2007 World Series of Poker
Encyclopedia
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 (US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) no-limit Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18. All events were held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorporated area of Paradise, Nevada, USA. It is better known as The Rio and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Inc. The Rio was the first all suite resort in the Las Vegas area...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
by Harrah's Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a private gaming corporation that owns and operates over 50 casinos, hotels, and seven golf courses under several brands. The company, based in Paradise, Nevada, is the largest gaming company in the world, with yearly revenues $8.9 billion...
, which has run the annual event since its purchase from the Binion family in 2004.
For the first time players began each event with double the amount of chips as the buy-in. This means that players in the Main Event started with 20,000 chips. The blind structure has also been increased and some blind levels removed but slowed to allow for more play.
In addition to the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, which was first played at the 2006 World Series of Poker, this year there were two additional H.O.R.S.E. events with lower buyins ($2,500 and $5,000).
Tom Schneider
Tom Schneider
Tom Schneider is a professional poker player from Phoenix, Arizona. Schneider was a certified public accountant and former president and chief financial officer for three Arizona companies before beginning his poker career in 2002...
, who won two events and made one other final table, won the Player of the Year Award. Michael Binger
Michael Binger
Michael W. Binger is a part-time professional poker player, based in Atherton, California. He has a brother, Nick Binger, who also has several high-profile tournament cashes....
and Chad Brown
Chad Brown (poker player)
Chad Lewis Brown is an American actor, poker player and color commentator, based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life & acting career:...
led all other players with eight money finishes.
The annual celebrity event was changed this year, as it became a pro and celeb event called "Ante Up for Africa", hosted by actor Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle
Donald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven...
and poker pro Annie Duke
Annie Duke
Annie Duke is a professional poker player and author who won a bracelet in the 2004 World Series of Poker $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Event and was the winner of the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, where she earned the Winner-Take-All prize of $2,000,000...
. The final two players, Dan Shak and Brandon Moran, agreed to share first place and donate all prize money to charities in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
.
The last woman standing of the 2007 Main Event was Maria Ho
Maria Ho
Maria Ho is a professional poker player, born in Taipei, Taiwan. She is currently ranked 12th in the world among female poker pros in overall earnings....
who finished in 38th place.
Also this year, KEM Plastic Playing Cards
United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company, started in 1867, produces and distributes many brands of playing cards, including Bicycle, Bee, Hoyle, Kem, and others, plus novelty and custom cards, and other playing card accessories such as poker chips. The company was once based in Cincinnati, Ohio, but...
were once again used for the events, rather than Copag
Copag
Copag is a company based in São Paulo, Brazil. The company has produced plastic playing cards for poker and bridge since 1908. With the recent popularity of poker, Copag's business has quickly grown...
brand plastic playing cards, which were used during the 2005 and 2006 WSOP.
Event Schedule
| Event Number |
Event | Winner | Prize | Runner-up | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold'em | Steve Billirakis Steve Billirakis Steve Billirakis is an American professional poker player.Billirakis won the first tournament of the 2007 World Series of Poker winning the $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold'em Limit/No-Limit event after beating Canadian poker player and former professional hockey player Greg Mueller heads-up... |
$536,287 | Greg Mueller Greg Mueller Greg Mueller is a professional poker player from Vancouver, British ColumbiaMueller, a former professional hockey player, was drawn to poker after one of many long road trips during his hockey career... |
Results |
| 2 | $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold'em | Frederick Narciso Frederick Narciso Frederick "Eric" Narciso is a dealer at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2007, he entered a $90 satellite held by his employer to gain entry into the 2007 World Series of Poker $500 Casino Employees World Poker Championship. It was in this event that he won $104,701 and a WSOP bracelet... |
$104,701 | Charles Fisher | Results |
| 3 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | Ciaran O'Leary Ciaran O'Leary Ciarán O'Leary is an Irish professional poker player who resides in Seattle, Washington, USA.-Early life:O'Leary grew up in modest conditions in the single street village of Carrigaline, County Cork, Ireland. Son of greyhound trainer Terry O'Leary and mother Sheila, Ciarán was one of three children... |
$727,012 | Paul Evans | Results |
| 4 | $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em | Mike Spegal Mike Spegal Mike Spegal is a former Marine and currently owns a UPS store. In 2006, he won his entry into the World Series of Poker Main event in an Online Satellite... |
$252,290 | Gavin Smith | Results |
| 5 | $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better | Tom Schneider Tom Schneider Tom Schneider is a professional poker player from Phoenix, Arizona. Schneider was a certified public accountant and former president and chief financial officer for three Arizona companies before beginning his poker career in 2002... |
$214,347 | Ed Tonnellier | Results |
| 6 | $1,500 Limit Hold'em | Gary Styczynski Gary Styczynski Gary Styczynski is a professional poker player of Polish American descent who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $1,500 Limit Poker Hold'em event in 2007. He is married and has two children... |
$280,715 | Varouzhan Gumroyan | Results |
| 7 | $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Omaha hold 'em Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards... w/Rebuys |
Burt Boutin Burt Boutin Burton A. Boutin is a professional poker player from Henderson, Nevada who has won two World Series of Poker bracelets. He also finished in second place at the 2006 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship winning $604,765. Boutin is known for drinking "Red Bull" at the poker table and acting a little hyper... |
$868,745 | Erik Cajelais | Results |
| 8 | $1,000 No Limit Hold'em w/Rebuys | Michael Chu Michael Chu Michael Chu is a stock trader who earned a World Series of Poker bracelet in the 2007 $1,000 WSOP No Limit Hold'em with rebuys event . Chu won the event with the minimum investment, having never made a single re-buy in the event. Chu majored in political science at the University of California,... |
$585,744 | Tommy Vu Tom Vu Tuan "Tommy" Vu is a Vietnamese-American poker player, real estate investor and speaker best remembered as an infomercial personality in the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Infomercial career:... |
Results |
| 9 | $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better | Alex Kravchenko Alex Kravchenko Alexander Kravchenko is a professional poker player based in Moscow, Russia. He started playing poker in 1997. In the 2007 World Series of Poker, he cashed six times, including finishing fourth at the Main Event and the $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event where he won a WSOP bracelet... |
$228,446 | Bryan Devonshire | Results |
| 10 | $2,000 No Limit Hold'em | Will Durkee Will Durkee William Durkee is a graduate student at the Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois . He graduated from the University of Virginia in 2005 with a degree in economics... |
$566,916 | Todd Terry | Results |
| 11 | $5,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud Seven-card stud Seven-card stud is a variant of stud poker. Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was the most popular poker variant in home games across the United States, and in casinos in the eastern part of the country. Two to eight players is common, though eight may... |
Chris Reslock Chris Reslock Chris J. Reslock is a professional poker player from Valley City, North Dakota, who now lives in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Reslock was a semi-retired cab owner and operator before he began playing poker professionally, he was a highly ranked Scrabble player but went into poker because the money... |
$258,453 | Phil Ivey Phil Ivey Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables... |
Results |
| 12 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Short Handed | Jason Warner Jason Warner Jason Warner is a 22 year old hardware store worker who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the 2007 $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em short handed. Warner does not like playing poker online, preferring to play at the River Rock Casino near Vancouver. Prior to winning his bracelet he participated in one... |
$481,698 | David Zeitlin | Results |
| 13 | $5,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold'em | Allen Cunningham Allen Cunningham Allen Cunningham is an American professional poker player.Cunningham studied civil engineering at UCLA before dropping out of school to play poker professionally. At the age of 18, he began playing at in Indian casinos... |
$487,287 | Jeffrey Lisandro Jeff Lisandro Jeffrey Lisandro is an Australian professional poker player, now residing in Salerno, Italy. Lisandro is known by many to be a cash game specialist, but is a well-known face on the poker tournament circuit and is regarded as one of the premier Seven Card Stud players in the world... |
Results |
| 14 | $1,500 Seven Card Stud | Michael Keiner Michael Keiner Michael Keiner is a German poker player best known for winning a Seven-card stud WSOP bracelet in 2007.Keiner, who used to be a plastic surgeon, started playing poker in 1993.... |
$146,987 | Nesbitt Coburn | Results |
| 15 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | Phil Hellmuth Phil Hellmuth Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality... |
$637,254 | Andy Philachack | Results |
| 16 | $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. | James Richburg James Richburg James Richburg is an American professional poker player from Long Beach, California.Richburg has won two World Series of Poker bracelets. The first came in the razz championship in 2006. He won his second in the $2500 HORSE event in 2007.... |
$239,503 | Walter Browne | Results |
| 17 | $1,000 World Championship Ladies No Limit Hold'em | Sally Boyer Sally Boyer Sally Anne Boyer is the 2007 World Series of Poker bracelet winner in the $1,000 World Championship Ladies Event No Limit Hold'em event.She is from Park City, Utah.Prior to the 2007 event, Boyer had only been playing poker for less than a year... |
$262,077 | Anne Heft | Results |
| 18 | $5,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em | Saro Getzoyan Saro Getzoyan Saro Getzoyan is an American software engineer from Lexington, Massachusetts who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the 2007 $ 5,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em. Getzoyan, of Armenian descent, earned an undergraduate degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Masters Degree... |
$333,379 | Geoff Sanford | Results |
| 19 | $2,500 No Limit Hold'em | Francois Safieddine Francois Safieddine Francois Safieddine is a nightclub owner in Denver, Colorado who won a World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2007 World Series of Poker's $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em event. Safieddine, 33, is married and has four children. He was born in Lebanon and moved to the U.S. during the 1980s.As of 2008,... |
$521,785 | John Phan | Results |
| 20 | $2,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better | Ryan Hughes | $176,358 | Min Lee | Results |
| 21 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Shootout | Don Baruch Don Baruch Donald Baruch is a 42 year old owner of an investment and management services company. In 2007, he won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $1,500 NLHE Shootout event... |
$264,107 | Jared Davis | Results |
| 22 | $5,000 No Limit Hold'em | James Mackey James Mackey For the former Toronto Chief of Police see James Page MackeyJames Mackey attended the University of Missouri before dropping out of a pre-med program to pursue a career in professional poker... |
$730,740 | Stuart Fox Stuart Fox Stuart Fox is a professional poker player who started off playing online poker and has now become one of the United Kingdom's most recognized and successful tournament players.-Poker career:... |
Results |
| 23 | $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha | Scott Clements Scott Clements Scott Clements is a professional poker player from Mount Vernon, Washington, United States, who has won titles in both World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker events.... |
$194,206 | Eric Lynch Eric Lynch Eric Lynch is a professional poker player.Lynch resides in Olathe, Kansas. In 2006, he won a PokerStars $1 million guaranteed tournament and finished 24th at the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, earning $494,000. He placed 3rd in a pot limit Hold'em WSOP event that same year... |
Results |
| 24 | $3,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better | Eli Elezra Eli Elezra Eliahu Ilan Elezra is an Israeli professional poker player and a businessman, now living in Las Vegas, Nevada.While he was in Israel, Elezra was a lieutenant in the Golani Brigade. He was bedridden by a leg injury; during this time he began playing poker... |
$198,984 | Scotty Nguyen Scotty Nguyen Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship... |
Results |
| 25 | $2,000 No Limit Hold'em | Ben Ponzio Ben Ponzio Ben Ponzio is a 35 year old General Sales Manager for Chicago's WBBM-FM radio. In 2007, he won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em. “Sure, I’m going back to work,” Ponzio said in a post-tournament interview. “Six-hundred thousand is a lot of money... |
$599,467 | David Hewitt | Results |
| 26 | $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. | Ralph Schwartz Ralph Schwartz Ralph Schwartz is a 28 year old money manager on Wall Street. In 2007, he won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. H.O.R.S.E... |
$275,683 | Bill Gazes Bill Gazes William G. "Bill" Gazes is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada, who in his career has made over $2.2 Million in live tournament earnings and is a sponsored player on Full Tilt Poker known as a Full Tilt Pro.... |
Results |
| 27 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | David Stucke David Stucke David Stucke is a physics professor and poker player.He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, and received advanced degrees from Iowa State University and Pennsylvania State University... |
$603,069 | Young Cho | Results |
| 28 | $3,000 No Limit Hold'em | Shankar Pillai Shankar Pillai Shankar Pillai is an American poker player from Commack, New York.In the 2007 World Series of Poker, Pillai won a World Series of Poker bracelet in his first ever World Series of Poker event, the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event.... |
$527,829 | Beth Shak | Results |
| 29 | $1,500 Seven Card Razz Razz (poker) Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low . The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against the player for low, and the ace usually plays low... |
Katja Thater Katja Thater Katja Thater is a professional poker player and horse breeder. She is married to another poker professional, Jan von Halle.Her popularity in Germany comes from the wide coverage on local television of her participation in the Poker Nations Cup and Women's Poker Open.Before becoming a professional... |
$132,653 | Larry St. Jean | Results |
| 30 | $2,500 No Limit Hold'em Short Handed | Hoyt Corkins Hoyt Corkins Hoyt Bricken Corkins is an American professional poker player.He also has three children in Chelsei Corkins, Brittney Corkins, and Ashley Roundtre... |
$515,065 | Terrence Chan | Results |
| 31 | $5,000 World Championship Heads Up No Limit Hold'em | Dan Schreiber Dan Schreiber Dan Schreiber is a pro gamer and poker player from Troy, OH. He currently resides in South Korea.In the 2007 WSOP Heads-Up Event, Schreiber swept Las Vegas poker pro Mark Muchnik in the best two out of three matches at the final table. The first match lasted 79 hands while the second lasted only... |
$425,594 | Mark Muchnik | Results |
| 32 | $2,000 Seven Card Stud | Jeffrey Lisandro | $118,426 | Nick Frangos Nick Frangos Nick Frangos is a professional poker player who plays out of Atlantic City, NJ.- Biography :Nick Frangos is a successful limit cash game specialist who also plays in occasional tournaments... |
Results |
| 33 | $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha w/Rebuys | Alan Smurfit Alan Smurfit Alan Smurfit is an Irish retiree who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in his first ever World Series of Poker event, the 2007 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event.... |
$464,867 | Qushqar Morad | Results |
| 34 | $3,000 Limit Hold'em | Alexander Borteh Alexander Borteh Alex Borteh is a professional poker player who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in a World Series of Poker event, the $3,000 Limit Hold'em event. Borteh has cashed in 4 WSOP events and made two final tables. In 2005, he finished in 3rd place in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout event... |
$225,483 | Brandon Wong | Results |
| 35 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | Ryan Young | $615,955 | Dustin Dirksen | Results |
| 36 | $5,000 World Championship Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better | John Guth John Guth John Guth is a professional poker player from Vancouver, Washington who won a bracelet at the World Championship Limit Omaha-8 event at the 2007 World Series of Poker.... |
$363,216 | Robert Stevanovski | Results |
| 37 | $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em | Greg Hopkins | $269,274 | Jason Newburger | Results |
| 38 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | Robert Cheung Robert Cheung Robert Cheung is a 46 year old businessman, originally from Hong Kong, China who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $ 1,500 No Limit Hold'em event at the 2007 World Series of Poker. He tied the record for shortest heads-up match by defeating his opponent Richard Murnick in one hand.As of... |
$673,628 | Richard Murnick | Results |
| 39 | $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. | Freddy Deeb Freddy Deeb Kassem Ibrahim "Freddy" Deeb is a professional poker player who emigrated from Lebanon to the United States at the age of 19.-Before poker:... |
$2,276,832 | Bruno Fitoussi Bruno Fitoussi Bruno Fitoussi is a French professional poker player from Paris.Fitoussi's first televised poker outing was on the original poker show Late Night Poker... |
Results |
| 40 | $1,500 Mixed Hold'em | Fred Goldberg Fred Goldberg Fred Goldberg is a professional poker player from Hollywood, FloridaGoldberg's first major success in poker came in the 2006 World Series of Poker main event, where he finished in 10th place winning $1,154,527. He also became known for bearing a strong resemblance to Chris Moneymaker, the 2003... |
$204,935 | Rene Mouritsen | Results |
| 41 | $1,000 World Championship Seniors No Limit Hold'em | Ernest Bennett | $348,423 | Tony Korfman | Results |
| 42 | $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better | Lukasz Dumanski Lukasz Dumanski Łukasz Dumanski , born 20 April 1983, is an Ivory Coast-born Polish-Canadian professional poker player who now resides in Canada. In 2007, he won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better... |
$227,454 | David Bach David Bach (poker player) David Bach is a professional poker player from Athens, Georgia, and the winner of the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2009 World Series of Poker. Bach defeated John Hanson heads-up after a marathon final table that lasted 20 hours and 492 hands.In total, Bach has 11 career WSOP... |
Results |
| 43 | $2,000 Limit Hold'em | Saif Ahmad Saif Ahmad Saifuddin "Saif" Ahmad is a Bangladeshi-American restaurateur and World Series of Poker champion. Ahmad is the owner of several Tony Roma's restaurants in Los Angeles, California, and won the 2007 World Series of Poker bracelet in the $2,000 Limit Hold'em.... |
$217,329 | William Jensen | Results |
| 44 | $2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split | Frankie O'Dell Frankie O'Dell Frankie O'Dell is an American professional poker player residing in Long Beach, California. He has won two World Series of Poker bracelets in Omaha Hi/Lo Split. His first win came in the 2003 World Series of Poker in the $1,500 event and his second in the $2,000 event in 2007... |
$240,057 | Thang Luu Thang Luu Thang Luu is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who won the 2008 World Series of Poker $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event and repeated as champion in the same event at the 2009 World Series of Poker... |
Results |
| 45 | $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Short Handed | Bill Edler Bill Edler William Edler is a professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada. He has a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.... |
$904,672 | Alex Bolotin | Results |
| 46 | $1,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better | Tom Schneider Tom Schneider Tom Schneider is a professional poker player from Phoenix, Arizona. Schneider was a certified public accountant and former president and chief financial officer for three Arizona companies before beginning his poker career in 2002... |
$147,713 | Hoyt Verner | Results |
| 47 | $2,000 No Limit Hold'em | Blair Rodman Blair Rodman Blair Rodman is an American professional poker player, based in Las Vegas, Nevada.Rodman has been playing poker professionally since 1985, when he quit his job dealing craps.... |
$707,898 | Amato Galasso | Results |
| 48 | $1,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball w/Rebuys | Rafi Amit Rafi Amit Rafi Amit , is an Israeli professional poker player, from Holon.Amit has won two bracelets at the World Series of Poker, the first in the 2005 Pot limit Omaha and the second in 2007 in the $1,000 Deuce to Seven Triple Draw Lowball with rebuys event.... |
$227,005 | Lenny Martin | Results |
| 49 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | Chandrasekhar Billavara Chandrasekhar Billavara Chandrasekhar Billavara is a poker player who won a World Series of Poker bracelet in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event.Billavara competes in a weekly home game with friends... |
$722,914 | Taylor Douglas | Results |
| 50 | $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Omaha | Robert Mizrachi Robert Mizrachi Robert Mizrachi is an American professional poker player.Robert Mizrachi was a former poker dealer at a South Miami casino... |
$768,889 | Rene Mouritsen | Results |
| 51 | $1,000 S.H.O.E. | Dao Bac Dao Bac Dao Bac is a 51 year old professional poker player from Garden Grove, California. In 2007, Dao won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $1,000 S.H.O.E. event. S.H.O.E... |
$157,975 | Adam Geyer | Results |
| 52 | $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em w/Rebuys | Michael Graves Michael Graves (poker player) Michael Graves is a medical student at the University of Texas-Southwestern. In 2007, he won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the $1,000 no limit Texas hold'em with rebuys... |
$742,121 | Theo Tran Theo Tran Theo Tran is an Vietnamese American professional poker player.- Biography :Theo Tran was born on November 4, 1981 and grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Tran loved gambling from a young age and started playing poker at age 13... |
Results |
| 53 | $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout | Ram Vaswani Ram Vaswani Ram Vaswani is an English professional snooker player, turned professional poker player and the youngest member of The Hendon Mob... |
$217,438 | Andy Ward | Results |
| 54 | $5,000 World Championship 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Rebuys | Erik Seidel Erik Seidel Erik Seidel is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.In 2010, he was inducted as a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early life:... |
$538,835 | Chad Brown Chad Brown (poker player) Chad Lewis Brown is an American actor, poker player and color commentator, based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life & acting career:... |
Results |
| 55 | $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em Main Event | Jerry Yang Jerry Yang (poker player) Xao "Jerry" Yang is an ethnic Hmong poker player from Temecula, California and the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.Yang started playing poker in 2005. An amateur player at the time, Yang entered the 2007 World Series of Poker after winning a $225 satellite at the Pechanga Resort... |
$8,250,000 | Tuan Lam | Results |
2007 records
- Steve Billirakis became the youngest person to ever win a WSOP braceletWorld Series of Poker braceletThe World Series of Poker bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as "bracelets". ...
at 21 years and 11 days. This record was broken three months later at the World Series of Poker EuropeWorld Series of Poker EuropeThe World Series of Poker Europe is the first expansion effort of World Series of Poker-branded poker tournaments outside the United States. Since 1970, participants had to travel to Las Vegas if they wanted to compete in the World Series of Poker...
by Annette ObrestadAnnette ObrestadAnnette Obrestad is a Norwegian poker player. Obrestad is the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker Europe bracelet...
, aged 18 years, 364 days. - Phil Hellmuth became the first player to win 11 bracelets.
- Phil Hellmuth set a record of 63 all-time WSOP cashes.
- June 9 was the busiest WSOP day ever, with 3,009 participants starting in two events on the same day.
- The largest non-WSOP Main Event tournament record was broken. The $1500 Buy In No Limit Hold'em Event #49 attracted a record 3151 players for the noon start. This event broke the single busiest start date set on June 9.
- Annie DukeAnnie DukeAnnie Duke is a professional poker player and author who won a bracelet in the 2004 World Series of Poker $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Event and was the winner of the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, where she earned the Winner-Take-All prize of $2,000,000...
set the women's record with 33 WSOP cashes. - 1,286 women set a new record for number of participants in an all women's poker tournament.
- This year's WSOP also boasted the largest number of total registrants in history, with 54,288 registrations for all of the events.
- Michael Binger and Chad Brown tied Phil Hellmuth and Humberto BrenesHumberto BrenesHumberto Brenes is a professional poker player. Brenes currently resides in Miami Lakes, Florida with his wife and three children ....
for most ITM finishes in a single World Series of Poker with eight.
Main Event
The $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event began on July 6 with the first of four separate starting days. 6,358 players entered, 2,415 fewer than in 2006. This is the first time since 19921992 World Series of Poker
The 1992 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Among notable participants was actor Telly Savalas of Kojak fame.-Preliminary events:-Main Event:...
that the Main Event experienced a reduction in participants. As the total number of registrants for the 2007 WSOP set a record at 54,288 with a total prize pool of $159,796,918 ($59,784,954 for the Main Event), the decrease in the number of participants in the Main Event has been attributed to a recent law
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is United States legislation regulating online gambling. It was added as Title VIII to the SAFE Port Act which otherwise regulated port security...
that limits Internet gambling. As a result of this law, Harrah's did not allow online poker websites to directly purchase Main Event seats and offer them as prizes, if the sites conducted business with US citizens. Online entries to the Main Event that were won as prizes on Internet poker sites were a substantial contributor to the dramatic growth the Main Event saw in the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The reduced field also meant a nearly one-third reduction in the Main Event's grand prize, from the record $12 million (US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) in 2006
2006 World Series of Poker
The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29...
to $8.25 million.
A different, flatter, payout structure was introduced in 2007 further reducing the prize money awarded to the final table finishers. Players who busted early in the money received a larger share than they would have in 2006. The lowest payouts in 2007 were $20,320 (just over double the buyin), as compared to $14,597 in 2006. Every player who made the final table in 2006 won over 1.5 million dollars.
A minor controversy arose during the main event. The colors of the chips made it very difficult to differentiate between the chip values. Pokernews.com posted the following note on its live reporting log, "It has literally been impossible for us to count these players' stacks due to the positioning of the cameras and the incredibly similar colors of the various chip denominations." Pokernews also reported that the chip color has affected play, "Because of the similarly-colored chips it took the dealer some time to count down Kluber's stack, and not long after Rahme began thinking about his response Kluber called the clock on him." Other players have complained that they can't count their opponents stacks and fear asking for a chip count as speaking may reveal the strength of their hand.
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jerry Yang Jerry Yang (poker player) Xao "Jerry" Yang is an ethnic Hmong poker player from Temecula, California and the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.Yang started playing poker in 2005. An amateur player at the time, Yang entered the 2007 World Series of Poker after winning a $225 satellite at the Pechanga Resort... |
$8,250,000 |
| 2nd | Tuan Lam | $4,840,981 |
| 3rd | Raymond Rahme Raymond Rahme Raymond Rahme is a South African professional poker player. He was the first African to reach a final table at a World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing third and earning $3,048,025, equating to some R21,000,000 in his own country." He took his seat at the 2007 Main Event by finishing fourth... |
$3,048,025 |
| 4th | Alex Kravchenko Alex Kravchenko Alexander Kravchenko is a professional poker player based in Moscow, Russia. He started playing poker in 1997. In the 2007 World Series of Poker, he cashed six times, including finishing fourth at the Main Event and the $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event where he won a WSOP bracelet... |
$1,852,721 |
| 5th | Jon Kalmar | $1,255,069 |
| 6th | Hevad Khan Hevad Khan Hevad Khan is a professional poker player, best known for making the final table at the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing in sixth place.-Competitive Gaming:... |
$956,243 |
| 7th | Lee Childs | $705,229 |
| 8th | Lee Watkinson Lee Watkinson Lee Watkinson is an American professional poker player, originally from Longbranch, Washington.At the 2004 World Series of Poker , Watkinson finished 2nd in the $5,000 pot limit Omaha event... |
$585,699 |
| 9th | Philip Hilm | $525,934 |
Other notable high finishes
NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 11th | Scotty Nguyen Scotty Nguyen Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship... |
$476,926 |
| 16th | Kenny Tran Kenny Tran Phuong "Kenny" Tran is a Vietnamese American professional poker player from Arcadia, California who won the 2008 World Series of Poker $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em World Championship. Tran was born in Vietnam and gives 10% of his winnings to his extended family there. He is married and has 3... |
$381,302 |
| 23rd | Bill Edler Bill Edler William Edler is a professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada. He has a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.... |
$333,490 |
| 25th | Daniel Alaei Daniel Alaei Siblings=Devon VafaiDaniel Christopher Alaei is a professional poker player from Santa Fe Springs, California. He is of Assyrian Iranian descent.... |
$333,490 |
| 26th | Roy Winston Roy Winston (poker player) Roy S. Winston, M.D is an American professional poker player, CEO & Founder of LaserAway LLC and physician from Rancho Mirage, California who won the World Poker Tour Borgata Main Event championship in 2007 for over $1.5 million.- Biography :... |
$333,490 |
Performance of past World Champions
| Name | Year Event Champion | Eliminated (day) |
ITM Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T. "Amarillo Slim" Preston Amarillo Slim Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. , known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets... |
1972 | 1 | ||
| Doyle Brunson Doyle Brunson Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to... |
1976 and 1977 | 1 | ||
| Bobby Baldwin Bobby Baldwin Bobby Baldwin is a professional poker player, off-road racer and casino executive. As a poker player, Baldwin is best known as the 1978 world champion, becoming the youngest main event champion at that time.... |
1978 | 2 | ||
| Tom McEvoy Tom McEvoy Thomas K. McEvoy is a professional poker player and author. He is best known for his win in the 1983 World Series of Poker main event.-Early life:... |
1983 | 2 | ||
| Berry Johnston Berry Johnston Berry Enfield Johnston is an American professional poker player. He is best known as the 1986 World Champion, but he has also won four other bracelets at the World Series of Poker in addition to cashes and wins in many other tournaments throughout his career.- Poker career :Johnston won the 1986... |
1986 | 4 | 113th | $58,570 |
| Johnny Chan Johnny Chan (poker player) Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively.... |
1987 and 1988 | 1 | ||
| Phil Hellmuth Phil Hellmuth Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality... |
1989 | 1 | ||
| Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty (poker player) Brad Daugherty is a professional poker player.Daugherty began playing poker in 1969 on a high school trip. Following high school he worked in the construction industry, but after hearing of large prize money for tournament winnings, in 1978 he moved to Reno, Nevada... |
1991 | 1 | ||
| Jim Bechtel Jim Bechtel James Gary "Jim" Bechtel is an American cotton farmer and poker player, based in Gilbert, Arizona. He is best known for winning the 1993 Main Event at the World Series of Poker .- Poker career :... |
1993 | 2 | ||
| Dan Harrington Dan Harrington Dan Harrington is a professional poker player, best known for winning the main event world championship at the 1995 World Series of Poker. He has earned one World Poker Tour title, two WSOP bracelets, and over six million dollars in tournament cashes in his poker career... |
1995 | 2 | ||
| Huck Seed Huck Seed Huckleberry Seed is an American professional poker player best known for winning the main event of the 1996 World Series of Poker.-Early Life:... |
1996 | 5 | 73rd | $130,288 |
| Scotty Nguyen Scotty Nguyen Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship... |
1998 | 6 | 11th | $476,926 |
| Chris Ferguson Chris Ferguson Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S... |
2000 | 3 | ||
| Carlos Mortensen Carlos Mortensen Juan Carlos Mortensen is an Ecuadorian professional poker player of Danish descent and the only Hispanic Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.Mortensen moved from Spain to the United States in... |
2001 | 4 | 217th | $51,398 |
| Robert Varkonyi Robert Varkonyi Robert Varkonyi is an American poker player, best known for winning the main event of the 2002 World Series of Poker.-Early years:Varkonyi was born in and raised in New York... |
2002 | 4 | 177th | $51,398 |
| Chris Moneymaker Chris Moneymaker Christopher Bryan Moneymaker is an American poker player who won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker . His 2003 win is said to have revolutionized poker because he was the first person to become a world champion by qualifying at an online poker site... |
2003 | 2 | ||
| Greg Raymer Greg Raymer Gregory Raymer nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.-Early life:... |
2004 | 1 | ||
| Joe Hachem Joe Hachem Joseph Hachem is a Lebanese-Australian professional poker player known for winning the main event of the 2005 World Series of Poker. He was the first Australian to win the main event, which earned him $7.5 million, then a record for all-time biggest tournament prize.The next year, Hachem won his... |
2005 | 2 | ||
| Jamie Gold Jamie Gold Jamie M. Gold is an American television producer, a talent agent, and poker player, based in Malibu, California. He is known for winning the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event and currently divides his time between his activities as president of production for the entertainment company,... |
2006 | 1 |
Celebrities in the 2007 Main Event
- Out in Day 1: Kirk AcevedoKirk AcevedoKirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
, Hank AzariaHank AzariaHenry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
, José CansecoJosé CansecoJosé Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
, Steve DavisSteve DavisSteve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
, Shannon ElizabethShannon ElizabethShannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...
, Janet JonesJanet JonesJanet-Marie Gretzky is an American actress. She is married to ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky.-Entertainment career:Jones performed in Annie , Staying Alive and Snow White Live , and had a bit part in The Beastmaster...
, Norm MacdonaldNorm MacDonaldNorman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
, A.J. McLean, NellyNellyCornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, Ray RomanoRay RomanoRaymond Albert "Ray" Romano is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian, best known for his roles on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and in the Ice Age film series. He recently starred in the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age.-Early life:Romano was born in Queens, New York to Italian...
, Teddy SheringhamTeddy SheringhamEdward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
, Maxime TalbotMaxime TalbotMaxime Talbot is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , Talbot led the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back President's Cups while earning the Guy Lafleur...
, Antonio TarverAntonio TarverAntonio Deon Tarver , nicknamed the "Magic Man", is a professional boxer from Orlando, Florida and the former WBC, WBA, IBF, & The Ring light heavyweight champion....
, Jennifer TillyJennifer TillyJennifer Tilly is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner. She is the older sister of actress Meg Tilly.-Early life:... - Out in Day 2: Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
, Rene AngelilRené AngélilRené Angélil, OQ is a Canadian singer and manager. He is the husband and manager of singer Celine Dion.-Early life:Angélil was born in Montreal, Québec, Canada of a father of Syrian descent and a Canadian mother of Lebanese origin...
, Tomas BrolinTomas BrolinPer Tomas Brolin is a Swedish former professional football player who had a successful period with A.C. Parma during the early nineties winning the 1992 Coppa Italia, the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup, the 1993 UEFA Super Cup and the 1995 UEFA Cup.Brolin also played for the Swedish national team,...
, Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
, Rick SalomonRick SalomonRichard Allan "Rick" Salomon is a film producer, celebutante, and online gambling website owner known for his relationships with various female celebrities, including E.G. Daily, Shannen Doherty, Paris Hilton, and Pamela Anderson....
, Rick TocchetRick TocchetRichard Tocchet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes. He was most recently the head coach of the...
, Montel WilliamsMontel WilliamsMontel Brian Anthony Williams is an American television personality, radio talk show host and actor. He is best known as host of the long-running The Montel Williams Show, and more recently as a spokesperson for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance... - Out in Day 3: Todd PhillipsTodd PhillipsTodd Phillips is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for directing the comedy films Road Trip, Old School, The Hangover, and Due Date.-Early life:...
(380th place, $34,644) - Out in Day 4: Sam SimonSam SimonSamuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
(329th place, $39,445), Tobey MaguireTobey MaguireTobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
(292nd place, $39,445), Sully ErnaSully ErnaSalvatore Paul "Sully" Erna , is an American vocalist and primary songwriter for the American heavy metal band, Godsmack. Erna is also a guitarist and drummer, performing these both on albums and during live shows. He has a daughter named Skylar Brooke Erna and an older sister named Maria.-Early...
(237th place, $45,422)
World Series of Poker Europe
Under the leadership of WSOP commissioner, Jeffrey PollackJeffrey Pollack
Pollack has been named to Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal of "40 Under 40" and twice to The Sporting News 100. He has also won two Emmy Awards. Pollack is married, and resides in both Los Angeles and Las Vegas...
, the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is the first expansion of the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
. In September 2007, the first WSOP championship events outside of Las Vegas took place in London. It was the first time that WSOP bracelets were awarded outside of Las Vegas. Three tournaments were held, with the main event being a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10,000 buy-in no-limit hold 'em tournament. The main event was won by Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
online prodigy Annette Obrestad
Annette Obrestad
Annette Obrestad is a Norwegian poker player. Obrestad is the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker Europe bracelet...
, who won on the day before her 19th birthday and became the youngest person ever to win a WSOP bracelet.