Simon Mundie pays tribute to the second Grand Slam on the calendar where the crowd can do unpredictable things and only the fittest, most patient players survive

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Yesterday it was announced that there will be a “Tournament of Champions” at this summer’s World Series of Poker, reviving an event that last officially took place in 2006. The new TOC will be a 27-player freeroll tournament with a $1 million prize pool, $500,000 of which will go to the champions’ champion.

The field will include 20 players voted on via an internet poll. Only “living WSOP bracelet winners” are eligible as candidates. (No dead guys!) In his article about the event, Stephen A. Murphy notes there are currently 521 living bracelet holders.

Only one vote per email address, so ballot-box stuffing will only work to the extent that a person uses multiple emails. Voting is now open and will remain so through June 15. One can track how the voting is going by checking the current “Top 50” vote-getters (presented in random order) on the WSOP site. Should be interesting to watch that list over the next three months to see which players prove most popular.

Five more spots will be filled by the TOC winners from its last incarnation (2004-2006), Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, and Mike Sexton, plus last year’s WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada and WSOPE Main Event winner Barry Shulman. The last two seats are being reserved for “wild card exceptions” — no word as yet what that means, although Harrah’s VP Ty Stewart has said it could be that those spots will be taken by winners of online tourneys.

Sounds like the TOC, like the Main Event, will have its own delay (of sorts) insofar as the tourney is set to begin on Sunday, June 27 and then conclude on the following Sunday, July 4 (an off-day for the Main Event). This will be a televised event, too (on ESPN, natch).

I’m referring to this as TOC 3.0 because the “original” TOC — the one envisioned by Mike Sexton in the late 1990s and run from 1999-2001 at the Orleans Casino — while not specifically connected with the WSOP, not only shared the same name but had a couple of features not completely unrelated to those of the new TOC.

That original Tournament of Champions lasted for three years (1999-2001). There was an entry fee ($1,500 the first year, and $2,000 the next two), but it was not an open tournament. Rather, one earned the right to enter by various means, including winning a WSOP bracelet, winning a TOC-sanctioned event, winning the TOC itself, or being a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

Reading about the original TOC online, I’ve encountered conflicting reports on those qualifications, but you get the picture. The idea was to create a “champions” event involving the best of the best — sort of like the “Tour Championship” that comes at the end of the year in golf to which only the top money winners for the year are invited.

One other nifty aspect of the original TOC — it was a mixed-game event that featured different games throughout. The first two days players rotated between limit hold’em, Omaha eight-or-better, and seven-card stud. Then on the final day, the last 27 players played no-limit hold’em.

That first year, 1999, there were 664 entrants, and David Chiu was the winner, with Louis Asmo finishing second and Doyle Brunson third. There was a somewhat famous hand between Chiu and Asmo at the final table, one in which following some preflop action Chiu folded pocket kings face up, and Asmo revealed he held pocket aces. Click here to read Lee Munzer’s description of that hand, along with an interview with Asmo.

In 2000, 440 players entered the event, with a computer programmer named Spencer Sun taking the title. The great poker reporter Andy Glazer participated that year (as he did in ’99, I believe), and finished a respectable 35th. Glazer reported on the event for PokerPages, and you can read what he had to say here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.

In 2001, there were 402 entries, and Brian Saltus won, defeating T.J. Cloutier heads up. Scotty Nguyen finished third, and Miami John Cernuto fourth. Lee Munzer wrote up the first day of action for PokerPages here (giving Andy Glazer a chance to concentrate on playing), then Glazer wrote up Day 2 and Day 3.

The TOC was discontinued, then the name was used again for that one-table, ten-player event won by Annie Duke in 2004. I mentioned this one last week — no entry fee, $2 million prize pool, winner-take-all. Harrah’s had recently acquired the WSOP, and as they donated the prize pool, the TOC became associated with the WSOP.

In 2005, 111 players earned their way into the event by winning either WSOP bracelets or WSOP Circuit events. A bit of a hubbub that year also as three additional players — Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan — were allowed to play as “sponsor exemptions,” and in fact all three did well, finishing 13th (Chan), 10th (Brunson), and third (Hellmuth). Mike Matusow won the event and the $1,000,000 first prize. The rest of the prize pool — another $1 million — was divided among the other eight players who made the final table.

In 2006, the TOC was reduced to a 27-player invitational tourney, with the nine WSOP Main Event final tablists and 11 WSOP Circuit event winners all playing along with seven other “exemptions.” Mike Sexton won that year, defeating Daniel Negreanu heads-up. Again, the prize pool — donated by Harrah’s — totaled $2 million, with half of that going to Sexton for winning.

Now, after a four-year hiatus, the TOC is back. Already seeing debates on Twitter and in the forums about the new format. Kind of a popularity contest, really, as far as who will primarily make up the field. But it should prove interesting nonetheless — another good buzz-creator.

I see Dr. Pauly has already shared his voting guide. Who is getting my vote? Billy Baxter FTW!

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The Monte Carlo and New York New York Hotels are offering you a Vegas experience that you will not forget. They call it their Classic City Tour and it starts at only $45 per night.

Book a room at either The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino or New York New York Hotel Casino and receive the following offers from both Las Vegas hotels:

• 25% off Spa Services
• 2 tickets for $99 to Frank Caliendo or Zumanity™
• Free appetizer at d.vino or Gallagher’s Steakhouse (w/2 entree purchase)
• 2 Welcome cocktails at NYNY
• 2 Welcome cocktails at Monte Carlo
• 50% off bottle service at ROK Vegas™ Nightclub or Zowie Bowie at The Pub

This offer is valid from December 9th, 2009 to February 1st, 2010 and expires on January 31st, 2010

Discuss this article in our forum

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Terms and Conditions
Offer is subject to availability. Inclusions are per package, per stay and have no cash value. Two night minimum stay is required. A valid credit card must be applied to the room account on arrival in order to redeem the inclusions. A coupon book will be given to the guest at check-in for all inclusions. Tickets must be purchased in person at the hotel. Spa credit is valid with the purchase of services of $100 or more. Rates are subject to change and blackout dates may apply. There is a limited number of rooms and suites available at the promotional rates. Rates on the calendar are based on single or double occupancy. There is an additional fee for triple or quad room requests. There is a maximum of four guests per room. This offer is not available for special groups, Holidays, meetings, or conventions. This offer may not be used with any other offer, package or promotion. Monte Carlo reserves the right to cancel or modify this promotion at its discretion and without prior notice. Management reserves all rights. Must be 21 years or older. If you have trouble booking this reservation please call 888-529-4828 and ask for XC2CWEB.

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The Monte Carlo Las Vegas is offering National Finals Rodeo guests and fans an incredible deal, with rooms from only $49.95 per night and a host of exciting amenities including a Free pair of Stetson Jeans, Free Drinks and much more.

Stay at The Monte Carlo Las Vegas from December 3rd to December 12th and receive:

• Special NFR Rates
• Coupon for free pair of Stetson Jeans
• A special coupon book of offers including the following:
• Complimentary Drink offers at Diablo’s, The Pub and BRAND
• 2-for-1 Lance Burton Tickets
• 2-for-1 Frank Caliendo Tickets
• Buy 2 apparel items, Get 1 Free at Roper/Stetson
• 10% off all retail locations (see coupon book for details)
• NFR Program Guide

Read a Monte Carlo Hotel review here on WedoitallVegas, or click here. You can also purchase NFR Tickets separately.

Terms and Conditions
Offer is subject to availability. Two Night minimum stay is required. Inclusions are per package, per stay and have no cash value. Jeans for the first 500 reservations booked and the jeans may be picked up at a Monte Carlo outlet still to be determined. A valid credit card must be applied to the room account on arrival in order to redeem the inclusions. A coupon book will be given to the guest at check-in for all inclusions. Rates are subject to change and blackout dates may apply. There is a limited number of rooms and suites available at the promotional rates. Rates on the calendar are based on single or double occupancy. There is an additional fee for triple or quad room requests. There is a maximum of four guests per room. This offer is not available for special groups, Holidays, meetings, or conventions. This offer may not be used with any other offer, package or promotion. Monte Carlo reserves the right to cancel or modify this promotion at its discretion and without prior notice. Management reserves all rights. Must be 21 years or older. If you have trouble booking this reservation please call 866-822-8653 and ask for XNFR09.

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Full Tilt’s Online Poker Series (FTOPS) will kick off today at 21:00 PM ET with the $200 + $16 NL Hold ‘em $1.000.000 Guaranteed event hosted by Full Tilt Pro Allen Cunningham. The series will run for two weeks and will offer 25 pro-hosted events with buy ins ranging from $100+$9 to $2500+$120 and a total of $16 Million in guaranteed prizes including six events guaranteeing at least $1 million in prize money. (Event #1, $1.000.000, November 4th, Event #10,$1.5 million guaranteed, November 8th, Event #12, $1.5 million guaranteed, November 9th, Event #17, $1 million guaranteed, starting at 21:00 ET, November 11th, Event #22, $2 million guarantee, November 14th, and FTOPS Main Event, $2.5 million guaranteed, November 15th).

In addition, Full Tilt Poker added two new events to the tournament’s calendar. Event #2 is a 7-Game tournament at 14:00 ET on November 5th, designed to test all-around poker skills. Event #18 is a cashout tournament at 14:00 ET on November 12th, giving players the option to cash out their chips while the tournament is still running. Each event offers a guaranteed prize pool of at least $150.000. Buy-in to either tournament directly for $200 + $16 or satellite into any FTOPS event for as little as $0.50 or 50 Full Tilt Points.

Full Tilt will also offer players the chance to take part in its MiniFTOPS, which will feature the same 25 FTOPS XIV events at only 1/10th of the buy-in. The Mini Series will run from between December 9th - December 20th and will award more than $3 million in guaranteed prize money. For more information about FTOPS XIV, please visit FullTilt.com.

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