Apr 21st -18th May
- The World Series of Poker
Player
total 5738 (+17%). Prize fund total $17,720,482 (+16%).
Player Performances
The
pre-tournament media attention for this first Series of the Millenium
concentrated on the new 3% deductions to be made from the prize pools to pay
staff and compensate for their lack of "tokes", the US slang for dealer tips.
The local paper, Las Vegas Review Journal, managed an extra story as a player
it had quoted with critical views was immediately banned from from the whole
event. However, for 95% of the players, the only thing on their minds was poker
and they turned out in force to break new attendence and prize records all
through the series.
There was a buzz throughout the four weeks and all
players returning reported a good time. For food, well er, and the
accomodation, well er, nobody expected greatness in that area. If you wanted a
poker game however, then your particular variety was waiting for you. If you
wanted a half million sitdown game with ex-world champions, then a short taxi
ride to the Regency would have you immediately satisfied.
There were
numerous hot spots in the month. Nani Dollison winning the first and last
tournaments and top all time women player, Siedel's revenge on Chan, Hellmuth's
defeat of TJ Cloutier, Scotty's battering of Hellmuth or the Devilfish's two
second spots in pot limit events. Its difficult however to go for anything
other than Hellmuth moving from 3rd to 1st all time money winner with his 1st
and 2nd places in series events and his eventfull 5th place in the World
Championship event itself.
Difficult is not impossible of course and
the players pick for the best story of the champioship was Steve Reihle's dream
ticket into momentry stardom. He paid $200 to enter a super-satelite, won that
to enter the Championship event and progressed into the final with a guaranteed
minimum $91,000 prize. More interesting was his revelation that it was the
first Series event he had ever played!
British success came when Hamish
Shah picked up the last main tournament of the series, the $5000 Limit Holdem
tournament, and with it a first prize of $312,340. David "Devilfish" Ulliot
took two 2nd places and $190,000.
The series tournaments were however
just a run-up to "The Big One" and what a big one it was. As expected the
turnout rocketed by nearly 20% over last years and only just short of the 625
mark which would have made a $2,000,000 first prize. A quick view of the winner
and the final details below.
The big news items for next year are the
likelihood of a $20,000 entry fee for the Championship, all smoke free
conditions at all poker tables in Vegas and big rival poker events at a Las
Vegas Strip Casino to be announced. |
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| |
Final
Table Started:
Henry Nowakowski $1,076,000,
Carlos Mortensen
$873,000,
Phil Hellmuth $859,000,
Mike Matusow $767,000,
Phil Gordon
$681,000,
Stan Schrier $672,000,
Dewey Tomko $467,000,
Steve Reihle
$407,000,
John Inashima $328,000. |
The last
nine players started at 12:45 Vegas time, 20:45 London time. Hellmuth started
clear favourite. Nowakowski had won big European tournaments and Matusow is a
previous Bracelet winner. Mortensen had picked titles elsewhere from Vegas and
of course Dewey Tomko had seen everything before, being fourth in the number of
all time cashes in the WSOP and second
here in 1982 behind Jack Strauss.
It all finished at ten minutes before
eight o'clock Vegas time when the dealer turned a nine to
 make 29 year old Carlos
Mortenson a straight to take a $4 million pot and the title. |
| How the Final Finished
|
1 Carlos Mortenson $1,500,000
2 Dewey
Tomko $1,098,925
3 Stan Schrier $699,315
4 Phil Gordon
$399,610
5 Phil Hellmuth $303,705
6 Mike Matusow $239,765
7 Henry Nowakowski $179,825
8 Steve Reihle $119,885
9 John Inashima $91,910 |
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|
Final Results/Prizes page
is here - Jesse
May reports - World
Series Reports
Player
Performances
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