Aussie Millions - Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Who? Who? Who?

The unknowns dominate the main event Down Under, prompting questions about the future of poker celebrity

“THAT SUCKS.”
The muttering came from Erik Seidel, who was showing a rare display of grief. He was looking at his opponent’s bet, and it was huge—$1,750,000. He’d been going heads up with this kid, who looked as though he’d get ID’d buying a pack of smokes, for hours. Time after time, the kid had been pressing. Anytime Seidel wanted to play a small pot, he got pounded with an oversized raise. Just a few hands earlier, Seidel had been raised off a very big pot, only to see the kid’s bluff.

Erik had shown his mettle, though. You don’t collect eight WSOP bracelets without having the ability to deal with every sort of opponent. He made a couple of big calls and he forced some tough decisions of his own. Starting at a 2-to-1 chip disadvantage, Seidel took the lead for a time. But this kid was tough and relentless and he was catching big hands. At the moment the kid put out that $1.75-million bet, he was in control of the action.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this in Australia. There was only one recognizable name at the final table of the Aussie Millions $10,000 buy-in main event—Seidel—and only one other recognizable face made it to the final 30, Max “The Italian Pirate” Pescatori.

Of course, we’ve come to expect mostly anonymous final table lineups to emerge from the massive WSOP and WPT fields. And we’re all used to twentysomethings like this kid winning major events. But it wasn’t supposed to be like this in Australia. Not at all.

Last year, Full Tilt Poker became the sponsor of the Aussie Millions. It is now the company’s signature event. For months prior to the tournament, Full Tilt ran satellites, and there was no doubt that the Full Tilt pros would be out in force. Phil Ivey was in Melbourne, and he was joined by Seidel, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, Allen Cunningham, Jen Harman, John Juanda, and Erick Lindgren, to name just a few. In all, 60 Full Tilt pros made the trip.

In 2007, Full Tilt made a similar trek Down Under, and their roster of pros dominated the tournament, with Kristy Gazes, Andy Black, and Gus Hansen making the final seven. Hansen played a masterful tournament, and took down the championship after defeating young Internet pro Jimmy Fricke in heads-up play.

In 2008, the Internet superstars performed no better than their brick-and-mortar peers. Where were Jordan “Imsolucky” Morgan and Tom “Durrr” Dwan and Nikki “Kai Buxxe” Jedlicka? They were all in Australia; they played in the tournament. But on the day of the final table, they were nowhere to be found.

We were left with the likes of the kid (a 21-year-old from Moscow, Russia, whose actual name is Alexander Kostritsin), Michael Chrisanthopoulos, Peter Ling, Nino Marotta, Antonio Casale, and Peter Mobbs. Prior to the Aussie Millions, none of these six had managed a tournament cash of more than $7,500.

The fact that a group of unknowns could dominate a final table here, at this event, with this lineup, raises some interesting questions about the future of tournament poker and the future of poker celebrity.
***
When the World Poker Tour started its breakthrough broadcasts in 2002, there weren’t a lot of people who’d pony up $10,000 to play in a poker tournament. Only 89 played in the inaugural Foxwoods tournament, and the final four were Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Layne Flack, and Howard Lederer. A few more showed up at the Los Angeles Poker Classic, and the final six included Scotty Nguyen, John Hennigan, Freedy Deeb, John Juanda, and Gus Hansen. The Lucky Chances tournament that year was a $3,000 buy-in (can you imagine any excitement around a $3K now?) that introduced viewers to Paul Darden, Antonio Esfandiari, and Phil Hellmuth.

By 2004, with the poker boom in full swing, the poker-watching public had been introduced to Daniel Negreanu, Chris Ferguson, Doyle Brunson, Erick Lindgren, and most of the other big names you can rattle off the top of your head.

They became stars, this group. They were sought to endorse online poker rooms, video games, and liquors. Ferguson was in a “This is SportsCenter” spot, and Hellmuth, Negreanu, and Nguyen were in a widely seen Diet Pepsi commercial.

In the few years since, the tournament circuit has continued—grown si

gnificantly, in fact—but the celebrity that accompanies stellar results has all but stopped. Don’t believe us? If we gave you a Law & Order-type photo array and asked you to pick out the guy who made three WPT final tables in 2007 and won over $2,000,000, could you pick out Jonathan Little? Or if we asked you to spot the guy who won three $10K events in 2007, could you spot Bill Edler?

Even if it’s no problem for you—you’re something of a poker geek—try running the faces or names past your brother-in-law, who watches a little poker but isn’t considering, for example, a subscription to this magazine. Any chance he’ll recognize Edler or Little?

“If you weren’t one of the guys who was lucky enough to be around at the start of televised poker, no one really cares,” said Phil Gordon, whose stint on Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown made him a nationally recognized celebrity and a best-selling author. The new players who have great years can make a lot of money playing the game, he said, “but becoming famous and monetizing that fame is going to be very difficult.”

Gordon’s right. The new players hoping for their turn on People’s sexiest people alive lists (a la Hansen) have several things working against them, and most of these factors were on display in Australia.

For starters, too many players are too good. There are hundreds of great online tournament pros at this point, any of whom are capable of winning a big tournament or having a big year if the cards fall correctly. In Australia, we saw just how deep the talent pool may be. Take Kostritsin for example. He plays online some, but doesn’t have a particularly noteworthy reputation. He concentrates on live play in Moscow. He plays in $20,000 buy-in cash games, and he makes a fortune.

During a break from the tournament, Seidel commented on how impressed he’s been with what he’s seen in tournaments throughout the year. “They’re all geniuses,” was his blanket statement on the young players moving into the game.

With so much talent in the game and so much luck involved in tournament poker, it’s going to be nearly impossible for any one player to keep himself in the public eye. Every year will bring a new hot player and a new set of winners.

Another key factor is that the old guard remains strong. In sports that rely on physical prowess, there’s an arc to a player’s career. A great football player may have five or six years at the top of his game. The media attention he enjoys may last beyond the peak of his talents, but inevitably the cameras will seek out someone younger and fitter.

But in poker there is no need. Us lazy media types don’t need to go searching for new story subjects, because the tried-and-true ones are still around. This magazine can devote its cover to Howard Lederer, who won the $100K buy-in event at the Aussie Millions, or we can spend this article focusing on Seidel, who is widely known. It’s easier—and more likely to sell magazines—than trying to introduce our readers to a Russian cash-game specialist who we may never see on the tournament trail again.

Phil Gordon summed it up nicely: “There are enough big names that keep winning that keep pushing the kids down the media ladder. Take Phil Hellmuth. The guy just keeps winning. Who’s going to replace him at the top of the media circus? It’s not gonna happen.”

Scott Clements, who has collected two WSOP bracelets and a WPT win in the last two years, wouldn’t mind some more recognition or off-the-table income. He’s looking for an agent who might find him some deals once his WPT victory airs on TV in the U.S. If any newcomer can succeed in media, it’s Clements. He’s extremely fit and good-looking, articulate, and a master of all poker games.

But there’s nothing lined up yet. Beyond his Full Tilt endorsement, there may not be much in the offing.

When asked if he thought this was unfair, if he deserved more recognition, Clements acknowledged that it would have been nice to be in on the ground floor and get that added income. But he’s made millions and he knows he’s been fortunate. “I’ve got a really good life, ” Clements said.

He and his wife are thinking of starting a business in the Vegas area. And he’s guaranteed some TV time later this year; he got an invitation to NBC’s Heads-Up Championship.
***
The kid (Kostritsin) and the vet (Seidel) sat across from one another, trading jabs. The kid was audacious. There seemed to be no bet that he was unwilling to raise. In a key hand, with blinds of $40K/$80K, Seidel raised to $225K on the button and Kostristin came over the top, making it $800K. Seidel called.

The flop was Kh-Kd-Jc, and Kostritsin bet $750K. Seidel raised to $1.9-million. The kid raised again, making $3.4-Million. Seidel folded, looking disgusted. The kid then showed him A-10—nothing but a gutshot.

But Seidel remained calm, trying to play hands on his own terms while the kid pressed. Erik doesn’t rattle easily. In time, he found a great spot. The two ended up all-in preflop—and Seidel’s A-K held up against Kostritsin’s K-J.

The battle continued, with the Seidel picking his spots and Kostritsin forcing tough decisions.

Then came the hand of the tournament, where the kid, who will likely never see much press beyond this article, and Seidel, who had an inadvertent starring role in Rounders, showed why they’re both deserving of whatever spotlight poker can shine.
The blinds were $50K/$100K, and Seidel raised on the button to $300K. Kostritsin called. The flop was Ah-8c-4d and both players checked. The turn brought a king. Kotstrisin check-raised Seidel’s $250K bet, making it $950K. Seidel thought, then called. The river was a seven, and the kid made it $1.75-million.

“That sucks,” said Seidel.

He thought for five minutes. Then he called. Kostritsin smiled sheepishly. “An eight,” he said, showing 8s-9d.

“It’s good.” The pot, and eventually the tournament, would go to Kostritsin.
The kid was brave, and maybe foolish, enough to put it all on the line in that spot. He sensed weakness, and he was willing to go for a big play. Seidel was savvy enough to spot what both players thought was a pure bluff.

“I thought he had a king,” said Kotstrisin. He added respectfully, “He read me perfect.”
It will make for great TV. And a few years ago, that kind of display might have made the kid famous. Today, he’s going to have to settle for a brief acknowledgment and respect within the poker world, and $1,500,000.

That’s not bad.

Jay Greenspan, a New York-based freelance writer, is the author of Hunting Fish: A Cross-Country Search For America’s Worst Poker Players.

Aussie Millions: The Final Results
1. Alexander Kostritsin $1,450,396
2. Erik Seidel $879,028
3. Michael Chrisanthopoulos $615,320
4. Peter Ling $439,514
5. Nino Marotta $351,611
6. Antonio Casale $263,708
7. Peter Mobbs $197,781
Other noteworthy finishers:
10. Max Pescatori $118,669
34. Andy Black $26,371
36. Tiffany Williamson $26,371
37. Peter Feldman $21,976
46. Raymond Rahme $21,976
53. Kenna James $21,976
62. Tom Dwan $21,976
73. Erick Lindgren $13,185
77. Perry Friedman $13,185

The Best In The World?
When we think of the best tournament players, we tend to focus exclusively on No-Limit Hold ’Em. At this point in poker history, so many players are so strong in the game that it’s difficult to say who’s the best. But if you were to add the other big-bet game (Pot-Limit Omaha) when judging overall tournament skill, you might have to conclude that Lee Watkinson is the best in the business.

In Australia, Watkinson won the $3,000 buy-in PLO event. This comes on the heels of his win in the $10,000 PLO tournament at the 2007 WSOP (generally viewed as the “world championship” of PLO). Lee also took second in a WSOP PLO event in 2004.
Of course, Watkinson is no slouch when it comes to Texas Hold ’Em. In 2004, he won $1,000,000 in 32 days by taking second in two WPT tournaments. In ’07, he finished eighth in the WSOP Main Event and made another WPT final table.

Is Watkinson the best big-bet tournament player in the world?
He at least has to be in the discussion.