| Jack Binion World Poker Open
Event #19
($10,000 buy-in) No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Entries: 140
Total Prize Money: $1,358,000
Report From Day One
In what might be the most-competitive field of any single tournament event in poker history, the 2002 World Poker Open championship final began with 140 entries. The day started off with eight former World Champions in attendance -- including Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson (1976, 1977), Berry Johnston (1986), Phil Hellmuth (1989), Jim Bechtel (1993), Huck Seed (1996), Scotty Nguyen (1998), Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000), and Carlos Mortenson (2001). The event also attracted four former United States Poker Champions – including Ken “Skyhawk” Flaton (1996), Daniel Negreanu (1999), Richard Tatalovich (2000), and Men “the Master” Nguyen (2001). World Poker Open defending champion from 2001, John Juanda, was also in attendance, as Jack Binion welcomed a large crowd to the third annual World Poker Open.
Day One was not kind to poker’s greatest superstars. No less than seven of the aforementioned names were eliminated rather quickly – including Johnston, Bechtel, Seed, Ferguson, Flaton, Tatalovich, and Juanda. However, several recognizable names still remain at the top of the leader board after the first day of play.
First in chips going into Day Two is Erik Seidel, one of poker’s most talented and widely-respected players. Seidel has been a consistent winner in tournaments and cash games since 1987, and can usually be found in the biggest games and only at the most prestigious poker tournaments in the world. Second in chips is Sam Grizzle, who has won numerous tournaments in his 15-year poker career, cashed many times at the World Series of Poker, and also won the Limit Hold’em event at the 2000 World Poker Open. Third is Steve Kaufman, a professor of ancient Near Eastern Studies at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. Despite playing tournament poker part-time, Kaufman has a staggering record of accomplishment in the four years he has been active on the circuit.
The rest of the remaining list of 80 total players reads like a “Who’s Who” of poker. In addition to the Top 20 -- Men “the Master” Nguyen is 21st in chips and came in as perhaps the hottest player in the game. Nevertheless, Nguyen has yet to make a final table in this year’s tournament and seems way overdue. Dewey Tomko is another player to watch closely. Tomko finished as the runner-up twice in the main event at the World Series of Poker, including last year. Tomko has already made one final table in Tunica and can be very dangerous with chips. The player who beat Tomko last year was Carlos Mortenson from Spain. Mortenson flew in late just to play in this tournament and has an average stack (15K) going into the second day. Another player of great interest is Doyle Brunson, a longtime friend of tournament host Jack Binion and a living poker legend. Brunson also has about $15K in chips – with the average stack at right around $17K.
Other players of note include tournament pro T.J. Cloutier with $11K, last year’s World Poker Open runner-up Scott O’Bryan with $11K, poker great Chip Reece with $10K, and John Bonetti with about $5K. The only female player left in the tournament is experienced pro Kathy Liebert, hanging in with just over $6K.
Interesting side notes of the first day included:
(1) Casino moguls Bob Stupak and Lyle Berman sitting side-by-side at Table 36. Interesting draw that two of the most influential casino executives of the last 20 years – both strong supporters of poker – were seated together.
(2) A top pro (who shall remain nameless) laying down his pocket kings to an all-win pre-flop re-raise by Tony Popejoy. After the kings hit the muck, Popejoy showed pocket aces.
(3) Bad Beat of the Day: Colorful poker personality Layne Flack seeing a flop in the big blind with 10-5 and seeing the flop come 10-10-5. Looked pretty strong until Dolph Arnold with J-J picked up a jack on the turn and made jacks-full to bust out Flack and win a $40K pot. That gave Arnold the chip lead at one point.
Meanwhile, the side action at this year’s tournament has been extraordinary. There were (and still are) games and limits for every poker player at the two host casinos -- the Gold Strike and Horseshoe. One player visiting from England said that he’s never played in better cash games, especially pot-limit side games, than what he has experienced here at the World Poker Open.
Finally, special thanks should go to Tournament Director, Jim Albrecht and Tournament Coordinator Jack McClelland – and the entire tournament staff of dealers and support personnel who have made the 2002 World Poker Open a winning experience for everyone.
-- Nolan Dalla
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