WSOP preview
Hey guys,
Chris Tessaro has written another blog for us at Betfair. You can read excerpts below or take a look at the full poker blog:
Chris Tessaro has written another blog for us at Betfair. You can read excerpts below or take a look at the full poker blog:
Ask any poker player what summer means to him or her, and you can probably make some money betting that their answer will be 'The World Series Of Poker'. May 27th is the official kickoff for this year's World Series of Poker, and poker players around the world are jumping up and down like eight-year-olds on Christmas Eve, anticipating the start of the greatest (poker) show on earth. From its humble beginnings of a handful of rounders playing at Binion's Horseshoe, the WSOP has grown into a huge extravaganza of poker that encompasses not just the summer, but continues on into the fall with the WSOP Europe, and the Final Table in November.
With that anticipation comes a whole whack of speculation on dozens of different topics. Who will win the most bracelets this year? Who will be in contention for Player of The Year? How many hours into his first event will Phil Hellmuth have his first meltdown? And every year, there are some new and fascinating items of discussion. One of my personal faves for the 2009 WSOP is the introduction of Rule 44. Phil Laak, last year in the Main Event, showed up for Day 1 in an old man disguise. No one knew it was Laak until late into the day. Hence, rule 44.
Another water cooler topic this season is the new enforcement policy on behaviour at the tables. And, of course, there is bracelet discussion. A million questions are asked, scenarios posed, and best guesses ventured. Will Hellmuth get twelve? Who is the best player without a bracelet? Which young gun will break through this year and capture some wrist hardware? (GO SOREL!) Will it be another 'year of the pro' or a season of Cinderella stories? And what about the Main Event? Will a known player make the Final Table?
The best part, of course, is that all of these questions will be answered. By this time in July, we will know. But for now? We can dream...