Running World Series of Poker Thread

Ambrose won a WPT event if I remember correctly. He's real young but winning a WPT event makes you a somebody in the poker world if you ask me.

 

Yeah, Ambrose won one of the Caribbean events, if I remember. It was certainly set outside. He played pretty damn well that day; I like him here .

 

The first true event is nearing completion -- and we have our first great storyline.

Steve Billirakis -- 21 years old and one week -- has the chip lead of the mixed hold'em event. He came back from the dead (down to about 400K six-handed) to take the lead at the dinner break. When they return, they'll play no-limit hold'em for the next half hour, blinds at 20K-40K, then limit the next half hour, with blinds at 40K-80K and bets at 80K and 160K.

OFFICIAL CHIP COUNTS:
Steve Billirakis 2,270,000
Greg 'FBT' Mueller 1,510,000
Tony George 740,000

 

It would be a great story, but I like FBT here. He's been through this before, at WPT and WSOP final tables.

 

I'd agree with you, if it were strictly no limit. But limit poker, at those levels -- in relation to those chip stacks -- can cripple you really quick. Uou find yourself pot committed with middle pairs, etc. and having to call down big bets.

 

You get away from middle pairs a lot more easily than open-ended straight and flush draws. Those are the killers. Of course, if he wins this one, Bilirakis could end up as this year's Jeff Madsen.

 

I was fortunate enough to chat with Madsen last year, in the midst of his run. He was on break from playing hi-lo stud when I chatted with him for some of my follow materials. He is a likable enough guy, who got his start playing in Indian casinos back home before he turned 21. I hope he can have at least a decent showing this season, prove he's no fluke.

 

Billirakis is at 3 mil and Mueller at 1.5 mil ... heads-up.

 

They've been going back and forth in limit, counts are now 2.4m FBT, 2.1m Bilirakis going to a break. I think they come back to NL now.

UPDATE: And two levels later, Bilirakis wins when his K-2 hits a deuce on the flop to beat FBT's 5-4. Youngest WSOP winner ever, 21 years, 10 days. He had made two full houses on back-to-back hands to take a big advantage.

 

Alex Jacob has a huge chip lead in the other event that started over the weekend

 

I agree with y'all about the $50k HORSE event becoming the new ME. It was pure genius to add that event.

And I really enjoyed reading Jay Greenspan's "Hunting Fish," a book about his cross-country poker road trip.

 

I've been reading portions of "One Of A Kind," about Stu Ungar, the only three-time WSOP champ. Really interesting stuff, but tragic.