My Trip to the World Series of Poker

My Trip to the World Series of Poker.



















This was photoshopped and given to me by the folks at the Full Tilt Poker Hospitality Room.

A couple of my good friends got married in Vegas on Friday (congrats Steve and Pam), and my wife and I attended the wedding. The trip coincided with the main event at the World Series of Poker and I could not pass up the chance to attend. Of course since I did not have the $10,000 entrance fee I attended as a spectectator for the most part. I say for the most part because I did play in a $175 satellite event which the winner would then be given a seat in the $1,500 holdem event. The $1,500 event had many notables in it also including Jennifer Tilley the actress and WSOP bracelet holder, Phil Hellmuth (the Poker Brat), Mike (the Mouth) Matusow, Johnny Chan, Barry Greenstein, and most famous poker player of all Doyle Brunson and his son Todd Brunson . Oh and I was eliminated from the Satellite event with pocket kings against trip twos when the ladies pocket twos held up with a third two on the turn. That's my bad beat story for the 2006 WSOP.















Doyle Brunson at his WSOP Table















Phil (the poker brat) Hellmuth and myself at the 2006 WYSOP.

The highlights of my trip to the WSOP was that I was lucky enough to meet, get photo's with and get autographs from nearly all the big names in poker. I even got to discuss strategy with Phil Hellmuth over a cup of coffee and talk about Doyle Brunsons book with Doyle Brunson himself.













Jennifer Tilley at the 2006 WSOP

Jennifer Tilley was really nice and she has become my favorite celebrity poker player. After I gave her a Santa Fe County Sheriff's Pin, she proudly wore it on her green sweater while she competed in the $1,500 event. I spent two days hanging around the main event and saw Daniel Negreanu (kid poker) get knocked out at 229th place and collect his $42,000 winnings. I also was present when Joe Hachem last years defending champion was knocked out of the main event at 238 place also collecting $42,000, after he outlasted all previous bracelet holders.

For those of you unfamiliar with the WSOP there were 8773 players who each put up $10,000 or won a seat from various online poker sites or they could have also won a seat from one of the thousands of casinos across the world. Out of all these players one will be named world champion with an estimated 12 million dollar first place prize. The top 12 players will each receive over 1 million dollars and even the 873 place finish paid $14,000 with prizes going up from there to the first place 12 million dollar prize.















WSOP Champion Johnny Chan at the 2006 WSOP

I took a lot of pictures but I used a 35mm camera so once those are developed I will post some of the more notable ones. I took a few with my camera phone and those are posted today in this blog post. In the next few days I will chronicle my WSOP adventure with photo's and also talk about meeting Bill Engvall the comedian from the Blue Collar Comedy show with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy. We met at Gilley's located at the Frontier Casino. I also have pictures of Bill Engvall and provided my film develops ok I will post them, I have my fingers crossed. Until next post, be safe and have a great day!