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Just like the playground game of H.O.R.S.E., you need skill, imagination and the ability to perform under pressure in the WSOP's $50.000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E event.
On the asphalt, it takes a real boy/man to prevail in a game of H.O.R.S.E. On the green felt poker table it takes a real man to win the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament, as was evident last year when David “Chip” Reese triumphed over the 214 contestants to take down a cool $1,716,000 and the ever so sought-after gold and diamond bracelet. It was only fitting in this columnist’s eyes, because I think Chip is the best all around poker pro still active today and may be the best of all time, granted an argument can be made for Sarge Ferris or Stu Unger.
Most pros concentrate on one form of poker, the game they excel at (as well they should), but Chip took on ALL comers in hold-em, stud high or low or 8 or better, draw high or low, and deuce to 7 and even the anti poker… razz. It did not matter... deal him in! Chip was usually the one smiling at the end of the night (or morning) when everyone began stacking their chips and cashing out.
Like most of us have, or will, Chip has slowed down with age and plays less for shorter periods of time since the heady days four decades ago at the $5 & $10 stud games at the Sahara. But, look for a temporarily rejuvenated Chip to defend his H.O.R.S.E. Championship at the Rio starting on Sunday Jun 24th. There won’t be as many entrants as most of the other 54 events, because the $50,000 buy-in tourney takes a real man to play poker’s H.O.R.S.E. event, WSOP style.
Top Ten Bottom Ten
During last year’s WSOP I wrote a series of articles entitled "Five minutes with a Legend." At the conclusion of each interview I asked the poker pro legend to name nine in the case of hold-em or seven if stud was their forte’, which opponents they would NOT like to see seated with them at the final table of a tournament, in other words, who did they think were the best poker players that they had ever faced.
Below, I submit my list of the ten best players I have ever dealt to. A placing on my list may not only have to do with their poker ability, but also to the fact that they may have contributed generously to my rent, car and alimony payments…
I also offer my “bottom” ten players, of which I could not have never dealt to and been a happy man, but that’s all a part of the game that every dealer has and will go through. I will say this though… players today can not get away with their antics of yesteryear because of the house protection of the dealers. I believe this is the single biggest improvement in poker rooms country wide in the last twenty years… anyway here goes.
Keep in mind, I started dealing in 1970 and “burned and turned” for the last time in 1989. Included in this period of time, I had a couple of stints as a floor-man (Silver City and Sam’s Town) in between, so most of my top and bottom ten will be old school players, matter of fact, most have gone to the great “no rake or time” game in the sky, however in some cases they went in the other direction and Satan himself is their dealer.
The 10 BEST:
Chagra could not match up ability-wise to the nine above him, but he sure was “George.” Also qualifying in the “George” department as well as nearly making the top ten are Jesse Alto and my all time favorite Brian “Sailor” Roberts.
Most of my top ten had facets they excelled in, mentioned earlier, Stuie and Sarge were the best all around card players besides poker, they constantly took down the $$$ in Gin Rummy, Hearts and other “short card” games. Treetop the best no-limit player (and toker), Doyle the best combo (no-limit and limit) player, Ray Zee, gave the appearance of a clown and a "live one" to unsuspecting players, but is a real “snake in the grass” at the river. Puggy was the best stud player I can remember. Johnny Moss was the greatest pre-1975 player PERIOD! In the case of Yoshi and Chip, they were two of the best at “Putting a player on a hand,” that I’ve see. In fact, VCO Founder and Publisher Marleen Marino, likes to tell of the times she would sit behind and sweat Chip during a seven card stud game in the mid '70s at the Sahara and how he would whisper to her “He has a 10 of spades and a Jack of diamonds in the hole” or “He’s got two 10s in the hole and back-doored a straight,” or “He’s slow playing his trip treys, so I’m mucking these Aces,” and damn, if he wasn’t right 90% of the time!
The “Bottom ten” list as you will see, has “dual qualifiers” but they are never the less included on both lists because they along with other “bad actors” did nothing for my bottom line, (or for that matter, any other dealer who had the misfortune to deal to them), or that questioned my heritage, or my relationship with my mother, or my sexual persuasion or threatened me with bodily harm and sometimes did do bodily harm by bouncing cards off my chest.
Fortunately the last two incidents never happened to ME, but other dealers can tell you stories of players spitting on them, OR, are you ready for this, urinating on them!
The Infamous Bottom Ten go something like this:
I only include myself because (I have been told by my poker player friends) I have been too critical of many dealers who have as much right to be a dealer as I do to be a nuclear physicist. Sarge and Jimmy Casella are included because they were just "out right" mean and supposedly “connected.” To quote one of my favorite poker personalities “Chicken Man” Cantrell, “You mess with them, you’re likely to wake up with a Groundhog for a mailman.”
#7, Brazile makes the list, not because I ever had any trouble with him, but because of the infamous “whizzing” incident!
Fortunately dealers do not have to put up with most of these guys anymore, because they are no longer able to fling cards or obscenities or even pee any longer, if you know what I mean…. |
I'd rather be lucky than good... Frank Marino
| These are the results from the 23rd - 30th events: | |
| Event 23: Pot Limit Omaha | |
| Event 24: World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better | |
| Event 25: No-Limit Hold'em | |
| Event 26: H.O.R.S.E. | |
| Event 27: No-Limit Hold'em | |
| Event 28: No-Limit Hold'em | |
| Event 29: Seven Card Razz | |
| Event 30: No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed | |
