Ray Romano Has Entered 8 WSOP Main Events, and Finished out of the Money the 7 Previous Times
After a disappointing 771 players entered the WSOP Main Event on Day 1A, the field increased nearly four-fold on the second day of competition. The third day is expected to bring a record number of entrants, so the field might top the 6,352 players who entered in 2013.
The winner of the Main Event is guaranteed to win at least $10 million. For now, surviving to play again is the important thing. Players have to survive up to 10 days to reach the November Nine.
Ray Romano Makes 8th Appearance
Part of the attraction in the first days of the tournament is the desire to find celebrities and poker limelights. Day 1A was a little disappointing, but the celebrities were out in force on Day 1B. Among those who attended was Ray Romano and son. Ray Romano is the former standup comedian who starred on Everybody Loves Raymond. This year, he brought his 21 year old son. Both entered the tournament.
Romano said he had a bet with his son to see who survives the longest, and then offered to buy a drink for the person who knocks his son out of the tournament. With such quips, Romano kept his opponents in stitches. He added, “My son Matt just turned 21. And like any good father, I brought him to Vegas and bought him into the Main Event. If we both bust out early, we’ll go the Chicken Ranch (a famous house of ill repute).”
Things got serious later on, as Romano tried desperately to survive to play another day. He was leaking chips by the end of the day, and ended up with just over $15,000 when play ended (he survived). For the past 7 years, Ray Romano has busted out of the tournament without finishing in the money.
Kevin Pollack Has TxMQ Sponsorship
Long time gambling aficionado Kevin Pollack also played. Pollack received a celebrity sponsorship deal from IT services provider TxMQ, which paid his entry fee. Kevin Pollack was a commentator on Bravo’s Celebrity Poker TV show, which helped with the spread of Texas Hold’em’s popularity during the Poker Boom years.
Featured Table – Huck Seed & Dan Harrington
The featured table of the day included veterans Huck Seed and Dan Harrington. Harrington won the WSOP Main Event in 1995, while Huck Seed won the same event in 1996. The two chatted with each other throughout the day, providing a relaxed atmosphere for the amateurs at the table. Dan Harrington finished the day with $35,200 in chips, while Huck Seed had $27,750.
Others among famous celebrities who made an appearance were NASCAR driver Jason White (54,625 chips), director Nick Cassavetes, and European football star John Arne Riise.
New York Corporate Executive Debuts
Brian Borovay, VP of Marsh & McLennan Agency, a New York City based risk management firm, entered his first event. He promptly learned he was playing against Phil Galfond, a player with over $8 million in winnings throughout his career.
Borovay says he assumed he would play against 8 amateurs like himself, but knew he was against a consummate pro. He eventually went into the flop with 8-8 and flopped a set of eights. The flop showed an ace, while the river also showed an ace. When Galfond re-raised $10,000 to Borovay’s $3,000 raise, Borovay had to decide whether to make go all-in. He chose to fold, which kept him in the tournament. Galfond, who held A-9 for a set of aces, told the corporate VP, “I got real lucky on you.”
When Casino City Times caught up with Borovay later, he said, “I don’t play many tournaments. I can’t get out often. I’ve got an 8-year-old, a 6-year-old and 3-year-old, and I’ve got a fulltime job. This is my passion, though. But I can never leave what I do for a living. I go up there (Choctaw) once a year. And I play one event a year. I cashed in both (WSOP Circuit events). And I do well online. So I figured it’s about time I go out to Vegas and give it a shot. And I had a really nice buddy that backed me, so that really helped. This was a bucket list item for me.”
Such is the story with so many gamblers at the World Series of Poker Main Event each year. So many of the amateurs are huge success stories in their own field, yet still enjoy playing poker against the best in the world. Unlike baseball or football or basketball, gamblers can test their skills against the best and most famous poker players in the world, still holding out hope for success. But even a big time financial wizard like Brian Borovay sometimes gets scared off by the mystique of a top players–and often for good reason.
Erik Seidel, who finished in 2nd place at a Main Event and is tied for 6th all-time with 8 WSOP bracelets, finished the day with $134,025 chips. Trey Luxembruger finished the day with the lead in chips with $193,450.
