2009 World Series of Poker

Event 57 - $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em
Event Info

2009 World Series of Poker

Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
6,494
Players Left
9
Next Payout
Place 9
$1,263,602
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
30,000

Phil Hellmuth: Tournament Director

The tournament is running just a bit differently tonight than in previous nights. Where we would normally stop at the ten-minute mark and draw a card so that all tables played the same number of hands, tonight the last level is being played all the way down to zero. That's causing some ripples of confusion and disdain around the room, with Ground Zero being located right smack in the middle of Table Hellmuth.

When he realized what was going on, Hellmuth shot out of his chair and scoured the room for a listening ear. Unfortunately for Media Director Nolan Dalla, Hellmuth's gaze landed on him.

"Nolan... Nolan... Nolan..." he repeated as he walked across the floor to interrupt a conversation. "This is terrible, Nolan. Everyone's going to stall. They don't want to take the big blind, so they stall." Dalla was nodding and clearly looking for a good spot to stick in a reply. "I don't wanna play that stall game," finished Hellmuth. Dalla politely told Phil that it was not his decision to make, sending him storming back to his table.

Just a few seconds later, we overheard the table talk between Phil and his neighbor Chris Bjorin. Hellmuth was still going on about the schedule. "I don't know what to do. They're just going to stall. I think I'm supposed to stall. I think we have to stall. We may not play another hand here."

To everyone's content, the last few hands were finished up without incident over there.

Tags: Phil Hellmuth