2009 - This Year in WSOP History

March 27

WSOP Main Event to Start With 30,000 Chips (up from 20,000)
All events will start with an increase in starting chips to triple the buyin. Re-entries (effectively starting over) replace rebuys (returning to the same seat at the same table).

May 12

Mike Matusow's "Check-Raising the Devil" Released
The Mouth's autobiography includes stories from the 2001, 2004, and 2005 WSOP Main Events, which included his two final tables.

May 29

$500 Casino Employees Event No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 2 days [5/27 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Andrew Cohen ($83,833 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 866 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

May 30

$1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em "Stimulus Special" Attracts Non-Main Event Record 6,012 Players
$5,410,800 pool to be divided among last 620 players.

June 1

Tom McEvoy Wins Champions Invitational
Wins Binion Cup and candy-apple red 1970 Corvette in freeroll non-bracelet tournament featuring record 20 WSOP Main Event champions, one more than the 2008 Main Event.

$40,000 40th Anniversary Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #2, 4 days [5/28 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Vitaly Lunkin ($1,891,018 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 201 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #3, 3 days [5/29 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Thang Luu ($263,190 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 918 (90 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 3

$1,000 Stimulus Special No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #4, 4 days [5/30 start])

Winner: Steve Sung ($771,338 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 6,012 (620 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Jason Mercier Wins $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for First Bracelet
Defeats field of 809 for $237,462.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #5, 3 days [6/1 start])

Winner: Jason Mercier ($237,462 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 809 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Record Seven Tournaments in Progress
The $1,000 Stimulus Special, $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, and $10,000 Wolrd Championship Seven-Card Stud are finishing up, the $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em and $2,500 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw are midway, and the $1,500 No-LImit Hold 'Em 6-max and $2,5000 Pot-Limit Omaha/Hold 'Em are just starting on the busiest day in WSOP history.

June 4

$10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud (Event #6, 3 days [6/1 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Freddie Ellis ($373,751 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 142 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #8, 3 days [6/2 start])

Winner: Phil Ivey ($96,367 & 6th bracelet)

Entries: 147 (21 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Phil Ivey Wins $2,500 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw for Sixth Bracelet
Defeats field of 147, including John Monnette heads up, for $96,367.

June 5

Jan Fisher, Cyndy Violette, and June Field Join Women in Poker Hall of Fame
Fisher, the co-founder of the Tournament Directors Association, 2004 $2,000 Seven-Card Stud bracelet winner Violette, and Field, co-founder of CardPlayer magazine, are honored at a ceremony at the Golden Nugget.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #7, 3 days [6/2 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Travis Johnson ($666,853 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,791 (296 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 6

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #9, 3 days [6/3 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Ken Aldridge ($428,259 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,459 (144 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Ville Wahlbeck Wins $10,000 8-Game Mix for Finland's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 194 for $492,384.

$2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha/Hold 'Em (Event #10, 3 days [6/3 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Rami Boukai ($244,862 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 453 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 7

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #11, 3 days [6/4 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Anthony Harb ($569,254 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,646 (171 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Mixed Events 8 Game (Event #12, 3 days [6/4 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Ville Wahlbeck ($492,384 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 194 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #13, 3 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Keven Stammen ($506,786 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,088 (116 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #14, 3 days [6/5 start])

Winner: Brock Parker ($223,697 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 367 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 8

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud (Event #16, 3 days [6/6 start])

Winner: Jeff Lisandro ($124,975 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 359 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Jeff Lisandro Wins $1,500 Seven-Card Stud for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 359 for $124,975.

June 9

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #15, 3 days [6/6 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Brian Lemke ($692,690 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 655 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold 'Em World Championship (Event #17, 3 days [6/7 start])

Winner: Lisa Hamilton ($195,390 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,060 (117 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Daniel Alaei Wins $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha for Second Bracelet
Defeats field of 179 for $445,898.

$10,000 World Championship Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #18, 3 days [6/7 start])

Winner: Daniel Alaei ($445,898 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 179 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 10

Brock Parker Wins $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats field of 1,068 for $552,745 just three days after defeating Daniel Negreanu heads up for the $2,500 Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max and $223,697.

$2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #19, 3 days [6/8 start])

Winner: Brock Parker ($552,745 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 1,068 (108 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 11

All In: The Poker Movie Opens in Theaters
The documentary notes that Chris Moneymaker's 2003 appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" was the first network television appearance for a professional poker player in 35 years.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #20, 3 days [6/9 start])

Winner: John Paul Kelly ($194,434 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 633 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #21, 2 days [6/9 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Zachary Fellows ($311,899 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 452 (48 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 12

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #22, 3 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Jeff Carris ($313,673 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 999 (100 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (Event #23, 3 days [6/10 start])

Winner: Nick Schulman ($279,751 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 96 (14 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 13

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #24, 3 days [6/11 start])

Winner: Peter Vilandos ($607,256 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 2,506 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Phil Ivey Wins $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo for Seventh Bracelet, Second of Year
Defeats field of 376 for $220,538 and his decade-leading 7th bracelet of the 2000s.

June 14

Fernando Fisdel d. 2009 [age 51] (b. 1958)
Two WSOP Main Event final tables: 1989 7th ($43,500) & 1996 8th ($58,500).
WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #25, 3 days [6/11 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Phil Ivey ($220,538 & 7th bracelet)

Entries: 376 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Roland de Wolfe Completes Triple Crown of Poker
Defeats field of 198 in $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for $246,616 to join his 2005 World Poker Tour and 2006 European Poker Tour titles and become the second Triple Crown winner a year after Gavin Griffin.

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #26, 3 days [6/12 start])

Winner: Tomas Alenius ($197,509 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 643 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #27, 3 days [6/12 start])

Winner: Roland de Wolfe ($246,616 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 198 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 16

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #28, 3 days [6/13 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Mike Eise ($639,331 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,638 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Heads Up (Event #29, 4 days [6/13 start])

Winner: Leo Wolpert ($625,682 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 256 (32 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #30, 3 days [6/14 start])

Winner: Justin Cuong Van Tran ($235,685 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 436 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 17

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #31, 3 days [6/14 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: James Van Alstyne ($247,033 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 770 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 18

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #32, 3 days [6/15 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Angel Guillen ($530,548 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,534 (170 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Limit Hold 'Em (Event #33, 3 days [6/15 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Greg Mueller ($460,841 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 185 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #34, 3 days [6/16 start])

Winner: Eric Baldwin ($521,991 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,095 (216 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 19

$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #35, 3 days [6/17 start])

Winner: Richard 'PA' Austin ($409,484 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 363 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 20

Jeff Lisandro Wins $10,000 Seven-Card Stud for Third Bracelet, Second of Year
Defeats field of 164 for $431,656.

June 21

$2,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #36, 3 days [6/18 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Jordan Smith ($586,212 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 1,695 (172 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #37, 3 days [6/18 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Jeff Lisandro ($431,656 & 3rd bracelet)

Entries: 164 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #38, 3 days [6/19 start])

Winner: Marcus Naalden ($190,770 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 446 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 23

Peter Traply Wins $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout for Hungary's First Bracelet
Defeats field of 280 for $348,755.

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #39, 3 days [6/20 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Ray Foley ($657,969 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,715 (270 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #40, 3 days [6/20 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Matthew 'CT' Graham ($679,402 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 295 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #41, 3 days [6/21 start])

Winner: Peter Traply ($348,755 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 280 (30 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 8-Game Mixed Event (Event #42, 3 days [6/21 start])

Winner: Jerrod Ankenman ($241,654 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 412 (40 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 24

$1,000 Seniors Championship - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #43, 3 days [6/22 start])

Winner: Michael 'IA' Davis ($437,358 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,707 (271 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

Jeff Lisandro Wins $2,500 Razz for Fourth Bracelet, Third of Year
Defeats field of 315 for $188,390 to become the fifth player with three bracelets in the same year (Puggy Pearson 1973, Ted Forrest 1993, Phil Hellmuth 1993, & Phil Ivey 2002).

$2,500 Seven-Card Razz (Event #44, 3 days [6/22 start])

Winner: Jeff Lisandro ($188,390 & 4th bracelet)

Entries: 315 (32 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 25

$10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #45, 3 days [6/23 start])

Winner: John Kabbaj ($633,335 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 275 (27 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #46, 3 days [6/23 start])

Winner: Derek Raymond ($229,192 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 424 (45 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 26

$2,500 Mixed-Limit/No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #47, 3 days [6/24 start])

Winner: Bahador Ahmadi ($278,804 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 527 (52 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 27

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #48, 3 days [6/25 start])

Winner: Brandon Cantu ($228,867 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 762 (72 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 28

Greg Mueller Wins $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats field of 571 for $194,909 eleven days after winning $10,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $460,841.

$1,500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout (Event #50, 3 days [6/26 start])

Winner: Greg Mueller ($194,909 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 571 (64 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 29

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #51, 3 days [6/27 start])

Winner: Carsten Joh ($664,426 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,781 (297 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

June 30

$50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (Event #49, 5 days [6/26 start])

Winner: David Bach ($1,276,806 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 95 (16 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$3,000 Triple Chance No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #52, 3 days [6/28 start])

Winner: Jorg Peisert ($506,800 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 854 (81 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #53, 3 days [6/28 start])

Winner: David Halpern ($159,048 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 466 (48 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 1

$1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #54, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Tony Veckey ($673,276 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 2,818 (297 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

$2,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw (Event #55, 3 days [6/29 start])

Winner: Abe Mosseri ($165,513 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 258 (24 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 2

WSOP Passes One Billion Dollars in Total Prizes Awarded
$1,003,218 first prize in $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max tops the milestone as Matthew Hawrilenko wins his first bracelet.

Alex Bolotin Wins $5,000 Ante Up for Africa Charity Event
Defeats field of 138 and donates half of his $176,449 prize.

$5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max (Event #56, 3 days [6/30 start])

Winner: Matthew Hawrilenko ($1,003,218 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 928 (92 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

July 5

Phil Hellmuth Enters Main Event Dressed as Julius Caesar
Hellmuth wears fur stoals, a chest plate, and a wreath crown accompanied by an entourage consisting of ten muses and 50 models in toga-inspired dresses.

July 10

Lou Diamond Phillips Last Celebrity Standing in WSOP Main Event
Actor finishes 186th for $36,626 as the second to last player eliminated on Day 5.

July 11

Peter Eastgate Last Champ Standing in Main Event
Exits in 78th place for $68,979.

July 14

Leo Margets Last Woman Standing in WSOP Main Event
Finishes 27th for $352,832 as the first player to bust on Day 8.

July 16

WSOP Main Event November Nine Set
Darvin Moon leads with 58.93 million chips, well ahead of Erich Buchman and Steven Begleiter.

July 28

Jeff Lisandro Is WSOP Player of the Year
Wins three bracelets and reaches one other final table two years after finishing second in the WSOP POY race. Ville Wahlbeck was the runner-up.

September 21

J.P. Kelly Wins WSOP Europe £1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for Second Bracelet of Year
Defeats field of 608 for $225,535 three months after winning $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em in Las Vegas for $194,434.

WSOPE £1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 4 days [9/18 start])

Winner: John Paul Kelly ($225,535 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 608 (63 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 23

WSOPE £2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha/Hold 'Em (Event #2, 3 days [9/21 start])

Winner: Erik Cajelais ($172,572 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 158 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

September 25

Bob Stupak d. 2009 [age 67] (b. 4/6/1942)
Casino owner won 1989 $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($139,500).
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

WSOPE £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #3, 3 days [9/23 start])

Winner: Jani Vilmunen ($336,396 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 154 (18 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

October 1

Barry Shulman Wins 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event
Defeats field of 334, including Daniel Negreanu heads up, for $1,321,534 and his second bracelet.

WSOPE £10,000 Main Event - NLHE (Event #4, 6 days [9/26 start])

Winner: Barry Shulman ($1,321,534 & 2nd bracelet)

Entries: 334 (36 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

October 27

James McManus's "Cowboys Full" Released
Excellent history of poker with later chapters on the World Series of Poker through 2006.

November 6

Hans Lund d. 2009 [age 59] (b. 9/23/1950)
Two WSOP Main Event final tables: 1990 2nd ($334,000) & 1992 3rd ($176,750). Won 1978 $1,500 Non-Professional No-Limit Hold 'Em ($46,800) & 1996 $1,500 Limit Ace-to-Five Draw ($71,400).
Obituary | Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon

November 7

Mike Sexton Joins Poker Hall of Fame
Although better known as the face of the World Poker Tour, Sexton is a WSOP bracelet winner and holds the record for most consecutive years with a WSOP cash (32 from 1988 to 2019).

November 10

Joe Cada Wins 2009 WSOP Main Event
Defeats field of 6,494, including Darvin Moon heads up, for $8,546,435 to become the youngest Main Event champion eight days shy of his 22nd birthday.

$10,000 Main Event - No-Limit Hold 'Em (Event #57, 11 days [7/3 start; ended past midnight])

Winner: Joe Cada ($8,547,042 & 1st bracelet)

Entries: 6,494 (648 paid)

WSOP.com | Hendon

December 6

Bob Thompson d. 2009 [age 80] (b. 3/9/1929)
WSOP Tournament Director from 1999 to 2002. Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 2000.
Obituary | Wikipedia