hand by hand plays at world series of poker

Official final table report to follow
Prize Money
1st $5,000,000 2nd $3,500,000 3rd $2,500,000 4th $1,500,000 5th $1,100,000 6th $800,000 7th $675,000 8th $575,000 9th $470,400

2004 WORLD SERIES OF POKER
THE MAIN EVENT
FINAL TABLE


SEAT 1: MATTIAS ANDERSSON
Chip Count: $740,000
The only non-American to make the final table this year is Mattias Anderson, from Sweden. At age 24, he’s one of four 20-something players in the finale. Andersson previously worked as a salesman in a toy store before crafting his poker game playing on the Internet. Over the past year, he’s supported himself financially playing from his home computer. Andersson noted that “Poker School Online” at AlamoPoker.com helped him learn about strategy. In his spare time, he also enjoys soccer, pool, miniature golf, and other card games – including “Magic.” In fact, Andersson won the national “Magic” championship in Sweden in 2001. This is his first time to play in the World Series of Poker. Andersson’s motto: “Respect all of your fellow players and try to play your best game.”

SEAT 2: JOSH ARIEH
Chip Count: $3,205,000
Josh Arieh was born in Rochester, NY and now lives in Atlanta, GA. He’s a 29-year-old professional poker player who once worked as a courier for a law firm. Arieh won a gold bracelet at the World Series in 1999 – in the $3,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em event. This is his fifth year to play at the World Series – where he has cashed ten times. He started playing poker several years ago, mostly to kill time after the local pool hall closed. Arieh is married and has two children. About his life, he says, “I’m just a family man trying to make a decent living.”

SEAT 3: AL KRUX
Chip Count: $1,305,000
Al Krux is originally from North Carolina, but now lives near Syracuse, NY. Prior to becoming a professional poker player, Krux worked as a diamond merchant. He won a World Series gold bracelet in 1996 in the $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Hold’em event. He also made the final table in the main event in 1990, when he finished 6th. Krux is married and has four children.

SEAT 4: GREG “FOSSILMAN” RAYMER
Chip Count: $8,215,000
The chip leader coming into the finale is Greg Raymer, a 39-year-old corporate patent attorney from Stonington, CT. Raymer is originally from North Dakota, and worked around the country before settling down with his wife and daughter in the woods of Southeastern Connecticut. Raymer’s best tournament finish was third in the main event at the World Poker Finals, back in 2001 at Foxwoods. This is his first final table at the World Series of Poker – and he comes in with a significant chip advantage at over $8 million. Raymer is known as “Fossilman,” because he collects antique fossils – which he often proudly displays on the poker table. He also has the most unusual shades in poker. Raymer’s motto: “I only appear to be wacko – in reality, I’m much worse.”

SEAT 5: MATT DEAN
Chip Count: $4,920,000
Dean is a 25-year-old aspiring math teacher from Woodlands, Texas – located just outside Houston. He’s currently working on getting his teaching certificate, in order to teach high school math. Dean started playing poker just one year ago. He learned to play poker online, and at his local fraternity house on the campus of Southwestern University. Dean is single and enjoys playing sports, including tennis.

SEAT 6: DAN HARRINGTON
Chip Count: $2,245,000
Dan Harrington is the 1995 world poker champion. He also made the final table in the main event last year – finishing third. This year’s repeat performance means he’s made three final tables within just the past ten years – a remarkable accomplishment by any measure. Harrington grew up in Boston and became a successful investor before turning to poker to make his “second fortune.” Harrington is jokingly referred to as “Action Dan,” a teasing reference to his rock-solid playing reputation. The fact is – Harrington is capable of playing many different styles and has proven to be one of the most dangerous players in the game of No-Limit Texas Hold’Em. Harrington now lives in Santa Monica, CA.

SEAT 7: GLENN HUGHES
Chip Count: $2,275,000
Glenn Hughes, a.k.a. “The Big Cat,” is a 38-year-old married father of two children who now lives in Scottsdale, AZ. He’s a graduate of the University of Mississippi and is now semi-retired. When Hughes isn’t spending time with his family or playing poker, he’s usually out on the golf course. Hughes has finished in the money several times here at the World Series and other tournaments, as well -- but like many of his opponents, this is his first foray onto the world’s brightest poker stage.

SEAT 8: DAVID ANTHONY WILLIAMS
Chip Count: $1,575,000
David Williams is the youngest player at today’s final table. His 24th birthday comes up in just two weeks. Williams currently lives in Dallas, Texas and is currently a student at S.M.U. where he’s majoring in math and economics. He started playing poker seven years ago. Interestingly, Williams credits “The Flying Dutchman” -- Marcel Luske -- as the player who helped him most with his game. Last night past midnight, Luske busted out tenth in this event. About his future, Williams says: “I never want to have a boss. I will open my own business – if poker doesn’t work out.” Williams credits his mother who is here with him today -- who is very supportive of his decision to play poker.

SEAT 9: MIKE McCLAIN
Chip Count: $885,000
Mike McClain is a 39-year-old pro poker player from Lemoore, CA. He earned a BS degree in engineering and worked in the computer industry before turning pro in the East Bay area. McClain is perhaps best known for having his face shown literally hundreds of times nationally on television as the “AGONY OF DEFEAT” shot, during ESPN’s repeated World Series of Poker broadcasts last year. Perhaps this year in 2004, McClain can turn that “agony of defeat” memory into a “thrill of victory” reality. McClain is married and has two children.

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS: MATT SAVAGE and JIM MILLER
TOURNAMENT COORDINATOR: STEVE MCDONALD
MEDIA DIRECTOR: NOLAN DALLA
DEALER COORDINATOR: MEG PATRICK
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE: MICHAEL O’MALLEY


Not forgetting the man behind the Camera Mark Napolitano of
and - Awesome Job Mark, thank you for taking the whole World to the 2004 WSOP


BINION'S HORSESHOE -- LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
PRESS RELEASE
APRIL 30, 2003
2003 WORLD SERIES OF POKER
Binion's Horseshoe -- Las Vegas
EVENT #15 No-Limit Hold'em
Buy-in -- $5,000
Total Entries -- 127
Re-buys -- 40
Total Prize Pool -- $590,550

Chan's Eighth:

The Orient Express Captures Yet Another World Series of Poker Title

I play because I love this game.
-- Johnny Chan

In the longest final table of this year's tournament, living poker legend Johnny Chan outlasted the final nine players at his table and ran away with $224,400 -- which included his eighth gold bracelet. The final table lasted just over 11 hours -- a veritable marathon of no-limit poker action which featured an astounding 326 hands and a masterful performance by Chan, demonstrating why he's widely-regarded as the world's best all-around poker player. The close of the event added yet another twist to what has become "the battle of the bracelets," between three former world champions. Coming into the 2003 World Series of Poker, Doyle Brunson was slightly ahead of Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth in the number of bracelets won -- with Brunson at eight bracelets versus Chan and Hellmuth's seven. However, Brunson and Hellmuth have both added to their jewelry collection recently, as each player has already won an event at this year's tournament. Just when it looked as if Johnny Chan was about to be left behind in the dust, "The Orient Express" steamrolled down the tracks and won one of his own. Chan now has eight gold bracelets (tied with Hellmuth), and is one win behind Brunson. Chan is also ranked first in all-time money winnings in World Series of Poker history, with a staggering $3,315,894 in prize money, to date. Not bad for a former cook, who once played poker while wearing his apron after his shift was over.

Johnny Chan was born in Hong Kong and came to the United States where his parents opened a number of restaurants. Chan discovered his passion for poker over twenty years ago and began playing in low-limit games in Las Vegas during the late 1970s. By 1983, Johnny Chan was entering World Series of Poker events. Two years later, he won his first gold bracelet in the $1,000 buy-in limit hold'em event. That would be the start of what was arguably the most dominant interlude in poker history. Chan won the world championship in 1987, 1988, and came within one card of winning the 1989 championship, as well. He won two more gold bracelets in the 1990s, then another two in the last couple of years before winning number eight on this night. At this final table, 1996 world champion Huck Seed came in with the chip lead ($118K). Chan was second in chips ($92K). Short-stacked Barbara Laux and Layne Flack were the first two players to be eliminated, followed by two Englishmen -- Jason Gray and Carlo Citrone. Don Barton has made many final tables in his storied poker career, but went out next in sixth place. That left David Singer as the next player to make an exit (5th) -- although it should be noted that Singer is one of the few players who has now made two final tables at this year's tournament.

Down to four players, Amir Vahedi looked to be in good shape, but then ran into a buzzsaw when he got into a confrontation with Englishman Surinder Sunar. Vahedi and Sunar both moved in, as Vahedi showed the A-K of spades to Sunar's 4-4. The flop was an absolute disaster for Vahedi, which came 4-2-2. Vahedi was essentially drawing (almost) dead and bounced out of the tournament in fourth place, good for $35,400.

With Sunar holding the chip lead at $300K, one of the most interesting hands of the night developed when Sunar tried to make a move with a club draw, which was crushed by Johnny Chan's pocket aces. After the flop came 3-5-6 (and two clubs), Chan was "all-in," and was covered by Sunar. A club would have put Chan out of the tournament and perhaps, more importantly, given the win to Sunar. But it wasn't to be. The aces held up and Chan was suddenly the chip leader. Perhaps what was most interesting about the hand was seeing Huck Seed quietly pulling his hole cards out of the muck as the audience watched (Seed folded his hand pre-flop) and showed 2-4. But poker champions are not made by calling raises with 2-4 offsuit.

Seed ran card cold over the next hour and was finally forced to commit his chips with K-Q against Sunar's A-7. Seed caught a beautiful flop of K-Q-10, good for top two pair. However, a crippling jack fell on the turn giving Sunar the nut straight. Seed could not catch another king or queen and thus was eliminated in third place, good for $55,550. With the tournament entering its third consecutive day (the tournament started at 12 noon on Tuesday; the final table began on Wednesday at 2:00 pm, and ran past midnight), Chan chipped away at Sunar hand by hand, minute by minute, and hour by hour. It was classic Chan, waiting out droughts of cards and never giving his opponent an extra chip or a loose call when he was convinced he had the worst of it. Sunar played masterfully, but was unable to muster any momentum shift away from the former champion. Perhaps had Sunar faced any other opponent, he might have won on this night. But overcoming Chan at a chip disadvantage was next to impossible.

Interestingly, since play became nine-handed, Sunar had knocked out every player at the final table. He had one opponent to go. But Chan would not cooperate. The final hand of the night came when Sunar was short-stacked and committed his final chips with J-10. Chan covered the bet holding A-10. The board showed no pair for either player, giving Chan the final pot of the night with ace-high.

Johnny Chan had done it again, making it look easy., Meanwhile, one of Europe's best players, Surinder Sunar has yet to win a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker. Incredibly, Sunar has won just about everywhere else in the world, but still hasn't broken through at the Series. No doubt, his day will come.

"Honestly, the bracelet and the money doesn't mean to me as much as enjoying the game. I play because I enjoy the game," Chan said afterward. "No-limit hold'em is the most skillful poker game, and that's why I enjoy playing it the most."

Chan also pointed out he was fortunate to win one key pot where he was all-in against Sunar with A-A, against Sunar's club draw. "If a club had come from the deck, he'd be sitting here right now, not me," Chan said.

When asked to reflect back on his twenty odd years of being at the top of the poker world, Chan was more introspective. "It's a tough business," he said. "A very tough business."