Poker From The Rail
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Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
by Jason “Spaceman” Kirk
I just got a press release announcing a special made-for-TV event that the WSOP is putting together. The show will consist of three rematches from famous heads-up duels in the WSOP Main Event, played out on June 2nd and air on July 26th on ESPN. Two of the rematches – 2003’s Chris Moneymaker v. Sam Farha and 1989’s Johnny Chan v. Phil Hellmuth – have been chosen by the WSOP, but the third is going to be chosen by the fans. I can understand the rationale behind both of the WSOP’s picks. Moneymaker’s win was the shot heard ‘round the world that ignited the poker boom, while the 1989 match saw Chan denied a third straight world championship and gave rise to the most monumental ego in the history of poker in the form of Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth. Fair enough. However, it seems pretty obvious to me that the WSOP missed out on a fantastic opportunity to give one of its greatest players a chance to shake an unfair mantle foisted upon him by Hollywood.
Erik Seidel’s first-ever WSOP cash was second place in the Main Event, which under normal circumstances would garner him a nice second-place check and the honor of having the details of his performance lost to all but his own memory. Thanks to screenwriters Brian Koppelman and David Levien and their little 1999 movie Rounders, though, he’s known worldwide as the guy who moved all-in against Johnny Chan’s nut straight, even by people who don’t know anything more about poker other than to fold when the Russian guy gives his Oreo tell. Sure, Seidel has acquitted himself pretty well since then, especially so far this year. Sure, he now tops the all-time money list in tournament poker and is highly respected by his peers. But in popular culture, the Rounders moment lingers – and to me, as somebody who appreciates both Seidel’s achievements and the history of the game, that’s seriously not cool.
Luckily, the rematch could still happen. One of the four choices poker fans have before them is the Seidel-Chan. None of the other three – 2004’s Greg Raymer v. David Williams, 2006’s Jamie Gold v Paul Wasicka, and 2010’s Jonathan Duhamel v. John Racener – hold any of the same historical significance as Seidel-Chan. One of them goes a step further by raising the frightening spectre of allowing Jamie Gold to return to television. (Isn’t there a law somewhere banning that? If not, there should be.) The oldest matchup of the four available is by far the best choice, so consider this my request to the poker community at large to do a great poker player justice by voting Seidel-Chan today at WSOP Facebook page.
Tags: 2011 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Erik Seidel, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, Johnny Chan, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
by Jason “Spaceman” Kirk
These days, when it comes to poker, I’m more of a hobbyist than anything else. The times when I would play thousands of hands a day and try to build a significant bankroll, hoping to move up in stakes or play the WSOP, have faded away in the rear-view. Though I still take my game seriously, I play for entertainment value instead of “Vegas and the f***in’ Mirage.” I want poker to fit into the rest of my life instead of taking up a lot of time.
For obvious reasons, Rush Poker has been great for me. Lately the new Multi-Entry Rush On Demand tournaments have been occupying my time at the tables. These tournaments, which you can find listed directly under the 90-player sit-n-gos in the Full Tilt tournament lobby, seem to have been made with me in mind. Even if there are nearly 500 players in the field, the total running time from start to finish rarely exceeds two hours, and they tend to fill up and run every 5-10 minutes since only 40 players need to sign up to start the tournament, meaning there’s always another tourney to play if I use my four entries or bust out after late registration.
Aside from the speed and availability, one of my favorite things about these tournaments is the number of ways I can go about playing them. First there’s the standard question of what kind of playing style I want to adopt. If I feel like playing tight-is-right poker, the quick-fold button means I can see hundreds of hands per hour, making the three-minute levels more like a casino tournament than your standard online turbo tournament. If I want to see lots of cheap flops and take pots away from people, the kinds of hands I’m playing benefit from being disguised by the fact that I’m at a new table for each deal. And if I just want to play ultra-aggressive, I’m going to have a lot of chances to get my chips in the middle.
Then there’s the fact that I can choose how many tables to play at once. I can play four tables at once if I like, giving me as much action as I can handle, and maneuvering more than one of my entries to the final table means I’ll have all the chips from each of them when I get there. And if I go card-dead on a table or two, I can easily fold all the garbage cards I’m being dealt while playing my better hands on one of the others. Or I can enter twice, slowing the pace of decision-making a little bit. If I bust out early on those two entries, I have the added bonus of checking out the prize pool info to see if it’s worth investing two more entries in this tournament or waiting a minute or two to buy in twice for another tournament that might draw more players.
Of course, I can always fire one bullet at a time. Granted, I don’t do this often, but the option of playing a single entry is there. In many ways that’s pretty similar to playing a regular freezeout, but with competition that plays more like they’re in a rebuy tournament. I don’t have the chance of bringing quite as many chips to a final table as if I were playing more entries, but I’ll have a much bigger ROI when I go deep than if I busted on two or three other entries.
These Multi-Entry Rush On Demand tournaments are easy on your bankroll and your schedule, and it’s not uncommon for first place in the $1+$.10 tournaments to reach as much as $150 by the time late registration closes, giving you plenty of bang for your buck. If you’re a poker hobbyist with a small bankroll, give these tournaments a shot and see what you think.
Tags: AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, Multi-entry, On Demand, Rush Poker
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
What’s Right, What’s Wrong with the ESPN WSOP Coverage
by Jason “Spaceman” Kirk
by “Tuscaloosa” Johnny Kampis (in italics)
While there are always things that can be improved, I think that the WSOP coverage on ESPN tends to get better from year to year. Just take a look on YouTube at a final table from even a few years ago and it’s hard not to notice the little differences that add up to a better product. (Remember those “Here’s how you play Texas Hold’em” segments, anyone?) That doesn’t mean the ESPN crew can’t make improvements, but all told the 2010 WSOP was a better watch than past years’ coverage. A few of the high notes:
- I enjoyed the fact that the hands shown this year had a lot more information for me as a viewer than they did in the past, something I think is particularly important since ESPN has chosen to market poker as a sport. From knowing each player’s position without having to be told by a commentator, to seeing statistics on how aggressive each player had been, to knowing how different players’ stacks had risen and fallen throughout the day, there was a fuller picture of the tournament on display than ever before. I expect that the presentation of these stats will continue to involve as ESPN looks to improve its product.
While I also appreciate what ESPN has done to increase the information available to use hardcore poker fans and players, these statistics need some context. Did a player voluntarily play 30 percent of his hands because he was overly aggressive or a card rack that day? Did a player win a high percentage of hands because he was playing against a weaker table that let him run them over? And please separate the percentage of ties from the overall winning percentage of each hand. This is confusing and misleading.
- The cuts away from the Main Event to other bracelet events that Johnny mentioned in his second point really helped to establish that the WSOP is more than just its final tournament. I would love to see these cutaways expanded into longer segments that highlight some of the year’s bracelet winners, especially those who have a good human-interest backstory or a long history in the game. Maybe I’m crazy, but I really think that giving the general audience a better sense of the sheer scope of the WSOP – in terms of both the annual event and its long-term history – can never be a bad thing.
Perhaps they could take this a step further and show viewers the entire scope of the WSOP area, from the satellites to the daily tournaments to the registration desk. This might encourage more average Joes to make their way to Vegas if they knew there was more to the Series than $10,000 and $50,000 tournaments.
- The Tournament of Champions was an excellent addition to this year’s coverage. Every other sport covered on ESPN has its own all-star game, so why not the WSOP? The new format is perfect for television, especially considering how the Main Event is touch-and-go each year in terms of how many recognizable pros go deep enough to warrant coverage. Since the ratings were strong when the TOC was shown and dropped later after the public had been exposed to about 578 episodes of the Main Event, maybe ESPN should consider devoting a few more episodes to the fan-friendly TOC.
Tags: AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, ESPN, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, Tuscaloosa John, Tuscaloosa Johnny, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
Poker players look forward to a few days throughout the year and one of them was yesterday when the super powers that be released the 2011 World Series of Poker Schedule. 58 events starting May 31st running until the November Nine is formed on July 19th with a wide range of games over those 50 days. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the schedule but asked several bloggers/players for their initial thoughts. First up is Jason “Spaceman” Kirk with more to follow over the next few days.
2011 World Series of Poker Schedule
by Jason “Spaceman” Kirk
The schedule for the 2011 World Series of Poker has been officially released, and it’s the worst we’ve ever seen. Or the best. It all depends on your point of view.
As has been the case for most WSOPs since the start of the poker boom, the “purists” (read: pessimists) out there have plenty to whine about with the 2011 WSOP schedule. Start with the fact that there are 58 events total, one more than last year, which feeds the “bracelets don’t mean anything anymore” argument. Then consider that there are still four $1,000 NLHE events on the schedule this year, continuing the democratization of the game to the chagrin of crotchety old-timers (in both experience and spirit) everywhere. Rebuy tournaments do not make a return this year, the wacky “triple chance” events return yet again, and, perhaps worst of all, there’s no five-card draw or five-card stud in the lineup. Kids these days!
The optimists out there, on the other hand, will find plenty to be happy about with this year’s schedule. Fans of high-profile, high-dollar events get both the new $25K heads-up NLHE event – it opens this year’s festivities, with a 256-player cap on registration guaranteeing a world-class field – and the return of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, which retains its eight-game format and will award the Chip Reese Trophy for the second straight year. The schedule also scores points for variety. There are eight events featuring more than one game, two no-limit 2-7 events, seven PLO or PLO/8 events, seven short-handed events in different disciplines, four Stud or Stud/8 events, and opportunities to win a bracelet playing Razz and Triple Draw. And the $2,500 10-game mixed event even features rounds of Badugi, marking the first time the game has moved from the cash tables to the realms of WSOP tournament play. Maybe I’m just a geek, but I think that’s a pretty cool development.
For my money, the ultimate WSOP dividing line between the optimists and pessimists is the November Nine. You either think it’s great for the attention it brings to the game, the chance it gives us all to learn more about the players who have reached poker’s biggest stage, and the way it brings poker an atmosphere more in line with major sporting events, or you loathe it because it breaks up the continuity of the tournament, turns a game of skill into a publicity stunt and ruins the endurance-test aspect of the Main Event. Whatever your opinion, you’ll have another four months this summer and fall to make your case as the Main Event delay returns for a fourth installment this year.
So what do I think of the schedule? Put me in the optimists’ camp. The fact that the WSOP folks have continued to tweak the schedule from year to year, dropping what doesn’t work (e.g. last year’s widely derided $25K 6-max NLHE event) and sticking with what does (e.g. mixed-game events, lower buy-ins), says to me that they’re listening to the players. No schedule will ever be perfect, so I really think that’s the ultimate measuring stick.
Tags: 2011 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
Just a few short days before the remaining players in the 2010 World Series of Poker gather back at the Rio in Las Vegas to play down to the winner. The November Nine spent 3 plus months preparing for the biggest two days of poker in their careers, in the end we will have one player collect nearly $9,000,000 and a shiny new bracelet. The title will bring the additional prestige of being crowned the World Champion and shuffled around the world for interviews as the involuntary “ambassador of poker”. Such are the expectations after winning the WSOP Main Event.
We’ll spend the few days leading up to the first day of play highlighting the process some of the players went through preparing for their time on the big stage, pressure they’ve felt over the last months from influences outside of the game (family, tickets, endorsements, interviews, etc), as well as what they think their chances are with just 8 players between them and the title. Until then we bring you the final chapter of our November Nine Handicapping.
Our guest bloggers give you their thoughts on the smallest three stacks at the table. While they may not be favored by those making the odds, you will find the most well known pro, the only true amateur, and the shortstack who will be looking for some quick action if he can pick up a big hand. The Grinder, The Rookie, and The Shortie. You should already know about our distinguished panel of prognosticators in Jason “Spaceman” Kirk and Kevin Mathers so we’ll get right to it.
In addition to their thoughts, I’ve also attached the videos/advertisements produced for Michael Mizrachi and Soi Nguyen. They were rejected by ESPN because it removed some suspense about who would make the November Nine.
2010 World Series of Poker – November Nine Handicapping Part 1
2010 World Series of Poker – November Nine Handicapping Part 2
By chip count:
1 – Jonathan Duhamel – 65,975,000
2 – John Dolan – 46,250,000
3 – Joseph Cheong – 23,525,000
4 – John Racener – 19,050,000
5 – Matt Jarvis – 16,700,000
6 – Filippo Candio – 16,400,000
7 – Michael Mizrachi – 14,450,000
8 – Soi Nguyen – 9,650,000
9 – Jason Senti – 7,625,000
By seat assignment:
Seat 1 – Jason Senti – 7,625,000
Seat 2 – Joseph Cheong – 23,525,000
Seat 3 – John Dolan – 46,250,000
Seat 4 – Jonathan Duhamel – 65,975,000
Seat 5 – Michael Mizrachi – 14,450,000
Seat 6 – Matt Jarvis – 16,700,000
Seat 7 – John Racener – 19,050,000
Seat 8 – Filippo Candio – 16,400,000
Seat 9 – Soi Nguyen – 9,650,000
Michael Mizrachi – Seat 5 – 14,450,000 (M=18.06)
Current odds from 5/1 to 7/1 (+500 to +700)
Last year we had Phil Ivey, this year we get Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi as the most recognizable professional at the Main Event final table. The comparisons with Ivey end there as Mizrachi came into the 2010 WSOP as one of those players carrying the dreaded “one of the best without a bracelet” title. He had the results away from the series but just a handful of painful close calls when a bracelet was on the line.
He began playing tournament poker in 2004 and won his first WPT title at the L.A. Poker Classic. In 2006 he was CardPlayer Magazine Player of the Year after several big results including his second WPT title at Borgata Winter Poker Open. He cashed seven times in the 2008 WSOP but with nearly $8,000,000 in career tournament earnings his best WSOP result was a third place finish. That all ended with the first open event in 2010 with the $50,000 Player’s Championship when he defeated the entire field including his brother Robert at the final table for his first bracelet.
Mizrachi is also mathematically eligible to tie Frank Kassela for the 2010 WSOP Player of the Year but I’m certain the bracelet and ~$9,000,000 are a more pressing concern on the “The Grinder”.
From Spaceman:
In some ways there is a ton of pressure on Michael Mizrachi at this year’s WSOP Main Event final table. He isn’t the only professional poker player at the table, but he is the only one recognized all over the world thanks to his many televised final table appearances and his long track record of winning. He is also the only remaining player who can tie Frank Kassela for this year’s WSOP Player of the Year award, needing to win the tournament to do so. That’s a lot to have on your mind with the biggest tournament title in the world – and a huge prize to boot – up for grabs.
Mizrachi had to fight against his nature to even make it to this point, noting after the lineup was set that he’d never folded so much in his life as he did on the final day of play in July. Understanding the magnitude of opportunity that making the final table and having a shot at the POY award would afford him, he locked down and survived the grueling final day. If he chooses to play his position in the same way as Phil Ivey did last year in a nearly identical chip position, that experience from July should come in handy. Of course, there’s one major difference between Mizrachi this year and Ivey last year: Mizrachi has a much better seating assignment than Ivey did. His decisions should be relatively easy in the early going since the stacks surrounding him are fairly similar to his own, whereas Ivey had a more dynamic group of stack sizes to contend with last year.
If Mizrachi doubles up, I love his chances to win this tournament; few players have the kind of track record in big tournaments that he has. Even if he only picks up smaller pots here and there, I think he will be a serious problem for at least half of his tablemates. But with a shortish stack, one early run of bad luck is all it will really take to sink him. The odds being offered him are a little bit skewed because of his popularity, so I can’t value him too highly, but lots of people will want to bet on him and I can’t really blame them.
A proven record as one of the world’s top poker pros, a decent seating assignment, but a stack on the short side at this final table and a skewed set of odds – if you absolutely have to bet on Mizrachi, take him as close as you can get to the +700 end of the spectrum.
From Kevmath:
The Grinder is this year’s Phil Ivey, the player the established pros hope takes down the title after years of lesser known players and amateurs winning the Main Event. Like Ivey last year, Mizrachi’s starts 7th in chips and his chances of winning have been highly overestimated. Mizrachi has to deal with the big stacks of Dolan and Duhamel acting in front of him, expect the Grinder to grind his way up to a fifth place finish.
Soi Nguyen – 9,650,000 – Seat 9 (M=12.06)
Current odds from 14/1 to 18.5/1 (+1,400 to +1,850)
Soi Nguyen comes into play on Saturday as the only true amateur remaining in the field, he has just one other cash on his resume which came after he was already locked up for a November appearance. The Main Event was his first ever WSOP event and he was often heard telling his tablemates he wasn’t 100% solid on what was happening. While it is entirely possible the rookie was in above his head, you would never know by the company he keeps such as former WSOP champions Steve Sung and JC Tran.
Nguyen works for a medical supply company and until now just considered poker as his hobby. He spent the down months studying the game and picking the brains of his professional friends. His lack of experience and shallow stack will make him a long shot to win it all but stranger things have happened.
From Spaceman:
As the only true amateur at this final table, there’s really zero pressure on Soi Nguyen. If he flames out early, it’s all because of his short stack and amateur status. If he hangs in there and makes it near the end – or even wins it – he’s a Cinderella story that will make ESPN’s producers very, very happy. With no worries on his mind, Nguyen will be free to enjoy the moment and make the most of his opportunity.
Admittedly, he’s facing an uphill battle as one of the table’s short stacks. If he does manage to pick up chips, he’ll be forced to play with some of the toughest players at the table to his left. And of course, there are some tough players on his right as well. As the tournament was winding down to this final table lineup, Nguyen didn’t seem to have much luck against his tablemates, dropping pots to Michael Mizrachi and Joseph Cheong. I honestly don’t expect that he’ll be able to put up much of a fight against them unless he’s the beneficiary of some extremely good cards.
The table’s only true amateur, a lack of pressure, but a short stack – if you’re going to bet on Nguyen, take him at +1700 or higher.
From Kevmath:
Soi Nguyen is the lone amateur at the final table, as well as the oldest player. Age doesn’t mean he has more experience, as the Main Event was Nguyen’s fourth live tournament. On the ESPN broadcasts, he’s been portraying himself as not knowing too much about various poker terminology. He’s good friends with Nam Le and some other California pros, so he could be trying to psych out his opponents. However, I expect Nguyen to be shoving with any two cards at the start against a field that’s expected to play more cautiously at the start. Unfortunately for Nguyen, I suspect Nguyen will run into a monster when he makes one of those moves, and be knocked out in ninth place.
Jason Senti – 7,625,000 – Seat 1 (M=9.53)
Current odds from 16/1 to 25/1 (+1,600 to +2,500)
Jason Senti comes to the final table with the smallest stack and perhaps the most obvious strategy at the resumption of play. With an M of under 10 his options will be limited. But if there is anyone at this final table that is capable of pulling the classic shortstack ninja plays it would be Senti.
“PBJaxx” to the online community, Senti is an instructor at Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond’s poker training site. He has successfully climbed his way up from the micro-limit cash games to know grinding away online in the $50/$100 games. It didn’t take long for the electrical engineering graduate to realize he had the talent and math skills to become a successfull poker player. He has plenty of work ahead of him if he wants to come from the back of the pack to win it all but it would be an interesting story.
From Spaceman:
Thanks to his position as the shortest stack, Jason Senti has the clearest game plan of any player at this final table: wait on a big hand and play it fast. If he can’t get a big hand in the early going, the path before him won’t become any more difficult – he’ll just have to find a semi-strong hand and make an all-in move. That clarity of mission will take all the pressure off Senti and put it on his opponents, who will all know what kinds of hands the Minnesota pro is going to play and will be faced with the prospect of doubling up the table short stack with a bad call.
The biggest problem for Senti is that he’ll find himself with a below-average chip stack even if he manages to double up. While it’s possible that his game plan might change if he were to find himself in that position, I think it’s much more likely that Senti would stick with the tight-is-right mentality and look to move up the pay ladder. It would take quite a run of cards to put him in position to start playing creative poker, and that’s nothing to bet on.
A clear game plan, but an uphill battle even if he manages to get back in the hunt – I wouldn’t take Senti at anything less than +2,500.
From Kevmath:
Jason Senti is good friends with forum favorite Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, but his status as the shortest stack means he’ll be following Nguyen’s strategy and shoving early and often to accumulate chips. As a trainer at Galfond’s training site Bluefire Poker, Senti will have plenty of personal experience in working out a plan that will help him move up in the chip counts. Unfortunately, I don’t see Senti getting far at the final table, but will be able to get a pay jump after Nguyen’s elimination.
Tags: 2010 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, Jason Senti, Kevmath, Michael Mizrachi, November Nine, Soi Nguyen, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
The players forming the 2010 November Nine are getting ready for their closeups on the biggest stage in poker. Just a few short weeks before all eyes turn towards the Penn & Teller Theater in Las Vegas as they will crown latest World Series of Poker Champion. We will watch a fine collection of young grinders who tip the scale with an average age right around 27 years old, even with Soi Nguyen’s 37 years on the earth skewing the number. Florida is well represented with 3 players and another 3 come from outside the United States (Canada is not yet the 51st state?). In our world here at Full Tilt Poker, we’re proud to have 7 of the 9 players representing the site with a great chance at glory.
With the date creeping closer we’ve decided to take a look at the remaining nine players to handicap their chances to win the biggest tournament of the year. I spent some time researching the various outlets who place odds on such things just to see what kind of numbers were floating around. The odds are basically in line with the chips counts with Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi the only exception as the most accomplished player at the table. While I certainly have my opinions on how things will go at the final table, I thought it best to pull in some big guns to help handicap each player. Jason “Spaceman” Kirk and Kevin “Kevmath” Mathers have graciously decided to put their thoughts down and share them with the class.
Spaceman – One of the original poker bloggers who has worked in the poker industry for many years. He’s been everything from a tournament reporter to a published columnist. From home games to side events to world championship tournaments, he’s seen more hands of poker than the average person would even consider sane. It’s for this experience I recruited him to join along in helping us get a better feel of the players.
Kevmath – Quickly became a legend around the scene with what seems a bottomless pit of poker knowledge at his disposal. From his bat cave in New York he has established himself as one of the more interesting characters as he moderates forums, makes outstanding contributions to several sites, and generally has an answer to any poker question before anyone else. Due to his productivity, he’s often been accused of being a robot, SkyNet, or actually several people pretending to be one. As he begins to expand his horizons, I thought it would be a great idea to get his take on this year’s November Nine.
Part 2 brings us to the middle of the field, three players sporting similar stacks who will have to take advantage of every opportunity to pick up chips. John Racener, Matthew Jarvis, and Filippo Candio all drew seats together with short stacks to the right and big stack Duhamel on the left. Among those three you can find Racener with the best career results, Jarvis with the recent hot hand, and Candio doing whatever crazy Italian guys do to unwind.
In this version of our November Nine handicapping we’ve also included a look at the player videos put together by our creative team here at Full Tilt highlighting each of our 7 members of the 2010 November Nine. Those videos as well as our prognosticator’s thoughts can be found below.
Tags: 2010 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Filippo Candio, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, John Racener, Kevmath, Matt Jarvis, November Nine, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
2010 World Series of Poker November Nine
The players forming the 2010 November Nine are getting ready for their closeups on the biggest stage in poker. Just a few short weeks before all eyes turn towards the Penn & Teller Theater in Las Vegas as they will crown latest World Series of Poker Champion. We will watch a fine collection of young grinders who tip the scale with an average age right around 27 years old, even with Soi Nguyen’s 37 years on the earth skewing the number. Florida is well represented with 3 players and another 3 come from outside the United States (Canada is not yet the 51st state?). In our world here at Full Tilt Poker, we’re proud to have 7 of the 9 players representing the site with a great chance at glory.
With the date creeping closer we’ve decided to take a look at the remaining nine players to handicap their chances to win the biggest tournament of the year. I spent some time researching the various outlets who place odds on such things just to see what kind of numbers were floating around. The odds are basically in line with the chips counts with Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi the only exception as the most accomplished player at the table. While I certainly have my opinions on how things will go at the final table, I thought it best to pull in some big guns to help handicap each player. Jason “Spaceman” Kirk and Kevin “Kevmath” Mathers have graciously decided to put their thoughts down and share them with the class.
Spaceman – One of the original poker bloggers who has worked in the poker industry for many years. He’s been everything from a tournament reporter to a published columnist. From home games to side events to world championship tournaments, he’s seen more hands of poker than the average person would even consider sane. It’s for this experience I recruited him to join along in helping us get a better feel of the players.
Kevmath – Quickly became a legend around the scene with what seems a bottomless pit of poker knowledge at his disposal. From his bat cave in New York he has established himself as one of the more interesting characters as he moderates forums, makes outstanding contributions to several sites, and generally has an answer to any poker question before anyone else. Due to his productivity, he’s often been accused of being a robot, SkyNet, or actually several people pretending to be one. As he begins to expand his horizons, I thought it would be a great idea to get his take on this year’s November Nine.
We will start off with the top three chip stacks when play resumes. Jonathan Duhamel, John Dolan, and Joseph Cheong combine to hold more than 60% of the chips in play giving each a great shot for the braclet which is evident in the numbers generated by the odds makers. You can find the chip counts, seat assignments, and our prognosticator’s thoughts after the jump.
Tags: 2010 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, John Dolan, Jonathan Duhamel, Joseph Cheong, Kevmath, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
2009 World Series of Poker Bracelets
Photo credit: Pokerati.com
There are just over two weeks remaining before the poker world once again focuses it’s attention upon the Rio Hotel and Casino where the 2009 November Nine will gather around a table and play for the world championship. The players are preparing themselves in different ways. Some with coaches, others trying to stay as lowkey and relaxed as possible, still others are practicing non-stop. Or if you are Phil Ivey you continue to pound away at the dead money sitting around the Bellagio poker room.
Today brings our third and final installment of the November Nine preview. I am joined by two bloggers to help handicap the 9 players at this year’s Main Event final table and we end it with the three smallest chip stacks. Phil Ivey is by far the biggest name but starts with just 9,765,000 in chips. “Those-in-the-know” have set his official odds more along the lines of the bigger stacks around the table, a credit to the experience and talent he’ll bring along.
This post also highlights the two non-US born players in Antoine Saout and James Akenhead. Saout is the unknown Frenchman while Akenhead is regular figure around the UK tournament scene with his poker playing friends. Both have plenty of work ahead of them if they wish to make a big run for the title.
Our two guest bloggers, “Spaceman” the consummate professional writer and “Riggstad” the half-breed poker player/gambler, give you their opinions below. Once again odds and lines are strictly for informational and educational purposes, any loses due to our information is on your head. If you use this information to win, we will accept any credit/reward.
Don’t forget to check out the ESPN broadcast over the next two weeks as the field goes from seven tables to just one. Day 7 will be shown on October 20th at 20:00ET and Day 8 on October 27th at the same time.
2009 November Nine chip counts:
Darvin Moon – 58,930,000
Eric Buchman – 34,800,000
Steven Begleiter – 29,885,000
Jeff Shulman = 19,580,000
Joe Cada – 13,215,000
Kevin Schaffel – 12,390,000
Phil Ivey – 9,765,000
Antoine Saout – 9,500,000
James Akenhead – 6,800,000
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 1
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 2
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3 after the jump:
Tags: 2009 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Antoine Saout, Bloggers on the Rail, Guest Posts, James Akenhead, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, Phil Ivey, Riggstad, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
The 2009 World Series of Poker Championship bracelet awaits the November Nine winner
Photo credit: flipchip at LasVegasVegas.com
The field is into double digits on the ESPN Main Event broadcasts and you start to see some of your November Nine players pull to the front. Tuesday’s show finally gave everyone a little taste of Darvin Moon’s run through the Main Event, the man couldn’t miss. Billy Kopp also starts to build a massive chip castle setting up very nicely for the Day 8 broadcast when the two go to war. Other players also spent this last episode donating chips to Phil Ivey, even when he didn’t have the goods he would flop golden. “You know I can have a hand once in awhile, right?” he told another player. November Nine players James Akenhead, Joe Cada, and Steve Begleiter began to get some exposure as the field narrowed. Still not seeing too much mention of Eric Buchman, Kevin Schaffel or Antoine Saout but those three will show up very soon. Nicole Peppe was eliminated in this latest broadcast leaving Leo Margets as the “Last Woman Standing” in the Main Event.
There are just a few episodes remaining before the final players gather themselves back at the Rio to play down to the champion. Last week I brought you Part 1 of a series attempting to gather a few friends together and handicap the November Nine for entertainment purposes. I was joined by professional writer “Spaceman” and semi-pro donk “Riggstad”, both shared their thoughts on how the top 3 chip leaders would fair. This week we move onto the middle three stacks with Jeff Shulman, Joe Cada, and Kevin Shaffel. Shulman is the polarizing player, Cada the young internet professional, Shaffel the amateur crashing on his friend’s couch in Florida. Another interesting cast of characters. You can find the link below for Part 1 and Part 2 is after the jump.
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 1
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3
Tags: 2009 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, Jeff Shulman, Joe Cada, Kevin Schaffel, Riggstad, WSOP
Posted by AlCantHang | Filed under Bloggers on the Rail
2009 World Series of Poker Main Event “November Nine”
The poker world is now gearing up to crown the 2009 World Series of Poker Champion. Just a few short weeks from now the final 9 players left standing in the Main Event will make their way back to the Rio Hotel and Casino to play down to the bracelet winner. Some players are well known while a few have come from nowhere with a chance at poker immortality. Over the next few days I will be joined by a few poker bloggers who will do their best to handicap the entire table from chip leader to short stack.
The odds provided are purely for entertainment sake. Unless you are in a country that allows such things, in that case feel free to use their insight to your favor. Two fellow poker bloggers have found the time to join along in my crazy attempt to enlighten, inform, and entertain. They both come from different backgrounds and shed a different light on the remaining players. Your Poker From the Rail Handicapping Team:
Spaceman – one of the original poker bloggers who has worked in the poker industry for many years. He’s been everything from a tournament reporter to a published columnist. From home games to side events to world championship tournaments, he’s seen more hands of poker than the average person would even consider sane. It’s for this experience I recruited him to join along in helping us get a better feel of the players as we get set to claim a new poker champion.
Riggstad – a many faceted individual who has ties to all parts of the poker world. His unique experience also involves witnessing players at every level of poker, from complete amateurs to some of the best players in the world. He brings his East Coast grinder perspective to the biggest poker tournament in the world.
Each installment will feature 3 players at the final table, starting with the chip leader and moving to the short stack. I’ve listed their current odds from various sources as well as a short bio. There is plenty of information below, feel free to leave a comment if you agree or disagree.
2009 November Nine Handicapping Part 2
2009 World Series of Poker November Nine Part 3
2009 November Nine Handicapping Part 1 is after the jump.
Tags: 2009 World Series of Poker, AlCantHang, Bloggers on the Rail, Darvin Moon, Eric Buchman, Guest Posts, Jason "Spaceman" Kirk, November Nine, Riggstad, Steven Begleiter, WSOP
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