2009 WSOP Champions Invitational

Champions Invitational
Day: 1
12
Event Info
2009 WSOP Champions Invitational
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
10♣9♦
Event Info
Total Entries
20
Level Info
Level
12
Blinds
1,000 / 2,000
Ante
300
Players Left 1 / 20
Filter

Filter

Sort By
30 Show newer posts

Level: 2

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

A 'Mike the Mouth' Cameo

Phil Hellmuth being welcomed to the Champions Invitational by WSOP heads Jeffrey Pollack and Jack Effel
Phil Hellmuth being welcomed to the Champions Invitational by WSOP heads Jeffrey Pollack and Jack Effel
Mike Matusow made a quick stop in the ESPN secondary feature area to share some banter with Phil Hellmuth. The ever-talkative Mike loudly proclaimed a bounty on Hellmuth's head, a signed copy of Matusow's new autobiography, Check-Raising the Devil. The early inside line has to go to Jerry Yang, who's been stealing chips early and has amassed a healthy stack of 100-denom grays.

Hellmuth and Matusow swapped a bit more banter for the cameras, with Matusow proclaiming as he exited, "I'll see you on the rail in about five minutes."

Tags: Jerry YangMike MatusowPhil Hellmuth

Air Time

Other than the early Gold/Mortensen collision, most of today's returning champions seem to content to enjoy the moment. The ESPN crews are busy and the railbirds have surprisingly good access to the stars, with the secondary feature area -- a new set this year, built as a squared-off mini amphitheater with a row of reserved seats ringing the inside for friends, family and poker dignitaries.

As a result, the action itself has been slow. Huck Seed and Joe Hachem have chipped up to about 12,000 each at Table 146, with 1991 Brad Daugherty the likely victim, down to about 6,200.

Jamie Gold First Out

Almost before the players had settled into their seats, 2006 champion Jamie Gold was the first to exit the Champions Invitational. TD Bill Bruce looked on as Jamie caught pocket jacks to Carlos Mortensen's pocket kings, and by the time the 9-high board was complete, 9,000 of each player's chips were in the middle.

Gold busted out soon after (but still in the first orbit), when his flush draw failed to fill.

Chris Moneymaker was carded from Table 146 to 147 to balance the tables, though the next knockout will take the event down to two tables.

Tags: Carlos MortensenJamie Gold

The Mt. Rushmore of Poker

Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions
The extended photo op before play included 19 of the 20 players taking part (missing the tardy Peter Eastgate), who were joined by several Harrah's and WSOP executives for the occasion.

Said WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack about the moment: "I still have a chill running through my spine. In four years of the WSOP, this is the greatest moment I've ever seen. The group here truly represents the Mt. Rushmore of poker."

Tags: Doyle BrunsonTournament of ChampionsWSOP

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0

Eastgate a Tad Late

Defending ME champion Peter Eastgate missed the formal opening ceremonies, including a photo/video shoot featuring a champions' lineup unheard of in poker history. The erstwhile Eastgate showed up just in time for a last-second introduction as the players drift to their seats.

Tags: Peter Eastgate

Seat Assignments

Three tables will be in use at the start of play, collapsing down to two after the first two eliminations occur. The Champions Invitational will use ESPN's secondary feature table, and two special "Day 2" tables nearby -- tagged Amazon Green 146 and 147.

Today's seat assignments:

ESPN Secondary Feature Table (Table 143):

(Seat 1) Jerry Yang
(Seat 3) Phil Hellmuth
(Seat 4) Berry Johnston
(Seat 5) Doyle Brunson
(Seat 7) Peter Eastgate
(Seat 8) Tom McEvoy
(Seat 9) Jim Bechtel

Table 146:

(Seat 1) Huck Seed
(Seat 3) Amarillo Slim Preston
(Seat 4) Joe Hachem
(Seat 5) Brad Daugherty
(Seat 6) Chris Moneymaker
(Seat 8) Scotty Nguyen
(Seat 9) Chris "Jesus" Ferguson

Table 147:

(Seat 1) Jamie Gold
(Seat 3) Carlos Mortensen
(Seat 4) Dan Harrington
(Seat 5) Johnny Chan
(Seat 7) Greg Raymer
(Seat 8) Robert Varkonyi

Tags: Champions Invitationalseat assignmentsTournament of ChampionsWSOP

Prev 12345 Next