2008 WSOP - Return of the Professional Poker Player

This year’s WSOP has been a lot of fun to watch. We have players like Barry Greenstein, Eric Lindgren, Daniel Negreanu, and Nenad Medic all make final tables and ultimately take down first prize and the bracelet. It looks like the professional players have made the transition and have figured out how to counter the hyper-aggressive style of many of the online qualifiers in these tournaments. They are reclaiming their place amongst the elite in the largest poker tournament in the world.We used to say that the fields are so large that the pro’s would have a difficult time winning at the WSOP. Not anymore. Even last year, with Scotty Nguyens collapse, he was still one stupid move away from making the final table and actually having a great chance to win it all. Scotty lost his damn mind on that hand but I still love him. I’d bet he will never pull that one again no matter how many Michelob’s he drinks.

Over the years much has been written about how we would never see the professional players winning bracelets as frequently as we did in the past but all that seems to have changed this year. Apparently you can teach old dogs new tricks. I know we are only half way done with the 2008 WSOP and still have a ways to go but my money is on the professional players this time around. The game has changed and the pro’s have made the adjustments.

Hold on to your seat belts. I think we are in for a nice ride.

Curtis III