Phil Ivey currently stands in the top nine of the main event of the WSOP. The coveted final table will resume play, with each player being awarded 9th place money (~$1.7Million) for now, and the rest of the prize money being placed in a conservative interest bearing account until November. I just think it is absolutely remarkable for Phil Ivey to accomplish this. There were 6,494 entrants in this years tournament, and in this 'amateur age' of poker, this is an incredible feat for one of the class acts and most talented poker players in the world. Professional players often joke about the WSOP and its bloated importance in the world of poker, but I don't think anyone would deny what Ivey has the potential to accomplish. For the first time in a few years, I am really captivated by the WSOP and I am rooting for Ivey to take this one down. The next few months will be tough to get through as a fan of Phil. A few of the pros i heard interviewed (can't remember who at this point) had some nice things to say to the effect of "We all know how good Phil is, and it is time for the rest of the world to know."
And in the 'no class' category I need to mention Jeff Shulman. Shulman has proclaimed that if he wins the main event (he is also in the November 9) he will renounce the WSOP and throw away his bracelet. Apparently this comes down to his perception of how players are treated by Harrah's Corp (the host of the WSOP) and some business deals involving the handling of the exclusive reporting rights of the WSOP. Jeff is the Editor (and son of the owners) of Card Player Magazine. While Jeff may have a point in his problem with Harrah's, I think he is chosing the wrong way of publicizing it. Trashing a tournament that put poker in popular culture and helped bring in the masses (and revenue for his magazine) is bad form in my opinion. It will be interesting to see how this storyline plays out.
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