By today’s standards, the 1999 World Series of Poker was a quaint affair. Packed with 16 events (the 2007 WSOP boasted 55 tournaments), the 1999 WSOP featured a six-day, $10,000 buy-in Main Event that attracted 393 of the world’s top poker pros. Some of the most recognizable names in poker won their first bracelets in 1999, pushing the last WSOP of the millennium to its limits. In the end, Noel Furlong, who placed sixth in the 1989 Main Event, navigated through a difficult final table to win his first WSOP bracelet in the 1999 Main Event. Furlong pocketed one million dollars in the process. The final table included notable names such as Alan Goehring, Erik Seidel, and Huck Seed.
Goehring placed second in the Main Event, cashing for $768,825. It was Goehring’s second WSOP final table; the other one came in 1997 in a $3,000 no limit event in which he finished third. Seidel finished in fourth place for $279,500. Prior to 1999, he had won four bracelets, including one in a 2-7 lowball event in the 1998 WSOP. Seed had won bracelets in 1994 and 1996 before finishing sixth in the 1999 Main Event. He took home $167,700. Seed’s first WSOP cash came at the beginning of the decade, 1990.
Chris Bigler finished fifth in the 1999 WSOP Main Event. He’s probably more well-known for making two final tables in the first season of the World Poker Tour, placing fifth in the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic and second in the Gold Rush event. He won a combined $150,604 for his two WPT final tables and took home $212,420 for his fifth place finish at the WSOP.
Event #2, a Limit Razz tournament, was won by Paul “Eskimo” Clark. He captured his second bracelet, his first since 1992 when he won gold in a limit seven card stud event. He won his third bracelet in 2002. Clark beat out a final table that included Men “The Master” Nguyen and Barry Shulman.
David Grey won his first bracelet at the 1999 WSOP, emerging victorious in Event #4, a $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud tournament. Grey won $199,000, a triumphant milestone in a WSOP career that started back in 1990. He beat out Eli Balas, who won his second WSOP bracelet in the 1999 World Series over Annie Duke. Balas’ first WSOP bracelet came in 1992.
Tom Franklin, a WSOP veteran, won his first WSOP bracelet in 1999, taking down a $2,500 Limit Omaha event. He beat out Erik Alps heads up. Franklin’s first WSOP cash came in 1990 and he made his first final table in 1995. Franklin won $104,200 for his finish in 1999. Other players you might recognize at that final table included Eli Elezra and “Minneapolis” Jim Meehan.
Josh Arieh battled Humberto Brenes heads up to win his first WSOP bracelet in 1999. Arieh won Event #10, a $3,000 Limit Hold’em tournament. It was a star-studded final table that featured two-time bracelet winner Brenes, Franklin (winner of a 1999 bracelet), Howard Lederer, John Juanda, and bracelet winner Kevin Song.
Mike “The Mouth” Matusow defeated Alex Brenes heads up to win the $3,500 No Limit event. Matusow won over a quarter of a million dollars and his very first WSOP bracelet. He’s had a considerable amount of success (and infamy) since then.
Finally, Layne Flack won a $3,000 Pot Limit Hold’em event to capture his first WSOP bracelet, defeating Matt Lefkowitz heads up. Flack took home $224,400 and has since dominated the poker world.
All in all, the 1999 WSOP launched the careers of some of your favorite pros: Layne Flack, Mike Matusow, Josh Arieh, and David Grey.