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| What do Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Bones Berland, T.J. Cloutier, Ted Forrest, Berry Johnston, Layne Flack, and Stu Ungar all have in common? Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| If you answered
all of the above players have won five gold bracelets (lifetime wins) at the
World Series of Poker -- you’re right. On June 28, 2005 Phil Ivey won his
fifth WSOP title, becoming the youngest player in history ever to reach such a
lofty plateau. Still in his 20s, Ivey has won more bracelets than great players
twice his age and shows no signs of slowing down. Only 14 players in WSOP have
won five or more gold bracelets in their lifetime. “I think I can win 30,” said Ivey afterward. “Tournaments are much tougher to win now because the fields are (so big). I don’t play as many tournaments for that reason, but I still think I can get to 30.” The notion that any single player, even a player with Phil Ivey’s level of skill and self-confidence could possibly reach 30 lifetime victories seems remote at first glance. But given what Ivey has accomplished in just seven years of tournament poker, don’t bet against the player who started out grinding an hourly win rate in the cardrooms of Atlantic City over a decade ago (he allegedly played poker with a false ID). But times do change. Ivey has experienced a rocky year, both personally and professionally. Ivey had not won at the WSOP in three long years, seemingly an eternity for the player who burst upon the scene like a firestorm and won three bracelets all in a single year (2002). Ivey appeared at the final table here at the Rio four months ago. He played in the WSOP Circuit event, finishing a disappointing 8th. Little did he know at the time, but that would be the last occasion when Ivey’s father would ever see his son play. Ivey Sr. passed away a few weeks later. After taking some time off, Ivey returned to the final table at the WSOP Circuit event at Lake Tahoe and finished in 2nd place. While 8th and 2nd might have been acceptable finishes for many poker players, Ivey was more determined than ever to come to this year’s WSOP and win his fifth gold bracelet. This tournament was special for a number of reasons. It was arguably the most appealing final table thus far in 2005, loaded with superstar talent and just enough wild cards to make the night unpredictable. Five of the nine players were former gold bracelet winners, with a staggering 20 titles shared between them – Phil Hellmuth (9), Allen Cuningham (4), Phil Ivey (4), Eddy Scharf (2), and Robert Williamson III (1). Perhaps just as impressive was the fact that Robert Williamson III was making his fourth straight final table appearance in this event. Widely-acknowledged as one of the world’s top Pot-Limit Omaha players, Williamson solidified his reputation as a master of the game by making it through a grueling level of competition for a fourth consecutive year. Williamson came into this year with previous 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes. He wasn’t interested in anything other than winning his second gold bracelet. There were a number of problems, however, with that notion -- eight problems, in fact. But no problem loomed larger than the player sitting in Seat Six with the chip lead. Phil Ivey arrived with 494,000 in chips, over twice the level of his closest rival. Phil Ivey was born in New Jersey. He has played poker professionally for 10 years. He moved to Las Vegas a few years ago to concentrate on high-stakes games. Ivey routinely plays in the biggest cash games in the world. Ivey seriously believes he can win 30 gold bracelets. At this rate, he will have number thirty at the 2021 World Series of Poker at the age of 48. Is in conceivable that even Ivey’s optimistic estimate may be too low?  Official Report by Nolan
Dalla – World Series of Poker Media Director |
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