Player Profile: Kirk Morrison
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Kirk Morrison was a top young professional in the late 1990s, long before the televised poker boom. He was part of a group of aggressive young players that included Daniel Negreanu, Allen Cunningham, and John Juanda. Morrison reached his first WSOP final table all the way back in 1994, and he won a bracelet in seven card stud in 1998.
But in 1999, Morrison (who is Canadian) left North America in search of a more peaceful life, and moved to New Zealand. He fell in love with the country, and poker took a backseat in his life for the next seven years.
Eventually, his old friend Negreanu paid him a visit down under, telling him about the new popularity of poker on television, and the huge fields in high-stakes tournaments. Morrison returned to the poker world to see if he could regain his old form.
It didn't take long for Morrison to make an impact. He rattled off four straight cashes on the World Poker Tour this spring, tying a record set by Negreanu. Few people made any notice until his fourth cash -- the WPT World Championship, where he "announced his presence with authority" by reaching the final table and finishing second to Carlos Mortensen.
This Main Event is the fifth cash of the Series for Morrison, including a final table in Event #1 ($5,000 Mixed Hold'em) that has already aired on ESPN. He has over $2.7 million in career tournament earnings, with over $2.1 million so far this year. A victory in this event would make him just the third player to break $10 million in a tournament career.
Kirk Morrison's play is already respected by his fellow pros, but he might also have karma on his side. He won his seat into this Main Event by winning Jennifer Harman's charity poker tournament this spring, which benefitted the NSPCA (Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Morrison has voluntarily committed 5% of his Main Event winnings to the NSPCA. As with all donations, any amount is appreciated; but 5% of $8.25 million is $412,500. That would *really* be appreciated.
The final thing to say about Morrison is that he is an extremely likable guy who is easy to root for. He's a bit of table talker, willing to engage his opponents in banter, so he would be a welcome addition to any final table, particularly the Main Event. If he makes it, expect a lot of top pros to be in the audience rooting for him to win.