2005 World Series of Poker - Recap

The 2005 World Series of Poker saw a record number of participants as more than 28,000 players put their hopes on a chip and a chair. The $500 Casino Employee No-Limit Hold’em Event kicked things off on June 2nd and action ran into the early hours of July 16th at the conclusion of the final table in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship. Gold bracelets were awarded in 41 tournaments featuring different variations of Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha and Draw poker.

The 2005 edition of the WSOP continued to see unprecedented growth fueled by the invasion of online amateurs inspired by the Moneymaker Effect. But this tournament was ironically dubbed “The Year of the Pro” by many and rightfully so: highly regarded professionals T.J. Cloutier, Allen Cunningham, Micheal Gracz, David Chiu, Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Todd Brunson, Erik Seidel, Josh Arieh and David Grey all took home WSOP gold bracelets. There was also a historic achievement for two poker legends, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, when both won their record tenth gold bracelets, giving them the shared title of most all-time.

Amateurs won their fair share of titles as well in a WSOP that included many highlights. Online pioneer, Cliff “Johnny Bax” Josephy took home a bracelet in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event after receiving a quick lesson on the game he had never played the night before. Eric Froehlich became the youngest player to ever win a bracelet at the time, at just four months over 21, when he won the $1,500 Limit Hold’em event. Hollywood Starlet, Jennifer Tilly made a splash when she won the $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em event. Mark Seif won two bracelets in an era when many thought it would never happen again. Poker star Allen Cunningham captured player of the year honors, after making four final tables and winning the first open event, the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament. He also became the first player in the history of the WSOP to win a million dollars before the start of the Championship Event.

The Main Event – “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi!, Oi!, Oi!” These were the chants of victory that met Australia’s first poker world champion, Joseph Hachem, when he outlasted 5,619 players to win the main event and $7,500,000. Hachem beat out a talented final table, the longest in WSOP history, which featured Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Brad Kondracki, Daniel Bergsdorf, Scott Lazar, Andrew Black, Aaron Kanter, John “Tex” Barch and Steve Dannenmann. In the end Hachem defeated the jovial Dannenmann who had all his chips in the middle on a hand that Hachem flopped a seven-high straight, holding 7c-3s, to beat the pair of aces held by Dannenmann. It should also be mentioned that Greg “The Fossilman” Raymer did a commendable job defending his 2004 title, placing 25th. Hachem’s victory in 2005 was a great symbol of the diversity of the game, and helped fuel the international popularity and growth of poker.