The 31st Annual World Series of Poker kicked off from Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas on April 22nd, 2000. It was an election year, Y2K didn’t destroy the planet, and in Las Vegas, the mood was abuzz with excitement for the 2000 WSOP to kick off. One person anxious to get the action started was Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, an appropriate nickname for one of the top players in poker. Ferguson made his first WSOP cash in 1995 and had cashed in every year leading up to the 2000 WSOP. However, one thing eluded him: a WSOP bracelet. He came close in 1999, finishing fourth in a $2,500 limit seven card stud event. In 2000, Ferguson finally got over the hump in a big way, capturing first in Event #9, another limit seven card stud event. He proceeded to top that off by winning the granddaddy of poker tournaments, the 2000 WSOP Main Event. Bringing home $1.5 and his second WSOP bracelet, Ferguson finally could breathe a sigh of relief; his five year conquest of WSOP glory had finally ended successfully.
The 2000 WSOP Main Event final table wasn’t a cakewalk for Ferguson, either. Is any WSOP final table ever easy? TJ Cloutier finished as the runner up, taking home just under $900,000 for his efforts. Cloutier, who first won a WSOP bracelet back in 1987, had added another one to his repertoire in 1998. Steve Kaufman cashed in his first WSOP by finishing third in the Main Event and Hasan Habib cashed for the third time in 25 WSOP events in 2000 by taking home fourth. “Captain” Tom Franklin won his first WSOP bracelet in the 1999 WSOP and finished eighth in the 2000 Main Event. Franklin first cashed in a World Series in 1990.
Other finishes in the 2000 WSOP Main Event included a tenth place showing by Annie Duke, Mike Sexton’s 12th place finish, Kathy Leibert’s 17th place finish, and Barry Greenstein’s 31st place showing. Mel Judah, Humberto Brenes, and Hung La all cashed as well.
Ferguson had a dozen WSOP cashes before winning his first WSOP bracelet. In Event #9, the final table included Kevin Song and Al DeCarlo, who Ferguson defeated heads up. Though his first bracelet resulted in a cash one-tenth the size of his WSOP Main Event take, I’d wager that it meant just a little bit more.
Poker legend Johnny Chan, who would tutor 2006 WSOP Main Event Champion Jamie Gold to victory several years later, won a bracelet of his own in 2000 in a $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event. He defeated Josh Arieh heads up for his sixth WSOP bracelet. Chan won his first bracelet 15 years earlier in 1985 and also won in 1987, 1988, 1994, and 1997. Chau Chang and Erik Seidel also cashed in the event, themselves two of the very best poker players in existence.
In a battle of old school versus new school, Phil Ivey defeated Amarillo Slim in Event #14, a $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha tournament. Ivey walked away $195,000 richer; Slim took home $97,500. Amarillo Slim, along with Doyle Brunson, have been playing poker for longer than most people reading this have been alive. In fact, Amarillo Slim won his first WSOP bracelet in 1972. He also captured titles in 1974, 1985, and 1990.
In Event #21, a Limit Omaha Hi/Lo tournament, Howard Lederer captured his first WSOP bracelet. He had been cashing in WSOP events since 1987, but managed to be shut out of the winner’s circle until 2000. Lederer defeated Allen Cunningham heads up and Layne Flack finished third. Needless to say, it was an experienced final three. Ferguson and Judah also made the final table in that event, which drew 99 entries.
It’s hard to look past the 2000 WSOP. Established legends today made a name for themselves in the event, which was quickly growing in popularity.