Poker Player counts down the Top 20 greatest moments in poker history
20. FIRST POKER MILLION 1999
In 1999, the world’s most lucrative tournament did not take place in Vegas, but rather the Isle of Man. The island played host to the first ever Poker Million, where the winner would walk away with a breathtaking £1 million. An estimated 30 million watched EPT founder-to-be John Duthie take down the title.
19. ANNETTE OBRESTAD, FIRST WSOPE WINNER 2007
Annette Obrestad broke into the record books in 2007 as the youngest bracelet winner in WSOP history. The 18-year-old Norwegian battered her opponents into submission in the £10,000 main event, defeating some of the biggest names in the game and striking terror into the old guard. Her aggressive and fearless style of poker was also the coming of age for the online generation.
Her win instantly made Annette one of the most successful female players of all time and catapulted her into the limelight. But it also signalled two key events: the end of US dominance at the WSOP and the beginning of the internet tournament stars’ assault on the game. Nothing was ever going to be
the same again. Her dramatic entrance to poker’s big league was made all the more astonishing just two months later, when she finished second at the Dublin EPT.
18. PHIL IVEY VS PAUL JACKSON AND THAT HAND 2005
Possibly the finest example of bluff and counter-bluffing ever committed to film. Heads-up on the final table of the Monte Carlo Millions in 2005, Paul Jackson and Phil Ivey battled it out for a $1 million first prize at the $25,000 buy-in Monte Carlo Millions. The setting was the exclusive Salon De Prive at the famous Monte Carlo casino;
a room used by $1 million gamblers. But perhaps none had ever exceeded this one moment in skill and courage.
Ivey was at his peerless best – indeed it was probably the pinnacle of his tournament career to-date. Jackson was the last surviving Brit in what had proved a superb tournament for the UK contingent, with both Marc Goodwin and Richard Redmond making the final table. And Jackson was determined to take Ivey on. When Ivey raised pre-flop with Q;-8;, Jackson called with 5Ú-6…, planning to take the fight to Ivey. Both missed the 7:-J:-J; flop, but that didn’t stop the bullets flying in. Ivey led out with 80,000 and Jackson quickly raised to 170,000. Ivey thought for a while and then re-raised to 320,000. Jackson then incredibly re-reraised to 450,000. Commentating on TV, Howard Lederer said: ‘I’m thinking Phil Ivey has got to fold here.’ But Ivey looked perplexed and asked Jackson how much he had left, which was 380,000.
Then, Ivey, after tanking for a whole minute, announced he was all-in. Jackson looked astonished and mucked his hand, while Ivey serenely raked in the pot. Jackson, who would later lose the heads-up battle, had nothing to be ashamed of, while Ivey had proved his reputation as one of the finest proponents of the game.
17. BRUNSON WINS MAIN EVENTS WITH 10-2: 1976 & 1977
When Doyle Brunson won the 1976 and 1977 WSOP main events, the WSOP was still in its infancy. But as ‘The Godfather of Poker’ tore apart the field, the first modern poker legend was being born. And, thanks to winning with a ragged 10-2 on both occasions, a million bad decisions would follow as players tried to follow in Brunson’s footsteps.
16. EUROPEAN POKER TOUR: 2004
In 2004, Poker Million winner and TV director John Duthie was convinced that Europe was crying out for a major poker tour – and was willing to spend $100,000 of his own money to find out. The investment paid off, as today, EPT events frequently sell out and prizepools exceed 3 million.
But more importantly, the tour is
a rich breeding ground for poker’s brightest stars.
