WSOP: Poker play expected to slow as Main Event field thins out
11th July, 2008
The Main Event of the World Series of Poker is getting interesting as the huge field of poker hopefuls thins out and gets closer to the prize money
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| World Series of Poker Main Event field fighting to survive. |
As the tournament approaches the all-important 666-player payout play is expected to slow down significantly because many players will be afraid to risk elimination just before cashing in the world’s most prestigious tournament.
“Usually the tournament comes to a screeching halt,” said Jack Effel, tournament director. He also said that hand-for-hand play would start once the tournament field is down to 675 players.
Many of the pros still left in the tournament have been using this to their advantage, pushing their chips around knowing players are likely to fold more often until reaching the prize money. The money isn’t as important to the pros as it is to the amateurs who find the $10,000 buy in to be rather large.
”The money doesn’t mean much to the top pros – making the money,” said Phil Hellmuth, 11-time WSOP bracelet winner. “That’s when we try to raise every pot. There will be a lot of people who really care about the money, and then there will be a lot of pros who just don’t care.”
Once the hand-for-hand play is over, and the field is down to 666 players, the tournament is expected to speed up a bit as players with short stacks who are happy with cashing in the Main Event shove their chips in the middle.
“It’s the craziest thing,” Effel said. “That’s when they start popping like chewing gum. You’re losing two players a minute.
The tournament is now down to 873 players and only 666 players get paid, with 666th place paying out $21,230.
