Hi, I’m Scott Aefsky (AefskySA), fresh off a very disappointing mid-table finish in D Cypress, here once again on Ben’s blog to relive my high school/college years through a ODS recap. This time around, we’re talking the World Series of Poker. I am the perfect age for the mid-2000s poker boom, graduating high school in the same year that Chris Moneymaker won the Main Event and the sport blew up. Rounders was in heavy rotation on HBO at our house, as well. I was the weird kid staying up until 3am watching the live stream of the World Series Main Event (yes, watching two people play poker for 6 hours can be entertaining!). And, I just love sports history. So I’m hoping to do well here, but I always know I can fold if the hand isn’t going my way. Shuffle up and deal!
Q1: The first World Series of Poker in 1970 crowned its Main Event champion by player vote rather than a knockout tournament. What legendary "Grand Old Man of Poker" became that first champion (after players were instructed not to vote for themselves)? To prove he deserved the title, he returned to win the first Main Event tournament the next year in 1971 and won it again in 1974.
Alright, we’re starting at the very beginning. There are a lot of old guys with weird nicknames who played back in the day, and this has to be one of them. Amarillo Slim is one of the biggest names from back then, and I’m pretty sure he won the first one.
My Answer: Amarillo Slim
Money: Yes (D’oh!)
Expected Correct Rate: 23
Correct Answer: Johnny Moss
Correct Rate: 35
Post Answer Thoughts: Great start, Scott. I was close, as Slim (birth name Thomas Austin Preston Jr) won the second World Series. Johnny Moss didn’t have quite the same reputation, but was another monster of the early game. Legend Doyle Brunson actually put Moss on his personal Mount Rushmore of players.
Q2: The WSOP Main Event has been won back-to-back four times, but only once was it won back-to-back with the same hand. What generally weak hand is now called the "Doyle Brunson" after the "Godfather of Poker" won both the 1976 and 1977 Main Events holding the same two cards (suits not required)?
As the question said, this was a very weak hand. The weakest hand is 2-7, and I’m thinking this is what Doyle won with. I should also mention that I do these early in the morning, and sometimes I don’t spend enough time thinking about them.
My Answer: 2, 7
Money: No
Expected Correct Rate: 85
Correct Answer: 10, 2
Correct Rate: 67
Post Answer Thoughts: Yep, my fast action burned me here. This is one that if I had spent 30 seconds thinking about, I would have gotten. But my brain read the question, immediately said “2-7”, and moved on.
Q3: This 5-word phrase, familiar to short-stacked tournament poker players, was coined at the 1982 WSOP Main Event by Poker Hall of Famer Jack "Treetop" Strauss. Strauss, thinking he had just busted, discovered a single 500 poker chip underneath a cocktail napkin and was not in fact eliminated. Incredibly, Strauss came back to win the tournament and $520,000. (Note: Exact 5-word phrase required.)
This phrase got a lot of use when I played live tournament poker, as I wasn’t very good at it and was frequently low stacked. All I needed was a chip and a chair, and I could make my way back. Unlike Strauss, I never did.
My Answer: A chip and a chair
Money: Yes
Expected Correct Rate: 70
Correct Answer: A chip and a chair
Correct Rate: 68
Post Answer Thoughts: I also end up using this phrase outside of poker a decent amount, any time things aren’t going my way. As long as I have one chip and a place to sit, things could always turn around.
Q4: Despite a distinguished 35-year career and numerous WSOP records including 16 bracelets–six more than any other poker player–Phil Hellmuth may be best known for his histrionic ranting after losing hands or busting out of tournaments. These outbursts, which are often perceived as whiny and childish, have earned Hellmuth what less than flattering nickname? Hellmuth has leaned into the nickname, even using it to title his 2017 autobiography.
Hellmuth was arguably the most famous player during the boom, as his rants frequently went viral, even among non-poker-fans. The nickname they’re looking for is the Poker Brat.
My Answer: Poker Brat
Money: No
Expected Correct Rate: 81
Correct Answer: Poker Brat
Correct Rate: 72
Post Answer Thoughts: I used to think Hellmuth got a bad rap, believing that most of his worst outbursts were made for television. But if you talk to anyone who has played with him, even off camera, he is apparently always a dick. And considering he was one of the main figures behind the Ultimate Bet scam/fiasco, my opinion has turned.
Q5: The WSOP Ladies' Championship started in 1977, and it wasn't until the following year that Barbara Freer became the first woman to enter the Main Event. But it would be a different Barbara that would make WSOP history by becoming both the first (and so far only) woman to make the Main Event final table and the first woman to win a solo open event in 1995 and 1996 respectively. Name this Barbara who would become the first woman elected to the poker hall of fame in 2007.
I’m never going to be able to pull this. I definitely have heard her name before, and it’s going to annoy me when I see it, but it’s been too long for me to get it out of my mind palace. So I’m just going to pick a name that sounds good after Barbara. How about Sanders?
My Answer: Sanders
Money: No
Expected Correct Rate: 11
Correct Answer: Barbara Enright
Correct Rate: 24
Post Answer Thoughts: Yep, that’s absolutely a name I’ve heard. Enright was the first woman to win a solo event, but many have followed in her footsteps. I really enjoyed watching Jennifer Harman, Vanessa Selbst, Liv Boeree, and others. But not Annie Duke, who was another of the Ultimate Bet scammers.
Q6: Name the sportswriter and syndicated columnist who has been the color commentator and poker analyst alongside Lon McEachern for ESPN's WSOP coverage since 2003. He is known for his self-deprecating humor, anecdotes about his numerous failed marriages, and gibberish catchphrases like "squadoosh" and "whamboozled." Despite criticism of his sometimes less than insightful analysis, his poker success includes 9 WSOP cashes totaling $100,000 and a final table in a $2500 O8/Stud8 event in 2012. Pay the man, Shirley!
Considering how much poker I watched on ESPN, and how much I heard his voice, this is an insta get for me (and I imagine for most others who will enter this ODS). His name is Norman Chad.
My Answer: Norman Chad
Money: No
Expected Correct Rate: 92
Correct Answer: Norman Chad
Correct Rate: 59
Post Answer Thoughts: I’m surprised this one played so tough, as he was basically the voice of poker for a decade. He had a pretty polarizing announcing style and was definitely a bit too enthusiastic at times. He also fell behind as the game evolved and continued commentating as if poker was played as it was in the 70s (call him the Joe Morgan of poker broadcasts). But I still get a strong nostalgia hit any time I watch an old clip and hear him on the call.
Q7: Since 1976 all WSOP events award prize money and a bracelet, with one notable exception. The winner of the $50,000 Poker Player's Championship also receives a memorial trophy commemorating what WSOP and cash game legend who passed away suddenly in 2007? He won the first iteration of the tournament in 2006–then called the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship–by defeating Andy Bloch in a then record heads up battle lasting over seven hours.
Oh man, this is another one that’s gonna bug me. I can picture him, and I know his first name is Chip. The first thing that comes into my head for his last name is Reese, but that just doesn’t sound right. I think there’s at least one more letter in there. But after digging around my brain for a bit, nothing else sounds right either, and I’m trying to get better about trusting my first instinct.
My Answer: Chip Reese
Money: No
Expected Correct Rate: 34
Correct Answer: David “Chip” Reese
Correct Rate: 33
Post Answer Thoughts: Oh, cool, that was right! I remember watching that first $50k and being so happy that he won; Reese was incredibly well respected in the poker world but had almost no name recognition among the public. Watching him win what really was the toughest tournament ever played (based on game and buy in) was super satisfying. Reese is another one that Brunson put on his Mount Rushmore.
Q8: Non-poker fans might recognize her from appearances on American Idol, Deal or No Deal, or teamed with fellow poker pro Tiffany Michelle on The Amazing Race. Poker fans will recognize this award-winning WSOP commentator for her eight WSOP Final Tables and as a record three-time Main Event Last Woman Standing.
I recognize the picture here but am once again struggling to remember her name. I know Maria Ho had a bit of a breakout beyond the poker world, but I’m not sure her poker resume was quite that strong. I can’t think of anyone else who this could be, so I’m going to roll with it.
My Answer: Maria Ho
Money: No
Expected Correct Rate: 45
Correct Answer: Maria Ho
Correct Rate: 40
Post Answer Thoughts: Another one that I wasn’t confident enough in to money, but that turned out to be right. I apologize to Ms. Ho for underestimating her poker results.
Q9: Jack McClelland, Matt Savage, Jack Effel, and Ty Stewart are among the men who have held what important WSOP job title? In this role they are often seen on ESPN's broadcasts, but never sitting at a poker table.
These are the guys who say “shuffle up and deal”. After my initial thought of “floor supervisor,” which is what they’re called in a normal poker room, I remembered that their official title is Tournament Director.
My Answer: Tournament Director
Money: Yes
Expected Correct Rate: 51
Correct Answer: Tournament Director
Correct Rate: 45
Post Answer Thoughts: My uncle, who has played in a lot of WSOP events, has been pretty friendly with most of these guys. He says that Jack Effel is the nicest guy among them.
Q10: Stu Ungar received his nickname "The Kid" because of his youthful appearance when he became the youngest (at that time) Main Event winner in 1980. Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu earned his nickname when he became the youngest (at that time) bracelet winner in 1998. What 4-time bracelet winner was also called "The Kid" when he became the youngest Main Event winner at 21 years, 357 days in 2009, a record that still stands?
This year was peak “stay up and watch the stream until it ends, who cares about sleep” for me. This gentleman’s name was Joe Cada.
My Answer: Joe Cada
Money: Yes
Expected Correct Rate: 31
Correct Answer: Joe Cada
Correct Rate: 25
Post Answer Thoughts: Cada was one of the few winners of his era who actually won a bracelet after his Main Event victory. And he got 4 in total! He also made the Main Event final table a second time in 2018.
Q11: The United States has won the vast majority of WSOP bracelets, more than 1300 more than second place Canada. The US is also the clear leader in Main Events, winning 37 of the 53 contested. However, in a sign of the global popularity of poker, 14 of the last 25 Main Events have gone to non-US citizens. What European country is second place in Main Event victories with three, including two in the last four years by Hossein Ensan–who was born in Iran but has lived in this country since 1989–and Koray Aldemir in 2019 and 2021 respectively?
This is one I’m going to have to guess again. I haven’t paid nearly as much attention to the World Series in the past few years, so I don’t recognize these names at all. I know France, Denmark, and Sweden have had incredibly strong poker rosters over the years. But looking at these names, and taking into account the immigration piece of the question, I’m gonna guess these guys are from Germany.
My Answer: Germany
Money: No
Expected Correct Rate: 47
Correct Answer: Germany
Correct Rate: 39
Post Answer Thoughts: Ok, glad that worked out. The third winner who was left unnamed in the question was Pius Heinz, who probably would have made this question quite a bit easier had he been listed.
Q12: For the first time since 2005, the 2023 WSOP will be hosted at a casino with what lucky name? On March 24th, Bally's, on the Las Vegas Strip, reopened under this name that was part of the Binion's casino that hosted every WSOP from 1970 until 2004 (and the Main Event Final Table in 2005). Harrah's Entertainment purchased the rights to the name when the original Binion's temporarily closed, opening several casinos around the country under the brand, but none in Las Vegas until now.
Alright, thanks to the smith for ending on an easy one. I didn’t realize that Bally’s was taking on this name, but the WSOP lived at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino for the first chunk of its life.
My Answer: Horseshoe
Money: Yes
Expected Correct Rate: 63
Correct Answer: Horseshoe
Correct Rate: 77
Post Answer Thoughts: I don’t think I ever went in to the original Binion’s, but it was supposed to be a hell of an old-timey casino down on Fremont Street. It’s really nice for players (particularly tourists) that the WSOP is back being played on the Strip. The trip to the Rio for all those years wasn’t fun for anybody.
Total Points: 320/524 (453 with ideal moneying)
Result in 1DS: 165/463 (64th Percentile) (62nd place, 87th percentile with ideal moneying)
Overall Thoughts: Oof, this was one of my worst moneying performances in a topic I know well in a while. Between moneying one I got wrong, and not trusting myself on two of the harder answers, I left a ton of points on the table. On the plus side, I did pretty well on the CA% predictions, which is just as fun for me as the trivia itself.
This was a really fun ODS, with really broad coverage of the topic, and some deep cut questions. Thanks to the smith (WoodwardTC) for their efforts, and, as always, thanks to Ben for letting me take over this space for a day. I should be back in a few days for the How I Met Your Mother ODS recap. Until then, may your gutshots always hit, your bluffs induce folds, and all your flushes be hearts.