Whoa! H.O.R.S.E.ey – ESPN and Harrahs's get Their Wish With a Star Studded Final

3 min read
Whoa! H.O.R.S.E.ey – ESPN and Harrahs's get Their Wish With a Star Studded Final 0001

Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, 1993 World Champion Jim Bechtel, TJ Cloutier – the all star line up that will play for the title for the WSOP $50,000 buy in HORSE event is just what the TV poker doctors ordered, and ESPN couldn't be happier.

When the schedule for the 2006 World Series of Poker first came out, one event stood tall among all the rest – The $50,000 buy in H.O.R.S.E. (mixed game) event. The discussion from the start was 'how many people are going to pay $50,000 to enter a poker tournament'? Numbers as low as 50, and as high as 400 were bandied about, but everyone knew once it was time for the money to be put up, the truth would be told.

The truth was told Wednesday morning, as 143 participants ponied up the highest WSOP buy in ever on record, $50,000. The structure was made extra slow for the event, and in fact only 10 or so players were eliminated in the first day of play. Participants knew this would make for a grueling day two of play, and they weren't disappointed. Rumors were flying that ESPN was going to push the final table one day, and make the event a four day event. That never came to pass, and the players had to play a marathon 19 hour day two, arriving to the final table number of 9 just before 9am this morning.

The Final Table is set for tonight, and the chip counts are:

David 'Chip" Reese – 1,756,000 in chips

Doyle Brunson – 1,227,000

Andy Bloch – 934,000

Phil Ivey – 885,000

Jim Bechtel – 841,000

David Singer – 745,000

Dewey Tomko – 438,000

TJ Cloutier – 351,000

Patrick Antonius - $13,000

As you can see Patrick Antonius, who had the entire field doubled in chips at times in this event ran into some tough luck late, and defines short stacked at 13,000 chips. You also have to feel for top players Robert Williamson III, Gavin Smith, Barry Greenstein, and Joe Cassidy, who were the last four players out before the final table lineup was set.

So, with buy in of $50,000, the prize pool has to be pretty hefty, and it did not disappoint. The total amount of money in the prize pool is 6.8 Million, and here is how the prizes break down.

1st place - $ 1,716,000

2nd place - $ 1,029,600

3rd place - $ 617,760

4th place - $549,120

5th place - $480,480

6th place - $411,840

7th place - $343,200

8th place - $274,560

9th place - $205,920

The final table number may confuse you a little. The event, as it was a HORSE mixed game event was played 8 handed. But, since the final table of this event is No Limit Hold Em (to accommodate TV viewership), the final table is actually 9 handed. Judging from Antonious chip stack, it may not be 9 handed for long, but you know what they say….a chip and a chair….

The players get about 8 hours off, before the first of them have to report for their ESPN interviews at about 6pm. The final table is supposed to start at 9pm, and hopefully the players will be fresh enough to play good poker. There is a lot on the line.

Ed note: Put it all on the line at Doyle's Room

Share this article

More Stories

Other Stories