$1,500 Razz Final Table Preview
Jun 15, '08
The $1,500 Razz final table starts today at 3 pm local time and here is a look at the final eight players and their starting chip counts…
Christopher Viox of Glen Carbon, Illinois comes to this final table first in chips (359,500) and with some prior WSOP experience. This will be Christopher’s fourth cash and second WSOP final table. Viox cashed in both the ‘06 and ‘07 Main Event, and placed third in ‘06 $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em event, taking home his biggest prize to date of $85,904. Christopher Viox has over a quarter million dollars in live action tournament winnings and comes here tonight looking for both his first bracelet and his first six-figure cash.
Barry Greenstein, affectionately known as “Bear”, comes to his second WSOP final table of the year second in chips (243,000), and looking to score his third gold bracelet. One of the game’s most recognizable faces, this is Greenstein’s twelfth WSOP final table and 34th overall WSOP cash, making him 55th on the WSOP all-time money list. Greenstein now has over $6 million in live tournament winnings and in addition to his success at the World Series, Greenstein has three WPT Championships under his belt. As respected away from the game as he is feared on the table, Greenstein is considered one of the industry’s greatest philanthropists, donating his poker winnings to charity and earning himself the nickname, “Robin Hood of Poker”.
Brandon Leeds of Phoenix, Arizona comes to this final table third in chips (206,500), and with only two prior WSOP cashes, Leeds comes here tonight locking down the biggest cash of his career with a guaranteed $13,382 ninth place pay-out.
Joseph Michael of Austin, Texas has three lifetime WSOP cashes, all in 2007, and spread out over a wide variety of games. This will be Michael’s first final table and with 155,000 (4th) in chips, and although Michael might be one of the least experienced players at table, he has more than enough fire power to hold his ground.
Archie “The Greek” Karas is one of the world’s most infamous gamblers, and is said by many to be the world’s biggest loser. In his lifetime, Karas is rumored to have gone from broke to over $25 million, and then back to broke again. Karas built up a formidable bankroll as a pool hustler, moving on to poker, and eventually ending up at Binion’s Horsehoe Casino in 1993 where he challenged the greatest poker players in the world to the greatest stakes of all time. Chip Reese, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan…at one time or another, “The Greek” had beat them all. Karas then took an eight-figure bankroll to the craps pits and started rolling the dice at a million dollars a toss. One time on Mr. Karas’ Wild Ride, he had won all of the Horseshoe’s $5,000 chips, and Binion had to buy them all back from him. Karas comes to the table fifth in chips with 113,000. This is Karas’ third WSOP cash and third final table, all of which have come in some variation of stud.
Local resident, Mark Tenner of Henderson, Nevada comes to his first WSOP final table with 120,000 in chips (6th) and four prior WSOP cashes. Tenner cashed in this event in 2005, with his most impressive finish coming in the main event of that same year. Tenner has just over $108,500 in live winnings, and is eagerly looking forward to adding to that number here tonight. This is Tenner’s fifth WSOP in-the-money finish and his first final table.
Chris Klodnicki of Worhees, New Jersey comes to the final table as one of the short stacks (7th) with 105,000 in chips. This is Klodnicki’s second WSOP cash and his first final table. His most impressive finish coming at the EPT’s Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure of this year, Klodnicki came in 35th place and cashed for $32,000. Klodnicki has guaranteed himself a five figure cash here tonight, escalating his live tournament winnings into six-figure territory.
Mike Wattel is a true veteran of the game with 16 WSOP cashes, ten final tables and one bracelet. Going after his second here today, Wattel has a lot of obstacles to overcome and a major chip deficit as the short stack with only 74,000. This is Wattel and Karas’ second WSOP final table together. Wattel finished 5th and Karas finished 4th in this very same event just three years ago in 2005. In fact, this is Wattel’s fourth time at the final table in this event since 1999. Even with the minimum, Mike Wattel has just hit a pivotal moment in his career. This final table guarantees Wattel enough prize money to break the million dollar mark and grant him exclusive access in the poker-made millionaires club. Wattel is clearly one of the biggest threats at this table, and with his chip count down, don’t count him out because experience counts for a lot in this game and Wattel has plenty of it.
Player Tags: Barry Greenstein, Michael Wattel, Mark Tenner, Archie Karas, Chris Klodnicki, Chris Viox, Brandon Leeds, Joseph Michael
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