NEW IMPROVED 2006 WORLD SERIES OF POKER

Pokers meteoric rise in popularity has created millions of poker players world wide and everyone of them dreams about taking the WSOP Championship and putting on that magic bracelet. Well, the time for the bracelets is almost here. I’m in Las Vegas counting down the few remaining days before the ‘really’ big show, the major leagues, the annual poker party…Yes! The 2006 World Series of Poker. Scheduled to get under way at the Rio Resort off the Las Vegas strip later this month. Thousands of poker players, media and fans will make the trek to the gambling Mecca in the desert for the 37th annual World Series of Poker. This is it, what we’ve waited for all year, pokers most exciting, and longest running tournament.

Many things have changed since we gathered last year at Binion’s for the last time. We were there to witness the final table of the 2005 WSOP main event. Joseph Hachem won it all that final night there in Benny’s Bullpin and became the last World Poker Champion to be crowned at the historic downtown property where it all began thirty-seven years ago. 2006 will be the first time a WSOP Championship is determined away from downtown Las Vegas.

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Last year’s problems from the overwhelming masses of players and fans have been identified, dealt with and solved. Plenty of restrooms, twice as many registration people, more than double the number of cashier windows, edible food available in the immediate tournament area and a special smoking area away from the tournament area are just a few of the improvements. Additionally, most of the events have been scheduled over three days so hopefully no more overnighters; although, final tables will go until only one player remains with all the chips.

Some of the most coveted, exclusive jewelry in the world will be handed out during the 45 event meet. A World Series of Poker champion’s bracelet is the ultimate in poker bragging rights. Last year we saw bracelet history being made everyday. A record for youngest WSOP Champion to ever claim a bracelet, Eric Froehlich in event #4 and the oldest, Paul “Cigar” McKinney, was eighty years old when he won the 2005 Senior’s No-limit event. T.J. Cloutier won event #13 and takes home his 6th bracelet. Phil Ivey, on the short list for best poker player ever, won event #27, adding bracelet #5 to his collection. Mark Seif won two 2005 bracelets and Allen Cunningham became the first player to win more than a million at the 2005 World Series of Poker.

Then we have the really big kids besting their own records. Johnny Chan defeated Phil “unaBomber” Laak in heads-up play to win event #25, making history with his record tenth bracelet. Two of Johnny’s ten WSOP bracelets are for back to back wins in the ’87 and ’88 WSOP Main Events. Four days after Chan moved out of the three way tie with Brunson and Hellmuth for most bracelets we were witness to a moment in poker history that will long be remembered. Doyle Brunson, long recognized as the grand master of the game, sat down in the $5K No-limit Hold’em Short-Handed event and never looked back until he stood alone atop the chip pile. Doyle won his tenth bracelet at the age of 72 and he had to play until four in the morning before defeating Minh Ly. Johnny Chan’s solo atop the leader board lasted a record short four days.

How can we ever forget the first bracelet won by Jennifer Tilly? Jen picked up the hardware in the ladies No-limit Hold’em event. The academy award nominated actress became an instant favorite with the many photographers after she struck poses with her latest award, a WSOP bracelet. Boyfriend, Phil Laak, gets my vote for poker coach of the year. He brought his pupil to the contest and she bested the competition. I’ve always wondered if she was really playing poker or if she was just playing the role of a poker player. Does it really matter? She went home with the loot. Jennifer has a passion for the game and has continued to play well the past year so don’t be surprised if she repeats.

A lot of great stuff happened at the 2005 World Series of Poker. We got to eyewitness poker history every day as all kinds of records fell. Record crowds, record numbers of entrants, record numbers of media, record prize pools, record long lines to get into the men’s room and poker record books for sale from the merchants in the corridors. What will it be like this year? Bigger? Better? Most certainly.

We’ll be there to report live all the news that’s fit to report plus a generous helping from Dr. Pauly’s notebook. We’ll provide results, crucial hands and plenty of behind-the-scenes rumors, facts, stories and gossip. Quality crafted daily reports from contemporary poker’s first writer, Dr. Pauly. The man that’s recognized across the Internet for his richly written reports and often gritty observations of his world. Dr. Pauly will once again be providing your special window to the big poker show.

FlipChip will be your eyes, seeing the World Series of Poker through the viewfinder. Minutes old photos so real you can not only see them sweat, you can smell it. We promise to provide uncluttered space for what you want to know and see at the 2006 in a simple easy to enjoy format We already have the easiest to use data bases where you can check out your favorite star’s playing record. It just won’t matter if you are in the next room over, upper Maine, south Texas or on the Moon, you’ll swear you are there live at this year’s 2006 World Series of Poker. And the only place you can have that personal experience is right here on the Poker Prof’s Blog.