Bubble busted. In the money now.

I thought when you register for the main event you sign something that says they're allowed to film your cards and maybe reveal them as well for the cameras. Hasn't it already happened multiple times where a player mucks a hand and then a floor comes over and has the dealer flip it open for the media/ESPN?

In an ideal world, yeah. But when an unknown goes to grab your hand you have a couple of seconds to react. You're already pissed off that you had to fold a strong hand and then that - guy is gonna react.

I don't agree with this. When you play the ME you know you're going to be filmed.

First time since 2002.

Was that the quickest Main bubble ever? Normally the big stacks have much more time to beat on everybody just holding on for a min-cash.

Did you see those hands? Mega coolers. Pretty much all of those hands were getting it in no matter what

Do they flip it over in such a way that lets other players see it?

Cashing 5 years in a row with this field sizes its pretty sick. Congrats Ronnie Bardah

A record that gonna last a loooong time me thinks

1. If ESPN stops televising the WSOP there will be a bidding war from competing Networks. CBS, NBC, and FOX have all recently started new "sports networks" to try to keep up with The Sports Leader. They're starved for content.

2. I know a guy who works the floor for the WSOP, and he says 90% of his time and energy is spent fighting with the ESPN camera, sound, and production guys. Constantly fighting. He agrees that they need ESPN, but it's a pain in the a$$

I suppose the answer presented itself in the hand that actually occurred, but in theory what worse holding is ever calling there?

In a roundabout sense, they are. Without ESPN and the hole card cam, the ME would still have 600 people playing. He sits down with 10x the prize pool to play for because of them.

I doubt bidding war, there's plenty of poker out there to show but it should get picked up.

not surprised at all with #2, I'm sure they act more entitled than the players.

What worse hand is calling there? Apparently all of them if he's calling 6s7s.

Yeah but they caught him at a very emotional time. He just had to lay down what was probably a set after putting a lot of chips in the pot and either got drawn out on the river or bluffed on the river. It was a spot where normally when you fold you don't have to show anyone what you had. I think it was a heat of the moment thing.

If Eslami is 3betting a lot, you can 4b jam there a lot if you don't care about bubbling.

Here's who I'm rooting for now:

1. Phil Ivey- one of the best players in the game making another November 9 would be a great story for poker.

2. Mark Newhouse- making the November 9 in back-to-back years would be right up there among the greatest WSOP achievements ever.

3. Mikiyo Aoki- if you haven't seen her before, enjoy:





This lady only had 1 live cash to her name, for $2,109, before showing up at the ladies' event and finishing 2nd for over $94k. Now she's in the top 20 of the main event with 900k in chips. I can't see any downside to an attractive Asian American lady making the November 9.


There are plenty of other players to root for, such as Dan Smith, Rep Porter, and Kenny Tran, but IMO these are the 3 that would be the best poker stories.

I hope they put that Smith/Graner hand on TV and he looks like a huge douche.

First time since 2002 that no former champs made the money.

Why would he look like a douche

Sorry, missed this, you got there first :-)

The Book "Those Guys Have All The Fun", about the history of ESPN, there is a great chapter about the WSOP. It said ESPN was shocked by the high ratings, and specifically Re-Runs of WSOP. They ran old episodes at 3am, 11am, 5pm, 11pm; same high ratings, even higher than NHL in some instances.

They love the WSOP.

GREAT book, BTW.

From early position, Mark Herm raised to 10,500. Next to act was Alex Tran, and he flat-called before action folded over to Griffin Benger in the cutoff seat. He called, and then Roman Valerstein reraised to 40,000 on the button. After the blinds folded, action was back on Herm and he thought for a bit before folding. Then, Tran stuck in the call, and Benger also called as the cameras began to swarm the table — and good thing they did because the following flop play resulted in a massive clash of chips.

The flop came out {A-Hearts}{9-Hearts}{7-Diamonds}, and Tran checked. Benger also checked, and then Valerstein fired 58,000. Tran thought for a minute or so, counted out the 58,000 for the call, thought for a little bit longer, then slid the call forward. Benger had other things in mind, though.

Benger counted out more than just a call, sliding out 152,000. Valerstein quickly ducked out of the way, but Tran went back into the tank. Eventually, Tran announced that he was all in — a total shove of 418,500 after the dealer broke it down to Benger's request. Benger stood up and made the call, having Tran covered, but putting a large portion of his stack on the line.

Tran turned over the {K-Hearts}{K-Spades}, but he was behind the {A-Spades}{9-Spades} for Benger.

With top two pair and needing to hold, Benger was forced to sweat a bit more after the {5-Hearts} landed on the turn to give Tran a flush draw.

"Not impressed with that one," he said after the dealer added fourth street.

The river completed the board with the {5-Spades}, missing Tran and giving Benger the pot. Benger had Tran covered, sending him to the rail, and moving to nearly 1.3 million in chips.



Wtf? What an awful way to play kings. Spewage.

+1

That book was published less than a month after Black Friday, which means it was written before Black Friday occurred.

Does ESPN still feel that way? I'm not so sure...

Smh...