I’d forgotten what the meat of the World Series of Poker is like. When you’re there, the days of the week begin to blur together, just as the events start to blur together. Four events are now in the books, with six more in action today. It is dizzying to say the least.
The early performance trend is that the pros knows poker. Of the first four bracelet winners, we have one first time winner/casher (Grant Hinkle, in the crapshoot called the $1.5k NLHE cattle drive). The other three bracelet winners claim bigger cashes than their WSOP victory this week. Nenad Medic took down Event #1 $10k PLHE for a nice $794k (bested by his $1.7mil at the 2006 WPT Foxwoods $10k NLHE event), David Singer’s $214k for the Event #3 was his seventh highest cash (an even $1.0mil for his 2007 Caesar’s Palace Classic title was his best cash). Erick “E-Dog” Lindgren took home $347k for his Event #4 $5k Mixed Hold-em bracelet, his best cash in almost seventeen months ($795k, 2007 Aussie Millions $100k event).
Upcoming Final Tables are packed with experienced pros young and old. Event #5 $1k NLHE w/ re-buys includes chip leader Michael Banducci (seven WSOP cashes), Michael Binger (3rd place in ‘06 Main Event, ten WSOP cashes), and Atlanta native Jeff “yellowsub86″ Williams (first WSOP season, winner of ‘06 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final). The lower buy-in events likely will continue to produce Final Tables littered with wide-eyed newbies, but the higher buy-in events are filled with names we’ve all come to know. Lindgren’s Final Table is a good example of that (in order of finish): Lindgren, Justin Bonomo, Andrew Robl, Roland de Wolfe, David Rheem, Howard Lederer, David Williams, Pat Pezzin, and Isaac Haxton. Robl’s $132k won in the last six months and Pezzin’s $142k in his four years of tourney play are the lowest amounts at this Final Table.
I’ll do these quick rundowns every few days. Let me know if they are helpful and interesting, as well as if you’d like to see anything in particular.
