Nov
23
by Chad Holloway
Joe Cada was good enough to prove me right and won the 2009 WSOP Main Event.
Last Saturday I was all set to catch the action of the 2009 World Series of Poker final table by keeping up with the internet updates but then I got a bright idea. I thought it’d be much fun to wait and watch the action on ESPN on Tuesday. The problem was that there was three days between the action and the broadcast. I would have to avoid all major media outlets like e-mail (I receive regular WSOP poker updates), Facebook (I have way too many poker friends), and Twitter. I knew it would be a challenge and I’m glad I did it. I managed to get to Tuesday without knowing anything that would happen and my viewing experience was absolutely unforgettable. It blew simply reading the internet updates out of the water. So here are some of my thoughts on the final table . . .
- I was obviously hoping Phil Ivey could win it all but knew that would be a difficult uphill climb. I thought he played well and probably could have made something happen if he had picked up some better cards. Regardless, congrats to Phil Ivey for an amazing WSOP.
- I couldn’t believe how willing the players were to gamble preflop with marginal hands, especially considering the stack sizes in many cases. In addition, how sick was it that the best hand going in (even if it was a dominating hand) rarely won? The suck-outs were ridiculous but made for exciting television. I’ll never forget when Begleiter’s pocket Queens dominated Moon’s Ace-Queen but an Ace change all that and ended Begleiter’s run. Even more sick may have been when Cada pushed all-in with pocket twos against Saout’s pocket Queens and a deuce hit the flop!
- I was impressed by Antoine Saout’s ability to start as the second low stack and manage to build it up for a chance at first place. If it wasn’t for some bad luck, the Frenchman would likely have taken it down. He has made a big impact in the poker world in a short amount of time and I won’t be surprised to see his success continue in the future.
- Joe Cada . . . what can I say. Back in August I had an e-mail correspondence with BLUFF Magazine’s Paul Oresteen where I picked Cada to win it all. I felt the young guy had a lot more experience than people realized and had enough chips to make it happen. Of course I wasn’t counting on the luck factor to propel him to the win. I’m not saying that was the only reason he won, I thought he played very well, but I’m sure he wouldn’t deny getting extremely lucky in some spots. Speaking of which, what an unbelievable comeback from being down to only 5 big blinds! Congratulations to Cada on becoming the 2009 WSOP World Champion, as well as the youngest ever. I think he will be a good ambassador for the game and I’m sure his poker success will only continue to grow.
All in all I thought this year’s WSOP Main Event was one of the best in recent years. With two established pros at the table, Shulman and Ivey, the whole poker world was wondering if a pro could reclaim the title. Darvin Moon was the epitome of the “everyman” and it was fun watching him, truly a life-changing experience. Many of the other 2009 November Niners have already found success in other tournaments and I’m certain many of the names we’ve watched over the past few months will be around for a long time.