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| Poker’s
popularity is skyrocketing. But it will never be as popular, especially on an
international scale, as the game of soccer (what the rest of the world refers
to as “football”). Jan Sorensen grew up in the European tradition,
where every young schoolboy dreams of becoming a soccer star. In most cases,
those fantasies gradually end up on a delusional ash heap, due to the
obligations of school, family, and career. But in rare instances, dreams of
becoming a professional athlete do come true. Jan Sorensen was 18-years-old when he first started playing pro soccer for money. His skills improved to the point where he was playing on a major team in the Danish Premier League. By age 30, Sorensen was a veteran of many soccer matches. He began to think of what he would do in his post-athletic life. But before Sorensen could make a decision, he was dealt soccer’s worst equivalent of a ‘bad beat.’ Sorensen blew out his knee in an on-the-field injury. He would never play soccer again. Fortunately, Sorensen picked up some skills at a different game during his soccer career. “We used to play poker all the time when we were traveling,” Sorensen said moments after winning the $5,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud championship at the 2005 World Series of Poker. “We played on trains and airports while we waited around killing time.” The final table included an interesting assortment of poker players. Of the eight finalists, four were from Las Vegas – including the defending champion from this event last year, Joe Awada. At the start of Day Three, players and chip counts were as follows: SEAT 1: John Phan Los Angeles, CA 198,000 SEAT 2: Gerard Rechnitzer Beverly Hills 71,000 SEAT 3: Keith Sexton Dayton, OH 135,000 SEAT 4: Joe Awada Las Vegas, NV 126,500 SEAT 5: Steven S. Deano Las Vegas, NV 58,500 SEAT 6: Chip Jett Las Vegas, NV 206,000 SEAT 7: Jan Sorensen Odense, Denmark 140,000 SEAT 8: Tom McCormick Fargo, ND 25,000 Jan Sorensen is a 45-year-old former professional soccer player from Denmark. This was his fifth time to cash at the WSOP. This was also his third appearance at a final table. Afterward, Sorensen was asked to express his sentiments, including the comparison between playing in the European soccer leagues versus competing at the poker table. He noted that both games require many of the same qualities, including skill and stamina. Sorensen was also asked a hypothetical question, which truly shows how far poker has come, in comparison to major sports. When asked which he would prefer – winning the 2005 World Series of Poker plus an estimated $7 million in prize money, versus scoring the winning goal for Denmark in the finals of next year’s World Cup – Sorensen didn’t even hesitate. “I would rather win at the World Series of Poker,” he said. “The World Cup doesn’t pay me $7 million.”  Official Report by Nolan
Dalla – World Series of Poker Media Director |
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