THE WOW! SERIES OF POKER! As the world’s biggest poker event comes to the boil and the final table of the Main Event is actually visible on the horizon I thought it would be a good time to take a look at what has generally been regarded as the best game so far. First of all though a brief verbal sketch of the gladiatorial arena where all this bloodshed is currently going on. Last year the main hall was so vast there was more than a hint of a cattle market about the hordes of players at tables for as far as the eye could see. This year the whole thing is much more Vegas and corporate. Lots of big brand logos climbing on the ever more powerful poker bandwagon. Three metre high Royal Flush posters compete with massive four metre high beer cans to seduce the eyeballs of the global millions watching on television. For pure American gross the WSOP 2006 is hard to beat. The competitive nature of the event was summed up by a guy the size of Ohio carrying a 60 ounce plastic tub of Gulp Soda (not a vintage we’re familiar with) and a sign emblazoned across his chest: YOU HAVE NO CHANCE!
BEST GAME SO FAR? That’s an easy one. The Tournament of Champions always kicks off at the early stages of the WSOP and this year the final table boiled down to the most enthralling heads up anyone present can remember. Mike Sexton from the old school champs versus Daniel Negreanu the 2004 Player of the Year. Over no less than three hundred hands these two giants of the game gave a demonstration of the art of poker even Hollywood couldn’t have scripted. The action constantly drifted backwards and forwards between the two with no player gaining any clear advantage. Moving into the early hours of the morning we were treated to a truly dazzling exhibition of post-flop poker. Five hours had gone by and still neither player had a grip on the other’s throat. It wasn’t until the four hundred and fifty first hand of this gruelling duel that Negreanu took a credible chip lead when he landed a high pair. Thirty two hands later Sexton re-took the lead by doubling through Daniel’s Queen-Jack with an over-powering King-Queen. Then came hand five hundred and four.
THE MAGIC MARATHON ENDS Negreanu is in the big blind and Sexton calls from the small blind. Negreanu raises and Sexton re-raises $180,000. Negreanu calls. The flop delivers Eight and Ten of Diamonds and Four of Clubs. Mike checks the pot and Negreanu goes all-in! Sexton flips over pocket rockets to Daniel’s optimistic Queen-Jack to a straight draw. Imagine the tension as Negreanu waits for his Nine at the turn. It doesn’t come. A third Ace hits giving Sexton trips. The TV cameras zoom in for the Nine to arrive at the river. It doesn’t. It’s another Eight to pair the board giving Sexton a Full House and a $1,000,000 pay off after 16 hours of play!
