2006 - This Year in WSOP History

2006

January 12

Jeffrey Pollack Named WSOP Commissioner
Harrah's Entertainment names the VP of sports and entertainment marketing of Harrah's Operating Company as the World Series of Poker's first commissioner in a nod to its tremendous recent growth.

January 23

WSOP Adds $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
Record-high buyin event to debut four years after H.O.R.S.E. joined the WSOP as a $2,000 tournament.

February 20

Curt Gowdy d. 2006 [age 86] (b. 7/31/1919)
Announcer for CBS's and ESPN's coverage of the World Series of Poker in 1978 and 1980 to 1983.
Obituary | Wikipedia

April 12

Puggy Pearson d. 2006 [age 77] (b. 1/29/1929)
1973 WSOP Main Event winner ($130,000). Three other unpaid Top 9 finishes: 1972 2nd, 1974 9th, & 1976 7th. Won 1971 $1,000 Seven-Card Stud ($10,000), & 1973 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($17,000). Set record for most bracelets won in one year with three in 1973. Poker Hall of Fame 1987 & Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995.
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

June 6

Mike Sexton Wins Tournament of Champions
Defeats field of 27, including Daniel Negreanu heads up, for $1,000,000 in freeroll non-bracelet event.

June 27

$500 Casino Employees Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 2 days [6/26 start])

Winner: Chris Gros ($127,496 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,232 (101 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 29

Phil Hellmuth First to 50 Cashes
Finishes 67th in $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $7,578 to break 3-way tie with Berry Johnston and Men Nguyen.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #2, 3 days [6/27 start])

Winner: Brandon Cantu ($757,839 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,776 (277 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 30

$1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #3, 3 days [6/28 start])

Winner: Rafe Furst ($345,984 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,102 (102 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 1

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #4, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Kianoush Abolfathi ($335,289 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,068 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 2

$2,500 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #5, 3 days [6/30 start])

Winner: Dutch Boyd ($475,712 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 824 (90 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 3

Pat Walsh's "How to Win the World Series of Poker (or Not)" Released
Amateur poker-playing author writes about his 2006 WSOP Main Event experience.

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #6, 3 days [7/1 start])

Winner: Mark Vos ($803,274 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,919 (155 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 4

$3,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #7, 3 days [7/2 start])

Winner: Bill Chen ($343,618 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 415 (46 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 5

$2,000 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #8, 3 days [7/3 start])

Winner: Jack Zwerner ($341,426 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 670 (65 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 6

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #9, 3 days [7/4 start])

Winner: Jeff Cabanillas ($818,546 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 622 (64 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 7

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #10, 3 days [7/5 start])

Winner: David Williams ($163,118 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 478 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #12, 2 days [7/6 start])

Winner: Sam Farha ($398,560 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 265 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 8

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #11, 3 days [7/6 start])

Winner: Bob Chalmers ($258,344 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 701 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 9

Max Pescatori Wins $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 1,290 for $682,389.

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, 3 days [7/7 start])

Winner: Max Pescatori ($682,389 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,290 (101 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 10

Allen Cunningham Wins $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Fourth Bracelet
Defeats field of 752 (1,670 rebuys) for $625,830.

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #14, 3 days [7/8 start])

Winner: Allen Cunningham ($625,830 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 752 [1670 rebuys] (74 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #15, 2 days [7/9 start])

Winner: Mary Jones Meyer ($236,094 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,128 (101 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 11

$10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #16, 3 days [7/9 start])

Winner: Lee Watkinson ($655,746 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 218 (28 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 12

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #17, 3 days [7/10 start])

Winner: Jon Friedberg ($526,185 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,891 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #18, 2 days [7/11 start])

Winner: Eric Kesselman ($311,403 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 590 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 13

Clare Miller Wins Seniors Championship
Defeats field of 1,184 players for $247,814. Her husband Shelby Miller also cashes, finishing 40th for $4,310.

July 14

$1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #19, 2 days [7/12 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Clare Miller ($247,814 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,184 (103 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 15

Chip Reese Wins $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Debut
Defeats field of 143, including Andy Bloch ($1,029,600) in a record 7-1/2 hour heads up session, to win non-Main Event record $1,784,640 in largest buyin event in WSOP history. The final table took a WSOP-record 354 hands. Reese set a record for longest span between bracelets, 24 years after winning the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud..

$50,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #20, 3 days [7/12 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: David Reese ($1,784,640 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 143 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Bill Chen Wins $2,500 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats field of 740 for $442,511 eleven days after winning $3,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $343,618.

$2,500 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #21, 3 days [7/13 start])

Winner: Bill Chen ($442,511 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 740 (74 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 16

Jeff Madsen Wins $5,000 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 183 (324 rebuys), including Erick Lindgren heads up, for $660,948.

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #22, 3 days [7/14 start])

Winner: Jeff Madsen ($660,948 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,579 (156 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 17

$3,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #23, 3 days [7/15 start])

Winner: Ian Johns ($291,755 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 341 (37 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

WSOP Adds Pot-Limit Omaha Event
Last-minute decision to remove rebuys from the $1,500 PLO tournament meets with uproar, so WSOP decides to hold both freezeout and rebuy events. The freezeout starts first and attracts 525 entries, while a few hours later the rebuy version brings in 158 players who rebuy 472 times to create the larger prize pool.

$3,000 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #24, 3 days [7/15 start])

Winner: Scott Clements ($301,175 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 352 (37 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 18

Eric Froehlich Wins $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Rebuy Event to Become Youngest to Two Bracelets
Defeats field of 158 (472 rebuys) for $299,675 at age 22 years, 5 months, and 9 days to knock Phil Ivey out of the record book.

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #25, 3 days [7/16 start])

Winner: David Pham ($240,222 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 600 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #26, 2 days [7/17 start])

Winner: Ralph Perry ($207,817 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 525 (56 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha with Rebuys (Event #27, 2 days [7/17 start])

Winner: Eric Froehlich ($299,675 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 158 [472 rebuys] (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 20

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #28, 3 days [7/18 start])

Winner: Mats Rahmn ($655,141 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,126 (201 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 Seven-Card Stud (Event #29, 2 days [7/19 start])

Winner: Benjamin Lin ($256,620 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 183 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #30, 2 days [7/19 start])

Winner: John Gale ($374,849 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 562 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 22

Jeff Madsen Wins $5,000 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em to Become Youngest to Two Bracelets
Defeats field of 183 (324 rebuys) for $643,381 just six days after winning $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em to smash Eric Froehlich's four-day old record as the youngest to win two bracelets at age 21 years, 1 month, and 15 days.

$5,000 Short-Handed No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #31, 3 days [7/20 start])

Winner: Jeff Madsen ($643,381 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 183 [324 rebuys] (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 23

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #32, 3 days [7/21 start])

Winner: Justin Scott ($842,262 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,050 (203 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #34, 2 days [7/22 start])

Winner: James Richburg ($139,576 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 409 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 24

$5,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #33, 3 days [7/22 start])

Winner: Jason Lester ($550,764 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 378 (37 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 25

Phil Hellmuth Wins $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Tenth Bracelet
Defeats field of 754 (1,691 rebuys) for $631,863 to tie Chan and Brunson for the bracelet lead. Daniel Negreanu rebuys 46 times (plus two add-ons), shattering his own record unprofitably as he fails to cash.

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #35, 3 days [7/23 start])

Winner: Phil Hellmuth ($631,863 & 10th bracelet)

Entries: 754 [1691 rebuys] (73 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #38, 1 day)

Winner: James Gorham ($765,226 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,803 (272 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #36, 2 days [7/24 start])

Winner: Patrick Poels ($172,091 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 788 (74 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 26

Victoriano Perch Wins $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout for Mexico's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 524 for $157,338.

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #37, 3 days [7/24 start])

Winner: Victoriano Perches ($157,338 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 524 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #39, 2 days [7/25 start])

Winner: Daniel Alaei ($430,698 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 81 (7 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Daniel Alaei Wins $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 81 for $430,698.

July 27

T.J. Cloutier and Billy Baxter Join Poker Hall of Fame
Cloutier is a 6-time bracelet winner who finished in the Top 5 of the Main Event four times (2nd in 1985 and 2000, 3rd in 1998, and 5th in 1988), while Baxter is a 7-time bracelet winner who successfully sued the IRS to treat poker winnings as earned income (taxed at a lower rate than unearned income).

July 29

"One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar" Airs on ESPN
The 45-minute documentary directed by Al Szymanski features Jason Blaine and Nicholas Sireci as young Stuey along with many player interviews and video footage of Ungar. [The special would win the Dick Schaap Writing Award and Outstanding Sports Documentary Emmy awards.]

August 4

Annie Duke Becomes First Woman to Cash in Main Event Four Times
The Duchess of Poker survives the money bubble after placing 26th in 1994 for $16,800, 10th in 2000 for $52,160, 47th in 2003 for $20,000. [She would last another couple days before exiting in 88th for $51,129.]

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #41, 2 days [8/3 start])

Winner: Praz Bansi ($230,209 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,100 (102 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

August 5

Humberto Brenes Ties Record With Eighth Cash of Year
Finishes 36th in Main Event for $329,876 to tie Chris Ferguson's 2003 record.

August 6

Joe Hachem Last Champ Standing in Main Event
Exits in 238th place for $42,882.

Rick Salomon Last Celebrity Standing in WSOP Main Event
Ex-husband of Pamela Anderson and Shannen Doherty reaches Day 4 and finishes 196th for $42,882. [He would later become a high-stakes poker regular, finishing in the top four in consecutive Big One for One Drop tournaments in 2014 ($2.8 million), 2016 ($3,307,206, non-bracelet event), and 2018 ($2.84 million).]

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #42, 2 days [8/5 start])

Winner: Paul Kobel ($316,144 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,007 (102 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

August 7

Sabyl Cohen Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event
Finishes 56th for $123,699 shortly before marrying and becoming Sabyl Cohen-Landrum.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #43, 2 days [8/6 start])

Winner: Jimmy Mitchell ($153,173 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 362 (38 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

August 8

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #44, 2 days [8/7 start])

Winner: Kevin Nathan ($171,987 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 420 (43 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

August 9

Doug Kim Youngest to Reach Main Event Final Table at Age 22
Breaks Howard Lederer's 1987 record by ten months.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #45, 2 days [8/8 start])

Winner: Kevin Cover ($196,968 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 481 (46 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

August 10

Jamie Gold Wins 2006 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 8,773, including Paul Wasicka heads up, for $12,000,000 as WSOP passes $500,000,000 in total prizes awarded. The field size, first prize, twelve $1,000,000+ prizes, and total purse of $82,512,162 are all poker tournament records.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #40, 7 days [7/28 start])

Winner: Jamie Gold ($12,000,000 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 8,773 (876 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #46, 2 days [8/9 start])

Winner: Anders Henriksson ($202,291 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 494 (47 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Cyndy Violette Sets Women's Record With Seventh Cash of Year
Finishes 24th in year's final event, one of five consecutive $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em tourneys, for $3,372 after also cashing in the Main Event, $1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo, $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em, $5,000 Seven-Card Stud (3rd for $102,648), and $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max.

Jeff Madsen Is WSOP Player of the Year
Wins two bracelets and nearly one and a half million dollars to defeat Phil Hellmuth.

Phil Hellmuth Ties Record With Eighth Cash of Year
Finishes 3rd in $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $53,945 to tie Chris Ferguson's 2003 record (matched by Humberto Brenes five days earlier).

August 15

Richard Sparks's "Getting Lucky: The Education of a Mad Poker Player" Released
The author tries again, this time targeting the 2005 WSOP Main Event in this sequel to Diary of a Mad Poker Player.