Johnny Chan is One of the Sharks Circling Here at the Seniors Chamionship
One of poker's most memorable moments was the hand that ended the 1988 WSOP Main Event, when Johnny Chan flopped the nut straight and played it to perfection to felt Eric Seidel.
The man known as the Orient Express is in the house today, in search of an astounding 11th gold bracelet, and a recent hand had Chan reliving history.
Chan held the and with the board reading by the turn, he was in the familiar position of playing a pot with nothing less than the nuts.
When a third club arrived on the river, Chan led out for a bet of 900, and an opponent with bad timing and worse luck decided to make his stand against the champ, raising for the rest of his chips. Chan snapped him off with the nuts, and the shell shocked senior could only toss his useless into the muck before exiting the Pavilion.
Marcel "The Flying Dutchman" Luske is dressed to the nines and ready for battle. He is hoping to outlast more than 4200 players to have his name inscribed on the "Golden Eagle" Trophy that signifies the Senior's Championship.
Luske is probably best known from poker televesion coverage for wearing his sunglasses upside down and signing at the table. Don't let that fool you though, he has the skill and ambition to get the job done.
Poker Player and Actor, Chad Brown, took his seat in today's Senior Championship with the goal of taking home his first gold bracelet. With 37 cashes and 9 final tables at the WSOP, Brown has the experience and drive to go deep in this field.
Earlier this year, Brown sat down with PokerNews for the series Seat Open. Check it out.
With the board reading , Tony Flasco made a small raise after an opponent bet into him, and he was delighted to here the other player three-bet for the rest of his chips.
Flasco called with his , and having turned the nuts with a Broadway straight, he was in great shape against the all-in player's . When the failed to pair the board on the river, the pot was pushed to Flasco, and he is off to a great start early in this Senior's Championship.
After delivering a heartfelt opening speech to begin today's Senior's Championship, in which he managed to name drop his website OKJohnny.com and memorialize Jerry Buss in just a few short minutes, Oklahoma Johnny Hale has kept himself busy.
Although Hale never won a gold bracelet, Oklahoma Johnny finished 2nd or 3rd in six WSOP events during the 1980's, and his status as one of poker's living legends is undisputed. Today, Hale has been seen buzzing around the Brasilia Room on his motorized scooter, wishing players at every table good luck and welcoming them to the Senior's Championship.
"I just want to thank ya'll for coming out to the play in the Senior's event," said Hale with genuine enthusiasm. "We appreciate each and every one of ya'll and wish you the best of luck today."
When his rounds were completed, Hale took his seat and began play, hoping to take down his first WSOP bracelet in the event that has become his personal passion.
Last year, Allyn Jaffrey Shulman beat former November-niner, Dennis Phillips, heads up to win The Senior's Championship beating a record field of 4,179 players. Her husband, Barry Shulman, and step-son, Jeff Shulman, all made final tables in the 2012 WSOP, but it was Shulman that brought home the win.
Shulman has had a great start to this year's WSOP with two cashes: a 33rd-place finish in Event #5 - $ 2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo and a 111th-place finish in Event #17 - $ 1,500 No Limit Hold'em. Expect Shulman to be on top of her game as she maneuvers through another record field in the hopes of making another final table and securing her second bracelet.
Robert Varkonyi on Day 1 of the Seniors Championship
Chris Moneymaker's improbable win at the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2003 began the poker boom that brought many of us to the game of Texas Hold'em, but one year earlier another unlikely champion claimed poker's biggest prize.
The 2002 Main Event was won by Robert Varkonyi, a mild mannered investment banker from Brooklyn, and had ESPN and PokerStars been involved in that event, it may have been his victory that launched poker into the mainstream.
The 52-year old Varkonyi is in the building today, competing in the Senior's event in pursuit of his fourth WSOP cash, and perhaps even his second bracelet.
As one of the most decorated players in attendance here this morning, we will be sure to track Varkonyi's progress as this Day 1 continues.
and with the board reading 
by the turn, he was in the familiar position of playing a pot with nothing less than the nuts.
into the muck before exiting the Pavilion.
, Tony Flasco made a small raise after an opponent bet into him, and he was delighted to here the other player three-bet for the rest of his chips.
, and having turned the nuts with a Broadway straight, he was in great shape against the all-in player's 
failed to pair the board on the river, the pot was pushed to Flasco, and he is off to a great start early in this Senior's Championship.
