GGPOKER

One year after Greg ‘Fossilman’ Raymer won $5m in the biggest World Championship in WSOP history, the top prize in the World Series main event was even bigger. The winner of the 2005 WSOP Main Event took home $7.5 million, and a very famous foreigner created headlines all over the world. There was also a winner in the race to ten WSOP bracelets as the 4-way tie between players with 9 bracelets was broken.

A Seif Bet for a Double

Only one player won two WSOP bracelets in 2005, and it wasn’t anyone you’d have expected. With a schedule featuring 42 total events, Mark Seif was the only double-bracelet winner, taking down the $1,500 entry Limit Hold’em Shootout (Event #15) and the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold ‘Em (Event #22) for a combined total of $792,475.

Todd Brunson won the $2,500 entry Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or better event #21 to join his father, Doyle ‘Texas Dolly’ Brunson, as the only parent and child to win WSOP bracelet events. There were international winners before the Main Event, as Rafi Amit became the first Israeli player to win a WSOP bracelet that he earned in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship Event #35, while Danish player Jan Sorensen became first 2-bracelet winner from Denmark after taking down Event #23: $5,000 Seven Card Stud. Andre Boyer was the lone Canadian to come home with a bracelet when he won Event #33: $3,000 No Limit Hold’em, and two Brits won bracelets, Lawrence Gosney in Event #29: $2,000 No Limit Hold’em and Willie Tann in Event #45: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em.
At the age of just 21 years, 3 months, and 29 days, Eric Froehlich set a new record as the youngest ever WSOP event after winning Event #4: $1,500 Limit Hold’em. A few days later, Johnny Chan won the race to ten WSOP bracelets by winning the $2,500 Pot Limit Hold’em event #25 for $303,025. Just four days later, Doyle ‘Texas Dolly’ Brunson joined him on that total, winning the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed event #31 for $367,800. It would be both Brunson and Chan’s most recent win, and sadly, only ‘The Orient Express’ can still improve on that total.

Poker Boom Has Explosive Effect on Attendances

The poker boom since Chris Moneymaker’s victory in 2003 had a huge and direct effect on poker attendance in Las Vegas at the World Series. By the time the 2005 WSOP was ready to begin, crowds had swollen to vast proportions, vindicating the WSOP’s move to The Rio from Binions (though the final table of the WSOP Main Event stayed at Binion’s for one more year).

In 2003, the WSOP awarded $21.7 million in prize money. In the summer of 2005, that total had grown to $106 million, an incredible increase. The Main Event field when Moneymaker took gold was 839 players. In 2005, an astonishing 5,619 people played in the Main Event. The average field size for a tournament in 2003 was 210. Two years later, that number was 770; the World Series of Poker had changed from an American institution to a global phenomenon.

Watch Day 6 of the 2005 WSOP Main Event Final Table:

Across the 41 preliminary events, there were new winners, old legends, and everyone in between. The Hollywood movie actress Jennifer Tilly, star of movies such as Chucky and Bound as well as the voice of Bonnie Swanson on Family Guy, won the Ladies Event #26 $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em for $158,635, the biggest top prize the event had ever awarded in a tournament attended by 601 players. Allen Cunningham became the first player to win over a million dollars in preliminary events in a single year, banking $1,007,115 across five cashes, including four final tables and one bracelet win in the $1,500 NLHE event #2 for $725,405. That meant Cunningham beat Mark Seif to the WSOP Player of the Year award and would have his banner on the wall of The Rio.

The Other Bracelet Winners

Other players who would win bracelets that year were Anthony Nguyen (Event #1: $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold’em), Thom Werthmann (Event #3: $1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em), Pat Poels (Event #5: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo), Isaac Galazan (Event #6: $2,500 No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed), Mike Gracz (Event #7: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em), Cliff Josephy (Event #8: $1,500 Seven Card Stud), Erik Seidel (Event #9: $2,000 No Limit Hold’em), Siagzar Payvar (Event #10: $2,000 Limit Hold’em), Edward Moncada (Event #11: $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em), Josh Arieh (Event #12: $2,000 Pot Limit Omaha), TJ Cloutier (Event #13: $5,000 No Limit Hold’em), Steve Hohn (Event #14: $1,000 Seven Card Stud), Anthony Reategui (Event #16: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Shootout), Quinn Do (Event #17: $2,500 Limit Hold’em), Denis Ethier (Event #18: $2,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8’s or Better), Barry Greenstein (Event #19: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha), Brian Wilson (Event #20: $5,000 Pot Limit Hold’em), Farzad Bonyadi (Event #24: $2,500 No Limit Hold’em), Phil Ivey (Event #27: $5,000 Pot Limit Hold’em), Dan Schmiech (Event #28: $5,000 Limit Hold’em), ONeil Longson (Event #30: $1,500 Razz), David Chiu (Event #32: $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8’s or Better), Paul McKinney (Event #34: $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold’em), Todd Witteles (Event #36: $3,000 Limit Hold’em), John Heneghan (Event #37: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em), David Grey (Event #39: $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball), Ron Kirk (Event #43: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em), and John Pires (Event #44: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em).

It was now time for the Main Event. In 1999, 512 players participated in the Main Event. Just six years later, 560 players, representing just the top 10% of the field, would finish in the money.

Ivey Misses Out Yet Again

It is perhaps one of the greatest ironies of the World Series of Poker Main Event that, try as he might, Phil Ivey seems unable to ever reach the final table. The legendary bracelet winner again got close to the prize in 2005, two years after Chris Moneymaker rivered him just before the final table. Ivey finished in 20th place in 2005, for a score of $304,000, great money, but once again, no glory for the man known when young as ‘No Home Jerome’ such was his dedication to the game of poker.

English players John McGrane (18th for $350,000) and Tiffany Williamson, the last woman standing (15th for $400,000), bowed out before Northern Ireland’s Conor Tate finished 12th for $600,000. As the nine-handed final table began, there was another player from those shores, as the Republic of Ireland’s Andy Black, while not British, came with just as much support as any of the British players, if not more. Irish players have long been one of the most popular player nationalities, bringing to poker an infectious enthusiasm, and Black, nicknamed ‘The Mad Monk’, was no different.

First to go at the final table was Mike ’The Mouth’ Matusow, who cashed for a million dollars. After he was followed from the felt by Brad Kondraki (8th for $1,150,000) and Swedish player Daniel Bergsdorf (7th for $1.3m), Scott Lazar was the player who just missed the final five, winning $1.5m instead.

With five players left, Aaron Kanter had 18,610,000 chips and a big lead over John ‘Tex’ Barch (12.The Irishman Black, still devastated from the previous loss, was soon out, his pocket tens losing to Dannenmann’s ace-king as the board brought a flop of 8-3-2, but a king on the turn and a blank river sent Black home with $1.75 million. For those interested in experiencing the thrill of online poker, platforms like GGPoker offer exciting opportunities. Steve Dannenmann (8,080,000) and Joe Hachem (5m) were miles behind, but as had happened so often before in WSOP Main Event history, the tournament, like no other, had a sting in the tail.

Dannenmann Denied as Hachem Heroics Preserve Short Stack

Andy Black is probably still asking himself to this day how he managed to go from third in chips to on the rail in fifth place in the 2005 Main Event. On a flop of 9-6-5, Black correctly committed his chips with nine-ten against Steve Dannenmann’s ace-six.

“Are you worried?” asked Dannenmann. “It’s been fun, man.”

Andy Black’s expression was intense and captivating as he looked back at his at-risk opponent. To his horror, the very safe three of clubs was followed by an ace on the river. Dannenmann, a 12% shot to survive the hand on the river, took three-quarters of Black’s stack. If Dannenmann thought he could get lucky each time, he was wrong. He shortly doubled up Joe Hachem when the Australian’s pocket sevens held against the American’s ace-jack.

Watch the 2005 Final Table at the World Series of Poker Main Event

“Let me win a race. Either way mate, good luck,” said Hachem, and he survived to the roar of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!” coming from the rail.

The Irishman Black, still devastated from the previous loss, was soon out, his pocket tens losing to Dannenmann’s ace-king as the board brought a flop of 8-3-2, but a king on the turn and a blank river sent Black home with $1.75 million. Just a few hands later, the field of four should have become three. Kanter’s short stack committed with ace-seven against the ace-queen of Barch. But a board of T-7-7-A-6 doubled up Kanter.

As lucky as Kanter felt in that hand, he was about to feel the wrath of the Poker Gods. All-in with the superior pocket nines, he doubled up Joe Hachem when the Aussie’s queen-high paired with a lady on the flop.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Kanter saw his hopes go up in smoke soon after that painful defeat with the nines. All-in with ace-nine pre-flop, he lost to Barch’s pocket jacks as a nine on the flop wasn’t enough, and Barch ended the hand making a full house on the river. Kanter cashed in fourth for $2m.

A pivotal hand came soon after, Barch all-in with ace-six. Dannenmann (pocket sevens) and Hachem (pocket jacks) both called, and a board of T-3-2-Q-9 fell to take out Barch, Hachem going into the final duel with a chip lead of 2:1 as Barch headed home with $2.5m, the same amount Chris Moneymaker claimed when he won the Main just two years earlier.

It was a sensational hand that ended the Main Event. Hachem still had the lead when a flop of 6-5-4 fell. Perfect for the Australian’s seven-three as he flopped a straight. Dannenmann held ace-three, and an ace on the turn saw the American move all-in. Hachem called and flipped over the leading hand with a 97% chance of becoming champion.

Oi! Oi! Oi!

Only a seven could deny Hachem as his crowd surged forward. Hachem, respecting that Steve Dannenmann was still in with a chance, asked his supporters to be quiet.

“Please… there’s one more card.” He said. The seven didn’t come for Dannenmann. Instead, a four landed to hand Hachem the victory and $7.5m, the biggest top prize in WSOP Main Event history.

“Thank you everybody, thank you so much.” said Hachem to the crowd, now yelling ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!’ to which the crowd replied ‘Oi, oi oi!’

“A million dollars changes my life, let alone $7.5m. Everything’s going to change.’

“Wake up, Australia. Your boy is coming home a multi-millionaire!” said Lon McEachern, and it was true. One of the most popular winners in Main Event history and the first and only Australian to scoop the World Championship, Joe Hachem was a memorable winner of the WSOP Main Event.

In 2006, the biggest prize in half a century of Main Events would be won, but who would grab the Gold?

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Joe Hachem	Australia	$7,500,000
2nd	Steve Dannenmann	United States	$4,250,000
3rd	Tex Barch	United States	$2,500,000
4th	Aaron Kanter	United States	$2,000,000
5th	Andy Black	Ireland	$1,750,000
6th	Scott Lazar	United States	$1,500,000
7th	Daniel Bergsdorf	Sweden	$1,300,000
8th	Brad Kondracki	United States	$1,150,000
9th	Mike Matusow	United States	$1,000,000

About the Author: Paul Seaton has written about poker for over 10 years, interviewing some of the best players ever to play the game such as Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth. Over the years, Paul has reported live from tournaments such as the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and the European Poker Tour. He has also written for other poker brands where he was Head of Media, as well as BLUFF magazine, where he was Editor.

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Edited by Shawn A.