| |
Binion's Back in International Poker With 'Binion's Poker Classic' in Fall 2006
Published: 2005-07-15
 Binion's Back in International Poker With 'Binion's Poker Classic' in Fall 2006
Friday July 15, 2:29 pm ET
Birthplace of World Series of Poker to Host New Tournament in Historic Poker Room in Downtown Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel in Downtown Las Vegas, the birthplace of the World Series of Poker, will return to international poker competition in Fall 2006 with a new tournament, Binion's Poker Classic.
At a news conference today at the historic hotel/casino, Binion's General Manager Brian Eby and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced that the Binion's Poker Classic will be a major tournament for the world's top players.
"No single name has ever been more associated with the game of poker than Binion's. We will again host the world's best players in the exact place where it all started 35 years ago," Eby said.
"Binion's Poker Classic will re-establish Downtown Las Vegas as the poker center of the world. And, an event of this magnitude will continue to revitalize the growth of Downtown," Mayor Goodman said.
Eby said that specific details of the tournament such as the number of events and entries, buy-ins and cash prizes will be announced by August 1. "But, Binion's is definitely back in the game and poker players as well as our thousands of loyal customers and poker fans will feel that as soon as they walk in the room," he said.
In 1970, the late Benny Binion, founder of Binion's, turned the Texas Gamblers Reunion into a bona fide poker tournament when he moved it from the Holiday Casino in Reno, Nev., to Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas. He named it the World Series of Poker although there were no events or official prize money. The first champion was Johnny Moss, who was elected by the other players.
In 1971 at the second annual World Series of Poker, Moss defeated five other players, won $30,000 in prize money and was declared the "world poker champion."
During the next three decades, Binion's became synonymous with the World Series of Poker. Every major player in the world came to Las Vegas, and Binion's, to try and claim the title.
In 2004, Harrah's Entertainment bought the Horseshoe and took over the WSOP. Under the purchase agreement, the 2005 WSOP finals will be held at Binion's today, Friday, July 15. The finals will be televised on the ESPN network. The tournament finals will be broadcast live throughout Binion's.
Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel is owned and operated by MTR Gaming Group, Inc. MTR Gaming Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester, West Virginia; Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio; the Ramada Inn and Speedway Casino in North Las Vegas, Nevada; and Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more information and/or to make hotel reservations, guests may contact Binion's at (702) 382-1600 or (800) 937-6537 or visit www.binionspokerclassic.com.
| |
Five players left at final table of World Series of Poker
Published: 2005-07-16
 Five players left at final table of World Series of Poker
By Adam Goldman / Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Only five players remained at the frenzied final table of the World Series of Poker's main event on Friday night, each hoping to win the grandest prize in the game: $7.5 million accompanied by unrivaled poker fame.
The final group of nine emerged from a field of 5,619 gamblers. They had survived eight days of mind-numbing poker, overcoming unlucky cards, bad beats and Darth Vaderesque stares.
When the first cards were dealt Friday at Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel in downtown Las Vegas, each player was capable of taking poker's most coveted bracelet -- if he was willing to make some of the toughest calls of his life.
After Daniel Bergsdorf and Scott Lazar were eliminated, chip leader Andrew Black had $21.7 million, Tex Barch had $12.5 million, Aaron Kanter $10.3 million, Steven Dannenmann $6.5 million and Joseph Hachem $5.1 million.
Everyone who began the day at the table was guaranteed at least $1 million when the 36th annual no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament finally ended.
Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, a well-known professional player, had been considered a favorite.
But on the second hand, Matusow lost more than half of his stack after Lazar called his all-in. Lazar doubled up, beating Matusow's king-high flush with an ace-high flush. Matusow, who finished sixth in the main event in 2001 and 87th last year, was stunned by the outcome. Still, he maintained his composure and avoided one of his infamous meltdowns.
Shortly after, Matusow couldn't top a better hand and was the first finalist to leave the table. Dannenmann caught a straight to top Matusow's pocket 10s, relegating one of the tournament's favorites to ninth place.
"I played the six best days of poker in my life," Matusow said. "I'm going to bed happy."
Law student Brad Kondracki finished eighth and Bergsdorf, a Swedish truck driver, was seventh.
Kondracki, 24, didn't take his defeat too hard.
"I'll probably drink way too much and wake up and buy something really expensive that I don't need," Kondracki said.
| | |
English
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Pусский
Svenska