WSOP 2005: Meet the Final Nine - A Disclaimer

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Black. Lazar. Hachem. The hallowed halls of poker history ring with the names of…

Wait, who the hell are these guys? We’ve heard of Mike Matusow to be sure, and we know Andy Black is a European poker pro we’d never recognize on the street. So we’re one-for-nine here in known quantities, and that makes it rather difficult to give you the insight you need to keep track of the action.

So let’s get ready to meet the final nine. We’ll start with Joe Hachem, and will give you bios on these guys throughout the day. We’ve assembled a crack team of research interns who have been wringing their sources* dry of any information we can dig up on the final table’s participants for you. As the day rolls on, we’ll continue to check and double check our information, giving you the thoroughly accurate and wholly realistic coverage you’ve come to expect from Oddjack.

*By “sources” we mean Google and by “interns,” we mean the same Oddjack staff as any other day. It’s not our fault, our boss keeps bouncing our “Oddjack Featuring Special Guests Starla, Destiny, and Candi Live From Las Vegas” pitch. You’d think a guy who roasts his Ahi Tuna on a cedar plank wrapped in $20 bills could afford to send his hardworking pseudo-journalist bastard step-children to Vegas. But no, so we’re stuck doing most of this from our imagination. Seriously, if you know any of these guys and have a “hot tip” on their background - underground bukkake video, baby seal clubbing society membership, whatever - email us at tips@oddjack.com.

WSOP 2005: Three Tables Remain - Chip Counts and Odds

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Day Five rolled to a close late last night at the Rio in Las Vegas, and ESPN has to be giddy like a crackhead with a new DVD player to hustle that Greg Raymer, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, and Phil Ivey are all pointing towards the final table. Hell, we’re giddy. We’re all for the regular guy making good gambling - we wouldn’t be sharing the wisdom of our elders with you if we weren’t. But give us good TV. Let the NBA put some of their referees on the floor to make sure we get the desired result. For the love of god, please.

Chip counts going into Day Six (courtesy of Tao of Poker):

1. Mike Matusow (Las Vegas, NV) $5.14M
2. Phil Ivey (Las Vegas, NV) $4.635M
3. Steven Dannenmann (Severn, MD) $4.3M
4. Tex Barch (McKinney, TX) $3.9M
5. Greg “Fossil Man” Raymer (Stonington, CT) $3.84
6. Brad Koudrachi (Kingston, PA) $3.16M
7. Joseph Hachem (Melbourne, Australia $3.125M
8. Scott Lazar (Studio City, CA) $3.025M
9. Michael Kessler (Spotsylvania, VA) $2.7M
10. Daniel Bergsdorf (Umea, Sweden) $2.55M
11. Andrew Black (Dublin, Ireland) $2.09M
12. Minh Ly (Las Vegas, NV) $2.050M
13. Aaron Kanter (Lodi) $1.925M
14. Tuan Vu (Las Vegas, NV) $1.87M
15. Tim Phan (Westminster) $1.575M
16. Oskar Silow (Goteborg, Sweden) $1.44M
17. Bryant King Liberty Lake $1.44M
18. Conor Tate (Bury, Ireland) $1.265M
19. Tiffany Williamsen London, UK $1.125M
20. Joe Connor Atlanta, GA $1.065M
21. Tom Sartorv (Buffalo, NY) $805K
22. Johnny Howard (Lexington Park, MD) $730K
23. Bernard Lee (Wayland, MA) $710K
24. Per Hildebrand (Stockholm, Sweden) $645K
25. John McGrane (London, UK) $575K
26. Shahram Shublem (Las Vegas, NV) $310K
27. Ayhan Alsancak (Goteborg, Sweden) $225K

Centrebet.com has also released their updated win-it-all odds list for the remainder of the tournament:

3-1 Phil Ivey
5-1 Greg Raymer
6-1 Steve Dannenmann
6-1 Mike Matusow
10-1 Tex Barch
10-1 Andrew Black
15-1 Daniel Bergsdorf
15-1 Joe Hachem
15-1 Michael Kessler
15-1 Scott Lazar
20-1 Aaron Kanter
20-1 Minh Ly
20-1 Tim Phan
20-1 Tommy Vu
25-1 Bryant King
25-1 Brad Kondracki
25-1 Oskar Silow
25-1 Connor Tate
40-1 Joe Connor
40-1 Bernard Lee
40-1 Tom Sartori
50-1 Johnny Howard
50-1 Tiffany Williamson
80-1 Per Hildebrand
80-1 John McGrane
100-1 Shawn Sheikhan
150-1 Ayhan Alsancak

It’s still too early to declare a favorite, but we’re going with Carmel Petresco. Yeah, we know - she got bounced out a couple days ago. Screw you, she’s our favorite.

Daily WSOP blow-by-blow [Tao of Poker]
WSOP daily recaps [LasVegasVegas]

WSOP 2005: Day 4 Final Chip Count

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Courtesy of LasVegasVegas, here are your official chip counts as we go into WSOP Day 5. Note that Greg Raymer’s stack is well-depleted from where he started yesterday:

Tim Phan Westminster $3,244,000
Mike Matusow Las Vegas, NV $2,561,000
Farzad Bonyadi Los Angeles, CA $2,402,000
Steve Danaman Severn, MD $2,143,000
Phil Ivey $2,027,000
Tex Barch McKinney, TX $2,025,000
Tiffany Williamson London $1,992,000
Johnny Howard Lexington Park $1,806,000
Scott Lazar Studio City, CA $1,629,000
Tuan Vu Las Vegas $1,571,000
Gregory Rice Birmingham $1,414,000
Raymi Sanchesz Thorn Stockholm $1,288,000
Lee Watkinson $1,221,000
Tom Sartori Buffalo, NY $1,208,000
Daniel Bergsdorf Umea $1,144,000
Brad Koundracki Kingston, PA $1,136,000
Minh Ly Las Vegas, NV $1,102,000
Terry Burt Mesa, AZ $1,080,000
Steve Marx Bellevue, WA $1,042,000
Per Hildebrand Stockholm $1,017,000
Michael Kessler Spotsylvania $986,000
Shahram $983,000
Patrick Hayden Ribs $972,000
Dustin Woolf Los Angeles $968,000
John Juanda Marina Del Rey $841,000
Joseph Hachem Melbourne $814,000
Nick Givson Windsor, UK $811,000
John McGrane London, UK $780,880
Aaron Kanter Lodi $778,000
Ayhan Alsancak Gothenburg $775,000
Greg Raymer Stonington, CT $766,000
Radu Butan London, ON $762,000
Bing Wang Jersey City $739,000
Oskar Silow Sweden $720,000
Adam Friedman Gahanna, OH $719,000
James Butt Buckley, WA $716,000
Russell “The Muscle” Salzer $710,000
Bryant King Liberty, UK $702,000
Frankling Caldwel Lexington $690,000
Yakov Hirsch Brooklyn, NY $658,000
Joe Connor Atlanta, GA $641,000
Mark Forrester Preston, UK $628,000
Karlo Lopez Puerto Rico $607,000
Joe Stillman Staten Island $584,000
Kevin Kaikko Princeton, NJ $571,000
Tony Abesamis West Covina, CA $513,000
Kenna James Los Angeles, CA $510,000
Hung La MB, CA $505,000
David Richardson Englewood $501,000
Roland Israelashvici New York $469,000
Francis W O’Brie Tunica Resorts $423,000
Bernard Lee Wayland, MA $379,000
Andrew Black Dublin $371,000
Conor Tate Bury M/Cr $368,000
Derek Dix Chico, CA $202,000
Rod Pardey Jr. Las Vegas, NV $187,000
Larry Prugh Macomb, MI $166,000
Jarl Lindholt Aarhus, Denmark $101,000

Day 4 final chip count [LasVegasVegas]

WSOP 2005: Prof Goes Home, The Mouth Is Chewing Through The Field

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Near the chip lead after Day 4? Mike “The Mouth” Matusow with roughly $2.5M. Think ESPN is drooling over the drama a final table featuring Matusow and Greg Raymer might bring? In the 2004 WSOP Matusow’s gloating got under Raymer’s skin, and in a famous incident Raymer refused to shake Matusow’s hand when he did the non-apology apology for his boorish behavior. Expect ESPN to play this possible collision of titans to the max in their coverage.

Also pointing to the final table is Phil Ivey. He’s one of the 58 players remaining, and has around $2M in chips - which is a little over twice the average of $968K. Also notable, Internet player Tiffany Williamson, a Columbia Law School grad who swam the low buy-in satellite waters ($10) to get here, took down a $2M pot late last night. She may not be the woman to end up with the best finishing position in WSOP history, but no woman has ever held more chips at any point in the WSOP.

Notable bust outs yesterday include Howard “The Professor” Lederer, former WSOP champ Russ Hamilton, Jason Lester, director Nick Cassavetes, Paul Darden, and (thank you Buddha) Dutch Freaking Boyd.

Day 4 blow-by-blow [Tao of Poker]
Daily recaps [LasVegasVegas]

Merciful Gods Reward Oddjack: Jackpot Jay Pink Slipped

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Jesus is listening to our prayers. Journalist-cum-dumbass “Jackpot” Jay Lovinger has reportedly written his last column for ESPN.

In his final column, he accurately sums up the frustration of his dozens of readers:

I’ve received a lot of criticism from the long-standing institutions of poker — news sites, chat rooms, bloggers — for everything from my lack of poker knowledge to my lack of writing ability to my choice of subject matter to my ignorance of pop culture to the photo that accompanies my column.

Um, wait. Did he basically just say “everyone hates me because I suck as a poker player and writer, and I’m ugly to boot?” Yeah, we don’t care how marginally out of context that quote might be. We’re taking it to the bank.

Thank you Disney Corp, you big faceless monstrosity bringing pre-packaged craptanimation to generations of American children too lazy to open a book. You have finally given the public something they’ve been crying for. Now can we point you in the direction of someone who knows what he’s talking about when it comes to poker?

We could kiss Dan M from Pokerati full on the mouth in gleeful glee-ridden glee for breaking this news.

Beer’s on us today. Seriously. Go ahead and tell your local bartender or party store owner to put it on our tab.

Adios Jackpot Jay [Pokerati]
ESPN
Previously: Jackpot Jay Gets All Sweaty About WSOP; Gets Put Into Place [Oddjack]

WSOP: Latest Chip Counts

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Of course, the mad geniuses at LasVegasvegas already have the latest chip counts stacked and ready from Day 3 of the Main Event. And guess who is still hanging around? In addition to the chip counts, the LVV breaks down the Greg “Fossilman” Raymer’s possibly historic run to be the first man since Johnny Fucking Chan to repeat. With the crush of media covering this event, it’s nice to see these guys blowing everybody else out of the bong water. Check back in with them often with them throughout the tournament to witness blogging/journalistic greatness. Yes, we know, this was a little over the top and gushy, but that’s what happens when somebody spikes your Grape Nuts with MDMA. Now, proceed.

Top 10 Chip Counts:

1.Greg Raymer $1,064,000
2.Rodney Pardey Jr $1,041,000
3.Brad Kondracki $962,500
4.Johnny Howard $910,500
5.Bob Larsen $796,500
6.Tim Phan $746,000
7.Phil Ivey $722,500
8.Steve Marx $679,500
9.S Bartholomew $659,000
10.Gabe Wells $655,500

WSOP 2005: A Cinderella Story?

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Yes, anything can happen between now and the final table. But with 185 of the original 5,800 players remaining, guess who’s got the chip lead…

WSOP Coverage [PokerStars Blog]
Live blow-by-blow WSOP reporting [Tao of Poker]

WSOP 2005: Here Is Where You Follow The Main Event Action

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

We remember the hubris of NBC a few years ago when they carried the Olympics in a “plausibly live” format. Nothing like stumbling across Women’s Javelin results online and having your planned evening viewing of that event effectively ruined. Since then, we’ve always relied on the Internet to provide us the best and most up-to-date coverage of events the networks can’t possibly carry live. If you’re the type who needs to know, needs to know now, and wants a little flavor with your coverage, then we’ve got some suggestions for you. If you want to be surprised in early September when ESPN cobbles together their World Series of Poker coverage, then forget we’re even having this conversation at all. We dig spoilers.

You know what? We’ll even do you the favor of putting the links here after the jump. You’re welcome.

The Hardest Workin’ Man In Poker

If we had a blue ribbon or gold medal or case of Turtle Wax to award to the WSOP reporter busting his hump more than any other right now, we’d have to give it out to Dr. Pauly. His blog has become a must-read for those of us looking for a little taste of what life is like on the floor of the Rio, at nearby bars flirting with hookers, and in the shuffling madness of his apartment somewhere on the seedy side of Vegas’ soft underbelly. For example:

I woke up to the sounds of things breaking. My wake up call this morning was a “domestic dispute” and it involved a meth-addicted couple up on the third floor of my unit at the Redneck Riviera. It looked like a scene from a bad romance movie. The skinny guy with bad tattoos was standing outside while his girlfriend threw all his stuff off the balcony and shouted obscenities. The last remains of a VCR were scattered on the walkway while he dodged the heavier items. Dozens of articles of clothing were spread out while several onlooker gawked until Las Vegas metro police showed up. I expected to see a COPS camera crew jump out of a production van.

Just another Sunday morning. Don’t any of these people go to church?

Pauly updates live as the tournament progresses, and keeps it lively all day long.

Besides the blog, Pauly is also working for Poker Player Newspaper (and little sister LasVegasVegas), where his daily tournament updates can be found, and at Fox Sports, where the pieces are a little closer to editorial than reporting. Surprisingly, the evil hand of Rupert Murdoch hasn’t yet forced Pauly to spin his content to somehow reflect positively on the Bush administration, so read up before the propaganda starts to trickle in.

Lastly, for those of you who enjoy podcasts, Pauly is a weekly contributor to the excellent Card Club podcast, delivered by the Lord Admiral boys out of Canada. They touch on all things poker, and manage to keep it interesting each and every week. Pauly and Cincinnati Sean (the host) touch on all things WSOP in their segment, and manage to deliver an entertaining hour of listening.

The Big Boys Blog Too

Speaking of podcasts, “Celebrity Poker Showdown” co-host Phil Gordon has been running a series of podcasts from the day the WSOP started in early June. His access to top pros and expert opinions make this a must-download to your iPod or Rio.

Other media outlets have jumped on the WSOP-blog bandwagon, including Cigar Aficionado and Slate. Cigar features the verbose and eloquent Michael Kaplan, who may not update frequently, but certainly delivers more than just dry hand histories and chip counts. Slate has enlisted blogging poker pro Paul Phillips to capture the excitement on the floor of the Rio. Amusingly enough, Phillips hasn’t dialed down his normal blogging style, talking in one post about switching ADD drugs to help him focus without getting hyper, and in another about how the F-Bomb managed to get him bounced from Binion’s Horseshoe a few years ago. Good stuff.

Another excellent blog, despite it’s laser focus on players from its own online poker portal, is the blog from PokerStars. Brad “Otis” Willis and Howard Swain spin well-crafted tales detailing the efforts of those sporting the PokerStars logo scattered across the room. The quality of the stories here are unmatched on the web, and this remains a great place to check the repeat efforts of PokerStars’ own Greg Raymer as well.

Finally, if what you’re in the mood for is just a quick chip count update, Card Player can deliver. Their content is not as engaging as most other outlets, but their ability to gather information quickly and get it on the web is unmatched. Rumor has it they have over a dozen reporters on the floor, and update the status of the remaining big guns in the tournament all day long.

We hope this helps you get your information fix, and can hold you over until ESPN starts to flood the airwaves with poker day and night.

Live blogging from the floor of the Rio [Tao Of Poker]
Card Club Podcast [Lord Admiral Radio]
Daily WSOP recaps [PokerPlayer]
WSOP articles [Fox Sports]
More WSOP recaps [LasVegasVegas]
Michael Kaplan’s blog [Cigar Aficionado]
Paul Phillips’ WSOP blog [Slate]
Otis and Howard from the floor [PokerStars]
Chip counts, reporting, and exit interviews [CardPlayer]
Phil Gordon’s podcast [Expert Insight]

WSOP 2005: Day One, Day One, Day One, and Day Two

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

It had to have been a sleepless night for about five dozen players still alive in the World Series of Poker’s Main Event. Why? Well, to have survived two days is a hell of an accomplishment, but here’s where it really starts to matter. The players scraping the bottom of the barrel, including short-stacked Dennis January of Vancouver, BC ($1,350 remaining) are on the bubble.

The magic number for the day is NINE. As in, 560 players get paid, 569 remain alive. We’re not betting that Dennis January is going to have a Cinderella story to tell unless the poker gods are real kind in those first ten minutes today.

So who’s leading the pack right now? How about just the top ten? Chip counts courtesy of LasVegasVegas:

Rod Pardey Jr Las Vegas, NV $464,000
James Pollack Charlotte, NC $447,500
Tim Phan Westminster, CA $445,500
Bryan Stellwagen Huntington, NY $377,200
Bob Hotchandani Belize $372,700
Lee Watkinson Cheney, WA $336,800
Jon Lane Osh Kosh, WI $331,800
Russ Salzer New York $326,000
Greg “Fossilman” Raymer Stonington, CT $318,700
Yakov Hirsch Brooklyn, NY $318,100

Day 2 Wrap-up [PokerStars Blog]
Day 2 Recap [LasVegasVegas]

WSOP 2005: Former Pretty Boy Gets Bounced

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

From intrepid on-the-floor reporter Dr. Pauly, flight #2 of the World Series of Poker Main Event is underway, and we have our first casualty.

Since this is effectively the first day of the tournament for the 1800-odd players in the room today, busting out first is an ignominious honor at best. Who better, then, to bear the burden than a washed up actor with a Dawson’s Creek credit on his resume? Oh, we’d bang Oliver Hudson’s sister Kate, even after a couple years with freaky Skeletor weirdo Chris Robinson, and we’d probably still consider popping his mom, former lovely Goldie Hawn. But to us there’s nothing better than seeing a pseudo-celebrity hit the hallway before anyone else today. This validates us as human beings, and is deeply emotionally satisfying.

We’ll give Ben Affleck, James Woods, and Tobey Maguire passes here, but is the World Series of Poker turning into the pasture where non-celebrity celebrities go to die?

The Most Eloquent WSOP Blog Around

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Like we don’t already have enough poker news to troll through everyday. Sheesh. Noted poker author and gambling journalist Michael Kaplan began his own main event poker blog for Cigar Aficionado. His second update chronicles the first day crap outs, the implosion of the Unabomber, and comedian Norm MacDonald’s new nickname for Jennifer Tilly:

Sitting across the table from the bleach-blond, Luden’s-popping Laak is his polar opposite: old-school gambler Crandall Addington, turned out in an elegant gray suit and cream-colored cowboy hat. When I stroll by in the late afternoon and notice Laak’s seat vacant, I ask Addington if the voluble young pro has busted out. “Phil did,” says Texas-accented Addington, who’s so old school that he played in the very first poker World Series, held at Reno’s Holiday Casino in 1969. “I like how he did it, though. Phil tried to take a pot and bluffed it off. But that’s awwwlright. At least he didn’t melt away.” The Bomber is in good company. Other notable first-day bust-outs include Johnny Chan, Jennifer Harman (whose full-house got cracked by a straight flush), and Thomas “Thunder” Keller. And, unlike those off-the-felt pros, Laak will have his girlfriend Jennifer Tilly (the actress snagged a bracelet at this year’s women’s tournament) to console him. Comedian and poker fanatic Norm Macdonald has dubbed her the Unabombshell.

Bombers, Bust-Outs, Botch-Ups [Cigar Aficiondao]

WSOP 2005: First Flight Chip Count

TAGS: Poker: WSOP 2005

Thanks to Prof at LasVegasVegas for compiling the list. Here’s a glimpse at some big names still in the mix:

The Top Ten:

Lee Watkinson Cheney, WA $145,800
Ed Cardona Mesa, AZ $129,475
Anthony Laughing, JR Hogansburg, NY $100,175
Kalee Tan Victoria, BC $97,325
Corey Cheresnick Coral Springs, FL $95,375
Kenny ‘The Kid’ Tran San Gabriel, CA $90,500
Carmy Banin London, UK $89,250
Tom Pniak Las Vegas, NV $88,200
John Falconer Burnley $87,875
Thomas Madsen Nykobing $87,350

Notable Names:

Layne Flack Las Vegas, NV $69,775
Liz Lieu Los Angeles, CA $57,900
Paul Darden Jr. Hamden, CT $55,100
Clonie Gowen Dallas, TX $50,475
Greg “Fossilman” Raymer Stonington, CT $39,525
Ken Adams Washington DC $34,725
Tomer Benvenisti Las Vegas, NV $33,925
David Plastik Las Vegas, NV $26,500
Jose Rosenkrantz Miami, FL $13,450
Toto Leonidas Los Angeles, CA $12,500
John Gale London $10,050
Tony Cousineau Daytona Beach, FL $10,000
Anthony Holden London, England $7,625
Gus Hanson Monaco $7,300
Jeff Shulman Las Vegas, NV $5,225

Full first flight chip count [LasVegasVegas]