The 2006 World Series of Poker is already living up to the high expectations it has been burdened with. Records have been broken, the pros have shined, and fairytales have had their place in the spotlight as well. Max Pescatori, the latest winner, was also the latest fairytale of the WSOP, as the Italian turned up late at the final table after watching his nation defeat France on penalties in the World Cup final. Buoyed on by their triumph Pescatori completed “the greatest day of (his) life” by capturing the $2500 NL Hold’em event.

EVENT #7 - $3000 Limit Hold’em – Triumph for mathematics

The final table of the $3000 Limit Hold’em event began on Independence Day, though only one player will have really felt like celebrating. No big name players graced this table, and poker pro and author William Chen delighted in giving a poker lesson to the assembled crowd. He ran over the final table, gaining in dominance as the field thinned. His book “The Mathematics of Poker” is soon to hit bookshelves in the US, and will presumably show us how he did it! First prize was worth $343,618.

EVENT #8 - $2000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split – Negreanu gets the attention

Daniel Negreanu put on a show for the crowd at this final table, with much joking and showman antics. Unfortunately for the 2004 Player of the Year he was unable to back it up with a win and he backed out in seventh place. The eventual winner was Jack Zwerner, a 58-year-old real estate associate. He won $341,426 for first place.

EVENT #9 - $5000 No-Limit Hold’em – Hellmuth heads-up for record

The biggest buy-in event of the WSOP so far drew a predictably star-studded field, and, much to the delight of the watching crowd, a number of those big names made it to the final table. Alongside Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier and "The Flying Dutchman" Marcel Luske, was the 1989 World Champion Phil Hellmuth, seeking out his record-tying tenth WSOP bracelet.

Hellmuth proved the best of the pros, but was thwarted in his attempt to make history by one Jeff Cabanillas, playing in his first ever live tournament. Cabanillas played some great poker, and was on the receiving end of some terrific luck, and it proved a deadly combination. Heads-up against Hellmuth he was marginally outplayed, but significantly luckier, and that bought him the $818,546 first prize and the much coveted bracelet. Gracious in defeat, Hellmuth will have to wait another day.

EVENT #10 – $1500 Seven-Card Stud – David Williams seals his status

After finishing second in the 2004 main-event David Williams had a disastrous 2005 WSOP, cashing in just one event. Out to prove that it was 2005, not 2004, that was the aberration, Williams has had a storming 2006, especially in the World Poker Tour, where he has made numerous final tables.

On a final table alongside the legendary Johnny Chan, as well as the three-time bracelet holder “Miami” John Cernuto Williams was ruthless, and captured his first WSOP bracelet along with the $163,118 first prize.

EVENT #11 - $1500 NL Hold’em

“Bellagio” Bob Chalmers, a veteran player who plies his trade at the famous Las Vegas casino of the same name came out on top of a fairly low-profile final table in this event. He won $258,344 to go with his first WSOP bracelet.

EVENT #12 - $5000 Omaha Hi/Lo

The second biggest buy-in event of this WSOP attracted another star-studded field and another star-studded final table. This time it was Phil Ivey, Kiril Gerasimov and Sam Farha who made the final table, and when it was down to three players, guess what, these three were the only ones left.

It took a marathon seven hours for three to become two, with Gerasimov the one to miss out. Sam Farha then got the monkey of his 2003 loss to Chris Moneymaker off his back by beating the player widely regarded as the world’s best, taking the bracelet and the $398,560 first prize.

EVENT #13 - $2500 NL Hold’em

Another NL Hold’em event, another massive field. 1290 turned out for this event, which was won by the ecstatic Max Pescatori.

Pescatoriu, from Italy turned up late to the final table of this event after staying to watch his compatriots defeat France in the final of the World Cup. Filled with confidence and good feeling, and no little luck, Pescatori sat down and somehow avoided the wrecking ball being swung by Anthony Reategui. Reatugui was on a mission to defeat everyone at the table, though Pescatori put an end to that dream when he knocked out Justin Pechie in third place.

Nevertheless it would take more than that to stop Reategui, and the “more” duly arrived in a couple of lucky draw outs. As Pescatori drew a miraculous gutshot straight on the river to win the event, he must have known God was on his side – first the Italians beat a superior French team to win the greatest prize in sport, and then he came from behind to win a WSOP bracelet and $682,389. What a day!
Submitted: 10/07/2006 14:30:47