WSOP Final Table

[MadJack]

BINION'S HORSESHOE PRESENTS
THE 2003 WORLD SERIES OF POKER
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
"THE FINAL TABLE"

SEAT 1: AMIR VAHEDI
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $1,407,000
Mr. Vahedi is a Southern California-based tournament professional. Born in Iran, Mr. Vahedi was the "No-Limit Texas Hold'em Player of the Year in 2001. He won the "Best All Around" award at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods that same year, and also won the championship event at the Hustler Casino this year. Mr. Vahedi has won titles at both the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Open. This is is third final table at the World Series of Poker, where he has lifetime earnings of $300,000.

SEAT 2: TOMER BENVENITSI
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $922,000
Mr. Benvenitsi lives in Las Vegas. He has the unusual occupation of an "expedition tour guide," as he regularly takes groups to Antactica and the Arctic. Mr. Benventisi son his seat in the main event by playing (and winning) a two-tiered satellite run here at Binion's Horseshoe -- at a cost of only $125. This is his first final table appearance and first time in the mony at the World Series of Poker.

SEAT 3: IHSAN "SAM" FARHA
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $999,000
Originally from Lebanon, Mr. Farhais now lives in Houston, TX. He won the Pot-Limit Omaha championship at the World Series of Poker in 1996, and also finished third in that same vent in 2002. He has career earnings at the World Series of Poker of over $200,000.

SEAT 4: YOUNG PAK
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $360,000
Mr. Pak is from Bainbridge, WA. This marks his 5th time in the money at the World Series of Poker. His best finish was 6th in the Pot-Limit Hold'em event in 1996. Mr. Pak has lifetime World Series of Poker winnings of $35,000.

SEAT 5: JASON "JAKY" LESTER
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $695,000
Mr. Lester is a Wall Street options trader and investor from New York City. He is originally from Montreal, Quebec. Mr. Lester has cashed 11 times at the World Series of Poker, dating back to 1990. His best finish was 4th in the Pot-Limit Hold'em event in 1995. He now has career winnings of $140,000 at the World Series of Poker.

SEAT 6: DAN HARRINGTON
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $574,000
Mr. Harrington is the only former "World Poker Champion" to make the final table. He won the main event at the World Series of Poker in 1995. Mr. Harrington lives in Santa Monica, CA and now plays only the biggest and most prestifious events in poker -- such as the World Series. Most of his time is now spent as a Mortgage Broker. In addition to being a former world champ, Mr. Harringon also won the European Poker Championship title back in 1995. He has two gold bracelets and lifetime World Series of Poker earnings of nearly $1,400,000.

SEAT 7: DAVID GREY
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $338,000
Mr. Grey is a professional gambler. Originally from New York City, he now lives in Henderson, NV. Mr. Grey won a gold bracelet in 1999 in the Seven-Card Stud event and has now cashed eight times here at the World Series. He also won two events at the Hall of Fame tournament, hosted by Binion's Horseshoe.

SEAT 8: CHRIS MONEYMAKER
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $2,344,000
Mr. Moneymaker is the chip leader coming into the final day. Incredibly, he earned his way into the championship event by playing in an online poker tournament (good for a WSOP entry) on the Internet site, "PokerStars" -- at a cost of only $40. Mr. Moneymaker is from Spring Hill, TN, is married, and has a 3-month old daughter. He works two jobs -- as an accountant, and part-time in a local restaurant. He started to play poker just three years ago. Amazingly, this is Mr. Moneymaker's first-time to ever play in a "live" poker tournament.

SEAT 9: DAVID E. SINGER
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $750,000
Originally from Brooklyn, Mr. Singer is a professional poker player from Mamaroneck, NY. A cash-game specialist, Mr. Singer has just recently turned to tournaments. Mr. Singer's best finish at the World Series of Poker was 5th in this year's $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em event. He also took 7th in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event -- meaning he has now made final tables in the top-three no-limit hold'em events at this year's World Series (a first). He now has $39,000 in career earnings at the World Series of Poker.


Compiled by Nolan Dalla
(Media Director -- Binion's Horseshoe -- Downtown Las Vegas)

 

[taoist]

...well, I know who I'm rooting for....


SEAT 8: CHRIS MONEYMAKER
Starting Chip Count (Day 5) -- $2,344,000
Mr. Moneymaker is the chip leader coming into the final day. Incredibly, he earned his way into the championship event by playing in an online poker tournament (good for a WSOP entry) on the Internet site, "PokerStars" -- at a cost of only $40. Mr. Moneymaker is from Spring Hill, TN, is married, and has a 3-month old daughter. He works two jobs -- as an accountant, and part-time in a local restaurant. He started to play poker just three years ago. Amazingly, this is Mr. Moneymaker's first-time to ever play in a "live" poker tournament.


...maybe the guy from Tennessee will bring it home.


p.s. Thanks again to Jack and Nolan for these updates.... Keep 'em coming, fellas.

 

[loungelizard]

By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA

LAS VEGAS (AP) - It was only fitting that a man named Moneymaker would put down $40 and ultimately walk away with $2.5 million and the title of champion Saturday in the 34th annual World Series of Poker.

Known to his friends as "Money," Chris Moneymaker, 27, also became the first person to win the prestigious tournament by qualifying on the Internet.

"I got lucky along the way," Moneymaker said. "I bluffed a lot during this tournament, but somehow I got away with it."

Players and experts said Moneymaker's win will revolutionize poker, solidifying the merger of the Internet and big-name casinos and boosting the game's popularity.


"This is the sonic boom of poker," said Nolan Dalla, media director for the World Series of Poker. "This means anyone in their home can become a poker player."

Amid cheers of "Go Money," the Spring Hill, Tenn., resident faced off against Ihsan "Sam" Farha in a final round that began Friday afternoon and ended early Saturday, at Binion's Horseshoe Hotel & Casino.

After seven other players had been eliminated, $2.5 million in cash was placed on the green-felt table and the final hands were dealt. Moneymaker, with his metallic wraparound shades, clutched a small crystal in his hand for good luck. Farha of Houston, Texas, had an unlit cigarette in one hand and a tiger figurine by his side.

The game was No-Limit Texas Hold'em, in which the players are dealt two cards each and share up to five additional cards that lie face up on the table.

Moneymaker drew a five and a four to Farha's jack and ten.

After the dealer laid out a jack, a four and a five on the table, Moneymaker stood holding two pairs to Farha's pair of jacks.

Without knowing Moneymaker's cards, Farha wagered it all - more than $1 million in chips.

Moneymaker matched the bet and watched the dealer draw the final shared cards, an eight and a five.

The cards gave him a full house (three fives and two fours) and the victory. The accountant threw up his fist and hugged his father, Mike Moneymaker of Knoxville, Tenn.

"I saw the four-five come up and I think my heart did a double-take," said the younger Moneymaker, who said he only began playing poker three years ago.

In his first "live" poker tournament, Moneymaker beat a handful of former World Series of Poker champs, including Dan Harrington, who was at the final table and finished third with $650,000.

The tournament began Monday with a record-breaking 839 players. A surge in online gambling and a rise in the game's popularity drew dozens of unknowns and a 33 percent increase in attendance over 2002.

For more than five weeks, Binion's had been a hub of excitement as players who couldn't afford the $10,000 buy-in vied for spots in the final by winning side tournaments with entry fees as low as $50. Of the 839 players, only 63 paid the buy-in price.

Others, like Moneymaker, qualified on such sites as ParadisePoker.com, ultimatebet.com and PartyPoker.com.

Moneymaker, a father of a 3-month-old girl, was among 37 players sent to the tournament after paying $40 and qualifying at PokerStars.com.

Dan Goldman, vice president of marketing for PokerStars.com, credited Moneymaker's win to his natural card sense and the experience he gained while playing online.

"We've proven that people who play on the Internet are just as good as those who play in casinos," Goldman said.

The other players at the final table were: Amir Vahedi, a professional poker player from Southern California; Tomer Benvenitsi, a Las Vegas resident and expedition tour guide; David E. Singer, a professional player from Mamaroneck, N.Y.; Jason Lester, Wall Street investor from New York City; Young Pak of Bainbridge, Wash.; and professional gambler David Grey.

Moneymaker, who donated $25,000 of his winnings to cancer research, said being an unknown worked to his advantage.

"I was a little underestimated because no one knew who I was," he said. "If I can win it, anybody can."

 

[taoist]

...shoot, I didn't even realize that it was over already!!! How about the home state guy!?!?!


...thanks for the update, loungelizard.


p.s. does anyone know when they're going to play the final table on espn? please post because i'd love to watch it. thanks in advance.

 

[SixFive]

did Nolan enter any of these? If so, how did he do?

 

[Terryray]

Nolan wrote<a href="http://www.madjacksports.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44589&highlight=wsop"> this</a> on why he doesn't play the WSOP tournament.

but so busy this year as the media guy, he wouldn't have the time anyway!

 

[noodle]

thanks Jack and Nolan for all the updates..Congrats to the rookie from my state:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: