If you were like most viewers of the 2006 WSOP main event on ESPN, you were probably wondering who all of those players were at the final table. They were a mixture of professionals and the everyman. Both categories were living the ultimate poker dream—a seat at the world’s richest and most sought after final table.
One endured months of scandal. Some went back to their lives as an everyman. However, most of those players have enjoyed a great year of poker success:
10th place – Fred Goldberg
Fred was probably the one player at the final table with the least to prove. Ironically, he has proven the most by capturing a bracelet in the $1,500 Mixed Holdem event two weeks ago. When he took his seat in the main event a year ago, Fred made his living in Florida as a home builder and renovator.
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.
While the man who holds a Ph.D in particle physics can explain the intricacies of quantum chromodynamics to you, Michael Binger has had a hard time even spelling c-a-s-h recently. “In January at the Bahamas I cashed, but since then I’ve gone 22 straight tournaments without making the money,” Michael told me during a recent break in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event. “It’s been a brutal run of cards…and just a bit disheartening.”
Playing good poker seems to run in the Binger family; younger brother Nick has had 
