Reminiscing Poker's Past: The 2001 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table
The 2001 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a poker extravaganza that broke records and featured some of the biggest names in the game. With a staggering field of 613 players, the prize pool soared to an impressive $6+ million. The event was televised by the Discovery Channel, bringing the excitement of the game to a wider audience.
The final table was a star-studded affair, with Phil Hellmuth, Dewey Tomko, Mike Matusow, Phil Gordon, and Carlos Mortensen all in the running for the championship. Hellmuth, a seven-time bracelet winner and the 1989 Main Event champion, finished in fifth place, taking home $303,705.
Matusow had already added a bracelet to his collection, winning in Deuce-to-Seven before the 2001 WSOP. However, it was Mortensen who would ultimately emerge as the champion.
The heads-up match between Mortensen and Tomko was a tense affair. Mortensen held a 2:1 chip lead, but Tomko, who had previously won three WSOP bracelets and finished as runner-up once before, in 1982, was not about to give up without a fight.
The decisive hand saw Tomko holding pocket aces, a formidable hand in any game of poker. But Mortensen, with K-Q of clubs, managed to catch a straight on the final board of J-10-3-turn (two clubs) - river (nine), securing his victory and the championship.
The final board was a thrilling spectacle, with the crowd holding their breath as the river card was revealed. Mortensen's win was met with jubilation, as he took home a massive $1,500,000 prize.
Tomko, despite losing the 2001 WSOP, still earned over $1 million. His performance further solidified his Hall of Fame career, even though he did not manage to win a second WSOP Main Event final.
The 2001 WSOP was indeed the Super Bowl of poker, a fitting title for an event that brought together the best players in the world and provided an unforgettable spectacle for poker fans everywhere.
