WSOP 2009Subscribe to our RSS Feed to get the latest updated from the WSOP 2009 |
Event #57, $10,000 Main Event, End of Day 1D ReportWorld Championship Day 1-D Headlines
The Main Event BeginsThe Main Event continued with the opening festivities for Day 1-D. WSOP President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack welcomed journeymen ESPN poker commentators Lon Mceachern and Norman Chad onto the stage, who performed a short routine. In his customary broadcast voice, Mceachern jokingly launched into what seemed might be a longwinded WSOP introduction, which was rudely cut short by the always-wisecracking Chad, standing at right. Chad reminded Mceachern that the nearly 3,000 poker players didn’t exactly want to listen to them and were ready to start playing thye biggest poker event of the year. On cue, Mceachern instantly changed course and deadpanned the most famous words in poker, “Shuffle-Up and Deal!” Lon Mceachern and Norman Chad have been teamed up on ESPN’s highly-popular WSOP broadcasts since 2003. Their first tournament to work together was Chris Moneymaker’s magical championship victory that same year, which is generally regarded as the most monumental moment in televised poker history. While Mceachern actually worked on the 2002 Main Event broadcast (he was teamed up with Gabe Kaplan that first year), the Mceachern-Chad announcing duo has now voiced seven WSOP years and more than 200 hours of ESPN broadcasts. Contrast this number with the work of a typical NFL commentator, who puts in about 60 hours of broadcast time during a normal football per year. Mceachern and Chad have unquestionably become two of poker’s most-recognizable voices and their longtime commitment to the WSOP and contributions to the popularity of the game was appropriately recognized on this day. Any player dealt four jacks in this year’s Main Event receives a special prize from Jack Link’s Beef Jerky valued at $100. So far, 17 packages have been given away (through four days), which amounts to about once per two-hour level. This is the fourth consecutive year that the WSOP has been guided by Tournament Director Jack Effel. After being initially assigned as Assistant Tournament Director in 2005, he assumed the top floor position in 2006 and has now overseen operations for the four largest poker tournaments in history. Play on Day 1-D began on July 6, 2009 at 12:15 pm.
Play on Day 1-DDay 1-D attracted 2,809 entries. This means the official final count is 6,494 players who have entered the 2009 Main Event. Based on this figure, the 2009 WSOP Main Event now ranks as the third-largest live poker tournament in history. Only the 2006 and 2008 championships drew larger numbers. The combined field size of the Main Event is/was so large that four starting days have become necessary in recent years – 1-A (July 3rd), 1-B (July 4th), 1-C (July 5th), and 1-D (July 6th). Four starting days have been in effect since 2006. Despite registration being open 24 hours a day/7 days a week during the entire 39-day duration of the WSOP (to date), several players seeking to play in the Main Event were shut out. Day 1-D was technically a “sell-out” due to every available seat and table being used in the tournament. A total of 308 tables were put into use, which is the most of any tournament at this year’s WSOP. The “sell out” was due to an overwhelming late rush arriving at registration, on the final day. While the first three starting days had plenty of extra seats available for all players, unfortunately many players waited until it was too late to sign up. The unprecedented situation reduced the field size of the Main Event by at least a few hundred players (estimates vary). Most observers noted that the Main Event total number of entries very likely would have surpassed last year’s figure, were it not for the unmanageable imbalance in late registrations. This issue will most certainly be discussed following this year’s tournament as the WSOP attempts to accommodate as many players as possible, while encouraging and emphasizing the importance of early registration – particularly into widely-popular events such as the Main Event championship which are in serious danger of reaching full capacity. Former world champions who played on Day 1-D included – Bobby Baldwin (1978) and Robert Varkonyi (2002). Both Baldwin and Varkonyi will return for Day Two. Notable celebrities who played on Day 1-D included Jordan Farmar (Los Angles Lakers basketball player), Torrie Wilson (female wrestler), Marlon Wayans (actor and comedian), John Salley (former NBA basketball star), Lou Diamond Phillips (actor and singer), Joseph Kahn (music video director), Ray Romano (actor), Sully Erna (musician), and Shannon Elizabeth (actor). Farmar, Wayans, Phillips, and Elizabeth survived. Regning world champioin Peter Eastgate played on this day. He survived Day 1-D and currently has an average-size stack. Ivan Demodov, who finished as the runner up in last year’s WSOP Main Event, played on this day but was eliminated. Players competed for five complete levels. Play ended at 12:45 am. Day 1-D will also be comprised of five levels. The survivors will play four levels on Day 2, which will then synch the time clocks of both fields for the start of Day 3. Players started the tournament with 30,000 in chips. This is the first year players were given triple the number of starting chips. By contrast, the WSOP Main Event from 1971 through 2005 gave players 10,000 in starting chips. Years 2006-2008 gave players double the customary starting stack (20,000). Day 1-D ended with 1,816 players. This means 65 percent of starters survived the first day. Players who survived Day 1-D will return to continue their quest for the 2009 world poker championship on July 8th, at 12 noon. They will merge with the survivors of Day 1-C (which was played yesterday). Hal Lubarsky survived Day 1-D with a healthy stack size. Lubarsky is legally blind. He became the first such person ever to cash in the Main Event when he finished in-the-money two years ago. Play on Day Two ended at 12:45 am.
Day 1-D Chip LeadersThe chip leader (from Day 1-D) is Troy Weber, from West Terre Haute, IN. He is the overall chip leader at the conclusion of all starting days. Weber is a 38-year-old salesman of industrial supplies. We was the chip leader late on the first day and managed to add significantly to his advange by winning a sizable six-figure pot with just minutes remaining on the clock at the end of Day One. He holds one of the largest End Day One stacks in WSOP history. Ranked second in chips is Mikael Ay, from Gothenburg, Sweden. The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 1-D is Josh Arieh, from Atlanta, GA.
Day 1-A / 1-B / 1-C / 1-D Combined NotesFormer world champions still alive in the Main Event include:
Notable non-pro celebrities still alive in the Main Event include:
The combined numbers translate into 68 percent of the overall starters in this tournament surviving the first day. This is the highest percentage in history, due primarily to the larger starting stack sizes. Based on the combined results of all four starting days, the Top Ten chip leaders going into Day 2 are:.
Six of the top ten overall chip leaders are Americans.
Odds and EndsThe total prize pool for this year's Main Event totals $61,043,600. This figure is not final, however. Since interest is added to the payouts of the players who make up the November Nine, this figure will actually be slightly higher. All players who make it to the final table this year (the November Nine) will earned at least $1 million. The 2009 world champion will collect $8,546,435 for first place. With registration into this year’s Main Event, the World Series of Poker crossed the $1,000,000,000 threshold in total prize money awarded to players. During its 40-year history, the WSOP has paid out more than $1 billion. This figure was surpassed during this year’s Main Event. Incredibly, more than $600,000 has been paid out just in the last five years alone, since Harrah’s Entertainment assumed control of the tournament. Here is the historical prize pool information for the World Series of Poker. 2009 – TBD This is the 57th and final event on the 2009 WSOP schedule which is played in Las Vegas. Four more gold bracelet events will take place in London, England at the Empire Casino, to be held from September 19th through October 1st. This marks the fifth consecutive year the WSOP has been held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Prior to 2005, the WSOP was held at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. More money has been awarded to winners within the Rio during the past five years than during the entire proceeding 35-year period at the Horseshoe. This is a testament to the expansion of the WSOP since Harrah’s Entertainment assumed ownership and control of the world most prestigious poker event. Based on WSOP figures during the mega-era (2003 to present), the Day One chip leader has a slightly less than even chance of cashing in the Main Event. Since 2003, there have been 19 Day One chip leaders. The number of chip leaders is higher than number of years, due to multiple starting days. Of the 19 Day One chip leaders during this period, only nine finished in the money (47 percent). Ten players were eliminated out of the money. Based on WSOP figures during the mega-era (2003 to present), the 9/19 Day One chip leaders who cashed finished as follows: 2003 – Barry Greenstein finished 49th (The average place of finish for those who cashed is 226th place) The eventual WSOP champions and their chip positions at the conclusion of Day One were: 2003 – Chris Moneymaker, 60,475 in chips (ranked 11th)* *NOTE: 2003-2005 started with 10,000 in chips. 2006-2008 started with 20,000 in chips. 2009 starts with 30,000 in chips. The most dominant Day One Main Event performance in history was by three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner John Bonetti, who passed away two years ago. Bonetti finished the first day of the 1993 Main Event with 500,000 in chips (the figure is an estimate, since there was no Internet coverage, nor accurate records from that year). Since there were 231 players registered, he had a staggering 22 percent of the total chips in play. Bonetti went on to finished third that year. |
 Play with The Mob Only at Full Tilt Poker  |
