2009 World Series of Poker

World Series of Poker Europe Showtimes for ESPN

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 19:59:37 -0800

The 2009 WSOP Europe that encompassed the last 4 gold bracelet events of the season will be shown on ESPN beginning on January 31st with the Caesar's Cup event. All 4 events had excellent poker which should not be missed. Read our reports to go beyond what ESPN will tell you.

WSOP Online Is Available For Non-US Players

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 19:48:45 -0800

Harrah's and 888 casino have partnered up to produce the ultimate online poker room. Take advantage of the name you can trust in.

2010 World Series of Poker Feed

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:27:11 -0800

We now have the RSS feed available for the 2010 World Series of Poker season. Add this to your reader line up and have the information come to you instead of you looking for it.

Main Event Final Table -- Completed

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:13:52 -0800

The heads up battle between the last two players is over. Read our report to see who the newest champion and instant millionaire is!

Main Event Final Table -- Day 9

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:45:52 -0800

The final table was played at the Penn and Teller room at the RIO on November 7. There are now only two players left that will go heads up on Monday November 10. Catch up on what happened!

November Nine Player Bios

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 20:34:55 -0800

Just in are the official player bios for the November Nine that will compete at the final table!

California Online Poker Games

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:53:56 -0700

Current efforts are being made to regulate online poker in California and on a Federal level. The successful regulation of these markets may lead to a World Series of Poker online. Stay on top of development through this news page.

Event #61 WSOP Europe -- Championship Main Event No-Limit Hold’em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:04:50 -0700

This is the Main Event for Europe and it was incredible! The final table had 2 players who made the final table in Las Vegas and 6 were WSOP champions. And Daniel Negreanu played like he has never played before! When it shows on ESPN, you have to see it to believe it.

Event #60 WSOP Europe -- Pot Limit Omaha

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:03:59 -0700

Jani Vilmunen from Finland completely dominated the event as chip leader and champion on all days of the event. He even overcame a final table that included Howard Lederer, Chris Bjorin, Barney Boatman, Roberto Romanello and Jeff Kimber.

Pot Limit Omaha
Champion: Jani Vilmunen

Event #59 WSOP Europe -- Pot Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:02:17 -0700

Pro player Erik Cajelais who is well known on the tournament circuit, won his first gold bracelet here in London.

Pot Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha
Champion: Erik Cajelais

Event #58 WSOP Europe -- No-Limit Hold’em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:58:53 -0700

This is the first of 4 events held in London for the WSOP Europe tournaments. Even though they are presented as Events 1, 2, 3 and 4, officially they are Events 58 - 61.

The winner of the first event was John Paul Kelly who won a bracelet earlier in Event #20.

No-Limit Hold’em
Champion: John Paul Kelly

Event #57 Championship No-Limit Hold'em Main Event

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:53:49 -0700

This is the Main Event. As of this writing the final table has not been played yet so there is no champion. Make sure to read our reports in order to keep up with what is shown on ESPN.

Main Event Day 1A
Main Event Day 1B
Main Event Day 1C
Main Event Day 1D
Main Event Day 2A (1A + 1B)
Main Event Day 2B (1C + 1D)
Main Event Day 3
Main Event Day 4
Main Event Day 5
Main Event Day 6
Main Event Day 7 (Play down to 27 players)
Main Event Day 8 (Play down to 9 players)
November 7 - 10 Final Table

Event #56 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:53:08 -0700

Matt Hawrilenko became an instant millionaire by winning Event #56 and taking home his first bracelet. The 27 year old Princeton University grad has made three final table appearances during this WSOP.

No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed
Champion: Matt Hawrilenko

Event #55 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:52:16 -0700

Online professional player Abe Mosseri won his first bracelet in this event. He earned it by getting past a tough final table that included WSOP champions John Juanda and Blair Rodman.

2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)
Champion: Abe Mosseri

Event #54 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:51:29 -0700

In his first WSOP tournament, Tony Veckey came out on top of a sell out capacity 2,818 player field to take home $673,276 and his first bracelet as champion.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Tony Veckey

Event #53 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:50:52 -0700

Attorney David J. Halpern from New Orleans, LA walked away with the bracelet and $159,048 for his efforts. This was also the first time ESPN commentator Norman Chad cashed in a WSOP event.

Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better
Champion: David Halpern

Event #52 Triple Chance No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:50:08 -0700

German player Jorg Peisert collected $506,800 for first place. He was also awarded his first WSOP gold bracelet. In "Triple Chance", tournament players are given a starting stack, plus two lammers, which can be used to re-buy more chips.

Triple Chance No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Jorg Peisert

Event #51 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:49:24 -0700

German player Carsten Joh took home the gold after coming out on top of a sold out event that had 2,781 entrants.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Carsten Joh

Event #50 Limit Hold'em Shootout (1,000 player max)

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:48:48 -0700

Greg "FBT" Mueller won his second gold bracelet in this event. (FBT stands for Full Blown Tilt) This victory (again, in Limit Hold’em) reaffirms his status as the best limit tournament player on the planet at this time.

Limit Hold'em Shootout (1,000 player max)
Champion: Greg Mueller

Event #49 Championship H.O.R.S.E. $50,000

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:17:17 -0700

What separates this HORSE event from the others is the $50,000 entry fee. Just 95 entrants created a prize pool of over $4.5 million dollars. This final table included Vitaly Lunkin, Ville Wahlbeck, Chau Giang, Huck Seed, Gus Hansen and Eric Seidel. This event ended up with the second longest final table (time duration) in WSOP history

Championship H.O.R.S.E. $50,000
Champion: David "Gunslinger" Bach

Event #48 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:16:31 -0700

Brandon Cantu defeated Lee Watkinson in an exciting heads up match to win his second WSOP bracelet. Cantu is one of many new players who were inspired by Chris Moneymaker's win at the 2003 WSOP Main Event.

Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better
Champion: Brandon Cantu

Event #47 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit)

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:15:54 -0700

Coming out on top of a final table that had Barry Greenstein, Ylon Schwartz and Hasan Habib, Ahmadi took his combined experience in both Limit and No-Limit to the test and ended up a true champion.

Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit)
Champion: Bahador "Baha" Ahmadi

Event #46 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:15:15 -0700

Derek Raymond fought hard for his bracelet by winning a grueling heads up match that resulted in the final table lasting 12 hours.

Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better
Champion: Derek Raymond

Event #45 Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:14:31 -0700

UK player John Kabbaj, who says his specialty is Pot-Limit, added another crown to his numerous European accomplishments by taking home the gold bracelet for this event.

Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em
Champion: John Kabbaj

Event #44 Seven Card Razz

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:13:44 -0700

Winning this event meant bracelet number 3 for Jeff Lisandro. This level of performance also sealed the WSOP Player of the Year award for him as well.

Seven Card Razz
Champion: Jeff Lisandro

Event #43 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:12:58 -0700

Davis who won this event and the gold bracelet, also managed to cash in this event last year as well, reflecting the level of talent he has. The $437,358 he won is also believed to be the largest cash prize of any seniors-only competition anywhere.

Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship
Champion: Michael T. Davis

Event #42 Mixed Event

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:12:11 -0700

Mixed Games is a new event which debuted at last year's WSOP. It was the first time in history that a major tournament included eight different games. These games include No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Triple-Draw Lowball, Limit Hold'em, Omaha High-Low Split, Razz, Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better. Games are played on a rotation basis and they change every eight hands. Mixed Games is similar to a HORSE tournament, except there are eight different games played instead of five

Mixed Event
Champion: Jerrod Ankenman

Event #41 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (1,000 player max)

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:11:22 -0700

Event #41became known as the "young guns shootout" because this was the youngest final table composition in the 40-year history of the WSOP. The player ages were 21, 21, 22, 23, and 24. And 22 year old Peter Traply from Hungary was the last one standing to take home his first bracelet.

No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (1,000 player max)
Champion: Peter Traply

Event #40 Championship Pot-Limit Omaha

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:10:37 -0700

Pro player Matt Graham won his second bracelet after staging a fantastic comeback from being down as much as 9 to 1 during the heads up battle with Vitaly Lunkin (winner of Event #2) at the final table. Graham had to work for the gold as the final table competition included WSOP bracelet holders Josh Arieh, Barry Greenstein and Richard Austin.

Championship Pot-Limit Omaha
Champion: Matt Graham

Event #39 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:55:20 -0700

Ray Foley was victorious over Brandon Cantu in a final table battle to win his first bracelet. Foley overcame a 2 to 1 chip disadvantage to Brandon Cantu when play went heads-up and won a few momentous pots that determined the outcome of the match.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Ray Foley

Event #38 Limit Hold'Em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:54:16 -0700

Marc Naalden, a Limit Hold'Em specialist, has his first bracelet as a reward for his efforts. Naalden is a 40-year-old professional player. Prior to pursuing his current career, Naalden worked as a derivatives trader on the options exchange for ten years.

Limit Hold'Em
Champion: Marc Naalden

Event #37 Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:53:08 -0700

Jeff Lisandro wins bracelet number 2 by winning at a final table that had WSOP winners Doyle Brunson, Anthony Rivera, Mike Wattel and Farzad Rouhani. The final table lasted about 13 hours, the longest of any event this year.

Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better
Champion: Jeff Lisandro

Event #36 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:51:39 -0700

Smith, a professional player admits that his decision to play for a living caused some hardship, enduring virtually unavoidable financial pitfalls. But he also said that winning the bracelet is the only goal to have. Smith collected $586,212 for first place.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Jordan Smith

Event #35 Pot-Limit Omaha

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:50:52 -0700

Richard Austin collected $409,484 for first place. He was also awarded his first WSOP gold bracelet.

Pot-Limit Omaha
Champion: Richard Austin

Event # 34 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:50:07 -0700

Professional player Eric Baldwin wins his first gold bracelet coming out on top of a 2,095 player field. Phil Hellmuth also accomplished his 71st cash, extending his WSOP record again.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Eric Baldwin

Event #33 Championship Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:49:23 -0700

Former pro hockey player Greg Mueller won his first bracelet after numerous second place finishes. But this win vaulted him over the $1 million dollar mark in WSOP winnings.

Championship Limit Hold'em
Champion: Greg Mueller

Event #32 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:48:42 -0700

After a six hour heads up match, Angel Guillen became the second player from Mexico to win a WSOP bracelet for becoming champion.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Angel Guillen

Event #31 H.O.R.S.E.

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:45:32 -0700

After 10 years of playing, Van Alstyne realizes his dream of owning a gold WSOP bracelet by winning the $1,500 HORSE event. In the Event #21 HORSE tournament he came in second.

H.O.R.S.E.
Champion: James Van Alstyne

Event #30 Pot-Limit Omaha

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:36:57 -0700

In a hotly contested final table, J.C. Tran won his second bracelet after the elimination of tough players like John Juanda, Rami Boukai, Theo Jorgensen and Jeff Kimber.

Pot-Limit Omaha
Champion: J.C. Tran

Event #29 Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em (256 player max)

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:36:08 -0700

Leo Wolpert used his online experience and really earned his first bracelet, fighting it out at a final table that included 10 time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan, Jamin Stokes, John Duthie, Dustin Woolf and Steve O'Dwyer.

Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em (256 player max)
Champion: Leo Wolpert

Event #28 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:35:16 -0700

In his first trip to Las Vegas ever, Mike Eise a pipefitter who has played for years, won the first WSOP event he has ever entered. He also took home $639,331 for his efforts.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Mike "the Force" Eise

Event #27 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:34:29 -0700

With this win, De Wolfe won what some refer to as the "Triple Crown". He holds titles from each of three largest tournaments which are the WSOP, WPT and EPT.

Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better
Champion: Roland De Wolfe

Event #26 Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:33:43 -0700

Swedish online player Tomas Alenius took home a gold bracelet for winning Event #26, which had a final table that lasted 5 hours.

Limit Hold'em
Champion: Tomas Alenius

Event #25 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:32:32 -0700

This event was the second bracelet this season for Phil Ivey, making a total of 7 that he now has earned. He was so happy, he smiled big when they took his photo.

Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better
Champion: Phil Ivey

Event #24 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:31:46 -0700

After losing the final table heads up in Event #4 which had over 6,000 players in it and coming in second, Pete Vilandos was vindicated by winning the bracelet in this event.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Pete "the Greek" Vilandos

Event #23 Championship 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit)

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:30:40 -0700

Nick Shulman won the heads up against player Ville Wahlbeck, (winner of Event #12), to take the gold. He is now one of the few players who hold a title win in a WSOP and a WPT tournament.

Championship 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit)
Champion: Nick Shulman

Event #22 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (1,000 player max)

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:29:51 -0700

If you don't know what a Shootout tournament is, a Shootout means the objective is to win all the chips at a table in order to advance to the next round. So 1,000 players sit at 100 tables, with 100 advancing to the next round and so on. Jeff Carris did so successfully and became a WSOP bracelet holder for his reward.

No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (1,000 player max)
Champion: Jeff Carris

Event #21 H.O.R.S.E.

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:29:09 -0700

Zac Fellows won the heads up against highly ranked player James Van Alstyne to win his first WSOP bracelet. HORSE is a rotation of the following games -- Hold'em, Omaha High-Low Split, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split (also called Eight-or-Better). Many purists consider H.O.R.S.E. to be the ultimate test of skill, since it requires that players play all games well in order to win.

H.O.R.S.E.
Champion: Zac Fellows

Event #20 Pot-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:16:49 -0700

John Paul Kelly took the gold back to the UK after he beat his final table which had players like Eric Seidel, who was attempting to win his ninth gold bracelet in this event.

Pot-Limit Hold'em
Champion: John Paul Kelly

Event #19 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:16:03 -0700

Online legend Brock Parker won his second gold bracelet in this event, and the cash put him over the $1 million dollar mark in WSOP winnings.

No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed
Champion: Brock Parker

Event #18 Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:14:54 -0700

Pro player Daniel Alaei went up against 4 other WSOP bracelet holders at the final table to earn his second gold bracelet. And tough to beat Greg Jamison has now made the final table of this event three years in a row.

Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better
Champion: Daniel Alaei

Event #17 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:14:04 -0700

The winner Lisa Hamilton usually plays high stakes tables, but her last minute decision to enter earned her $195,390 and her first gold bracelet. Plus, Susie Isaacs in-the-money finish in this event means she has now cashed nine times in the Ladies Championship, more than any player in history.

Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship
Champion: Lisa Hamilton

Event #16 Seven Card Stud

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:12:49 -0700

This win gave Jeffrey Lisandro a second bracelet and affirmed his reputation as one of the best Seven Card Stud players on the planet.

Seven Card Stud
Champion: Jeffrey Lisandro

Event #15 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:12:00 -0700

When heads-up play began, Fabian Quoss enjoyed slightly greater than a 4 to 1 chip lead over Brian Lemke. But during the match, Lemke became the aggressor and gradually chipped away at his opponent. Quoss was clearly unlucky on what turned out to be the final hand of the night. When the final hand was dealt, the players were close to even in chips, with Lemke holding the advantage.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Brian Lemke

Event #14 Limit Hold'em / Six Handed

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:11:06 -0700

The winner of this event Brock Parker won the heads up against Daniel Negreanu to win his first gold bracelet. You really want to keep an eye on this player now and in the future.

Limit Hold'em / Six Handed
Champion: Brock Parker

Event #13 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:10:24 -0700

What does it take to win a gold bracelet? Winner Keven Stammen quite simply lives and breathes No-Limit Hold'em, remembering a lot of detailed information on final table hands. He says he has played since he was a young pup.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Keven Stammen

Event #12 Championship Mixed Event

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:09:42 -0700

Players played the following games at the tables, Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz , Seven Card Stud, even Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Holdem, Pot-Limit Omaha, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball which changed every 8 hands! This event highlighted an outstanding WSOP performance for Finland's Ville Wahlbeck.

Championship Mixed Event
Champion: Ville Wahlbeck

Event #11 No-Limit Hold'em

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:08:41 -0700

This event marked Phil Hellmuth's 70th cash, extending his all-time record. First place paid a nice $569,254, which is commendable considering that none of the first 13 WSOP Main Events reached this grand sum.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Anthony Harb

Event #10 Pot-Limit Hold'em/Omaha

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 21:07:55 -0700

Online player Rami Boukai won his first gold WSOP bracelet in this event against some very tough competition.

Pot-Limit Hold'em/Omaha
Champion: Rami Boukai

Event #9 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 21:05:18 -0700

This was the largest live Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em tournament in history with 1,459 players which is an 18% increase over last year.

No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed
Champion: Ken Aldridge

Event #8 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit)

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 21:04:18 -0700

This was bracelet number 6 for Phil Ivey. At one point during three-handed play, Ivey had less than 8 percent of the total chips in play. He came within one hand of busting. But Ivey clawed his way back into contention and overcame each opponent one by one to win.

2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit)
Champion: Phil Ivey

Event #7 No-Limit Hold'em

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 21:03:19 -0700

The winner Travis Johnson won his way into this tournament by playing in a single-table satellite. He turned a $340 investment into $666,853.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Travis Johnson

Event #6 Championship Seven Card Stud

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 21:01:39 -0700

Freddie Ellis who is 74 years old, won the bracelet in his first WSOP event. He battled Eric Drache a Seven Card Stud specialist, former WSOP tournament director and legendary card player for 4 hours in the final table heads up duel to get it.

Championship of Seven-Card Stud
Champion: Freddie Ellis

Event #5 Pot-Limit Omaha

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 20:58:33 -0700

Jason Mercier won his first gold WSOP bracelet in what is believed to be the largest live Pot-Limit Omaha tournament ever.

Pot-Limit Omaha
Champion: Jason Mercier

Event #4 No-Limit Hold'em

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 20:57:02 -0700

With 6,012 entrants helping to create a prize pool totaling $5,410,800, this event made WSOP history as the most highly attended tournament outside of the Main Event.

No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Steve Sung

Event #3 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 20:54:53 -0700

Read how Thang Luu made WSOP history by making the final table in this event in 2007, winning the bracelet in 2008 and defending his title by winning again in 2009.

Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better
Champion: Thang Luu

Event #2 40th Annual No-Limit Hold'em

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 20:50:36 -0700

With a $40,000 buy in, this brought out the top names in the game to the tables. This special event celebrated the 40 year anniversary of the WSOP.

40th Annual No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Vitaly Lunkin

Event #1 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 20:48:32 -0700

This is the first event being played at the RIO to celebrate the efforts of Casino Employees everywhere.

Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
Champion: Andrew Cohen