WSOP

Groups of Poker tournaments held at various locations around the United States, The World Series of Poker Circuit season has already begun and kicked off the event at its first stop in Elizabeth, IN. The World Series of Poker Circuit has always been a platform where players are given exposure to the World Series of Poker, albeit on a smaller scale. Most tournaments are around the $500 buy-in range, although there are higher buy-ins. The Main Event of the circuit event comes in at a $5,000 buy-in.

Aside from a shot at Poker stardom, the winner of each circuit event receives a gold ring along with the first place prize money. On the other hand, winners of the Main Event of each Circuit series will receive an entry into the Main Event of the next year’s World Series of Poker Las Vegas. This year the circuit will be at the Horseshoe Southern Indiana from October 2 to 14. From the 24th of October to the 2nd of November, they will be at the Horseshoe Hammond in the Chicago area. They will stop by Harvey’s Lake Tahoe in Nevada from November 6 to 16 and at Harrah’s Atlantic City from December 5 to 18. They will start the New Year off at Harrah’s Tunica in Mississippi where they will be from January 20 to February 9. From February 12 to 25, they will be at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa. While from March 4 to 14 they will be at the Caesars Atlantic City and at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego from the 19th to the 29th. They will visit the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas next from April 12 to 29 and the last stop will be at the Harrah’s New Orleans where they will stay from May 8 to 20.

Majority of the events in the WSOP Circuit are No Limit Holdem, but you can expect them to mix the events up every now and then, offering H.O.R.S.E., Limit Holdem, Omaha 8 or Better, 7 Card Stud and, on much rarer occasions, Stud 8 or Better.

Many view the WSOP Circuit as the minor leagues because here you will find that many of the preliminary events are headlined and won by virtually unknown players. There will be many occasions when a first time poker player will play in an event and take one down. This is in part what the circuit is all about. One of the reasons why they hold the event is to give players at all levels a chance at WSOP glory.

Some poker professionals tend to fly in for the Main Event of the various WSOP Circuit Events where the $5,000 buy-in is part of the attraction. Another is the opportunity for media exposure because many of the Main Events are widely covered by various media outlets.

Like in the World Series of  Poker in Las Vegas, you can also satellite your way into any event at the WSOP circuit. You can win an entry into the $500 events with $65 satellites. At $125 satellites, you can enter the $1000 event. You can play all the way up to $550 satellites if you want your shot at the $5,000 buy-in Main Event. There are also mega satellites being held.

Barbara Enright is the face of female poker players all over the world, being the first to ever make the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. Born in Los Angeles, California, she has been playing the game since the tender age of four, playing five card draw against her older brother. She started playing in card rooms in 1976 while juggling several jobs to support herself and her family. She worked as a hairstylist, bartender and cocktail waitress, often holding down three jobs at once. She had never actually considered taking her game further and breaking into the professional world of Poker. However, she was diagnosed with a chronic illness that prevented her from pursuing her chosen career as a hairdresser. And with her skills, she soon started making more money playing poker part time than working all of her jobs combined. So she quit working and started a full time career as a poker player. And her hard work eventually paid off big time.

In 1995, Enright headlined a final table that featured Chuck Thompson, Captain Tom Franklin, and Dan Harrington. Harrington ended up with the title while Enright was eliminated due to an unlucky outdraw by Brent Carter. But even so, she is still widely regarded as a true Poker legend.

In 1995, Enright followed up her performance by becoming the first woman to ever win an open event at the World Series of Poker. It was the 1996 Pot Limit holdem event and she finished first to win $180,000 and the coveted gold bracelet – her third overall bracelet. She has won bracelets in the Women’s 7 card stud event in both 1986 and 1994.

Enright is best known around the poker world for her dexterity as a stud player, which was how she won many of her earlier tournament wins and cashes. She is a competent No Limit Holdem player as well with numerous cashes and 4 titles to boot. In 2007, Enright was inducted into the Professional Poker Hall of Fame – the first woman to have achieved the feat and be awarded the honor.

2008 has so far gone great for Enright. She has had 10 cashes so far in tournaments with 6 final tables and 3 wins. Earlier this year, she was inducted into the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame and tournament was held as part of the festivities. She proved herself once more as to why she was worthy of the induction by winning the event. She has been quoted for saying that most women play the game too soft. When a woman goes into a tournament and plays aggressive like a man, she can do very well.

Aside from being a pro in the poker world, Barbara Enright is also a motivational speaker and is the Editor-in-Chief of Women Poker Player magazine. But poker seems to be at the core of her life. She is even married to a fellow poker player and author, Max Shapiro. They have 11 children together.

As of recent, her total earnings from poker amount to more than $1,275,000. These days Barbara Enright is said to enjoy playing poker online as a form of relaxation. (more…)

With a total of 10 World Series of Poker bracelets under his name, Johnny Chan is undoubtedly one of the best players in WSOP history. He is just behind Phil Hellmuth by one in the total number of bracelets. Born in China, he came to the United States in 1968. Chan’s first WSOP cash was in 1983. He won his first bracelet in 1985 while his tenth was won in 2005. He still plays a full schedule with three cashes in 2008. He is popular on poker television and is considered to be one of the top 5 players in the entire World Series of Poker history.

The Main Event of the 1987 World Series of Poker Main was where Chan’s career truly started, although he already had one bracelet at that time. The final table in 1987 was full of poker’s great players such as Howard Lederer, Dan Harrington, and Mickey Appleman. But Chan proved that he was a poker player to reckon with. He beat all the top pros at the table that day and took home the title. He was up against Frank Henderson and beat him heads up to win $650 000.

In 1988, Chan again made the final table of the Main Event this time with guys like Erik Seidel, TJ Cloutier and Humberto Brenes. He again showed that he was one of the top pros in the world, besting Seidel heads up. He took home the bracelet and $700 000. In the 1989 Main Event, Chan was already the man to watch, already with back-to-back wins and three bracelets. He battled his way to be in contention for the title, and what happened was a battle that made poker history. It was Phil Hellmuth against Johnny Chan. Hellmuth took home the title, but Chan still brought home more than $300 000. After that, Chan won more bracelets and made another final table appearance in 1992.

His fourth bracelet wouldn’t be until 1994 when he won a 7 card stud tournament. His fifth was in 1997. That year, he outlasted Barry Greenstein, Steve Zolotow and Lyle Berman, winning the deuce to seven lowball bracelet. His sixth bracelet was in 2000. And in 2002, he found himself up against once more with Hellmuth in the no limit holdem heads up tournament. But this time Johnny took home the title and his seventh bracelet. His eighth and ninth bracelet were both won in 2003 in event 15 and event 24. In 2005 Chan made record with his 10th bracelet in a Pot Limit holdem tournament where he had to beat Phil Laak heads up. He had a total win of $300 000. Since then Johnny has cashed eight times. Most recently in 2008, he finished 4th in an Omaha event.

Overall Chan has 10 bracelets and cashed 41 times under his name with 27 final tables made in his 25-year career. At the World Series of Poker alone, he has already made more than $4 million. Chan is considered to be one of the most consistent poker players in poker history, having significant success playing Holdem of all limits and styles, Omaha and seven card games.

Johnny Chan is happily married and has six children. He has written two books, Play Poker like Johnny Chan and Million Dollar Holdem. He is a frequent figure on the NBC show Poker After Dark. He owns fast food franchises. He runs his own online poker site and even has plans of opening up his own casino. A business man and a legend in poker, Chan is one guy who strives for and most certainly already has success in the endeavors he has made in life.

Walter “Puggy” Pearson was recognized as one of the unsurpassed greats of the Poker world. While serving in the United States Navy he picked up poker and other forms of gambling. Most every poker game was a cash game in the early days of poker. When he shared the idea of a freezeout tournament with a fellow player known as “Nick the Greek” Dandalos, Pearson would change that in 1949. Dandalos ultimately draw near Benny Binion of Binion’s Horseshoe and the freezeout tournament was born.

When he won the Limit 7 card stud event, Pearson won one of the first WSOP preliminary events in 1971. This triumphed him $10,000. In the 1973 World Series of Poker Main Event is when his greatest achievement happened. The Main Event that year drew 13 players who put up $10,000 each to attempt and confine the world championship. The ending table of six came down to Puggy Pearson, Johnny Moss, Jack Straus, Bobby Brazil, Bob Hooks, and Sailor Roberts. Until Pearson and Moss was heads up for the title the final table worked its way down. Johnny Moss all in with Kh-Js against Pearson’s As-7s put the final hand of the event. Pearson’s hand held up and $130,000 in cash the 1973 and World Title went his mode.

Puggy Pearson won four WSOP bracelets; three of his bracelets came in 1973. Pearson won the $1,000 No Limit Holdem event and the $4,000 Limit 7 Stud titles besides his main event win. He took home $32,000 for the stud win and $17,000 for the no limit holdem win. Pearson made three other final tables after 1973. Two of the final tables were in razz in 1981 and the other one in 1982in seven card studs. Considered Pearson’s best game was the Stud. Pearson cashed in the 1987 and 1989 Main Event in addition to his final tables.

Pearson is the merely player to play in all World Series of Poker from 1970 to 2005. Several of the top poker players considered tournament poker a waste of their time and focused on cash games one reason is that for a few years. Pearson bought a tour bus with “Puggy Pearson – Roving Gambler” painted on the side Later in life. Pearson traveled around the country playing poker up until the time of his death in 2006. Pearson was also committed to memory by many people to be a man that gave a lot back to people. Pearson would be one of the first people to help them, it was said that if someone was ill or had a death in the family.

Puggy Pearson started out as a high risk gambler, but over time became a star of the game. A contribution to poker that will likely be remembered as long as tournament poker is played was his idea of the freezeout tournament was. His legend will continue for many years to come while his heyday in poker may have been in the early years of the World Series of Poker.

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Event Day 1 World Series of Poker Europe – £2,500 HORSE

H.O.R.S.E. is an alternating game consisting of Limit Holdem, Limit Omaha 8 or better, limit Razz, limit 7 card stud, and limit stud 8 or better. Every game is dealt for 8 hands before switching. Top name pros participating in today’s event comprise of Roland De Wolfe, Chad Brown, Andy Black, Layne Flack, Jens Voertmann, Thor Hansen, Dave “DevilFish” Ulliott, Vanessa Rousso, Erik Seidel, Allen Cunningham, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, David Benyamine, Mike Matusow, John Juanda, Andy Bloch, John Phan, Barry Greenstein, Gus Hansen, Phil Hellmuth, and Phil Ivey. Doyle Brunson was also seen in the poker field, making his primary appearance at this WSOP Europe.

As the structure for this even seems a little fast the play progressed somewhat slow to begin with but soon picked up. Throughout a stud 8 round against Jason Newitt and Thomas Bihl. Phil Ivey led the action on fourth and fifth streets, as he took down a nice three way pot. Bihl bet out showing a board of (X-X)Jc-9s-Qd-Qc and caught a pair of queens on sixth. Ivey raised showing a board of (X-X) 6c-5s-6s-Jd and Newitt folded. Bihl checked to Ivey, who fired up out a bet. Bihl made the call as Seventh Street was dealt face down. Bihl mucked and Ivey showed 6d-5c for his down Poker cards for the full house. Ivey was around 18,000 in chips at this point in the event.

None compared to table 8 though Several tables had very strong lineups. Table 8 comprised of Doyle Brunson, Chad Brown, Max Pescatori, Thor Hansen, John Juanda, Chris Bjorn, Jean-Robert Bellande, Robert Wiliamson III, and some unidentified guy.

First big name eliminated from today’s H.O.R.S.E. event was Chad Brown. Chad Brown made it two bets to go on a flop of 5h-2c-7h in an Omaha 8 or better round. Jean-Robert Bellande made the call and Both Robert Williamson III. Bellande showed 6d-3h-2h-Kc for the flush and Williamson showed 8h-6c-3s-Ac for the nut low. Brown mucked his hand and went out of the poker tournament area.

During a stud round, Andy Black made a raise on Fourth Street showing a (X-X) Jd-4h. Ivo Donev, made the call showing (X-X) Jh-5s the original bettor. Donev caught the 3s and.Black caught a 3c on fifth and they both checked. Donev fired out a bet after catching an Ah On sixth. Black made the call after catching the 2c and only had three 25 denomination chips. Donev showed Js-9h for a pair of jacks and Black showed A-Q for a wheel draw. Donev trapped a nine on the river for jacks up and Black only caught a king, and Andy washed out to Black.

Phil Hellmuth has been close to the top of the chip lead for most of the session. In an Omaha 8 hand involving himself, Layne Flack, and Neal Friets, Hellmuth bet out on a board of 5h-6s-4h-6d and Flack moved all in. Hellmuth bet out as the river fell the Jd. Friets made the call and showed 2s-3d-9c-7s for a seven high straight and a 6 low. Hellmuth then flipped over second nut low ndAc-3c-6h-6c for quad sixes a. Flack commented, “Quad sixes and the second nut low, is that all you got?” then mucked his hand and living from the tournament area.

Mike “the Mouth” Matusow started razzing Hellmuth about the fact that Hellmuth has not won a bracelet in a non-holdem event shortly afterwards. Though all in one form of Holdem or another, Hellmuth has 11 gold bracelets.

At some point in the breaks Mike Matusow, Doyle Brunson, John Juanda, and Phil Hellmuth unfaltering to play some $1,000 a point Chinese Poker. Unluckily for Matusow, he didn’t win a hand.

Although we do not have the details of his bustout, Thor Hansen again could not summon help from Odin and busted out from today’s event. shortly after losing a big stud pot against Gary Jones “ace high.” Dave “DevilFish” Ulliott busted out. Eliminated by David Williams when Binger’s buried queens could not outdraw Williams split aces was Michael Binger. Chris Ferguson and Mike “Timex” McDonald were also sufferers of the last level.

In the first day of the H.O.R.S.E. Event concluded with Phil Ivey in the lead After a 12 and ½ hour session. Ivey is well thought-out by many to be the best overall poker player alive. In a shocking development to all, Phil Hellmuth is in second place with 54,200 chips, this should come as a shock to noon since. Woody Deck is third in chips at 37,500 while Daniel Negreanu and Howard Lederer are both hovering around the 30,000 chip mark. It appears that Richard Ashby is the short stack at 3,200 in chips at present. Mike Matusow did not report the amount of chips he had remaining, but he is indeed still in this event for some unknown reason. It also seems that Doyle Brunson busted somewhere around the end of the day, but we do not have any information on how this occurred.