2006 Tournament of Champions

[Sinochick]

Hi, don't know if this has been posted yet (I checked but couldn't find anything)

The Tournament of Champions field has been announced and there are more exemptions this year. I thought last year the players (especially Negreanu) were upset with exemptions?

Here are the players and how they qualified:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/...amp;name=poker

1-Joseph Hachem (Main Event Final Table)
2-Steve Dannenmann (Main Event Final Table)
3-Tex Barch (Main Event Final Table)
4-Aaron Kanter (Main Event Final Table)
5-Andrew Black (Main Event Final Table)
6-Scott Lazar (Main Event Final Table)
7-Daniel Bergsdorf (Main Event Final Table)
8-Brad Kondracki (Main Event Final Table)
9-Mike Matusow (Main Event Final Table)
10-Gregg Merkow (Circuit Event Winner)
11-Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (Circuit Event Winner)
12-Vinnie Vinh (Circuit Event Winner)
13-Kido Pham (Circuit Event Winner)
14-Chris Reslock (Circuit Event Winner)
15-Daniel Negreanu (Circuit Event Winner)
16-Abraham Korotki (Circuit Event Winner)
17-Darrell Dicken (Circuit Event Winner)
18-Jeffrey King (Circuit Event Winner)
19-John Spadavecchia (Circuit Event Winner)
20-Peter Feldman (Circuit Event Winner)
21-Clint Baskin (Circuit Event Winner)
22 - Sarah Strom (Exemption)
23 - Doyle Brunson (Exemption)
24 - Phil Hellmuth (Exemption)
25 - Mixe Sexton (Exemption)
26 - Gus Hansen(Exemption)
27- Mike O'Malley (Exemption)

Okay I'm the biggest Gus Hansen fan but has he ever played any WSOP events besides the Main Event??? Who are Sarah Strom and Mike O'Malley?

[thebeebster]

mike o malley is the host at party, former room manager in vegas.

[HamJam]

Weren't the players at the 2005 ME final table in last year's TOC? Why again?

[Kevmath]

Sarah Strom won a contest (I'll assume from Harrah's) to take part in the TOC.

[1p0kerboy]

[ QUOTE ]
Weren't the players at the 2005 ME final table in last year's TOC? Why again?


[/ QUOTE ]

This year the TOC is BEFORE whe start of the WSOP. Last year it was after. I guess the change made them have some repeat players.

[NickMPK]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Weren't the players at the 2005 ME final table in last year's TOC? Why again?


[/ QUOTE ]

This year the TOC is BEFORE whe start of the WSOP. Last year it was after. I guess the change made them have some repeat players.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think they made the change for some completely independent reason, and they just wanted the field smaller than last year, and didn't want the same controversy with sponsors exemptions. Presumably, they intent to have a 27 player ToC before the WSOP next year too, with the same qualifying requirements. It's just this year the Main Event final tables gets to two ToC chance, because this is the year they made the switch.

[JJNJustin]

Where are Mizrachi and Phil Ivey?
-j

[HossTheBoss]

wtf? why would brunson and hellmuth be exempt but johnny chan wouldn't be?

[WSOPChump]

why does he deserve an exemption?

[NickMPK]

Putting Mike O'Malley, and to a lesser extent Mike Sexton, in this thing is really abusing the concept of sponsor's exemptions. Sponsor's exemptions are there so that the sponsors will be assured that there are interesting or famous personalities in the tournament that will generate a large TV audience, like when sponsors enter Michelle Wie into some minor men's golf tournament. The are not there to allow the sponsors to enter their own employees who have no qualification or interest to the audience.