This was the big one.
A young accountant from Tennessee set off a poker bomb and the poker explosion soon followed. In 2003, poker was dominated by the old guard with Phil Hellmuth, Layne Flack and Men Nguyen owning the series. Intermingled were a few new names like Prahlad Friedman winning a bracelet in the first event ($1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em) but for the most part the winners of the 2003 world series were repeat bracelet winners.
A small little club passed some money around and Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, Chris Ferguson, Erik Seidel, John Juanda, and Toto Leonidas all scooped bracelets. In fact, the World Series in 2003 wasn’t just about familiar faces it was about the same faces winning multiple bracelets. This was the swan song of live players and it’s appropriate the online pokerqualifier was the one to end the era.
Repeat winners included Phil Hellmuth jr. Since Hellmuth has only won bracelets in Texas Hold’em both his bracelets came Hold ‘em… though one was a limit event. Phil won a $2,500 limit hold’em event and a $3,000 No Limit Hold’Em event. There has a wary acknowledge that when the poker boom hit, anybody that was successful at the moment has been a star ever since… whether or not their results justified it or not. It’s hard to put Hellmuth in that category, but looking at the stars that took down bracelets and battled for them, 2003 prior to the Main Event probably would have made dramatic television.
Hellmuth’s second bracelet win was over Daniel Negreanu with $410,000 to the winner. That is a final table surely any poker fan would love to have on DVD. Both were going after their second bracelet of the series as Negreanu had taken down the $2,000 S.H.O.E. tournament for a little over 100k. Johnny Chan was busy winning two bracelets of his own. Chan won $224,400 besting Surinder Sunar in heads up action in the $5,000 No Limit Hold ‘Em event. Chan’s second bracelet came in another 5k buy-in but unlike Hellmuth Jr., Chan won his in Pot Limit Omaha.
Men Nguyen would get started late but after besting Mel Judah in the 5k Seven Card Stud tournament he faced Charles Keith Lehr heads up int $1,500 Ace to Five Triple Draw Lowball event. Again, both players had already won bracelets. Lehr shortly beforehand denied Chris Ferguson his third bracelet by winning the 3k Pot Limit Hold’em event. Nguyen came out on top.
His world series also included a second place to Layne Flack in Flack’s first bracelet of the series the 2.5k Omaha Hi-Lo Split. Nguyen also came out second best to Erik Seidel in the 1.5k Pot Limit Hold’em event. Considering the variety of games that Nguyen went the distance all the way to heads up, his 2003 has to go down as one of the best world series ever for a player. Flack’s double also included a 1.5k Limit Hold’em Shootout event for 120k where he beat Annie Duke in heads up play.
Chris Ferguson’s started the world series as strongly as Nguyen finished it. His two bracelets came at the very beginning of the series. Jesus was also clearly at the top of his game and his multiple bracelets validated his early success in the decade. Ferguson took down the 2k Omaha Hi-Lo Split event for 123k. He followed it up with a win over Diego Cordovez in the 2k 1/2 Hold’em, 1/2 Seven Card Stud tournament.
John Juanda finished the series strong too. He won the 2.5k Pot Limit Omaha event for over 200k. He also the 2.5k Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Split over Shahram Sheikhan. Unlike the less well known Sheikam, the scond placers were almost as impressive as the first place finishers: Duke, Judah, Negranu, Phil Ivey, Kath Liebert, Mimi Tran, and Allen Cunningham.
If the Main Event didn’t happen the storylines from 2003 would be the two time winners (Flack, Ferguson, Juanda, Hellmuth Jr., Chan) and the stellar showing by Men the Master. Then Chris Moneymaker signed up to play.