Calistri's Corner

As the Razz event moves on to its unscheduled third day today, I had a flashback to 2005.  It was my job to cover the Razz event back then and it became one of the most surreal experiences of my 2005 WSOP.  

In 2005, the Razz event was scheduled as a one day event, but with an unprecedented 291 players, everyone knew that no final table would be decided with just one day of play.  Tournament officials decided early in the event to play a second day.  But when day two began, there were still 24 players left in the field.  It was 7:30 pm of the second day before the final table was set.   I didn’t like O’Neil Longson’s chances (pictured below).  I thought him an excellent player, but as one of the older players at the table, I just thought he wouldn’t have the stamina to make it through to the end of what was bound to be a long night.   

Well I was right on one score, it was a long night.  In 2005 the Razz event didn’t announce a winner until 7:00 am the next day.  I was pretty sure Longson dozed off at the table on several occasions while Al “Sugar Bear” Barbieri seemed spry and ready for the long haul.   Sometimes Barbieri actually burst out into song.  At about 6:00 am we lost Barbieri to go heads up.  In a tournament room that can easily handle two thousand, there were less than a half a dozen people left in the room.  Recognizing that I was one of the only people that was still enthralled with the battle about to begin between O’Neil Longson and Aviator Club manager, Bruno Fitoussi, the tournament director invited me to sit at the final table with the players - probably the first and last time I’ll get the pleasure of a WSOP final table seat.  In the end, O’Neil Longson won the razz bracelet; his third WSOP bracelet.

So as Razz plays its final table today; again unscheduled. O’Neil Longson will, again, have a seat at the final table.  I, however, will not.  But maybe they’ll have a few more spectators than they did in 2005.  In 2005, few were around after 4:00am to see this table.  In 2007, the issue has been being allowed to see a live final table.  Unlike any other year, at least a third of the final tables will not be able to be viewed live, even by the press - read this to find out why.  

But at this writing, this doesn’t look to be a sequestered table.  This final table will most likely be played adjacent to the ESPN stage, where 20 or so spectators will be able to clog the aisle to see - and a few lucky reporters will be let in behind the ropes.  I hope to get a glimpse.    

   

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 at 10:01 am and is filed under Uncategorized.