Early Stories Emerge at 2012 World Series of Poker
Perhaps the most compelling story thus far has been the fast start by women at this year's WSOP, including several near misses by women among the first four bracelet events. Vanessa Selbst is the last woman to win a WSOP bracelet in an event other than the Ladies Event, her victory coming in the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event in 2008.
We are less than one week into the 2012 World Series of Poker and already there has been plenty of drama and intrigue at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino as the first bracelets of the summer have been secured and several engaging storylines have emerged.
Four bracelets have been won thus far at the WSOP, with the fifth to be earned by the player managing to survive today's stacked final table in Event #5, the $1,500 pot-limit hold'em event.
Early Winners
In Event #1, California blackjack dealer Chiab "Chip" Saechao overcame a field of 732 to win the $500 Casino Employees event. Then school-teacher-turned-poker-pro Brent Hanks captured Event #2, the first $1,500 NLHE event, topping a field of 2,101.
Yesterday saw two more bracelets awarded. First came the conclusion of Event #3, the $3,000 Heads-Up NLHE/PLO event in which Annette Obrestad was among the final eight. Obrestad would fall in her quarterfinal match versus Jason Koon yesterday, earning $28,409 for her finish.
Koon, meanwhile, went on to reach the final where he lost to Leif Force. Best known for his 11th-place finish in the 2006 WSOP Main Event eventually won by Jamie Gold, Force earned a $207,708 payday for working his way through the 317-player bracket to win.
Then early this morning Event #4, the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better was at last decided with stud specialist Corey Zeidman earning the win after surviving a heads-up battle versus Chris Bjorin. Zeidman earned $201,559 for beating the field of 622 and capturing his first WSOP bracelet.
Meanwhile, the Londoner Bjorin picked up his fourth career runner-up finish in WSOP events to go along with the two bracelets and 60-plus cashes he's earned over the last two decades.
Sizing Up the Fields, Simultaneous Sexton, and Ivey's Return
Besides who won what, there's been a lot else to capture poker fans' attention and interest at the WSOP this week.
The turnout in Event #2 -- about a thousand fewer players than we saw in the first $1,500 NLHE event last summer (coming a couple of weeks in) -- has some wondering about how the rest of the Series will shape up in terms of numbers. However other events thus far have seen turnouts that have been comparable to their 2011 parallels.
Another interesting story from the first week of play involved Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton managing to cash in both Events #3 and #4 despite the fact that the tournaments essentially ran concurrently.
In fact, Sexton made relatively deep runs in both events, reaching the Round of 16 in Event #3 and finishing 15th in Event #4. Both started on Tuesday and ended Thursday, and according to WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla the feat of cashing in essentially simultaneous events may be a WSOP first.
The return of Phil Ivey to the WSOP after his self-imposed hiatus last year has grabbed a lot of attention as well. Maria Ho eliminated Ivey early on Day 1 of Event #2. Aaron Jones then beat the eight-time bracelet winner in the first round of Event #3. He then made Day 2 of Event #4 where he was knocked out by David Singer without cashing. And Event #6 (the $5,000 NLHE "Mix-Max" event) saw another early exit for Ivey.
The Ladies Came to Play
Perhaps the most compelling story thus far, however, has been the fast start by women at this year's WSOP, including several near misses by women among the first four bracelet events.
First Patricia Baker came one spot shy of winning Event #1. Then Vanessa Selbst made a deep run in Event #2 before falling in fourth place. Selbst, of course, is the last woman to win a WSOP bracelet in an event other than the Ladies Event, her victory coming in the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event in 2008.
Obrestad's run to the quarterfinals and final day of in Event #3 also provided hope for women to break the streak of more than 220 WSOP open events won by men, though as mentioned her efforts came up short as well.
Event #4 provided even more thoughts of a woman finally breaking through with no less than four women among the final 13 as the last day of play proceeded on Thursday.
Linda Johnson, one of the select group of women with a WSOP bracelet in an open event ($1,500 razz, 1997) and like Sexton a Poker Hall of Famer, was among that last group before being eliminated in 13th. A little later Marsha Waggoner, another highly accomplished player with over 20 cashes and multiple WSOP final table appearances in her career, came a spot shy of the final table in this one by finishing ninth.
Bonnie Rossi made it one step further than Waggoner, getting knocked out in eighth after making her second WSOP final table in a stud event. And after entering the final day of play as chip leader among the final 23, Xian Liu made it all of the way to sixth before bowing out.
The action continues to ramp up at the Rio. By the middle of next week will come the first of those days in which six different events will be contested in a single day, and by this time next Friday seven more bracelets will have been won.
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