PokerNews reporter Chad Holloway earned the first bracelet of the 2013 WSOP early this morning (Photo: PokerNews)
The 2013 World Series of Poker is well underway, with the first events having kicked off on Wednesday. The daily schedule is already starting to get crowded with four different events in action today and five tomorrow. Meanwhile just hours ago the first bracelet of this summer's Series has been won, with the winner being someone very familiar to those us who spend our time covering the tourney circuit, as PokerNews Senior Editor Chad Holloway took down Event No. 1, the $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em event.
While the record-keeping from three decades ago is somewhat sketchy, an early, initial version of the Casino Employees Event took place from 1983 to 1985 as a $1,000 buy-in tournament then labeled the "Casino Operators" event. Ted Binion (son of Benny) won the tournament in 1983 and 1985, triumphed over a field of 10 players each time, and Sandy Stupak (wife of Bob) bested 14 in 1984.
The event appears to have been discontinued thereafter, then returned in 2000 and has remained part of the schedule ever since. The buy-in has been kept at $500 since its reintroduction, making it the lowest buy-in bracelet event on the schedule. Most years it has appeared as the first event of the WSOP, thereby giving the tournament and its winner special prominence. (Only in 2008 was the Casino Employees Event saved until the very end of the Series.)
In 2000 the event was called the "Dealers Championship," then the next couple of years it was called the "Employee Event" before being permanently changed to the "Casino Employees Event" in 2003. From 2000-2003 it was played as a fixed-limit tournament, then in 2004 became a no-limit hold'em tournament, the format in which it has been played ever since.
Turnouts for the event followed the general trend of rapid growth from 2000 to 2006, starting at just 109 entrants in 2000 and peaking at 1,232 entrants in 2006. Recent years have seen 700-800 players participating, with a jump this year to 898 to create a total prize pool of $404,100.
As the event's name indicates, eligibility to participate is limited to those who are work in some capacity for a casino. As contractors for Caesars Entertainment during the WSOP, PokerNews employees are allowed to play as well, and over the last couple of years several have done so.
Both Holloway and Josh Cahlik, another PokerNews reporter, were among the 55 players making it to Thursday's second and final day of play in the event, with Cahlik eventually going on to finish 12th for a $5,010 cash.
Squeezing a large-field tournament into just two days usually means a long second day for the Casino Employees Event, and this year was no exception as it was already past 9 p.m. local time last night when the final table began, with the final nine players all hailing from the United States.
Bobby Rooney enjoyed the chip lead by a wide margin at that point with more than 700,000 chips, nearly 300,000 ahead of Allan Kwong in second position while Holloway sat in third with just under 380,000.
Three eliminations rapidly followed, including Holloway knocking out Michael Trivett in eighth. By then Sean Small -- who made four final tables on the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit this year -- had become a short stack, and soon Holloway eliminated him in sixth place.
Daniel Ellery followed Small to the rail in fifth, and at four-handed Kwong had assumed a large chip lead with Holloway fourth out of four. That group battled on past midnight, with Holloway picking up pots along the way to climb up the counts and into first position. Then Brian Pingel lost the last of his stack to Bobby Rooney and they were down to three.
Three-handed play lasted another hour, then Kwong knocked out Rooney in a hand that saw Rooney all in and at risk with 10c-10h against the Ad-10s of Kwong. All was well for Rooney through the 9c-Kh-3s flop and 8d turn, but the Ac fell on fifth street to pair Kwong's ace, and they were down to two.
Holloway started heads-up play with about a 2-to-1 chip lead over Kwong, but the latter earned a big double-up to seize the advantage in a hand that saw all of the chips go in on a 4s-7d-5h flop. Kwong had Kh-7h for top pair of sevens while Holloway had 6d-5c for a lesser pair and an open-ended straight draw. The 6s came on the turn to give Holloway two pair, but the 4c on the river meant Kwong ended with the best hand.
Over the next hour Holloway chipped back to take the lead, then Kwong took it back, then Holloway grabbed it once again as play continued past 3 a.m. Finally a hand arose that saw Kwong raising from the button and Holloway calling, and a flop coming 5c-Qs-Qd. After Holloway checked, Kwong continued with a bet, then Holloway check-raised. Kwong responded with an all-in shove and Holloway called right away.
Kwong had Ad-Kh, but Holloway had Qh-9s for trip nines. The turn was the 10h, which meant Kwong was looking for a saving jack to make a straight. But the river brought the 2d, and Holloway had won.
"Today a dream of mine came true," tweeted Holloway afterwards as both members of the poker media and many players whom Holloway has covered over the last few years sent him their congratulations. Ironically, he'll be back at several WSOP final tables again starting this weekend, only as a reporter and not a player.
Chatting with my Betfair Poker cohort Matthew Pitt this morning, we discussed how we are both soon heading to the WSOP to join the PokerNews crew and help cover the remainder of the Series. We're both looking forward to getting to Las Vegas where we can congratulate our friend and colleague in person, as well as ask him if he might let us wear his lucky bird shirt at the tables.
2013 WSOP Event No. 1: $1,000 Casino Employees NLHE results:
1st: Chad Holloway -- $84,915
2nd: Allan Kwong -- $52,318
3rd: Robert Rooney -- $33,903
4th: Brian Pingel -- $24,811
5th: Daniel Ellery -- $18,426
6th: Sean Small -- $13,868
7th: Tyrone Smith -- $10,567
8th: Michael Trivett -- $8,146
9th: Hieu Le -- $6,348
In other WSOP news, Event No. 2, the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Eight-Handed event, has played down from a starting field of 481 to just 28, with Rafal Michalowski carrying the chip lead into Friday's final day of play. David Vamplew, Tom Marchese, and Joe Serock also occupy spots in the top 10, with Brian Rast, David Peters, Dan Kelly, and David "Doc" Sands among those lurking not far behind.
Meanwhile, Event No. 3, a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event that allowed for a single re-entry, got going yesterday as well. After both of the "Day 1" flights played out on Thursday, there were 1,821 entries all told for the event, with 660 players surviving to today's second day of the three-day event. Jerry Payne has the chip lead to start play today with Leo Wolpert, David Singer, Tony Dunst, and Josh Arieh also near the top of the counts.
Today the action heats up even more with the start of Event No. 4, the $1,500 NLHE Six-Handed event. The weekend schedule will be highlighted by the start of the much anticipated "Millionaire Maker" Event No. 6, the $1,500 NLHE event with a guaranteed first prize of $1 million.
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