In this game, nothing has a history like the World Series of Poker. Back in the days of Benny Binnion, one single event pioneered the concept of tournament poker, not to mention the prevalence of Texas Hold’em. Now, as we approach the 42nd annual WSOP, there’s a lifetime of history to look back on.
Not one to let a good opportunity pass them by, Harrah’s have come up with a plan to turn that nostalgia into entertainment. On June 2nd this year, the crowds at the Rio, and the ESPN cameras, will bear witness to a rematch between some of the Main Event’s greatest ever winners and runners-up.
The marquee showdown involves perhaps the most famous Main Event winner of them all. Chris Moneymaker was the poster boy for the poker boom after winning the biggest prize in the game back in 2003. By vanquishing seasoned pro Sammy Farha in a heads-up contest he showed the world that any amateur had a shot and making millions on the felt.
The duo will play a best-of-three match, starting with the same stacks as they did when the 3rd place finisher was knocked out of the 2003 Main Event. That gives Moneymaker almost a 2:1 chip lead, so for the second game the stacks will be reversed. If the encounter goes to a third game, both players will begin with even money.
Following that, there will be a single game between Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth. This is a rerun of the 1989 Main Event that saw Phil become the youngest ever winner, thwarting Chan’s quest for a third successive title in the process.
These all sound like good fun and should make for absorbing TV, but what’s really interesting is the selection process surrounding the third match. Poker fans with a facebook account are being encouraged to vote on the WSOP page for which Main Event rerun they would most like to see.
When voting opens, fans will have the choice between the following contests:
Johnny Chan vs. Erik Seidel (1988)
Greg Raymer vs. David Williams (2004)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOlF2xvL9M
Jamie Gold vs. Paul Wascika (2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoJJ0asSfT4
Jonathan Duhamel vs. John Racener (2010)
It seems obvious that there are only two runners in this race. Duhamel vs. Racener was a decent contest, but it was less than a year ago. It seems counter to the nostalgic ideal of these rematches to watch a replay of the most recent Main Event.
From a viewers perspective it also presents very little excitement. Neither player has developed or changed their game perceptibly since 2010, nor have they won a major events or experienced any monumental moments since then.
Nobody likes Jamie Gold and if the fans vote this as the top rematch I will eat my own face.
So it’s between Chan vs. Seidel and Raymer vs. Williams.
Chan already has a match scheduled for this contest and that could count against him, but Seidel is one of the most talked about players of 2011. For years the high stakes vet has had a terribly unfair reputation. Matt Damon sitting in his dingy apartment constantly replaying replaying the final moments of the 1988 Main Event had a lot to do with that. Rounders introduced a lot of people to real poker and Chan outplaying Seidel is a pivotal moment in that narrative.
This year, Seidel has proved why he deserves his slot in the WSOP Hall of Fame. He has been on an incredible heater in High Roller events around the globe, wracking up winnings of more than $4 million in just three months. As if that wasn’t enough, he is now the reigned National Heads-Up Champion. I can think of no player I’d rather see in front of the cameras this summer.
Raymer vs. Williams also has a chance of catching people’s attention. When he won the event in 2004, Greg was just another amateur in the mould of Moneymaker. Since then The Fossilman has established himself as a great tournament pro, most famously coming close to making the final table just a year later in 2005.
David Williams, too, was largely unknown at that point. The former Magic: The Gathering pro has since won millions in high stakes tournaments and is generally considered to be among the finest players in the world. The recent birth of his first child and recanting of his partying ways makes David one of the more interesting personal stories in this bunch.
Keep your eye on the WSOP facebook page to see when the poll opens. Let me know who you’ll be voting for and whether you think Harrah’s have missed a trick by not including any classic Main Event match-ups.