THE WSOP DAILY SHUFFLE: MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012
Photo Caption:  Sunday was a night of ecstatic celebration for some, and agony for others.  On one of the most thrilling nights in the 43-year history of the WSOP, both final tables had enormous implications -- in terms of both records and personalities.  One featured Phil Hellmuth aiming for his 12th gold bracelet.  The other had Phil Ivey vying for his ninth WSOP title.  Hellmuth won.  Ivey lost.  Meanwhile, across the hallway, nearly 2,800 players jammed into the latest No-Limit tournament.  Wow!  What a day to remember.  To see more photos from the 2012 WSOP, please visit the official WSOP PHOTO BLOG.
 
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DAILY HEADLINES
 
Phil Hellmuth Wins Number 12 – Poker Legend Now at a Dozen Career Gold Bracelet Victories
 
Hellmuth Wins Non-Hold’em Gold Bracelet for First Time, Four Years to the Day of Last Victory

Andy Frankenberger Wins Gold Bracelet for Second Consecutive Year – Crowned 2012 Pot-Limit Hold’em World Champion
 
Frankenberger Slays Phil Ivey in Heads-Up Showdown, Denies Poker Great a Ninth Win
 
A Full House at the WSOP:  2,799 Players Jam Into Event #21


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QUOTE OF THE DAY
 
 “I can’t believe this!  It’s the biggest rail I’ve ever seen!  I’ve been waiting years for this.  I want to thank all of my adoring fans for coming out to see me.”
 
-- Ali Eslami (to a packed rail of spectators, who got an extra bonus being able to watch Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, and other “superstars” like Eslami, who were sitting close by)
 
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THE THRILL OF VICTORY
 
Poor Andy Frankenberger.  On a night when he would most certainly have been the toast of the town and the talk of the poker world, his astounding heads-up victory against an opponent many call the “the best poker player in the world” could only be upstaged by one man.
 
Phil Hellmuth.
 
Moments after Frankenberger’s slaying of Ivey on the ESPN Main Stage in the Pot-Limit Hold’em World Championship, the all-time WSOP wins leader was basking in the spotlight instead, warmed by the afterglow of his own greatness.
 
No doubt, both champions deserve top billing – and their own opportunity to stand before the universe and reap the glory of their own accomplishments.
 
Hellmuth will get his chance, and then some.  Even when he doesn’t win, he’s often the story.  But on a night when the number “12” has special significance, no one could deny Hellmuth his rightful place on the WSOP throne.
 
Meanwhile, Frankenberger will be remembered here not just for winning a second gold bracelet, but also for crashing the party and raining on the parade that would have been the ultimate frenzy – a Phil/Phil victory duet.
 
Congratulations to the great one – Phil Hellmuth.  Twelve gold bracelets is an astonishing accomplishment.  Indeed, no one appreciates the victory more nor has more reverence for what the gold bracelet means, which makes his victory all the more well-deserved.
 
Congratulations also goes Andy Frankenberger, for not just winning gold bracelet number two, but silencing the critics and proving to the world (and to himself) that he’s not just as good as the world’s best.  He’s actually sometimes better than the very best.

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AND....THE AGONY OF DEFEAT
 
From the look on Phil Ivey’s face at the conclusion of the Pot-Limit Hold’em World Championship, one couldn’t tell if he had actually won or lost.
 
The expression always stays the same.
 
Ivey’s cold and calculating stare – omnipresent and always so intimidating – masked what was likely great disappointment.  The poker icon, famous for once asking after a previous gold bracelet victory, “hey, how much is the prize money? I have no idea how much it is” – demonstrated that the passion to win and succeed sometimes isn’t enough.  This is especially true when the player sitting at the other side of the table, in this case the ultra-unorthodox and supremely sharp Andy Frankenberger, is equally driven to win.
 
Afterward, Ivey walked away without saying a word.  Within minutes, he’d left the building.  To where?  No one knows.  
 
But Ivey will be back.  He will inevitably take center stage again at some point in the future and will play at the very highest level, completely indifferent to the rest of us watching in awe of his natural talent.
 
Then, there’s Don Zewin -- a completely different story.  He endured a level of disappointment that may be impossible to comprehend.  He finished second to Phil Hellmuth in the $1,500 buy-in Seven-Card Razz event.
 
It was 23 years ago that Zewin, in his first WSOP cash ever, found himself sitting across the table from Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan in the 1989 WSOP Main Event Championship.  Zewin went out in third place that year, a remarkable accomplishment, but, he’s largely become a footnote in poker history since then, posting about $200,000 in winnings spread out over two decades.
 
Late on Sunday night, Zewin has the chance of a lifetime, an opportunity to bury the beastly demons of disappointment at Binion’s Horseshoe and reverse the roles of fortune.
 
To his credit, Zewin proved to be a tenacious competitor – a tiger in a cage refusing to relent and surrender in the spotlight of the poker world’s eye.  Zewin fought back several times during the duo’s three-hour heads-up showdown, but he ultimately came up short.  It was like stepping in front of the roaring freight train of poker destiny.
 
On this most memorable night -- Ivey and Zewin, both sympathetic figures in their own very different way -- ended up playing unwelcome roles in a giant supporting cast that ultimately allowed others to shine as the stars.
 
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THE WSOP TODAY

9:00 AM
Today’s first tournament is a $75 buy-in TURBO MEGA-SATELLITE.

NOON

EVENT #23 is a $3,000 buy-in SIX-HANDED NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament that begins with the play of Day One.  Late registration will be available for this event up until about 4:40 pm * Action takes place inside Brasilia.  The Pavilion White and Black sections will be used for overflow.  This is a three-day event.
 
EVENT #23 UPDATES can be followed at WSOP.com.  Coverage includes almost-live chip counts as well as written updates supplied from the tournament floor by our friends at PokerNews.com.

The official Structure Sheet for EVENT #23 can be viewed HERE.
 
1:00 PM

EVENT #19, the $1,500 buy-in NO--LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament continues with Day Three – including the final table.  There are 19 players remaining.  Gregg Wilkenson is currently the chip leader.  Action will take place inside Amazon. The list of survivors and chip counts is available HERE.

EVENT #21, the $1,000 buy-in NO--LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament continues with Day Two.  There are 222 players remaining from the massive starting field of 2,799.  Edward Locke is currently the chip leader.  Action will take place inside Amazon. The list of survivors and chip counts is available HERE.

2:00 PM
EVENT #20, the $5,000 buy-in LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament continues with Day Three – including the final table.  There are 17 players remaining.  Matthew Woodward is currently the chip leader.  Terrence Chan, who has already cashed in five events this summer, is looking to make his first final table appearance of the year. Action takes place inside Amazon and will be livestreaming with commentary on WSOP.com.

EVENT #22, the $2,500 buy-in DEUCE-TO-SEVEN (LIMIT) TRIPLE-DRAW LOWBALL tournament continues with Day Two.  There are 79 players remaining.  Shawn Buchanan is currently the chip leader.  Action will take place inside Amazon. The list of survivors and chip counts is available HERE.

The first DAILY DEEP STACK NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament begins.  The entry fee is $235.  Registration is open for four (30 minute) levels, plus one break – which means until about 4:20 pm.
 
2:20 PM
Today’s gold bracelet ceremony includes just one winner -- “Doc David” Arsht (winner of EVENT #8).  The U.S. anthem will be played to commemorate his victory.

4:00 PM
The first MEGA-SATELLITE begins.  The entry fee is $330
 
5:00 PM
EVENT #24, the $5,000 buy-in OMAHA HIGH-LOW SPLIT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP tournament begins today.  Late registration will be available for this event up until about 9:40 pm* Action takes place inside Amazon.  This is a three-day event.
 
EVENT #24 UPDATES can be followed at WSOP.com.  Coverage includes almost-live chip counts as well as written updates supplied from the tournament floor by our friends at PokerNews.com.

The official Structure Sheet for EVENT #24 can be viewed HERE.

6:00 PM
The second DEEP STACK NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament begins.  The entry fee is $185.  Registration is open for four (30 minute) levels, plus one break – which means until about 8:20 pm.

8:00 PM
The second MEGA-SATELLITE of the day begins.  The entry fee is $550.

10:00 PM
The third and final DEEP STACK NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament begins at 10 pm.  The entry fee is $135.  Registration is open for four (30 minute) levels, plus one break – which means until about 12:20 am.

3:00 AM
All WSOP gold bracelet tournaments end for the night.
 
 
WHAT ELSE

REMINDER:  In order to avoid long lines which may take place on tournament day, the WSOP encourages all players to register as early as possible.  This is particularly true for the $1,000 buy-in SENIORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (EVENT #29), which is coming up on Friday – June 15th and has a 10:00 am start.

* Please note that all listed times are estimates and subject to change
 
-- by Nolan Dalla