The 2007 WSOP Main Event was the first WSOP World Championship event in fifteen years that did not see a bigger attendance than the year before. In fact, there were over 2,000 fewer players than in 2006 when Jamie Gold lifted the world-famous World Series of Poker bracelet and joined the list of champions winning $12 million from the sport. In 2007, 6,358 poker players took on the $10,000 entry Texas Hold’em WSOP Main Event, making the top prize ‘only’ $8.25 million. It was, however, a stone-cold classic in poker history.
Bumper Schedule Tops 50 Events
In 2007, there were an incredible 55 bracelet events, the biggest increase in the number of events the WSOP had seen to date. The biggest change was to the $10,000 WSOP Main Event itself, with the No Limit Texas Hold’em World Championship costing the same amount, but now giving players 20,000 chips to play with as a starting stack. The blind structure included fewer blind levels but was slowed down to allow more play to develop.
The WSOP Main Event was the penultimate event of the series, starting on July 6 and ending on July 18. The World Series Of Poker was now a six-week festival at the start of summer, which was the new standard. No events were held at Binion’s, as all bracelet events, regardless if they were Texas Hold’em, Omaha, or any of the other poker games were now held at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It was a busy series with serial winners showcasing their poker skills. Phil Hellmuth outlasted 2,627 poker players in the $1,500 No Limit Texas Hold’em event #15, winning a top prize of $637,254 but, most importantly, winning his 11th World Series Of Poker bracelet. For the past 17 years, Hellmuth has been the out-front leader in the all-time World Series Of Poker list of bracelet winners, and 2007 was the year he broke the tie with fellow WSOP Main Event champions, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan.
With 55 events, fans might have expected ‘The Poker Brat’ – or other big names to double up on bracelets, but the only player to win multiple World Series of Poker bracelets across the series was Tom Schneider, who won the $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better event #5 for $214,347 and the $1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better for $147,713. Reaching a third final table during the series, Schneider’s 2007 World Series Of Poker results were enough to see him named WSOP Player of the Year.
Thater Makes History, Obrestad Goes Further
In several ways, 2007 pushed the envelope just as much as 2006 did. The $1,500 Seven-Card Razz Event #29 bracelet was a novel format and won by German player Katja Thater, who, in doing so, became the first non-American woman to claim a WSOP bracelet in an open World Series event. There was another, perhaps even more impressive achievement in Europe as 18-year-old Norwegian player Annette Obrestad won the inaugural WSOP Europe £10,000 Main Event for £1 million, the day before her 19th birthday, with Europeans being allowed to play poker in WSOP Events in Europe at the age of 18 not 21 as in America. Thomas Bihl won the £2,500-entry World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event in London as the first bracelet event winner outside of Las Vegas.
Back in the United States, Jeff Madsen’s record as the youngest-ever bracelet winner went to Steve Billirakis, who won the $5,000 Mixed Limit/No Limit Hold’em Championship event #1 for $536,287 just 10 days after turning 21. There were more firsts, too, as Russia finally had a WSOP champion in Alexander Kravchenko, who took down the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better event #9 tournament for $228,446.
It was time for the Main Event, and with Jamie Gold’s memorable win in 2006 extending the hope of all amateurs who had made the trip to play poker. Would it be another unknown find success and become the new world champion?
Big Names Make the Money
With the second biggest Main Event field of all time, the 2007 total of 6,358 entrants would have 621 poker players who finished inside the money. The minimum cash was now a much more respectable $20,320, winnings equating to more than double the entry.
Some big names cashed but failed to make it really deep in ‘The Main’. The late Gavin Smith came 592nd, Blair Hinkle finished 520th and Nacho Barbero came 496th. Others to make the top 10% but miss the final table included Bruno Fitoussi (461st), Michael Tureniaec (413th), Davidi Kitai (404th), Jac Arama (272nd), Carlos Mortensen (217th), Robert Varkonyi (177th) and Neil Channing (131st).
Getting closer to the final table, Dario Mineiri (96th for $67,535), Huck Seed (73rd for $106,382), Gus Hansen (61st for $154,194), and Avi Cohen (43rd for $237,865).
The last woman standing in 2007 was Maria Ho, who stunned the poker world with her incredible strategies and natural perceptions of her opponents. She finished in 38th place and earned $237,865. Now a poker legend, Ho has often been the flag-bearer for female players in the WSOP Main Event over the years.
Watch Mario Ho in action at WSOP Paradise:
There was a thrilling run for the 1998 World Champion Scotty Nguyen, who’s skills and strategies ran him all the way to 11th place for a score of $476,926, nearly half of what he won eight years earlier for outlasting the entire field. Heading into the final table of nine, Philip Hilm was the chip leader, while Jerry Yang had the second shortest stack of chips. Yang, a psychologist and social worker, was way behind some others, but inside 15 hands, he went on a tear reminiscent of Jamie Gold from the year before.
Yang didn’t seem to be able to lose… or could he?
Balance is Everything
Yang was on the march, and Hilm was suddenly on the slide. He busted in ninth place and was followed by Lee Watkinson (8th for $585,699), Lee Childs (7th for $705,229) and Hevad Khan (6th for $956,243). Jon Kalmar was out in fifth for $1,255,069 when his ace-king lost to Raymond Rahme’s pocket jacks.
The final four were in action for the better part of 100 hands until Alex Kravchenko was all-in with ace-king. This time, it was Jerry Yang who’d been the aggressor, shoving pre-flop with pocket eights. No help came for Kravchenko, and he was out having earned $1,852,721 and just missing the podium at the Hold’em Championship.
Two hands later, Rahme shoved on the A-J-8 flop with two hearts, holding pocket kings. Jerry Yang had the decision again, and it was a close one for him with ace-five. Eventually, he made the correct call and held through the three on the turn and deuce on the river to move the match to heads-up while holding a 4:1 chip lead, having busted two players in three hands.
“I have a lot of respect for you.” Yang said to the South African Rahme as he left with $3 million in third place.
When Tuan Lam shoved with ace-queen, Yan considered the call before making it with pocket eights. The flop looked good for a Lam double-up, coming Q-9-5. A seven on the turn added sixes to Yang’s outs for an improbable straight. It couldn’t happen, could it? As the crowd held their breath and Lam stared at the board, the dealer landed the six on the river, giving Yang the straight and leaving Lam visually stunned.
Lam won $4.8 million in second place, but Jerry Yang’s remarkable 14% shot on the river won the Championship, as another amateur won the World Championship in style!
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jerry Yang | United States | $8,250,000 |
| 2nd | Tuan Lam | Canada | $4,840,981 |
| 3rd | Raymond Rahme | South Africa | $3,048,025 |
| 4th | Alex Kravchenko | Russia | $1,852,721 |
| 5th | Jon Kalmar | United Kingdom | $1,255,069 |
| 6th | Hevad Khan | United States | $956,243 |
| 7th | Lee Childs | United States | $705,229 |
| 8th | Lee Watkinson | United States | $585,934 |
| 9th | Phillip Hilm | United Kingdom | $525,934 |
2006 WSOP Main Event – Part 1 2008 WSOP Main Event
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.