There are 27 players left in the main event of the World Series, and I’ve heard of two of them. And both of those guys fall into the “vague recognition” category. The current chip leader is a guy named Jamie Gold, a former Hollywood agent, and I’m sure ESPN’s just going to love that. Norman Chad will be set with hours and hours of cheap agent puns.
Another guy, David Einhorn (no relation to Lois), says he’s playing for charity. If he wins, he’s giving every dime of the $12 million grand prize to the Michael J. Fox foundation for Parkinson’s Disease. So that’s probably a pretty good guy to root for. Everyone else, much like I would, will probably blow it on hookers and blow. So I’m rooting for Einhorn. At least it would be if I still had any interest in it.
It’s nothing against the guys that are still playing; I’m sure they’re all fine players. But I just wanna watch guys I’ve heard of. I like watching Phil Hellmuth play poker (though I hate watching him do absolutely anything else, like hosting Celebrity Poker Showdown, for example), I like Daniel Negreanu, Johnn Chan, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren. I’d even settle for Dan Harrington. I just don’t see myself watching a whole lot of the WSOP on ESPN this year.
LD Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 9:22 am
Isn’t it Phil Gordon who hosts Celebrity Poker Showdown, not Phil Hellmuth?
Chucky Atkins Jr. Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 10:29 am
I don’t understand the appeal of this thing on any level. Even if the “pros” were still in it, how are they any more interesting than watching John Doe PLAY FUCKING CARDS!!??? As this thing has proven, the term “pro” shouldn’t even really apply to guys who play poker. Supposedly the best players in the world, and not one “pro” among the final 27? Can you imagine something like this happening in any other “sport?” This televised poker nonsense is a joke, and I hate all of the idiots who contribute to this shit being such a big deal. I still love you though, MJD…just not as much as I did before I read this blog entry.
grungedave Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Phil Gordon *used* to host CPS… now it’s Hellmuth.
Oh, and there is a pro left… Allen Cunningham is still alive (he’s just not as good for TV as, say, Mike the Mouth).
Garthmeister J. Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Phil Gordon quit Celebrity Poker Showdown, apparently Hellmuth picked it up (media whore that he is).
The last remaining pro I know of is Allen Cunningham. He is a “lesser-known” pro, mostly because he is not a media darling. He has actually won 4 WSOP bracelets in his career - just for context the record number of bracelets is 10 (shared by Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Hellmuth).
If you’re really keen for more info about him, go here: http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=61
chris Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
It’s going to be pretty shitty, sort of like last year’s final table.
23 Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
“Einhorn is Finkle! Finkle is Einhorn! Einhorn is a man!”
Andrew Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Yeah, Cunningham is a great player, but he’s quiet and a nice guy, so he’s unremarkable; well, except for his constant face tics.
HuangKong Says:
August 10th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
me want to touch shannon elizabeth’s heinie.