Praying for Dead Money and a Bracelet at the WSOP Europe PDF Print E-mail
jq-wsop07-academy0004.jpgTwo things jump out when you dissect the fields in the recently completed World Series of Poker Europe. First, unlike at the Las Vegas version, there was very little dead money in these events. Pound-for-pound, the fields in the four tournaments were in my opinion some of the toughest in the history of poker. Not only did you have the UK’s best competing on their home soil, but many skilled Scandinavian players who did not make the trip to Vegas in June most definitely were out in force in London, and this includes both online and live players. And of course, most of the big-money, big-name U.S. pros – both online and live – made the journey. The fields were so formidable and the buy-ins so substantial that few casual or amateur players were to be found.

And the mix was reflected in the results (see our coverage beginning on page 42). All factions were well represented in the top ten finishers of the four tournaments. Improving on their performance of a year ago, Americans grabbed 33 percent of the top ten spots, with Californian John Juanda winning the main event (his fourth bracelet and 166th lifetime cash). UK players captured 27 percent of the top ten finishes, Scandinavians 20 percent, other Europeans 15 percent, with other countries taking just two places – one Canadian and one Afghan (the improbable Sherkhan Farnood of Kunduz, who won H.O.R.S.E.).

In all, Europeans took 62 percent of the top ten positions – a pretty good showing. Stalwart UK players Neil Channing, Ian Woodley and Jeff Duvall stepped up, as did Vegas pros Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu and Scott Fischman. Also final-tabling were touring pros Jeff Lisandro and Max Pescatori, who both list Italy as their homes, but in reality they’re in Vegas or on the road more than they are home.

Young online guns Adam Junglen, Peter Neff, Sorel Mizzi, Eric Friberg (WSOP final table two years ago), Chris Elliott and Bengt Sonnert also got their share of the pie. Incredibly, Russian Ivan Demidov took third in the main event, making him the first person to make the final tables of both the WSOPE and WSOP (he is, of course, one of this year’s November Nine).

Speaking of records, Jesper Hougaard of Copenhagen, Denmark, won Event 1 (£1500 NL hold’em) and became the first person to win bracelets on both sides of the pond (he won Event 36 – $1500 NL hold’em – in Vegas this summer).

The big names did well, as they did at the Rio, but what should give one pause is that two men from Copenhagen walked off with two of the four bracelets: Hougaard, and Theo Jorgensen in pot-limit Omaha. This means that, you guessed it, no one has yet won a WSOPE bracelet who has a UK address.

But wait till next year when maybe, just maybe, there will be at least a little bit of dead money.


John ‘Johnny Quads’ Wenzel
Editor-in-Chief
 

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