Champions Invitational | 2009 WSOP Champions Invitational

06-01-2009 15:18 UTC-8

And Underway, with Hellmuth’s Departure

[user33020]

Action in the first hand was folded around to Carlos Mortensen, who made it 1,200 from Seat 2. Dan Harrington folded his small blind, and Phil Hellmuth in the big blind called for his last 675. This turned out to be a race, with Mortensen’s {2-Diamonds}

against Hellmuth’s {10-Spades}

.

The flop of {4-Hearts}

missed Hellmuth. The {A-Diamonds}

turn gave Hellmuth additional outs to the straight, but the turn was the {8-Diamonds}

and Hellmuth’s unofficial final table here lasted exactly one hand.

Tags: Carlos Mortensen Phil Hellmuth

06-01-2009 15:07 UTC-8

The Button

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[user33020]

... goes to Huck Seed in Seat 6. A few last-second details on the set, and we'll be underway.

Tags: Huck Seed

Level: 6

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50

06-01-2009 15:00 UTC-8

Extended Introductions

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[user33020]

WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack's quote about this event representing the "Mt. Rushmore of Poker" aptly describes the players at today's final. Each of the former champs has been re-introduced onto the set by WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, amid several rounds of applause.

Tags: introductions Jack Effel Jeffrey Pollack

06-01-2009 14:50 UTC-8

"What's Up, Boys?"

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[user33020]

And finally, the arrival of Phil Hellmuth, who greeted the table after being wired for sound and slid into the eight seat. Nolan Dalla has stopped by to have a few words with the players, and we'll be underway shortly.

Tags: Phil Hellmuth

06-01-2009 14:43 UTC-8

Carlos and Huck, Too

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[user33020]

With the addition of Huck Seed and Carlos Mortensen (the chip leader), we await only the arrival of Phil Hellmuth before play can begin. Given Hellmuth's ultra-short starting stack (1,125), it could be a brief day at the tables for the 1989 champ.

Tags: Carlos Mortensen Huck Seed

06-01-2009 14:39 UTC-8

And Three More...

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[user33020]

Berry Johnston, Rob Varkonyi and Doyle Brunson are also present. Several of the players are in the process of being mic'd up for the cameras.

Tags: Berry Johnston Doyle Brunson Rob Varkonyi

06-01-2009 14:34 UTC-8

Players Drifting in

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[user33020]

Little Red Corvette... with an odometer reading of 000,000

It'll still be a short while before action begins at today's final table, though several of the finalists have arrived. Tom McEvoy, Jim Bechtel, Dan Harrington and Peter Eastgate are among those who've arrived.

06-01-2009 14:06 UTC-8

Welcome to the Champions Invitational Final Table!

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[user33020]

Greetings from the feature table area at the 2009 World Series of Poker, where ten past WSOP Main Event winners return to battle at the final table of the Champions Invitational, each chasing the inaugural Binion Cup and a vintage cherry-red 1970 Corvette Stingray.

Exactly half of yesterday's 20 entrants return for today's action, with the seat assignments as follows:

(Seat 1) Berry Johnston -- 7,625
(Seat 2) Carlos Mortensen -- 42,375
(Seat 3) Peter Eastgate -- 18,425
(Seat 4) Robert Varkonyi -- 13,450
(Seat 5) Tom McEvoy -- 31,000
(Seat 6) Huck Seed -- 15,400
(Seat 7) Dan Harrington -- 19,975
(Seat 8) Phil Hellmuth -- 1,125
(Seat 9) Jim Bechtel -- 30,475
(Seat 10) Doyle Brunson -- 20,250

The official start time is 3pm, but it will be a while before all the players are present and the action begins.

Tags: Binion Cup