This past week at the 2007 World Series of Poker saw some of the most famous names in the poker world capture WSOP bracelets. If you’re a poker fan, these are the guys you watch night in and night out. They are two of the names you associate with the word poker. One of these players hadn’t tasted WSOP gold since 2002; the other was on a four year dry spell. Their names, you ask? Mike Matusow and Daniel Negreanu. Two talkative players with different personalities at the table, Matusow and Negreanu rose to the top of Events #18 and #20. Today, they are the talk of the town at the Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.
Matusow, a Full Tilt Poker pro, marched through a talented final table en route to a $537,857 payday in the $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball rebuy event (#18). In a game few play, only 85 players entered. However, the final table was packed full of the top names poker has to offer. Matusow defeated Jeffrey Lisandro heads up. Lisandro won a gold bracelet in the 2007 WSOP, taking down a $2,000 Seven Card Stud tournament. He’s also widely known for his verbal argument with Prahlad Friedman during the 2006 WSOP Main Event, when the two sparred over a missing 5,000 chip ante. Rounding out the top three finishers in the event was Barry Greenstein, who took home $225,553. Greenstein is a two-time WSOP bracelet winner.
Finishing fourth in the 2-7 Lowball tournament was Erick Lindgren, who nabbed his first WSOP bracelet in Event #4. Tony G, David Benyamine, Tom Dwan, David Grey, Nick Schulman, and Michael Binger also cashed. The top 14 finishers made the money. The field, though smaller than other WSOP events, was the largest No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball tournament in WSOP history. The best possible hand a player can have is 2-3-4-5-7 (hence the deuce to seven name). Straights and flushes count. Matusow said after the tournament concluded, “I don’t know a lot about this game, I know a lot more about Hold ‘Em. I kept my patience, and I never gave up. I played against 84 of the best players in the world. I played real good, and I never say that about myself. I’m proud of myself.”
Matusow recorded his first WSOP bracelet since the 2002 World Series of Poker. He commented on his new persona: “The old Mike blamed everyone else for his bad luck. The new Mike says there is no such thing as bad luck, you make your own luck. This is a reward for hard work. I’m in another world right now. I’m in Cloud Nine, Ten, Eleven. Mike’s back. I’m a happy man.”
Negreanu’s win came in Event #20, a $2,000 limit hold’em tournament. In a style of poker that allows you ample opportunities to try and catch straight and flush draws, Negreanu maneuvered through a field of 479 players and cashed for $204,874. It was Negreanu’s fourth bracelet and his first since the 2004 WSOP. He also captured hardware in 2003 and 1998. Amazingly, Event #20 marked his third cash at the young 2008 World Series of Poker.
Negreanu, a PokerStars pro, defeated Ugur Marangoz heads up, who cashed in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event. Online phenomenon David Baker finished third, winning $78,264. He’s won a bevy of online tournaments on PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. He also made the final table of the $1,500 limit hold’em shootout last year.
The World Series of Poker Main Event starts on July 3rd from the Rio in Las Vegas. In the meantime, stay up to date on the latest news and events from the world’s largest poker tournament at MacPoker.net.