World Series of Poker 2005: A Sea of Shades, Spectators, and Stargazers

Championship event final-table action

A top player once told me, "Lee, the difference between me and these donkeys is, I know I can win and they just hope they can win." Hope, elation, anguish, and dejection were just some of the emotions that filled the Amazon ballroom of the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino for six weeks as the 36th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) unfurled in Las Vegas. Anticipating the proliferation of players, 200 poker tables were ordered for the 63,000-square-foot facility. Harrah's Vice President Howard Greenbaum, the Ray Kinsella of poker, built a far-flung field of felt and the players came.

Records for number of entrants and prize money fell in every game. New events were welcomed by droves of players. As the festivities turned into the home stretch, the main event, a lock to smash the 2004 record of 2,576 entrants, was the buzz. Would a "name" player win? Would the first-place prize reach $10 million? Would the Rio's specified 6,600-player maximum be reached?

The Undercard

There were more preliminary events (39) than ever in 2005. Despite the huge fields, the cream of poker did a fine job of rising to the top money places. The overall winners are listed in the chart to the right. Cunningham became the first player in WSOP history to cross the $1 million threshold in prelims. Along the way, he picked up his fourth gold bracelet and made four final tables. Mark Seif, the only player to score a "double" in 2005, won his first bracelets. Erik Seidel made three final tables and captured his seventh bracelet. Andre Boyer made his only 2005 WSOP "cash" a memorable one by defeating more than 1,000 players in a no-limit hold'em contest. T.J. Cloutier took down his sixth bracelet in the $5,000 no-limit hold'em tourney. Phil Ivey collected his fifth gold bracelet, becoming the youngest player to reach that mark.

Several aficionados of the felt and one accomplished film star made impressive showings:

• Johnny Chan captured his 10th bracelet.
• Doyle Brunson followed suit 60 hours later.
• Barry Greenstein won one event and made two final tables.
• Todd Brunson scored his first bracelet and made three final tables.
• Cyndy Violette had a runner-up finish and two seventh-place results.
• Minh Nguyen also made three final tables.
• Jennifer Tilly outlasted 600 adversaries to snag the ladies no-limit hold'em event.

Consistency also paid off in 2005. Tony Cousineau cashed a whopping seven times for a total of $146,890. Marco Traniello had a great WSOP, getting to the cashier's cage seven times for a total of $75,740. Max Pescatori turned six cashes into a sizeable profit, grossing $101,620. Finally, Steve Zolotow, one of the game's most consistent players, made the money six times and took home $57,545.

For more individual accomplishments and WSOP tournament reports, please point your cursor at CardPlayer.com.

Housecleaning

Let's get the days straight. Approximately one-third of the 5,619 players will start on July 7, another one-third on July 8, and the final one-third on July 9. The survivors of these three flights will be combined on July 10. Since each surviving combatant will be playing his or her second day, I'll refer to July 10 as "day two."

Thanks to all who approached me at the Rio and Binion's to compliment Card Player's commemorative WSOP issue. It was a team effort. My kudos to our Editor in Chief Steve Radulovich, who cleaned up my grammar and syntax, Ann Pettit, who displayed my charts in eye-catching graphics, Larry Grossman, who provided many of the spectacular photographs, and the entire staff – extremely talented folks who bring you everything that poker has to offer.

Of course, I made a few errors:

• Men "The Master" Nguyen is a three-time player of the year (I thought he had won twice).
• I inadvertently removed 1993 from the "Champs at a Glance" feature during one of my cut/paste efforts.

Here's what I deleted: "Jim Bechtel had knocked on the world championship door previously (scoring sixth-, 11th-, and 31st-place finishes in the main event). In 1993, the Arizona player climbed to the top of the heap and took down $1 million. In the pivotal hand, Bechtel raised from the button with pocket sixes. The flop came K-6-4. Houston's John Bonetti, almost assured of at least a second-place finish by playing snugly (the third opponent, Glenn Cozen, was short-stacked), instead chose to go to the mat with his A-K. The game veteran check-raised the flop then moved in on the turn when a jack arrived. Bechtel's satanic holding held, Bonetti's chips moved to the leader's stack, and three hands later, the press was taking photos of Bechtel."

Chatting With Chad

We all have observed the synergistic relationship between poker and TV. This year, ESPN will extend its WSOP coverage to 32 hours. We can catch our favorite players and some new stars every Tuesday evening through Nov. 15.

Whether writing as the "couch slouch" for the Houston Chronicle or firing one-liners between hands in an Omaha pot-limit event, ESPN analyst Norman Chad is flat-out funny. Just as importantly, he knows the nuances of poker and loves the game. As we surveyed the masses, I asked Norman, "What are your thoughts?"

Chad replied, "Lee, I don't think any of us could ever have envisioned this. You know, I've played poker my entire life. I've played in a cardroom twice a week for the last 10 years. Years ago, if you told me someone was going to put poker on television, I would have said, 'That's nice, but nobody is going to watch it.' But now, between the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour, it's just unfathomable. It's almost like a gold rush. Everyone's heading west again, but this time, instead of going by wagon train, they're driving Honda Accords. (Looking around) And, they're all here.

Let's Get it On

The players are awaiting the traditional "Shuffle up and deal" command. I am standing in the center of the huge ballroom. I turn 360 degrees, surveying the competitors from wall to wall. I cannot find the words to adequately describe the prevailing energy and intensity. And, why shouldn't the players be invigorated? The WSOP championship is the grandest event in all of sport and gaming, as measured by the prize pool. In fact, all other payouts pale in comparison. I recall what Bruce Springsteen told a reporter when asked how it felt to play Born to Run in front of his largest, most rabid audience. "The Boss" stated (paraphrased), "My music goes out to them and an incredible, electric surge of energy comes back. It seems to go right through me. The first time it happened, it propelled me to heights I had never known." The scene is set to propel one of our competitors to heights he or she has never known.

The combatants will begin with $10,000 in chips. The blinds start at $25-$50 and move up every 100 minutes of play during day one. Antes will be added at the start of level four. I am told the competitors will play through seven levels today. If the field is not trimmed to between 600 and 650, a portion or all of the eighth level will be contested. The idea is to ensure all survivors can be seated on July 10. I expect players to attempt to build chips. Survival in a field of 5,619 is overrated if one is aiming for the final table. Thus, I anticipate completion of play by 2 a.m. (a 15-hour workday).

John Grooms

Monica Denicoli

Nikki Caballero

DAY ONE, FLIGHT ONE: The cards are moving at 11:10 a.m. At 11:19 a.m., Tournament Director John Grooms tells us we have lost our first contestant. I watch the player depart, but cannot imagine the emotions he feels as he makes his way through the throng of spectators. He experienced up to a year of anticipation and only nine minutes of participation. As Doyle once said, "Everybody's dream is to win the big one. The worst day of the year is the day you get knocked out of this tournament."

Here's Grooms on the challenges of handling big fields:

"The logistics of bigfield tournaments can be demanding, especially in the middle stages. We're often breaking down tables at the rate of one per minute. The staff is almost running to pick up seat cards and get them to the next table scheduled to break. Then, when players approach a new prize level, we start going hand-for-hand. In some events, this has occurred with 20 tables remaining. I also work hard at keeping the numbers straight. We're responsible for ensuring the accuracy of millions of dollars, making sure each player is accounted for, and picking up dead stacks of chips."

Another group that has done a great job is the dealers. Like Grooms, many have had very few days off (I believe John took one or two) and have worked long hours. Monica Denicoli, preparing to deal a hand, was one of four dealers to win the "Dealer Olympics," a four-phase, timed, dealer skill-set test. Her reward will be a paid trip to Monte Carlo, where she will deal in the 2005 Monte Carlo Invitational.

Nikki Caballero drew seat 7, table 77. Will the talented model/actress/comedienne finish seventh and collect $1.3 million? Nikki won her way into this event via satellite play. She decided to put her comedy troupe on hold for a few months and attempt to play her way to fame and fortune. Nikki tells me she is excited to be competing in her first WSOP.

There is one television table. Jennifer Harman is the featured star today. I'm sure you'll see this hand on Oct. 11: Harman picks up Q-Q and raises. A player holding the 9 8 calls. The flop comes Q J 10. Jennifer's set of queens becomes a full house on the turn (10), but her opponent picks up a straight-flush draw. He completes his huge hand and takes most of Harman's checks when the dealer delivers the 7 on the river. Jen cannot recover from this loss. She departs 14 hands later.

We also lose Thomas "Thunder" Keller, Carlos Mortensen, Martin de Knijff, Phil Laak, Johnny Chan, Barry Greenstein, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Humberto Brenes, Josh Arieh, Ted Forrest, Chris Ferguson, Scott Fischman, Erik Seidel, Chris Bigler, and Steve Zolotow. All made my list of top 100 players to watch, and Forrest was my pick to win. Am I surprised at the number of players I've "lost"? No, I expected "my players" to fight for chips, take risks, and play to win, even if that meant departing on day one.

Reigning WSOP Champion Greg Raymer, falling victim to ugly river cards, is short-stacked after two hours, but battles back to end the day with $48,900.

At 2:33 a.m. (20 minutes into the eighth level), the day/ night/day of play concludes. Tournament personnel count and bag the players' chips. In the interest of fairness, flights two and three will put in the same amount of playing time.

Three players achieve triple-digit chip counts: Lee Watkinson leads his 667 remaining opponents with $145,800; Ed Cardona is next with $129,475; and Tony Laughing Jr. has $100,175. Tony's continued survival will make great fodder for pun aficionados. Watkinson's advancement will be troublesome for his future opponents. He is a nice, cordial player, but one of the best "big-stack bullies" in poker.

DAY ONE, FLIGHT TWO: Grooms gets the action going at 11:09 a.m. today. Despite arriving 150 minutes late, experiencing some of the technical delays one must put up with when playing at the ESPN featured table, and then building to more than $50,000 in chips, Phil Hellmuth Jr. is eliminated before day's end. These contestants also become spectators during the 15-hour day that takes its toll on 67 percent of the starters: Kathy Liebert, Daniel Negreanu, Joe Awada, Antonio Esfandiari, Erick Lindgren, Men "The Master" Nguyen, John Hennigan, David Williams, Dewey Tomko, Hasan Habib, Cyndy Violette, Mimi Rogers, "Miami" John Cernuto, and Erik Sagstrom.

The action is livelier than yesterday's play. Nine players accumulate more than $100,000 in chips and more players vanish in the same amount of time. The top three flight-two chip leaders are: Haakon Waerstad ($169,200), Sam Farha ($156,600), and Graeme Harrison ($142,700).

DAY ONE, FLIGHT THREE: Once again, we lose a number of my top selections (T.J. Cloutier, Chip Jett, Andy Bloch, Doyle Brunson, Russ Rosenblum, Ram Vaswani, Tom McEvoy, Chau Giang, John Phan, John D'Agostino, and Tony Ma). Hoyt Corkins leaves us when his pocket queens fall to pockets aces (held by Can Kim Hua; no relation to Al Pacino). I watched Hoyt play impressively. The soft-spoken star ran up against pocket aces three times, yet was a river card away from becoming a big threat. The Internet players, most looking to gamble, are taking it to the professionals. Of course, they outnumber the pros by a wide margin.

Three players crack triple digits today: Nguyen Duc leads his flight with $151,000; Mike "Shoes" Gamboni has $130,000; and Jim Meehan ends his day with $104,750. Having "Minneapolis Jim" at the championship final table will cost ESPN production time, as Meehan takes his sweet time to act. In return, Jim will provide some great TV. He is a world-class raconteur. Of course, Jim and the other day-one leaders will need to build chips over the next several days. The average stack at the final table will be more than $6.2 million.

DAY TWO: Play begins with the blinds at $300-$600 and antes at $75. There are 1,896 remaining combatants. Within an hour we lose Gus Hansen, Chris Moneymaker, and Marcel Luske. My top-100 listing is more of a shambles than my NCAA basketball brackets usually are after the first weekend of play.

I have more important problems. I don't recognize more than one or two players at each table. At some tables, everyone is unfamiliar to me. The efforts of the Internet gaming companies have paid off. They promoted the WSOP for months, ran thousands of satellite events to qualify players, and outfitted their winners with logo wear. The dot-com bubble does not apply to online poker parlors.

Play ends at 1:21 a.m. Yogi Berra, while observing a September sunset, once said, "It gets late early." It's too late for 1,327 of the players who began play 14 hours ago. Only 569 contestants remain. We are flying through this mammoth field – 90 percent of the hopefuls are gone!

The leaders are: Rod Pardey Jr. ($464,000), James Pollack ($447,500), Tim Phan ($445,500), Bryan Stellwagen, ($377,200), and Bob Hotchandani ($372,700).

DAY THREE: We have reached level 13 ($1,000-$2,000 blinds and antes at $300). The average stack is slightly less than $100,000. Since we are within one table of the money (560 players will cash), play will be hand-for-hand. There are 64 tables in action, thus each hand will take approximately seven minutes. When normal play begins, time will be put back on the clock to compensate for the overall delay.

It takes an incredible 96 minutes for nine players to be knocked out. By way of comparison, we lost more than one player per minute yesterday. Throughout day three, the action slows down before a new payout level, then accelerates when it is reached. The reason for this nuance is that payout levels are grouped; for example, players finishing between 560 and 501 receive $12,500. Once a player is assured of receiving a specific amount for the next hour or so of play, he or she takes more risks.

The sporadic, heavy action enables us to get down to 185 players by 1:23 a.m.

• The leaders: Greg "Fossilman" Raymer ($1,064,000), Rod Pardey Jr. ($1,041,000), Brad Kondracki ($962,500), Johnny Howard ($910,500), and Bob Larsen ($796,500)
• Looming dangerously: Tim Phan ($746,000) and Phil Ivey ($722,500)
• Stars to watch: Howard Lederer (31st position), Mike Matusow (39th), and John Juanda (59th)
• The most notable losses of the day: Farha, Flack, Meehan, Michael Mizrachi, Varkonyi, Young Phan, and Meng La

Raymer is on track to accomplish the incomprehensible!

DAY FOUR: Mike "The Mouth" Matusow makes a big move (to $2,561,000 and second place) at day's end. He has overcome four early "F word" penalties and periodic subpar chip counts. Tim Phan leads Mike with $3,244,000. Within striking range are Freddy Bonyadi ($2,402,000), Steve Dannenmann ($2,143,000), and Phil Ivey ($2,027,000). To put these chip counts into historical perspective, accumulating $1,400,000 in 1985 would mean you had won the event. A total of 20 players (58 remain) bag more than $1 million in chips at 1:24 a.m. Phan has 5.7 percent of the chips in play. An average stack is $968,793. We are one hour into level 22 ($8,000-$16,000 blinds and $2,000 antes).

Could the high-powered rocket, known as poker, receive even more explosive fuel? Well, contemplate the media explosion if Tiffany Williamson, the London lawyer and rookie player, could emerge victorious? She resides in 7th place with $1,992,000.

Lederer leaves us, along with 1984 champ Russ Hamilton, Dutch Boyd, Paul Darden, JC Tran, and David Plastik.

Raymer did well early in the day, but struggled through the night, ending in 31st place with $766,000.

DAY FIVE: This becomes the shortest day of the event. Play ends at 9:40 p.m. Mike Matusow, playing very aggressively, has taken the lead over his 26 opponents. He tells us about almost suffering a huge dent in his stack by making a move on Bonyadi. Fortunately for Mike, Freddy folded without noticing the feint drop of sweat that began on the side of Mike's forehead and trickled to his chin. The Mouth is roaring behind $5.1 million.

Ivey trails Matusow by $500,000 in chips. Phil has moved up by playing mostly "small ball" poker. Ivey excels at playing against the flow of his opponents. He has moved them off their blinds and antes with uncanny consistency today. Phil has not put himself in harm's way. Ivey has great poker instincts and agility.

Steve Dannenmann ($4.15 million), Tex Barch ($3.9 million), and Greg Raymer ($3.5 million) round out our top five. Tiffany, now in 20th place, has $1 million.

John Juanda, Lee Watkinson, Kenna James, Russ Salzer, and Freddy Bonyadi are among those who depart. Each profits by more than $200,000.

DAY SIX: "Moving day" is longtime poker tourney parlance for a day that players select to accumulate chips, as opposed to surviving. July 14 becomes an actual "moving day" for players as they, ESPN, and the tournament staff travel to Binion's for the final two days. The average chip count (unless a few purple checks escape the plastic Ziplocs and wind up on I-15) is now $2.08 million.

We have immediate fireworks. An argument ensues between Matusow and Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan. Mike calls for a floorperson. Jack Effel arrives. Mike suggests that Shawn should be penalized because, after he folded, Shawn provided information to the fans that was overheard at the table. Apparently, Mike is attempting to get Effel to invoke rule No. 12, the "one-player-to-a-hand" standard. Mike wins his case, but while making his point, he loses control and fires the "F word." Both players are out of action for 10 minutes. Reminiscent of the old days when opposing hockey players shared the penalty box, a physical fight between Mike and Shawn nearly breaks out during their joint banishment. ESPN's cameras are rolling, so you should see the fracas on Nov. 15. Conor Tate, obviously not a big Matusow fan, decides to stall when it is his turn to act, in an effort to "protect" Shawn's short stack. Jack Effel calls the one-minute-to act clock on Tate every time. Just play the game, boys.

Raymer is on the ropes. An hour into play, after losing two sizeable skirmishes, he correctly calls Aaron Kanter's all-in turn bet. Greg shows pocket kings. He is ahead, but Aaron's queen-high flush draw connects on the river. Greg is reduced to $410,000. The reigning champ succumbs 25 minutes later, moving all in with A-9. Ayhan Alsancak's 5-5 sends Raymer to the rail with a level of applause usually reserved for Doyle Brunson. Greg pockets $304,680 for his valiant effort to repeat.

We lose 15 more by day's end (3:06 a.m.), including Ivey, Phan, Minh Ly, Williamson, Tate, and Sheikhan.

Mike Matusow and Aaron Kanter

DAY SEVEN: Our final nine will be playing for an aggregate $22,950,000 today. All will be shooting for the world championship title and an unprecedented $7.5 million payday. It just doesn't get any better for a poker player. The chart on the left contains their playing positions and chip counts. Greg Raymer has the microphone. He gets us rolling at 4:50 p.m. with, "Shuffle up and deal."

The fan and media spotlights are on Mike Matusow. The explosive 37-year-old professional is a two-time bracelet winner, has cashed 18 times at the WSOP, and made the championship final table in 2001. I look for the former Sam's Town dealer to establish control early as his opponents soak in this incredible experience and play cautiously. His main competition should come from John Derick "Tex" Barch, and Andrew "The Monk" Black. Tex is a former professional player and Andrew has played in the championship event five times (he finished 14th in 1997).

HAND NO. 1: Brad Kondracki, a law student and holder of a degree in computer science, moves all in from under the gun (first to act). Did I say Mike's opponents would play cautiously? Everyone folds, allowing Brad to take in $240,000 (the blinds are $50,000-$100,000 and each player is obliged to ante $10,000 during level 30).

HAND NO. 2: Steven Dannenmann, who began playing poker 18 months ago, decides to try his luck with an under-the-gun raise of $125,000. Scott Lazar shows strength with a reraise of $1,125,000. Matusow tops that with: "I'm all in." Dannenmann drops, but Lazar anxiously calls with the A A. The flop of K Q 6 connects with Mike's K K. The 2 turns to give Scott a flush draw. Mike, joyous after the flop, is concerned after the turn. The crowd roars when they see the river card. It's the J, a heartbreaker for Matusow.

Mike stays composed and aggressive for the next 90 minutes, rallying nicely from early adversity. On the 28th hand, Dannenmann moves all in after a flop of 5 3 2. Mike later told us he sensed weakness in Steven's quick push. Matusow calls with 10-10 and is ahead of Steven's A-J. Mike rates to win 60 percent of the time. However, his 2005 WSOP journey ends when a 4 arrives on the turn, giving Steven a straight. Mike leaves and tells ace interviewer Rich Belsky, "I made three mistakes in seven days. I've never played better than I did this week. I wish I would have got rewarded with the prize, but that's OK."

HAND NO. 49: Kondracki has been battling "shortstackitus" by moving in frequently. The Pennsylvania resident pushes his $1.5 million forward after Barch and Kanter fold. Black, clearly our most active player, calls and shows the 8 8. Andrew holds his lead against Brad's A-Q when neither player improves. We lose our youngest (24) contestant.

HAND NO. 65: With the blinds at $80,000-$160,000 and the antes at $20,000, Hachem (pronounced Ha-shem) raises $200,000. Barch comes over the top with another $2 million. Bergsdorf looks down at his $2.74 million in chips and decides to commit them. Barch makes an easy call after Hachem folds. Tex trails with 10-10. Bergsdorf, who has rarely spoken or played today (he has scored just two pots), has J-J. But, a 10 flops and our 27-year-old Swedish trucker is sent to the rail. We are down to six survivors. Black, a 39-year-old Dublin, Ireland, resident who holds a law degree, has taken the lead (see the chart right).

HAND NO. 70: Lazar, our senior finalist at 42, is a magician and film crew veteran. He raises to $350,000 from the button. Black, acting very quickly today, declares, "All in." Lazar, possibly believing he is pot-committed, calls and shows the Q 10. Black's black jacks are a 70-to-30 favorite. Scott fails to connect and leaves with $1.5 million.

HAND NO. 81: Dannenmann watches his four opponents contest a hand. They see a flop of A J 4. When everyone checks to the button, Hachem bets $500,000 and wins the pot. Joe good-naturedly shows a queen-high bluff.

I spoke with the Melbourne chiropractor turned poker pro during the dinner break. I can't remember how the subject changed from my experiences in Australia and his vacations in Vegas to strategy, but it did. We discuss the problem of playing under the aggressive Andrew and experienced Tex, both holders of big stacks. I ask him what he plans to do, beyond trying to get down to threehanded to alter the positional advantage. The 39-year-old Lebanon native states that he will continue trying for pots and laying down hands to reraises (he has been doing that a lot) when he holds marginal cards. We discuss pot odds involved in these laydowns. He is impressively aware of the nuances involved in his strategy, but tells me he came in with a game plan to preserve his chips for when he makes big hands, and he intends to follow that idea to fruition.

As for showing the bluff, several players have been showing cards. This is Joseph's first "exposure." The players seem more like friends playing for beer money than five fierce competitors fighting for the remaining $18 million prize pool. On Nov. 15, you'll see them (especially Dannenmann) smiling and making funny faces when contemplating calls and being studied. When one departs, he is warmly congratulated and consoled by the others. Another trend I am seeing is long periods of relatively conservative play, broken by all-in moves by Dannenmann. The blinds have not reached "action impetus" size (enough to entice five players who share more than $56 million in chips).

HAND NO. 93: Black raises to $550,000 from the cutoff seat. He has been getting respect, even though he has raised frequently. Will they ever play back at Black? Yes, Kanter does with a $1 million reraise. Aaron follows through by betting $1 million into a flop of K 5 3. Andrew kicks it up by $3 million. Kanter contemplates, and calls. A second 3 appears on the turn. Surprisingly, they both check. I expected Black to bet. The river card is the 8. Kanter leads with $2 million. Black reluctantly calls. Aaron shows pocket kings, a monster hand. He rakes in the $15 million pot to loud cheering from his fan base.

HAND NO. 104: After Black folds, Barch enters with $500,000. Kanter calls. Hachem, already in for $160,000, calls from the big blind. The flop is 8 4 4. Joseph checks to Tex. Barch bets $1 million. Let's think along with the players. They can't put their opponents on a 4, and it is mathematically more likely that each has overcards than an overpair. These are the types of flops that encourage aggressive play. Kanter may be thinking along with me. Aaron is trying to gather his chips for a raise (he's no Evelyn Ng when it comes to dexterity). Finally, he gets $2.5 million into the pot. Joseph retreats, but Tex quickly and softly announces, "All in." Aaron mucks his cards.

HAND NO. 110: Everyone folds to Black in the big blind. He takes the pot in a walkover (also known as a "walk" or "groundskinner"). There have been six walks today. Black has been the recipient of five and Matusow received one. Hachem seems dead set against defending his small blind, then playing the next three streets heads up, out of position, and out-chipped. While that strategy fits nicely with his overall plan, a steal raise against Andrew would probably work at this point. Of course, Joe knows best. He is playing in his second WSOP event. He took on a field of 893 opponents and finished 10th, collecting $25,850, in event No. 37, a $1,000 no-limit hold'em (with rebuys) tourney.

Buoyed by the walks, Black has a substantial "pots won" lead (see chart).

HAND NO. 119: The blinds are now $100,000-$200,000 and the antes are $30,000. Kanter raises the minimum amount ($200,000) from the button. Dannenmann calls from the small blind. Hachem smells weakness in the "sweetener" raise and moves all in. Kanter folds quickly, but Dannenmann is interested. The CPA (and neatest chip stacker this side of Dewey Tomko) wants a count. The dealer states, "It's three-point-two-five million dollars." Dannenmann, possibly auditioning for the Comedy Network, removes a small piece of paper from his pocket, unfolds it, and studies it as the ESPN cameras zoom in. It's a reminder list. Included are, "Have fun" and "Nothing to lose." Finally, Steven folds.

HAND NO. 132: Hachem limps in from the cutoff seat. Black folds. Barch completes from the small blind. Kanter taps the table. The flop is K 10 7. There are two checks to Hachem, who bets $450,000. Barch raises to $1 million. Kanter reraises another $1 million. Hachem has had enough of this hand; he folds. But Barch doesn't. After contemplating what Kanter's small reraise means and his own options, Tex pushes $5.5 million forward. Kanter goes deep into the tank. He emerges with an aggressive all-in play. It's Barch's turn to think. Kanter has him out-chipped. Tex calls after 95 seconds. He is thrilled with his decision when Aaron shows a meager K-5. Tex is in a commanding lead with his K-7. A harmless queen and jack fall. Barch has barged to the front of the pack.

HAND NO. 149: Black, down to $8 million, raises to $600,000. Dannenmann reraises to $2 million. Black decides to move in with his red tens. Dannenmann calls quickly with the A K. Black survives the flop, but a king arrives on the turn. Andrew rises, grabs his coat, and shakes his head. He has little faith in his two-out possibility. The 9 creates a total blackout. Dannenmann has taken the lead with $26 million. Barch is next with $21 million. Hachem has moved up to $5 million. Kanter trails Joe by $200,000.

HAND NO. 192: Now in our 13th hour, Hachem raises to $600,000. Kanter, still on the short stack, calls. Hachem, who has rallied recently, moves in on a flop of 9 8 4, and Kanter moves out. Aaron plays mostly online (up to $30-$60 limit hold'em). He qualified by investing approximately $200 in satellites at PartyPoker.

HAND NO. 206: The blinds have escalated to $120,000-$240,000. The antes are $40,000. Dannenmann limps in from under the gun. Hachem raises $1 million. Steven calls. Both check the flop of 9 5 4. When Steven checks the turn (8), Joe bets $1 million. Will Steven perceive Joe's bet to be a weak steal attempt, and try to take the pot away? No, he calls. The river is the 10. Both players check. Joe shows A-K. Steven slides his cards facedown to the dealer. Hachem has taken a slight lead over former chip leader Dannenmann. Joe's extremely vocal cheering section shouts, "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!"

The final three (left to right): Tex Barch, Steve Dannenmann, and Joseph Hachem

HAND NO. 211: Kanter, first to act, motions all in. After Steve and Joe muck, Barch calls the $3.67 million. Was Tex influenced by an encounter that occurred 55 hands ago? That time, Kanter moved in with A-7 and overcame Barch's A-Q when two sevens flopped. No, Tex has a good hand (J J). Kanter reveals the A 9. A 9 flops, but no additional help comes for Aaron, a former loan officer, now making his living with a mechanical mouse and 19-inch monitor. This would have made a great TV hand if an ace had flopped, because the river card was a jack.

HAND NO. 212: We enter threehanded play with Hachem holding a $6.54 million lead. Barch and Dannenmann are within $240,000 of each other. The lead changes on this hand. Hachem calls from the button, Barch adopts the same plan of action. Dannenmann jumps on the limpers with a $1 million raise. Only Hachem calls. Dannenmann bets another $1 million into the seemingly innocuous flop of 8 2 2. Joe tries a $4 million raise, but Steven picks him off by moving all in and picking up the $6.24 million pot after Joe folds. I'm curious to see whether Steven had a good hand. I don't believe he needed one, since Joe's style has been to attempt to pick up pots, and fold when challenged. In addition, can we really give Joe credit for an overpair? Playing from the button, unless slow-playing A-A, he probably would have raised preflop with any pocket pair. If you were Joe and held 10-8, would you have called Steven's all-in bet?

HAND NO. 226: This is the third hand at level 34 ($150,000-$300,000 blinds with $50,000 antes). In what I believe is a unique occurrence in a major event, the players are using only one denomination of chip (every chip on the table is worth $50,000). During the previous 13 hands, Joseph has been active. He has also become a trapper (note his 11 calls in the chart on the right, which also contains some other statistics from these hands).

Dannenmann raises to $750,000 from the button. After Hachem calls, Barch moves in for his remaining $5.65 million. Steven decides to play, and Joe tags along. The flop is revealed (10 3 2). Joe and Steven check. They also check the turn (Q) and the river (9). Hachem shows J-J to defeat Dannenmann's 7-7. Barch stands and disappointedly releases his A-6. Tex receives applause, congratulations from his opponents, and a check for $2.5 million. Hachem has $40 million in chips. He leads Dannenmann by nearly $24 million.

In the media room, we use the six-minute break to debate how many heads-up hands will take place before a champ is crowned. The over/under is set at seven. I take the over (and lose). We also flip empty water bottles in a game of closest to the pin without hitting it. Rich Wilens has been sleeping on the floor in the middle of the media room for the last 90 minutes. His nose is our pin. Rick "DaVoice" Charles wins with an incredibly accurate floater that had perfect backspin.

Joseph Hachem proudly displays his championship bracelet.

HAND NO. 232: At 6:45 a.m., the dealer pitches cards to the two persevering players from the record field of 5,619. Dannenmann raises to $700,000 from the button. Hachem, playing all hands now, calls. The flop is the 6 5 4. Joe checks and Steven bets a tempting $700,000. Joe raises $1 million and is called. When the A turns, Joe bets $2 million. Steven thinks, then raises to $5 million. Joe motions all in. Dannenmann, I believe because we are approaching our 15th hour (he later stated he was getting tired and bored), calls quickly with only the A 3. Hachem shows the 7 3 (a straight), thus Steven is dead to a 7 for a split pot. The dealer burns a card and places the 4 on the board. The longest final table in WSOP history has finally concluded.

Joseph Hachem is our new champion. Once down to $2.1 million in checks, the devoted family man with four children sustained his small stack for many hours by adhering to his conservative game plan. He shifted gears when he acquired chips, becoming more aggressive and using his stack size to his advantage. During shorthanded action, he played against the flow of his opponents with near perfect precision. He was brilliant in victory.

Joe was modest, thankful, and gracious during the presentation ceremony. He became emotional when the realization of what had occurred began to sink in. He held back tears when he told us how much the championship bracelet meant to him and how the money will fulfill his dream of taking care of his entire family, forever. Hachem will make a great champion and ambassador of poker. Final results were as follows: