WSOPE Caesars Cup Predicts Confidence and Intimidation

The WSOPE Caesars Cup winner is hard to predict.  Obviously,  European poker players would be intimidated playing against Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Huck Seed, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, and Barry Greenstein in a 16 player tournament.  Likewise, Americans might feel a fetal position coming on playing against Annette Obrestad, Peter Eastgate, Dario Minieri, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Ilari Sahamies, Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen, and John Harvey– Betfair Qualifier.*

What makes it a toss up is Team Europe has home-field advantage.  Although, this might not be a strong advantage because it should be called other-side-of-the-pond-advantage.  While Team Americas ( it’s plural for guess-which-player) has age on their side.  Age is like gender in that both stir up emotions and affect self-esteem.  Call it stereotypical all you want but I believe that no matter how much self-help a person absorbs… there are universal traits via genetics, the subconscious, behavioral conditioning etc which affect competition.  As in… how many younger people scare you?  If you’re a man, do women scare you?

On the other hand, some might feel an urge to strive for perfection in the presence of experience.  If this is true for Eastgate and Obrestad, it may be a strong advantage for Team Europe.  Assuming they work harder to prove to the wise American Poker Buddhas by showing, they too have an “A” game.  Not to mention the desire to be  “good” for the team.   This is bad for Hellmuth’s trash talk as it will only make them work harder towards perfection.

Of course, respected players who know each other always throws in an additional variable which makes the above… a waste of time to ponder.

UPDATE: Team Europe Wins!

* To my knowledge, Betfair Qualifier is not John Harvey’s nickname.  Yet.

WSOPE Proves Strange Poker Events

For those of you who were too drunk to watch the WSOPE after the Super Bowl last night, you missed some crazy, wild poker playing.  Here are a few things worth mentioning:

 Scotty Nguyen playing quietly without a beer or a “hey baby.” 

Phil Hellmuth acting like a gentleman.

Phil Laak playing the best hand post flop.  Twice .

Dealers burning and turning without a twenty minute delay.

But special thanks to Gary Loveland and his responsible gaming commercial to provide some familiarity to our weekly dose of poker.

Too bad for any typos, I’m tired.

WSOPE On ESPN

ESPN will be airing the WSOPE this Sunday on… ESPN.  Here’s the copy and paste schedule

The ESPN2 air dates listed below:  (ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN)

2/1:  10pm    Episode #1 & 11pm    Episode #2

2/8:  10pm    Episode #3 & 11pm    Episode #4

2/15: 10pm    Episode #5 & 11pm    Episode #6

3/1:  10pm    Episode #7 & 11pm    Episode #8

See top pros such as Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow, Doyle Brunson, Chris Ferguson and defending champ Annette Obrestad as they holdem and foldem in hopes of winning the 1.5 million London soiree.

John Juanda Wins WSOPE

John Juanda became king of the WSOPE in London yesterday.  The most amazing part of Juanda’s success… he didn’t beg for money in the online poker sites chat boxes for his buy-in. 

While jumping from table to table asking for ten bucks could land a freeroll, Juanda did it the old fashion way (circa 2005) a Full Tilt Poker Sponsorship.

Also amazing… Fannie Mae wasn’t on the rail hitting him up for money.

World Series of Poker Europe Makes History