Two weeks into the 2007 World Series of Poker, PocketFivers have shown that online poker players can compete hand for hand on the world’s biggest stage. The action started on June 2nd with Event #1, a $5,000 Mixed Hold’em tournament. It took all of one event for a PocketFiver to capture a bracelet: Steve “MrSmokey1” Billirakis won the event for over a half million dollars and set the tone for the coming weeks. Starting with Billirakis’ win, over 100 PocketFivers have cashed for $4.3 million total. Four – yes, four – bracelets have been won. The Main Event is set to kick off on Friday, July 6th and, along with all of the other events, will be covered on PocketFivesLive.com.
A whopping four bracelets have been won by PocketFivers so far. Steve “MrSmokey1” Billirakis won Event #1, a $5,000 Mixed Hold’em tournament, for $536,287. Billirakis beat out a field of 451 players and became the youngest player ever to win a WSOP bracelet at 21 years and 10 days. Billirakis defeated former hockey player Greg Mueller heads up. Billirakis followed up his bracelet win by finishing 29th in Event #13, cashing for $14,030, as well as 45th in Event #8 for $11,905. His amazing run through the WSOP will hopefully mean a solid performance in the upcoming Main Event.
Just a couple of days later, Mike “BOBCATSPEGAL” Spegal emerged victorious in Event #4, a $1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em tournament. He did so on June 6th, his wedding anniversary. Spegal encountered a talented final table which included Eric “Rizen” Lynch and Jon “pokertrip” Friedberg. The latter won his first WSOP bracelet last year. Spegal’s wife presented the bracelet to her husband, causing ESPN commentator Norman Chad to pronounce, “You are the only married man I know of who gets to play poker on his anniversary.” Spegal beat out a field of 781 entrants.
In Event #22, James "mig.com" Mackey won $730,740 and a WSOP bracelet. The 21 year-old became the third youngest bracelet winner ever. A WSOP press release describes his achievement: "The final table included two finalists from each of the last two $10,000 buy-in main events and two former gold bracelet winners. But it was the youngest, least-experienced player who seized the third-highest payout at this year’s World Series." Mackey took down the tournament with the Doyle Brunson, 10-2. There were 640 entrants in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event.
In Event #23, the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event, Scott "BigRiskky" Clements took home his second ever WSOP bracelet along with $194,206. PocketFiver Jon Wein, who covered that event for PocketFivesLive.com, stated: "Clements and Rizen were the only two P5ers left from about 100 down. He won a huge pot off a player that flopped top set against Scott’s wrap and flush draw and from that point on never looked back." Clements survived a field of 576 players.
David “Sugar D” Zeitlin won $269,778 in Event #12 and took home second place. The event was a $1,500 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em tournament. Alex Jacob took third in Event #3, a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament, for $282,367. Pokertrip (pictured at right) placed third in Event #4, the $1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em event, for $101,276. He commented, “I’m very happy with my play thus far. All anyone can do is put their chips in with the best of it and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Playing online is the perfect preparation tool for playing against WSOP fields and I feel that I have a huge advantage over the field because of my online experience.” In Event #5, PocketFiver Annie Duke captured third in the $5,000 Omaha/7-card Stud 8/b event and took home $75,391.
Overall, 20 PocketFivers finished in the top ten of their individual events, an amazing accomplishment. PocketFivers dominated the top ten of Event #4. Each PocketFiver who cashed placed near the top of that event. They were: Spegal (1st for $252,290), Friedberg (3rd for $101,276), William “Highroller48” Hill (4th for $67,162), and Lynch (7th for $27,718). In addition to his 7th place finish in this event, Lynch (pictured at right) took home second in Event #23. His performance in last year’s WSOP Main Event was memorable as well.
Jason “strassa2” Strasser (pictured at right) has had a pair of cashes so far. Right out of the gate, he finished 26th in Event #1 for $15,898. He also had an impressive 12th place finish in the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em with Rebuys event (#8) for $23,811. Jon “PearlJammer” Turner has had a whopping three cashes: Event #1 (8th for $46,633), Event #12 (72nd for $3,214), and Event #15 (22nd for $20,806). Michael “Martine23” Martin had three cashes (in Events #1, #8, and #23) for over $30,000 total.
A complete list of cashes by PocketFivers in the 2007 WSOP can be found by clicking here. To see the roster of which PocketFivers are playing in which events to come, check out the WSOP Roster. If cashes for an event have been posted and yours isn’t there, please don’t hesitate to email your real name, P5s name, and the event you cashed in to adam@pocketfives.com.
PocketFivesLive.com is at the Rio covering all the action. The complete coverage can be found at PocketFivesLive.com!
