| Event 17: $10,000 Dealers Choice (6-handed) Championship |
| Winner | John Racener |
| Runners | 102 |
| Paid | 16 |
| Final Table | 6 |
| Player | Position | Points |
| John Racener | 1 | 25 |
| Chris Klodnicki | 3 | 15 |
| James Obst | 8 | 1 |
| Ben Yu | 9 | 1 |
| Todd Brunson | 15 | 1 |
| Selector | Points |
| Luca | 40 |
| Chris H | 25 |
| Craig | 25 |
| Barrie | 2 |
| Simon L | 2 |
| Adam | 1 |
| Debbie | 1 |
| English Tom | 1 |
| Ian | 1 |
| Irish Tom | 1 |
| Jo | 1 |
| Karen | 1 |
| Simon B | 1 |
2010 Main Event runner-up John Racener finally won a bracelet after numerous 2nds/3rds/4ths. It meant a lot to him. Like Bruce Willis in Friends, once the suppressed emotion was released, it wouldn't stop flowing. “I've been wanting this forever. I've got so many seconds and thirds. I have over $10 million in earnings, but no gold. I've just been wanting to win so bad. I didn't even look at the prize pool. I didn't even know what first place was. I just wanted to win the bracelet. It's all I really cared about. I don't show much emotion, blah, blah, blah.” He continued like this for some time, including telling us at great length about his mother, who would stay up all night watching him play online until it was time for her to go to work.
More interesting, I think, is Mike Matusow, the throwback degenerate drug-addicted gambler who has a great talent, but loses control of his mind from time to time. This is a player who has won four bracelets and twice reached the Main Event final table. Although he has won over $9 million in tournaments, nowadays he has to get staked to play. He has many problems, and had a two-year gap from poker until last year due to health issues. This week, he looks in terrible condition, though he reports he's is "zero pain" at the moment, which gives some insight into his life. Yet he still has tremendous ability and is still probably one of the best 08 players in the world. He finished 5th in this, his second WSOP final table in four days. A few cards falling differently and everyone would be obsessing about him coming back and winning back-to-back bracelets.
There was a controversial hand on Day 1 between Matt Glantz and Samuel Touil. Matusow also features in this clip, and his slurred speech and general demeanour either mean he is back on something or they are just the cumulative effect of his previous abuse. Amazing that the guy's poker brain hasn't been affected. Top bombing in this clip too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz3sBRy_K6s&feature=youtu.be
In our league, Luca flexes his muscles.
