June 23rd, 2008
A very hot Annie Duke, poker pro
This year’s WSOP started out as one of the best in years for female players. With three women making four final tables in the first 25 events, it looked like it would be the best year ever.
Kathy Liebert was the first to advance to a final table, finishing third in the $10,000 world championship Pot Limit Holdem Event #1. Next was Vanessa Selbst winning the $1500 Pot-Limit Omaha event #19; she followed that up by finishing third in the $10,000 World Championship Heads-Up event #25. Jennifer Harman then made the final table of the $3000 HORSE event # 22.
It has slowed down for the women since then. There has only been one other woman to make a final table over the next 15 events. Annie Duke finished fifth in the $5,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event #33, almost winning the second WSOP bracelet of her career.
June 16th, 2008
Women have made a big splash at the 2008 WSOP and nobody has made a bigger splash so far than poker professional Vanessa Selbst, who won the $1500 pot limit Omaha event #18 ($227,933). Vanessa didn’t stop there, either; she finished third in the $10,000 Heads Up Championship, winning $108,288 three days later. Selbst has won over $600,000 in the last two years, and has had her coming out party at this year’s WSOP as one of the best female players in the world.
Kathy Liebert just missed wining her second WSOP bracelet when she came in third in event #1, winning $306,000 in the process. She already has four cashes this year. Jennifer Harman finished eighth in event #22, $3000 HORSE. She earned $30,851, and would have won her third bracelet if she could have prevailed. Svetlana “Glum Girl” Gromenkova won the $1000 Ladies event #15. She took home $244,702 and her first WSOP bracelet.
June 9th, 2008
Jose Canseco is hoping to pick up a WSOP bracelet this year.
The main event at the World Series of Poker attracts more and more celebrities every year. Some have already made their mark on the poker scene, so BodogLife.com is offering action on which celebrity will go the deepest in the main event this year. There are 18 different celebrities, both actors and sports figures, from which to choose.
Getting the best odds at 5/1 are James Woods, Shannon Elizabeth, Jennifer Tilly and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. They spend more time on tour than other celebrities, and have had notable cashes in the past. Boris Becker, Ben Affleck, Norm MacDonald and Don Cheadle come in at 9/1.
Others come in at 14/1, and long shots like Jose Canseco, Lennox Lewis, Penn Gillette and Hank Azaria are only getting 30/1. James Woods and Jennifer Tilly are probably the best bets out of the entire list. They would likely boast the most playing experience over the last few years.
June 2nd, 2008
Frankly, the idea of a woman winning the WSOP main event is simply a far-fetched notion. There are a handful of women that are certainly good enough to win it, but the overall percentage of women compared to men is very small. You can get WSOP odds for a woman to make the final table, or you can bet on one particular woman going deeper than the others, but I haven’t found much action on a woman actually winning it.
If I had to pick one worthy candidate it would be Jennifer Harman. She is the best female poker player overall, and she would be able to handle the pressure of the final table. She plays in the biggest cash games in the world. I think she would handle the late stages better than other woman.
If I had to pick another dark horse it would be the experienced Kathy Liebert. She has the ability to win it all as well.
