50k H.O.R.S.E.

[vexbot]

[ QUOTE ]
This was a flashback to poker as it was in the old days—pre-Moneymaker/internet/WPT. Razz, Stud and Stud Eight-or-Better are games that are rarely played by the new school of poker players, and the old-school guys were well-represented in the final.

[/ QUOTE ]

deleted for vulgarity.

[Lawman007]

Great report! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us, Blair.

[Turn Prophet]

Thanks for sharing, Blair. Just from reading the reports, I sympathize with you over the structure. That's a testament to Doyle and TJ that two guys past retirement age could survive a 19 hour day to make the FT.

Best of luck the rest of the series.

[Flight_Risk]

Thanks for the report, Blair.

Flight_Risk

[Quicksilvre]

Thanks, Blair. I agree that in an ideal world the final table should stay as HORSE, but I'm more disappointed how how much neglect non-NLHE games get from the poker-playing community in general, than the switch in this one tournament.

[pdjplano]

Blair, thanks for the report as others have echoed..

One question about the blind structure / talent level. Say they didn't increase the blinds as rapidly, say going 4-8x the length of each level, can you describe, in your view, who had the best edges at the various games?

The reason I ask is that I recently read about the history of the WSOP and the past blind structures...

[La Brujita]

fantastic trip report! this is so well written it could be in a magazine. a good one.

[JohnnyFX]

[ QUOTE ]
great read..
thanks for taking the time to share

[/ QUOTE ]

[Blair Rodman]

Not sure what you read about the past structures, but in the old days most events were over in one day.

Players who have been around a while and were experienced in all the games had a definite edge. Players who continue to play these games, even in the hold'em era, had the biggest. Coincidentally, these are probably the best players anyway, those who populate the "Big Game" i.e. Chip, Doyle, Ivey, Ted Forrest, Barry G, etc. I've got a lot of experience in all the games, but haven't played most of them in years. Players below the Big Game level probably haven't either. The players who were at the biggest dis-advantage were the young guns who, sadly for poker in general, never had the chance to learn the games like razz and eight-or-better. Gavin Smith, Joe Cassidy and Patrick Antonius made impressive showings.

Hopefully next year they'll do some things differently. I think most players would really like to see a lower buy-in HORSE event, keeping it HORSE at the final table.

[sobefuddled]

So, what about the guy who bubbled? I find him most ionteresting. He could have farmed but chose not to do so.