The Story of the 1998 WSOP Main Event
In 1998, the loss of a champion off the table was offset by the emergence of a new figure who would reinvigorate poker. The World Series of Poker once again descended on Las Vegas as Binion’s Horseshoe hosted a record 350 WSOP Main Event players. With three of the final eight players coming from overseas, the 1998 World Series was an event to remember… baby.
Kid Poker Wins First WSOP Crown
The 1998 edition of the World Series of Poker featured 20 preliminary events for players from around the world to come to Las Vegas. Three players from outside the United States, who had earned respect over the years, were among the early winners of the bracelets. Irish player Donnacha O’Dea won the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event , one of three events at the WSOP that year to feature a buy-in. It was the first and, to date, only time O’Dea won a bracelet. Frenchman Patrick Bruel also won his first and only bracelet in Event #19: $5,000 Limit Hold’em
Another player from outside the United States won the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em event, Event #9. Daniel Negreanu won the event, earning his first WSOP bracelet. A future icon of the game—and GGPoker Ambassador—’Kid Poker’, as he was known, became a familiar figure at the WSOP and could later be seen cheering on the eventual world champion in the final $1 million match. Canadian player Negreanu took home $169,640 after defeating British player Dominic Burke in a duel at the final table, which also featured Chris Ferguson.
In other first-place events, Doyle Brunson won his eighth WSOP bracelet, taking gold in the $1,500 Seven-Card Razz event, Event #2, defeating Ray Dehkharghani in a duel, with 1986 WSOP Main Event champion Berry Johnston eliminated in third place. TJ Cloutier won the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event, Event #11, while Erik Seidel won the $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw event, Event #16.
Another Canadian player, Amanda Commanda, won the Women’s Event. Exactly 100 players entered the $1,000 event, a buy-in that will last until the next millennium. Thompson’s victory over Jerri Thomas earned her the top prize of $40,000—the largest prize in the event to date.
Những người chiến thắng vòng đeo tay khác từ năm đó bao gồm Farzad Bonyadi (Sự Kiện #1: $2,000 Limit Hold’em), Mikael Shadkin (Sự Kiện #3: $1,500 Limit Omaha), Kirk Morrison (Sự Kiện #4: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud), Tom Hufnagle (Sự Kiện #6: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo), Jeff Ross (Sự Kiện #7: $2,000 No Limit Hold’em), Chau Giang (Sự Kiện #8: $2,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo), Artie Cobb (Sự Kiện #10: $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud), Bill Gempel (Sự Kiện #12: $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo), David Chiu (Sự Kiện #13: $3,000 Limit Hold’em), Paul Rowe (Sự Kiện #14: $3,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo), Steve Rydel (Sự Kiện #15: $3,000 Pot Limit Hold’em), Kevin Buntjer (Sự Kiện #17: $3,000 No Limit Hold’em), và Jan Chen (Sự Kiện #18: $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud)
Chẳng bao lâu, đã đến lúc diễn ra Sự Kiện Chính WSOP phá kỷ lục năm 1998.
Một Anh Hùng Bị Lãng Quên và Hai ‘Rounders’
Stu Ungar đã làm nên lịch sử năm trước bằng cách giành chiến thắng Sự Kiện Chính WSOP lần thứ ba của mình. Anh là người chơi duy nhất giành chiến thắng sự kiện chính ba lần tại bàn chơi. Nhưng Stuey đã bị lãng quên, một chú thích trong sách lịch sử, vào năm 1998 khi anh không thể bảo vệ danh hiệu của mình. Đáng buồn thay, anh được tìm thấy đã chết trong một phòng trọ vài tháng sau khi giành chiến thắng sự kiện chính. Tuy nhiên, trong Giải Vô Địch Thế Giới 1998, hai khách mời đặc biệt đã làm lu mờ nỗi buồn của việc thiếu vắng một anh hùng poker.
Vào tháng 9 năm 1998, Ed Norton và Matt Damon đã đóng vai chính trong bộ phim poker Rounders. Chỉ vài tháng trước khi ra mắt điện ảnh, hai ngôi sao đã ngồi vào bàn chơi trong Sự Kiện Chính trị giá $10,000. Matt Damon cuối cùng đã thua với đôi vua trước Doyle Brunson, người đang cầm đôi át, trong khi Norton thấy bộ ba của mình bị đánh bại trên sông bởi Surinder Sunar, người có bộ mười đã cải thiện thành bộ tứ. Cả hai người đều biết họ sẽ không thể đánh bại các chuyên gia, nhưng họ đã thu thập được một câu chuyện tuyệt vời và truyền lại cho người hâm mộ.
Sự Kiện Chính có 350 người tham gia—một kỷ lục mới—và trả thưởng cho 27 người chơi. Những ngôi sao như Jack Keller (22nd for $25,000), Thor Hansen (21st for $25,000), Kathy Liebert (17th for $30,000), Bobby Hoff (12th for $40,000), và người chơi Pháp Marc Brochard (8th for $75,000) đều không giành được danh hiệu nhưng đã có lợi nhuận.
Bàn cuối cùng bắt đầu với năm người chơi thay vì sáu sau khi Scotty Nguyen tạo ra một bộ bài để loại bỏ một cặp người Anh, Jan Lundberg và Ben Roberts, với đôi mười và đôi át, tương ứng, khi lá bài river là hai rô hoàn thành bộ bài cao át-queen của Nguyen.
Hoàng Tử Poker Giành Vương Miện
With five players remaining, Scotty Nguyen held a clear lead of 1,184,000 in chips, representing 33% of the chips in play. Kevin McBride (873,000) and TJ Cloutier (829,000) were closest to the lead, while Dewey Weum (376,000) and Lee Salem (240,000) both started the final table with much lower chip counts. Unsurprisingly, Salem was the first to go, with $190,000. Dewey Weum followed, taking home $250,000 when Kevin McBride’s king-jack of diamonds all-in against Weum’s ace-seven. The two kings on the flop left Weum in his jacket as Binion’s packed room roared in approval.
“Give Dewey credit here,” Phil Hellmuth said in commentary, “He had the best hand for a $300,000 pot, he just lost the hand.”
Taking over from his father Dick, Vince Van Patten took over the action in 1998 and enjoyed the expansion of the WSOP. The first million-chip pot of the series saw TJ Cloutier hold a king-queen flop of 7-5-4, but Kevin McBride called with jack-nine of spades for a flush draw. McBride hit a jack on the turn to send Cloutier home for $437,500. All three players who left the final table were eliminated by Kevin McBride, a rookie who entered the final round with a slight chip lead.
The Last Two Baby!
Nguyen fought his way back into the lead. In the final hand of the tournament, Nguyen was holding jack-nine—the same hand that McBride had luckily eliminated Cloutier with. With a dramatic community run of 9-9-8-8-8, McBride was playing the cards on the table, but Nguyen had a higher hand, and if he could get McBride to call, he would win the championship.
Scotty made the only move he could and pushed all in. Picking up his beer and taking a sip, he told McBride, “You call, it’s over, baby.”
Almost immediately, McBride took the bait. “I call; I play the hand on the table. You have a nine?”
Nguyen turned over his winning card, nines full of eights, and it was really all over.
“I did it!” Scotty shouted. “Time to party, baby! We did it, man.”
Mike Matusow and Daniel Negreanu stood on the fence, applauding enthusiastically. But the winner was Nguyen. McBride was disappointed but polite, finishing second with $687,500, after winning a $420 satellite ticket.
“I don’t think he was telling me the truth. He was – it was a great move by Scotty. That’s what made me call the hand. If he hadn’t said that, I would have folded.”
“This is my dream,” Scotty said. “This is my dream come true and I’m proud of it. Number one, man.”
| Location | Players | Nation | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Scotty Nguyen | USA | $1,000,000 |
| 2nd | Kevin McBride | USA | $687,500 |
| 3rd | TJ Cloutier | USA | $437,500 |
| 4th | Dewey Weum | USA | $250,000 |
| 5th | Laith Salem | USA | $190,000 |
| 6th | Ben Roberts | Older brother | $150,000 |
1997 WSOP Main Event 1999 WSOP Main Event
About the Author: Paul Seaton