Andy Bloch Facing $2,000,000 Bet Phil Ivey Won't Win WSOP

As mentioned previously on this blog, Phil Gordon and Andy Bloch got themselves into a little hot water when they made a bet with Phil Ivey that he wouldn't win the WSOP Main Event. While Phil Gordon was the first to leak news about the huge bets, Andy Bloch has revealed exactly how much is on the line.

When there were 2,400 players left in the Main Event, he bet Ivey 20K at 99-1 that he couldn’t close the deal. That puts Bloch on the hook for $2,000,000 if Ivey manages to outlast the other 8 players in November. Even though Ivey is a short-stack at the final table his skills on the felt are still something to fear. If anyone can come from behind and take home the bracelet it is Phil Ivey.

Phil Ivey Too Young for Poker Hall of Fame?

Well that seems to be what the granddaddy of poker thinks. Doyle Brunson said in his blog:

It's almost time to vote for the 2009 inductees into the Poker Hall Of Fame and I'm unsure of who my choices will be. I'm leaning toward the older guys with my first choice being Mike Sexton. We have to pick two and I'm thinking hard about my other vote. Phil Ivey is the best player on the list, but he is only 33 years old. Chip Reese is the youngest player to be inducted at the age of 40. Phil is great, but he still isn't Chip. Give Phil a few more years and he will certainly be elected. I'll be cheering for him and Jeff Shulman in November at the WSOP final table.

Andy Bloch and Phil Gordon Make Huge Bets Against Phil Ivey

Phil Gordon has admitted that he and Andy Bloch made huge bets against Phil Ivey to win the WSOP Main Event. When there were still 2400 players battling it out for the most coveted bracelet in poker Phil Ivey offered 100/1 odds to any takers. Both Bloch and Gordon took Ivey up on the bet for very large amounts.

Gordon wouldn't say how much he was on the hook for if Ivey wins but he did say the amount was “so big that my wife was upset with me that I took the bet. We’re quaking in our boots but Andy is quaking about 20 times more than I am”.

Ivey a 13/2 Favorite to Win the WSOP Main Event

According to Bluff Magazine's poll of various betting rooms publishing odds on the final 9 at the WSOP Phil Ivey is rated 3rd most likely to win with 13/2 odds.

Darvin Moon 3/1 with Victor Chandler

Eric Buchman 4/1 with Blue Sq

Phil Ivey 13/2 with Victor Chandler

Steven Begleiter 13/2 with Victor Chandler

Jeff Shulman 7/1 with Ladbrokes

Joseph Cada 12/1 with Ladbrokes

Kevin Schaffel 12/1 with Blue Sq & Ladbrokes

Antoine Saout 18/1 with Blue Sq & Ladbrokes

James Akenhead 20/1 with Victor Chandler

Phil Ivey Snubs Featured Table

Word has it that Phil Ivey refused to be part of the featured table in ESPN's coverage of the WSOP early into the Main Event. The WSOP website had reported that Ivey's table was scheduled to be the featured table but was later changed when Ivey protested.

Later Ivey would explain that he was very tired from playing the night before and simply wanted to concentrate on his cards and not on the television cameras and the crowds.

Some rumors speculated that Ivey paid off his fellow table-mates as compensation but others have denied that any payments were offered or made by Ivey.

Whatever his reasons, Ivey seems to have made a wise choice as he has not made the November Nine players who will come back and play the final table of the Main Event in November. Sometimes it pays to concentrate at the tables.

Phil Ivey Survives Day 1D

Phil Ivey finally made his debut at the $10,000 WSOP Main Event on day D. He finished the day without any real big news to report either good or bad.

Let's see if Phil can take down bracelet number three in this series.