens: In 2002, Mike Majerus finishes third in the Employee event then goes on to win the $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em the next day for his first bracelet. The next year John Arrage finishes third in the Employee event then goes on to win the $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em two weeks later for his first bracelet.

  4. Back-to-Back: Only four players have won the Main Event at least twice. If you include Johnny Moss's 1970 win by vote, all four of them won it back-to-back -- Johnny Moss: 1970-71 (and 1974), Doyle Brunson 1976-77, Stu Ungar 1980-81 (and 1997), and Johnny Chan 1987-88.

  5. First Foreigner, Part 1: In 1982, twelve years and more than 100 tournaments after the World Series of Poker's debut, Dennis Zervos finally becomes the first non-American to make the money as the Greek finishes third in the $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $20,200. Less than a week later in the next two events, England's Barry Clayton, South Africa's Hugh Todd, and the Philippines's Noli Francisco become the second, third, and fourth.

  6. First Foreigner, Part 2: In the first 18 years of the World Series of Poker, every bracelet was won by an American. After the first four events of the 1988 WSOP, nearly 200 bracelets had been awarded, none to a foreigner. On May 7, 1988, Norway's Thor Hansen finally breaks through, winning the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud, defeating a field of 79 for $158,000. It had taken 6,594 days between the time Johnny Moss was voted the winner of the first World Series of Poker to the first foreign winner. It took just four days for the second non-American to collect a bracelet, as France's Gilbert Gross wins the $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha over a field of 111 (70 rebuys) for $181,000.

  7. Still Short: In 2000, T.J. Cloutier reaches heads up in the Main Event for a second time, a record fifteen years after he lost to Bill Smith. He falls short again, this time to Chris Ferguson for second place. The next year, Dewey Tomko reaches heads up in the Main Event for a second time, a record nineteen years after he lost to Jack Straus. He falls short again, this time to Carlos Mortensen for second place.

  8. Turning Lead Into Gold: In 1976, Doyle Brunson wins the final hand of the Main Event with Ten-Deuce, going runner-runner on the turn and river to make a full house. The next year, Brunson wins the final hand of the Main Event again with Ten-Deuce, going runner-runner on the turn and river to make a full house.

  9. Rematch Regulars: In 2002, Allen Cunningham beats O'Neil Longson heads up for the $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw title and his second bracelet. The next year in the same event, Longson again beats Cunningham heads up for the title and his second bracelet. Since then, only three heads-up rematches have occurred at the WSOP, and Shaun Deeb has been in all of them. He beat Paul Volpe in 2015 and 2018, split with Ben Yu in 2017 and 2018, and split with Adam Friedman in 2016 and 2019. The previous two decades had only three heads-up rematches, and Johnny Chan was in all of them. He beat Lyle Berman in 1985 and 1997, split with Erik Seidel in 1985 and 1997, and split with Phil Hellmuth in 1989 and 2002. In the known history of the WSOP, hundreds of thousands of players have competed and only ten heads up rematches have occurred; Chan and Deeb have been involved in six of them.

Honorable Mention:

Born on December 14, 1939, Bobby Hoff finishes second in the 1979 Main Event. Born on December 14, 1931, Frank Henderson finishes second in the 1987 Main Event; he was born eight years before but finishes second eight years after Hoff. {This factoid and the next might sound like they belong on the list, but the birthday paradox (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_problem) assures us that there's a better than 50% chance of having a pair of shared birthdays among a group of 23 people, so having two pairs in 50+ years isn't unexpected.}

Born on Christmas Day in 1937, Noel Furlong reaches the 9-player final table of the 1999 WSOP Main Event fourth in chips and goes on to win his first and only bracelet. Born on Christmas Day in 1984, John Cynn reaches the 9-player final table of the 2018 WSOP Main Event fourth in chips and goes on to win his first and only bracelet.

On May 11, 1981 Dave Hampton reaches the final table of the $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven and finishes fourth for $19,000. A year later on May 14, 1982 Hampton reaches the final table of the $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven and finishes fourth for $19,000. They are his only two career cashes, and Bobby Baldwin joins him at both final tables.

In 1995, Dan Harrington wins the final hand of the Main Event with the Nine and Eight of diamonds. The next year, Huck Seed wins the final hand of the Main Event with the Nine and Eight of diamonds. Both champs are behind preflop and win with Two Pairs against a Pair. {This would have made the list if not for Brunson's more amazing pair of hands.}

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted May 28, 2024, 7:11 PM#3

You're probably aware of this already, but PokerGo has been running a countdown of its 100 best WSOP hands. (Of course, these are limited to televised/streamed hands, which means it leaves out hands that showed up in the live reporting but never appeared on camera.) I'll be interested/curious to hear your opinions of their top 10. I've actually been waiting for the full set of videos to be out so that I can binge watch all 100. WSOP Top 100 Hands of All Time | 50-41 | Crying Mike Matusow, Phil Ivey, Jerry Yang & Greg Raymer - YouTube

Tap to unmute

WSOP Top 100 Hands of All Time | 50-41 | Crying Mike Matusow, Phil Ivey, Jerry Yang & Greg Raymer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIjyBwIuNQ0)PokerGO (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOPw3R-TUUNqgN2bQyidW2w) PokerGO720K subscribers

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted May 28, 2024, 7:14 PM#4

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58584664#post58584664)

  1. Biggest Women's Cash: On May 5, 1989, Thomas Chung wins the $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em for his first bracelet as Robin Brown finishes third for a WSOP women's-record $53,000. Two years later, on May 10, 1991, Chung wins the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for his only other bracelet as Mim Penney finishes second for a WSOP women's-record $88,750, breaking Brown's record.

Wow. i.e. Ladies... if Chung has a big stack on Day 2 of a four-day event, register for the first available three-day event immediately.

easyfnmoneyNewbie1 posts
Posted May 28, 2024, 11:55 PM#5

Phil Hellmuth's 3 bracelets in 3 days in 1993 is one of the most remarkable achievements that no one talks about. A few days later, he took 2nd in another event.

Mike FemtonNewbie4 posts
Posted May 29, 2024, 8:03 AM#6

Surely there are bigger women’s cashes than that even if you count inflaation, doesn’t Selbst have multiple bracelets?

PunkerRegular27 posts
Posted May 29, 2024, 12:32 PM#7

by Mike Femton m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58585414#post58585414)

Surely there are bigger women’s cashes than that even if you count inflaation, doesn’t Selbst have multiple bracelets?

I expect it's written to mean "the record at the time"

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted May 29, 2024, 3:47 PM#8

by Mike Femton m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58585414#post58585414)

Surely there are bigger women’s cashes than that even if you count inflaation, doesn’t Selbst have multiple bracelets?

by Punker m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58585533#post58585533)

I expect it's written to mean "the record at the time"

Agree, it's somewhat implied given Brown's $53K score is already superseded in the next sentence. Also, Selbst's largest score was her 2014 $25K mix max bracelet – a cool $871,148.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted May 30, 2024, 12:59 AM#9

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58585711#post58585711)

Agree, it's somewhat implied given Brown's $53K score is already superseded in the next sentence. Also, Selbst's largest score was her 2014 $25K mix max bracelet – a cool $871,148.

Sorry, yes, pretty much any time I say record in a historical context I mean "at the time". In this case it was certainly implied, but I'll be more careful in the future. Of course I have lists for the "Top 10 Women's Cashes", "Top 10 Women's Main Event Cashes", and even the history of the biggest women's cash, of which two were on this list. (And for completeness sake, the history of the biggest women's Main Event cash too ;-).

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted May 30, 2024, 1:21 AM#10

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58584673#post58584673)

You're probably aware of this already, but PokerGo has been running a countdown of its 100 best WSOP hands. (Of course, these are limited to televised/streamed hands, which means it leaves out hands that showed up in the live reporting but never appeared on camera.)I'll be interested/curious to hear your opinions of their top 10. I've actually been waiting for the full set of v... See full post

Great stuff so far, but this is very much like the Top 100 Albums (or Songs) of All Time. Very subjective and impossible to even figure out what the criteria are and how they're weighted. I'd lean toward the biggest events (Main Event, PPC, Big One for One Drop), how late in the event the hand was, and something like the highest Win Probability Added. Bonus points for cleverness? Deductions for just plain getting lucky? Whatever I say today I might disagree with tomorrow! Instead of PokerGo's massive list, I'd rather break things down into manageable Top 10 lists in various categories (all of which can be either all events or just Main Events): Bad Beats, Coolers, Best Bluffs, Rarest Hands (the straight flushes and quads), and so on to at least get on a more apples-to-apples basis. Fun compilation for sure though.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted May 30, 2024, 2:40 AM#11

by easyfnmoney m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58585054#post58585054)

Phil Hellmuth's 3 bracelets in 3 days in 1993 is one of the most remarkable achievements that no one talks about. A few days later, he took 2nd in another event.

Parts of this "fact" will be on multiple of my lists, but let me debunk the 3 days part now, because it's probably my number one peeve about the current online tournament databases (WSOP, Hendon, GPI, and CardPlayer at least, plus Wikipedia of course)... There was a site called PokerPages.com that posted historical WSOP tournament results in April 2000. I don't know where they got their data from, so it might not be their fault, BUT, they listed most of the early years' results alphabetically by the winner's last name. The dates of the tournaments are then guestimated by working backward from the Main Event, which is correctly listed last at least. WSOP, Hendon, et al., all copied this incorrect order! Hellmuth discusses his feat with the correct dates in his book "Poker Brat", pages 169-170. The 1993 Hendon WSOP page (https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/festival.php?a=r&n=1308) and Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_World_Series_of_Poker) show the bizarre reverse alphabetical order for the third straight year in 1993 (except for the Main Event, which is close because it was Bechtel)! Hellmuth actually won events 7, 18, and 19 (not 7, 8, and 9), while Ted Forrest won events 5, 6, and 17 (not 11, 12, and 13). Hellmuth's second place finish was event 11, BTW. I have the correct starting dates and correct order for almost all these old WSOP bracelet events (and most of the ending dates) if anyone at the five aforementioned sites wants to contact me.

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted May 30, 2024, 3:41 AM#12

I've always thought the fact that Johnny Chan came in 2nd in the main event the year after his back to back wins deserves more mention than it gets.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted May 30, 2024, 4:49 AM#13

by mrmr m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58586408#post58586408)

I've always thought the fact that Johnny Chan came in 2nd in the main event the year after his back to back wins deserves more mention than it gets.

Interesting. Maybe it's because I watched those early-mid 2000s WSOP Main Event telecasts so many times, but I feel like that feat and the back-to-back Dan Harrington ME final tables came out of Norman Chad's mouth more often than ex-wife jokes.

KebabkungenMicro-Stakes Grinder16 posts
Posted May 30, 2024, 8:03 AM#14

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58586368#post58586368)

Parts of this "fact" will be on multiple of my lists, but let me debunk the 3 days part now, because it's probably my number one peeve about the current online tournament databases (WSOP, Hendon, GPI, and CardPlayer at least, plus Wikipedia of course)...There was a site called PokerPages.com that posted historical WSOP tournament results in April 2000. I don't know where they g... See full post

Posts like this make me sure that the rest of your posts and lists will be great! True knowledge!

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted May 30, 2024, 4:12 PM#15

by Kebabkungen m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58586540#post58586540)

Posts like this make me sure that the rest of your posts and lists will be great! True knowledge!

Thank you, Kebabkungen. Two things I forgot to mention:

  1. Mark Rogers's 2006 book, "52 Greatest Moments World Series of Poker", lists the correct 1993 event numbers for Hellmuth and Forrest on page 73 ("Good Things Come in Threes"). This is a fun book that could have used some better editing.
  2. GGPoker is currently running an excellent year-by-year recap of the WSOP (https://ggpoker.com/blog/wsop-new/the-story-of-the-1970-wsop-main-event/), but you have to forgive them for presenting each year's events out of order. (They're currently up to 1987.)
Swann99Newbie3 posts
Posted May 31, 2024, 1:41 AM#16

I happened to watch the 1973 TV coverage of the WSOP ME this morning then found this thread. Thoroughly enjoying the history lessons and info so far! Keep it up.

PunkerRegular27 posts
Posted May 31, 2024, 3:38 PM#17

I think the greatest WSOP hands for me would come down to a few. My criteria: Stakes had to have been high Hand needed to have drama Hand significantly impacted the outcome of the tourney Historic players involved The hand has to be played with some reasonable level of skill I'm also biased towards much older hands. The newer WSOPs really just kind of run together for me.

  1. Matloubi-Lund
  2. Ferguson-Cloutier
  3. Moneymaker-Farha
  4. Chan-Seidel
  5. Furlong-Seed
Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted May 31, 2024, 5:29 PM#18

by Punker m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58588192#post58588192)

I think the greatest WSOP hands for me would come down to a few. My criteria:Stakes had to have been highHand needed to have dramaHand significantly impacted the outcome of the tourneyHistoric players involvedThe hand has to be played with some reasonable level of skillI'm also biased towards much older hands. The newer WSOPs really just kind of run together for me.1) Matloubi-... See full post

Emphasis mine. Totally agree with the bolded part. There are some hands that are for massive pots and with a lot of money/equity on the line, and/or they have huge historical significance, but they're not really all that interesting because they're just coolers. One hand that comes to mind immediately is this:

Blinds were 15K/30K, which means Shak had about 17x to start the hand, Richey had 14x, and Hellmuth was nursing a stack that barely covered the 80K initial raise. You can see by the video that the telecast tabbed the hand as the "Degree All-In Moment" but it's a spot that largely played itself. (Although plenty of people will argue that Richey, despite his stack size, could fold KK if was paying attention to Shak: she literally signaled to Dan Shak what she had.) All that said... Here is a WSOP hand that also played itself but remains both mind-blowing and entertaining every time I watch it:

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 1, 2024, 6:20 PM#19

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58588317#post58588317)

Emphasis mine. Totally agree with the bolded part. There are some hands that are for massive pots and with a lot of money/equity on the line, and/or they have huge historical significance, but they're not really all that interesting because they're just coolers. One hand that comes to mind immediately is this:Blinds were 15K/30K, which means Shak had about 17x to start the hand... See full post

PokerGO's Top 100 yet is now all posted on YouTube. Hidden for those of you who enjoy the suspense of what order they picked (does not reveal anything in the final video):

Spoiler Show

Yockey's bad beat was #23, and Richey's cooler was #8.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 1, 2024, 7:21 PM#20

by Punker m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58588192#post58588192)

I think the greatest WSOP hands for me would come down to a few. My criteria:Stakes had to have been highHand needed to have dramaHand significantly impacted the outcome of the tourneyHistoric players involvedThe hand has to be played with some reasonable level of skillI'm also biased towards much older hands. The newer WSOPs really just kind of run together for me.1) Matloubi-... See full post

#1: Matloubi's river two-outer not the final hand, right? #2: Which Ferguson-Cloutier hand? The final hand wasn't well played but meets the other four criteria. #3: The BLUFF not the final hand, I assume. #4: The most famous hand in WSOP history, thanks to "Rounders". #5: Great call in a big spot. Hidden for those who haven't watched the PokerGO videos and don't want the order spoiled:

Spoiler Show

IIRC, #1, #2, and #5 didn't make PokerGO's Top 100. #4 Chan-Seidel is 16th. #3 Moneymaker-Farha final hand is 11th and the BLUFF is 1st.

PunkerRegular27 posts
Posted Jun 2, 2024, 5:26 AM#21

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58589795#post58589795)

#1: Matloubi's river two-outer not the final hand, right? #2: Which Ferguson-Cloutier hand? The final hand wasn't well played but meets the other four criteria. #3: The BLUFF not the final hand, I assume. #4: The most famous hand in WSOP history, thanks to "Rounders". #5: Great call in a big spot.

1 - correct 2 - final hand. I won't claim it was some masterpiece, but it definitely hit all the other criteria 3 - correct 4 - correct 5 - underrated. Seed becoming a 2 time champ would have really elevated him in the poker world. Maybe he's in Rounders instead of Chan.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 5, 2024, 12:42 AM#22

Best Official Player Names From Aadam Daya, who won the 2010 $1,000 NLHE for $625,872 (also the first bracelet winner alphabetically by first name) to Zymer Guraziu, who made the money twice in 2021, nearly 100,000 players have cashed in a WSOP bracelet event. These names are officially listed by the WSOP or Hendon Mob. Extra weight if the full name is interesting rather than just the first or last name. 10. Prince of Docness: R.J. Kegel cashed 13 times, including one final table, under this nickname and also went by Rainbow Rosenbloom and Dr. Kegal.

  1. Princess Love: American has cashed three times for $11,160 under what I believe is her legal name.

  2. Easy Rider: American finished 89th in the 2012 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $3,602.

  3. Posh Wave: American finished 200th in the 2011 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $2,320.

  4. Vanna Tea: American woman has three cashes for $15,912.

  5. Huckleberry Seed: Although WSOP.com lists him as Huck Seed, Hendon gives his full first name, earning him a spot on this list. For the record, his siblings are Caraway, Cotton, and Leif.

  6. Yu Rong: Chinese player has three cashes for $4,466. No offense intended if it's his real name.

  7. Kym Possible: American has four cashes for $10,757.

  8. Schtop Steeling: Austrian finished 747th in the 2022 online $210 Million Dollar Bounty for $1,064. Although he still has an empty Hendon player listing (https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=992087), the tournament listing (https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=850383) now just says "Unknown".

  9. Juan Thyme: Floridian finished 151st in the 2023 $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold 'Em for $3,540. Hendon has this name while the WSOP says it's unknown.

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):

Chicago Mike: In the early days of the WSOP, many poker pros went by a nickname of the format "location+name" (e.g., Amarillo Slim), but this American player, who had one cash for $6,350 in 1990, doesn't have his last name recorded.

Gackt: Japanese player Kevin Taylor entered using his online nickname while finishing 133rd in the 2017 $1,000 Little One for One Drop for $3,454.

Ironman Smith: American finished 3rd in the 1974 $1,000 Non-Professional No-Limit Hold 'Em for $1,800 and 3rd in the same event in 1976 ($2,500 buyin) for $12,975. This second cash is missing in all the online databases, which erroneously say Curtis Skinner and Doc Green instead of Smith and Doc Ramsey as initially reported in the May 10, 1976 Las Vegas Review-Journal, page 4.

Jewel Treat: American finished 58th in the 2011 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $6,338. {Arguably belongs in the top ten}

John Doe: Americans, Germans, and Russians have cashed 16 times under this anonymous alias.

Lakewood Louie: George Shaw, from Lakewood, California, used this nickname while winning four bracelets between 1978 and 1980.

Ralph Perry: Rafael Perivoskin Americanized his name at some point.

Robin/Robyn Hood: Two women have each cashed once, for $1,500 and $20,241, using names that sound like the Sherwood Forest hero.

Samuel Hunter: Byron Kaverman occasionally played under this online alias according to Hendon.

Scotty Warbucks: Charlie Shoten used this nickname to hide his real identity for three of his seven cashes, including one of his two final tables.

Simon Deadman: Englishman has 42 cashes, including one runner-up finish. I think this might be his real name though.

Zorn Venture: Zoran Smiljanic won the 1985 $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha for $105,000 and had 8 other cashes under this alias.

Korean Aliases: possibly for anonymity, a number of South Korean players have seemingly random non-Korean sounding nicknames in the Hendon database (but not on WSOP.com). I won't out them here for the obvious reason.

P.S. - Last week's first list was supposed to be titled "Most Unlikely Coincidences" but apparently the "Title" field isn't usually visible when reading.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jun 5, 2024, 1:03 AM#23

Nice. I'll suggest to your HM list oh he of the back-to-back kings vs. aces from last year's Day 1A: [B]Idan The One[/B] (https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/idan-the-one/). Also, this one reminds me of a story: [*]John Doe: Americans, Germans, and Russians have cashed 16 times under this anonymous alias.

In baseball, sometimes you have what's known as a "Bullpen Day," when instead of having a single starting pitcher, you'll have a committee of pitchers – usually relievers – throw an inning or two each. Since it's common to list the expected starters for upcoming games in media notes, the nickname for this is "Johnny Allstaff." Thus, the media notes might look like this: Sunday - Mike Cuellar Monday - Jim Palmer Tuesday - Dave McNally Wednesday - Pat Dobson Thursday - Johnny Allstaff One time, we played a team whose starting rotation was unsure. The PR guy replied with the Friday and Saturday names, but for Sunday he simply put "Johnny Allstaff." My co-worker received this information and looked high and low trying to figure out the identity of the Sunday starter. "There's no Johnny Allstaff on the roster, I have no idea who this is." My guess is my old co-worker would look at poker chip counts and think, "Wow, this Did Not Report guy plays a lot of events."

Mr SpyutasticMicro-Stakes Grinder16 posts
Posted Jun 5, 2024, 1:13 AM#24

Dragana Lim

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted Jun 5, 2024, 6:04 AM#25

Week 2 is funny names? Boy did this go down hill fast!

AtarirobNewbie3 posts
Posted Jun 5, 2024, 2:05 PM#27

Worst Bad Beat, Greg Raymer 2005 WSOP Main Event.

Greg with a huge stack makes the call with KK against Aaron Kanter who also had a big stack and pushed it all in on the turn with a QJ flush draw. Aaron makes his flush on the river and leaves Greg short and he busts in 25th. Why is this such a bad beat? The year is 2005 and endorsement money is flowing hard from online sites. He wins that pot and could easily make that final table with a healthy stack and guaranteeing himself millions in sponsorship and god knows what if he won it again.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 5, 2024, 5:49 PM#28

by mrmr m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58593359#post58593359)

Week 2 is funny names? Boy did this go down hill fast!

Sorry, I was already late and grabbed the first thing I thought I could finish quickly. (Hopefully, it'll be my worst list until I post my first David Letterman-style Top Ten ;-) I promise that next week's (which took longer to research than I expected) will be worth the wait. It's significant enough that I'll follow the list with two supplemental posts.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 5, 2024, 7:35 PM#29

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58593173#post58593173)

Nice. I'll suggest to your HM list oh he of the back-to-back kings vs. aces from last year's Day 1A: [B]Idan The One[/B] (https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/idan-the-one/).Also, this one reminds me of a story:In baseball, sometimes you have what's known as a "Bullpen Day," when instead of having a single starting pitcher, you'll have a committee of pitchers – usually relievers – throw an inning or two each. Since it's common to... See full post

Good one. I missed Idan The One because I have him as Idan One. He's one of thousands of players who have multiple Hendon and WSOP listings. His various names would already split him up, but he's also one of hundreds whom the WSOP sometimes gave the incorrect two-letter country code IS (Iceland) instead of IL (Israel). He's clearly #1 on the Top Ten Numbered WSOP Players:

  1. Andrey Ten

  2. Matthew Niner

  3. Bradley Speight

  4. Erdal Gulseven

  5. Alexander, James, & Michael Six

  6. Luke Fiveash

  7. Cedric Four

  8. Charles Threet

  9. Anthony Tu et al. & Tu Huynh et al.

  10. Idan The One (a.k.a. Idan One & Idan Theone)

"Did Not Report" has caused me many hours of misery. But nowhere near as many as "Unknown" and "Unknown Player" (many of these are because of the GDPR (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation) and couldn't be helped).

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jun 6, 2024, 2:28 AM#30

by Atarirob m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58593611#post58593611)

Worst Bad Beat, Greg Raymer 2005 WSOP Main Event. Greg with a huge stack makes the call with KK against Aaron Kanter who also had a big stack and pushed it all in on the turn with a QJ flush draw. Aaron makes his flush on the river and leaves Greg short and he busts in 25th.Why is this such a bad beat? The year is 2005 and endorsement money is flowing hard from online sites. ... See full post

Donnie Peters and Tim Duckworth did a "What If" episode of the WSOP podcast a few weeks ago, and that hand was mentioned. If memory serves, it's even worse than you describe because it was a questionable preflop call and a strange call on the flop just to get to that turn flush.

AlanBostickRegular64 posts
Posted Jun 6, 2024, 7:38 PM#31

by Atarirob m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58593611#post58593611)

Worst Bad Beat, Greg Raymer 2005 WSOP Main Event. Greg with a huge stack makes the call with KK against Aaron Kanter who also had a big stack and pushed it all in on the turn with a QJ flush draw. Aaron makes his flush on the river and leaves Greg short and he busts in 25th.Why is this such a bad beat? The year is 2005 and endorsement money is flowing hard from online sites. ... See full post

Not even close. 99% Loses! Worst Bad Beat in WSOP History? | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 2019 WSOP - YouTube

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99% Loses! Worst Bad Beat in WSOP History? | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 2019 WSOP (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pChCqb2FNxY)PokerGO (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOPw3R-TUUNqgN2bQyidW2w) PokerGO720K subscribers

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 11, 2024, 7:15 PM#32

Best WSOP Myths, Busted 10. 1989 Main Event Last Woman Standing

MYTH: Carmen Valenti was the Last Woman Standing in the 1989 Main Event, finishing 13th for $12,500. This was reported in the annual WSOP pre-Main Event press release in 2013 (https://www.wsop.com/2013/2013-WSOP-OFFICIAL-STATS-GUIDE.pdf), 2014 (https://www.wsop.com/2014/official%20media%20guide%202014%20wsop%20final.pdf), 2015 (https://www.wsop.com/promotions/files/2015%20WSOP%20Main%20Event%20Media%20Guide%20Final.pdf), 2016 (https://www.wsop.com/2016/Official%20WSOP%20Media%20Guide.pdf), 2017 (https://www.wsop.com/2017/2017%20Media%20Guide_Online_Version.pdf), and 2018.

REALITY: No women cashed in the 1989 Main Event. Carmen Valenti was a male pro poker player from New York (https://obits.syracuse.com/us/obituaries/syracuse/name/carmen-valenti-obituary?id=27588544). {I reported this error to the WSOP on March 9, 2016, but they never fixed it (2018 was their final annual media guide but oddly the only one that's no longer online).}

  1. 1971 Main Event Runner-Up

MYTH: Puggy Pearson was the runner-up in the 1971 Main Event, losing to Johnny Moss heads up. This is reported by credible sources such as PokerNews (https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/walter-puggy-pearson/) and the Hendon Mob (https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=b&n=191).

REALITY: Jack Straus was the runner-up. The December 15, 1971 Amarillo Globe Times says on page 2, "Straus has come in second in the World Series of poker {the Ace-to-Five Draw and the Main Event}, held in Las Vegas, losing both times to Johnny Moss of Lubbock, Tex., and Las Vegas. Straus, who thinks of himself as a money player, commented: 'Moss won the trophy (a plaque), but I won most of the money." Amarillo Slim Preston's "Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People" confirms this on page 158: "Well that day apparently the Lord didn't want me to hold on to mine [money], because that giant [Straus] busted me, and there were no prizes for third place. Too bad for Treetop that there weren't any for second either, because Johnny busted him to become the 1971 World Series of Poker champion and took home all $30,000." Another point in favor of Straus over Pearson is that when Puggy won the 1974 Main Event, nobody said anything about what would have been a remarkable 2nd-2nd-1st streak.

  1. 1970 Second Vote

MYTH: Johnny Moss won the 1970 WSOP championship on the second vote, after everyone had voted for themselves the first time.

REALITY: Moss dominated the cash games and was the obvious choice for "World's Champion Poker Player". The vote may not have been unanimous, but several of the players were single-game specialists while more than a few others finished the games in the red, so this story is undoubtedly apocryphal.

  1. First Married Couple With WSOP Bracelets

MYTH 1: Sandy and Bob Stupak were the first married couple to both win bracelets. Bob Stupak's Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Stupak) and his own web site (https://www.stupaklasvegas.com/about/company/) both make this claim.

REALITY 1: Although Bob did win a legitimate bracelet in the 1989 Deuce-to-Seven Draw, Sandy's victory in the 1984 Special Casino Operators tournament wasn't considered a bracelet at the time, as she won $14,000 and a trophy. Of the major results sites, only WSOP.com's tournament page (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?tid=2146&grid=215) deems this a bracelet. They wouldn't have been the first couple anyway (see below).

MYTH 2: Max and Maria Stern became the first married couple with bracelets when Maria won the 1997 $1,500 Seven-Card Stud. Her husband Max had already won the 1995 $1,500 Limit Omaha 8 or Better. E.g., Shulmans are Third Married Couple to Win... (https://www.gambling911.com/poker/shulmans-are-third-married-couple-win-world-series-poker-bracelets-062012.html) and Day 4 Highlights (https://www.wsop.com/news/2015/Jul/6432/DAY-4-HIGHLIGHTS-FROM-THE-WSOP-MAIN-EVENT-CHAMPIONSHIP.html).

REALITY 2: The Sterns were the first to both win open bracelets, but Donna and Jim Doman won the 1983 $800 Mixed Doubles tournament together to become the first couple with bracelets.

  1. Only Two 1972 Bracelet Winners are Known

MYTH: Hendon (https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/circuit.php?n=WSOP&s=1972), the Global Poker Index (https://www.globalpokerindex.com/tournaments/1972/united-states/3rd-world-series-of-poker-wsop-1972-1330/), and CardPlayer.com (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/260-3rd-world-series-of-poker-wsop-1972) only acknowledge two WSOP tournaments in 1972 (Five-Card Stud and the Main Event), while WSOP.com (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/schedule/?groupID=227) says that the Five-Card Stud was Event #2 (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&grid=227&tid=2290&rr=-1) and the Main Event was Event #5 (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&grid=227&tid=2268&rr=-1) but has no information on the other three events.

REALITY: By historical chance, less is known about the 1972 WSOP than the 1971 WSOP, but the same five games were probably played, with Ace-to-Five Draw, Seven-Card Stud, and Razz completing the set. Unfortunately, two of these three winners are still unknown, but Puggy Pearson won in Seven-Card Stud. In an article titled "Amarillo Slim Paid $31,000", page 3 of the November 30, 1972 Big Spring Herald says, "Slim won the so-called world series of poker here earlier this year. His partners apparently were no slouches in that contest. Pearson won top honors as the best seven-card stud player, and Boyd took top honors in five-card stud." {See followup post.}

  1. Three Consecutive Bracelets for Hellmuth and Forrest

MYTH: Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest each won three consecutive events during the 1993 WSOP (https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/festival.php?a=r&n=1308). Hellmuth won events 7, 8, and 9, then Forrest matched him in events 11, 12, and 13.

REALITY: Forrest actually won his third bracelet of the year first, but his victories were in events 5, 6, and 17, while Hellmuth's were in events 7, 18, and 19. Hellmuth discusses his feat with the correct dates in his book "Poker Brat" on pages 169-170. (See next list item.)

  1. WSOP Tournament Chronology, 1976 to 1993

MYTH: WSOP.com, the Hendon Mob, the Global Poker Index, and CardPlayer.com all agree on the order of the WSOP tournaments from 1976 to 1993, so they must be right.

REALITY: There was a site called PokerPages.com that posted historical WSOP tournament results in April 2000. I don't know where they got their data from, so it might not be their fault, BUT they listed most of the early years' results alphabetically by the winner's last name. WSOP, Hendon, et al., all copied this incorrect order! Even more bizarrely, 1991 to 1993 are in reverse alphabetical order. 1990 is actually correct somehow, while 1986 is about half correct. 1975 was the one year when alphabetical order would have been correct, but they moved Johnny Moss's win from #4 to #1! The dates of the tournaments are then incorrectly guestimated by working backward from the Main Event, which is correctly listed last at least.

  1. Chris Moneymaker's Satellite Buyin

MYTH: In 2003, Chris Moneymaker qualified for the WSOP Main Event via a $39 online satellite. Even his 2005 autobiography, "Moneymaker", touts a rounded version of this in its front cover subtitle, "How an amateur poker player turned $40 into $2.5 million at the World Series of Poker".

REALITY: A few years later PokerStars unearthed the correction that the satellite had an $86 entry fee. And that only won him entry into a second satellite, which got him his Main Event ticket.

  1. Dandolos-Moss Match

MYTH: Benny Binion was inspired to create the World Series of Poker by a marathon multi-month Nick Dandolos-Johnny Moss cash session in front of his casino two decades earlier. This story was first told in depth in Jon Bradshaw's 1975 book, "Fast Company", starting on page 148 (in the chapter on Johnny Moss), including Dandolos's famous quote after losing a million dollars or so over five months, "Well, I guess I got to let you go, Mr. Moss." Al Alvarez further popularized the story in his 1983 book, "The Biggest Game in Town".

REALITY: Most of the details of this match have been exaggerated beyond recognition. It either occurred in 1949 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Dandolos#Poker_and_gambling), as Alvarez claims, or in 1951, as Bradshaw states (both authors place the game at the Horseshoe, which opened in 1951). The event merited no press coverage in either year. In actuality, the World Series of Poker was inherited from Tom Moore and his 1969 Texas Gambler's Reunion in Reno, which featured a similar setup (and a similar result according to Johnny Moss, who claims to have been declared the champion). When Mary Ellen Glass asked Binion, "How did you start that [the World Series of Poker]?", he gave full credit to the Texas Gambler's Reunion in his 1973 University of Nevada Oral History i... (https://archive.org/details/BinionLester).

  1. Jack Straus's Chip and a Chair

MYTH: Jack Straus came back to win the 1982 Main Event after being down to "a chip and a chair".

REALITY: Jack Straus made a great comeback to win the Main Event, but at his lowest point he had at least two chips (and possibly six or more). The May 25, 1982 Las Vegas Sun says on page 6, "At one time in this championship go-round, he was down to his last $525." This got rounded down to 500 just one day later in the WSOP's handwritten player notes, which said, "at one point he was down to one hidden chip." The May 26, 1982 UPI article (e.g., Brownsville Herald, page 9) echoed this: "Strauss [sic], down to a single $500 chip on the first night of the four-day no limit Hold 'em event, beat out 103 of the world's best poker players." The December 1982 issue of "Hustler" magazine, page 38, then made up the part about the chip being "stuck between the rail and the table" when his opponent carefully bet an amount equal to the visible chips (FWIW, Straus then called the bet, so he wasn't bluffing), while more recent retellings say the rogue chip was under a napkin under his drink or "between a napkin and the bumper" as Jonathan Grotenstein and Storms Reback's claim on pages 100-101 of "All In".

Etymology of "A Chip and a Chair" Poker tournaments basically didn't exist before the 1971 WSOP, but the phrase, "a chip and a chair" was already popular enough by early 1965 that Aviation Week, Volume 83, page 99 (https://www.google.com/books/edition/Aviation_Week_Space_Technology/C_89AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22chip+and+a+chair%22&dq=%22chip+and+a+chair%22&printsec=frontcover) used it. The difference is that the full phrase back then was "all you need is a chip and a chair to enter the game" (i.e., to play not to win). The first reference I've seen in poker literature occurs much later and has the same meaning despite coming almost two years after Jack Straus's comeback. In the January 9, 1984 Poker Player newspaper, page 9, the article, "Brunson Picks Reese as Top Pro", includes in its list of top poker players, "4. Johnny Chan. A young player who took a chip and a chair and has shown his versatility regularly." The first documented usage in the comeback sense was a full three years after Straus but already considers it a well-worn phrase. On page 5 of the July 22, 1985 Poker Player newspaper, an article titled "It’s Time to Live It Up at the Union Plaza" says, "Over at the Stardust, a visitor from Indianapolis, Indiana, once again demonstrated the significance of what tournament coordinator Bob Thompson insisted is the old adage: 'If you have a chip and a chair, you still have a prayer.'" Tex Sheahan then mentions Straus: "With one exception, I have never seen a player win a tournament with only one chip left. That one exception was Jack Straus when he won the World Series of Poker a few years ago." Certainly, earlier references for both senses of the phrase must exist. Anyone?

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 11, 2024, 7:20 PM#33

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58599925#post58599925)

Best WSOP Myths, Busted 6. Only Two 1972 Bracelet Winners are Known

MYTH: Hendon (https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/circuit.php?n=WSOP&s=1972), the Global Poker Index (https://www.globalpokerindex.com/tournaments/1972/united-states/3rd-world-series-of-poker-wsop-1972-1330/), and CardPlayer.com (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/260-3rd-world-series-of-poker-wsop-1972) only acknowledge two WSOP tournaments in 1972 (Five-Card Stud and the Main Event), while WSOP.com (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/schedule/?groupID=227) says that the Five-Card Stud was Event #2 (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&grid=227&tid=2290&rr=-1) and the Main Event was Event #5 (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&grid=227&tid=2268&rr=-1) but has no information on the other three events.

REALITY: By historical chance, less is known about the 1972 WSOP than the 1971 WSOP, but the same five games were probably played, with Ace-to-Five Draw, Seven-Card Stud, and Razz completing the set. Unfortunately, two of these three winners are still unknown, but Puggy Pearson won in Seven-Card Stud. In an article titled "Amarillo Slim Paid $31,000", page 3 of the November 30, 1972 Big Spring Herald says, "Slim won the so-called world series of poker here earlier this year. His partners apparently were no slouches in that contest. Pearson won top honors as the best seven-card stud player, and Boyd took top honors in five-card stud." {See followup post.}

Early WSOP Bracelet Winners, 1970 to 1972 Given the above, we now know three of the five 1972 bracelet winners. 1972 Summary:

Ace-to-Five Draw: unknown

Seven-Card Stud: Puggy Pearson -- not currently acknowledged

Razz: unknown

Five-Card Stud: Bill Boyd

Texas Hold 'Em (Main Event): Amarillo Slim Preston (counted as one bracelet, not two)

We know all five of the winners in 1971. 1971 Summary:

Ace-to-Five Draw: Johnny Moss

Seven-Card Stud: Puggy Pearson

Razz: Jimmy Casella

Five-Card Stud: Bill Boyd

Texas Hold 'Em (Main Event): Johnny Moss (counted as one bracelet, not two)

I'd argue that as long as Moss's 1970 best player award counts as a bracelet, then so should the other poker awards given that year. Moss merits consideration for a second bracelet in 1970 because he didn't win the overall award solely because of his Hold 'Em prowess, while I wouldn't give him an extra one in 1971 (nor Preston in 1972). 1970 Summary:

Ace-to-Five Draw: Joe Bernstein -- not currently acknowledged

Seven-Card Stud: Puggy Pearson -- not currently acknowledged

Razz: Jimmy Casella -- not currently acknowledged

Five-Card Stud: George Barnes -- not currently acknowledged

Texas Hold 'Em & World's Champion Poker Player: Johnny Moss (two awards but counted as one bracelet, not two)

Updated Bracelet Counts Proposed career bracelet increases:

Johnny Moss: 9 to 10 to join Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, and Erik Seidel in double digits

Puggy Pearson 4 to 6 (tied for 10th most)

Jimmy Casella 3 to 4

Joe Bernstein 1 to 2

George Barnes 0 to 1.

Source for 1970 awards: April 19, 1970 Las Vegas Sun, page 41 (Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder's column): "The results from The World Series of Poker, were [close] to what we predicted. / John Moss was the winner of the Best All Around. He also won the 'Hold-em.' / George Barnes was the king in the 'Stud.' / Joe Bernstein won the 'Ace to the Five Draw,' even after Moss beat him head up. / Puggy got the 'Seven Card High.' / Jimmy Cassala {sic} the winner in 'Razz.' / Jack Strauss {sic} the 'Most Congenial.' Nate Linnett 'The Best Loser.' Bill Boyd "The Best Sport.' Trophy to Titanic [Thompson] 'As the Living Legend.' Texan Curtis Skinner the winner of the 'Non Pro' award. / And Texas Doyle was 'The Forgotten Man.' All In all it was a lot of fun and everybody had a good time except the losers. The Horseshoe will make it bigger and better every year."

RizzeedizzeeMicro-Stakes Grinder5 posts
Posted Jun 11, 2024, 11:47 PM#34

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58584664#post58584664)

Lightning does strike twice (or more). In 1996, Huck Seed is the last of the 295 entrants to register for the Main Event as he has to beg to be allowed to play as he's technically too late. He wins the championship. The very next year, Stu Ungar is the last of the 312 entrants to register for the Main Event as he has to beg Bill Baxter for a buyin. He wins the championship.

In 1995, Dan Harrington wins the final hand of the Main Event with the Nine and Eight of diamonds. The next year, Huck Seed wins the final hand of the Main Event with the Nine and Eight of diamonds. Both champs are behind preflop and win with Two Pairs against a Pair. {This would have made the list if not for Brunson's more amazing pair of hands.}

Loving these. Any chance you know why there is no video footage whatsoever of Seed's 1996 final table win?

WolfferineNewbie1 posts
Posted Jun 12, 2024, 12:21 AM#35

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58584664#post58584664)

  1. Party Crashers: In 1996, Huck Seed is the last of the 295 entrants to register for the Main Event as he has to beg to be allowed to play as he's technically too late. He wins the championship. The very next year, Stu Ungar is the last of the 312 entrants to register for the Main Event as he has to beg Bill Baxter for a buyin. He wins the championship.

Huck Seed and Stu Ungar, the pioneers of max late reg. Nice. Interesting and informative WSOP trivia, rjen47!

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 12, 2024, 12:25 AM#36

by Rizzeedizzee m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58600260#post58600260)

Loving these. Any chance you know why there is no video footage whatsoever of Seed's 1996 final table win?

There might be, but it’s a long shot. Horst Koch filmed 4 days for Spiegel in Germany [35 minutes]. But, no, I don’t know why ESPN skipped that year.

AlanBostickRegular64 posts
Posted Jun 12, 2024, 5:14 PM#37

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58599925#post58599925)

MYTH 2: Max and Maria Stern became the first married couple with bracelets when Maria won the 1997 $1,500 Seven-Card Stud. Her husband Max had already won the 1995 $1,500 Limit Omaha 8 or Better. E.g., Shulmans are Third Married Couple to Win... (https://www.gambling911.com/poker/shulmans-are-third-married-couple-win-world-series-poker-bracelets-062012.html) and Day 4 Highlights (https://www.wsop.com/news/2015/Jul/6432/DAY-4-HIGHLIGHTS-FROM-THE-WSOP-MAIN-EVENT-CHAMPIONSHIP.html). REALITY 2: The Sterns were the first to both win open bracelets, but Donna and Jim Doman won the 1983 $800 Mixed Doubles tournament together to become the first couple wit... See full post

There was considerable controversy over Maria Stern's bracelet. It came out that once the action was heads-up, Stern and the identified second-place finisher, Adam Roberts, cut a deal to give Roberts the bulk of the remaining prize pool in exchange for Stern getting the bracelet. They played the hands out after the deal was made, and Roberts made a number of sketchy plays, in effect dumping chips to Stern.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 12, 2024, 5:21 PM#38

by AlanBostick m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58601096#post58601096)

There was considerable controversy over Maria Stern's bracelet. It came out that once the action was heads-up, Stern and the identified second-place finisher, Adam Roberts, cut a deal to give Roberts the bulk of the remaining prize pool in exchange for Stern getting the bracelet. They played the hands out after the deal was made, and Roberts made a number of sketchy plays, in e... See full post

I was saving that for a different list 😉 I believe it was her husband Max's doing, not that that absolves her.

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted Jun 12, 2024, 6:08 PM#39

This is great stuff. You really know your WSOP! Maybe you should write the definitive book!

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted Jun 12, 2024, 6:11 PM#40

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58599930#post58599930)

Source for 1970 awards: April 19, 1970 Las Vegas Sun, page 41 (Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder's column): "The results from The World Series of Poker, were [close] to what we predicted. / John Moss was the winner of the Best All Around. He also won the 'Hold-em..."

To me that is closer to a bracelet for hold 'em / main event, and also "player of the year" title, not a second bracelet.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jun 12, 2024, 7:17 PM#41

Great stuff. The Storms Reback/Jonathan Grotenstein book was one of the first non-strategy books I bought after I started following poker in 2004. I often wonder how many of the stories are apocryphal, although looking at it, they did sort of build that likelihood into the full title: All In: The (Almost) Entirely True Story of the World Series of Poker. rjen, in your opinion, how accurate is the James McManus book Cowboys Full, or at least the WSOP portion of it? Obviously, we can't ever know for certain, as is so often the case of history on any subject – there are still always assumptions and grains of salt involved.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 18, 2024, 4:12 PM#42

Best Chip and a Chair Comebacks Nobody will be surprised by what's number one on this list of WSOP bracelet event comebacks, but if you missed my myths post, there's still a surprise there. 10. 1997 $1,500 Razz: Linda Johnson says she was down to two chips after losing with the second best possible hand (6432A) on Day One of the two day event. The CardPlayer founder and owner donated part of her $96,000 first prize to endow a "Students Dealing With Adversity" scholarship at UNLV. Source: June 26, 2013 Card Player magazine, page 55, "Going for the Gold" article. {This would have ranked better except for not knowing how big the two chips were relative to the blinds and the fact that the story was told 16 years later.}

  1. 2012 $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em: Henry Lu came back from just over two big blinds with eleven players left on the third and final day of the event. Source: July 16, 2012 special WSOP supplement of PokerPlayer newspaper, page WSOP1.

  2. 2024 $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship 6-Max : Phil Ivey was down to 1 big bet 3 handed before recovering to win his historic 11th bracelet. Source: WPT article (https://www.worldpokertour.com/news/phil-ivey-wins-historic-11th-world-series-of-poker-bracelet/).

  3. 1996 $2,500 Seven-Card Stud Split: Frank Thompson was down to seven chips (under 2 antes) at a dinner break. Source: David Spanier's 2000 book, "The Hand I Played", page 44,

  4. 1987 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud: Artie Cobb won his second bracelet (and $142,000) after a remarkable comeback from down 354,500 to 500 heads up against Don Williams. Reduced to "one single gray chip", which was the ante, he survived eleven straight all ins (1 in 2,048 chance). Source: March 7, 1997 CardPlayer magazine, pages 46 and 48. Would be closer to #1 except that it wasn't mentioned at the time and may have gotten exaggerated during the ensuing decade.

  5. 2012 $10,000 Main Event: On Day 5 of the Main Event, Greg Merson was down to two big blinds after losing an all-in pot to a player he barely had covered. He soon doubled up twice, worked his way back to an average stack, and was on his way to victory after a two and a half month November Nine break. Source: WSOP Updates (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/updates/?aid=2&grid=887&tid=12161&dayof=2562&rr=-1&curpage=6).

  6. 2017 $1,500 Razz: Jason Gola was down to 100,000 chips heads up with blinds at 60,000/120,000, while David 'ODB' Baker had 3 million chips. Source: WSOP Updates (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/updates/?aid=2&grid=1352&tid=15669&dayof=5730&rr=-1).

  7. 2019 $600 DeepStack No-Limit Hold 'Em/Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Max: Aristeidis Moschonas, a 37 year-old Greek pro, was down to half a big blind after level 4 before doubling up four times. Source: PokerNews (https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/06/aristeidis-moschonas-2019-wsop-event-42-34545.htm).

  8. 2016 $565 Colossus: Benjamin Keeline recovered from a single ante chip worth 500 on Day 1 to win the 2016 WSOP Colossus for $1,000,000. Source: PokerNews (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/20454-benjamin-keeline-wins-2016-world-series-of-poker-colossus-ii-event).

  9. 1982 $10,000 Main Event: Jack Straus's comeback is credited with popularizing the phrase "a chip and a chair", so it pretty much has to be number one. However, he was actually only down to two chips and a chair (and maybe more). The May 25, 1982 Las Vegas Sun says on page 6, "At one time in this championship go-round, he was down to his last $525." This got rounded down to 500 just one day later in the WSOP's handwritten player notes, which say, "at one point he was down to one hidden chip." The May 26, 1982 UPI article (e.g., Brownsville Herald, page 9) echoed this: "Strauss [sic], down to a single $500 chip on the first night of the four-day no limit Hold 'em event, beat out 10S [sic] of the world's best poker players." The December 1982 issue of "Hustler" magazine, page 38 then made up the part about the chip being "stuck between the rail and the table", while more recent retellings say it was under a napkin under his drink or "between a napkin and the bumper" on pages 100-101 of Jonathan Grotenstein and Storms Reback's "All In".

Honorable Mention (chronological):

1972 $10,000 Main Event: Amarillo Slim Preston was down to 1,500 chips (1.9% of the chips in play) on Day 2 with four players remaining before doubling up with trip fives and going on to win the title. Source: May 30, 2012 CardPlayer magazine. {This didn't make the list because the title may have been negotiated. Some sources say Doyle Brunson got $20,000 for defaulting in third place, while others say both Brunson and Puggy Pearson got more money than Preston ($32,500 to $15,000).}

2009 $10,000 Main Event: The November 11, 2009 Las Vegas Sun (https://lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/11/chip-and-chair-axiom-proven-again/) says, "At his lowest point at the final table, [Joe] Cada held just 1 percent of the chips in play." {I couldn't confirm this in the WSOP updates, but he was definitely very short.}

2019 $600 DeepStack Pot-Limit Omaha: Down to three big blinds on Day 1, Andrew Donabedian survived five consecutive all ins. He posted this on social media (https://www.reddit.com/r/poker/comments/gjh2uq/what_are_your_best_a_chip_and_a_chair_stories/) later, but it was not reported at the time.

2022 $1,500 Million Maker No-Limit Hold 'Em: An instant myth! In their live updates wrapup (https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/2022-wsop/event-37-1500-millionaire-maker/), CardPlayer claimed that Yuliyan Kolev (of KFC buckethead fame) won after being down to a single 25,000 chip with blinds at 250,000/500,000 (just one-twentieth of a big blind after losing a preflop all-in coin flip with Ace-King to Raul Martinez's pair of Sevens). In reality, he was only down to 12 big blinds (6,000,000 chips according to the WSOP updates, Day 4, page 2 (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/updates/?aid=2&grid=4943&tid=20337&dayof=203375&rr=-1&curpage=2)).

2022 $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold 'Em Freezeout: Michigan pro Dash Dudley was down to 3 big blinds with 20 players left to start Day 2 with blinds at 10,000/25,000. Source: PokerNews (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/27067-dash-dudley-sprints-to-third-world-series-of-poker-bracelet-in-turbo-event). 2024 $1,500 Shootout No-Limit Hold 'Em: Dan Sepiol came back from 17-to-1 down heads up to Robert Natividad to win the bracelet and $305,849.

Busted, Rebought, Won (in chronological order) {Undoubtedly many missing from this list.}

2000 $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha: Phil Ivey busted and considered not re-entering but became one of the event's 96 rebuys. The 23-year old denied Amarillo Slim Preston his 5th bracelet after Preston had never lost heads up. Jim McManus says Ivey was down 5-1 heads up but hit multiple 5th street miracles. This was going to be "a chip and a chair" regardless of who won as Preston was down to 350 chips early on. He mistakenly thought that it was a hi/lo event when he lost a huge pot with a low hand. Source: CardPlayer magazine, November 10, 2000, page 96.

2005 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em: Jon Heneghan busted, rebought, and then went on to win. He was actually below the average number of rebuys as the 894 starters rebought 1,584 times. Source: CardPlayer live updates (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/93-2005-36th-annual-world-series-of-poker/2713/live-updates).

2022 $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold 'Em: Katie Kopp was the first player to bust in the entire 2022 WSOP. But of course she rebought and went on to win her first bracelet (and $65,168). Source: CardPlayer (https://www.cardplayer.com/cardplayer-poker-magazines/66502-daniel-negreanu-35-24/articles/24683-wsop-rewind-poker-dealer-katie-kopp-talks-about-winning-a-bracelet).

Special Honorable Mention: Six Main Event Champions Who Started the Final Table With Less Than Ten Percent of the Chips (Note: I usually use "Final Table" to mean the last nine players, but I have chip counts for a couple of six-player final tables here):

1994: Russ Hamilton, 8.6% (231,000 chips), 3rd of 6 players.

2014: Martin Jacobson, 7.4% (14,900,000 chips), 8th of 9 players.

1981: Stu Ungar, 7.1% (53,200 chips), 8th of 9 players.

1991: Brad Daugherty, 7.0% (150,000 chips), 5th of 6 players.

2009: Joe Cada, 6.8% (13,215,000 chips), 5th of 9 players. He later got down to 1% (see above).

2007: Jerry Yang, 6.6% (8,459,000 chips), 8th of 9 players.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 18, 2024, 4:14 PM#43

by mrmr m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58601159#post58601159)

This is great stuff. You really know your WSOP! Maybe you should write the definitive book!

Thanks. I would, but it would be far too long. I’m not good at editing things down, much preferring completeness.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 18, 2024, 4:15 PM#44

by mrmr m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58601164#post58601164)

To me that is closer to a bracelet for hold 'em / main event, and also "player of the year" title, not a second bracelet.

Agreed. His official 1970 bracelet is definitely better as a POY award!

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 18, 2024, 4:20 PM#45

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58601233#post58601233)

Great stuff. The Storms Reback/Jonathan Grotenstein book was one of the first non-strategy books I bought after I started following poker in 2004. I often wonder how many of the stories are apocryphal, although looking at it, they did sort of build that likelihood into the full title: All In: The (Almost) Entirely True Story of the World Series of Poker.rjen, in your opinion, h... See full post

I’ve reviewed every book that has any significant WSOP content, and Cowboys Full is one of the best for accuracy. In my Errata section, I only noted two name misspellings and the entirely excusable $39 Moneymaker buyin.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jun 18, 2024, 10:58 PM#46

Great entry, as usual. This struck me: by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58608473#post58608473)

2005 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em: Jon Heneghan busted, rebought, and then went on to win. He was actually below the average number of rebuys as the 894 starters rebought 1,584 times. Source: CardPlayer live updates (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/93-2005-36th-annual-world-series-of-poker/2713/live-updates).

At first, I thought this was a typo – that is, you meant Johnny World Hennigan. But no, there is in fact another guy with the same name (at least, homophonically): https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?pl... I wonder how many similar pairings there are of bracelet winners, either with identical names or identical sounding ones. The obvious example is the pair of David Bakers but I assume there must be others. Men Nguyen and Minh Nguyen is also pretty close. Sort of tough to tell, as WSOP seems to create different player pages depending on how the name is listed (e.g. Greg Raymer vs. Gregory Raymer).

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 19, 2024, 5:26 AM#47

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58608926#post58608926)

Great entry, as usual. This struck me:At first, I thought this was a typo – that is, you meant Johnny World Hennigan. But no, there is in fact another guy with the same name (at least, homophonically): https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?pl...I wonder how many similar pairings there are of bracelet winners, either with identical names or identical sounding ones. The o... See full post

I’ll have to look for you, at least for exact name matches, when I get home next week (currently at WSOP proving why I usually write about poker instead of playing it). Thousands of people have multiple WSOP player pages, and I’ve wasted a ridiculous number of hours trying to reconcile them. Hendon has the opposite problem, merging different people into one player page.

the pleasureMicro-Stakes Grinder24 posts
Posted Jun 19, 2024, 5:37 AM#48

fun thread thank you

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jun 20, 2024, 5:59 AM#49

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58609300#post58609300)

I’ll have to look for you, at least for exact name matches, when I get home next week (currently at WSOP proving why I usually write about poker instead of playing it).Thousands of people have multiple WSOP player pages, and I’ve wasted a ridiculous number of hours trying to reconcile them. Hendon has the opposite problem, merging different people into one player pa... See full post

Since I'm limiting it to bracelet winners, it wasn't that hard... I pulled the 1,744 names from the WSOP website and pasted the table into Excel, then sorted by last name. There are certain surnames that have a lot of winners (e.g. Chen, Nguyen). The dupe pages thing came up a few times, which is why I have things like multiple Yuri Dzivielevskis. One appears to be the online version, the other is the in-person version. Same deal with Mark Radoja. There are also two Joao Vieiras, one from Spain and the other from Portugal. But I wonder if it's the same guy, relocating to play online. The Portugal is all WSOP online, the Madeira native is mostly live. Anyway, nothing much of interest. The two David Bakers are the most notable, as expected. I thought there would be a Lee, a Le and a Li with the same first name but I don't see any instances. But there are two Minh Nguyens – one from Bell Gardens, the other from Jersey, who are clearly not the same person. To be honest, I had more fun looking through some oddities in general. There are two Christs, but no Jesuses, for example. Would have bet the opposite any day. I found what could have been a little nugget of convo in the days of the 2+2 PokerCast: more players named Schwartz (Noah, Luke, Ylon, Ralph and Richard) have won bracelets than players named Johnson (Marco, Linda, Travis) or Chan (Johnny, Terrence, Daniel, Lok). The Johnsons made me think of how many U.S. President names have won bracelets. Obviously, there no Bidens, Trumps or Obamas, to no surprise as those are unusual names already. But there are also no Washingtons, Jefferson, Madisons, Lincolns, Roosevelts, Monroes or Hayeses, all of which are reasonably common surnames. But there are multiple instances of Johnson, Adams, Taylor, Kennedy and – oh yes – Polk. That's right, poker is a world in which "what's up guys" and "this just in, bbbbbbbreaking news" has defeated "four score and seven years ago" – at least, in this one odd area. Finally, the last thing I noticed was that there are 97 names on that list for whom a bracelet remains their only WSOP/WSOPC cash. Of course, some may be a matter of a separate account, which means the number is likely quite a bit lower. Still, it reveals a few cool little moments, like Alexander "Hasan" Anter, who binked $777,928 from a $1,500 NLHE event in 2011. Not only is it his lone WSOP cash but it's one of just five on his Hendon entry. From what I see in the tourney recaps, Hasan Anter came to the WSOP from his native Sweden with one goal: to play and cash in the Main. But while in town, he added Event 56 to his trip itinerary, then proceeded to best a field of 3,389 runners.

Jack KingsmanMicro-Stakes Grinder6 posts
Posted Jun 21, 2024, 2:55 AM#50

Great thread, lots of cool info here -- Viktor Blom getting 3rd in both the $50k and $100k this year is definitely one for the ages

AlanBostickRegular64 posts
Posted Jun 21, 2024, 1:53 PM#51

by Jack Kingsman m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58611522#post58611522)

Great thread, lots of cool info here -- Viktor Blom getting 3rd in both the $50k and $100k this year is definitely one for the ages

"If you ain't first, you're last." -- Ricky Bobby

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 25, 2024, 5:28 PM#52

Top Senior Moments {Seems like a good time to post this list as I just returned from Vegas where I played in the WSOP $1,000 Seniors. Appropriately, I suffered two senior moments to bust twice -- Day 1A: lost my focus and lost half my stack with TPTK vs. a set before getting felted as a 2-to-1 favorite on the next hand. Day 2: falling asleep at the table, I put in the wrong chips twice and let my opponent 3-out me. Min-cash, thanks for asking.} 10. July 13, 2006: Ron Rose becomes the first player to reach the final table of the Seniors Championship twice, falling in 6th for $37,710 three years after winning the bracelet and $130,060. His feat would later be matched by 2008 Main Event third place finisher Dennis Phillips (2012 2nd place for $372,895 and 2014 5th place for $153,883), Bill Stabler (2012 5th place for $147,605 and 2018 2nd place for $409,456), and Dan Heimiller (2014 1st place for $627,462 and 2017 9th place for $53,817).

  1. June 25, 2023: The Seniors Championship sets a record with 8,180 entries (players could enter twice on each of two starting days). With a record 1,227 paid, Lonnie Hallett becomes the event's first foreign winner, taking home a record $765,731 to Canada as he denies Billy Baxter his eighth bracelet heads up.

  2. June 21, 2015: John Andlovec wins the debut $1,000 Super Seniors Championship (65 years and older), defeating a field of 1,533 for $262,220.

  3. July 4, 2005: Paul McKinney becomes the oldest player to win his first bracelet and the second oldest bracelet winner (a younger 80 than Johnny Moss), defeating a Seniors field of 825 for $202,725.

  4. June 25, 2023: Dan Heimiller becomes the first player to reach the final table of the Seniors Championship three times: 2014 (1st place for $627,462), 2017 (9th place for $53,817), and 2023 (3rd place for $356,166).

  5. May 8, 2001: "The Oklahoma Johnny Hale Seniors World Championship of Poker" for players 50 and older, formerly its own event called the Seniors World Championship of Poker since 1998 featuring Seniors Hall of Fame inductions, joins the WSOP. Jay Heimowitz outlasts a field of 340 for $115,430 and his sixth bracelet.

  6. July 13, 2006: Clare Miller becomes the first woman to win the Seniors Championship, defeating a field of 1,184 players for $247,814.

  7. June 17, 2012: Allyn Jaffrey Shulman defeats a then-record 4,128-player field to win the Seniors Championship and a record $603,713 and join her husband Barry as the fourth married couple to both own bracelets.

  8. June 17, 2018: Farhintaj Bonyadi becomes the first female to win the Super Seniors, defeating a field of 2,191 for $311,451. Despite the WSOP lowering the minimum age from 65 to 60, Bonyadi becomes the WSOP's oldest bracelet winner at 83, breaking Johnny Moss's thirty year-old record of 80 years, 11 months, and 17 days (still the open record). Farhintaj and her son Farzad Bonyadi become the first mother and son to win bracelets.

  9. June 19, 2017: James Moore wins his second straight Super Seniors Championship, defeating a field of 1,720 for $259,230 a year after outlasting a field of 1,476 for $230,626. {Still going strong in 2024 at age 73, he reached Day 2 of the Seniors with a healthy chip stack, but my table busted him [not me personally though].}

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 27, 2024, 6:31 PM#53

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58610457#post58610457)

Since I'm limiting it to bracelet winners, it wasn't that hard... I pulled the 1,744 names from the WSOP website and pasted the table into Excel, then sorted by last name. There are certain surnames that have a lot of winners (e.g. Chen, Nguyen). The dupe pages thing came up a few times, which is why I have things like multiple Yuri Dzivielevskis. One appears to be the online v... See full post

Great research! I also didn't find any shared-name bracelets besides the two you mentioned. Hendon combines all of the Mark Radoja results. I also consider the Yuri Dzivielevskis and Joao Vieiras to be the same but have no proof (each has one set of results missing from Hendon). You've foreshadowed some of my future lists: Presidential Players and Most Bracelets by Last Name (and First Name). Cool story about Anter (whom WSOP calls Alexander, which Hendon says is his middle name).

DesertCatMicro-Stakes Grinder6 posts
Posted Jun 28, 2024, 7:30 PM#54

by easyfnmoney m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58585054#post58585054)

Phil Hellmuth's 3 bracelets in 3 days in 1993 is one of the most remarkable achievements that no one talks about. A few days later, he took 2nd in another event.

Weren't these basically single table sit-n-goes at this stage in the evolution of the WSOP? Lots harder to win nowadays with thousand player fields.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jun 30, 2024, 5:32 AM#55

Obviously, you exaggerate with the notion of single-table SNGs. But philosophically, yeah, you're in the ballpark: Event #7: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em: 173 entries, 18 cashed Event #11: $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball: 58 entries, 5 cashed, Billy Baxter wins for $130.5K. Event #18: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em: 284 entries, 27 cashed Event #19: $5,000 Limit Hold'em: 63 entries, 6 cashed (Note: event numbers are according to the post above referencing Poker Brat: Phil Hellmuth's Autobiography.)

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jun 30, 2024, 3:48 PM#56

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58623826#post58623826)

Obviously, you exaggerate with the notion of single-table SNGs. But philosophically, yeah, you're in the ballpark:Event #7: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em: 173 entries, 18 cashedEvent #11: $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball: 58 entries, 5 cashed, Billy Baxter wins for $130.5K.Event #18: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em: 284 entries, 27 cashedEvent #19: $5,000 Limit Hold'em: 63 entries, 6 cashed(... See full post

Every triple bracelet winner has taken down three relatively small tournaments:

1973 Puggy Pearson: 8, 13, & 17 players

1993 Ted Forrest: 57, 129, & 200 players

1993 Phil Hellmuth: 69, 173, & 284 players (the 1994 WSOP Annual report agrees with Hendon that the $5k LHE had 69 entries not the 63 that WSOP.com says)

2002 Phil Ivey: 126, 143, & 253 players

2009 Jeff Lisandro: 165, 315, & 359 players

2014 George Danzer: 48, 112, & 134 players

Lisandro's feat is the most impressive if you go by field sizes with the highest minimum (165), highest maximum (359), and highest average (279.7).

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted Jul 1, 2024, 6:33 AM#57

2024 Scott Seiver: 186, 547, & 197 players

So Seiver has the highest min, max, and average (310), putting him out in front by a decent margin. It'll be hard to beat.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jul 1, 2024, 7:46 PM#58

by mrmr m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58625398#post58625398)

2024 Scott Seiver: 186, 547, & 197 players

So Seiver has the highest min, max, and average (310), putting him out in front by a decent margin. It'll be hard to beat.

Nice pull, didn't even think to look for that as I figured the razz event was also in the 200 range. rjen, do you have all of this stuff in some sort of database? So much is said about the field sizes when it comes to winning bracelets – i.e. large fields are softer, but any given person is less likely to win; small fields tend to be tough and more pro-heavy, but any given person is more likely to win. The min/max/mean analysis would be pretty interesting for all players with, say, five or more career bracelets. Even the question of which of the Five-Timers Club has won against the largest field is pretty interesting. For example, of Hellmuth's list of wins, the 2007 $1,500 NLHE event (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?tid=3442&grid=309) had 2,628 runners. That will likely be high on the list. EDIT: I can already tell Billy Baxter will be low on the list, with six of his bracelets coming in lowball and many with double-digit fields. EDIT EDIT: Oh wow... Brian Yoon has bracelets in the 2017 $1,500 Monster Stack (6,716 runners) and the 2013 Little One For One Drop (4,756) among his five.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 2, 2024, 3:28 PM#59

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58626067#post58626067)

rjen, do you have all of this stuff in some sort of database?

I have over a hundred Excel spreadsheets and thousands of pages of notes. I've started a database but am not really using it yet as I still need to write a bazillion queries, so pretty much everything I've posted here so far has been culled by hand.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 2, 2024, 3:49 PM#60

Most Famous Amateur Bracelet Winners and Runners-Up Includes only players who were famous before their poker success. Listed in chronological order (dates in bold for winners). May 13, 1987: Grateful Dead attorney Hal Kant wins $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, defeating a field of 91 (with 83 rebuys), including Lyle Berman heads up, for $174,000.

May 12, 1990: Kant finishes second for $127,000 in $2,500 Limit Hold 'Em behind Berry Johnston.

May 7, 1994: Kant finishes second for $110,000 in $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em behind John Heaney. {He would end his WSOP career with 7 final tables and 13 cashes for $531,414.}

May 9, 1996: Transformers and hole card camera inventor Henry Orenstein wins $5,000 Seven-Card Stud, defeating a field of 65, including Humberto Brenes heads up, for $130,000. {He would end his WSOP career with three final tables and four cashes for $232,519.}

June 27, 2005: Actress Jennifer Tilly wins the Ladies Championship, defeating a field of 601 players for $158,625.

June 30, 2005: Comedian, actor, and poker announcer Gabe Kaplan finishes second for $222,515 in $5,000 Limit Hold 'Em behind Dan Schmiech.

June 12, 2007: Six-time U.S. chess champion Walter Browne finishes second in $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. for $131,445 behind James Richburg. {He would end his WSOP career with four final tables and eight cashes for $288,507.}

June 16, 2018: Musician and sound engineer Steve Albini wins $1,500 Seven-Card Stud, defeating a field of 310, including Jeff Lisandro heads up, for $105,629.

October 10, 2021: Statistician, writer, and founder of FiveThirtyEight.com Nate Silver finishes second for $151,842 in $10,000 Limit Hold 'Em Championship behind John Monnette.

June 17, 2022: Albini wins $1,500 H.O.R.S.E., defeating a field of 773 for $196,089 and his second bracelet. {He would end his WSOP career with three final tables and nine cashes for $369,136.}

AlanBostickRegular64 posts
Posted Jul 2, 2024, 5:08 PM#61

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58627051#post58627051)

June 12, 2007: Six-time U.S. chess champion Walter Browne finishes second in $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. for $131,445 behind James Richburg. {He would end his WSOP career with four final tables and eight cashes for $288,507.}

Walter played poker for a living, working as a prop player at the Oaks Card Club, in Emeryville, California. I spent many hours matching wits with him over the felt. He was a really nice guy, and I miss him.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jul 3, 2024, 1:32 AM#62

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58627051#post58627051)

October 10, 2021: Statistician, writer, and founder of FiveThirtyEight.com Nate Silver finishes second for $151,842 in $10,000 Limit Hold 'Em Championship behind John Monnette.

Whoa... that's pretty cool, I had no idea. Shows you how little I was paying attention to that October span of the 2021 WSOP, as that would have been right around the time I was moving from my previous job to my current one. My team made a little run in the American League playoffs during that same period, beating the Yankees then upsetting the Rays. Yet I don't think I watched one game of it. Out to lunch. Also interesting stuff about Kant. That's before my time as a poker fan so it's less surprising that I didn't know. His Hollywood Reporter obit says Dead band members were there to cheer him on, too: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/grateful-dead-lawyer-hal-kant-121564/ The Hollywood Reporter Grateful Dead Lawyer Hal Kant Dies (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/grateful-dead-lawyer-hal-kant-121564/)

And here I thought Franco Spitale had an active rail. Kant is quite an intriguing figure: he was a conservative Republican who just happened to represent a bunch of great artists from that hippie California music scene. That would like Victor Rabinowitz ditching his trade as a litigator to become Ted Nugent's legal counsel. Still, despite his connections with the Dead, the New Riders, Sonny & Cher, etc., he supposedly preferred the opera. Probably made him a good lawyer – he ultimately stuck to the facts, ma'am. Great list yet again, looking forward to the next one.

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted Jul 3, 2024, 6:00 PM#63

In 1994, Jack ran a promotion where the winner of the WSOP main event would be awarded their weight in silver, to commemorate the silver anniversary of the WSOP. Russ Hamilton, a genuine scumbag and poker cheat, won it, and he weighed a lot! People have talked and joked about it, but was the promotion legit? Did Hamilton really get the $1,000,000 first prize + his weight in silver? If so, how much silver was it and how much was it worth at the time?

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jul 3, 2024, 7:56 PM#64

Per PokerNews, Hamilton got his weight up to 330 pounds (about 150 kg for the non-U.S. folks), which in turn was worth around $30K. Source: https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/russ-hamilton/ pokernews Russ Hamilton (https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/russ-hamilton/)

EDIT: Okay, just got curious... I don't know the exact date of the 1994 Main, but the WSOP site says May 6. The price of silver closed at $5.06 per ounce on that date, which translates to $26,769.60. This is closer to the estimate of $28K in Sexton's Corner: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/06/sextons-corner-49-russ-hamilton-silver-bars-5191.htm pokernews Sexton's Corner, Vol. 49: Russ Hamilton, Part 2 -- $1,000,000, a Bracelet and 43 Silver Bars (https://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/06/sextons-corner-49-russ-hamilton-silver-bars-5191.htm)

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 4, 2024, 12:55 AM#65

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58628522#post58628522)

Per PokerNews, Hamilton got his weight up to 330 pounds (about 150 kg for the non-U.S. folks), which in turn was worth around $30K. Source: https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/russ-hamilton/ pokernews Russ Hamilton (https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/russ-hamilton/)

EDIT: Okay, just got curious... I don't know the exact date of the 1994 Main, but the WSOP site says May 6. The price of silver closed at $5.06 per ounce on that date, which translates t... See full post

The 1994 Main Event ended on May 13. According to the https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/flush-with-success-6363649 Miami New Times Flush With Success (https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/flush-with-success-6363649)

, the silver was worth $28,512 (which works out to $5.40/ounce, the closing price from the day before).

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 4, 2024, 1:08 AM#66

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58628894#post58628894)

The 1994 Main Event ended on May 13. According to the https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/flush-with-success-6363649 Miami New Times Flush With Success (https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/flush-with-success-6363649)

, the silver was worth $28,512 (which works out to $5.40/ounce, the closing price from the day before).

To clarify, the tournament ended after midnight, so it was technically May 13 but the closing price from May 12 was the latest available.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 9, 2024, 7:10 PM#67

Best Female Main Event Finishes Until a woman wins the WSOP Main Event, there will be [at least] three ways to determine who had the best result: by place, percent of field remaining, and money won. Gaelle Baumann leads two of these lists and is second on the other, but I won't argue against anyone who says Barbara Enright is still the Main Event queen. Top Female Main Event Finishes by Place

  1. Kathy Liebert 17th for $30,000 in 1998

  2. Kathy Liebert 17th for $39,120 in 2000

  3. Tiffany Michelle 17th for $334,534 in 2008

  4. Tiffany Williamson 15th for $400,000 in 2005

  5. Marsha Waggoner 12th for $33,920 in 1997

  6. Elisabeth Hille 11th for $590,442 in 2012

  7. Barbara Samuelson 10th for $26,880 in 1994

  8. Susie Isaacs 10th for $40,000 in 1998

  9. Annie Duke 10th for $52,160 in 2000

  10. Gaelle Baumann 10th for $590,442 in 2012

  11. Barbara Enright 5th for $114,180 in 1995

Top Female Main Event Finishes by Percent Left

  1. Maria Ho 0.60% for 38th in 2007

  2. Jackie Glazier 0.49% for 31st in 2013

  3. Kelly Minkin 0.45% for 29th in 2015

  4. Erika Moutinho 0.42% for 29th in 2011

  5. Leo Margets 0.42% for 27th in 2009

  6. Tiffany Williamson 0.27% for 15th in 2005

  7. Tiffany Michelle 0.25% for 17th in 2008

  8. Efthymia Litsou 0.21% for 18th in 2022

  9. Elisabeth Hille 0.17% for 11th in 2012

  10. Gaelle Baumann 0.15% for 10th in 2012

Top Female Main Event Finishes by Prize

  1. Kelly Minkin 29th for $211,821 in 2015

  2. Jackie Glazier 31st for $229,281 in 2013

  3. Maria Ho 38th for $237,865 in 2007

  4. Erika Moutinho 29th for $242,636 in 2011

  5. Efthymia Litsou 18th for $323,100 in 2022

  6. Tiffany Michelle 17th for $334,534 in 2008

  7. Leo Margets 27th for $352,832 in 2009

  8. Tiffany Williamson 15th for $400,000 in 2005

  9. Elisabeth Hille 11th for $590,442 in 2012

  10. Gaelle Baumann 10th for $590,442 in 2012

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jul 10, 2024, 9:22 PM#69

Whoa... what is that website? I gotta save that for later – that's a potential rabbit hole for me. I don't know what it says about me, but when I think of Kelly Minkin, I think of that dude that hovered on her rail throughout her run in a subsequent WSOP. Normally, I wouldn't care, but then she confirmed that she had no idea who he was.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 14, 2024, 4:02 PM#70

by AlanBostick m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58636472#post58636472)

My downstairs tenant was the last woman standing in 2006, but she didn't make any of these lists. https://w50p.com/po/WSOP%20ME%20Last%20W... (https://w50p.com/po/WSOP%20ME%20Last%20Woman%20Standing.html)

Thanks for posting that as I've been working under the impression that I shouldn't. Please note that the data on https://w50p.com/po is only current through 2022 as I've had various reasons/excuses for not updating it (and at this point, I'm just going to add 2023 and 2024 simultaneously in December). And yes, Wilbury Twist, it's a very deep, labyrinthine, rabbit hole that I've been digging for over a decade! You can browse, poke around the table of contents, search, or even tap the Wikipedia-inspired Random Page button (the last three from the Contents button).

the pleasureMicro-Stakes Grinder24 posts
Posted Jul 15, 2024, 5:41 AM#71

2-7 has been around for a long long time damn, idk why I thought it was a "newer" game

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 15, 2024, 6:21 PM#72

Kristin Foxen takes over #1 by Percent and Money (#8 by Place), finishing 13th this year for $600,000 (0.13%). by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58635191#post58635191)

Best Female Main Event FinishesUntil a woman wins the WSOP Main Event, there will be [at least] three ways to determine who had the best result: by place, percent of field remaining, and money won. Gaelle Baumann leads two of these lists and is second on the other, but I won't argue against anyone who says Barbara Enright is still the Main Event queen.... See full post

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 17, 2024, 1:09 AM#73

Best Main Event Streaks 10. Howard Andrew played in 45 consecutive Main Events from 1974 to 2018. He cashed four times, including finishing eighth in 1984 for $26,400.

  1. Ronnie Bardah cashed in five straight Main Events from 2010 to 2014, with his best result of 24th in 2010 for $317,161.

  2. Liv Boeree and Melanie Weisner share the women's record with three consecutive cashes, both from 2016 to 2018. Argentina's Veronica Dabul was the first female to cash in consecutive Main Events, banking $39,445 for 314th in 2007 and $35,383 for 235th in 2008.

  3. Jesse Alto reached three straight Main Event final tables from 1984 to 1986, finishing third for $132,000, sixth for $42,000, and fourth for $62,700. He also finished fifth in 1978 ($21,000) and ninth in 1988 ($21,000).

  4. Dan Harrington finished third out of 839 players in 2003 for $650,000 and fourth out of 2,576 players in 2004 for $1,500,000, which was more than he made for winning it all in 1995 ($1,000,000).

  5. Mark Newhouse finished ninth in the Main Event in both 2013 and 2014, the first out of 6,352 players for $733,224 and second out of 6,683 players for $730,725.

  6. Greg Raymer followed up his win over a field of 2,576 in 2004 for $5,000,000 with a 25th place finish out of 5,619 in 2005 for $304,680.

  7. Doyle Brunson won the Main Event in both 1976 and 1977, defeating fields of 22 and 34.

  8. Stu Ungar won the Main Event in both 1980 and 1981, defeating fields of 73 and 75. His 1997 win was over a field of 312.

  9. Johnny Chan reached heads up in the Main Event every year from 1987 to 1989, defeating fields of 152 and 167 before falling one short to Phil Hellmuth in 1989 (178 players).

Honorable Mention: Johnny Moss was named the 1970 world champion by vote then won the 1971 Main Event.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jul 17, 2024, 3:55 AM#74

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58645655#post58645655)

  1. Howard Andrew played in 45 consecutive Main Events from 1974 to 2018. He cashed four times, including finishing eighth in 1984 for $26,400.

Yeeesh, tough ROI.

AlanBostickRegular64 posts
Posted Jul 18, 2024, 5:16 PM#75

But nonetheless he was a sharp player, winning two bracelets and racking up a respectable Hendon Mob. Moreover, he was a good man. Another one I am going to miss.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 18, 2024, 9:38 PM#76

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58608473#post58608473)

Special Honorable Mention: Six Main Event Champions Who Started the Final Table With Less Than Ten Percent of the Chips (Note: I usually use "Final Table" to mean the last nine players, but I have chip counts for a couple of six-player final tables here):

1994: Russ Hamilton, 8.6% (231,000 chips), 3rd of 6 players.

2014: Martin Jacobson, 7.4% (14,900,000 chips), 8th of 9 players.

1981: Stu Ungar, 7.1% (53,200 chips), 8th of 9 players.

1991: Brad Daugherty, 7.0% (150,000 chips), 5th of 6 players.

2009: Joe Cada, 6.8% (13,215,000 chips), 5th of 9 players. He later got down to 1% (see above).

2007: Jerry Yang, 6.6% (8,459,000 chips), 8th of 9 players.

Congratulations to the new #1 on this list: 2024: Jonathan Tamayo, 4.4% (26,700,000 chips), 7th of 9 players.

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Jul 19, 2024, 12:29 AM#77

by AlanBostick m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58647776#post58647776)

But nonetheless he was a sharp player, winning two bracelets and racking up a respectable Hendon Mob. Moreover, he was a good man. Another one I am going to miss.

Oh cool, are you also from Northern California? I see a good chunk of his cashes are at Thunder Valley and Stones, which are the two places I most frequent (and by "most," I mean maybe five times a year and not since pre-COVID). There's definitely a non-zero chance I played with him. And I did, I'm sorry I never got to hear what must have been more than a few great stories from the early WSOPs.

that_popeRegular45 posts
Posted Jul 21, 2024, 4:21 AM#78

rjen, I am very early on reading this thread because you are cramming a lot of info into each of your posts! I sure hope that you are or eventually will work with wsop, hendon, or someone else. The type of research you are providing is much more worthy of a poker hall of fame than what the wsop is currently doing with it. If the wsop actually cared about it, they could make a pretty neat online hall of fame / archive. Instead they only care about money/profit, and let hendonmob do it. If such a thing ever takes shape, I sure hope you are involved because the Hellmuth event 3 events won stuff sure proves you know your stuff.

that_popeRegular45 posts
Posted Jul 21, 2024, 4:23 AM#79

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58645856#post58645856)

Yeeesh, tough ROI.

If 10% of the field cashed each year, and he cashed 4 times in 45 years, he is only slightly under expectation for an average player. Remember, prior to the last 5 or so years, it used to be 10% of the field cashed, and in the earlier years it was sometimes less than 10%.

manateepowerNewbie1 posts
Posted Jul 21, 2024, 8:49 AM#80

Are you going to do ten stupidest controversies? Number one is easy to figure out.

PunkerRegular27 posts
Posted Jul 21, 2024, 11:41 AM#81

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58628522#post58628522)

Per PokerNews, Hamilton got his weight up to 330 pounds (about 150 kg for the non-U.S. folks), which in turn was worth around $30K. Source: https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/russ-hamilton/ pokernews Russ Hamilton (https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/russ-hamilton/)

EDIT: Okay, just got curious... I don't know the exact date of the 1994 Main, but the WSOP site says May 6. The price of silver closed at $5.06 per ounce on that date, which translates t... See full post

I seem to recall some rumors that he also weighted himself down with I want to say ankle bracelet or something.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 21, 2024, 5:42 PM#82

by that_pope m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58650724#post58650724)

rjen, I am very early on reading this thread because you are cramming a lot of info into each of your posts!I sure hope that you are or eventually will work with wsop, hendon, or someone else. The type of research you are providing is much more worthy of a poker hall of fame than what the wsop is currently doing with it. If the wsop actually cared about it, they could make a ... See full post

Thanks, I've actually been explicitly turned down by someone pretty high up at the WSOP, although it's possible I wasn't talking to the right person. (By pure coincidence, they erased me from their records when I asked to add my home town, which they missed somehow.) If anyone here can get me connected, I'd be eternally grateful. Or maybe CardPlayer or PokerNews? The Hendon Mob will never be a good source because of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation en General Data Protection Regulation - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation)

, which has poked many holes in their data.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 21, 2024, 5:45 PM#83

by manateepower m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58650905#post58650905)

Are you going to do ten stupidest controversies? Number one is easy to figure out.

Yes, it's is on my list, tentatively titled "Worst WSOP Moments". Not the kind of thing I like writing about though, so it might be a year before I post it.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 23, 2024, 5:26 PM#84

Kristen Foxen's deep Main Event run puts her on this list, but first let's look at how this record has grown through the years. Despite being called the "World" Series of Poker, the first eight record-setters were all American, thirteen if you include the non-open records {in braces}. Chronology of the Largest Prize Won by a Woman in an Open Event May 11, 1974: Bonnie Baez (U.S.), $1,050, 4th place in $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (first woman to cash in a WSOP tournament).

May 3, 1979: Jackie Mills (U.S.), $11,400, 2nd place in $2,000 Limit Draw High. {Jackie McDaniel had won $5,580 in the debut 1977 Ladies Championship, and Terry Windham [later known as Terry King] $10,080 the next year.}

May 11, 1982: Vera Richmond (U.S.), $38,500, 1st place in $1,000 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw (first woman to win a WSOP tournament). {Barbara Freer had won $12,720 in the 1979 Ladies Championship, Debby Callihan $14,880 in 1980, and Ruth Godfrey $17,600 in 1981.}

May 15, 1989: Robin Brown (U.S.), $53,000, 3rd place in $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em.

May 9, 1991: Mim Penney (U.S.), $88,750, 2nd place in $5,000 Seven-Card Stud.

May 18, 1995: Barbara Enright (U.S.), $114,180, 5th place in Main Event (first and still only woman to reach the Main Event Final Table).

May 8, 1996: Barbara Enright (U.S.), $180,000, 1st place in $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha.

April 22, 2001: Nani Dollison (U.S.), $441,440, 1st place in $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em.

September 17, 2007: Annette Obrestad (Norway), $2,013,733 (one million pounds), 1st place in WSOP Europe Main Event.

September 8, 2020: Wenling Gao (China), $2,748,605, 2nd place in Online $5,000 Main Event.

Despite being the third-to-last person to set the record, Dollison was pushed out of the top ten by Foxen, leaving only three American women on the list. Largest Prizes Won by Women 10. Dana Castaneda (U.S.), $454,207, 1st place in 2013 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (July 2).

  1. Jackie Glazier (Australia), $458,996, 2nd place in 2012 $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (June 24).

  2. Lisa Meredith (U.S.), $500,000, 3rd place in 2016 $1,500 Eight-Game Mix 6-Max (June 12).

  3. Elisabeth Hille (Norway), $590,442, 11th place in 2012 Main Event (July 16).

  4. Gaelle Baumann (France), $590,442, 10th place in 2012 Main Event (July 16).

  5. Kristen Foxen (Canada), $600,000, 13th place in 2024 Main Event (July 15).

  6. Allyn Shulman (U.S.), $603,713, 1st place in 2012 $1,000 Seniors Championship (June 17).

  7. Christine Do (Canada), $1,072,405, 4th place in 2021 Online $5,000 Main Event (September 11).

  8. Annette Obrestad (Norway), $2,013,733 (one million pounds), 1st place in 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event (September 17).

  9. Wenling Gao (China), $2,748,605, 2nd place in 2020 Online $5,000 Main Event (September 8).

Tham6165Micro-Stakes Grinder5 posts
Posted Jul 29, 2024, 5:42 PM#85

Insanely good thread. Lots of cool wsop information /moments

Tham6165Micro-Stakes Grinder5 posts
Posted Jul 29, 2024, 5:52 PM#86

by that_pope m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58650724#post58650724)

rjen, I am very early on reading this thread because you are cramming a lot of info into each of your posts!I sure hope that you are or eventually will work with wsop, hendon, or someone else. The type of research you are providing is much more worthy of a poker hall of fame than what the wsop is currently doing with it. If the wsop actually cared about it, they could make a ... See full post

Agreed with everything ^^^

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Jul 30, 2024, 6:24 PM#87

Most Unusual WSOP Bracelets 10. Tag Team Events (in general): These may be the funnest tournaments on the schedule in a game that's primarily an individual contest. But since each player is only required to play one blind level (one hour), you could pair up with a strong pro, fold every hand for the first round while the blinds are small, then let the pro try to win a bracelet for you.

  1. 2019 $1,000 Tag Team Tourney: This was the only WSOP event that ever awarded three bracelets. When the Tag Team event debuted in 2016, teams could have two, three, or four players. Ohad Geiger, Barak Wisbrod, and Daniel Dayan will remain the only trio to ever win as the rules were changed in 2021 to restrict teams to two players.

  2. 1973 $3,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw: Jack Straus and Aubrey Day officially chopped the first two prizes and earned bracelets when the event ran long and was encroaching on the start of the Main Event.

  3. 1973 Five-Card Stud: Bill Boyd was credited with winning in a walkover. If so, he could have won a bracelet yet actually lost money from the tournament fee; most likely he simply got a refund.

  4. 1971 Banquet Awards: For reasons lost to history, some of the 1971 Banquet awards are considered bracelets, while the parallel awards in 1970 and 1972 are not except for Bill Boyd's Five-Card Stud 1972 win. This is a complicated subject that I explored earlier (https://twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58599930#post58599930).

  5. 1995 and 1996 Chinese Poker: Three events featured a poker variant with no bluffing! Even the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_poker) says, "It is intended as a beginner-friendly game." Nevertheless, John Tsagaris (1995 $1,500 event), Steve Zolotow (1995 $5,000 event), and Gregory Grivas (1996 $1,500 event) won bracelets and some cash ($41,400, $250,000, and $93,000).

  6. 1979 to 1983 Mixed Doubles: One woman and one man were required on each team, so this wasn't an open event. But (out of respect I suppose) nobody complains that Doyle Brunson's ten bracelets should have an asterisk for his 1979 Mixed Doubles title with Starla Thompson (later Brodie).

  7. 2014 Honorary Bracelet: During the 2014 World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas, the WSOP bestowed an honorary bracelet on an ailing Chad Brown while he was in hospice care in New York.

  8. 2017 WSOP China Main Event: Yunpeng Zhou defeated a field of 781 for $364,632. The China festival, officially part of the WSOP Asia-Pacific, included numerous non-bracelet events, but the No-Limit Hold 'Em finale was somehow deemed a bracelet event even though every player had freerolled in through the Tencent Poker app, which was shut down by the Chinese government less than a year later. Speculation perhaps, but this had to be the softest field in the history of the WSOP and would be the most unusual WSOP bracelet if not for...

  9. 1983-85 Casino Operators Events: ... the three most dubious bracelets ever. There is no question that Sandy Stupak won the 1984 Casino Operators event. However, the Hendon Mob, the Global Poker Index, and CardPlayer don't acknowledge it as a bracelet (nor do I) as press reports at the time deemed it a "special" event and the winner was awarded a trophy (of the three sites, only the GPI even mentions the event, listing it without a "WSOP" badge). Furthermore, if Stupak's win is a bracelet (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?tid=2146&grid=215), then so are Ted Binion's wins in 1983 and 1985, which the WSOP remains conflicted about. His WSOP page shows both events as bracelets, but while the 1983 tournament page (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2291&grid=216) lists him, the 1985 tournament page (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2294&grid=214) does not. Verdict: none of these three should be considered bracelets.

Honorable Mention: Events With Non-Standard Decks

Events With Wild Cards: Wild cards are popular in some home poker games, but they clearly increase the luck component at the expense of skill. In 1981, the WSOP added a $1,000 Limit Draw High with Joker tournament. Two years later, Ace-to-Five Draw with a Joker joined the schedule, and variations of that event continued until 2004. The 2022 WSOP rules (https://www.wsop.com/2022/2022%20WSOP%20Live%20Action%20Rules.pdf) still state that this joker becomes the "lowest card not present in your hand".

Events With Short Decks: Short Deck Hold 'Em, which uses a 36-card deck lacking deuces through fives and ranks flushes above full houses, debuted at the 2019 WSOP as a $10,000 event. The game has been played live in Las Vegas five times, live at WSOP Europe four times, and online five times through 2023. Short Deck Hold 'Em's run appears to have ended as it was not part of the 2024 Las Vegas or online festivals (although the 2024 WSOP Europe schedule hasn't been announced yet).

Tham6165Micro-Stakes Grinder5 posts
Posted Jul 30, 2024, 6:45 PM#88

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58662348#post58662348)

Most Unusual WSOP Bracelets 10. Tag Team Events (in general): These may be the funnest tournaments on the schedule in a game that's primarily an individual contest. But since each player is only required to play one blind level (one hour), you could pair up with a strong pro, fold every hand for the first round while the blinds are small, then let the pro try to win a bracelet for you.

  1. 2019 $1,000 Tag Team Tourney: This was the only WSOP event that ever awarded three bracelets. When the Tag Team event debuted in 2016, teams could have two, three, or four players. Ohad Geiger, Barak Wisbrod, and Daniel Dayan will remain the only trio to ever win as the rules were changed in 2021 to restrict teams to two players.

  2. 1973 $3,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw: Jack Straus and Aubrey Day officially chopped the first two prizes and earned bracelets when the event ran long and was encroaching on the start of the Main Event.

  3. 1973 Five-Card Stud: Bill Boyd was credited with winning in a walkover. If so, he could have won a bracelet yet actually lost money from the tournament fee; most likely he simply got a refund.

  4. 1971 Banquet Awards: For reasons lost to history, some of the 1971 Banquet awards are considered bracelets, while the parallel awards in 1970 and 1972 are not except for Bill Boyd's Five-Card Stud 1972 win. This is a complicated subject that I explored earlier (https://twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58599930#post58599930).

  5. 1995 and 1996 Chinese Poker: Three events featured a poker variant with no bluffing! Even the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_poker) says, "It is intended as a beginner-friendly game." Nevertheless, John Tsagaris (1995 $1,500 event), Steve Zolotow (1995 $5,000 event), and Gregory Grivas (1996 $1,500 event) won bracelets and some cash ($41,400, $250,000, and $93,000).

  6. 1979 to 1983 Mixed Doubles: One woman and one man were required on each team, so this wasn't an open event. But (out of respect I suppose) nobody complains that Doyle Brunson's ten bracelets should have an asterisk for his 1979 Mixed Doubles title with Starla Thompson (later Brodie).

  7. 2014 Honorary Bracelet: During the 2014 World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas, the WSOP bestowed an honorary bracelet on an ailing Chad Brown while he was in hospice care in New York.

  8. 2017 WSOP China Main Event: Yunpeng Zhou defeated a field of 781 for $364,632. The China festival, officially part of the WSOP Asia-Pacific, included numerous non-bracelet events, but the No-Limit Hold 'Em finale was somehow deemed a bracelet event even though every player had freerolled in through the Tencent Poker app, which was shut down by the Chinese government less than a year later. Speculation perhaps, but this had to be the softest field in the history of the WSOP and would be the most unusual WSOP bracelet if not for...

  9. 1983-85 Casino Operators Events: ... the three most dubious bracelets ever. There is no question that Sandy Stupak won the 1984 Casino Operators event. However, the Hendon Mob, the Global Poker Index, and CardPlayer don't acknowledge it as a bracelet (nor do I) as press reports at the time deemed it a "special" event and the winner was awarded a trophy (of the three sites, only the GPI even mentions the event, listing it without a "WSOP" badge). Furthermore, if Stupak's win is a bracelet (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?tid=2146&grid=215), then so are Ted Binion's wins in 1983 and 1985, which the WSOP remains conflicted about. His WSOP page shows both events as bracelets, but while the 1983 tournament page (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2291&grid=216) lists him, the 1985 tournament page (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&tid=2294&grid=214) does not. Verdict: none of these three should be considered bracelets.

Honorable Mention: Events With Non-Standard Decks

Events With Wild Cards: Wild cards are popular in some home poker games, but they clearly increase the luck component at the expense of skill. In 1981, the WSOP added a $1,000 Limit Draw High with Joker tournament. Two years later, Ace-to-Five Draw with a Joker joined the schedule, and variations of that event continued until 2004. The 2022 WSOP rules (https://www.wsop.com/2022/2022%20WSOP%20Live%20Action%20Rules.pdf) still state that this joker becomes the "lowest card not present in your hand".

Events With Short Decks: Short Deck Hold 'Em, which uses a 36-card deck lacking deuces through fives and ranks flushes above full houses, debuted at the 2019 WSOP as a $10,000 event. The game has been played live in Las Vegas five times, live at WSOP Europe four times, and online five times through 2023. Short Deck Hold 'Em's run appears to have ended as it was not part of the 2024 Las Vegas or online festivals (although the 2024 WSOP Europe schedule hasn't been announced yet).

You definitely are the most well rounded wsop poker historian! Some of the stuff you find out the writers for Norman Chad and Lon McEachern could come up with. Great stuff!

RizzeedizzeeMicro-Stakes Grinder5 posts
Posted Jul 30, 2024, 7:45 PM#89

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58662348#post58662348)

Most Unusual WSOP Bracelets[*]3. 2014 Honorary Bracelet: During the 2014 World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas, the WSOP bestowed an honorary bracelet on an ailing Chad Brown while he was in hospice care in New York.

I didn't remember this, only that Vanessa Rousso basically dumped him while he was ill, or at least that is how it came across. Yet when I went to verify the dates just now it seems like almost all mention of even the fact they were married has been scrubbed from the web. I guess Vanessa doesn't want her brand to be damaged......

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 5:34 AM#90

The rules may have varied from year to year, but in this year's team event, I thought I heard people say each member of the team had to play at least 1 hand, not a full level. Also, in California, where they played a ton of draw lowball (because that was the only legal game for years), many or maybe most games played with a "bug" - the term that developed there for a joker that acts as a wild card. So spreading that game in the WSOP was not a big novelty; it was letting all the LA casino players play the game they were used to.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 6:02 AM#91

by Punker m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58588192#post58588192)

I think the greatest WSOP hands for me would come down to a few. My criteria:Stakes had to have been highHand needed to have dramaHand significantly impacted the outcome of the tourneyHistoric players involvedThe hand has to be played with some reasonable level of skillI'm also biased towards much older hands. The newer WSOPs really just kind of run together for me.1) Matloubi-... See full post

JMHO but MoneymakerÂ’s bluff of Sammy has to be the greatest poker hand ever filmed. Ferguson was involved in all sorts of crazy hands once it got down to the final nine, and he went 4-0-3 on the ones I remember. Never been a better player get better cards at a better time. I feel bad for TJ but the one he really shouldÂ’ve won was when Scotty did. He got frustrated by McBrideÂ’s luckboxing and stupidly busted out 3rd with KQo v J9 w/a four flush on the flop.

RedOakNewbie3 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 7:40 AM#92

by mrmr m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664126#post58664126)

The rules may have varied from year to year, but in this year's team event, I thought I heard people say each member of the team had to play at least 1 hand, not a full level.

The rule in 2024 for the WSOP tag team event was each player had to play at least one big blind and one small blind.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 8:17 AM#93

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58589795#post58589795)

#1: Matloubi's river two-outer not the final hand, right? #2: Which Ferguson-Cloutier hand? The final hand wasn't well played but meets the other four criteria. #3: The BLUFF not the final hand, I assume. #4: The most famous hand in WSOP history, thanks to "Rounders". #5: Great call in a big spot.

  1. They played for another 90 minutes and Lund even regained the chip lead at one point. He was always bitter about how the video was edited. He finished 3rd two years later.
  2. They chopped three allin pots headup, IIRC TJ wouldve won the title had he won any of them, and he had the best hand going to the river twice. The final hand Ferguson’s call was a punt; he explained in detail to McManus why he did it (correctly imo). The crazy hands were seven handed v Jeff Shulman.
  3. It was the penultimate hand.
  4. Played horribly by Seidel but he obviously learned from it. Very well.
  5. Wish I remembered that one. Pretty tough final table.
BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 9:31 AM#95

by Punker m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58590267#post58590267)

5 - underrated. Seed becoming a 2 time champ would have really elevated him in the poker world. Maybe he's in Rounders instead of Chan.

Rounders came out in ‘98, Furlong hand was ‘99.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 5:04 PM#96

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664218#post58664218)

2001 $1500 Stud Hi/LoI finished 7th, take a look at 5th. ... See full post

All I know is that Wink was an Atlantic City regular from Rose, Valley, PA. Anything you remember about him? (WSOP.com doesn't even list a 5th place finisher.) 23 years too late, but congrats for outlasting Phil Hellmuth (9th place). Tough final table.

LimpDitkaMicro-Stakes Grinder12 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 5:11 PM#97

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664218#post58664218)

2001 $1500 Stud Hi/LoI finished 7th, take a look at 5th. ... See full post

I snooped on your Hendon and it says you have 2 cashes, last of which was in 2002. You obv still follow or play poker as you're posting in here. I mean ... a wsop final table is no easy feat even in 2001. I gotta know... why you give up on tournaments?

AlanBostickRegular64 posts
Posted Aug 1, 2024, 6:26 PM#98

by mrmr m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664126#post58664126)

The rules may have varied from year to year, but in this year's team event, I thought I heard people say each member of the team had to play at least 1 hand, not a full level.Also, in California, where they played a ton of draw lowball (because that was the only legal game for years), many or maybe most games played with a "bug" - the term that developed there for a joker that ... See full post

The "bug" is the colloquial name for the joker in five card draw high, so named because the joker card in decks from the Bee Playing Card Co. depicted a harlequin figure riding on the back of a bee. The bug is not a true wild card, but it plays as an ace or completing straights and flushes. In every California lowball game I have ever played, the joker was called simply "the joker."

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 2:36 AM#99

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58624183#post58624183)

Every triple bracelet winner has taken down three relatively small tournaments:

1973 Puggy Pearson: 8, 13, & 17 players

1993 Ted Forrest: 57, 129, & 200 players

1993 Phil Hellmuth: 69, 173, & 284 players (the 1994 WSOP Annual report agrees with Hendon that the $5k LHE had 69 entries not the 63 that WSOP.com says)

2002 Phil Ivey: 126, 143, & 253 players

2009 Jeff Lisandro: 165, 315, & 359 players

2014 George Danzer: 48, 112, & 134 players

Lisandro's feat is the most impressive if you go by field sizes with the highest minimum (165), highest maximum (359), and highest average (279.7).

Don’t forget about Lakewood Louie! Prob the spot to mention imo Hellmuth’s $5K LHE win in ‘93 is his most underrated achievement. I don’t care how small the fields were, there wasn’t much dead money. He won it on little sleep after winning the $2500 NLHE, back when they played them all the way through, while also defending from the year before. A double back to back, don’t think anyone else has done that.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 3:49 AM#100

by Punker m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58650968#post58650968)

I seem to recall some rumors that he also weighted himself down with I want to say ankle bracelet or something.

That was another (much smaller) player who did it as a joke, tho Russ probably snuck in some extra weight somehow. I

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 4:36 AM#101

by LimpDitka m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664676#post58664676)

I snooped on your Hendon and it says you have 2 cashes, last of which was in 2002. You obv still follow or play poker as you're posting in here. I mean ... a wsop final table is no easy feat even in 2001. I gotta know... why you give up on tournaments?

Well, long story, tell it later. I basically didnÂ’t play at all from 2008 til this past May. Saturday will be four months sober. $1-3 NLHE is a lot different than $15-30 LHE, let me tell you! 😂

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 4:52 AM#102

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58651304#post58651304)

Thanks, I've actually been explicitly turned down by someone pretty high up at the WSOP, although it's possible I wasn't talking to the right person. (By pure coincidence, they erased me from their records when I asked to add my home town, which they missed somehow.)If anyone here can get me connected, I'd be eternally grateful. Or maybe CardPlayer or PokerNews?The Hendon Mob w... See full post

So silly, sad, and a little scary how corporations/institutions are like this, across all walks of life. I could rant for hours but will just say that even if they agreed, theyÂ’d make you sign dozens of waivers and NDAs, paid you nothing, and not listed your name anywhere. Benny & Jack Binion wouldÂ’ve welcomed you with open arms the way they did Alvarez.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 5:07 AM#103

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58662348#post58662348)

Most Unusual WSOP Bracelets [*]5. 1995 and 1996 Chinese Poker: Three events featured a poker variant with no bluffing! Even the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_poker) says, "It is intended as a beginner-friendly game." Nevertheless, John Tsagaris (1995 $1,500 event), Steve Zolotow (1995 $5,000 event), and Gregory Grivas (1996 $1,500 event) won bracelets and some cash ($41,400, $250,000, and $93,000).

I played in the 1996 $1500 CP. Busted very early. Wish I still had the receipt. There used to be CP cash games at the WSOP through at least 2001.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 5:52 AM#104

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664666#post58664666)

All I know is that Wink was an Atlantic City regular from Rose, Valley, PA. Anything you remember about him? (WSOP.com doesn't even list a 5th place finisher.) 23 years too late, but congrats for outlasting Phil Hellmuth (9th place). Tough final table.

Wink was pretty tall, mid 50s, looked like he played a lot of golf. Nice guy but adamant that it was Wink and Wink only. I got some Hellmuth and Mike Sexton (13th) stories, will tell them later. I will say that making a WSOP FT gave me a whole new perspective on the guys that have made a lot of them.

mrmrMicro-Stakes Grinder9 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 6:28 AM#105

by AlanBostick m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664780#post58664780)

The "bug" is the colloquial name for the joker in five card draw high, so named because the joker card in decks from the Bee Playing Card Co. depicted a harlequin figure riding on the back of a bee. The bug is not a true wild card, but it plays as an ace or completing straights and flushes.In every California lowball game I have ever played, the joker was called simply "the jok... See full post

You're right, you're right. Must be losing my mind!

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 2, 2024, 6:45 AM#106

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58665341#post58665341)

DonÂ’t forget about Lakewood Louie!

Not sure what you mean by that. He won 1 bracelet in 1978, 2 in 1979, and 1 in 1980. Winning bracelets in three consecutive years is indeed a great accomplishment but not quite up there with winning three in one year. by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58665341#post58665341)

Prob the spot to mention imo Hellmuth’s $5K LHE win in ‘93 is his most underrated achievement. I don’t care how small the fields were, there wasn’t much dead money. He won it on little sleep after winning the $2500 NLHE, back when they played them all the way through, while also defending from the year before. A double back to back, don’t think anyone else has done that.

Absolutely a great feat. I won't say more now, but Hellmuth will be on plenty of my lists.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 3, 2024, 3:54 PM#107

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58594478#post58594478)

Donnie Peters and Tim Duckworth did a "What If" episode of the WSOP podcast a few weeks ago, and that hand was mentioned. If memory serves, it's even worse than you describe because it was a questionable preflop call and a strange call on the flop just to get to that turn flush.

Greg discusses the hand here. Kanter wound up going to the FT with 19% of the chips, finished 4th. Aside from what a BTB win would’ve done for him per$onally, Greg would’ve become very mainstream, and with his legal background, his testimony before Congress and personal lobbying might’ve swung some votes on UIGEA. He certainly would’ve been the only “ambassador for poker” that might’ve actually gotten something positive accomplished.

https://www.pokernews.com/news/2017/06/the-poker-hand-never-forget-greg-raymer-28192.htm pokernews The Hand I'll Never Forget: Greg Raymer and the WSOP Main Event (https://www.pokernews.com/news/2017/06/the-poker-hand-never-forget-greg-raymer-28192.htm)

AlanBostickRegular64 posts
Posted Aug 3, 2024, 5:15 PM#108

It would have been pretty tough to swing votes on the UIGEA, given that it was snuck into the must-pass port security bill without any public discussion.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 3, 2024, 6:18 PM#109

by AlanBostick m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58666728#post58666728)

It would have been pretty tough to swing votes on the UIGEA, given that it was snuck into the must-pass port security bill without any public discussion.

Oh I know. But didnÂ’t Greg, Ferguson & Lederer give some type of public testimony somewhere, or am I a worse drunk than I thought? And may Dubya & McConnell swim with the Amazon urethra fish.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 6, 2024, 1:57 AM#110

IÂ’m going to steal a (Monday) march here, sorry OP, no other place to post it. Players to win another bracelet(s) along with the ME: Moss (71) Puggy won two Doyle both years Stu (81) McEvoy Keller Harrington (be interesting to know his career win % in big buyin events) Ferguson Merson (underrated great year) Jorstad (tag team event) Hamilton mightÂ’ve; he made the FT of both PLO events and had a big chip lead 4-5 handed in one, but chopped all the money and then quickly busted out. I wonder how many champs (say from Chan forward) also had a runnerup. I suppose the discussion is about small fields v far more events each year.

MonkeyPoxNewbie2 posts
Posted Aug 6, 2024, 2:06 AM#111

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58665410#post58665410)

Well, long story, tell it later. I basically didnÂ’t play at all from 2008 til this past May. Saturday will be four months sober. $1-3 NLHE is a lot different than $15-30 LHE, let me tell you! 😂

Congratulations. Keep moving forward. I am proud of you.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 6, 2024, 6:37 AM#112

by MonkeyPox m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58669069#post58669069)

Congratulations. Keep moving forward. I am proud of you.

Thanks, appreciate that. I did play some more $1500 WSOP & Bellagio events and some others but didn’t cash. At a O8 tourney at B I played with Rene Angelil. He won a pot while I Drove All Night was playing. Nobody said anything and then he goes “I better have won that hand!” and everyone cracked up. Nice guy, never saw him with an entourage or anything. I did have about $15K in cashes in Wendover & Jackpot. I quit playing in late 2007 due to bad luck leading to bad play, and the limit games drying up. And drinking had always been an on & off problem since HS in the early 80s, mostly on.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 7, 2024, 12:10 AM#113

Players Who Won Another Bracelet in the Same Year as the Main Event This week's Top 10 Tuesday courtesy of BullyEyelash. I just sorted these by how impressive their other bracelets were and added details. 10. Espen Jorstad: 2022 $1,000 Tag Team with Patrick Leonard -- 913-team field but a team event nevertheless. Jorstad also had the most opportunities for a second bracelet (204 other events).

  1. Johnny Moss: 1971 $1,000 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw -- A very small field, likely in the single digits. On the plus side, there were only four preliminary events.

  2. Stu Ungar: 1981 $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw -- 19-player field (13 preliminary events). Would add bonus points for being a non-Hold 'Em bracelet, but a surprisingly high number of these are (6 out of 10; 7 if you count Limit Hold 'Em as a different game).

  3. Jack Keller: 1984 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud -- 55-player field (12 preliminary events).

  4. Chris Ferguson: 2000 $2,500 Seven-Card Stud -- 151-player field (23 preliminary events).

  5. Tom McEvoy: 1983 $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em -- Then-record 234-player field (14 preliminary events).

  6. Dan Harrington: 1995 $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em -- 249-player field (23 preliminary events).

  7. Greg Merson: 2012 $10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max -- Strong 474-player field (60 preliminary events plus 7 more chances in Europe).

  8. Doyle Brunson: 1976 $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw & 1977 $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Split -- The only player to do it twice, albeit over tiny fields of 14 (plus 6 rebuys) and 7 players (7 and 12 preliminary events).

  9. Puggy Pearson: 1973 $4,000 Seven-Card Stud & $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em -- The entire festival had only seven events of which Pearson won three (over fields of 8 and 17).

Chronologically:

1971: Johnny Moss, $1,000 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw

1973: Puggy Pearson, $4,000 Seven-Card Stud & $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em

1976: Doyle Brunson, $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw

1977: Doyle Brunson, $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Split

1981: Stu Ungar, $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw

1983: Tom McEvoy, $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em

1984: Jack Keller, $5,000 Seven-Card Stud

1995: Dan Harrington, $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em

2000: Chris Ferguson, $2,500 Seven-Card Stud

2012: Greg Merson, $10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max

2022: Espen Jorstad, $1,000 Tag Team with Patrick Leonard

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58669064#post58669064)

IÂ’m going to steal a (Monday) march here, sorry OP, no other place to post it. Players to win another bracelet(s) along with the ME: Moss (71) Puggy won two Doyle both years Stu (81) McEvoy Keller Harrington (be interesting to know his career win % in big buyin events) Ferguson Merson (underrated great year) Jorstad (tag team event)

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 7, 2024, 6:49 AM#114

From MersonÂ’s wiki: “In addition to his two bracelets, he finished 5th in the 750-person $2,500 four-handed event for a prize of $70,280 and 21st in the 924-person $3,000 six-handed event for a prize of $16,850.” Certainly the best two bracelet series, and had he won the four-handed it would have to be the best period. And it could be the best anyway. A note on McEvoyÂ’s LHE win: The opening LHE event was the largest tournament in the world until the ME surpassed it in 2002. So for 13 months, Nani Dollison had won the largest tournament in poker history. Probably the longest ‘reignÂ’ not involving a ME champion. OP, as the son of two published writers, one of them also an editor, I applaud your work. After I posted it last night I realized there were ten guys! 😃

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 7, 2024, 6:04 PM#115

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58670501#post58670501)

From Merson’s wiki: “In addition to his two bracelets, he finished 5th in the 750-person $2,500 four-handed event for a prize of $70,280 and 21st in the 924-person $3,000 six-handed event for a prize of $16,850.” Certainly the best two bracelet series, and had he won the four-handed it would have to be the best period. And it could be the best anyway.

Unfortunately, they've changed the POY formula so often, those numbers can't be used to compare years. But it's very subjective anyway how you weight each factor (field size, skill level of the field/final table/heads up, percent of events cashed/final tabled/won, etc.). by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58670501#post58670501)

A note on McEvoy’s LHE win: The opening LHE event was the largest tournament in the world until the ME surpassed it in 2002. So for 13 months, Nani Dollison had won the largest tournament in poker history. Probably the longest ‘reign’ not involving a ME champion.

Sorry, I think your numbers are a little off here. The 1983 $1,000 LHE had 234 players, which was broken just two days later by the $1,000 NLHE (248 players). Nani Dollison's win was in the 2001 $2,000 LHE over a record field of 615, which lasted until the 839 in the 2003 Main Event. This will partially spoil a future Top 10, but here's an article (https://w50p.com/po/WSOP%20Biggest%20Fields.html) with more than you'd want to know about record field sizes through 2022. by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58670501#post58670501)

OP, as the son of two published writers, one of them also an editor, I applaud your work. After I posted it last night I realized there were ten guys! 😃

Thanks. My eye is pretty fine-tuned to seeing lists of ten now, so I noticed the appropriateness right away.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 8, 2024, 4:01 AM#116

Interesting about 1983. In 1996 for example, there were 526 in the $2000 LHE and 405 in the $1500 NLHE. There were 631 entries in the 2002 ME.

PunkerRegular27 posts
Posted Aug 8, 2024, 4:27 AM#118

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58664221#post58664221)

Rounders came out in ‘98, Furlong hand was ‘99.

Good catch. The hand I was referring to, described by Hellmuth: In those years, we were very close friends with Huck Seed, who was one of the finalists. When there were 6 people left, Huck complained to me that he was already fed up with the pesky Irishman who was raising and reraising every hand. At some point, Huck could not stand it, and in order to put the insolent man in his place, he made a 4-bet push with Jd8d (Ed. – according to other sources, Huck limped into UTG, Noel immediately reraised him, and Huck announced a huge all-in overbet). Noel immediately called with Ad3h and knocked out the most formidable opponent in 6th place. Back in the day I had the video of it and the expression on Seed's phase is one I will never forget.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 8, 2024, 6:10 AM#119

Wow, been 25 years but I remember that Seed-Furlong hand. Terrible spew by Huck and iirc Furlong was never in serious trouble after that. Happened pretty early too i think.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 9, 2024, 9:05 PM#120

Is Merson the only player with multiple $1M cashes in the same series? Harrington & Rast each have three overall, Lamb has two… Sounds like a list! 😃

RedOakNewbie3 posts
Posted Aug 9, 2024, 11:06 PM#121

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58673394#post58673394)

Is Merson the only player with multiple $1M cashes in the same series? Harrington & Rast each have three overall, Lamb has two… Sounds like a list! 😃

Hunichen in 2024 had two over $2 million:

()

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 13, 2024, 6:50 PM#123

2024 WSOP Las Vegas Olympics-Style Standings WSOP bracelets are awesome. Almost every poker player who's ever played in the World Series of Poker dreams of winning one. But we definitely underappreciate those who have come oh so close only to fall short in second or third place. What if we did more to honor these great competitors and in Olympics fashion awarded them silver and bronze medals? Then we could also tally up the scores by country (sorted by total medals then by golds and silvers). Note: each player is categorized by their WSOP.com tournament page flag, which may not reflect their current residence or preference. Country Leaders by Total Medals 10. Spain 5 (3 gold, 0 silver, 2 bronze).

  1. Australia 5 (3 gold, 2 silver, 0 bronze).

  2. China 6 (2 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze).

  3. Bulgaria 6 (2 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze).

  4. Italy 6 (2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze).

  5. France 6 (3 gold, 3 silver, 0 bronze).

  6. Japan 8 (1 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze).

  7. Canada 15 (6 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze).

  8. Great Britain 20 (8 gold, 7 silver, 5 bronze).

  9. U.S.A. 248 (76 gold, 84 silver, 88 bronze).

Notes:

  • The U.S. won 63.3% of the medals awarded in the 129 events (99 live and 30 online with the Tag Team awarding two of each medal). One of the U.S. bronze medalists has been deleted from the WSOP tournament results. Odds are 2-to-1 that the missing Online $333 No-Limit Hold 'Em bronze medalist was also American, which would be the U.S.'s 249th medal.
  • Spain edged Germany (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) and Sweden (1 gold, 4 bronze) for tenth on tiebreak.
  • Austria, Brazil, and Russia each won four medals. (One of the Russian players is missing from the WSOP results but is listed on Hendon.)
  • Every position except for first is up for grabs when the rest of the year's bracelet events are tallied. Stay tuned for a late December update. Individual Leaders
  1. Chris Hunichen 2 (1 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze).

  2. Daniel Maor 2 (1 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze).

  3. Georgios Sotiropoulos 2 (1 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze).

  4. Miguel Use 2 (1 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze).

  5. Bryce Yockey 2 (1 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze).

  6. Chance Kornuth 2 (1 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze).

  7. Daniel Sepiol 2 (1 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze).

  8. John Racener 2 (1 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze).

  9. Zachary Vankeuren 2 (1 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze).

  10. Michael Rocco 3 (1 gold, 0 silver, 2 bronze).

  11. Calvin Anderson 3 (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze).

  12. David Prociak 3 (2 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze).

  13. Scott Seiver 4 (3 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze).

Notes:

  • The island nation of Seiver would have ranked 13th as a country if his sovereignty were officially recognized.
  • After the first list, it's not surprising that the top 9 individuals are all Americans. Tied for tenth are a Greek (Sotiropoulos) and a Belgian (Use).
  • The next eight players, who each had two medals but no golds, include two Canadians (Mike Leah and Thomas Taylor), a Brit (Robert Wells), and a Swede (Viktor Blom). The others are Chino Rheem, Jeremy Ausmus, Josh Arieh, and Pedro Rodriguez.
Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Aug 14, 2024, 8:51 AM#124

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58677900#post58677900)

  • The island nation of Seiver would have ranked 13th as a country if his sovereignty were officially recognized.

Wow. That's pretty insane, kinda reminds me of the oft-cited tidbit about California having one of the world's largest GDPs if it was its own country.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 20, 2024, 5:43 PM#125

You always think of that witty rejoinder after it's too late. Deadline-challenged poker writers and editors have also missed some golden opportunities over the years. Here's a sampling of just ten of them (and if you think these are bad, I'll save you the pain of #11-20). Missed Headlines 10. Man, Woman, Doman! (April 26, 1983): Jim and Donna Doman become the first husband and wife to win WSOP bracelets by defeating 24 other pairs for the Mixed Doubles title and $20,000.

  1. An Transcends (May 8, 1992): An Tran reaches a record sixth final table and his seventh cash of year by finishing 7th in the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for $12,200. [His final table record would be tied twice but remain unbroken until 2021, while his cashes record would last until 2003.]

  2. Yan Can Cook (October 2, 2023): New Zealand's David Yan wins 1,140-player Online $10,300 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $1,538,400 a year after taking down 593-player Online $10,000 Super Million$ High Roller for $985,565. That's enough money to pay Martin Yan to cater his next few parties.

  3. Phil & Ted's Excellent Adventure (May 8, 1993): Phil Hellmuth captures the $5,000 Limit Hold 'Em for his third bracelet of the year to match Ted Forrest. Hellmuth also had a 2nd place finish in between his victories for the pair's only other cash. [This remains the only time in WSOP history that two players have won three bracelets in the same year. Hellmuth was likely referencing a different Keanu Reeves movie (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/) when he claimed, "I can dodge bullets, baby!" a dozen years later.]

  4. Ho Ho Ho! (December 15, 2020): Ten days before Christmas, Maria Ho cashes as the Last Woman Standing in the Main Event for a record third time (after finishing 38th in $237,865 in 2007 and 77th for $85,812 in 2014). The $35,194 she won for finishing 22nd (U.S. side) could buy some nice gifts for her friends and family.

  5. Orenstein Transforms Poker (September 19, 1995): The United States Patent and Trademark Office approves Patent 5,451,054 (https://patents.google.com/patent/US5451054) sixteen months after Henry Orenstein submitted his hole card cam idea as Toy Builders (his other very famous invention was Tranformers).

  6. Multiplicity Starring Michael, Michael, and Michael (July 8, 2024): Michael Watson (1st for $138,327), Michael McNeil (2nd for $101,118), and Michael Balan (3rd for $74,324) sweep the podium in the online $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max. Ten of the 180 players who cashed are named Mike or Michael, including Michael Miller in 12th and Mike Leah in 81st. The 1996 movie (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117108/) stars Michael Keaton as Doug Kinney and his three clones Lance, Rico, and Lenny.

  7. Stud Victory Sires Stud Victory (May 11, 1986): Barbara Enright parlays a $11 bet on a racehorse named Victory into a $75 satellite entry into a buyin for the Ladies Seven-Card Stud Championship, which she then wins over 81 other players for $16,400. In a post-victory interview, Enright conceded that her odds were longer than the horse's. "When I entered, I thought I had two chances, slim and none - but, I didn't think Slim had left town."

  8. Baxter Axes Taxes (March 11, 1986): Billy Baxter wins landmark IRS case (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baxter_v._United_States) allowing professional poker players to treat poker winnings as earned income instead of unearned income, which is taxed at a higher rate.

  9. Flaton Shoots Down Huey, Dewey, and Stuey (April 30, 1983): Ken Flaton wins the $1,000 Seven-Card Stud over sitting ducks Hugh Todd in 4th, Dewey Tomko in 3rd, and Stu Ungar in 2nd for $62,000 and his first [and only] bracelet.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Aug 20, 2024, 8:35 PM#126

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58685266#post58685266)

You always think of that witty rejoinder after it's too late. Deadline-challenged poker writers and editors have also missed some golden opportunities over the years. Here's a sampling of just ten of them (and if you think these are bad, I'll save you the pain of #11-20). Missed Headlines

  1. Flaton Shoots Down Huey, Dewey, and Stuey (April 30, 1983): Ken Flaton wins the $1,000 Seven-Card Stud over sitting ducks Hugh Todd in 4th, Dewey Tomko in 3rd, and Stu Ungar in 2nd for $62,000 and his first [and only] bracelet.

Outstanding, Red Team, outstanding. Get ya a case of beer for that one.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 28, 2024, 12:40 AM#127

Watching GGPoker's Poker After Dark: Game of Gold (https://www.poker.org/latest-news/game-of-gold-negreanu-heads-16-strong-cast-in-new-poker-after-dark-high-stakes-show-a6B0W5K5vXcZ/) reminded me of the heyday of reality TV. The early 2000's were a great time for poker and a great time for reality television shows, so it was inevitable that the two would intersect. The following were the best performances on reality shows by players who had significant WSOP results before their appearance on the show (hence eliminating Boston Rob and many others from contention; poker-based reality TV shows are also excepted for the obvious reason that all the contestants are poker players): WSOP Players on Reality Television 10. Beth Shak had reached two final tables, including a runner-up finish in the 2007 $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $328,683, when she was The Millionaire Matchmaker (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024167/episodes/?season=4) in 2010's "The House of Cards" episode. Shak also appeared on TLC's NY Ink in 2012.

  1. Multi-bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu was The Millionaire Matchmaker (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024167/episodes/?season=6) in the 2013 episode, "Wounded Wally and the Mama's Boy". He may have found love, but it was over even before the episode aired.

  2. Ronnie Bardah holds the record for most consecutive WSOP Main Event cashes, making the money every year from 2010 to 2014, and won a bracelet in the 2012 $2,500 Six-Max Limit Hold 'Em for $182,088. In 2019, he joined Survivor: Island of the Idols (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0239195/episodes/?season=38) but was the first of the 20 contestants to take the walk of shame.

  3. Garrett Adelstein, who had made two deep Main Event runs to the tune of just under $50,000 each, was appropriately a member of the "Brains" (Luzon) tribe on CBS's Survivor 28: Cagayan (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0239195/episodes/?season=28) in 2014. His time in the Philippines didn't last long, however, as he was the second player voted out.

  4. Jean-Robert Bellande had already found some WSOP Circuit success and gotten some air time on the World Poker Tour's Bad Boys of Poker II when he joined 15 other American contestants for Survivor: China (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0239195/episodes/?season=15) in 2007. He lasted 24 days before being sent home in ninth place.

  5. Tiffany Michelle went from poker reporter to the Last Woman Standing in the 2008 Main Event (17th place for $334,534) to one of the Worst Cooks in America (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570957/) in 2012, where she finished fifth out of 16 contestants.

  6. Tiffany Williamson and Maria Ho had both been the Last Woman Standing in the Main Event (Williamson in 2005 and Ho in 2007 [later repeating in 2014 & 2020]), so they were a natural pairing for The Amazing Race 15 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285335/episodes/?season=15) in 2009. They outlasted half the field, but busted out sixth of 12 teams.

  7. Vanessa Rousso had already won the EPT Monte Carlo High Roller for $700,160 and reached two WSOP final tables when she entered the beach house for Big Brother's 2015 season (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251497/episodes?season=17). She lasted a while before being evicted in third place.

  8. David Williams had already been a successful Magic: The Gathering player and an even more successful poker player, finishing second in the 2004 WSOP Main Event for $3,500,000 and winning the 2006 $1,500 Seven-Card Stud for a bracelet and $163,118. Could he start another career on MasterChef 7 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MasterChef_(U.S._season_7))? The answer was no, but his culinary creations carried him to third place in 2016.

  9. In 2004, Annie Duke won the $3,000 Omaha Hi/Lo for $137,860 and the non-bracelet Tournament of Champions for $2,000,000. Five years later, she was heads up with Joan Rivers on Celebrity Apprentice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_(U.S._season_8)). Despite bringing in more charitable donations ($730,725 for Refugees International) than the talk show host, Donald Trump told her, "You're fired!"

Wilbury TwistMicro-Stakes Grinder22 posts
Posted Aug 29, 2024, 11:15 AM#128

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58685266#post58685266)

  1. Flaton Shoots Down Huey, Dewey, and Stuey (April 30, 1983): Ken Flaton wins the $1,000 Seven-Card Stud over sitting ducks Hugh Todd in 4th, Dewey Tomko in 3rd, and Stu Ungar in 2nd for $62,000 and his first [and only] bracelet.

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58685448#post58685448)

Outstanding, Red Team, outstanding. Get ya a case of beer for that one.

Agree. Reminds me of this:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199806210.shtml Baseball-Reference.com Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros Box Score: June 21, 1998 | Baseball-Reference.com (https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199806210.shtml)

For those of you not into baseball – which is probably 99 percent of you – the Reds fielded an outfield of Young, Frank and Stynes. EDIT: Oh, and I once worked a college baseball game in which the first seven batters in the visiting lineup played center field, shortstop, left field, third base, first base, designated hitter and right field. Again, for non-baseball people, the numerical codes assigned to the positions made the lineup card read 8-6-7-5-3-DH-9. The local newspaper suggested the DH should get the numeral "0" just to really complete the novelty.

BulltexasATMRegular40 posts
Posted Aug 29, 2024, 1:02 PM#129

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58693678#post58693678)

Watching GGPoker's https://www.poker.org/latest-news/game-of-gold-negreanu-heads-16-strong-cast-in-new-poker-after-dark-high-stakes-show-a6B0W5K5vXcZ/ poker Game of Gold: Negreanu heads 16-strong cast in new Poker After Dark high-stakes show (https://www.poker.org/latest-news/game-of-gold-negreanu-heads-16-strong-cast-in-new-poker-after-dark-high-stakes-show-a6B0W5K5vXcZ/)

reminded me of the heyday of reality TV. The early 2000's were a great time for poker and a great time for reality television shows, so it was inevitable that the two would intersect. The following were the best performances on reality shows by players who had significant WSOP results before their appearance on the show (hence eliminating Boston Rob and many... See full post

You made a mistake here. Tiffany Michelle and Mario Ho are bff’s and they were on the amazing race together (not Tiffany Williamson). Nice list!

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 29, 2024, 6:14 PM#130

by BulltexasATM m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58695070#post58695070)

You made a mistake here. Tiffany Michelle and Mario Ho are bff’s and they were on the amazing race together (not Tiffany Williamson). Nice list!

Thanks for the correction. Why do I always get those two confused? (I had the right name when I blogged about that over a decade ago, so that was pure carelessness.)

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Aug 29, 2024, 6:33 PM#131

by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58695022#post58695022)

Agree. Reminds me of this:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199806210.shtml Baseball-Reference.com Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros Box Score: June 21, 1998 | Baseball-Reference.com (https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199806210.shtml)

For those of you not into baseball – which is probably 99 percent of you – the Reds fielded an outfield of Young, Frank and Stynes.

I am a baseball fan, but I missed that one. They were even in the right order as left, center, and right fielders! by Wilbury Twist m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58695022#post58695022)

EDIT: Oh, and I once worked a college baseball game in which the first seven batters in the visiting lineup played center field, shortstop, left field, third base, first base, designated hitter and right field. Again, for non-baseball people, the numerical codes assigned to the positions made the lineup card read 8-6-7-5-3-DH-9. The local newspaper suggested the DH should get t... See full post

I wonder if that was intentional. https://www.mlb.com/cut4/8-6-7-5-3-0-9--joe-maddon-honors-tommy-tutone-with-rays-batting-order/c-82923586 MLB.com 8-6-7-5-3-0-9 ... Joe Maddon honors Tommy Tutone with Rays batting order (https://www.mlb.com/cut4/8-6-7-5-3-0-9--joe-maddon-honors-tommy-tutone-with-rays-batting-order/c-82923586)

while managing Tampa Bay in 2014. Two years ago I had to pause the TiVo to take a picture of center Wesley French and guard Will Fries standing next to each other in the Indianapolis Colts huddle. Apparently this is not that unusual, as other NFL and NCAA football pairings that have been spotted include Dingle Berry, Clark Griswold, Coke Head, and Fish Fry.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Sep 3, 2024, 5:35 PM#132

The 1970s began with the Kansas City Chiefs winning their first S... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_IV), 8-track tapes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_cartridge), Laugh-In (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan_%26_Martin%27s_Laugh-In), and Earth Shoes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_shoe), and ended with the Pittsburgh Pirates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_World_Series) capturing their second World Series of the decade to the sounds of "We Are Family" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_Family_(song)), the Sony Walkman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkman), the Happy Meal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Meal), and the Iran hostage crisis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis). The first decade of the World Series of Poker began in 1970 with Johnny Moss being voted the inaugural champion after a week of cash games and ended with amateur Hal Fowler surprisingly winning the 1979 Main Event. Here's a look at the top players by bracelets, cashes, and money won from 1970 to 1979. (Since no WSOP event paid more than five places in the 1970s, this decade won't have a separate "Most Final Tables" list.) Most Bracelets in the 1970s 10. Amarillo Slim Preston: 2 including 1972 Main Event

  1. Aubrey Day: 2

  2. Billy Baxter: 2

  3. Howard Andrew: 2

  4. Sailor Roberts: 2 including 1975 Main Event

  5. Sam Angel: 2

  6. Jimmy Casella: 3

  7. Lakewood Louie: 3

  8. Perry Green: 3

  9. Bill Boyd: 4

  10. Bobby Baldwin: 4 including 1978 Main Event

  11. Puggy Pearson: 4 including 1973 Main Event

  12. Gary Berland: 5

  13. Doyle Brunson: 6 including 1976 & 1977 Main Events

  14. Johnny Moss: 7 including 1970, 1971, & 1974 championships

Most Cashes in the 1970s 7. Amarillo Slim Preston: 3

  1. Aubrey Day: 3

  2. Billy Baxter: 3

  3. Curtis Skinner: 3

  4. Eric Drache: 3

  5. Jimmy Casella: 3

  6. Lakewood Louie: 3

  7. Louis Hunsaker: 3

  8. Perry Green: 3

  9. Sam Moon: 3

  10. Bill Boyd: 4

  11. Bobby Baldwin: 5

  12. Doyle Brunson: 6

  13. Gary Berland: 6

  14. Puggy Pearson: 6

  15. Johnny Moss: 9

Most Money Won in the 1970s 10. Amarillo Slim Preston: $112,400

  1. George Huber (TX): $114,000

  2. Perry Green: $154,800

  3. Billy Baxter: $155,000

  4. Puggy Pearson: $219,200

  5. Sailor Roberts: $245,850

  6. Hal Fowler: $270,000

  7. Johnny Moss: $366,150

  8. Bobby Baldwin: $458,500

  9. Doyle Brunson: $776,250

Johnny Moss and Doyle Brunson owned this decade. Moss had the most bracelets (7) and cashes (9), while Brunson took home the most money by far (not even counting whatever deal he negotiated at the end of the 1972 Main Event, which was probably $20,000 (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/4345-wsop-history-1972-recap) or maybe $32,500 (https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/4345-wsop-history-1972-recap) but officially $0 (https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?aid=2&grid=226&tid=2267&rr=-1)). Both won two Main Events, while Moss won a third championship by vote (money won in the 1970 cash games is also omitted as it was never reported).

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Sep 4, 2024, 6:22 PM#133

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58695382#post58695382)

I am a baseball fan, but I missed that one. They were even in the right order as left, center, and right fielders!I wonder if that was intentional. https://www.mlb.com/cut4/8-6-7-5-3-0-9--joe-maddon-honors-tommy-tutone-with-rays-batting-order/c-82923586 MLB.com 8-6-7-5-3-0-9 ... Joe Maddon honors Tommy Tutone with Rays batting order (https://www.mlb.com/cut4/8-6-7-5-3-0-9--joe-maddon-honors-tommy-tutone-with-rays-batting-order/c-82923586)

while managing Tampa Bay in 2014.Two years ago I had to pause the TiVo to take a picture of center Wesley French and guard Will Fries standing next to each other in the Indianapolis Colts hudd... See full post

Thanks for reminding me about Maddon. I think long ago I saw a NCAA hoops starting lineup pop up with a Young-Young-Johnson. Also fun discovering that John Ilway & Gerald Rice were teammates back in the 50s. This was almost certainly intentional but still cool (the first time).

()

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Sep 4, 2024, 7:06 PM#134

Bones Berland might’ve gotten off to the fastest start of any tournament player in history. Bracelet 2nd in ME Bracelet Bracelet 2nd Three cashes at Slim’s tourney including a 2nd & 3rd Bracelet Bracelet 3rd Yeah, small fields, zzzZZzzz. Who knows how his health problems affected him (he died in 1988), if he focused on cash games later, etc. He did finish 3rd in the ‘86 ME. Definitely a shooting star, happily not forgotten thanks to S/S.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Sep 10, 2024, 4:58 PM#135

The 1980s began with the Pittsburgh Steelers capping off their fo... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XIV) in six years, The Dukes of Hazzard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dukes_of_Hazzard), The Empire Strikes Back (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/), compact discs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc), and the Rubik's Cube (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik%27s_Cube) (my only brush with fame (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2rvtl-BalM)) and ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall#Fall), the debut of the Sega Genesis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Genesis), The Simpsons (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/), and the ascension of "We Didn't Start the Fire" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn%27t_Start_the_Fire) & "Another Day in Paradise" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Day_in_Paradise) to the top of the pop charts. The second decade of the World Series of Poker began with Pat Callihan winning the $1,000 Limit Draw High twelve days before his daughter-in-law Debby Callihan captured the Ladies Championship and ended with Phil Hellmuth thwarting Johnny Chan's threepeat in the 1989 Main Event. Here's a look at the top players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 1980 to 1989. Most Bracelets in the 1980s 7. A.J. Myers: 2

  1. Artie Cobb: 2

  2. Berry Johnston: 2 including 1986 Main Event

  3. David Baxter: 2

  4. Dewey Tomko: 2

  5. Jack Keller: 2 including 1984 Main Event

  6. Jim Doman: 2

  7. John Lukas: 2

  8. Johnny Moss: 2

  9. Ralph Morton: 2

  10. Sam Mastrogiannis: 2

  11. Tommy Fischer: 2

  12. Billy Baxter: 3

  13. David Sklansky: 3

  14. Don Williams: 3

  15. Johnny Chan: 3 including 1987 & 1988 Main Events

  16. Tom McEvoy: 3 including 1983 Main Event

  17. Stu Ungar: 4 including 1980 & 1981 Main Events

Most Final Tables in the 1980s 8. Bobby Baldwin: 8

  1. David Chew: 8

  2. Don Williams: 8

  3. Johnny Moss: 8

  4. Mickey Appleman: 8

  5. Seymour Leibowitz: 8

  6. David Sklansky: 9

  7. Stu Ungar: 9

  8. Frank Henderson: 10

  9. Berry Johnston: 11

  10. Jack Keller: 11

  11. Chip Reese: 12

  12. Dewey Tomko: 12

Most Cashes in the 1980s 8. David Sklansky: 11

  1. Seymour Leibowitz: 11

  2. Stu Ungar: 11

  3. Don Williams: 12

  4. Frank Henderson: 12

  5. Jack Keller: 12

  6. Johnny Moss: 12

  7. Dewey Tomko: 13

  8. Berry Johnston: 14

  9. Chip Reese: 17

Most Money Won in the 1980s 10. Jack Straus: $580,500

  1. Dewey Tomko: $593,580

  2. Frank Henderson: $643,485

  3. Tom McEvoy: $758,820

  4. Bill Smith: $788,800

  5. Phil Hellmuth: $806,235

  6. Berry Johnston: $983,910

  7. Stu Ungar: $1,039,740

  8. Jack Keller: $1,210,520

  9. Johnny Chan: $1,857,000

Stu Ungar won all four of his bracelets in the first four years of the decade, while Johnny Chan crushed the second half, winning all three of his bracelets and earning $1,627,000 in just the last three Main Events. Chip Reese was strong throughout the decade, reaching at least one final table in six of the ten years. Besides Hellmuth, the other Main Event winners who didn't win any other bracelets in the decade were Jack Straus (1982) and Bill Smith (1985).

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Sep 10, 2024, 7:54 PM#136

I’ve always wondered about the % of 2+2ers over the years who’ve known little or nothing about David’s WSOP record.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Sep 11, 2024, 5:25 PM#137

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58711072#post58711072)

I’ve always wondered about the % of 2+2ers over the years who’ve known little or nothing about David’s WSOP record.

Not too shabby with 3 bracelets (2nd), 9 final tables (6th), & 11 cashes (8th) in the decade. But even as a poker historian, I think of Sklansky more as an author. Seven of his books are on my shelf!

Hold 'em Poker

Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players

Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts

No Limit Hold 'Em Theory and Practice

Small Stakes Hold 'em

The Theory of Poker

Tournament Poker for Advanced Players

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Sep 12, 2024, 3:55 AM#138

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58712187#post58712187)

Not too shabby with 3 bracelets (2nd), 9 final tables (6th), & 11 cashes (8th) in the decade. But even as a poker historian, I think of Sklansky more as an author. Seven of his books are on my shelf!

Hold 'em Poker

Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players

Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts

No Limit Hold 'Em Theory and Practice

Small Stakes Hold 'em

The Theory of Poker

Tournament Poker for Advanced Players

Don’t forget the Hi/Lo chapter in Super System. I wish there was a hand by hand transcript from when he was head up with Doyle.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Sep 17, 2024, 6:18 PM#139

Best of the 1990s The 1990s began with Mr. Bean (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096657/) debuting in the U.K. and America's Funniest Home Videos (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098740/) in the U.S., the 49ers obliterating the Broncos in the Su... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXIV), and Robert T. Morris and his worm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_worm) single-handedly slowing down the internet and ended with Neopets (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neopets#History_and_development) debuting, Santana's Smooth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_(Santana_song)) topping the charts, Boris Yeltsin stepping down as President of Russia, and computer programmers scrambling to prevent Y2K disasters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problem) mostly caused by storing years in ambiguous 2-digit format. The third decade of the World Series of Poker began with Mike Harthcock winning the $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em for $252,000 and his second bracelet and ended with Noel Furlong winning the Main Event, whose first prize was $1,000,000 for all but the first year of the decade. Here's a look at the top players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 1990 to 1999. Most Bracelets in the 1990s 9. 26 players: 2 (Artie Cobb, Barbara Enright, Berry Johnston, Brent Carter, Buddy Bonnecaze, Chau Giang, Dan Harrington, David Chiu, Doyle Brunson, Eli Balas, Hamid Dastmalchi, Hilbert Shirey, Huck Seed, Humberto Brenes, Jay Heimowitz, John Cernuto, Johnny Chan, Lyle Berman, Marty Sigel, Mickey Appleman, Paul Clark, Ray Rumler, Rod Pardey, Scotty Nguyen, Susie Isaacs, and Vasilis Lazarou)

  1. John Bonetti: 3

  2. Max Stern: 3

  3. Mike Harthcock: 3

  4. T.J. Cloutier: 3

  5. Ted Forrest: 3

  6. Erik Seidel: 4

  7. Men Nguyen: 4

  8. Phil Hellmuth: 5

Most Final Tables in the 1990s 10. Chris Bjorin: 12

  1. John Cernuto: 12

  2. Mike Sexton: 13

  3. Berry Johnston: 14

  4. Brent Carter: 14

  5. Erik Seidel: 14

  6. Phil Hellmuth: 14

  7. John Bonetti: 15

  8. An Tran (LV): 16

  9. Men Nguyen: 19

  10. T.J. Cloutier: 19

Most Cashes in the 1990s 7. Chris Bjorin: 20

  1. Erik Seidel: 20

  2. John Bonetti: 20

  3. Ken Flaton: 20

  4. Berry Johnston: 22

  5. Brent Carter: 22

  6. Mike Sexton: 23

  7. T.J. Cloutier: 23

  8. An Tran (LV): 24

  9. Men Nguyen: 24

Most Money Won in the 1990s 10. Brad Daugherty: $1,112,479

  1. T.J. Cloutier: $1,212,806

  2. Mansour Matloubi: $1,214,062

  3. Scotty Nguyen: $1,254,607

  4. Phil Hellmuth: $1,257,875

  5. Dan Harrington: $1,277,608

  6. Erik Seidel: $1,297,146

  7. Hamid Dastmalchi: $1,324,850

  8. John Bonetti: $1,417,117

  9. Huck Seed: $1,614,844

Five different players led the four categories, with two ties. Phil Hellmuth jumped into the bracelet race by increasing his total to six, T.J. Cloutier made 19 final tables and was matched by Men Nguyen, who tied An Tran for the cashes lead with 24, while Huck Seed won a tight money race, finally opening up his small margin with a sixth place finish in the 1999 Main Event. Of the ten Main Event champions, four won one other bracelet in the decade (Dan Harrington, Hamid Dastmalchi, Huck Seed, and Scotty Nguyen) while the other six did not (Mansour Matloubi, Brad Daugherty, Jim Bechtel, Russ Hamilton, Stu Ungar, and Noel Furlong).

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Sep 17, 2024, 7:20 PM#140

Poor TJ. He played so well for so long, and the one time he got frustrated (final 3 in ‘’98) it cost him. And he got very unlucky headup against Ferguson two years later. So close to a history altering double. But that’s oker.

ForeShark129 posts
Posted Sep 18, 2024, 1:03 AM#141

Nvm

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Sep 24, 2024, 4:01 PM#142

Best of the 2000s The 2000s decade began with America Online buying Time Warner (https://abcnews.go.com/Business/Decade/aol-buys-time-warner-162-billion/story?id=9279138) for a record $162 billion, the Dot Com bubble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble) peaking, the Greatest Show on Turf (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Show_on_Turf) winning the Super Bowl, and the PS2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_2) adding a DVD player to a powerful video game console and ended with Angry Birds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Birds) pummeling pigs on iPhones, "NCIS" spinning off to Los Angeles (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1378167/), Avatar (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/) advancing the art of motion capture enabled CGI, and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys topping the charts with "Empire State of Mind" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_of_Mind). The WSOP introduced the $500 Dealers Tournament to kick off the 2000 World Series of Poker, with Dave Alizadeh taking the $21,800 first prize before the event was opened up to all casino employees in 2001. Barry Shulman won the final event of the decade, the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event in London. Here's a look at the top players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 2000 to 2009. Most Bracelets in the 2000s 10. Barry Greenstein: 3

  1. Daniel Negreanu: 3

  2. Nani Dollison: 3

  3. Scotty Nguyen: 3

  4. Erik Seidel: 4

  5. Jeff Lisandro: 4

  6. John Juanda: 4

  7. Allen Cunningham: 5

  8. Chris Ferguson: 5 including 2000 Main Event

  9. Johnny Chan: 5

  10. Layne Flack: 5

  11. Phil Hellmuth: 5

  12. Phil Ivey: 7

Most Final Tables in the 2000s 10. Howard Lederer: 14

  1. Thor Hansen: 15

  2. Erik Seidel: 16

  3. Allen Cunningham: 17

  4. Men Nguyen: 17

  5. Daniel Negreanu: 21

  6. Phil Ivey: 22

  7. Chris Ferguson: 23

  8. John Juanda: 23

  9. Phil Hellmuth: 24

Most Cashes in the 2000s 10. Erik Seidel: 36

  1. Phil Ivey: 36

  2. Thor Hansen: 37

  3. Barry Greenstein: 38

  4. Allen Cunningham: 39

  5. Men Nguyen: 40

  6. Daniel Negreanu: 41

  7. Tony Cousineau: 41

  8. Chris Ferguson: 48

  9. John Juanda: 48

  10. Phil Hellmuth: 52

Most Money Won in the 2000s 10. Darvin Moon: $5,182,928

  1. Paul Wasicka: $6,217,738

  2. Ivan Demidov: $6,461,252

  3. Greg Raymer: $6,487,512

  4. Allen Cunningham: $6,709,684

  5. Joe Hachem: $7,978,884

  6. Jerry Yang: $8,250,000

  7. Joe Cada: $8,575,256

  8. Peter Eastgate: $9,221,395

  9. Jamie Gold: $12,068,750

With the explosion of Main Event entries and prizes, the entire money leader board consisted of players who ran deep in a Main Event (6 winners, 3 seconds [#10-#8], and 1 fourth [Cunningham]). Phil Ivey tied Johnny Moss's 1970s record with 7 bracelets, and Phil Hellmuth snagged the most final tables and cashes as both of those records continue to soar with each decade. Chris Ferguson won four other bracelets to go with his Main Event title while the other nine Main Event champs collectively won zero: Carlos Mortensen, Robert Varkonyi, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Jamie Gold, Jerry Yang, Peter Eastgate, and Joe Cada. [Only Mortensen and Cada have won another bracelet in their careers.]

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Sep 25, 2024, 5:16 AM#143

Cunningham had an excellent chance of doubling through Gold late in the ME, or winning a lot more off him, though thatÂ’s always easy to say in hindsight. Maybe bet 1M on the turn and/or raise to 5M on the river?

() I remember on ESPN replay Gold moaning in shock and horror when AC showed his hand, and Johnny Chan glaring at him from behind the ropes. A railbird posted that Gold ran over to a trash can and puked. AC wouldÂ’ve joined the nine other ME winners who also won a preliminary event.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Sep 25, 2024, 5:36 PM#144

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58729250#post58729250)

Cunningham had an excellent chance of doubling through Gold late in the ME, or winning a lot more off him, though thatÂ’s always easy to say in hindsight. Maybe bet 1M on the turn and/or raise to 5M on the river? I remember on ESPN replay Gold moaning in shock and horror when AC showed his hand, and Johnny Chan glaring at him from behind the ropes. A railbird posted that Gold... See full post

Gold was playing pretty loose. Checking the turn was a pretty safe slowplay. Min-raising the river was probably meant to extract some value from trips and two pairs with a weaker flush being somewhat unlikely. But what do I know? Here's an old thread on the hand (https://fullcontactpoker.com/poker-forum/index.php?/topic/70394-wow-h-u-g-e-pot-in-me/).

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Sep 25, 2024, 7:53 PM#145

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58729645#post58729645)

Gold was playing pretty loose. Checking the turn was a pretty safe slowplay. Min-raising the river was probably meant to extract some value from trips and two pairs with a weaker flush being somewhat unlikely. But what do I know? Here's an old thread on the hand (https://fullcontactpoker.com/poker-forum/index.php?/topic/70394-wow-h-u-g-e-pot-in-me/).

AC was at his peak in 06 so we have to assume he played it correctly. The X factors are GoldÂ’s enormous chip lead, AC having been very aggressive lately, down to two shorthanded tables, and AC being the one guy Chan and everyone else had warned Gold about. My thoughts have always been based on the video, where Gold wasnÂ’t his usual smiling jabbering self. He took so long on the river because he was thinking about reraisng. Had AC raised to 4-5M he might have. This comment is hilarious. There is no galaxy where AC or anyone else is snapfolding the nut flush in that situation lol.

()

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 1, 2024, 4:30 PM#146

Best of the 2010s The 2010s began with Kesha's "Tik Tok" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tik_Tok_(song)) topping the charts (no relation to the TikTok app (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok) that would debut six years into the decade), the record 2,722-feet high Burj Khalifa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Khalifa) opening in Dubai, and Drew Brees leading the New Orleans Saints to a comeback Super Bowl victory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XLIV), and ended with Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_I_Want_for_Christmas_Is_You#Chart_performance) finally reaching number one a quarter century after its first release, the NCAA ended the sham of amateur college athletic sports by allowing players to profit from their "name, image and likeness" (https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/29/us/ncaa-athletes-compensation/index.html), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527338/) wrapped up the sci-fi nonet. The fifth decade of the World Series of Poker began with Hoai Duc Pham winning Vietnam's first bracelet in the Casino Employees tourney and ended with Bertrand Grospellier picking up his second bracelet in the WSOP Europe Colossus. Here's a look at the top players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 2010 to 2019. Most Bracelets in the 2010s 2. Asi Moshe: 4

  1. Brian Hastings: 4

  2. Brian Rast: 4

  3. Dominik Nitsche: 4

  4. George Danzer: 4

  5. Jason Mercier: 4

  6. John Hennigan: 4

  7. Loren Klein: 4

  8. Phil Hellmuth: 4

  9. Shaun Deeb: 4

  10. Michael Mizrachi: 5

Most Final Tables in the 2010s 8. David Baker (ODB): 17

  1. Ismael Bojang: 17

  2. Michael Mizrachi: 17

  3. Scott Clements (WA): 17

  4. Anthony Zinno: 18

  5. John Monnette: 18

  6. Nick Schulman: 18

  7. Jason Mercier: 19

  8. Shaun Deeb: 20

  9. Daniel Negreanu: 24

  10. Phil Hellmuth: 24

Most Cashes in the 2010s 8. David Baker (ODB): 75

  1. John Racener: 75

  2. Phil Hellmuth: 75

  3. Mike Leah: 77

  4. Ismael Bojang: 79

  5. Shaun Deeb: 79

  6. Ben Yu: 82

  7. Chris Ferguson: 82

  8. Daniel Negreanu: 88

  9. Roland Israelashvili: 100

Most Money Won in the 2010s 10. Hossein Ensan: $10,299,221

  1. Joe McKeehen: $10,507,381

  2. Sam Trickett: $11,448,447

  3. Fedor Holz: $11,917,249

  4. Martin Jacobson: $12,078,526

  5. Justin Bonomo: $13,050,658

  6. Jonathan Duhamel: $14,647,089

  7. Daniel Negreanu: $15,183,550

  8. Dan Colman: $17,413,655

  9. Antonio Esfandiari: $21,224,858

The million dollar buyin Big One for One Drop dominated the money leader board (6 of 10 spots including the top 3) as Antonio Esfandiari picked up $18,346,673 for winning in 2012, Dan Colman $15,306,668 in 2014, and Justin Bonomo $10,000,000 in 2018 (the 2016 event was not a WSOP bracelet event). Second place finishers also raked it in: Sam Trickett $10,112,001 in 2012, Daniel Negreanu $8,288,001 in 2014, and Fedor Holz $6,000,000 in 2018 to go with another $4,981,775 for winning the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop in 2016. The remaining four spots were the Main Event winners Hossein Ensan, Joe McKeehen, Martin Jacobson, and Jonathan Duhamel. Michael Mizrachi won the 2019 $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo to collect his fifth bracelet to lead the decade (which would have ended in an outrageous ten-way tie otherwise). Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu tied for the most final tables with 24, while Negreanu finished a distant second in the cashes race to Roland Israelashvili, who became the first player to get to 100 in a decade. 2010 Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel had two other bracelets in the decade, both in 2015. Greg Merson won his first and only other bracelet in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max just two days before the 2012 Main Event began. Joe McKeehen won a second bracelet two years after his 2015 Main Event win (and another in 2020). None of the other Main Event winners won another bracelet in the decade (Pius Heinz, Ryan Riess, Martin Jacobson, Qui Nguyen, Scott Blumstein, John Cynn, and Hossein Ensan).

Jack KingsmanMicro-Stakes Grinder6 posts
Posted Oct 1, 2024, 6:33 PM#147

Always enjoy reading these, appreciate all the work you put into this blog

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 2, 2024, 2:50 PM#149

by Jack Kingsman m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58736760#post58736760)

Always enjoy reading these, appreciate all the work you put into this blog

Thanks. I appreciate your appreciation! I forgot to mention that the next post won't be the 2020s. I'll do a mid-decade update in December or January. The women are up next.

johnjones1979Newbie2 posts
Posted Oct 8, 2024, 1:46 AM#150

Do you by any chance know when/if the WSOP changed their rule regarding the minimum number of entrants required in order for an event to be considered a bracelet event? I know in 2012 they introduced the rule that an event had to have at least 24 players in order to award a bracelet, but then Martin Kabrhel was just awarded a bracelet in a 22-player event at the WSOPE a few days ago. Did they change this rule sometime?

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 8, 2024, 2:55 PM#151

by johnjones1979 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58744132#post58744132)

Do you by any chance know when/if the WSOP changed their rule regarding the minimum number of entrants required in order for an event to be considered a bracelet event? I know in 2012 they introduced the rule that an event had to have at least 24 players in order to award a bracelet, but then Martin Kabrhel was just awarded a bracelet in a 22-player event at the WSOPE a few day... See full post

Wow, great question. Sorry, I have not run across that in my research.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 8, 2024, 3:50 PM#152

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58744606#post58744606)

Wow, great question. Sorry, I have not run across that in my research.

For the record, 57 WSOP bracelets have been awarded in events with 23 or fewer players (56 if you don't count [and I don't] Sandy Stupak's 1984 Casino Operators event). The most recent was in 1996, when the goofball Chinese Poker event (which IMHO shouldn't have been a WSOP tournament at all) had just 10 players (and 10 rebuys). The next most recent was in 1985. The event Kabrhel just won actually had 30 entries, matching the same event in 2019 but one more than in 2023. (Also notable is the very high profile $1,000,000-buyin Big One for One Drop that had 27 players in 2018.)

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 8, 2024, 5:56 PM#153

Best of the 1970s, Women Here's a look at the top female players by bracelets, cashes, and money won from 1970 to 1979. (Since no WSOP event paid more than five places in the 1970s, this decade won't have a separate "Most Final Tables" list.) Most Bracelets in the 1970s

  1. Barbara Freer: 1 (1979 Ladies Championship)

  2. Jackie McDaniel: 1 (1977 Ladies Championship)

  3. Starla Brodie: 1 (1979 Mixed Doubles as Starla Thompson with Doyle Brunson)

  4. Terry King: 1 (1978 Ladies Championship as Terry Windham)

Most Cashes in the 1970s 2. Barbara Freer: 1

  1. Bonnie Baez: 1

  2. Jackie McDaniel: 1

  3. Jackie Mills: 1

  4. Linda Davis: 1

  5. Lynne Tokoph: 1

  6. Natalie King: 1

  7. Pat Eister: 1

  8. Pat Goodwin: 1

  9. Pat Sovoia: 1

  10. Rose Pifer: 1

  11. Terry King: 1

  12. Starla Brodie: 2

Most Money Won in the 1970s 10. Lynne Tokoph: $1,680

  1. Natalie King: $2,120

  2. Pat Eister: $2,250

  3. Linda Davis: $2,790

  4. Jackie McDaniel: $5,580

  5. Pat Sovoia: $6,360

  6. Starla Brodie: $9,540

  7. Terry King: $10,080

  8. Jackie Mills: $11,400

  9. Barbara Freer: $12,720

All four of the bracelets were in the Women's Seven-Card Stud, which began in 1977, and the Mixed Doubles, which debuted in 1979. Only Bonnie Baez (4th place in 1974 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $1,050) and Jackie Mills (2nd in 1979 $2,000 Limit Draw High for $11,400) cashed in open events.

davepokerNewbie2 posts
Posted Oct 9, 2024, 1:56 PM#155

It would be interesting to make a list of most money won excluding events with buyins greater than $10,000.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 9, 2024, 4:49 PM#156

by davepoker m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58745701#post58745701)

It would be interesting to make a list of most money won excluding events with buyins greater than $10,000.

Wouldn't excluding greater than OR EQUAL TO $10,000 be more interesting to exclude the Main Event? Also, do you mean on these decade lists or in general?

davepokerNewbie2 posts
Posted Oct 9, 2024, 4:58 PM#157

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58745912#post58745912)

Wouldn't excluding greater than OR EQUAL TO $10,000 be more interesting to exclude the Main Event? Also, do you mean on these decade lists or in general?

I was thinking in general. The high roller events skew wsop earnings. For example, Antonio Esfandiari's earnings are 22 million, which over 20 million are from large buyins. Didn't the high rollers start around 2006 with the 50k HORSE championship? Excluding all $10,000 events would be interesting too.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Oct 9, 2024, 5:55 PM#158

The old WSOP programs in the 90s had a separate money won aside from the Main Event list. Hellmuth was the first player to go over a million obviously.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 10, 2024, 6:28 PM#159

Here are the original earnings lists for each decade followed by lists restricting buyins to $10,000 or less (thus including the Main Event) and to $9,999 and less (thus excluding the Main Event). The first three decades have only two lists (as mentioned, the first buyin over $10k was in 2006). 1970s All Events 10. Amarillo Slim Preston: $112,400

  1. George Huber (TX): $114,000

  2. Perry Green: $154,800

  3. Billy Baxter: $155,000

  4. Puggy Pearson: $219,200

  5. Sailor Roberts: $245,850

  6. Hal Fowler: $270,000

  7. Johnny Moss: $366,150

  8. Bobby Baldwin: $458,500

  9. Doyle Brunson: $776,250

1970s Under $10,000 (no Main Event) 10. Lakewood Louie: $67,200

  1. Dewey Tomko: $68,775

  2. Bill Boyd: $70,000

  3. Bobby Baldwin: $78,500

  4. Perry Green: $86,500

  5. Puggy Pearson: $89,200

  6. Aubrey Day: $92,550

  7. Gary Berland: $96,600

  8. Johnny Moss: $145,000

  9. Doyle Brunson: $163,750

Doyle Brunson still wins the decade, with Johnny Moss moving into second as Bobby Baldwin drops to seventh. 1980s All Events 10. Jack Straus: $580,500

  1. Dewey Tomko: $593,580

  2. Frank Henderson: $643,485

  3. Tom McEvoy: $758,820

  4. Bill Smith: $788,800

  5. Phil Hellmuth: $806,235

  6. Berry Johnston: $983,910

  7. Stu Ungar: $1,039,740

  8. Jack Keller: $1,210,520

  9. Johnny Chan: $1,857,000

1980s Under $10,000 (no Main Event) 10. Johnny Moss: $287,380

  1. Joe Petro: $292,650

  2. Lyle Berman: $319,050

  3. Chip Reese: $336,765

  4. Ralph Morton: $337,980

  5. Billy Baxter: $365,550

  6. David Baxter: $378,690

  7. Frank Henderson: $393,485

  8. Don Williams: $430,020

  9. Jack Keller: $524,270

Jack Keller wins the non-Main Event decade as Johnny Chan falls completely off the list with most of his money coming from his 1st-1st-2nd Main Event run. 1990s All Events 10. Brad Daugherty: $1,112,479

  1. T.J. Cloutier: $1,212,806

  2. Mansour Matloubi: $1,214,062

  3. Scotty Nguyen: $1,254,607

  4. Phil Hellmuth: $1,257,875

  5. Dan Harrington: $1,277,608

  6. Erik Seidel: $1,297,146

  7. Hamid Dastmalchi: $1,324,850

  8. John Bonetti: $1,417,117

  9. Huck Seed: $1,614,844

1990s Under $10,000 (no Main Event) 10. Max Stern: $640,860

  1. David Chiu: $644,890

  2. John Cernuto: $687,162

  3. Eli Balas: $732,241

  4. T.J. Cloutier: $775,306

  5. Humberto Brenes: $792,761

  6. John Bonetti: $822,367

  7. Men Nguyen: $843,667

  8. Erik Seidel: $1,017,646

  9. Phil Hellmuth: $1,236,675

Phil Hellmuth jumps from sixth to first, and Erik Seidel from fourth to second. 2000s All Events 10. Darvin Moon: $5,182,928

  1. Paul Wasicka: $6,217,738

  2. Ivan Demidov: $6,461,252

  3. Greg Raymer: $6,487,512

  4. Allen Cunningham: $6,709,684

  5. Joe Hachem: $7,978,884

  6. Jerry Yang: $8,250,000

  7. Joe Cada: $8,575,256

  8. Peter Eastgate: $9,221,395

  9. Jamie Gold: $12,068,750

2000s $10,000 & Below 10. Darvin Moon: $5,182,928

  1. Greg Raymer: $5,609,577

  2. Ivan Demidov: $5,852,257

  3. Paul Wasicka: $6,217,738

  4. Allen Cunningham: $6,709,684

  5. Joe Hachem: $7,978,884

  6. Jerry Yang: $8,250,000

  7. Joe Cada: $8,575,256

  8. Peter Eastgate: $9,221,395

  9. Jamie Gold: $12,014,078

2000s Under $10,000 (no Main Event) 10. Brandon Cantu: $1,436,098

  1. Jeff Madsen: $1,500,611

  2. Daniel Negreanu: $1,534,711

  3. Johnny Chan: $1,698,536

  4. Layne Flack: $1,903,792

  5. Phil Ivey: $2,218,385

  6. Chris Ferguson: $2,229,612

  7. Erik Seidel: $2,271,293

  8. Allen Cunningham: $2,999,395

  9. Phil Hellmuth: $3,514,365

As expected, the $10,000 & Below list isn't that interesting as it's still dominated by the Main Event. Phil Hellmuth comes from off the list to win the under $10,000 title again. 2010s All Events 10. Hossein Ensan: $10,299,221

  1. Joe McKeehen: $10,507,381

  2. Sam Trickett: $11,448,447

  3. Fedor Holz: $11,917,249

  4. Martin Jacobson: $12,078,526

  5. Justin Bonomo: $13,050,658

  6. Jonathan Duhamel: $14,647,089

  7. Daniel Negreanu: $15,183,550

  8. Dan Colman: $17,413,655

  9. Antonio Esfandiari: $21,224,858

2010s $10,000 & Below 10. Qui Nguyen: $8,049,317

  1. Scott Blumstein: $8,157,932

  2. Ryan Riess: $8,747,125

  3. Pius Heinz: $8,821,326

  4. John Cynn: $9,520,306

  5. Jonathan Duhamel: $9,594,436

  6. Joe McKeehen: $9,677,589

  7. Hossein Ensan: $10,017,785

  8. Greg Merson: $10,166,273

  9. Martin Jacobson: $10,574,799

2010s Under $10,000 (no Main Event) 10. Jason Mercier: $1,555,901

  1. Michael Gathy: $1,580,753

  2. Justin Liberto: $1,607,292

  3. Joe McKeehen: $1,633,065

  4. Dominik Nitsche: $1,642,153

  5. Mark Radoja: $1,836,156

  6. Jason DeWitt: $2,031,935

  7. Joe Cada: $2,141,955

  8. Asi Moshe: $2,181,593

  9. Brian Yoon: $2,558,074

Cutting off the biggest buyin events for the 2010s basically removes the players who did well in the Big One for One Drop, letting the Main Event winners own the $10,000+ list. Removing the Main Events as well reveals an unheralded winner as Brian Yoon won three big first prizes: $1,094,349 in the 2017 $1,500 Monster Stack, $663,727 in the 2013 Little One for One Drop, and $633,341 in the 2014 $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 8-Max.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 11, 2024, 7:36 PM#161

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58747750#post58747750)

Incredible job, rjen. Good to see my poker spirit animal Jack Keller kicking some butt. Everyone should read this tribute to him. https://www.cardplayer.com/cardplayer-po... (https://www.cardplayer.com/cardplayer-poker-magazines/86-barry-greenstein-17-5/articles/13859-jack-keller) HellmuthÂ’s record in four figure tournaments is just astounding.

Thanks. This is the fun stuff I really enjoy. Here's a summary. Number 1 by Decade -- All Events / $10,000 and Under (2000s & 2010s only) / $9,999 and Under: 1970s: Doyle Brunson / Doyle Brunson

1980s: Johnny Chan / Jack Keller

1990s: Huck Seed / Phil Hellmuth

2000s: Jamie Gold / Jamie Gold / Phil Hellmuth

2010s: Antonio Esfandiari / Martin Jacobson / Brian Yoon

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Oct 12, 2024, 4:28 AM#162

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58748271#post58748271)

Thanks. This is the fun stuff I really enjoy. Here's a summary. Number 1 by Decade -- All Events / $10,000 and Under (2000s & 2010s only) / $9,999 and Under: 1970s: Doyle Brunson / Doyle Brunson

1980s: Johnny Chan / Jack Keller

1990s: Huck Seed / Phil Hellmuth

2000s: Jamie Gold / Jamie Gold / Phil Hellmuth

2010s: Antonio Esfandiari / Martin Jacobson / Brian Yoon

I would guess the alltime under 10K list is something like: Hellmuth (by a ways) DNegs Ivey Cunningham Madsen And some monster stack guys?

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 12, 2024, 5:32 PM#163

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58748680#post58748680)

I would guess the alltime under 10K list is something like: Hellmuth (by a ways) DNegs Ivey Cunningham Madsen And some monster stack guys?

Including only the data in the above lists (i.e., 1970-2019), it's Hellmuth, Seidel (forgot about him, eh?), Cunningham, Ivey, Ferguson, Madsen, Chiu, Flack, Yoon, & Men Nguyen. Adding 2020 through 2023, inserts three of the four GGPoker $5,000 Main Event winners (2020 Stoyan Madanzhiev #2, 2022 Eric Mattsson #8, & 2023 Bert Stevens #10). 2021 winner Aleksei Vandyshev is just outside the top 10. Daniel Negreanu is the only other addition at #9. Career Money Leaders, $9,999 and Under Buyins: 1970-2023 10. Bert Stevens: $2,884,478

  1. Daniel Negreanu: $2,924,229

  2. Eric Mattsson: $2,966,141

  3. Jeff Madsen: $2,997,087

  4. Chris Ferguson: $3,011,891

  5. Phil Ivey: $3,077,975

  6. Allen Cunningham: $3,377,770

  7. Erik Seidel: $4,131,954

  8. Stoyan Madanzhiev: $4,254,100

  9. Phil Hellmuth: $6,786,208

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 15, 2024, 4:37 PM#164

Here's a look at the top female players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 1980 to 1989. Most Bracelets in the 1980s

  1. Alma McClelland: 1 (1989 Ladies)

  2. Barbara Enright: 1 (1986 Ladies)

  3. Carolyn Gardner: 1 (1983 Ladies)

  4. Dani Kelly: 1 (1982 Mixed Doubles with David Sklansky)

  5. Debby Callihan: 1 (1980 Ladies)

  6. Donna Doman: 1 (1983 Mixed Doubles)

  7. Juanda Matthews: 1 (1981 Mixed Doubles with Frank Cardone)

  8. June Field: 1 (1982 Ladies)

  9. Karen Wolfson: 1 (1984 Ladies)

  10. Linda Ryke-Drucker: 1 (1987 Ladies)

  11. Loretta Huber: 1 (1988 Ladies)

  12. Lynn Harvey: 1 (1980 Mixed Doubles with A.J. Myers)

  13. Rose Pifer: 1 (1985 Ladies)

  14. Ruth Godfrey: 1 (1981 Ladies)

  15. Vera Richmond: 1 (1982 $1,000 Ace-to-Five Draw)

Most Final Tables in the 1980s 4. Barbara Freer: 2 (2 open)

  1. Betty Carey: 2 (1 open)

  2. Beverly Bergman: 2

  3. Carolyn Gardner: 2

  4. Cheryl Davis: 2 (1 open)

  5. Dani Kelly: 2

  6. Glenda Bridges: 2

  7. Joyce Ross: 2

  8. Linda Davis: 2

  9. Linda Johnson: 2

  10. Nell Kelly: 2

  11. Ruth Godfrey: 2

  12. Ruth Goldstein: 3 (1 open)

  13. Jacki Jean: 4

  14. Alma McClelland: 5 (2 open)

Most Cashes in the 1980s 5. Barbara Freer: 2 (2 open)

  1. Betty Carey: 2 (1 open)

  2. Beverly Bergman: 2

  3. Cheryl Davis: 2 (1 open)

  4. Dani Kelly: 2

  5. Glenda Bridges: 2

  6. Jenny Kaye: 2 (1 open)

  7. Joyce Ross: 2

  8. Linda Davis: 2

  9. Linda Johnson: 2

  10. Linda Ryke-Drucker: 2 (1 open)

  11. Marie St. Michael: 2 (1 open)

  12. Nell Kelly: 2

  13. Patty Robertson: 2 (2 open)

  14. Ruth Godfrey: 2

  15. Carolyn Gardner: 3 (1 open)

  16. Ruth Goldstein: 3 (1 open)

  17. Jacki Jean: 4

  18. Alma McClelland: 5 (2 open)

Most Money Won in the 1980s 10. Linda Ryke-Drucker: $18,600 ($1,800 open)

  1. Ruth Godfrey: $19,150

  2. Jacki Jean: $19,280

  3. Barbara Freer: $20,020 ($20,020 open)

  4. Carolyn Gardner: $21,175 ($2,385 open)

  5. Cheryl Davis: $23,250 ($19,250 open)

  6. Betty Carey: $35,050 ($24,800 open)

  7. Vera Richmond: $38,500 ($38,500 open)

  8. Robin Brown: $53,000 ($53,000 open)

  9. Alma McClelland: $61,760 ($36,500 open)

Vera Richmond became the first woman to win an open event, defeating a field of 77 players in the 1982 $1,000 Ace-to-Five Draw for $38,500. Donna Doman and her husband Jim became the first spouses to both win bracelets in the 1983 Mixed Doubles. Alma McLelland cashed in the Ladies event three times and in the $1,000 Limit Razz twice. Barbara Freer also reached two open final tables. Jacki Jean made the final table in the Ladies three times and the Mixed once. Robin Brown won the most money in open events, setting a women's single-event record of $53,000 for third place in the 1989 $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Oct 15, 2024, 7:01 PM#165

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58749035#post58749035)

Including only the data in the above lists (i.e., 1970-2019), it's Hellmuth, Seidel (forgot about him, eh?), Cunningham, Ivey, Ferguson, Madsen, Chiu, Flack, Yoon, & Men Nguyen.Adding 2020 through 2023, inserts three of the four GGPoker $5,000 Main Event winners (2020 Stoyan Madanzhiev #2, 2022 Eric Mattsson #8, & 2023 Bert Stevens #10). 2021 winner Aleksei Vandyshev is just ou... See full post

Yes, I remembered Seidel a few days ago. He’s over $1M ahead of Ivey and over $2.65M behind Hellmuth which sums everything up nicely. What a run AC went on, incredible money won per bracelet won ratio. Speaking of which, let’s add a minimum of three bracelets won with at least one in a non-regular NLHE event qualification. So that leaves IIDIC: Hellmuth Seidel Cunningham Ivey Ferguson Madsen Negreanu Chiu (I forgot about him too) Yoon Which passes the eye test but also hoses John Hennigan & Scott Seiver, who each have multiple bracelets in non-NLHE $10K events. Yoon also goes way up the list if his two bracelets in those events are added in. In my drinking days I gladly would’ve spent a weekend parsing every guy’s cashes….

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Oct 15, 2024, 7:28 PM#166

Sigh…at a brief glance Hellmuth has over $2M in cashes in non-ME $10K’s including bracelets in Bounty NLHE & Razz. He also has three seconds, as well as a runnerup in the $50K Players. poker world waves white flag

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Oct 22, 2024, 8:23 AM#167

Was reminded of this tonight; Thank God the full video exists. Absolute must watch, all 135 minutes of it. For the first time since April 3rd, I sincerely wish I could still drink.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FknhCqXzPeE YouTube Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu & Phil Hellmuth Clash in WSOP Tournament of Champions (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FknhCqXzPeE)

How about a Top Ten moments from it? Some suggestions: 10. The intro, which has me fired up after twenty years, even though I know what happens. 7. The undercurrent of sexism. 4. AnnieÂ’s management of #7. 2. Imagining the ride home between the two players who most likely shared a ride to the studio.

  1. You need to ask, even before watching?
rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 22, 2024, 4:36 PM#168

by BullyEyelash m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58760857#post58760857)

Was reminded of this tonight; Thank God the full video exists. Absolute must watch, all 135 minutes of it. For the first time since April 3rd, I sincerely wish I could still drink.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FknhCqXzPeE YouTube Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu & Phil Hellmuth Clash in WSOP Tournament of Champions (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FknhCqXzPeE)

Don't have time to watch this anytime soon, but thanks for posting. Rumor has it that an agreement was made as soon as Daniel "No Deals" Negreanu busted.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 22, 2024, 4:41 PM#169

Best of the 1990s, Women Here's a look at the top female players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 1990 to 1999. Most Bracelets in the 1990s 3. Christina Pie: 1 (1999 Ladies)

  1. Donna Ward: 1 (1991 Ladies)

  2. Linda Johnson: 1 (1997 $1,500 Razz)

  3. Mandy Commanda: 1 (1998 Ladies as Amanda Thompson)

  4. Maria Stern: 1 (1997 $1,500 Seven-Card Stud)

  5. Marie Gabert: 1 (1990 Ladies)

  6. Phyllis Kessler: 1 (1993 Ladies)

  7. Shari Flanzer: 1 (1992 Ladies)

  8. Starla Brodie: 1 (1995 Ladies)

  9. Barbara Enright: 2 (1994 Ladies & 1996 $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em)

  10. Susie Isaacs: 2 (1996 & 1997 Ladies)

Most Final Tables in the 1990s 6. Barbara Enright: 3 (2 open)

  1. Brenda Jacobus: 3 (2 open)

  2. Carolyn Gardner: 3 (1 open)

  3. Cyndy Violette: 3 (1 open)

  4. Jenny Kaye: 3

  5. Mim Penney: 3 (2 open)

  6. Phyllis Meyers: 3 (1 open)

  7. Starla Brodie: 3

  8. Esther Rossi: 4

  9. Phyllis Kessler: 4 (1 open)

  10. Susie Isaacs: 4

  11. Marsha Waggoner: 6 (4 open)

  12. Annie Duke: 7 (7 open)

Most Cashes in the 1990s 8. Barbara Enright: 4 (3 open)

  1. Brenda Jacobus: 4 (3 open)

  2. Carolyn Gardner: 4 (2 open)

  3. Cyndy Violette: 4 (2 open)

  4. Jenny Kaye: 4 (1 open)

  5. Kathy Liebert: 4 (3 open)

  6. Phyllis Meyers: 4 (2 open)

  7. Terry King (CA): 4

  8. Linda Ryke-Drucker: 5 (5 open)

  9. Lucy Rokach: 5 (5 open)

  10. Phyllis Kessler: 5 (2 open)

  11. Esther Rossi: 6 (4 open)

  12. Susie Isaacs: 6 (1 open)

  13. Marsha Waggoner: 12 (9 open)

  14. Annie Duke: 14 (14 open)

Most Money Won in the 1990s 10. Lucy Rokach: $93,910 ($93,910 open)

  1. Linda Johnson: $98,175 ($98,175 open)

  2. Mim Penney: $107,190 ($103,390 open)

  3. Susie Isaacs: $137,265 ($40,000 open)

  4. Maria Stern: $154,458 ($147,808 open)

  5. Kathy Liebert: $159,270 ($157,770 open)

  6. Mimi Tran: $182,295 ($182,295 open)

  7. Marsha Waggoner: $211,735 ($202,525 open)

  8. Annie Duke: $331,884 ($331,884 open)

  9. Barbara Enright: $334,560 ($296,160 open)

1997 was the first year that two women (Linda Johnson and Maria Stern) won open bracelets. Barbara Enright won the only other open bracelet (1996 $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em). In open events, Annie Duke reached the most final tables (7), cashed the most times (14), and won the most money ($331,884).

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Oct 22, 2024, 9:25 PM#170

by rjen47 m (https://www.twoplustwo.com/post?postId=58761182#post58761182)

Don't have time to watch this anytime soon, but thanks for posting. Rumor has it that an agreement was made as soon as Daniel "No Deals" Negreanu busted.

I always assumed they each took $200K before starting, but I do vaguely recall Danny making a big deal out of no deals. That said, it was obvious, to me anyway, that aside from Doyle & Chip, most of them very much wanted to win it regardless. I don’t think the final three were good enough actors to have faked their emotions. Had forgotten Annie was exactly a week older than me.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Oct 29, 2024, 5:04 PM#171

Best of the 2000s, Women Here's a look at the top female players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 2000 to 2009. Most Bracelets in the 2000s 3. Annette Obrestad: 1 (2007 WSOP Europe Main Event)

  1. Annie Duke: 1 (2004 $3,000 Omaha Hi-Lo)

  2. Barb Rugolo: 1 (2003 Ladies)

  3. Catherine Brown: 1 (2002 Ladies)

  4. Clare Miller: 1 (2006 $1,000 Seniors)

  5. Crystal Doan: 1 (2004 Ladies [a.k.a. Huong Doan])

  6. Cyndy Violette: 1 (2004 $2,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo)

  7. Jennifer Tilly: 1 (2005 Ladies)

  8. Jerri Thomas: 1 (2000 $1,500 Seven-Card Stud)

  9. Kathy Liebert: 1 (2004 $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout)

  10. Katja Thater: 1 (2007 $1,500 Razz)

  11. Lisa Hamilton: 1 (2009 Ladies)

  12. Mary Jones Meyer: 1 (2006 Ladies)

  13. Sally Boyer: 1 (2007 Ladies)

  14. Svetlana Gromenkova: 1 (2008 Ladies)

  15. Vanessa Selbst: 1 (2008 $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha)

  16. Jen Harman: 2 (2000 $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw & 2002 $5,000 Limit Hold 'Em)

  17. Nani Dollison: 3 (2000 & 2001 Ladies and 2001 $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em)

Most Final Tables in the 2000s 10. Anh Le: 2

  1. Beth Shak: 2 (1 open)

  2. Cecilia Mortensen: 2 (1 open)

  3. J.J. Liu: 2 (1 open)

  4. Karina Jett: 2

  5. Katja Thater: 2 (1 open)

  6. Maria Stern: 2

  7. Marsha Waggoner: 2

  8. Millie Shiu: 2 (1 open)

  9. Mimi Tran: 2 (2 open)

  10. Phyllis Meyers: 2 (1 open)

  11. Susan Abraham: 2

  12. Susan Pritchett: 2 (1 open)

  13. Melissa Hayden: 3 (3 open)

  14. Nani Dollison: 3 (1 open)

  15. Patty Gallagher: 3 (2 open)

  16. Vanessa Selbst: 5 (4 open)

  17. Jerri Thomas: 6 (4 open)

  18. Kathy Liebert: 6 (6 open)

  19. Annie Duke: 8 (8 open)

  20. Cyndy Violette: 8 (7 open)

  21. Jen Harman: 8 (8 open)

Most Cashes in the 2000s 10. Jerri Thomas: 10 (7 open)

  1. Maureen Feduniak: 10 (9 open)

  2. Melissa Hayden: 11 (10 open)

  3. Sarah Bilney: 11 (11 open)

  4. Vanessa Rousso: 11 (10 open)

  5. J.J. Liu: 12 (10 open)

  6. Mimi Tran: 18 (17 open)

  7. Jen Harman: 21 (21 open)

  8. Annie Duke: 23 (23 open)

  9. Cyndy Violette: 23 (22 open)

  10. Kathy Liebert: 27 (25 open)

Most Money Won in the 2000s 10. Leo Margets: $352,832 ($352,832 open)

  1. Beth Shak: $363,118 ($346,738 open)

  2. Tiffany Williamson: $400,000 ($400,000 open)

  3. Nani Dollison: $599,515 ($498,705 open)

  4. Vanessa Selbst: $605,929 ($585,449 open)

  5. Jen Harman: $721,456 ($721,456 open)

  6. Cyndy Violette: $786,443 ($781,343 open)

  7. Annie Duke: $806,615 ($806,615 open)

  8. Kathy Liebert: $812,072 ($807,350 open)

  9. Annette Obrestad: $2,013,733 ($2,013,733 open)

Jen Harman was the only female to win two open bracelets (the first with two in her career). 2004 was the first year that three women (Cyndy Violette, Kathy Liebert, and Annie Duke) each won an open bracelet. Kathy Liebert had the most open cashes (25), two more than Annie Duke. Annie Duke and Jen Harman both reached 8 open final tables, one more than Cyndy Violette. Annette Obrestad lapped the money leaderboard by winning the inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Nov 5, 2024, 6:02 PM#172

Best of the 2010s, Women Here's a look at the top female players by bracelets, final tables (defined as top 9 paid places for simplicity), cashes, and money won from 2010 to 2019. Most Bracelets in the 2010s 4. Allyn Shulman: 1 (2012 Seniors)

  1. Carol Fuchs: 1 (2015 $1,500 Dealers Choice 6-Max)

  2. Courtney Kennedy: 1 (2016 Ladies)

  3. Dana Castaneda: 1 (2013 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em)

  4. Farhintaj Bonyadi: 1 (2018 Super Seniors)

  5. Haixia Zhang: 1 (2014 Ladies)

  6. Heidi May: 1 (2017 Ladies)

  7. Jackie Glazier: 1 (2013 Ladies)

  8. Jacquelyn Scott: 1 (2015 Ladies)

  9. Jessica Dawley: 1 (2018 Ladies)

  10. Jiyoung Kim: 1 (2019 Ladies)

  11. Liv Boeree: 1 (2017 $10,000 Tag Team with Igor Kurganov)

  12. Marsha Wolak-Barnett: 1 (2011 Ladies)

  13. Nikita Luther: 1 (2018 $1,000 Tag Team with Giuseppe Pantaleo)

  14. Safiya Umerova: 1 (2016 $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout)

  15. Stephanie Dao: 1 (2019 $3,000 Limit Hold 'Em Six 6-Handed)

  16. Susan Faber: 1 (2019 $500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Salute to Warriors)

  17. Vanessa Hellebuyck: 1 (2010 Ladies)

  18. Yen Dang: 1 (2012 Ladies)

  19. Kristen Bicknell: 2 (2013 Ladies & 2016 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em)

  20. Loni Harwood: 2 (2013 $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em & 2015 $10,000 Circuit National Championship)

  21. Vanessa Selbst: 2 (2012 $2,500 10-Game 6-Max & 2014 $25,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em)

Most Final Tables in the 2010s 8. Amanda Musumeci: 3 (2 open)

  1. Elizabeth Montizanti: 3 (2 open)

  2. Kate Hoang: 3 (3 open)

  3. Tara Cain: 3 (2 open)

  4. Haixia Zhang: 4 (3 open)

  5. Kristen Foxen: 4 (3 open)

  6. Melissa Burr: 4 (4 open)

  7. Esther Taylor-Brady: 5 (5 open)

  8. Maria Ho: 5 (5 open)

  9. Vanessa Selbst: 5 (5 open)

  10. Loni Harwood: 7 (7 open)

Most Cashes in the 2010s 10. Maria Lampropulos: 26 (25 open)

  1. Samantha Cohen: 27 (27 open)

  2. Allyn Shulman: 30 (24 open)

  3. J.J. Liu: 30 (29 open)

  4. Kathy Liebert: 30 (29 open)

  5. Jamie Kerstetter: 31 (29 open)

  6. Kristen Foxen: 33 (32 open)

  7. Melanie Weisner: 35 (33 open)

  8. Loni Harwood: 45 (45 open)

  9. Maria Ho: 50 (48 open)

Most Money Won in the 2010s 10. Gaelle Baumann: $690,607 ($675,575 open)

  1. Natasha Mercier: $713,989 ($710,998 open)

  2. Allyn Shulman: $751,810 ($146,543 open)

  3. Amanda Musumeci: $784,695 ($747,705 open)

  4. Kristen Foxen: $823,641 ($649,719 open)

  5. Jackie Glazier: $900,327 ($864,930 open)

  6. Esther Taylor-Brady: $1,000,521 ($997,783 open)

  7. Maria Ho: $1,353,617 ($1,349,759 open)

  8. Vanessa Selbst: $1,595,425 ($1,589,225 open)

  9. Loni Harwood: $1,619,449 ($1,619,449 open)

In open events, Vanessa Selbst and Kristen Bicknell tied for the most bracelets with 2, Loni Harwood had the most final tables with 7 and the most earnings with $1,619,449, and Maria Ho had the most cashes with 48.

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Nov 12, 2024, 8:12 PM#173

November Nine Factoids 10. Five of the November Nine champions were American (Joe Cada, Greg Merson, Ryan Riess, Joe McKeehen, and Qui Nguyen), while the other four hailed from Denmark (Peter Eastgate), Canada (Jonathan Duhamel), Germany (Pius Heinz), and Sweden (Martin Jacobson). Fifty of the 81 November Niners were American (61.7%). The only other country with more than two players was Canada with 6.

  1. Greg Merson was the only November Nine champ who already owned a bracelet. Merson captured the $10,000 Six Handed No Limit Hold 'Em event just two days before the 2012 Main Event started.

  2. Merson was also the only November Niner to capture WSOP Player of the Year honors. He needed to win to overtake Phil Hellmuth, and he did, sending the Poker Brat to an amazing third runner-up finish without a title.

  3. The chip leader held on to win only twice: Jonathan Duhamel in 2010 and Joe McKeehen in 2015. J.C. Tran suffered the biggest fall, finishing fifth.

  4. The short stack finished ninth only three times. Jeremy Ausmus managed to get all the way up to fifth in 2012.

  5. The shortest stack to win was Martin Jacobson, who came all the way back from eighth in chips in 2014.

  6. Belgian Pierre Neuville was the oldest November Niner at age 72 in 2015. Only five others could have played in the WSOP Seniors (minimum age 50): Neil Blumenfield (61 in 2015), Steven Gee (56 in 2012), Dennis Phillips (53 in 2008), Kevin Schaffel (52 in 2009), and Cliff Josephy (51 in 2016).

  7. Mark Newhouse was the only player to reach multiple November Nines. He finished ninth both times, especially disappointing in 2014 when he started third in chips, the highest starting position to exit first.

  8. Each of the first eight November Nine champions was in his twenties, from the youngest of the November Niners, 21-year-old Joe Cada in 2009, to the relatively ancient 27-year-old Martin Jacobson in 2015. Qui Nguyen ruined the streak in the final November Nine in 2016 at age 39.

  9. The November Nine era fittingly ran for nine years (2008 to 2016), although the 2012 "November" Nine actually took place in October. (The 2016 November Nine resumed in late October but finished in November.)

rjen47Regular70 posts
Posted Nov 19, 2024, 7:38 PM#174

Hardest Main Event Champions to Rhyme Specifically, I mean rhyming the last name (or the first and last if the last is a single syllable). The stressed syllable should match in the rhyme. Each entry in this list rhymes the name as part of a clerihew (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerihew). I posted the complete list of 49 Main Even... (https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/63/lounge-discussion-review/clerihews-every-wsop-main-event-champion-1843060/#post58798708) in its own Lounge thread. 10. Mansour Matloubi. Late in the 1990 Main Event, perhaps it was meant to be As the Iranian-Brit twice got the dealer to deliver First a two-outer eight and then a two-outer ten on the river.

  1. Dan Harrington Loved his green Red Sox cap so much he final tabled the '04 Main Event wearing one. He won the whole shebang in '95, but his back-to-back final tables were just as impressive no doubt, Leading to Boston ending their 86-year World Series drought.

  2. Espen Jorstad Was of course glad To win $10,000,000, which buys a lot more beer in London, where he moved partly for tax defiance, Than in Copenhagen, where he earned his degree in brewing science.

  3. Noel Furlong And his Irish contingent rarely were wrong. The Christmas baby proved that at age 61, he wasn't in decline, Becoming the oldest Main Event winner not named Moss in '99.

  4. Jonathan Duhamel. With his big stack, the Canadian stayed calm well. But a year later his scheming ex-girlfriend abetted some foolery Having him beat up while taking his WSOP jewelry.

  5. Jim Bechtel. In '93, the cotton farmer hit the deck well. The Arizonan waited a record 26 more years To once again hear the cheers.

  6. Brad Daugherty Sold his bracelet for charity. Not to be confused with the Cleveland Cavalier's Big Train, The Missourian collected the WSOP's first million dollar prize in the '91 Main.

  7. Jonathan Tamayo. Not your average guy pro. At impropriety accusations he'd scoff Then advise, "Fold queens. Play 8-3 off."

  8. Bryan "Sailor" Roberts Sometimes a job hurts. When the '75 champ was on the road sharing Slim's & Doyle's Bankroll, robbers with guns hijacked all their spoils.

  9. Hamid Dastmalchi. Before the '92 Main Event final table by the wall, he Inverted into a headstand to get his blood flowing, Which also worked on the chips that his way were going.

BullyEyelashShark159 posts
Posted Nov 20, 2024, 2:58 AM#175

HA! Never thought I would tell anyone this, but here we are. Long ago, in a fine drunken frenzy, I had somehow been simultaneously been reading Bob CiaffoneÂ’s account of his fateful hand against Johnny Chan at the 1987 Final Table, a bodybuilding article, and Alice In Wonderland, when the following doggerel popped into my head: Bobby Ciaffone, Shot up Nandrolone, To help build a really big stack. But old Johnny Chan, Found the syringe in the can, And Bob had to give it all back! IIRC Three handed, Chan 50% of the chips (approximately), Bob 40%, Frank Henderson 10%.

Chan raises on button, Bob reraises in BB with KQo (sigh), Chan calls. Flop AQx. Bob bets, Chan snapshoves, Bob crycalls. Chan Ax, see ya.

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