redswirl (Observer): YO THOMAS U LIKE JAGERMEISTER?
Thomas Wahlroos: i used to dig jaegermeister
Thomas Wahlroos: i think im past it now
redswirl (Observer): thomas if u had to touch rolands penis for five seconds or kiss sabyl cohen in mouth for 1 minute with tongues which would u do????????
Thomas Wahlroos: id have to go for roland
redswirl (Observer): good choice

So sick.

He cashed at both Bellagio WPT events last fall, just missing the final table of the Five Diamond in 11th place.  In March, he was (in my opinion) the best player remaining in the last few tables at Foxwoods.  After making the TV final table, he was busted in 4th place when his pocket jacks were all in preflop but lost against a ragged ace.

7th place – Doug Kim
Before winning his seat in the main event through an online satellite, Doug was a recreational $1-$2 NL player.  However, one of the players in that college game was Jason Strasser, considered to be one of the best online players in the world.  Strasser also had a very small percentage of Doug, so he was there helping him through the late stages of play. 

Interestingly enough, neither Doug nor Jason are professional poker players anymore.  Doug has been working for an insurance company and Jason moved on to investing.  This year’s main event is the first tournament Doug has played since 2006.

4th place – Allen Cunningham
It’s tough to mention anything that hasn’t already been said about Allen Cunningham’s game.  He’s possibly the best “closer” in the business—if he gets down to the last four or five tables of an event, you might as well just pencil his name in as “champion.”  He proved this true by winning his third bracelet in the last three years.

Just after I came on with PokerWire, Allen & Melissa Hayden were giving JDN a free bed for his new apartment.  Naturally the bossman made the new guy help him move stuff (not sure where that was at in the contract).  While we are at their home, I helped them put together their new dining room chairs.  Allen wasn’t a big fan, but my work wasn’t in vain as they were put to good use on Thanksgiving.

3rd place – Michael Binger
Michael jumped out to a quick start at the 2007 WSOP, cashing in five of his first nine events.  He went on to tie the record for most cashes (8) in one series.  He can still break the record with a strong finish in the main event.  Before the series, he had been experiencing the inevitable dry run all players endure.  Things had become so bad (22 tournaments in a row without a cash) that he was actually considering going back into academics.

Mike definitely has something to fall back on—most pros don’t finish college much less hold a PhD in particle physics.   Mike also has the good fortune of traveling the tournament circuit with his younger brother, Nick, who has had his share of success (read article).  We had the chance to interview Michael on a recent episode of PokerWire Radio.

2nd place – Paul Wasicka
If the second place finisher usually feels like they have something to prove, Paul has exceeded everyone’s expectations in the last 12 months.  Despite being an alternate at the 2007 NBC National Heads-Up Championship (he filled in for Phil Hellmuth), Paul went on to win the title in impressive fashion.  He kept an impressive streak of heads-up victories alive by making it to the Sweet 16 in the WSOP event.

Paul is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet on the tour.  Approachable and instantly likeable, the PokerWire team unfortunately tortured Paul with one of the worst dinner breaks in poker history during the Aussie Millions. Despite our run-in, Paul was one race away from that final table.  After that he placed 4th at the LAPC, won the NBC tournament, and placed 24th at the WPT championship (where he took 15th in 2006).  Not a bad year for someone who only plays about every-other $10k event.  You can listen to a recent interview with Paul on PokerWire Radio.

Okay, I’ll admit that I tried to check out the celebrity tournament but the 300 security guards over there wouldn’t let me. So I resigned myself to watching the best players in the world determine a champion in an event that has only ever been won by a great player. This is one World Series event that a one-hit wonder has never won. And it’s going to be no different this year. Out of the 12 players remaining when I showed up, I only didn’t recognize two… and I have a feeling if I ask around someone who knows more than I will inform me that so and so is actually an amazing player… or at least was in the 70s.

Interestingly, I was able to follow both events at the same time as Phil Hellmuth was on the mike doing color commentary. Listening to him I learned that Matt Damon and Adam Sandler are the most popular celebs in the room (based on crowd applause) with Charles Barkley coming in a close second. I also heard that Daniel Negreanu busted early and that Annie Duke wanted to let him rebuy… except the Nevada Gaming Commission wouldn’t allow it. “They’ll let you play those slot machines,” Barkley joked, “but they won’t let you give another $5,000 to charity.”

Meanwhile, with ten players left in the 2-7 I watched Shawn Sheikhan raise from the button only to get reraised all in by a short-stacked Allan Cunningham. Sheikhan dropped a king, which he later admitted, and made a 10-9. Cunningham stood pat with his jack-high, which wasn’t good enough to keep him alive. Down to the final ten, the players stayed at two tables. Two more players needed to get eliminated before they could consolidate to one table.

I guess it really is a rule that if a wheel card flips over you’re allowed to keep it because I watched Chip Reese get dealt an upturned 5, which he kept. He then raised to $40,000 from the button. Andy Black reraised him to $100,000, and Reese called. Both players stood pat and Reese checked. Black pushed all in, and Reese quickly called. Black showed 8-7-6-3-2… and Reese, who had been the chip leader for much of the afternoon, mucked his cards and left the room. “He must have had a 9-6,” Todd Brunson guessed, but who really knows?

The final table is now set, and I’d be willing to bet a lot of money that Lamar Wilkinson, the one player I don’t recognize, won’t win it. Only the poker greats win 2-7 bracelets at the World Series of Poker.

As you know from reading my first 18 World Series entries, I came to Vegas for the beginning. I was there for the long lines and endless complaints before the first event (Mixed Hold 'Em), the casino employees event, and the first GIGANTIC no-limit hold 'em event. I made it to day 2 of that event, cashed, and braved the the tent-city of Loserville waiting to get paid. I played late in some other events without getting paid and even got to experience the feeling of playing lousy and going out early.

I've been at the Rio at 9 AM; I've been there at 3 AM.

I've seen an incredible march of history, both part of the moment and frustrated that I wasn't doing more to record it. Tom Schneider, a very nice guy from Scottsdale who is friends with my buddy Robert Goldfarb, won a bracelet and made another final table. Annie Duke and Chris Ferguson, two of my very best friends in poker, made the same final table where Tom won his first bracelet. I was so addled by the break-in of my car that I couldn't give them and their situation enough attention. Plus Gavin Smith, my friend and collaborator, was in the process of falling just short of winning his first bracelet at exactly the same time.

Phil Ivey came close to number 6. Humberto Brenes and Marco Traniello have each made a pair of final tables. Many, many top pros have been knocking at the door. And I feel like it's been a struggle to keep up.

Wait, I've definitely lost the battle to keep up. It's been a struggle just to keep within hailing distance. I'm pleased with what I've written so far and I'm catching up with my notes from the first 10 days, but I want to do a lot more. And, paradoxically, I'm playing well during all this, which both gives me a closer view of what's going on and some stories of my own, but makes it difficult for me to write detailed pieces in real-time.

I already skipped my first trip home. I combined trips 1 & 2 into a 1-AM-Sunday-to-Thursday-morning trip to Scottsdale, to call dibs on my family and watch Valerie's dance recital rehearsal and one of her two performances.

So what happens when I get home? All hell breaks loose in Vegas.

On Saturday afternoon, Melissa Hayden invites me to use her and Allen Cunningham's spare bedroom. Home on Sunday night, I am sending her text messages after Allen wins his fifth bracelet. On Monday, I see Howard is hanging around the limit hold 'em championship late on day 2. Apart from being a good friend, he wrote the limit hold 'em chapter of the FULL TILT POKER STRATEGY GUIDE. If he makes the final table, I have to get to Vegas. It would be a monster promotional opportunity, and I don't think he has a single copy of the book with him.

We have out-of-town guests but I keep excusing myself to check chip counts and flight schedules. If he makes the final table, I'll fly out Tuesday morning, miss Val's dress rehearsal, then fly back home Wednesday morning. I'll watch her Wednesday performance and Thursday performance, and blow off the Thursday interview I've scheduled in Las Vegas.

But he busts out, which disappoints me, but keeps my schedule as I planned.

Then I see Phil Hellmuth has won his ELEVENTH bracelet. I am not close friends with Phil Hellmuth, but I have great admiration for his game and his place in poker's history. I think this is a great development and one I would have preferred watching from a closer vantage.

By the way, I may have blown an opportunity to do just that. BLUFF is doing one-hour delayed complete webcast final table coverage of 17 bracelet events (I think Phil's 11th was their first). They do hole cards, every hand. The whole shot. They're also doing the final tables of Circuit Championships and all the events at the WSOP Europe. I read that Robert Williamson III did final table commentary yesterday. The whole package is just $50, through worldseriesofpoker.com. I want to be THERE and be PART of it but I'm sure that's better than missing it like I did and moaning and groaning about it.

Just as I'm writing these words, I get a call from Matthew Parvis, my editor at BLUFF. He is asking if I'll write the cover profile on Hellmuth for the August issue. It's a tight deadline and I don't know Phil especially well, but I never want to say no to a cover. I never want to say to no BLUFF. I never want to say no to feature money.

I never want to say no.

I said I'll think about it and we'll talk tomorrow.

And now there is Mike Matusow to balance in all this. He is near the chip lead after Day 1 in the $2500 NLHE. The longest final-table streak in WSOP history belongs to T.J. Cloutier. He has made a final table every year since 1992, but he hasn't made one yet this year. Phil Hellmuth has made a final table every year since 1999 and now has made one nine years running.

Guess what streaky, erratic, inconsistent maniac is the model of steady success with a similar 1999+ streak. Not Cunningham or Chan or Negreanu or Juanda. Mike Matusow. And he's made final tables in the $2500 NLHE event in 2003 and 2006.

So I am once again looking at flight schedules and rescheduling interviews and dance recital performances. Because you better believe if Mike makes the final table of this one, I'm going to be there.

I can't believe it's 48 hours until I'm SUPPOSED TO be back in Las Vegas. Who knows how the world of poker will turn between now and then?

When I'm at the Series, I wish I was home. When I'm home, I wish I was at the Series.