Tonight I am playing the 2-7 Low Ball Draw, No Limit $10,000 buy-in Championship Event. I just busted from the 5K NL Event. Busting is such an ugly thing. I do play to have fun but I’m competitive and I enjoy being able to pick up chips and make a run at the big money and in this case, the Gold Bracelet. If I can’t put anything together in the Deuce, I will probably be leaving for Europe to spend time with my family.
I have a bit of burnout going on and I’m running bad. Three different times in the 5K I was good pre-flop and ran into bad endings that killed me. It happens, poker is a game and I am very aware of it. But when I am no longer having fun, it’s time to do something else and that will be leaving for home. I may not return to play the WSOP $10K main event. I am very unhappy with the way the WSOP is filling one of the 27 seats. I wasn’t asked and I’ve played all the high buy-in events, I’m very high profile and good poker show material as is evidenced by my recent appearances on the Doubles Championship, World Team Poker, and The Big Game, and I play poker across the globe, with many different people.
The list of players that have been chosen to play a ‘sudden death-playoff’ in a nine player sit-n-go tournament are: Tom “Durrrr” Dwan, Andy Bloch, Bertrand “ElKy” Grospellier, Gus Hanson, actor Don Cheadle, Sorel Mizzi, Michael Mizrachi, Liv Boeree, and Paul Wasicka. They are playing in this race to win a seat into the TOC and are chosen because they don’t hold WSOP bracelets. Who chose them? Why do they have priority over other players that don’t have gold bracelets?
Players are asking questions, including Annie Duke on Twitter: “Obviously, I love Don Cheadle but I think it is ridiculous he is playing in the 9 handed tourney for a spot in the TOC. Should all be champs” She has several solutions to filling the seat: “There would be an argument that spots should be for bracelet winners who don’t get voted in only. But certainly must have a major title,” and “Take the nine players who just miss in the voting and have them play for the seat.”
I feel some of the choices are good ones, others are just wrong, and I would like to know who made the choices and why they made them. The WSOP is being unfair with this decision and because of it I may just pass on the WSOP and the Main Event. I don’t believe I am the only one that is unhappy with the way this great event is being made into a mockery of a true Tournament of Champions.
