Harold Angle Collects WSOP Gold Bracelet in Seniors Championship
NEWS FLASH:    Harold Angle Collects WSOP Gold Bracelet in Seniors Championship

All Records Smashed by Huge Turnout – 3,142 Entrants


Harold Angle was the winner of the $1,000 buy-in Seniors No-Limit Hold’em World Championship at the 2010 World Series of Poker.  This marked his first career WSOP gold bracelet victory.  Angle won the biggest seniors poker event ever on record, as he came out on top of a field numbering 3,142 entries.  No senior’s-related poker tournament has ever broken the 3,000-player mark prior to this monster-sized attraction.  In fact, this year’s record turnout eclipsed the previous 2009 record mark by 16 percent.  The prize pool amounting to $2,827,800 was also a record.

Angle is a 78-year-old retiree from Sun City, FL.  He was the eldest of nine players at the final table.  In fact, some of the players who were in their 50s were “young” enough to be Angle’s children.  Angle’s victory illustrates many truisms, the most obvious of which is – one is never too old to be a poker champion.  First place paid $487,994.

The top 324 finishers collected prize money.  Former WSOP gold bracelet finishers who cashed in this event included Tom Schneider (14th), Fred Berger (42nd), Eddy Scharf (73rd), Susie Isaacs (78th), Dao Bac (199th), T.J. Cloutier (225th), Randy Holland (246th), Howard “Tahoe” Andrew (286th), “Captain” Tom Franklin (312th), and Hoyt Corkins (288th).

One of the most interesting stories of any player at this year’s Seniors Championship was told by a player named Jeanne Nelson.  She is a 60-year-old accountant from St. Paul, MN.  This was Nelson’s first time ever to play in the WSOP.  One year ago, she was diagnosed with cancer.  Her husband bought her into this tournament as a birthday gift.  She stated that playing in the WSOP was on her so-called “Bucket List.”  To play was her dream come true.  Not only did Nelson enter this tournament, she also cashed in 12th place -- which paid $28,221.  The entire WSOP family wishes Jeanne Nelson well and believes she is a true inspiration for everyone to follow their dreams.

The Seniors Poker Championship has been largely successful due to the efforts of “Oklahoma” Johnny Hale, who is known as the “Elder Statesman of Poker.”  Hale has organized many senior’s poker events over the years.  Prior to the start of this year’s Seniors Championship, Hale addressed the large crowd.  He conducted the annual “Roll Call,” which provides for a moment of silence and reflection on behalf of many deceased poker greats, such as Benny Binion, Johnny Moss, Stu Ungar, and others.  Hale is also the caretaker of the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame.  During a break on the first day of play, all living members of the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame were photographed as a group on the main stage inside the Pavilion.  

This year’s tournament awarded the famous “Golden Eagle” trophy, which is engraved with the winner’s name(s).  The trophy is a keepsake that is passed forward from champion to champion, similar to the tradition of the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League.

A full report of this event will be posted shortly.

For official tournament results and additional details, please CLICK HERE.