Posted by Andrew Feldman
This blog has been left vacated for quite a while now and quite honestly, I feel pretty awful about it. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it now other than saying that the next 17 days will be filled with blog entries from the WSOP main event. While the recaps for the first 56 events have been the big items to follow, I thought I'd take a look back at what we believed would be the big stories to watch in 2009. After all, it's hard to predict a completely unpredictable game.
1. The 40th WSOP: Harrah's and all at the WSOP have done a great job this year, and the 40th annual World Series of Poker has been quite amazing. No criticism here. The 40th running was a true celebration of the event.
IMPDI 2009
Jeffrey Lisandro has been the major story of the WSOP with three bracelet victories.
2. The November Nine: I have no idea how this is going to end up; all I know is that I'm excited to see that final table be reached July 16. The 2008 November Nine have all had some success during their 2009 campaigns, but the only final table belongs to Ylon Schwartz in Event 47. Schwartz finished in third place in that event and 18th in Event 40 to eclipse the $4 million mark in WSOP earnings.
3. The Economic Crisis: The true impact of the struggling worldwide economy will be seen during the main event, and I'm sure I'll address that in just a few days. However, during the rest of the WSOP, people have asked "What bad economy?" There have been multiple sellout events, including a massive 6,008-player field in the $1,000 stimulus special tournament (Event 4). Yes, the $50,000 HORSE final tournament only had 95 players, but many can attribute that poor showing to the lack of TV presence.
4. The $40,000: In the $40,000 no-limit hold 'em (Event 2), 201 players bought in in the hope of making it to the final table of what many would say is the toughest no-limit hold 'em field in history. If you could have asked 100 players who would have won that event, I doubt anyone would have come up with Vitaly Lunkin. After his amazing WSOP with three final tables in four cashes, his name won't be forgotten any time soon. As Gary Wise wrote in his column, there are some who believed this tournament was a mistake, and that still holds true. Players spend their money in the first week, and losing that tournament had a major impact on the mental games of some. Like it or not, the tournament will most likely be on the schedule next year.
5. The Legends: An invitation-only tournament to all the previous main event champions resulted in Tom McEvoy defeating Robert Varkonyi for the title. Not quite the final two that everyone expected, but McEvoy was extremely determined. He wanted to win the event, and said so repeatedly. The event airs on ESPN later this summer.
OK, here's where things get a little fuzzy. We were right on the big stories above … but then …
6. The Race: What race? The race to 12 barely existed in 2009, with Phil Hellmuth not making a single final table. Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan both had chances to tie Hellmuth at 11, but neither could capitalize upon their opportunities, and unless they win the main event they will remain behind Hellmuth for one more year.
IMPDI 2009
Ville Wahlbeck's accomplishments at the 2009 WSOP put him in second place in the player of the year race.
7. The Player of the Year Candidates: Well, we went 2-for-4. Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier and Erick Lindgren had a tough time during the 2009 WSOP. Daniel Negreanu (eight cashes) and Barry Greenstein (seven cashes) both did some great work, but it's amazing to believe that neither of these two is in contention for POY honors. In fact, with just a few events yet to be counted, Jeffrey Lisandro only holds a 35-point lead over Ville Wahlbeck.
Lisandro won three bracelets and bubbled a fourth final table. Wahlbeck won a bracelet, finished second, third and sixth in his three other final-table appearances (all in $10,000 events) and then had two additional cashes in 12th and 13th place … talk about amazing. Before 2009, Wahlbeck had four WSOP cashes with nothing better than a 20th-place result in a seven-card stud event. Even though Lisandro won his three bracelets and will most likely take home POY honors, Wahlbeck has implanted himself in the poker spotlight.
Oh, by the way, the main event counts in Player of the Year standings.
8. The Hellmuth Rule: Who cares. Next.
9. The Hall of Fame: Voting is still going on, so please go here to submit your votes for who you believe should be inducted this fall.
10. The $4 million, baby: Scotty came up just a little bit short … $3,966,332 short to be exact. Something tells us he's still not retiring even if he doesn't win the main event to reach his goal.
11. The rookies and bracelet virgins: In our wonderful selection of nine veterans without a bracelet, we didn't get one right. Who we should have picked: James Van Alstyne, Greg Mueller, Nick Schulman and Roland de Wolfe. Our rookies made some final tables, but no bracelets this year. I can't wait for the class of 2010.
So we were right … and wrong. What else is new?! If we could do it all over again, here are the stories that would have been right on.
1. Repeat performances: We had four players winning two or more bracelets. Led by Lisandro's three bracelets, Phil Ivey, Brock Parker and Greg Mueller created the group. Just think about the odds of one player winning two events! Four! Really? I'm still amazed.
2. I'll take a first and a second: Forget the idea that players get down on themselves after finishing second in a WSOP event. This year, there were multiple players who managed a first- and second-place finish. Quite amazing.
3. The HORSE effect: We knew HORSE numbers would be down, but only 95 players really raised some eyebrows in Las Vegas. I'm sure Harrah's and the WSOP will have to be creative in figuring out how to re-establish HORSE as the tournament everyone wants to win … and can afford.
4. The main event number: Will recent actions and seizures of poker funds affect the entries in the WSOP main event? With the early numbers in the first two weeks of events, I was optimistic that we'd see nearly 7,000. Now I'm stuck wondering if we'll reach my original guess of 6,200.
IMPDI for the WSOP
Daniel Negreanu's team absolutely crushed the rest of the field in the 2009 Fantasy Poker competition.
5. My fantasy poker team: Yes, once again I've had another terrible fantasy poker year. I'd like to thank Lindgren, Grospellier, Mark Seif, Jonathan Little and Hevad Khan for letting me feel the pain of the basement for a second straight year. Here's a look at the leader board and the absolute drubbing Daniel Negreanu has put on his competition:
Negreanu: 834
Lederer: 471
Phillips: 312
Lance: 297
Chops: 218
Seif: 211
Lee: 164
Smith: 157
Dan: 157
Feldman: 156
Wise: 116
Small blinds: The WSOP announced Tuesday that if you managed to get four jacks during the main event, you'll win a "Stacked Jacks Go Wild Jack Link's prize pack" courtesy of Jack Links Beef Jerky. Wow! What an added bonus! … Full Tilt's new TV show "Face the Ace" begins taping next week in Las Vegas. … During the middle of the WSOP, the WPT announced its eighth-season schedule. Tournaments will be played at the Bellagio, Bicycle Casino, Borgata, Bellagio, Foxwoods, Beau Rivage, Commerce Casino, Bay 101 and the Hollywood Casino. The first event begins July 13. … Adam Fyshe entered five events and cashed in four to have the highest cash-to-entry ratio. … U.S. citizens earned 33 of the first 51 bracelets. the United Kingdom and Canada tie for second with three each. … The ESPN Poker Club is giving away a trip to the WSOP Academy. … The Seniors World Championship sold out at 2,707 players. The previous high mark was set at last year's World Series of Poker, when there were 2,218 entries. … The $50,000 HORSE final table lasted nearly 19 hours, and it is believed to have the most hands dealt (492) out of any WSOP final table in history.
Poker
