Update on my “5 Predictions Sure to go Wrong” WSOP article
We are just about through all 61 preliminary tournaments at the 2013 World Series of Poker, so now is as good a time as any to take a look at my pre-WSOP predictions and see how I’m doing so far. Granted a few things could still change, but for the most part my predictions are now in, so let’s see how I did:
Prediction #1: Phil Hellmuth will make two final tables but wins ZERO bracelets
Through 61 tournaments Phil has three cashes and a single final table.
I was off a bit on this one as I believed Phil was going to have a strong WSOP without winning a bracelet. It turns out Phil had his worst WSOP tournament series since 2002, when he cashed twice and made two final tables.
Prediction #2: Germany will win at least three bracelets
Another prediction that almost got there (although I still have three Germans alive with about 30 runners to go in the $10k PLO tournament) as we have seen two German bracelet winners in 2013:
- Martin Finger in Event #21, the $3,000 No Limit Holdem tournament
- Nikolaus Teichert in Event #56, the $2,500 No Limit Holdem tournament
Prediction #3: Two open bracelets will be won by women
With virtually every tournament now in the books the ladies have one open-event win, which belongs to Dana Castaneda who won Event #54, a $1,000 No Limit Holdem tournament. We still have the Main Event, but after last year’s slew of final tables, 10th and 11th place showings in the Main Event, and wins in an open-event and the Seniors Tournament, this has to be seen as a disappointing year for the ladies at the WSOP.
*Late update: Loni Harwood won Event #60, making my prediction come to fruition. Harwood was easily the top-performing female of the series with three final tables and one win.
Prediction #4: A recent (2003-now) WSOP Main Event Champion will win a bracelet
We had some close calls with this one; most recently Jonathan Duhamel’s 8th place finish in the $50k Poker Players Championship, but it looks like WSOP Main Event champions will once again be shutout from bracelet ceremonies, unless Duhamel can pull off a win in Event #61, where he is near the top of the leader-board with just over 30 players remaining.
Prediction #5: The WSOP Main Event attendance will be 6,022.
Still not there yet, but I don’t have a very good feeling about this prediction as the 2013 WSOP has been well-attended from start to finish. Even though Day 1a attendance was down a touch from 2012, I still think this is looking more like a 7,000 player filed now.
