Andrew Feldman

  (1:59 PM)

Hey everyone. Welcome to Wednesday's WSOP chat. Today's guest is Bluff's editor in chief Matthew Parvis. Submit the questions now, we'll get started in a minute

Matthew Parvis

  (2:01 PM)

Hey Everyone, thanks for tuning in! Hope the WSOP has been keeping you all entertained!

Marc in Atlanta

Based on the turnout we've seen thus far, what would you put the over/under at for the Main Event turnout?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:02 PM)

Im thinking we're going to get a bigger field than last year. If I had to put a number on it, I'd say 7400. Thats more than last year right? I hope so...

Andrew Feldman

  (2:03 PM)

7,400???? I'd love to see it...very ambitious.

Jimmy (NY)

Matthew - Who do you believe will be the breakout player of the WSOP?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:04 PM)

There are a ton of really great young players out there, so its hard to pick just one. If I were to put money on someone having a really great WSOP, I'd probably say Boosted J, Justin Smith

Matthew Parvis

  (2:05 PM)

I think he is putting a lot of pressure on himself to suceed this year, and has some side action on winning a bracelet

Pete (San Diego, CA)

Justin Bonomo and Greg Raymer were the biggest names at the 40K final table, were you surprised?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:07 PM)

I guess a little suprised there werent more recognizable faces, although some of the other players like Alec Torelli are pretty well known within the industry. But we did get both Greg Raymer, and Bonomo. I think Bonomo is one of the games great tournament players and we ill be seeing a lot more from him in the future, if not during this years WSOP

Matthew Parvis

  (2:07 PM)

It would have been nice though if one of them had taken it down...

Craig (Buffalo, NY)

We hear a lot about how some pros (Lindgren, durrr) stake other players, including at the WSOP. Why do you it is that some pros do a lot of staking, but others do it less or not at all?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:09 PM)

There are a few factors. First someone staking a lot of people has to have a huge bankroll, and the ability to manage there own money... which is tough for a lot of poker players. Secondly, these guys who stake have to have a lot of gamble in them. Think about staking 10-20 guys in the Main Event, thats investing 100-200K in a poker tournament, and it takes a lot of balls go full throttle with something like that.

Joe (Green Bay) [via mobile]

Matthew, what do I have to do to become part of the Bluff Team at the WSOP? I love following the action of poker tournaments and would be very interested in logging hands, doing live updates, etc.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:11 PM)

Well, Joe we get that question a lot. First of all, it helps if you are local in Vegas, as covering the WSOP is pretty expensive for any media entity. Bluff doesnt tend to do live updates, we focus more on getting the interesting stories from the floor throiught the day, but there is an email on bluffmagazine.com where you can email support, and try and submit a resume.

Justin (E. Brunswick, NJ)

What are the odds of someone pulling off 2+ bracelets this year? Seems like it happens every year, but with bigger fields should be getting harder and harder to do.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:14 PM)

wow, predicting the actual odds is tough, but as you said its happened every year now for quite a while, so I'd have to say the odds are pretty good. It basically comes down to the specialty game events though, where the fields are smaller. For instance, today there is a 10K Stud final table happening with some big names going for it. If one of those guys cranks out a win, its very feasible to see them with another mixed game, or stud final table due to the smaller field sizes in those events. Daniel Negreanu told me he was going for 3 this year! Imagine that!

Andrew Feldman

  (2:15 PM)

Also, as Barry Greenstein told us yesterday, the pros are really concentrating on the mixed games in terms of winning bracelets. They know their odds are much better than the huge no limit hold 'em fields....but I still don't see anyone winning 3, even Negreanu.

David Wright (NY)

What would be your dream final table to cover, including which players and what game?

Andrew Feldman

  (2:15 PM)

Thanks for taking the time to submit questions, David.

Andrew Feldman

  (2:16 PM)

Also, sorry to interrupt Matt, but a poll just went up on espn.go.com/poker asking if there will be a double-bracelet winner this year...go vote!

Matthew Parvis

  (2:18 PM)

well, first of all it would be a big deepstacked Pot Limit Omaha Final table, and in the game I'd like to see Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan, Phil Hellmuth (just to spice up the trash talk), Myself (I'd like to win a lot of money), Phil Ivey, Phil Laak (so he could chatter endlessly about percentages, etc...) and Luke Schwartz aka _fullflush_ online

Matthew Parvis

  (2:18 PM)

Seems like a pretty standard dream table, I guess -- but i think it would be great to watch for the fans.

Cosmo (Anytown, USA)

I am curious as to how much money some of these guys (the more popular players) actually have. We see their 'career earnings' from tournaments, but we have no idea how much is won or lost in cash games, how much they use to enter tourneys, how much they were staked in tourneys that they made money in. So, are the guys we see on TV worth a half-million, $1 mil, $10 mil, $50 mil?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:20 PM)

First off, David Wright...Im a huge Mets fan. So even though you're probably not the Mets Third baseman...Lets go Mets.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:22 PM)

Its really tough to say Cosmo. Some of them really manage there money well, and invest it outside of poker, and some of the big names that you may think have a ton of money, are broke. I've heard of some recent swingsfrom some players losing 3-4 million in the pit over the past few weeks. as far as some how high the bankrolls go -- I'd bet Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu -- those guys probably have a nice little multi 7-figure portfolio

Matthew Parvis

  (2:22 PM)

although -- i dont think any of them are mega mega rich

Matthew Parvis

  (2:23 PM)

probably in the 10-20 million range I would guess for the top top guys

Ricky(Chattanooga, Tn)

I saw on a Poker show a couple of weeks ago that hellmuth said he would have 25 braclets in 10 to 15 years you agree with that.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:24 PM)

well that would be him wining 1 bracelet every year, and i dont see that happening. Phil has been pretty steadily winning bracelets though, maybe 1 every 2 years. So Ill say he in 15 years Phil will have 19 bracelets.

Greg (Greensboro, NC)

Obviously we see a lot of coverage about the tournaments at the WSOP since that's whay you guys are there to cover, but it sounds like most of the pros are just (if not more) excited about the cash game opportunities. Who are the best cash game players and what do you think the average cash game take would be for some of the top pros.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:27 PM)

well, without a doubt the time for cash games is now during the WSOP. Everybody is in town, and the games have been bustling over in Bobby's room at the Bellagio. I think guys like Tom Dwan, and Patrik Antonius are focusing more on those than winning a bracelet, since there is much more money to be won or lost. Your looking at multi million dollar swings over the course of the summer. Just imagine the nosebleed games online, with no cap

Ryan (Baltimore MD)

Do you think that the $50k HORSE event should be the new main event? I believe Barry Greenstein mentioned that yesterday.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:29 PM)

Im in the middle of writing an article about The Grand Slam of Poker, which I believe to be The WSOP Main Event, The WPT Championship, The Aussie MIllions and the EPT Grand Final. I see the 50K HORSE, more as The Players championship in Golf. It deserves a ton of coverage, and respect, but I dont think it should replace the main event.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:30 PM)

The reason poker is so great is that, anybody, can get a chance to play in the most important event in the game, with the 10k main event.

Kyle (Dayton, OH)

Obviously some tournaments have to overlap, but curious as to why the 40k and Champions was set up the way it was. Would it not been better to spread those two out since a lot of the same people were playing in both?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:32 PM)

Well, I think honestly there was only a handful of players who played both. There are a lot of main event champs who wouldnt touch a 40K buy-in, nor should they. Sure we ran into a strange spot with Raymer going so deep, but honestly the Champions Invitational was more for show than anything. The Champs that could play the 40K, would have chosen it over the Champions event in a heartbeat.

Michael Mizrachi(Las Vegas)

Is this the year i break the curse and finally win a bracelet?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:34 PM)

Grinder is a great guy, and a great poker player, so I certainly hope so. He went on such a tear a few years back it looked like he couldnt be beaten in tournaments. He came very close last year in a few different events, and he finished second to Bonomo in a recent 10K event here in Caesars, so look for his game to be sharp. I think he may pull one out of his hat this year, and add some bling.

Pete (Rochester, NY)

Have there been any comments from any of the players in the stimulus special so far in regards to it lasting 4 days? If this tournament turns out to be a success, could we see a push to more 4 day events to alleviate the ridiculously long day 2s of the past couple years?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:36 PM)

I think its a problem the WSOP is happy to have. Over 6,000 players is amazing, and we;ve seen they made the right call to give the final 9 rest last night before todays final table. Will we see more 4 day events? Im not so sure, I think the 1K may see its way into the schedule again in the future, but I dont think we will see multiple 1K's.

Andrew Feldman

  (2:38 PM)

Interrupting again, but just a note that Event 4's final table will be played out starting at 5 ET on ESPN360.com. Steve Sung, Danny Fuhs and Dan Heimiller are the notable pros at the table

Ben (Knoxville, TN)

I'm enjoy the ESPN and Bluff WSOP coverage a lot. How do all the various press people navigate the WSOP? I'd think you'd all the tripping over each other.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:41 PM)

Ha! It can be pretty nutty at times for sure. Every outlet has there own stomping ground, or are within the Rio. Harrahs has done a great job giving the media ample room to navigate, which helps a lot. But yes, there are times when you'll be at a table, and you cant get what you need, or your in someones way because there is just so many people covering these events. Most of us are all friends though, so its like summer camp. We all spend 6 weeks at the Rio, and do what we love to do, which is be around the greatest sporting event of the year.

Andrew Feldman

  (2:41 PM)

Definite echo the same feelings. It's a great time out there and although it seems endless most of the time, everyone gets along and works together.

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Nice shameless plug Andrew

Andrew Feldman

  (2:41 PM)

Thank you. Poker Edge guest today is Dennis Phillips.

Cameron (Arizona)

Was the Rio too crowded during the $1,000 event? Should there have been a third day of starters?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:43 PM)

I think two days eas enough, sure it was crowded, but I mean, there was enough room for the players that they projected. Im sure there were some dissapointed players, but on a whole, i think it worked out fine.

Lon (Tracy, CA)

Matt and Andrew, what do you consider your top two - three must read books for a poker player making a transistion from casual home games to competative poker. Consider Super System a given, with that one done, what's next?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:46 PM)

Wow, good question. I think the books by Harrington are great, and I got a lot of great info from them, I also would say a book that helped me a lot was Joe Navarro's book on tells. It really helps you think about the stuff going on at the table, that are not related to your cards. Also try out some of the onlien training sites, as i think they are a very intuitive way to take your game to the next level.

Andrew Feldman

  (2:47 PM)

Other good ones include Phil Gordon's little green/blue/whatever color books, and Navarro is great. Good call Matt.

Comso (Anytown, USA)

What is the most interesting bet you have ever heard of that did NOT involve poker, but did involve poker players?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:48 PM)

wow -- the most interesting huh? There was some I read about involving either Ted Forrest and Huck Seed (or both) running a marathon in the middle of the summer in Vegas. I think the soles of the shoes ended up basically melting off by the end of it. Also, I think Huck has to float in the ocean for 24 hours.

Matthew Parvis

  (2:49 PM)

That one sounds crazy...

Levi (Augusta, GA)

Hey Matthew, if I can ask a question about the magazine...some of the criticism of the inaugural November Nine was that the media hype didn't meet up to initial expectations. Is Bluff changing things up any from last year's coverage in any way in response to that? If not, what changes can readers expect to see during the WSOP and in post-WSOP wrap up coverage that maybe we haven't seen yet?

Matthew Parvis

  (2:51 PM)

I think the biggest thing is trying to find interesting stories about the final nine leading into the tournament. I think maybe if we can find time to spend a day or two with each of them away from Vegas, and really capture there life would be a great way to hype it up. I think 3-4 months is a little too long, I'd like to see a month delay, so we dont lose all the momentum thats gained leading into the final table. So yes, we expect to have a better grasp this time around, since we have a little more experience knowing how this whole November Nine thing works

Matthew Parvis

  (2:52 PM)

Thanks so much guys, this was a blast. Be sure to check out BluffMagazine.com, and my video blog that brings you tons of good stuff from the WSOP.

Andrew Feldman

  (2:53 PM)

Thanks for coming by today Matthew. Check out all their coverage at bluffmagazine.com and of course, for more coverage, check out ESPN's poker section. Podcast today, great videos coming up and of course, chat tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET!