Poker at its best

The World Series of Poker is the biggest poker tournament series in the world. There are 61 official “gold bracelet” events given to winners this year. Last year there were 75,000 entrants with a total prize pool of $192 million. The WSOP this year will again be held in Las Vegas, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. It started last May 27 and the main event begins on July 7 up to 17 , with the final table going on hiatus until its completion October 28-30. Majority of the events will generate huge prize pools ,but a few events will generate the most interest. First and foremost is the main event with its $10,000 buyin , the biggest single poker tournament in the world that will make several players millionaires Another event to watch is The Poker Players Championship, a $50,000 buy-in that starts on June 24 up to 29. It’s an eight-game mix, consisting of limit hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, razz, seven-card stud, seven-card stud hi-lo, no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, and 2-7 triple draw lowball. The winners of this tournament can make the argument that they are one of the best all-around poker player, as they will go up against a tough field in nearly every major variant poker offers. Another out-of-this-world event is Big One for One Drop, a $1,000,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em that already has more than 30 confirmed participants. It will start on July 1 up to 4.The field is drawing the interest of most of the very best players in the world, as well as some players who simply have very deep pockets. The champion is expected to win an eight figure amount. Most of the events will be covered by ESPN. National games Our kiddie journalist KC Morala played and sent in this report on the National tournament recently played last week in Dumaguete. “GM Darwin Laylo took the championship title after edging fellow 5.5 pointers IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, IM Rolando Nolte, and FM Paulo Bersamina on tie-break in the POC-PSC National Games held in Dumaguete City last May 27-31. Half a point behind were GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. USJR’s Michael Pagaran, GM Eugene Torre, Lennon Hart Salgados of FEU, NM Joey Florendo, and Jed Ian Montoyo who made up the rest of the Top 10 in the Open Men division. Jessa Balbona split a point on the last round with Jelou Tabanao. She lost to Janelle Frayna of Legazpi and WFM Rulp Ylem Jose of Makati, 3rd and 4th placers respectively, and another defeat in the early rounds against the Open Women Category’s champion and Boholano Jedara Docena. The eldest of the Balbona siblings came to an equal finish with UC’s Jacel Bucog, Carmel Loquez and three other ladies for the 7th to 12th places. Kyle Sevillano from USC, though unable to take the honor of facing the Youth Boys’ emerging champion Vincent Balena, got himself into a triple tie with Vince Medina and Dominique Lagula for 2nd to 4th places. Medina a better tiebreak to take the silver medal and Sevillano the third place. Maria Cecille Lumapac got the better of her last match against Nikki Erika Yngayo to secure her post as third placer in the Youth Girls category. Meanwhile, the USC trio of Jazzelle Villarin, Laila Nadera and KC Morala finish in dead heat together with five other players in the draw for the 6th to 13th places. Adrian Basilgo and Chris Aldritz Pondoyo with 4.5 pts placed 5th to 8th place in the Kiddies Boys division. Glysen Derotas nipped colleague Glesit Tatoy, who landed on the tie for 6th to 10th places, on the last round to join the Top 4. USC’s Jeremy Bajo nabbed 5th place. A total of 30 Cebuanos took part in the national tournament with 208 participants from all over the Philippines. boypestano@gmail.com,www.chessmoso.blogspot.com