You can win entry to the WSOP Main Event every year for ‘life’ on PartyPoker in these days! Here, PartyPoker ambassador Mike Sexton recalls one of his favourite WSOP memories.
The first time I ever played the main event at the WSOP was 1992. I won my seat in a Super Satellite and I was thrilled to play poker in the championship event for the first time. I knew I was hooked as soon as the tournament started. It was such a rush to play in the main event.
My heart was pounding harder
My heart was pounding harder as we closed in on the money. For the first time in WSOP history, they were paying four tables. I was still there as we reached the bubble (37 players). We now started dealing ‘hand for hand’ (meaning you deal one hand at each table and then stop until all five tables have played a hand and if no one is knocked out, you deal another hand).
I can promise you that in the history of poker, no tournament anywhere in the world has taken longer to go from 37 players to 36 players than the WSOP main event in 1992. None – ever!
Nobody was playing a pot
I happened to be sitting right next to Hamid Dastmalchi (the eventual champion) when we reached the “bubble”. He had just over average chips and I had just under average chips.
Well, he could see that nobody was playing a pot, so he started raising every hand. Not only was everyone at our table folding (including me), but they were doing the same thing at all the other tables. Everyone wanted to get “in the money” and was hoping someone else would get knocked out.
Well, no one went out for over two hours – and Hamid kept raising and increasing his chip stack. He accumulated over $200k before we reached the money by being aggressive and taking advantage of the situation.
I made the money finishing 23rd
As a first-time starter, I was happy I made the money (finishing 23rd). Hamid went on the win the tournament. I truly believe, however, that had someone on the bubble gone out in 10 minutes or so, that Hamid, without those extra chips, would never have become world champion.
Everyone was playing tight on the bubble and Hamid picked up a lot of chips. He took advantage of the situation and became world champion because of it. I learned a lot that day by watching him.
PartyPoker’s WSOP for Life and WSOP for Life VIP Race poker promotions are now running. You may be the next one writing here about your WSOP memories!
