News / Chris Edwards / 20 June 2008 / Leave a comment

This year the internet cash game specialists are invading the WSOP with the hopes of applying their skills to tournaments and winnings a bracelet. Phil 'OMGCLAYAIKEN' Galfond has already achieved this and Alec 'traheho' Torelli took second at the HU Championship.

Matt 'Hoss_TBF' Hawrilenko (TBF = The Big Fish) is considered one of the top Limit Hold'em players in the world. So much so that David Banyamine and Patrik Antonius have stopped giving him any action online, both admitting he is too good. That's pretty impressive. Matt has played a few different events this year, not faring well in most, but has some impressive stories. In the $10,000 Mixed event he felt the wrath of Phil Hellmuth after folding to a Barry Greenstein re-raise. Phil and Barry made a joke about always having a good hand to raise with (as in, they never do) and Phil looked Matt over, which Matt describes as 'the implication being that since he doesn't recognize me, I must be one of these awful internet players. Thanks Phil, you're a class act'.

Matt would later get his revenge by eliminating Phil during a round of PLO, feeling very happy when Phil walked away muttering 'F*** this!'. Matt had a miserable time playing the $10,000 Stud event, quoting players like Ralph Perry and Men Nguyen as being offensive to dealers for no real reasons. Matt broke a streak of no cash near-bubbles when we made it to say 2 of the $2,500 NLHE 6-max event. Perhaps his most memorable story will be when he was moved to Daniel Negreanu's table, who asked when he sat down:

- "Are you Hoss_TBF?"
- "Yes . . . who are you?"

David Benefield, who goes by the online aliases raptor517, Bebop86 and Aeron73 has made a reported $10m playing online ring games. He also been having a turbulent time at this years WSOP. His one and only cash came in event number one, the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em event where he came 14th for $41,000. David has had a personal grudge match against Patrik Antonius ever since jinxing himself by saying he would beat him if drawn against him in the FTP $25k HU event. He was drawn against him and lost.

Going into his final day of the PLHE event he had Antonius sat directly to his left and felt he got his revenge when he triple barrel bluffed Antonius for all his chips. On a board of 9 4 4 5 K David bet every street, with Patrik calling until the river where David put Patrik all in who took 15 minutes to finally fold. David recalls the end of the hand: 'He finally folds saying god I know Im going to regret this or something, and I insta-flip the AJ and he looks very upset'.

These players have earned their right to be known as the best internet players in the world, but only time will tell if they can make an impact on the live tournament circuit.