Bernard Pugi
Rock Star
Silver Level
I think Hellmuth got beaten with his pair of As with Durrrrr's pair of ten getting 3 of a kind.
smd173
Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
Considering the WPT Championship field was lower by about 40%, it is generally expected that the wsop ME field will be lower this year as well. Quite possibily by a couple thousand.
The economy is just taking it's toll. But we'll see. There will be many a prop bet made on the final number.
smd173
Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
She doesn't turn 21 until September, so she is going to have to wait another year to play in the WSOP Vegas.
nc_royals
Visionary
Silver Level
I agree it's going to be difficult for a pro to do. But that being said I think if it's done it'll be by someone like Hellmuth, Ferguson, or a Cunningham type player that's patient as well as talented. Ivey is great but I dont think aggressive pros like him are patient enough to make theri way through the maze of amateur players and bad beats.
B
BobTheBiller
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Not only would I put my money the winner being an unknown online player, but I would go so far as to say that a big-name, well known pro will not be at the final table. I think the trend stays the same.
ps. I also hope that by typing this I have jinxed it and lots of pros are at the final table b/c that is what I would like to see as well.
Q
Qmain
Enthusiast
Silver Level
I never really liked phill because of his antics but he showed a different level of his game that i had not seen before.
Insanity
Rock Star
Silver Level
I don't think I will even try to guess the person. I know there are entirely too many young, hungry poker players entering every year. If a pro does take it down he has his job cut out for him because the style of play seems to change every year as newer and younger players enter.
Roller
Legend
Platinum Level
Sorry Bernard I was referring to this years Heads Up Tourney (5-3-09).
But yes Last year Drrrr sucked out on Hellmuth.
He was playing awesome.
I think if he mixes it up like that he can Win the whole thing.
Anyone think he will Win the Heads up Tourney.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
That was 2008. In 2009 by any objective measure he crushed Dwan. On the whole he held better cards than him, but he made better moves as well.
Of course, all this is irrelevant because WTF does doing OK in a turbo HU shootout tournament have to do with winning the Main Event?
As for the economy affecting numbers and the WPT championship being down 40% this year, granted, it'll likely have some effect. I don't think it'll be as bad as the WPT though. You've gotta remember that the WPT championship is a $25K event, not a $10K one, and it doesn't have anywhere near the profile with the unwashed masses that the Main Event does.
I'm picking if numbers are down on last year, it won't be by much.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
Erm... no. Not even with the widest of wide definitions of "pro" that include people like Jean-Robert Bellande.
nutshooter
Rock Star
Silver Level
I think there will be a no-name winner. The main event is a crap shoot for the pros. They're out numbered hundreds to one. If a pro does take it, then im gonna bet one Jammy Gold or Joe hachem but, I would bet no pro takes it before that.
C
CardConnoisseur
Enthusiast
Silver Level
It's true. I sometimes feel that these no limit events are far too luck based sometimes, especially with the fast raising blinds. If the main event was for example, LIMIT holdem, I think the pros would come out on top MUCH more often. What do you guys think?
Bernard Pugi
Rock Star
Silver Level
Sorry Bernard I was referring to this years Heads Up Tourney (5-3-09).
But yes Last year Drrrr sucked out on Hellmuth.
Ow, Sorry about that.I thought they only fight once. Anyway, Phil is really awesome even if he has that kinda' attitude.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
Erm... you know the Main Event is univerally acknowledged as having the slowest structure of any tournament anywhere, right?
The blinds only go up once every two hours, and all players start with 300 big blinds. That's slow. Here's the structure sheet for this year: http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/tourney/structsheet_7283.asp?tourneyid=7283&groupid=607
If it was a limit tournament, pros might have a better chance to win. But that's because less people would enter, because it'd get less exposure, because less people would watch it on TV, because limit hold 'em tournaments tend to be boring as hell to watch. Especially when you're watching them from Day 1, not just the final table.
Doing something that made the tournament attract less entrants and made it boring to watch is so much the opposite of what the Main Event is about it doesn't even compute.
wsorbust
Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
A drunk Scotty Nguyen defeats Robert Varkonyi in a close and exciting match between two of the best players of last century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotty_Nguyen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotty_Nguyen