JJ, you still think the final table will be all no-names?

[El Diablo Blanco]

Some big chip stacks out there with some big names behind them. I stand behind my statement that at least 4 of the 9 will be "pro" poker players.

Some have said zero name players at the final table, no way that happens.

[jjgold]

Lets see what develops guy tomorrow

I watch so much poker and it is like craps who gets good cards

The All-ins are just pure luck and text book 10th grade poker skills

A pro sport is a sport where amatuers virtually have no chance to be competitve as compared to poker where a guy or gal that playas poker for one month can win a tourney with all pros in it that is why it is not a skilled game or sport.

[Java]

JJ-
I think you've got it a bit wrong here. While there is a big element of luck, there are several reasons while these unknowns are beating the "pros".

1) Part of the reason these new guys are beating the "pros" is because the number of players was relatively small not too long ago. Some of the "pros" just lucked into the position, partially due to lack of competition.

2) The game, it's rules, strategies and probabilities are all well known. The "pros" are not the smartest people on the planet. Many smarter people picked jobs like doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, etc. and never considered gambling professionally. Now that poker has become popular, the people who would have been the "pros" all along are just now entering the competitions.

3) A lot of these newcomers have been practicing against computers or otherwise remaining anonymous.

I'll use chess as an example:
Bobby Fischer got the US more interested in chess and more kids started playing the game then would have otherwise. This lead to more top players that without Fischer never would have touched a chess board. Now, computers allow kids to play without needing a human opponent and some of these programs can hold their own against the top players in the world.

If a player was in the top 1 percent when there were only 10,000 poker players, then we can't predict much more than he will probably be in the top 10-percent when there are 100,000 poker players. The top 1% moves from 100 players to 1000 players. That's 900 more people competing within the top 1%.

[El Diablo Blanco]

that didn't answer my question.

[El Diablo Blanco]

I count 12 "name" pros of approximately 70 left.

[jjgold]

I have a good shot for mostly no names at final table

[victorygallop]

raymer was only considered a pro when he won it last year.

lots of capable players that no one has ever heard still in it.

[El Diablo Blanco]

Down to the final 27, 6 name pros still left, with 3 of the top 5 chip stacks being big names.

JJ you will lose this bet.

[jjgold]

Diablo you might be right here

[brett]

I played in the Main Event and busted out in Level 6. I was out there all week and the mentality of these people is ridiculous. Alot of these people care more about getting on TV than they do playing good poker. Picture this scenario, Doyle Brunson goes all-in with A-K and some young punk looks down at a 6-8 and decides to call. He knows he is an underdog but he also knows that if he knocks out Doyle that he will get air time. It is much tougher for the pros to survive than the amateurs because they are almost always challenged when they get into a race. What Ivey and Raymer are doing is even more incredible than you can imagine. Bullseyes on their forheads the entire tourney and they both have plenty of chips and a chance to win.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Originally posted by: El Diablo Blanco
Down to the final 27, 6 name pros still left, with 3 of the top 5 chip stacks being big names.

JJ you will lose this bet.

Diablo - you'll have to name the pros. I count much less than 6. There's really only about 3-4 true pros left.

Also, the size of the chip stacks is still irrelevant. 2Mil in chips sounds great, until you realize that everyone else is within 10% of you - its all relative, isn't it?

I'm with JJ on this one - I wouldnt be surprised, AT ALL, to see 9 amateurs at the final table. Hell, I even posted a line on it a while back.

[MeantownScum]

Thursday Day 6 - 8:30pm - 18 Players Remain

Of the 18 player left, only Mike "The Mouth" Matusow is a player that the public might recognize.

Andrew Black of Ireland finished 14th in 1997 in the Main Event.

Ayhan Alsancak finished 71st in the main event last year and 14th in a WPT match in Paris two months after that.

A handful of others have some small tourney experience.

Others absolutely none.

[jjgold]

I am going to be real close here on my prediction

[littleogre]

Originally posted by: brett
I played in the Main Event and busted out in Level 6. I was out there all week and the mentality of these people is ridiculous. Alot of these people care more about getting on TV than they do playing good poker. Picture this scenario, Doyle Brunson goes all-in with A-K and some young punk looks down at a 6-8 and decides to call. He knows he is an underdog but he also knows that if he knocks out Doyle that he will get air time. It is much tougher for the pros to survive than the amateurs because they are almost always challenged when they get into a race. What Ivey and Raymer are doing is even more incredible than you can imagine. Bullseyes on their forheads the entire tourney and they both have plenty of chips and a chance to win.

All the fish that win there way in online are turning the wsop into a freaking freeroll type tourney as far as the level of play goes.

[victorygallop]

coach you are so money.
x Barch $9,000,000 0 3
Andrew Black $8,500,000 0 2
Aaron Kanter $8,000,000 0 7
Mike Matusow $7,900,000 0 6
Daniel Bergsdorf $6,000,000 0 5
Steve Dannenmann $5,800,000 0 9
Joseph Hachem $4,750,000 0 1
Ayhan Alsancak $2,500,000 0 4
Scott Lazar $2,300,000 0 10
Brad Kondracki $1,250,000 0 8

[jjgold]

Galloper will be like this every year

It is just like playing craps

Anyone can win with 1 month prep

[El Diablo Blanco]

Well it was real close JJ, but Matusow came through so there WAS a big name at the final table.

PA, for the record the 6 pros out of the last 27 (they fell like domineos in the 20s) were:
Matusow
Ivey
Raymer
Tim Phan
Minh Ly
Tom Vu

All had valid pro credentials and would be considered as such.

[Banned4Life]

Posted by Banned4Life:

some random fat nobody who no one ever heard of before

[victorygallop]

8 players left.

not a pro in sight.