Author: admin

Phil Hellmuth collected his record 15th World Series of Poker bracelet on July 11, 2018. He did so in Event #71, a $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em turbo tournament with 30-minute blind levels.

For his efforts, he collected $485,082. The win pushed his lifetime tournament earnings to just shy of $23 million. He is 12th on the all-time list of tournament cashes.

“It’s been three years since I won a bracelet,” Hellmuth told ESPN. “Right now, I’m just in an amazing moment. I’m on cloud nine.”

Yes, Phil Hellmuth is one of the best players of all time

Hellmuth is best known for his antics at the table. His profane explosions of anger compose numerous compilations on YouTube.

He also has a penchant for berating or lecturing players at the table for their poor play. He does so particularly when their decisions put him on the wrong side of variance.

Unfortunately, these activities overshadow the fact that Hellmuth is easily one of the best poker players of all time. It’s not simply that he’s won more WSOP bracelets than anyone else – he’s won FIVE more than anyone else.

There is a decent argument that he is the greatest no-limit hold’em tournament player ever. Thirteen of his WSOP bracelets have come by way of NLHE tournaments.

The first of these came with his capture of the 1989 WSOP World Championship. At the time, he became the youngest player ever to win the event, and did so by defeating the two-time defending champion, Johnny Chan.

The Poker Hall of Fame inducted Hellmuth in 2007. Hellmuth remains one of the only old-school players – that is, those with pre-Moneymaker ties – who is still competing and excelling at poker.

His own worst enemy

And yet, most descriptions of his excellence hedge with descriptions of his behavior. Even his win last night carries the specter of his behavior during the Main Event.

In this year’s event, he angered many in the poker community by commenting on a player’s perceived hand strength during a hand. Several high-level professionals correctly called him out for the practice, saying that he should know better than to act in such a way.

For his part, Hellmuth has since made amends through numerous apologies and a pledge to buy that player into next year’s event. However, mention of the incident still appeared in the WSOP’s official press release about his win.

It’s a shame, because he would occupy the same conversations as Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, or any of the other great poker players if there wasn’t an asterisk by his name in most people’s minds. However, he is hardly the first sportsman to injure his legacy through his non-playing attributes.

Athletes like Rick Barry and Ty Cobb have historically found themselves left out of “greatest ever” conversations because of their personalities or the perception of their personalities. Perhaps the best comparison for Phil Hellmuth is Wilt Chamberlain, whose statistical dominance was similarly profound.

Like Hellmuth, Chamberlain’s prickly and selfish neighbor wore out teammates, press, and the public. Like Hellmuth, Wilt’s greatness is often an afterthought in these types of conversations.

Unfortunately for Hellmuth, poker remains a game where perception affects legacy. The same can be said for life in general, and you don’t win friends showing up to the Main Event dressed as Thor.

The post Phil Hellmuth Extends Bracelet Lead With Record 15th WSOP Win appeared first on .

In order to crush the World Series of Poker Main Event, it takes everything you’ve got: skill, luck, guts, luck, intuition, luck and…just a little bit of luck.

There have been some amazing Main Event performances over the years. There are players like Ben Lamb, Antoine Saout, and Mark Newhouse, who all improbably made it incredibly deep in multiple years. Ronnie Bardah managed to cash in the Main Event a record five years in a row. 2004 Main Event Champion Greg Raymer finished in 25th place out of a field of over 5,600 in the year after he won it all.

But when you think of the most dominating performances, you think of the guys who won it all. Outlasting an elite field and imposing their will on their opponents all while, very likely, catching an insane run of cards.

So, while we tip our cap to the performances put in by every WSOP Champ, here’s a list of players who got it done their way. Love them or hate them, these five champions dominated en route to claiming the WSOP Main Event crown.

Stu Unger – 1997

Legendary poker player Stu Unger had already won the WSOP Main Event, twice in fact, by the time the 1997 WSOP Main Event came around. Allegedly steeped in debt, Unger had been trying for days to raise the buy-in just to have a shot at the Main Event before Billy Baxter came to his aid and posted the buy-in for him.

A wreck physically, history noted that he was literally falling asleep at the table until Mike Sexton and Baxter urged him to get it together. He did and when he showed up for Day 2, he was forced to do battle with poker legends Doyle Brunson, Bobby Baldwin and Phil Hellmuth. Unger emerged from that competition and made the final table.

At six players, the final table was moved outside onto Fremont Street for the first time to accommodate the fans that wanted to watch Unger play.

He didn’t disappoint. He came out firing in his unique aggressive style. Holding an overwhelming chip lead Unger had a hand in the elimination of all five of the remaining players he faced including vanquishing his heads-up opponent John Strzemp in six hands for the $1,000,000 first-place prize.

Unger would be crowned “The Comeback Kid” for his remarkable showing 16 years after he last won the event. It was his last WSOP Main Event.

Chris Moneymaker – 2003

The beginning of the poker boom started with legend of the accountant who won it all and the aggressive play that got him there. Chris Moneymaker may have had destiny, and a little bit of luck, on his side but his impressive resume in the 2003 Main Event shouldn’t be overlooked.

In his run up to winning the 2003 Main Event, Moneymaker was responsible for the eliminations of world-class poker players Johnny Chan, and, of course, Phil Ivey (in one of the worst coolers in WSOP history).

At the final table, Moneymaker, who entered with the chip lead, let rival Sammy Farha do a lot of the early dirty work until it was his time to shine. When it was, Moneymaker took out Tomer Benvenisti in fifth, eliminated Jason Lester in fourth, was responsible for Dan Harrington’s third place finish and then, after pulling off the bluff that sealed history, finished off Sammy Farha during heads-up play to not only be the epicenter of poker’s golden age but earned himself $2.5 million and possibly a spot in the Poker Hall of Fame.

Jamie Gold – 2006

During the 2006 Main Event, Jamie Gold, coaxed, cajoled and coerced his way into making his opponents do almost anything he wanted. A master of speech play Gold used his Hollywood producer persona to manipulate anyone that got in his way to besting the largest Main Event field in history and securing the mammoth $12,000,000 payday.

By the time the final table started Gold held an overwhelming chip lead. He took that lead wire-to-wire from nine players to the winner’s circle, having a hand in eliminating seven out of his eight opponents. Heavy hitters including Allen Cunningham, Nick Binger and heads-up opponent Paul Wasicka all fell victim to Gold’s incredible run of cards and verbal manipulation.

Gold’s war of words, or speech play if you will, inspired a rule change by the WSOP which prevents players from discussing the contents of their hands while the hand is still in play.

Jerry Yang – 2007

Yes. Jerry Yang. The man that allegedly nicknamed himself “The Shadow” and has been the butt of poker jokes for years absolutely destroyed his final table. Thought to be one of the underdogs headed into the 2007 Main Event Final Table, Yang completely switched up the  style of poker his tablemates were expecting to see. Rather than a cautious, calculating approach, Yang came out firing – placing huge overbets and putting players to the ultimate test early and often.

The other players seemed reluctant to play back at Yang, folding huge hands in spots that could have taken Yang out. Yang accumulated chips and then went on a tear of eliminating players systematically. First it was Phillip Hilm, who had a complete meltdown having started the table with the chiplead. Then he and Lee Watkinson went to war with both camps, literally, praying for divine intervention. Yang busted Watkinson and held an overwhelming chip lead which he never relinquished.

Yang sent Lee Childs, Hevad Khan, Alex Kravchenko, Raymond Rahme and runner-up Tuan Lam all to the rail as he collected the $8.25 million first place prize.

Jonathan Duhamel – 2010

In 2010, Jonathan Duhamel conquered the second largest WSOP Main Event field (7,319) in history en route to becoming the first Canadian to win it all. Sure, Duhamel had a little luck along the way, perhaps most notably is when Duhamel’s pocket jacks ran down Matt Affleck’s pocket aces with 15 players left in the field for another one of the worst bad beats in WSOP history.

However, Duhamel took those chips and put them to good use. He entered the final table as the chip leader and battled what would be one of the toughest final tables in recent years. Matt Jarvis and John Racener would both go on to win WSOP bracelets, online grinder Jason Senti was considered a top-flight poker coach, the man who would become a three-time Poker Player’s Championship winner Michael ‘The Grinder’ Mizrachi had a seat at the table as well.

Duhamel would also play in what was one of the biggest pots and most memorable hands ever played at a final table. No-limit crusher Joseph Cheong six-bet shoved his ace-seven and Duhamel had to make a gutsy call with pocket queens.

Duhamel wins the hand and goes on to eliminated Racener in short order heads up to solidify his place in WSOP history.

The post Five Of The Most Dominant WSOP Main Event Performances In History appeared first on .

With the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event down to just 10 players from the original 7,874, it looked like Michael Dyer would be the overwhelming chip leader going into the nine-handed final table. Dyer held more than 109 million in chips, while his next closest competitor, Antoine Labat, was sitting behind a stack of 51 million.

Then one hand changed everything.

In a matter of seconds, Nicolas Manion, who is playing in his first WSOP event, went from middle stack to chip leader going into the final table. Labat and Yueqi Zhu were the victims of one of the wildest coolers we’ve seen on the big stage in years. We’ll let you watch for yourselves.

Labat wasn’t even afforded the usual feeling of joy taken in by players who reach poker’s most elusive final table. He was left as the short stack going into Thursday when the tournament plays down from nine players to six. Zhu, meanwhile exited in 10th place.

Manion will take more than 112 million in chips to a final table that includes 2009 Main Event champ Joe Cada. The 30-year-old Michigan native is looking to join legends Stu Ungar, Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss as the only multiple winners of poker’s world championship event. When Cada won in 2009 he earned $8,546,435. A victory in the 2018 version would net him more than $8.8 million.

“It feels unreal,” Cada told PokerNews after play ended Thursday morning. “What other feelings are there?”

Also among the final nine is John Cynn, who has already bested his 11th-place finish in this event from only two years ago. Cynn told US Poker’s Matt Clark on Wednesday that he’s used his experience and the “best stretch of cards” in his life to get a second chance at poker glory.

2018 WSOP Main Event final table lineup

Player	Country	Chips
Nicolas Manion	United States	112,775,000
Michael Dyer	United States	109,175,000
Tony Miles	United States	42,750,000
John Cynn	United States	37,075,000
Alex Lynskey	Australia	25,925,000
Joe Cada	United States	23,675,000
Aram Zobian	United States	18,875,000
Artem Metalidi	Ukraine	15,475,000
Antoine Labat	France	8,050,000

The final table will be aired on ESPN beginning Thursday, July 12 at 5:30 p.m. in Las Vegas. After the field is trimmed to six, players will return on Friday to play down to three. A champion will be crowned Saturday evening.

Stay tuned to US Poker as we bring you more interviews and features straight from the World Series of Poker floor in Las Vegas!

 

 

The post Epic Cooler Gives Nicolas Manion Chip Lead At WSOP Main Event Final Table appeared first on .

What a difference two years make for John Cynn. The lasting image of Cynn from the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event in the mind of poker fans is a slumped puddle next to the rail of the ESPN stage awaiting the runout of his final all-in. Cynn finished in 11th place for $650,000 and joined the list of good players who came close but were thrown in the closet of Main Event almost.

The bowing head and dead shoulders are replaced by an erect posture and confident table talk with only two tables left in 2018. Cynn stood fourth in chips on the second break of the day, a favorite to cash in on the $1 million awaiting all who make the final table.

What’s Cynn’s secret to weaving through seven days of poker unscathed? He’s running even better than he did in 2016.

“These seven days have been the best stretch of cards I’ve ever had in my life,” Cynn explained to US Poker. “There were so many spots where I could do no wrong. Amazing runouts, getting lucky on flips. I’ve always wondered, ‘how do these people get so lucky all the time.’ Now I know. I’ve had so many sets, so many flushes, straights.”

Acting like you’ve been there before

Sylvain Loosli, Joe Cada, and Cynn were the only three players with Day 7 experience going into Wednesday’s action, but Cynn’s experience shines more than Loosli and Cada’s subdued nature. Cynn’s casual conversation in between hands and during all-ins shows a man who has been there before and knows what to expect.

The experience allows relaxation when most of his tablemates are playing for millions of dollars for the first time.

“For some reason, maybe because I’ve been here before, I just feel like I’m playing poker which is nice,” Cynn said. “I do feel like that I’m more confident at the table than other people for whatever reason, maybe just because I’ve been here before.”

The prior run did not cause Cynn to change his play as he advanced up the payout ladder. His rush of cards was responsible for most of the work and Cynn acknowledges that there is only so much he can do with what is dealt to him.

“I don’t try to have a strategy of building a stack or anything. I more believe that you play the cards you have and do the best you can with them and whatever happens with your stack happens.”

Call it a rush

Most of Cynn’s rush took place in the latter stages of Day 6. Cynn doubled up through Nirath Rean by winning an ace-jack versus pocket nines flip, and then held with kings against Clayton Fletcher’s top pair to double again. Prior to those two hands, Cynn’s hopes relied on the strength of his 15 big blinds heading into the last level of the night.

A better focus is an asset Cynn claims to have benefitted his journey through the short-stack doldrums to get where he is now.

Tournaments are not a primary focus in Cynn’s life and neither is poker. The 33-year-old former consultant played professionally during the middle of the decade but he is now in the world of cryptocurrency ICOs.

Cynn admits he made some judgment errors after winning $650,000 in 2016 but rebounded to the life he now owns.

“I started playing in a lot of bigger games which was a mistake because I ended up doing horribly. Lost a lot of money but then I have some friends who are really smart and they are in crypto as well.”

Never a tournament pro to begin with, Cynn, like other cash game pros before him, loves the rush that comes with running deep to win the pot of gold at the end.

“I still love playing tournaments, they’re so much fun. There’s no feeling like going deep in a big tournament or any tournament, really. To be here again is unreal,” Cynn said.

Time for the endgame

Cynn’s chance this year might very well be his last to make the Main Event final table. In the history of Main Events lasting at least seven days before the final table, only Antoine Saout and Ben Lamb have made it three times.

The money is on Cynn’s mind but he is blocking that factor out well enough so far on Day 7 to play his best poker.

Heartbreak struck Cynn once before and the way he speaks, he is determined not to let the same image of his demise repeat this year.

“What’s going through my head is to definitely stay on my A-game,” Cynn said. “I’m more concentrated and focused, for sure, but it’s still a ton of money.”

The post John Cynn Rides Experience, Hot Stretch Of Cards To Another Deep WSOP Main Event Run appeared first on .

Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declined to issue an opinion regarding the legality of poker clubs in the state. For the time being, the clubs can remain open for business.

In January, state Rep. Geanie Morrison had requested that Paxton issue an opinion on the matter due to the sheer volume of clubs that have opened in the last few years. Paxton’s office cited ongoing litigation as the factor for remaining silent about the question.

“When a legal matter is being litigated, the courts are generally the appropriate forum for resolving the issue,” responded Virginia Hoelscher, opinion chair for the attorney general’s office. For parties on both sides of the argument, the non-opinion felt unsatisfying.

Texas poker clubs operate legally, or at least, are trying to do so

Texas law surrounding poker and gambling is set up for gambling to fail. The statute only provides for acceptable defenses to prosecution, rather than any kind of explicit legality.

In order to remain in compliance with the law, anyone who wishes to gamble must satisfy ALL the following conditions:

• The actor engaged in gambling in a private place.
• No person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings.
• Except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning were the same for all participants.

The clubs that have appeared in Texas are trying to abide by these requirements as best they can. So, they typically conduct business in the following ways:

• The clubs are private establishments with required membership criteria. Players can be banned or disallowed for violating club rules.
• The clubs do not collect rake or tips from any money in play. All tips, time charges, or any other kind of player expenditure occurs with money not in play.
• The clubs run a fair game with impartial dealers and floor personnel.

However, both club owners and concerned citizens would appreciate an opinion from the state attorney general about whether these practices satisfy the statute’s requirements. Carl Pittman, owner of The Poker Club of West Houston, said as much back in May.

“The only way we knew how to do this was absolutely legal,” he said. As Pittman mentioned later, both he and his partner, Scott Ketchum, are former law enforcement officers. They have dedicated most of their lives to upholding the laws on the books.

The legality of the clubs is at the heart of the referenced litigation

The appearance of these clubs stems from one immutable fact: Texans simply want a place to play poker legally without having to cross state lines. Even the lawsuit Paxton referenced in his deferral is regarding legal compliance.

In the lawsuit, Texas Card House in Austin accuses SA Card House in San Antonio of operating with an illegal business model and competing unfairly because of it. The suit also requests that the court clarify the law regarding policies of operation.

The facts of the case underline the absurdity of Texas’s law vis-a-vis the will of its people. When the players and room runners themselves are literally begging for legal opinions, it may be time to reexamine the statutes.

Whatever the court decides, the presence of so many clubs suggests that Texans are ready for legal poker. Let’s hope the lawmakers are listening with their ears on this one.

The post Texas Poker Clubs To Remain Open After AG Declines To Issue Opinion appeared first on .