World Series of Poker's main event Day 3

[clevfan]

World Series of Poker's main event Day 3

The Associated Press
Sunday, July 6, 2008
DAY: 3 (Officially known as Day 1C).

BIG NEWS: Several professional rounders at the World Series of Poker say they feel like this could be the year a professional wins the main event amid a crush of amateur and so-so online players.

The series was once an event for those who make a career out of card playing, but amateurs flooding the tables have made it tougher for professional rounders to come out on top — especially in the main event and other no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournaments.

But things now seem to be swinging the other way, with pros winning 38 of the first 53 world series events, more than seven of every 10.

Three-time bracelet winner Mike "The Mouth" Matusow said he and others feel like a slower tournament structure this year will reward better players, giving professionals more of a chance to shine and end up on top.

Another 1,928 players started the tournament on Saturday, bringing the three-day total to 4,383 entrants. Players have until the end of the second level of play Sunday to register.

STUD OF THE DAY: Poker pro Evelyn Ng won a prop bet playing video game "Guitar Hero" against an official with Web site Pokernews.com. Her prize? The loser fed her grapes and fanned her with a large palm leaf while wearing a toga. Tournament director Jack Effel asked the official to stop the fanning because it was distracting nearby players.

"They were organic, seedless, very sweet," Ng said of the grapes.

BUSTED OUT: Poker pros Huck Seed, Michael Gracz, Mike Sexton, Gavin Griffin

UP NEXT: Sunday, the fourth and final set of players will begin their main event, and a final count of players will determine the top prize and the number of players who will win money in the tournament.

POKER TALK: Chop. When two or more players finish with the same hand and split the pot between them. In early play Saturday at a table of unknowns, two players chopped a pot with a board showing an ace high straight. Three players had bet modestly into the pot early on, but one folded at the turn when he realized that just a 10 was needed to complete the straight. A 10 came on the river, making the player with the 10 in his hand unhappy because it meant he won 2,200 in chips instead of 4,400.

HE SAID WHAT?: "That's what I'm talking about. Now we're going, boys and girls." — Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, after winning a pot with two pairs, kings and queens, on a board showing queens, a smaller pair and three diamonds, increasing the chances that an opponent had either a flush or a full house.