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World Series Of Poker
2005 Editor's Reports |
LAS VEGAS
June 2, 2005 – July 15, 2005  |
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T minus 5 - $10,000 Omaha brings out strongest field
ever
2nd July 2005
One hundred and sixty five of the very
best players in the world turned out to play the double life (half your chips
at the start and the other half whenever you want to shout 'life') Omaha
tournament with a $10,000 buy-in. Although they didn't manage to fill even one
quarter of the huge playing room their reputations and egos were tangibly
spreading through the air space and delighting the crowd of onlookers. Great
names out-numbered those you did not know and many a world series winner sat
next to another. Check out the pictures. Banter
was thick with insult of the less than innuendo variety. On one particular
table there was a lot of "shut the f*** up" going around but who the devil they
were I can't tell you.
An unfortunate side effect of running four
tournaments simultaneously with fifteen satelites and fifty tables of cash
games is that constant announcements by five different annoucers polute the air
without a discernable break. After three hours sleep and a hangover there
simply wasn't enough aspirin at the local Wall Mart to keep just my head from
exploding. Hampshire and England player Roy Brindley, having won his seat in
the Omaha event a few days prior to the start, also complained and said he was
rueing his lack of ear protection. I told him that I couldn't take a picture of
him without a couple of beers to stop the inevitable hand shake from the night
before, he replied "I can't play poker without at least a couple of beers".
Well said.
Alongside the Omaha the Omaha Hi-Lo event (#32) players were
down to nine and playing their final. Next to them the $3000 No Limit
tournament (#33) was playing down from the last fifty. Half a mile away in
another corner, 800 people were participating in the Seniors event, 800 people
who didn't consider 'senior' was an adjective too far. Either that or their
addiction over-ruled their sense. Some seniors were adverts for living the good
life, looking less than forty as they did. Clearly their life had been devoid
of alcohol and nicotene. This in itself is a major triumph over the traditional
poker ethics of depravity and self-abuse, 'not that there's anything wrong in
that' (Seinfeld quote).
Others, however, were up-front adverts
for the poker lifestyle. Aversion to ultra-violet light and excercise, a
sophisticated taste in hot dogs (no mayo or ketchup or you're dead) and other
things we won't mention, like snow isn't for skiing on.
At 19:15 the
days' second final (#32) started. Well I mean they started playing with ten
people on the last (not final) table and when they lost one player it was
decided to come back tomorrow and play the final (and last) table. If I made it
up you wouldn't believe me so I'll just have to tell you the truth.The seniors
event moves on into the night with the ambitous goal of finishing in one day.
At 23:00 there were 50 left.
Aside from us in the WSOP a little convention was
taking place a few rooms down the enormous corridor. On the first day it was
the Borderline Personality Disorder convention, which I thought could have had
accesss to some fine case studies had they bothered to walk next door. However,
when that finished, it was replaced with the Advanced Personality Disorder
group who really must rate as the best partners for any world series
event.
Poker tip of the day in Las Vegas is Bally's poker room which
offers a great little $200 buy-in No-Limit Holdem table, that is you can't
buy-in for more than $200.
Today's bet for the Championship event is
Padraig Parkinson, at
150 - 1
with Blus Sq. to make the final table or
Todd Brunson
150 - 1.
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Move on to tomorrows report
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