WSOP 2008
Online Kids Get on Their HORSE
by AdamJ on 06.26.08, 6:01 am
Despite a hefty 50k buy-in, a handful of online kids are making a run at perhaps the most prestigious bracelet in the WSOP in the 50k HORSE Championship WSOP Event #45.
Although the majority of online players in this tournament are those with a high stakes cash game background, a few players more known for their NL tournament games are playing like James “mig.com” Mackey, Justin “zeejustin” Bonomo and Dario Minieri.
The 148 player field is stacked with incredible tables as expected. No table featured a better lineup of elite players than the one that included two of the biggest winners online in 
Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond (pictured left) and Tom “durrrr” Dwan with two of the biggest live game winners in Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey. Dwan, Galfond, and Ivey play each other often in nosebleed NL and PLO game online as well.
Mackey has faired very well at his table that includes a tough cast of characters in David Oppenheim, Andy Bloch, Lyle Berman, Jennifer Harman, David Singer, and online cash game player Brian “tsarrast” Rast. Mackey’s stack has been over the average for most of the tournament and is at 209k as play nears to an end.
Here’s a list of notable online players chip stacks with the average at 105k.
Phil Galfond - 185k
Patrik Antonius - 180k
Dario Minieri - 140k
Brian “tsarrast” Rast - 100k
Justin “zeejustin” Bonomo - 81k
Nick Schulman - 70k
Matt “Hoss_TBF” Hawrilenko - 55k
Singer and Lindgren Take Home Bracelets, Event 7 in the Money
by Crystal on 06.05.08, 4:06 am
David Singer is the winner of event 3 the $1.5k PLHE event after a grueling heads-up match with Jacobo Fernandez. On the final hand Jacobo flopped two pair but all the money didn’t go in until the turn when Singer hit a straight. Jacobo’s two pair didn’t fill and Singer took down the $214,131 first place prize money and bracelet.
As for event 4, the $5k MHE, Erick Lindgren just triumphed over Justin Bonomo in a manner similar to how the PLHE tourney ended. The money was all in on the river with Bonomo holding two pair and Lindgren a straight. Lindgren wins his first WSOP bracelet as well as $374,505.
In event 7, the $2k NLHE, the bubble broke right at the end of play for the day ensuring at least a $3,476 payday for all players returning tomorrow. Amongst those players is P5er Phil “uscphildo” Collins (pictured right) who ends the day with 70k in chips. He claims “I would have 140k if I was actually catching cards!” This seemed to be the case in a hand where the board came J
6
535 and his opponent tabled the AA. Phil mucked his hand and later said he had pocket tens and even considered folding them preflop. He lost around 25k in the hand but is still poised to do well in day 2. Play will resume at 2 pm Thursday afternoon where they will play from 152 players down to 9.
Seiver Gets Outdrawn in Big Pot vs Singer
by AdamJ on 06.03.08, 7:35 pm
One of the interesting storylines every summer at the WSOP are the matchups between live and online players.
Often a debate around poker watercoolers is which group is better and the WSOP provides a unique opportunity for these two sects to face off.
With less than 35 remaining in 1.5k PLHE, two of the chipleaders got involved in a huge all-in pot preflop, a rare occurence given their stacks and stage of the tournament.
After a series of raises preflop, Scott “gunning4you” Seiver, a well-known player online, was all-in against David Singer with about a 130k stack.
Once Singer tabled the TT
, Seiver jumped up out of his seat and started with the theatrics, yelling ”hold up one time,” revealing JJ.
Seiver’s excitement intensified once the flop came 4
56, but when the 2 and 3 peeled, Seiver didn’t pull any punches on his thoughts of Singer’s play.
“David Singer is the biggest sicko,” Seiver said in a mocking tone.
Both players are accomplished high stakes cash game players, Seiver known as “mastrblastr” on Full Tilt, specializing in $25-50 and $50-100 NL heads-up, and Singer in nosebleed mixed games.
At some point these clashes result in heads-up challenges in side games although that is yet to be seen in this instance.
Stay tuned.
Yeh and Singer chip leaders in 1.5k PLHE
by AdamJ on 06.03.08, 4:31 am
A collective sigh let out in the amazon room as hand for hand ended after ten minutes of anxiousness among the 72 remaining players left in the 1.5k PLHE who secured a WSOP cash, good for $2,725 after the 73rd player was elimated.
After the cash bubble bursted, play resumed for another 20 minutes before the day ended.
Among players who chipped up as played closed was David Singer, who went from 80k to 124k in the final 30 minutes and trailed only Philip Yeh’s 143k stack of the 63 players left.
Scott “gunning4you” Seiver is among the top stacks with 95k. Seiver, also known as “mastrblastr” on Full Tilt, is a well-known nosebleed cash game player, specializing in $25-50 and $50-100 heads-up NL.
P5er Leo “Superfluous Man” Wolpert advanced to Day 2 with 12k.
Other pro’s remaining are David Daneshgar, David Levi and Eugene Todd (pictured at right).