2006 World Series of Poker

The 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29. Forty more events in various events including Omaha, seven-card stud and razz, plus ladies' and senior tournaments led up to the 10,000 USD no-limit Texas hold 'em main event starting July 28 and running through the final table on August 10.

All events were held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, which marked the first time that a casino other than Binion's Horseshoe (now "Binion's") hosted the final table of the main event. Six days reserved for the first two rounds of play for the main event were established by Harrah's Entertainment, which has run the annual event since its purchase from the Binion family in 2004.

The first prize in the main event was $12 million (US), the richest prize for the winner of any sports or television event in history. The top 12 players became millionaires. [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=main-event-payout-announced&uid=21877 | title=Main Event Payout Announced | publisher=Pokerwire.com | date=2006-08-01]

The 2006 World Series featured a much-anticipated HORSE tournament with a $50,000 buy-in, the highest ever for a single WSOP event.

Humberto Brenes and Phil Hellmuth, Jr. tied for the most number of cashes during one WSOP, with eight cashes each. Jeff Madsen, who won two events and made two other final tables (finishing third both times), was named the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year (POTY). He barely edged Hellmuth, who also made four final tables.

Events

Fall of World Champions

*Day 1: Dan Harrington, [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=mike-sexton-eliminates-dan-harrington&uid=21361 | title=Mike Sexton Eliminates Dan Harrington | publisher=Pokerwire.com | date=2006-07-28] Phil Hellmuth Jr. , [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=phil-hellmuth-eliminated&uid=21468 | title=Phil Hellmuth Eliminated | publisher=Pokerwire.com | date=2006-07-29] Doyle Brunson, [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=doyle-brunson-eliminated&uid=21514 | title=Doyle Brunson Eliminated | publisher=Pokerwire.com | date=2006-07-30] Bobby Baldwin, [cite web|url=http://www.thehendonmob.com/robert_butt/day_1c_roundup.html | author=Butt, Robert | title=Day 1C Roundup | publisher=TheHendonMob.com | accessdate=2006-11-21] Chris Moneymaker, [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=chris-moneymaker-eliminated&uid=21832 | title=Chris Moneymaker Eliminated | publisher=Pokerwire.com | date=2006-08-01] Johnny Chan, [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=johnny-chan-eliminated&uid=21845 | title=Johnny Chan Eliminated | publisher=Pokerwire.com | date=2006-08-01] "Amarillo Slim" Preston ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/player_news/news_story/1235?class=PokerNews]}
*Day 2: Berry Johnston, [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=luke-neely-eliminates-berry-johnston&uid=21928 | title=Luke Neely Eliminates Berry Johnston | publisher=Pokerwire.com | date=2006-08-01] Scotty Nguyen ^{[http://www.thehendonmob.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10747&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60]} , Huck Seed ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/live_updates/3229/3045]} , Greg Raymer ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/live_updates/3229/3045]} , Robert Varkonyi ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/live_updates/3229/3045]}
*Day 3: Carlos Mortensen ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/live_updates/3229/3047?page=1]} , Chris Ferguson, ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/chip_counts/3229?viewall=true]}
*Day 4: Tom McEvoy ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/live_updates/3229/3048]} , Joe Hachem ^{[http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/live_updates/3229/3048]}

Trivia

* Celebrity players featured in the Main Event included Hank Azaria ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=hank-azaria-shows-aces--nobody-calls&uid=21722]} , Paul Azinger, [cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14097426/ | title=What the ...? Hellmuth knocked out of WSOP | publisher=MSNBC | date=2006-07-30 | accessdate=2006-11-30] Charles Barkley, Richard Brodie, Dean Cain ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=dean-cain-splits-pot&uid=21736]} , Tony Cascarino ^{[http://www.thehendonmob.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10738]} , Denny Crum [cite web|url=http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/business/columnists/jim_jordan/15316744.htm | title=It happened in Vegas, but it didn't stay there | author=Jordan, Jim | publisher="Lexington Herald-Leader" | date=2006-08-21] , Steve Davis, [cite web|url=http://www.thehendonmob.com/robert_butt/day_3_roundup.html | author=Butt, Robert | title=Day 3 Roundup | publisher=TheHendonMob.com | accessdate=2006-11-21] Shannon Elizabeth ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=shannon-elizabeth-eliminated&uid=21469]} , Salvatore (Sully) Erna ^{[http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/result13648.htm]} , James Garner ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=actor-james-garner-eliminated&uid=21318]} , Brad Garrett ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=brad-garrett-takes-a-hit&uid=21486]} , Michael Greco ^{[http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=13046.45]} , Ron Jeremy ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=ron-jeremy-eliminated&uid=21490]} , Joanna Krupa ^{[http://www.thehendonmob.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10726&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60&sid=af8b765a83ea26d5f8b63cd75ad3e025]} , Lennox Lewis ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=lennox-lewis-makes-an-entrance&uid=21732]} , Matthew Lillard ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=dutch-boyd-takes-a-pot-against-matthew-lillard&uid=21309]} , Norm Macdonald ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=norm-macdonald-wins-a-huge-pot-up-to-39k&uid=21339]} , Tobey Maguire ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=tobey-maguire-eliminated&uid=21338]} , Mekhi Phifer ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=mekhi-phifer-doubles-up&uid=21341]} , Laura Prepon ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=laura-prepon-rakes-a-pot&uid=21290]} , Antonio Tarver, [cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14174245/ | title=1,159 players remain in World Series of Poker | publisher=MSNBC | date=2006-08-03 | accessdate=2006-11-30] Wil Wheaton ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=wil-wheaton-eliminated&uid=21320]} , and Jimmy White ^{[http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=jimmy-white-doubles-up&uid=21637]} . Both Davis and Erna finished in the money, coming in 579th and 713th places respectively. [cite web|url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=71032 | title=Salvatore Erna | publisher=The Hendon Mob | accessdate=2007-06-30] [cite web|url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=404 | title=Steve Davis | publisher=The Hendon Mob | accessdate=2007-07-24]

Controversy

Event 5

When play resume during day 2 of this event, a table with players, Daniel Negreanu, Gavin Smith, and Kathy Liebert were given extra chips after tournament officials had misplaced Mirza Nagji's chips in the wrong seat. Unknowingly, the rest of the players assumed that this stack was someone else's who was late and blinded off the stack. Eventually a player noticed that the stack was Mirza Nagji's chips, who by that time had been given replacement chips. Players estimate that out of the extra 120,000 in chips that were put into play, around 10,000-11,000 in chips had already been blinded off from the empty stack. [cite web|url=http://www.pokerwire.com/results.php?title=tournament-mistake-results-in-extra-chips-in-play&uid=14312&archive=1|title=Tournament Mistake Results in Extra Chips in Play|accessdate=2008-05-09|date=2006-07-01] [cite web|url=http://news.pokerpages.com/index.php?option=com_simpleblog&task=view&id=1385&Itemid=0&limit=1&limitstart=1|title=2006 World Series of Poker: Event 05 - $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Short Handed - Day 2|accessdate=2008-05-09|date=2006-07-01] cite web|url=http://pokerworks.com/article-577.html|title=WSOP Problems|accessdate=2008-05-09|date=2006-07-21]

Event 20

Many poker players who entered into the HORSE event discovered that the cards they were playing with were marked or easily markable. Andy Bloch was assessed a 10 minute penalty for crumpling a card when a dealer refused to replace the deck after the new deck that came in was rife with markings. When asked for comment, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said, "I hadn't heard anything about the cards being marked until today. I am looking into getting more fresh setups and I am definitely working on solving the problem." [cite web|url=http://www.pokernews.com/news/2006/7/make-mark-marked-cards-issue.htm|title=Make Your Mark: Marked Cards Issue Causes a Stir, WSOP Staff Respond|accessdate=2008-05-09|date=2006-07-14]

Event 25

During Event 25, the $2,000 NL Hold 'em Shootout, the structure was changed mid-tournament from a full table into a six-handed table event. Harry Demetriou, who had been playing in the event, objected to the change in format citing that a shootout should be 9, 10 or 11 handed, yelling about the unfair change in structure. Harry was eventually ejected from the tournament and was later refunded his money. [cite web|url=http://www.pokernews.com/news/2006/7/why-harry-mad-demetriou.htm|title=Why was Harry so Mad? Interview with Harry Demetriou|author=Stephen Noh|publisher=Poker News|accessdate=2008-05-092|date=2006-07-22] Daniel Negreanu missed the event completely because he assumed that the event would be a full table and he would be able to come into the tournament a little bit later after sleeping in. However by the time he showed up David Singer had won his table after blinding off Daniel Negreanu's stack. [cite video|url=http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch.php?vID=e8a3fc3d48c1f55468aed3582c5989|author=Daniel Negreanu|title=Negreanu Reality - Blowing Off Some Steam on the Links|accessdate=2008-05-09|date=2006-07-16]

ee also

*2006 World Series of Poker Results
*World Series of Poker circuit events
*World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/ Official site]