2007 - This Year in WSOP History

2007

March 11

Tom Jacobs d. 2007 [age 61] (b. 1946)
Two WSOP Main Event final tables: 1992 2nd ($353,500) & 1986 9th ($17,100).
Obituary | WSOP.com | Hendon

March 14

KEM Named Official Playing Card of the WSOP
The United States Playing Card Company will debut their plastic "Poker Peek" bridge-sized playing cards at this year's WSOP. [Unfortunately, the cards would be almost universally hated for being hard to read when face up, with sixes and nines especially confusable. The WSOP would replace them just two days into the festival.]

March 21

Sam Angel d. 2007 [age 86] (b. 11/30/1920)
Won 1973 $1,000 Razz ($32,000) & 1975 $1,000 Razz ($17,000).
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

March 27

Doyle Brunson's "My 50 Most Memorable Hands" Released
The collection of stories includes hands from the 1974, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1993, 2004, and 2006 WSOP Main Events.

April 4

Men Nguyen Wins Record Fourth WSOP Circuit Ring
Defeats field of 283 in $5,000 Main Event at Caesars Indiana.

May 1

WSOP Main Event to Start With 20,000 Chips
Starting stack doubles from the usual 10,000.

May 2

Anthony Holden's "Bigger Deal: A Year Inside the Poker Boom" Released
Author plays another year of poker, including the 2005 and 2006 WSOP Main Events in his sequel to Big Deal.

May 4

Lucky You Debuts in Movie Theaters
The fictional story that culminates with the 2003 World Series of Poker includes cameos by a couple dozen real poker pros including Berry Greenstein, Sammy Farha, Johnny Chan, and Phil Hellmuth. Eric Bana's character, Huck Cheever, is clearly inspired by Huck Seed, while Jennifer Harman portrays a character named Shannon Kincaid.

May 17

Jack Effel Becomes Sole WSOP Tournament Director
Takes over after being Co-TD with Bob Daily, who leaves to lead the online gaming platform division of DG Holdings.

June 3

Steve Billirakis Wins $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold 'Em to Become Youngest Bracelet Winner
Defeats field of 451 for $104,701 eleven days after his 21st birthday.

$5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold 'Em (Limit/No-Limit) (Event #1, 3 days [6/1 start])

Winner: Steve Billirakis ($536,287 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 451 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

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

Winner: Frederick Narciso ($104,701 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,039 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 4

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

Winner: Ciaran O'Leary ($727,012 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,998 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 5

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

Winner: Michael Spegal ($251,957 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 781 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Tom Schneider Wins $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 327 for $214,347.

$2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better (Event #5, 3 days [6/3 start])

Winner: Tom Schneider ($214,347 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 327 (32 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 6

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

Winner: Gary Styczynski ($280,715 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 910 (90 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha with Rebuys (Event #7, 2 days [6/4 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Burt Boutin ($825,956 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 145 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 7

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #8, 3 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Michael Chu ($585,774 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 844 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Alexander Kravchenko Wins $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo for Russia's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 690 for $228,446.

$1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better (Event #9, 3 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Alexander Kravchenko ($228,446 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 690 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 8

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #10, 3 days [6/6 start])

Winner: William Durkee ($566,916 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,531 (153 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud (Event #11, 3 days [6/6 start])

Winner: Chris Reslock ($258,453 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 180 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 9

Total WSOP Entries Top 200,000
2,628 players enter $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em to reach the milestone.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #12, 3 days [6/7 start])

Winner: Jason Warner ($481,698 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,427 (126 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 10

Allen Cunningham Wins $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em for Fifth Bracelet
Defeats field of 398, including Jeff Lisandro heads up, for $487,287.

$5,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, 3 days [6/8 start])

Winner: Allen Cunningham ($487,287 & 5th bracelet)

Entries: 398 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #14, 2 days [6/8 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Michael Keiner ($146,987 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 385 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 11

Phil Hellmuth Wins $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Record Eleventh Bracelet
Defeats field of 2,628 for $637,254. After Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan present the bracelet, Hellmuth gives it to his sister Molly, who was born on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1971.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #15, 3 days [6/9 start])

Winner: Phil Hellmuth ($637,254 & 11th bracelet)

Entries: 2,628 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 12

$2,500 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #16, 3 days [6/9 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: James Richburg ($238,881 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 382 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Sally Anne Boyer Wins Record-Setting Ladies Championship
The 31st running of the event sees 1,286 players compete for a $1,170,260 prize pool with Boyer taking home the $262,077 first prize, all records for the event.

$1,000 World Championship Ladies Event No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #17, 3 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Sally Anne Boyer ($262,077 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,286 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 World Championship Limit Hold 'Em (Event #18, 3 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Saro Getzoyan ($333,379 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 257 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 13

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #19, 3 days [6/11 start])

Winner: Francois Safieddine ($521,785 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,013 (99 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better (Event #20, 3 days [6/11 start])

Winner: Ryan Hughes ($176,358 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 340 (32 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #21, 2 days [6/12 start])

Winner: Donald Baruch ($264,107 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 900 (90 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 15

Robstown, Texas Claims to Be Birthplace of Hold 'Em
The Texas House of Representatives declares that Texas Hold 'Em originated in Robstown around the time it was founded just over a century earlier.

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #22, 3 days [6/13 start])

Winner: James Mackey ($730,740 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 640 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 16

Eli Elezra Wins $3,000 Seven-Card Stud for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 236, including Scotty Nguyen heads up, for $198,984.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #23, 2 days [6/14 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Scott Clements ($194,206 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 576 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo Split-8 or Better (Event #24, 3 days [6/14 start])

Winner: Eli Elezra ($198,984 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 236 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 17

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #25, 3 days [6/15 start])

Winner: Ben Ponzio ($599,109 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,619 (153 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #26, 3 days [6/15 start])

Winner: Ralph Schwartz ($275,683 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 192 (25 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 18

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #27, 3 days [6/16 start])

Winner: David Stucke ($603,069 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,315 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 19

Norm Macdonald Finishes 20th in $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em
Comedian and "Saturday Night Live" actor wins $14,608 for the largest of his three career cashes.

$3,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #28, 3 days [6/17 start])

Winner: Shankar Pillai ($527,829 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 827 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Katja Thater Wins $1,500 Razz to Become First Non-American Female Bracelet Winner
German defeats field of 341 for $132,653. Eskimo Clark finishes fourth for $31,186 despite leaving to get medical attention for a seizure.

$1,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #29, 3 days [6/17 start])

Winner: Katja Thater ($132,653 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 341 (32 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 20

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #30, 3 days [6/18 start])

Winner: Hoyt Corkins ($515,065 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 847 (78 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Jeff Lisandro Wins $2,000 Seven-Card Stud for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 213 for $118,426.

June 21

$5,000 World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #31, 3 days [6/19 start])

Winner: Daniel Schreiber ($425,594 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 392 (64 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Seven-Card Stud (Event #32, 2 days [6/19 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Jeff Lisandro ($118,426 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 213 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 22

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #33, 3 days [6/20 start])

Winner: Alan Smurfit ($464,867 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 293 [880 rebuys] (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #34, 3 days [6/20 start])

Winner: Alex Borteh ($225,483 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 296 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 23

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #35, 3 days [6/21 start])

Winner: Ryan Young ($615,955 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,541 (271 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 World Championship Omaha Hi/Lo Split-8 or Better (Event #36, 3 days [6/21 start])

Winner: John Guth ($363,216 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 280 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 24

Gabe Kaplan Finishes Ninth in $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E.
Wins $131,424 for his final table accomplishment.

$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #37, 3 days [6/22 start])

Winner: Greg Hopkins ($269,274 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 599 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 25

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #38, 3 days [6/23 start])

Winner: Robert Cheung ($673,628 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,778 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 26

$1,500 Mixed Hold 'Em (Limit/No-Limit) (Event #40, 3 days [6/24 start])

Winner: Fred Goldberg ($204,935 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 620 (64 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better (Event #42, 2 days [6/25 start])

Winner: Lukasz Dumanski ($227,454 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 687 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 27

WSOP Pays Out 20,000th Prize
The 20,000th prize awarded in WSOP history occurs roughly near the end of the $1,000 Seniors Championship, although other events were running at the same time.

$1,000 World Championship Seniors No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #41, 3 days [6/25 start])

Winner: Ernest Bennett ($348,423 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,882 (153 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 28

$50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (Event #39, 5 days [6/24 start])

Winner: Kassem Deeb ($2,276,832 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 148 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #43, 3 days [6/26 start])

Winner: Saifuddin Ahmad ($217,329 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 472 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 29

$2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split (Event #44, 2 days [6/27 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Frankie O'Dell ($240,057 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 534 (54 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 30

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #45, 3 days [6/28 start])

Winner: William Edler ($904,672 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 728 (78 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Tom Schneider Wins $1,000 Seven-Card Stud for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats field of 668 for $147,713 less than four weeks after winning the 327-player $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better for $$214,437.

$1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better (Event #46, 3 days [6/28 start])

Winner: Tom Schneider ($147,713 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 668 (64 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 1

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #47, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Blair Rodman ($707,898 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,038 (198 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw (Event #48, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Rafi Amit ($227,005 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 209 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 2

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #49, 3 days [6/30 start])

Winner: Chandrasekhar Billavara ($722,914 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 3,151 (324 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Robert Mizrachi Wins $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 314 for $768,889.

July 3

Michael Binger Ties Record With Eighth Cash of Year
Finishes 56th for $8,067 in $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em to tie the record set by Chris Ferguson in 2003 and tied by Phil Hellmuth and Humberto Brenes in 2006.

$10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #50, 2 days [7/1 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Robert Mizrachi ($768,889 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 314 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 S.H.O.E. (Event #51, 2 days [7/1 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Dao Kim Bac ($157,975 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 730 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 4

Dan Shak Wins $5,000 Ante Up for Africa Charity Event
Defeats Brandon Moran heads up for $243,898. Shak and Moran ($142,845) donate their entire winnings to benefit survivors of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #52, 3 days [7/2 start])

Winner: Michael Graves ($742,121 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,048 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 5

Tom Schneider Is WSOP Player of the Year
Wins two bracelets to beat out Jeff Lisandro.

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #53, 2 days [7/3 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Ram Vaswani ($217,438 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 782 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Erik Seidel Wins $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Eighth Bracelet
Defeats field of 78 (226 rebuys), including Chad Brown heads up, for $538,835.

Hevad Khan Youngest to Reach Main Event Final Table at Age 22
Breaks Doug Kim's year-old record by three months.

July 6

Phil Hellmuth and Barbara Enright Join Poker Hall of Fame
Hellmuth won the 1989 WSOP Main Event and ten other bracelets, while Enright is a 3-time bracelet winner who was the first woman to reach the final table of the World Series of Poker (5th place in 1995). She becomes the Hall's first female member. [Hellmuth has added 6 more bracelets since joining the HOF.]

$5,000 World Championship No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #54, 3 days [7/4 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Erik Seidel ($538,835 & 8th bracelet)

Entries: 78 [226 rebuys] (7 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 9

Phil Hellmuth Crashes Racecar in Preparation for Main Event
Sustains minor injuries but is still able to play, arriving in a limo instead of driving up as he originally planned.

July 13

Sully Erna Last Celebrity Standing in WSOP Main Event
Godsmack's lead singer finishes 237th for $45,422.

Blind Player Hal Lubarsky Cashes in WSOP Main Event
High-stakes poker player who lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa works with a sighted card reader to finish 197th for $51,398.

Bo Sehlstedt Cashes in Record-Tying Fourth Straight Main Event
Finishes 155th for $58,570, following runs to 332nd in 2006 ($34,636), 372nd in 2005 ($18,335), and 103rd in 2004 ($20,000).

Berry Johnston Cashes in Record Tenth Main Event
Finishes 113th for $58,570 to add to cashes in 1982, 1985-87, 1989-90, 1992, and 1995-96.

July 14

Maria Ho Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event
Finishes 38th for $237,865.

July 15

Scotty Nguyen Last Champ Standing in Main Event
Exits in 11th place for $476,926, the same prize as final table bubble boy Steve Garfinkle.

July 17

Jerry Yang Wins 2007 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 6,358, including Tuan Lam heads up, for $8,250,000.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #55, 7 days [7/6 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Jerry Yang ($8,250,000 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 6,358 (621 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 6

WSOP Europe Debuts
Three events to be held at Casino at the Empire in London, England.

September 8

WSOPE £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #1, 3 days [9/6 start])

Winner: Thomas Bihl ($142,723 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 105 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 9

WSOPE £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #2, 2 days [9/8 start])

Winner: Dario Alioto ($471,999 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 156 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 10

First WSOP Europe Main Event Begins
362 players put up £10,000+350 (about $20,842) for their chance at history.

September 16

Annie Duke Becomes First Woman to Reach $1 Million in Career Winnings
Finishes 21st for $61,962 to reach $1,000,282.

September 17

Annette Obrestad Wins WSOP Europe Main Event
Becomes youngest ever bracelet winner just shy of 19th birthday and takes home WSOP record one-million pounds (about $2,013,733) to become the first woman to top $2 million in career winnings.

WSOPE £10,000 Main Event - NLHE (Event #3, 5 days [9/10 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Annette Obrestad ($2,013,733 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 362 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

November 18

Chris Ferguson Becomes Top Career Earner on WSOP Circuit
Defeats field of 142 in $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em at Harvey's Lake Tahoe for his third ring (and record third Circuit Main Event) and $203,649. [Ferguson would hold the money lead for 9 years before ceding the crown to Maurice Hawkins.]

December 4

Chip Reese d. 2007 [age 56] (b. 3/28/1951)
Won 1978 $1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo ($19,200), 1982 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud ($92,500), & 2006 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. ($1,716,000). Named Most Valuable Player of 1991 WSOP. Poker Hall of Fame 1991.
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon