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| 2005 Tournament of Champions Poker Tournament World Series of Poker Circuit Event Tournament Results |
| World Series of Poker Circuit Events 2005 Tournament of Champions Poker Tournament No Limit Hold'em Final Results |
| November 8, 2005 Tournament of Champions Caesars Palace Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada |
Buy-In:
Prize Pool:
Entries:
Prize Pool:
Entries:
| Mike Matusow |
|
Tournament Report
Veni, Vidi, Vici!
Mike Matusow Comes, Sees and Conquers the 2005 Tournament of
Champions at Caesars Palace Las Vegas
After a long year of many disappointments, Matusow wins electrifying
final table
It was, quite simply, one of the greatest final tables of all time. It had
everything- drama, tragedy, humor, passion, laughter, tears, a fight, a
downfall, a comeback, and an ending no one could possibly have predicted.
It was twenty times longer than an episode of 'SportsCenter', eight times
longer than the movie 'Rounders', and four times longer than a Super Bowl
game. Clocking in at just over 11 hours, it was perhaps the only final table
where the standing-room only crowd departed the arena feeling completely
exhausted -- yet wanting, even screaming for more.
It was a final table which had nine compelling stories. The second place
finisher in the Main Event at this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP); a
player who arrived at the final table as chip leader at his last big tournament,
busted out a disappointing fifth; a player who has grinded out a living for ten
years on the tournament trail but who has yet to earn a televised
breakthrough victory; a poker megalomaniac who finished second in the
Tournament of Champions (TOC) last year; a player who has enjoyed
tremendous success in poker recently, but who had not won a WSOP-related
event in 13 long years; a professional poker player who has yet to win a
major poker tournament.
although he has made it to several final tables; a player from New Orleans
who barely qualified for the TOC and lost much in the devastation that was
Hurricane Katrina; an Englishman who has won big events overseas, but who
has yet to make it big on the American poker scene; and finally, there was a
fabulously-talented, admired by some, despised by others poker pro who
started off the year as far away from a table at Caesars Palace and ESPN
television cameras as humanly possible. Whoever won, had a great story.
The 2005 TOC concluded in a way which will be the yardstick of all future
televised tournaments. Some events, such as the World Series of Poker may
be considerably bigger, but no major poker tournament has ever offered so
much human drama as the three-day invitational event, which concluded late
on a Tuesday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Fortunately, ESPN was there to capture it all for posterity. A special three-
hour telecast will air on Dec. 24 from 1-4 pm EST. Postpone the holidays and
let Santa Claus wait on the delivery of presents. When the TOC airs on
Christmas Eve, you won't want to miss this one.
The nine finalists for the 2005 Tournament of Champions and starting chip-
counts were:
SEAT 1: Steve Dannenmann $122,000 in chips
SEAT 2: Grant Lang $ 61,500 in chips
SEAT 3: David Levi $ 41,000 in chips
SEAT 4: Phil Hellmuth $281,500 in chips
SEAT 5: Hoyt Corkins $ 95,000 in chips
SEAT 6: Keith Sexton $ 95,500 in chips
SEAT 7: Brandon Adams $135,500 in chips
SEAT 8: Tony Bloom $130,000 in chips
SEAT 9: Mike Matusow $179,000 in chips
The final table's opening moments began with a series of hysterical pranks.
The banter made it seem more like a comedy act than a multi-million dollar
poker tournament. Given the colorful cast of characters, it was hardly
surprising that egoistical Phil Hellmuth would be everyone's favorite target. It
all started off when Mike Matusow joked with Hellmuth about his new line of
designer sunglasses. Matusow had his own designer label and whipped out
a pair of sunglasses, which will require one to use the imagination.
Superimposed in the lenses was a hand, with one extended finger, tilted
upward. One gets the idea.
Steve Dannenmann had his own prank in store for Hellmuth. Knowing that
the telecast will air on Christmas Eve, Dannenmann presented Hellmuth with
a colorfully wrapped holiday gift. Hellmuth was shocked. Encouraged to open
the gift by the audience, Hellmuth unwrapped his box like a 4-year-old and
pulled out a doll resembling a donkey. The audience roared. Even Hellmuth
cracked a smile. Ironically, the jovial spirit which characterized the Hellmuth-
Dannenmann relationship early would become increasingly poisonous from
that moment forward.
With cards in the air, the first big hand of the day took place when Hoyt
Corkins found himself in a horrible spot. He was dealt pocket Queens against
Brandon Adams' pocket Aces. Just when it looked like Corkins would be the
first casualty of the day, an angelic Queen on the turn delivered saintly
salvation and Corkins went from being one step away from the rail to second
place in the chip count. What a huge hand that turned out to be. The
$220,000 pot put Corkins onto the heels of Hellmuth. Meanwhile, Brandon
Adams was down to his last $30,000.
9th Place - Brandon Adams arrived as a crowd favorite. The amateur player
from New Orleans who lost so much in Hurricane Katrina was playing for far
more meaningful reasons than just a poker championship. Adams pledged
that ten percent of his tournament win would be donated to the Hurricane
Katrina relief effort. It was a remarkable gesture since he and his family lost
many of their possessions in the hurricane and flood. Had Adams won the
TOC, it would have been the ‘feel-good' story of the year. As it turned out,
Adams could not recover from the devastating early beat. Adams collected
$25,000 in prize money.
8th Place - The hand which eliminated Keith Sexton was even more cruel. He
went from big dog, to big favorite, to big dog within a 45 second span.
Sexton was dealt pocket Tens. Hoyt Corkins picked up pocket Queens
(again). Sexton moved all-in with a re-raise before the flop. Corkins quickly
called. Corkins was a definitive favorite when the flop fell with all blanks- 9-4-
2. But a Ten rained down on the turn and shocked the room full of spectators.
Just when it looked like Corkins would lose in the same manner where he
doubled-up, the river was dealt. Wham! A Queen rocked the table and
Sexton's dreams were crushed. All Corkins could do was shake his head in
disbelief and rake in a huge $305,000 pot. Keith Sexton earned $25,000 in
prize money, but was clearly disappointed with the outcome.
That extraordinary hand was the first in a series of earthquakes which shook
Phil Hellmuth. The 1989 world poker champion went card dead during the
early stages of the final table and watched as his tall towers of chips slowly
disappeared. By essentially busting the first two players, Corkins rocketed
into the chip lead for the first time and surpassed the $300,000 mark. It was
the first occasion since late on Day One that Phil Hellmuth was not the
tournament chip leader.
7th Place - David Levi's patience earned him an extra $25,000. Hopelessly
short-stacked from the start, Levi survived two full hours and catapulted into
seventh place, moving from an anticipated $25,000 in prize money up to a
cash of $50,000. Levi had an opportunity to move up even higher. He moved
all-in with A-Q and caught a Queen on the flop. But Mike Matusow hijacked
the top pair with his pocket Aces and crushed Levi's dream of staging a
comeback. David Levi, a former pro soccer player from Israel who now plays
poker full time, earned $50,000 in this freeroll. Not bad for three days of
poker playing.
6th Place - An hour passed before the next elimination. Grant Lang went out
on a hand that was baffling to the casual observer. But given the scenario,
the hand actually serves as a demonstration of what tournament poker is like
at the highest level. After not playing a big pot for a while, Lang was dealt 9-
5 of diamonds in the big blind. He called a raise by Tony Bloom, sitting in late
position.
The flop came K-J-10, normally a fold situation for the 9-5, but Lang played
his opponent and the situation, hoping (wrongly, as it turned out) that his
opponent might fold a stronger hand. Lang moved all-in after Bloom bet out.
He said later that he hoped Bloom had a small pair and would fold. Lang
went on to say he hoped Bloom would give him credit for A-K (top pair, top
kicker). Unfortunately, Lang picked the wrong time to be creative. Bloom had
pocket Aces all along, and Lang's mental gymnastics resulted in a crash and
burn in sixth place. Lang, a.k.a. 'G-Money' collected $75,000 for sixth place.
With that hand, Corkins still retained his chip lead with nearly $400,000.
Bloom was second with $230,000. Meanwhile, Hellmuth continued to lose
ground. He was down to $145,000 when play became five-handed. Then,
more fireworks came.
Tony Bloom took a tough blow when he had Steve Dannenmann all-in and
drawing slim. Dannenmann was dealt A-4 of hearts and tried to steal, but
Bloom woke up with A-K and called. Desperate for hearts, the deck delivered.
Two hearts flopped and a third heart came on the turn, giving Dannenmann
new tournament life. Dannenmann flashed a big smile, looking like the cat
that ate the canary. Suddenly, Dannenmann was back in the race with
$185,000 in chips.
Then, it was Bloom who caught a big hand, doubling up against Hoyt Corkins.
Bloom moved all-in after the flop came A-10-2 (all spades). Bloom had K-Q,
with the Queen of spades. Corkins thought for a while, then called holding J-
10, with the Jack of spades. Bloom was facing elimination, and then caught a
lifesaving Jack on the river which completed a straight. Corkins two pair hit
the muck and Bloom was back in the game. That marked Corkins' first serious
setback at the final table.
At a final table with so much at stake, and with so many combustible
personalities, an explosion was foreseeable. What wasn't expected was who
would light the fuse. Bothered by Phil Hellmuth's constant toying with his
chips, and not stacking them in a conventional manner which allowed them to
be easily counted by opponents, Steve Dannenmann had enough and
insisted that Hellmuth cease his covert chip activities.
Hellmuth refused. That brought about a barrage of insults that made for
great television, but which certainly detracted from the jovial spirit which had
characterized the final table up to that point.
'I don't understand why you can't stack your chips like everyone else,' the
normally reserved Dannenmann declared. 'You are disrespecting the game.'
Still, Hellmuth refused to comply.
'I'm here playing as an amateur, and I know I'm up against professionals,'
Dannenmann said. 'You above everyone else should know the rules…..you
sell all those books and products. But you aren't a professional- you're a
punk!'
Coming from Matusow, the insult might have been expected. But delivered by
the normally soft-spoken Dannenmann, the words stung the crowd like diving
into a wasps' nest. Half of the audience had their mouths open in disbelief.
The other half were bent over in hysterical laughter. Unfortunately, the
casualty of the verbal barrage would ultimately be Steve Dannenmann
himself. He lost two critical pots, which destroyed what might have one of
poker's greatest soap operas.
Dannenmann's first blow was one for the ages. Mike Matusow, who chatted
incessantly throughout the initial stages of the final table, became
decreasingly vocal as his stack-size dwindled. Unable to needle his favorite
target (Hellmuth), Matusow was silenced when he was all-in with A-K against
Steve Dannenmann's pocket Jacks. By the fourth card, Matusow was in
serious trouble. The Jacks were best, but four hearts were on the table,
including Matusow's Ace of hearts.
Desperate for an Ace, King, or heart, he leapt into the air, fists raised, when
a heart tumbled down on the river. Matusow spiked his flush and the
standing room only crowd went wild. As it turned out, that would be a huge
hand. Even more ironic was the fact that at last year's WSOP final table in the
Main Event, Dannenmann eliminated Matusow when he caught runner-runner
hearts. Payback time.
5th Place - Steve Dannenmann's misery continued. He tried to make a move
at the pot with A-10 after the flop came Q-J-3. On a semi-bluff, Dannenmann
moved all-in and Mike Matusow quickly called with K-Q. The top pair held up.
Dannenmann was out. Steve Dannenmann, a self-described amateur poker
player who is 'the fourth best poker player in his weekly poker game (quoting
him from the 2005 World Series of Poker),' finished in fifth place and collected
$100,000.
The real story is what took place in the post-elimination interview. With ESPN
cameras rolling, Dannenmann blasted Phil Hellmuth. 'We don't need players
like that in the sport,' Dannenmann said, raising a few eyebrows. Adding
insult to injury, Dannenmann stated unequivocally, 'Mike Matusow is the best
player I have ever played with.' As they say, war and poker create very
strange bedfellows.
4th Place - Tony Bloom was blinded down to his last $100,000 in chips. He
made a fateful call when he took K-8 up against Phil Hellmuth's A-Q. Both
players flopped a pair, but Hellmuth's pair of Queens topped Bloom's Eights.
Bloom wilted. Tony ‘The Lizard' Bloom, one of Europe's most dynamic young
stars, slithered away in fourth place and collected $150,000.
It was interesting that the three players who had dominated the Tournament
of Champions from Day One ended up as the final trio of combatants.
Hellmuth and Matusow had the chip lead during most of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Hoyt Corkins (third after Day One to Hellmuth who was first, and
Matusow who was second) vacillated up and down in the chip count before
catching lightning early at the final table and stealing the chip-lead away from
the two chatterboxes.
The next hand appeared mind boggling at first glance. But upon closer
inspection, it revealed the strategic complexity of tournament poker. Corkins,
dealt 5-4 suited, made a seemingly inexplicable play when he re-raised
enough to put Matusow's all-in before the flop. Matusow had A-6 and called.
The Ace-high held up and Corkins had just given Matusow renewed
confidence and $150,000 in chips.
Corkins would later explain that he thought Matusow was weak and would
not play a big pot with a marginal hand. 'My re-raise was just big enough to
possibly make Mike lay down the hand,' Corkins explained. 'Even if Mike had
two overcards like I believed and decided to call, I was still not that much of a
dog and had (correct) pot odds.'
After shaking heads settled and applause died down, the chip counts stood
as follows:
Hellmuth -- $ 510,000
Matusow -- $ 320,000
Corkins -- $ 290,000
Now, Matusow was back on his game. He began threatening Hellmuth. 'I'm
going to bust you … Don't bluff off all your chips … Philly can't play.' For the
most part, the stoic Corkins stayed out of the war of words during the entire
day. Perhaps it was opponents' respect for the stone faced Alabama cowboy
or the simple acknowledgment that no amount of chatter would induce a tilt
factor, that persuaded supermouths Hellmuth and Matusow to leave Corkins
out of the toxic exchange of insults that continued over ten full hours.
Corkins won a series of small pots, which increased his chip stack to the point
where he regained the chip lead. After the merry trio had played for an hour,
Corkins had $460,000 to $330,000 for Matusow, and $310,000 for Hellmuth.
Then, disaster struck for Corkins. He moved all-in with a re-raise holding A-4
of hearts. Matusow, with pocket fives, made a heart-wrenching call. When
the hole cards were revealed, even Hellmuth had to proclaim, 'Great call,
Mike.' Corkins made things interesting when he caught a four on the flop, but
two successive blanks gave Matusow the biggest pot of the night to that
point, and a 3-2 chip lead over his rival Hellmuth.
Just when it looked like Corkins was about to exit, he outfoxed his two
opponents and climbed back into contention. It was an amazing display. It
took him another hour to regain those lost chips and retake the chip lead.
Just as the clock struck midnight, another electrifying moment occurred when
Matusow foiled poker's grim reaper. Holding A-Q, Matusow moved all-in with
a re-raise. Corkins, holding A-K called instantly. With a sword at Matusow's
neck, it appeared ‘The Mouth' would finally be silenced.
Yet another miracle happened at this final table in a night filled with jokers. A
Queen fell for Matusow on the turn and the crowd went ballistic. All poor
Corkins could do was smile and shake his head. That pot lifted Matusow into
a decisive chip lead with $700,000. Hellmuth and Corkins were left to battle
for the scraps that were left.
Hellmuth sensed the crowd heavily favored Matusow. In a bold public
relations move, Hellmuth pledged to buy 30 bottles of Dom Perignon
champagne if he won the tournament. At $150 a bottle, that amounted to a
$4,500 prize for the audience. So much for poker player allegiances.
Suddenly, the crowd started whooping it up for Hellmuth, chanting 'Phil! Phil!
Phil!' leaving Matusow mystified. Score one for Hellmuth.
After getting punched twice, Corkins was down to his last $150,000. With
blinds up to $6,000-$12,000 Corkins had plenty of time left to make his
stand. But with Hellmuth and Matusow steadily pounding away, Corkins knew
he desperately needed to catch a big hand and double up. He did exactly
that. Then, Corkins shifted into overdrive and essentially raised 12 out of the
next 15 hands. 'I call him ‘Mr. All-In,' Hellmuth described earlier. 'Just when I
wanted to be the aggressor, Hoyt would move in his chips and I had to (fold).'
The final confrontation almost everyone in the audience had been expecting,
anticipating, perhaps even hoping for never materialized. Arguably, no two
opponents had more to prove to themselves and the poker world by
achieving victory. Mike Matusow, hoped to make the TOC triumph the final
chapter in what has been the comeback story of the year. Phil Hellmuth, the
runner up in this event last year, not only hoped, but expected to return and
earn a victory.
If that wasn't enough, the parents were in attendance. Matusow's mother
and Hellmuth's father sat proudly in the audience. Add the individual
theatrics, that Matusow and Hellmuth are probably the two most
controversial personalities in poker, and the final stage was nearly set for a
bloody duel that would have left one player with perhaps his most personally
satisfying victory, and the other emotionally crushed, crying, and cursing off in
a dark corner.
Hoyt Corkins wouldn't let it happen. Demonstrating an uncanny fortitude for
tournament hold'em and raw courage that is easy to glorify but impossible to
learn, Corkins regained those lost chips and lots more. When Hellmuth looked
down and saw A-Q, he assumed this was the gauntlet hand that would put
an end to Corkins' relentless all-in moves. Hellmuth called Corkins raise
instantly and was horrified to see the Dixie cowboy flip over two red Aces.
Corkins doubled up on the hand and Hellmuth was left with just over
$100,000.
Hellmuth began jumping around the table, declaring that he would 'never
give up.' Like a kamikaze warrior trapped on a desert island fighting a lost
cause, Hellmuth made one last desperate dash to win the poker war. But he
was ultimately defeated, thus extinguishing the tempestuous nine-time gold
bracelet winner's final flicker of hope. Hellmuth went out with 10-8 suited
against Corkins' K-5. Neither player caught a pair, and the King-high played.
3rd Place - 'I come here to win. Third-place is unacceptable,' Hellmuth
declared in a post-tournament interview. 'No one remembers who finishes
second or third, except for my swearing tirades afterward.'
'I played so great. But, so what? It doesn't mean anything. The American
public doesn't understand how unlucky I got. I had Hoyt stealing my blinds
over and over and just when I have a chance to bust him (with A-Q), he
wakes up with Aces. I mean, how unlucky is that?'
When asked about how this year's third place finish compares with second
place last year, Hellmuth replied, 'This year is far more frustrating. I had to
listen to all this B.S. (talking), and still I overcame it. But I could not overcome
the bad luck…..I never had my chips all-in at any point, except late. I played
perfect poker. Great poker is not moving all-in every time. The public doesn't
understand that.'
Hellmuth was asked about the two confrontations with Matusow and
DanneNmann. 'No one should have to put up with that at a final table,'
Hellmuth declared. This is not Worldwide Wrestling.'
About Dannenmann, Hellmuth said: 'I forgive him for that outburst. He is not
experienced in tournaments and hasn't played much at this level. I still shook
his hand because there's nothing personal about it (the conflict).'
Phil Hellmuth, the former world champion and nine-time gold bracelet winner
collected $250,000 for third place.
The heads-up duel between Mike Matusow and Hoyt Corkins started off with
Matusow holding a decisive three to one chip advantage. But Corkins would
prove to be an incessant thorn in Matusow's backside. With Hellmuth out of
the room, the banter ceased and the poker became more serious. Amazingly,
Corkins seemed to read Matusow perfectly every time, and knew exactly
when to make a bold move with a raise. After 30 minutes of heads-up play,
the two gladiators were locked into a virtual dead-heat.
The final hand came out of nowhere. After a series of hands where one
player tried to steal with a big raise and the other player moving all-in
(resulting in a fold), Corkins decided to make his final stand on a semi-bluff.
Corkins was dealt Q-10. Matusow was dealt K-9. The flop came K-J-4.
Matusow made a large bet and Corkins moved all-in. Matusow called. Corkins
was on an outside straight draw. Matusow had top pair. Two blanks fell on
the turn and river and Matusow won the $1,110,000 pot with a pair of Kings.
2nd Place - There's no question that Hoyt Corkins got lucky a few times early
at the final table. It's just as certain that Corkins has a unique talent for
playing a short-stack and intimidating opponents, even great players. Corkins
was down to the felt at least two times and staged a roaring comeback each
time. Perhaps had he filled the straight on the final hand, Corkins would have
proudly lofted the TOC trophy. As it turns out, Hoyt Corkins had to settle for
$325,000 and runner-up status.
1st Place -- Mike Matusow's win might very well be the greatest comeback
story in poker history. It's certainly the greatest story since the late Stu
Ungar's stunning victory at the 1997 World Series of Poker, after a 16-year
hiatus. Matusow was broke and isolated from the poker world last January.
Surrounded by only a few close friends and family, Matusow never gave up
on himself. When afforded an opportunity to enter the 2005 World Series of
Poker, Matusow registered and nearly eliminated himself on the first day
(Note: He was given 40-minutes worth of timeouts for inappropriate
conduct). Remarkably, Matusow survived amongst a record-field of 5,618
other players and went on to make it all the way to the final table. He busted
out ninth, but managed to earn $1 million. The money was gone shortly
thereafter.
Back to where he started, Matusow entered the TOC on a freeroll, having
qualified via his WSOP appearance. He raced into the chip lead on Day One,
but ended up trailing Phil Hellmuth (and later Hoyt Corkins) most of the way.
In the end, Matusow overcame several downswings and waited for
opportune moments, making possibly the biggest tournament win of
Matusow's life.
'I knew I was up against great players at this final table,' The two-time WSOP
gold bracelet winner said afterward. 'This table had the greatest poker I
have ever been exposed to. I've never seen or been involved in poker played
at this level.'
Matusow was sentimental about the significance of the victory. 'This is the
greatest moment of my life,' Matusow said. 'All the disappointments I've had.
All the bad beats. All the bad decisions. This win means everything to me.'
Official Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
Caesars Poker Room Manager - Michael Matts
Tournament Director - Robert Daily
Veni, Vidi, Vici!
Mike Matusow Comes, Sees and Conquers the 2005 Tournament of
Champions at Caesars Palace Las Vegas
After a long year of many disappointments, Matusow wins electrifying
final table
It was, quite simply, one of the greatest final tables of all time. It had
everything- drama, tragedy, humor, passion, laughter, tears, a fight, a
downfall, a comeback, and an ending no one could possibly have predicted.
It was twenty times longer than an episode of 'SportsCenter', eight times
longer than the movie 'Rounders', and four times longer than a Super Bowl
game. Clocking in at just over 11 hours, it was perhaps the only final table
where the standing-room only crowd departed the arena feeling completely
exhausted -- yet wanting, even screaming for more.
It was a final table which had nine compelling stories. The second place
finisher in the Main Event at this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP); a
player who arrived at the final table as chip leader at his last big tournament,
busted out a disappointing fifth; a player who has grinded out a living for ten
years on the tournament trail but who has yet to earn a televised
breakthrough victory; a poker megalomaniac who finished second in the
Tournament of Champions (TOC) last year; a player who has enjoyed
tremendous success in poker recently, but who had not won a WSOP-related
event in 13 long years; a professional poker player who has yet to win a
major poker tournament.
although he has made it to several final tables; a player from New Orleans
who barely qualified for the TOC and lost much in the devastation that was
Hurricane Katrina; an Englishman who has won big events overseas, but who
has yet to make it big on the American poker scene; and finally, there was a
fabulously-talented, admired by some, despised by others poker pro who
started off the year as far away from a table at Caesars Palace and ESPN
television cameras as humanly possible. Whoever won, had a great story.
The 2005 TOC concluded in a way which will be the yardstick of all future
televised tournaments. Some events, such as the World Series of Poker may
be considerably bigger, but no major poker tournament has ever offered so
much human drama as the three-day invitational event, which concluded late
on a Tuesday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Fortunately, ESPN was there to capture it all for posterity. A special three-
hour telecast will air on Dec. 24 from 1-4 pm EST. Postpone the holidays and
let Santa Claus wait on the delivery of presents. When the TOC airs on
Christmas Eve, you won't want to miss this one.
The nine finalists for the 2005 Tournament of Champions and starting chip-
counts were:
SEAT 1: Steve Dannenmann $122,000 in chips
SEAT 2: Grant Lang $ 61,500 in chips
SEAT 3: David Levi $ 41,000 in chips
SEAT 4: Phil Hellmuth $281,500 in chips
SEAT 5: Hoyt Corkins $ 95,000 in chips
SEAT 6: Keith Sexton $ 95,500 in chips
SEAT 7: Brandon Adams $135,500 in chips
SEAT 8: Tony Bloom $130,000 in chips
SEAT 9: Mike Matusow $179,000 in chips
The final table's opening moments began with a series of hysterical pranks.
The banter made it seem more like a comedy act than a multi-million dollar
poker tournament. Given the colorful cast of characters, it was hardly
surprising that egoistical Phil Hellmuth would be everyone's favorite target. It
all started off when Mike Matusow joked with Hellmuth about his new line of
designer sunglasses. Matusow had his own designer label and whipped out
a pair of sunglasses, which will require one to use the imagination.
Superimposed in the lenses was a hand, with one extended finger, tilted
upward. One gets the idea.
Steve Dannenmann had his own prank in store for Hellmuth. Knowing that
the telecast will air on Christmas Eve, Dannenmann presented Hellmuth with
a colorfully wrapped holiday gift. Hellmuth was shocked. Encouraged to open
the gift by the audience, Hellmuth unwrapped his box like a 4-year-old and
pulled out a doll resembling a donkey. The audience roared. Even Hellmuth
cracked a smile. Ironically, the jovial spirit which characterized the Hellmuth-
Dannenmann relationship early would become increasingly poisonous from
that moment forward.
With cards in the air, the first big hand of the day took place when Hoyt
Corkins found himself in a horrible spot. He was dealt pocket Queens against
Brandon Adams' pocket Aces. Just when it looked like Corkins would be the
first casualty of the day, an angelic Queen on the turn delivered saintly
salvation and Corkins went from being one step away from the rail to second
place in the chip count. What a huge hand that turned out to be. The
$220,000 pot put Corkins onto the heels of Hellmuth. Meanwhile, Brandon
Adams was down to his last $30,000.
9th Place - Brandon Adams arrived as a crowd favorite. The amateur player
from New Orleans who lost so much in Hurricane Katrina was playing for far
more meaningful reasons than just a poker championship. Adams pledged
that ten percent of his tournament win would be donated to the Hurricane
Katrina relief effort. It was a remarkable gesture since he and his family lost
many of their possessions in the hurricane and flood. Had Adams won the
TOC, it would have been the ‘feel-good' story of the year. As it turned out,
Adams could not recover from the devastating early beat. Adams collected
$25,000 in prize money.
8th Place - The hand which eliminated Keith Sexton was even more cruel. He
went from big dog, to big favorite, to big dog within a 45 second span.
Sexton was dealt pocket Tens. Hoyt Corkins picked up pocket Queens
(again). Sexton moved all-in with a re-raise before the flop. Corkins quickly
called. Corkins was a definitive favorite when the flop fell with all blanks- 9-4-
2. But a Ten rained down on the turn and shocked the room full of spectators.
Just when it looked like Corkins would lose in the same manner where he
doubled-up, the river was dealt. Wham! A Queen rocked the table and
Sexton's dreams were crushed. All Corkins could do was shake his head in
disbelief and rake in a huge $305,000 pot. Keith Sexton earned $25,000 in
prize money, but was clearly disappointed with the outcome.
That extraordinary hand was the first in a series of earthquakes which shook
Phil Hellmuth. The 1989 world poker champion went card dead during the
early stages of the final table and watched as his tall towers of chips slowly
disappeared. By essentially busting the first two players, Corkins rocketed
into the chip lead for the first time and surpassed the $300,000 mark. It was
the first occasion since late on Day One that Phil Hellmuth was not the
tournament chip leader.
7th Place - David Levi's patience earned him an extra $25,000. Hopelessly
short-stacked from the start, Levi survived two full hours and catapulted into
seventh place, moving from an anticipated $25,000 in prize money up to a
cash of $50,000. Levi had an opportunity to move up even higher. He moved
all-in with A-Q and caught a Queen on the flop. But Mike Matusow hijacked
the top pair with his pocket Aces and crushed Levi's dream of staging a
comeback. David Levi, a former pro soccer player from Israel who now plays
poker full time, earned $50,000 in this freeroll. Not bad for three days of
poker playing.
6th Place - An hour passed before the next elimination. Grant Lang went out
on a hand that was baffling to the casual observer. But given the scenario,
the hand actually serves as a demonstration of what tournament poker is like
at the highest level. After not playing a big pot for a while, Lang was dealt 9-
5 of diamonds in the big blind. He called a raise by Tony Bloom, sitting in late
position.
The flop came K-J-10, normally a fold situation for the 9-5, but Lang played
his opponent and the situation, hoping (wrongly, as it turned out) that his
opponent might fold a stronger hand. Lang moved all-in after Bloom bet out.
He said later that he hoped Bloom had a small pair and would fold. Lang
went on to say he hoped Bloom would give him credit for A-K (top pair, top
kicker). Unfortunately, Lang picked the wrong time to be creative. Bloom had
pocket Aces all along, and Lang's mental gymnastics resulted in a crash and
burn in sixth place. Lang, a.k.a. 'G-Money' collected $75,000 for sixth place.
With that hand, Corkins still retained his chip lead with nearly $400,000.
Bloom was second with $230,000. Meanwhile, Hellmuth continued to lose
ground. He was down to $145,000 when play became five-handed. Then,
more fireworks came.
Tony Bloom took a tough blow when he had Steve Dannenmann all-in and
drawing slim. Dannenmann was dealt A-4 of hearts and tried to steal, but
Bloom woke up with A-K and called. Desperate for hearts, the deck delivered.
Two hearts flopped and a third heart came on the turn, giving Dannenmann
new tournament life. Dannenmann flashed a big smile, looking like the cat
that ate the canary. Suddenly, Dannenmann was back in the race with
$185,000 in chips.
Then, it was Bloom who caught a big hand, doubling up against Hoyt Corkins.
Bloom moved all-in after the flop came A-10-2 (all spades). Bloom had K-Q,
with the Queen of spades. Corkins thought for a while, then called holding J-
10, with the Jack of spades. Bloom was facing elimination, and then caught a
lifesaving Jack on the river which completed a straight. Corkins two pair hit
the muck and Bloom was back in the game. That marked Corkins' first serious
setback at the final table.
At a final table with so much at stake, and with so many combustible
personalities, an explosion was foreseeable. What wasn't expected was who
would light the fuse. Bothered by Phil Hellmuth's constant toying with his
chips, and not stacking them in a conventional manner which allowed them to
be easily counted by opponents, Steve Dannenmann had enough and
insisted that Hellmuth cease his covert chip activities.
Hellmuth refused. That brought about a barrage of insults that made for
great television, but which certainly detracted from the jovial spirit which had
characterized the final table up to that point.
'I don't understand why you can't stack your chips like everyone else,' the
normally reserved Dannenmann declared. 'You are disrespecting the game.'
Still, Hellmuth refused to comply.
'I'm here playing as an amateur, and I know I'm up against professionals,'
Dannenmann said. 'You above everyone else should know the rules…..you
sell all those books and products. But you aren't a professional- you're a
punk!'
Coming from Matusow, the insult might have been expected. But delivered by
the normally soft-spoken Dannenmann, the words stung the crowd like diving
into a wasps' nest. Half of the audience had their mouths open in disbelief.
The other half were bent over in hysterical laughter. Unfortunately, the
casualty of the verbal barrage would ultimately be Steve Dannenmann
himself. He lost two critical pots, which destroyed what might have one of
poker's greatest soap operas.
Dannenmann's first blow was one for the ages. Mike Matusow, who chatted
incessantly throughout the initial stages of the final table, became
decreasingly vocal as his stack-size dwindled. Unable to needle his favorite
target (Hellmuth), Matusow was silenced when he was all-in with A-K against
Steve Dannenmann's pocket Jacks. By the fourth card, Matusow was in
serious trouble. The Jacks were best, but four hearts were on the table,
including Matusow's Ace of hearts.
Desperate for an Ace, King, or heart, he leapt into the air, fists raised, when
a heart tumbled down on the river. Matusow spiked his flush and the
standing room only crowd went wild. As it turned out, that would be a huge
hand. Even more ironic was the fact that at last year's WSOP final table in the
Main Event, Dannenmann eliminated Matusow when he caught runner-runner
hearts. Payback time.
5th Place - Steve Dannenmann's misery continued. He tried to make a move
at the pot with A-10 after the flop came Q-J-3. On a semi-bluff, Dannenmann
moved all-in and Mike Matusow quickly called with K-Q. The top pair held up.
Dannenmann was out. Steve Dannenmann, a self-described amateur poker
player who is 'the fourth best poker player in his weekly poker game (quoting
him from the 2005 World Series of Poker),' finished in fifth place and collected
$100,000.
The real story is what took place in the post-elimination interview. With ESPN
cameras rolling, Dannenmann blasted Phil Hellmuth. 'We don't need players
like that in the sport,' Dannenmann said, raising a few eyebrows. Adding
insult to injury, Dannenmann stated unequivocally, 'Mike Matusow is the best
player I have ever played with.' As they say, war and poker create very
strange bedfellows.
4th Place - Tony Bloom was blinded down to his last $100,000 in chips. He
made a fateful call when he took K-8 up against Phil Hellmuth's A-Q. Both
players flopped a pair, but Hellmuth's pair of Queens topped Bloom's Eights.
Bloom wilted. Tony ‘The Lizard' Bloom, one of Europe's most dynamic young
stars, slithered away in fourth place and collected $150,000.
It was interesting that the three players who had dominated the Tournament
of Champions from Day One ended up as the final trio of combatants.
Hellmuth and Matusow had the chip lead during most of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Hoyt Corkins (third after Day One to Hellmuth who was first, and
Matusow who was second) vacillated up and down in the chip count before
catching lightning early at the final table and stealing the chip-lead away from
the two chatterboxes.
The next hand appeared mind boggling at first glance. But upon closer
inspection, it revealed the strategic complexity of tournament poker. Corkins,
dealt 5-4 suited, made a seemingly inexplicable play when he re-raised
enough to put Matusow's all-in before the flop. Matusow had A-6 and called.
The Ace-high held up and Corkins had just given Matusow renewed
confidence and $150,000 in chips.
Corkins would later explain that he thought Matusow was weak and would
not play a big pot with a marginal hand. 'My re-raise was just big enough to
possibly make Mike lay down the hand,' Corkins explained. 'Even if Mike had
two overcards like I believed and decided to call, I was still not that much of a
dog and had (correct) pot odds.'
After shaking heads settled and applause died down, the chip counts stood
as follows:
Hellmuth -- $ 510,000
Matusow -- $ 320,000
Corkins -- $ 290,000
Now, Matusow was back on his game. He began threatening Hellmuth. 'I'm
going to bust you … Don't bluff off all your chips … Philly can't play.' For the
most part, the stoic Corkins stayed out of the war of words during the entire
day. Perhaps it was opponents' respect for the stone faced Alabama cowboy
or the simple acknowledgment that no amount of chatter would induce a tilt
factor, that persuaded supermouths Hellmuth and Matusow to leave Corkins
out of the toxic exchange of insults that continued over ten full hours.
Corkins won a series of small pots, which increased his chip stack to the point
where he regained the chip lead. After the merry trio had played for an hour,
Corkins had $460,000 to $330,000 for Matusow, and $310,000 for Hellmuth.
Then, disaster struck for Corkins. He moved all-in with a re-raise holding A-4
of hearts. Matusow, with pocket fives, made a heart-wrenching call. When
the hole cards were revealed, even Hellmuth had to proclaim, 'Great call,
Mike.' Corkins made things interesting when he caught a four on the flop, but
two successive blanks gave Matusow the biggest pot of the night to that
point, and a 3-2 chip lead over his rival Hellmuth.
Just when it looked like Corkins was about to exit, he outfoxed his two
opponents and climbed back into contention. It was an amazing display. It
took him another hour to regain those lost chips and retake the chip lead.
Just as the clock struck midnight, another electrifying moment occurred when
Matusow foiled poker's grim reaper. Holding A-Q, Matusow moved all-in with
a re-raise. Corkins, holding A-K called instantly. With a sword at Matusow's
neck, it appeared ‘The Mouth' would finally be silenced.
Yet another miracle happened at this final table in a night filled with jokers. A
Queen fell for Matusow on the turn and the crowd went ballistic. All poor
Corkins could do was smile and shake his head. That pot lifted Matusow into
a decisive chip lead with $700,000. Hellmuth and Corkins were left to battle
for the scraps that were left.
Hellmuth sensed the crowd heavily favored Matusow. In a bold public
relations move, Hellmuth pledged to buy 30 bottles of Dom Perignon
champagne if he won the tournament. At $150 a bottle, that amounted to a
$4,500 prize for the audience. So much for poker player allegiances.
Suddenly, the crowd started whooping it up for Hellmuth, chanting 'Phil! Phil!
Phil!' leaving Matusow mystified. Score one for Hellmuth.
After getting punched twice, Corkins was down to his last $150,000. With
blinds up to $6,000-$12,000 Corkins had plenty of time left to make his
stand. But with Hellmuth and Matusow steadily pounding away, Corkins knew
he desperately needed to catch a big hand and double up. He did exactly
that. Then, Corkins shifted into overdrive and essentially raised 12 out of the
next 15 hands. 'I call him ‘Mr. All-In,' Hellmuth described earlier. 'Just when I
wanted to be the aggressor, Hoyt would move in his chips and I had to (fold).'
The final confrontation almost everyone in the audience had been expecting,
anticipating, perhaps even hoping for never materialized. Arguably, no two
opponents had more to prove to themselves and the poker world by
achieving victory. Mike Matusow, hoped to make the TOC triumph the final
chapter in what has been the comeback story of the year. Phil Hellmuth, the
runner up in this event last year, not only hoped, but expected to return and
earn a victory.
If that wasn't enough, the parents were in attendance. Matusow's mother
and Hellmuth's father sat proudly in the audience. Add the individual
theatrics, that Matusow and Hellmuth are probably the two most
controversial personalities in poker, and the final stage was nearly set for a
bloody duel that would have left one player with perhaps his most personally
satisfying victory, and the other emotionally crushed, crying, and cursing off in
a dark corner.
Hoyt Corkins wouldn't let it happen. Demonstrating an uncanny fortitude for
tournament hold'em and raw courage that is easy to glorify but impossible to
learn, Corkins regained those lost chips and lots more. When Hellmuth looked
down and saw A-Q, he assumed this was the gauntlet hand that would put
an end to Corkins' relentless all-in moves. Hellmuth called Corkins raise
instantly and was horrified to see the Dixie cowboy flip over two red Aces.
Corkins doubled up on the hand and Hellmuth was left with just over
$100,000.
Hellmuth began jumping around the table, declaring that he would 'never
give up.' Like a kamikaze warrior trapped on a desert island fighting a lost
cause, Hellmuth made one last desperate dash to win the poker war. But he
was ultimately defeated, thus extinguishing the tempestuous nine-time gold
bracelet winner's final flicker of hope. Hellmuth went out with 10-8 suited
against Corkins' K-5. Neither player caught a pair, and the King-high played.
3rd Place - 'I come here to win. Third-place is unacceptable,' Hellmuth
declared in a post-tournament interview. 'No one remembers who finishes
second or third, except for my swearing tirades afterward.'
'I played so great. But, so what? It doesn't mean anything. The American
public doesn't understand how unlucky I got. I had Hoyt stealing my blinds
over and over and just when I have a chance to bust him (with A-Q), he
wakes up with Aces. I mean, how unlucky is that?'
When asked about how this year's third place finish compares with second
place last year, Hellmuth replied, 'This year is far more frustrating. I had to
listen to all this B.S. (talking), and still I overcame it. But I could not overcome
the bad luck…..I never had my chips all-in at any point, except late. I played
perfect poker. Great poker is not moving all-in every time. The public doesn't
understand that.'
Hellmuth was asked about the two confrontations with Matusow and
DanneNmann. 'No one should have to put up with that at a final table,'
Hellmuth declared. This is not Worldwide Wrestling.'
About Dannenmann, Hellmuth said: 'I forgive him for that outburst. He is not
experienced in tournaments and hasn't played much at this level. I still shook
his hand because there's nothing personal about it (the conflict).'
Phil Hellmuth, the former world champion and nine-time gold bracelet winner
collected $250,000 for third place.
The heads-up duel between Mike Matusow and Hoyt Corkins started off with
Matusow holding a decisive three to one chip advantage. But Corkins would
prove to be an incessant thorn in Matusow's backside. With Hellmuth out of
the room, the banter ceased and the poker became more serious. Amazingly,
Corkins seemed to read Matusow perfectly every time, and knew exactly
when to make a bold move with a raise. After 30 minutes of heads-up play,
the two gladiators were locked into a virtual dead-heat.
The final hand came out of nowhere. After a series of hands where one
player tried to steal with a big raise and the other player moving all-in
(resulting in a fold), Corkins decided to make his final stand on a semi-bluff.
Corkins was dealt Q-10. Matusow was dealt K-9. The flop came K-J-4.
Matusow made a large bet and Corkins moved all-in. Matusow called. Corkins
was on an outside straight draw. Matusow had top pair. Two blanks fell on
the turn and river and Matusow won the $1,110,000 pot with a pair of Kings.
2nd Place - There's no question that Hoyt Corkins got lucky a few times early
at the final table. It's just as certain that Corkins has a unique talent for
playing a short-stack and intimidating opponents, even great players. Corkins
was down to the felt at least two times and staged a roaring comeback each
time. Perhaps had he filled the straight on the final hand, Corkins would have
proudly lofted the TOC trophy. As it turns out, Hoyt Corkins had to settle for
$325,000 and runner-up status.
1st Place -- Mike Matusow's win might very well be the greatest comeback
story in poker history. It's certainly the greatest story since the late Stu
Ungar's stunning victory at the 1997 World Series of Poker, after a 16-year
hiatus. Matusow was broke and isolated from the poker world last January.
Surrounded by only a few close friends and family, Matusow never gave up
on himself. When afforded an opportunity to enter the 2005 World Series of
Poker, Matusow registered and nearly eliminated himself on the first day
(Note: He was given 40-minutes worth of timeouts for inappropriate
conduct). Remarkably, Matusow survived amongst a record-field of 5,618
other players and went on to make it all the way to the final table. He busted
out ninth, but managed to earn $1 million. The money was gone shortly
thereafter.
Back to where he started, Matusow entered the TOC on a freeroll, having
qualified via his WSOP appearance. He raced into the chip lead on Day One,
but ended up trailing Phil Hellmuth (and later Hoyt Corkins) most of the way.
In the end, Matusow overcame several downswings and waited for
opportune moments, making possibly the biggest tournament win of
Matusow's life.
'I knew I was up against great players at this final table,' The two-time WSOP
gold bracelet winner said afterward. 'This table had the greatest poker I
have ever been exposed to. I've never seen or been involved in poker played
at this level.'
Matusow was sentimental about the significance of the victory. 'This is the
greatest moment of my life,' Matusow said. 'All the disappointments I've had.
All the bad beats. All the bad decisions. This win means everything to me.'
Official Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
Caesars Poker Room Manager - Michael Matts
Tournament Director - Robert Daily
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