The Year in Poker: November, 2007
Another heavy month of tournament action saw major results come in from the United States, Europe and the Asian Pacific Rim. Annette Obrestad and Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson were two of the biggest names to go very deep in November events, while elsewhere, American poker players turned a bit political during a traditional election month. November brought us plenty of news worth reading, with these stories among the most important:
Peters Tops Obrestad in PokerStars.net EPT Dublin Final — Annette Obrestad's run to victory at the PokerStars.net European Poker Tour stop ran into an unexpected roadblock, and the roadblock's name was Reuben Peters. The young American online qualifier came from behind to prevent Obrestad from winning her second major title of the year after Obrestad held the lead at the start of heads-up play. Peters began the day as one of the shortest stacks at a final table also including European stars Thierry van den Berg and Trond Eidsvig, and when the day was complete had collected €532,620 for his comeback win. Obrestad's runner-up showing was worth €297,800.
'Jesus' Ferguson Snares Third Circuit Ring — Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson became the first three-time WSOP Circuit champion in November when he held off local pro Dustin Fox in the main event at Harvey's Lake Tahoe. Ferguson was a dominant player throughout the tourney and held a big lead as the final table began, while Fox chipped out early and became a serious threat while the other remaining players departed. The heads-up portion of the event set a record that can never be beaten --- it lasted only one hand, when Ferguson, who flopped a set after starting with pockettens, cracked Fox's pocket aces. Ferguson collected $203,649 for the win, with Fox taking home $119,333.
Assadourian Triumphs in PokerStars.net APPT Macau — Another form of history was made when the new PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour arrived in Macau --- the hastily arranged event was the first-ever major poker tournament held in Mainland China. The winner here in the APPT Macau Main Event was young Australian pro Eric Assadourian, who came from behind to win the $368,640 first-place prize. Emad Tahtouh held a sizeable lead at the start of play but was reeled in early, finishing fifth, while Assadourian charged to the front and held off Bo Sehlstedt and David Paul Steicke for the win.
Duke Leads Poker World's Testimony to Congress — America's laws and policies regarding Internet gambling were the topic of a Congressional hearing in November and several big names from the poker world were on hand to testify. The hearing was called by John Conyers, chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, and among those appearing on the pro-poker side of the slate was pro Annie Duke, as a spokesperson for the Poker Players Alliance, and her detailed testimony was supported by that of others, including New York University law school professor Joseph Weiler and Internet security expert Michael Colopy. The antis brought out there big guns as well, including Family Research Council head Tom McClusky and several legislators and prosecutors who have made attackng online gambling a focal point of their work. The hearing brought no resolution or action but offered a chance to get many of the most important arguments on the topic into the public record.
'fkscreennames' Takes FTOPS VI Main Event — Full Tilt's FTOPS VI series (Full Tilt Online Poker Series) concluded its late fall run after doling out more than $11 million over its 14 events. The biggest of the 14 evens was, of course, the Main Event on FTOPS VI's final day, a $500+35 event that drew 4,371 entrants and easily topped its $2 million pre-tourney guarantee. When the day's action finally wrapped up, 'fkscreennames' was the victor, taking down a $385,937.45 payday, after holding a commanding lead entering heads-up action and holding off 'southside1' ($233,629.95) for the win.
New Jersey Man Slain in NYC Poker Robbery — One of New York City's common underground poker games was the site of a botched robbery attempt in November that led to the death of one of the game's players. Frank DeSena, 55, of New Jersey, died after being struck in the chest by a bullet that several local reports stated was discharged accidentally when one of the robbers dropped his weapon. NYC police have made two separate arrests in the case to date.
Carlos Uz Victorious at Caesars Indiana — The first major poker result of November came from the WSOP Circuit stop at Caesars Indiana, where Carlos Uz became the official winner after a late chop with Marc Fratter in the Circuit stop's main event. Uz and Fratter split the proceeds for the final two spots almost evenly after dispatching the rest of a final table that also included 2007 WSOP Player of the Year Tom'Donkey Bomber' Schneider. Uz finished with $165,000 in winning plus the winner's gold-and-diamonds Circuit ring, while Fratter took home $175,034 and the $10,000 entry into the 2008 WSOP Main Event.
