NEIGH!! NEIGH!!!!

Yes, that’s right, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Event, begins today - probably the most interesting event out of the 55 total. Although the winner of the Main Event has traditionally been given the unofficial title of World Champion, the top pros have stated that the soon-to-be three year-old $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Event is the one which ultimately decides the world’s best player. This isn’t surprising given that the top pros are the only ones who are really playing this event. Why not proclaim one of their own as the ‘World Champion’?

The pros are probably a little frustrated by the long, long, loooooooong odds of dodging through an enormous field full of unknown internet pros, donks and dogs en route to winning the Main Event. Its a simple matter that even the leader of the best bomb squad sometimes gets unlucky and has a pair of 4s detonate their Kings. The $50K H.O.R.S.E. Tourney offers more of a known quantity - you’ll get beat by the devil you are familiar with, not the squirrelly kid who re-re-raised you preflop with 44 because he “put you on AK”  (and of course by “you” I mean all the pro poker players planning to play the 50K H.O.R.S.E. who are reading this).
 

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Mathematically, it’s supposed to be getting harder and harder for a pro to win a World Series event. More people entering events means tougher odds to come out on top. Difficult math, I know. Still with me? Nevertheless, a number of pros have walked away with bracelets so far this year, including:

-Daniel Negreanu

-Barry Greenstein

-David Benyamine

-Mike Matusow

-Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond

-Dario Minieri

-Ben Conoley Kenny Tran

-Nenad Medic

-Layne Flack

-Erick Lindgrin

And the rich get richer…

-Ben

Phil Ivey made headlines at the beginning of the World Series of Poker by allegedly taking over $2 million in bets that he would win a WSOP bracelet this year. After playing nearly every event for the first two weeks of the tournament, it seems that he’s been slowing things down a little. In fact, on a recent episode of The Life of Ivey, which is airing on Poker Road, Ivey was seen paying off Doyle Brunson and saying if he did win one, then Brunson could pay him back. He was also seen on film saying that he didn’t know how many more events he planned on playing.

-Ben

I played a big pot last night, getting my whole stack involved. Unfortunately, I was the donkey. Even more unfortunately, I put my opponent on a hand that had me beat and still called him. Fortunately for me, cash flows to the donkey.
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The poker player I always yearn to see atop the tourney leaderboard, busting shortstacks and sucking out on Aces may come as a surprise. Although I love seeing the volatile Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow sticking around for a final table blowup, and I enjoy watching multiple bracelet winners Allen Cunningham, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey work their craft, the player I love to see making the ‘Live Reporting News’ (courtesy of Pokernews) is none other than Michael Binger. Yes that’s right, and its Bing! -er, not Binge -er, for those of you wondering. 

How can anyone not get a kick out of this:

Anyhow, I also have Binger in my WSOP Fantasy Pool and he is having a stellar series AGAIN (after leading last years WSOP in cashes). A few more links of the man who literally had real laser beams inserted into his pupils, but then was court-ordered to have them removed. 

• “I’ll eat your children”
• “I can see your heart beating”
• Binger, using his x-ray implants to check out the ladies

The poker player I always yearn to see atop the tourney leaderboard, busting shortstacks and sucking out on Aces may come as a surprise. Although I love seeing the volatile Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow sticking around for a final table blowup, and I enjoy watching multiple bracelet winners Allen Cunningham, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey work their craft, the player I love to see making the ‘Live Reporting News’ (courtesy of Pokernews) is none other than Michael Binger. Yes that’s right, and its Bing! -er, not Binge -er, for those of you wondering. 

How can anyone not get a kick out of this:

Anyhow, I also have Binger in my WSOP Fantasy Pool and he is having a stellar series AGAIN (after leading last years WSOP in cashes). A few more links of the man who literally had real laser beams inserted into his pupils, but then was court-ordered to have them removed. 

• “I’ll eat your children”
• “I can see your heart beating”
• Binger, using his x-ray implants to check out the ladies

Jim Moran Jr. who works as a Dominos Pizza manager in Virginia recently made headlines on ABC’s website for a hilarious poker video he posted on Youtube. What makes the story noteworthy is that the Senior Jim Moran is the state’s Democratic Congressman. What also makes the story noteworthy is that it is absolutely hilarious. Watch it and try not to laugh. Do it![youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOoSGR_1qSk]

Jim Moran Jr. who works as a Dominos Pizza manager in Virginia recently made headlines on ABC’s website for a hilarious poker video he posted on Youtube. What makes the story noteworthy is that the Senior Jim Moran is the state’s Democratic Congressman. What also makes the story noteworthy is that it is absolutely hilarious. Watch it and try not to laugh. Do it![youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOoSGR_1qSk]

Dario Minieri won his first WSOP bracelet this morning in the $2,500 six-handed NLHE event. Minieri, who is a high-stakes tournament pro over at Pokerstars made headlines at the WSOP last year by amassing a huge chip lead and then giving it all away well before the tournament was over. However, with a successful year behind him, it’s not surprising to see him doing well this year. He came close a few times, though, including getting it all in pre-flop with 3,4s against runner-up Seth Fischer’s KK. Minieri hit running fours on the turn and river to walk away from that one with the best hand. On the last hand, Dario’s QQ held up against Fischer’s K,10 to give him all the chips in play.

In news that doesn’t mean as much to my WSOP Pool, Rob Hollink won the $10,000 Limit HE Championship, beating a tough final table that included both Andy Bloch and JC Tran.

The $5,000 7 Card Stud Hi-Low event reached its final table this morning after a grueling 16 hours of play. Those who survived the elite field are:

Sebastian Ruthenberg: 663,000
Chris Ferguson: 434,000
Alessio Isaia: 398,000
Marcel Luske: 308,000
Robert Beveridge: 308,000
Annie Duke: 277,000
Steve Sung: 207,000
Bob Lauria: 40,400

So maybe the World Series of Poker isn’t the absolute best time to start a brand new poker website. Without the infrastructure needed to keep things going, we’ve realized that nobody is going to man up when we’re not around. With that said, let’s get down to catching up.

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