WSOP Champions Invitational Recap – Tom McEvoy Wins

As a special attraction, 20 past Main Event Champions gathered at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino on Sunday and Monday to play the Champions Invitational. This is the list of champions that played in the event with the year that they won the Main Event:

Peter Eastgate (2008)
Jerry Yang (2007)
Jamie Gold (2006)
Joe Hachem (2005)
Greg Raymer (2004)
Chris Moneymaker (2003)
Robert Varkonyi (2002)
Carlos Mortensen (2001)
Chris Ferguson (2000)
Scotty Nguyen (1998)
Huck Seed (1996)
Dan Harrington (1995)
Jim Bechtel (1993)
Brad Daugherty (1991)
Phil Hellmuth (1989)
Johnny Chan (1987, 1988)
Berry Johnston (1986)
Tom McEvoy (1983)
Doyle Brunson (1976, 1977)
Amarillo Slim Preston (1972)

Just before the event, most of the players in the event gathered to have a group picture taken. Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the WSOP had this to say, “I still have a chill running through my spine. In four years of the WSOP, this is the greatest moment I’ve ever seen. The group here truly represents the Mt. Rushmore of poker.” The players in this event were playing for the top prize of the Binion Cup and a 1970 Corvette.

At the time the event kicked off, Greg Raymer was still in the $40,000 NL Holdem Event, so he came over for the kickoff and then ran back to the 40k event.

The first player eliminated was Jamie Gold. He lost most of his chips via a jacks vs. kings confrontation with Carlos Mortensen. He was eliminated a few hands later. Chris Moneymaker was the next to exit. He never really got anything going in this event and was soon eliminated.

Jerry Yang finished in 18th when his pocket aces got cracked by the pocket queens of Scotty Nguyen. Nguyen spiked a queen on the turn and Jerry Yang fades back into relative obscurity. Peter Eastgate would then knock out Amarillo Slim in 17th with pocket queens against Slim’s A-9 of hearts.

Greg Raymer was our 16th place finisher. He pushed with A-9 offsuit and ran into the pocket kings of Carlos Mortensen. Granted, Raymer didn’t really play that much since he had the $40,000 bracelet to worry about. Brad Daugherty was the next player eliminated when he took pocket 9’s against Chris Ferguson’s pocket jacks. Scotty Nguyen would finish 14th when he ran pocket 10’s into the pocket jacks of Tom McEvoy.

Chris Ferguson was looking for a miracle and received none when he ran his A-K into the pocket aces of Carlos Mortensen. The board missed both players and Ferguson ascended to the rail. Johnny Chan was then all-in on a 10-7-K-J board holding K-Q. Jim Bechtel called showing pocket aces and the aces held to send Chan home.

Joe Hachem was the final bustout for Day 1 of the event. He was all-in on a 7-9-K board with Q-9. Doyle Brunson made the call with K-10 and the kings were good enough to send Hachem home and end play for the day.

Day two started with 10 players returning to try and win the Binion Cup and 1970 corvette. This is how the final 10 players stood entering play:

(Seat 1) Berry Johnston — 7,625
(Seat 2) Carlos Mortensen — 42,375
(Seat 3) Peter Eastgate — 18,425
(Seat 4) Robert Varkonyi — 13,450
(Seat 5) Tom McEvoy — 31,000
(Seat 6) Huck Seed — 15,400
(Seat 7) Dan Harrington — 19,975
(Seat Phil Hellmuth — 1,125
(Seat 9) Jim Bechtel — 30,475
(Seat 10) Doyle Brunson — 20,250

The very first hand saw Hellmuth put his meager 1,125 to risk with 10-5 against the pocket ducks of Carlos Mortensen. Hellmuth would pick up a broadway draw on the turn, but the river missed him and Hellmuth would have to cheese for the cameras another day.

Peter Eastgate was our ninth place finisher when he moved all-in pre-flop with 8-7 and met a quick call by Dan Harrington and pocket aces. Eastgate flopped an open ended straight draw, but the turn and river failed to complete his draw.

Doyle Brunson was then all-in for his tournament life with A-2 of hearts after flopping a flush draw. Tom McEvoy called with pocket jacks. The crowd was rooting for a heart to hit the board, but neither a heart nor an ace would come and Doyle headed out in 8th.

Berry Johnston was eliminated in 7th. He ran Q-J of spades into the pocket sixes of Carlos Mortensen. Johnston would pick up a flush draw on the flop and a straight draw on the turn, but the river missed him and he headed to the rail.

Huck Seed was next to follow when his K-J was out run by the K-Q of Carlos Mortensen. Mortensen would flop a queen and that was good enough to end Seed’s run. It seemed that nobody could do anything to stop Carlos Mortensen, but Jim Bechtel found a way. Carlos Mortensen was all-in on a flop of A-3-4 with A-Q. Bechtel made the call and showed pocket threes for a flopped set. The turn left Mortensen drawing dead and eliminated.

Tom McEvoy would then eliminate Bechtel after his A-K sucked out against Bechtel’s pocket kings. McEvoy would flop and ace and would move up to 120,000 in chips. By the dinner break, McEvoy would slide a bit. At the dinner break, McEvoy led with 87,600. Dan Harrington was next with 68,400 and Robert Varkonyi was still hanging around with 44,000 in chips.

After dinner, Robert Varkonyi was able to double-up through Dan Harrington to leave him with around 20,000 in chips. Finally, Harrington was all-in with pocket nines on a board of A-Q-4. Tom McEvoy made the call with K-Q suited and his queens held to send Harrington out in 3rd.

At this point, McEvoy held nearly a 3 to 1 chip lead over Varkonyi. Varkonyi really never stood a chance. On the last hand, Varkonyi chose to shove on a board of 7-5-8-6 holding J-5. McEvoy made the call and showed 10-9 for the nut straight and it was all over.

Tom McEvoy is the winner of the Champions Invitational. He received the Binion Cup from former Binion’s Horseshoe owner Jack Binion as well as a 1970 Corvette.

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