So now we wait. The 2009 WSOP Main Event has narrowed the field from thousands all across the world (and cyberspace) to the final table. Why we have to wait months is certainly questionable, but nevertheless a fact of life for all poker fans at this time. Yes, the delay is awkward. Not sure what the point of cutting up the tension, excitement and anxiety into two portions, almost like it’s the Matrix trilogy and their making us wait 6 months for the sequel, but what are you gonna do.
Of course, the big name left is Phil Ivey, the consummate professional. The face of poker. The Tiger Woods of the green felt. And after all those things, he’s still yet to win the big one at the World Series, so you can bank on him returning ultra-focused and ready to complete the kill. Many lesser players wouldn’t consider their careers complete without taking home the title on the biggest stage the game has to offer, so you can imagine how long Phil has waited and how hard he’s worked to get here.
And all the signs and experts point to this delay working in his favor. Why? For one, the other players aren’t the names Phil is, and they don’t have the bankroll. So, in the interim, they might very well lose a good amount of the money they’d won so far. This is the quickest and most painful way to shatter your confidence, especially when in a few short months you’ll be put back under the brightest lights in the game.
Also, it gives all of them time to think. But Ivey of FullTiltPoker.net has shown he’s a stone cold surgeon with the mental sharpness and toughness to get through any such challenge. As for everyone else, they have a full season to think about sitting across from Ivey’s dagger eyes when the cards come out again.
And finally, Ivey is in a decent position with his chips. The blinds will be an incredible $150K/$300K when the game resumes, and while Ivey won’t have the chip lead (in fact he’s in fourth), he’ll have enough to work with to score a huge win and put himself into that top tier of stacks. That doesn’t mean he has to take a huge chance right off the bat, but eventually he will have to make a move or risk being marginalized while they keep chopping parts of his leg off.