Main event begins, and ends all too quickly for some
By Bob Harkins, MSNBC.com
Posted July 6, 7 p.m. ET “Shuffle up and deal!” With those words spoken by comedian George Wallace, the World Series of Poker main event was off and running Friday a little after noon. Well, maybe off and crawling would be more accurate, as after a polite round of applause the players got down to business. The mood to the room was muted as players hunkered down to focus on their game. The sound of shuffling poker chips – which sounds sort of like a combination of a gurgling stream and crickets chirping – dominated the room. | |
It wasn’t long, though, before someone shouted “All-in!” which sent a buzz through the room.
On just his fourth hand of the day, Matt Chancey was headed out the door, his $10,000 entry fee donated to the prize pool. A businessman in the insurance and real estate industries in Orlando, the 34-year-old could only shrug his shoulders as he left his table, his pocket aces beaten by a king-high flush.
You would think with the blinds low and not scheduled to rise for two hours, players would take it slow, but the nature of no-limit Texas hold’em can often force the action. An opponent raised the blinds to $350, and Chancey re-raised to $1,500, hoping to scare him away.
“I was trying to take it down there,” he said. “I wasn’t in the blinds so I would’ve picked up the blinds, as well as his raise.”
But his opponent did not go away, and when the flop came out with three hearts, he knew he might be in trouble. But since he held the ace of hearts, there was still a chance after his opponent called his all-in and turned over King-queen of hearts.
But Chancey did not get the extra heart he needed, and just like that his main event was over, roughly 15 minutes after it started.
“I play a lot of cards, but this is my first time at the World Series,” Chancey said, smiling. “I’ll be back. This isn’t a deterrent.”
If it’s any consolation, Chancey was not the first player eliminated. That honor went to Luke Standenmaier, an Internet player from Pittsburgh. Standenmaier was ousted just nine minutes into the tournament.
After the first couple players were bounced, the room quickly quieted again.
There were a few former champions in action, including Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Huck Seed, as well as actors Brad Garrett, Ray Romano and Tobey Maguire. And they attracted some attention from the ESPN cameras, which are everywhere.
Some players clearly aim to get the attention of the cameras. Many young women dress to distract, while their male counterparts often attempt intimidation, scowling from deep beneath their hoodies, heads bopping to music emanating from hidden headphones.
Others took a lighter approach. Jeff Madsen, a young pro from Los Angeles, dressed in a jester outfit. Chan seemed to enjoy chatting with their tablemates, gathering what information he can that could be helpful down the line.
But mostly it was a subdued start. There has been some concern that the number of entrants would not match 2006, when nearly 8,800 players competed.
One official guessed there were more than 1,300 players in action today, with three more Day 1s to come.
WSOP commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said he didn’t know the exact number. It’s a topic he has consistently avoided, and he made it clear that he did not consider it important.
“This will be the biggest poker tournament in the world,” he said. “The richest, most prestigious in it’s 38 year history. .. . We were prepared that ratings and attendance figures come and go, and if this isn’t the year of total growth in the main event, that’s okay.”
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