WSOP Main Event – Players to Keep an Eye On

Just a few days from now, the WSOP Main Event will bring in new rolls of fun and excitement this year, something poker fans have to keep an eye on.  Aside from the mightiest and most skillful poker players to grace the table, there are a lot of other things to look forward to in the upcoming event, which is scheduled to start on July 5.  Here’s a short list: Phil Hellmuth The World Series of Poker Main Event has always been filled with spectacles.  But what makes it only more exciting are the colorful personalities who come to play in this event.  Fans are looking forward to see how Phil Hellmuth will dress up and what character he will portray this time.  Back in 2007, he came to the tournament garbed as a NASCAR driver, with 11 models each wearing a bracelet.  Fans and co-players were quite amused with his show.  A year later, Hellmuth came dressed as General George Patton, escorted by 11 models in fatigues.  After that, he donned the Julius Caesar costume with dozens of courtesans accompanying him in his entrance.  Now, fans can only take a guess what Phil Hellmuth has for show. Phil Ivey Just last week, Phil Ivey took home his 8th WSOP bracelet after winning the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E event.  He has always been a man to be feared in the poker table.  In fact, he took seventh place during last year’s Main Event.  It looks like Ivey has all the good reasons to win the Main Event this year, considering the prop bets on bracelets estimated at more than $1 million.  Though he didn’t have the highest chip count in the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E event, Phil Ivey proved to be an executioner by busting up players one by one until he made it to the final table.  From having the lowest stack, Ivey went on to win his 8th bracelet. Joe Cada In this history of WSOP Main Event, it was Johnny Chan who was able to win two straight Main Events in 1987 and 1988.  He holds this record for too long now, and fans are eager to find out if Joe Cada can join the club.  It would be quite a spectacle to watch Cada defend his crown. Annette Obrestad Annette Obrestad made big waves when she won the 2007 World Series of Europe Main Event.  After that, many are keeping a close watch of her games and finishes.  And now that she’s finally joining the Series in Vegas, all eyes are on her.  Would she be smart, aggressive, or cautious in this tournament? Oldies vs. younger poker players Peter Eastgate was only 22 when took home the bracelet for the 2008 Main Event and Joe Cada was only 21 when he won last year’s Main Event.  It looks like younger players are taking the throne in the Main Event.  With Johnny Chan, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Doyle Brunson, Sammy Farha, and T.J. Cloutier trying their luck at the Main Event this year, many are eager to see how poker veterans will fare against equally skilled, younger players such as Eastgate and Cada. From two TV tables, the good news is that there are now four TV tables to cover the event.  The ESPN coverage is definitely something to look forward to by viewers.