A year after Jesus rose through the field and attained immortality at the poker felt, the 2001 World Series of Poker took place. Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson, like most of the WSOP Main Event champions, won only one world championship – in the year 2000 – but the popularity of the event he took down for $1.5 million was enduring in a permanent sense. The world stopped to witness the final table, where he claimed the biggest prize in poker at the conclusion of an event featuring 512 entries.
One year later, the field of the WSOP Main Event was even bigger, and the greatest card game on Earth turned into something of a bull run, stampeding towards the next first-time winner – The Matador of the Main Event.
Bracelet Bonanza at Biggest WSOP Ever
With 26 WSOP bracelet events – an increase of two from the previous year – the action was hot right from the first deal in Las Vegas, Nevada. The previous year’s Ladies Event champion, Nani Dollison, won an open event as she scooped the $2,000 Limit Hold’em event #2 for $441,440.
Over the course of her stellar WSOP career, the Mississippi sensation would bank over $622,000, winning three bracelets, and is fondly remembered as one of the most successful female poker players in history. Incredibly, 24 events later, Dollison would win again, banking $41,130 for successfully defending her Ladies Event title (Event #26) on May 13. This was her third (and final) bracelet, and she won them all inside a calendar year, an unprecedented run for a female player.
Chris Ferguson followed up on his Main Event the previous May by winning another, taking down the $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo tournament (Event #3) for $164,735, beating Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen heads-up for the title. The big names kept on winning, with Phil Hellmuth claiming victory in yet another NLHE Event (Event #5: $2,000 No Limit Hold’em) and Howard ‘The Professor’ Lederer winning the $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Event #18.
Other Bracelet Events See Stars Claim Gold
Jay Heimowitz won the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em Event #19, earning Heimowitz $115,430 and his sixth and final WSOP bracelet. The 1998 WSOP Main Event champion Scotty Nguyen won both the $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event #14 and the $5,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event #23 tournaments, as the ‘Prince of Poker’ once again celebrated like no one else in Vegas.
Nguyen, Hellmuth, and Ferguson were three of four former Main Event winners who added bracelets to their tally in the 2001 WSOP. They were joined by a legend of the game, Berry Johnston (Event #13: $1,500 Limit Razz), the 1986 world champion. Other big winners who were yet to become household names included Steve Zolotow in the $3,000 Pot Limit Hold’em Event #20 and Allen Cunningham in Event #21: $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud. Event #22: $3,000 No Limit Hold’em saw another household name (relatively speaking), Erik Seidel take down the event for his 5th WSOP bracelet.
The other bracelet winners that year were Travis Jonas (Event #1: $500 Casino Employees Limit Hold’em), Adam Roberts (Event #4: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud), Eduard Scharf (Event #6: $1,500 Limit Omaha), Barry Shulman (Event #7: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo), Galen Kester (Event #8: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha), David Pham (Event #9: $2,000 Limit S.H.O.E.), Jim Lester (Event #10: $3,000 Limit Hold’em), Paul Darden (Event #11: $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud), Burt Boutin (Event #12: $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em), Rich Korbin (Event #15: $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo), Cliff Yamagawa (Event #16: $1,500 Limit A-5 Draw Lowball), and Robert Slezak (Event #17: $2,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo).
The last preliminary bracelet was won by the late Hemish Shah, a British poker icon who helped pioneer the Late Night Poker series. After he won $312,340 in the $5,000 Limit Hold’em event #24, it was time for the 32nd WSOP Main Event. A record-breaking 613 players were in the mix, amongst them all of the world’s top poker players. And with over $6 million in the prize pool, it would be the biggest showdown to win a Main Event ever.
The Rush of Las Vegas
“Not since the Gold Rush has the West seen so many people hoping to strike it rich!” said the team behind the 2001 World Series of Poker. “If poker is your game, then this is your ultimate fantasy.”
It was impossible to disagree, as the best poker players on the planet were happy to put down $10,000 each to compete for the immortal prize of winning the World Championship.
“Poker is like sex in a myriad ways,” said poker author and Main Event player Michael Konik. “Winning just feels so good.”
“There’s nothing like it.” Said T.J. Cloutier “It’s the best tournament and it always will be.”
Despite these positive words, Cloutier didn’t make the money, promising to ‘take it like a man and move onto the next one.’
Cloutier wasn’t the only one who busted early. Reigning champion Chris Ferguson was out before making any profit. As play reached the 45 money places, plenty of poker legends were still in the mix. Billy Baxter lost out in 37th place for $20,000, which was now the min-cash, a big increase from previous years where many players who put down $10,000 would reach the money only to receive $7,5000 back.
British poker legend Barny Boatman left in 33rd place for $30,000, Mike Sexton reached 29th for the same amount, and Jim Bechtel saw his aspirations end in 23rd place for $39,960. By the time Daniel Negreanu lost out to Mike Matusow in 11th place, the prize amount was up to $63,940.
Into the final nine, Steve ‘Country’ Riehle busted in eight place for $119,885 as another amateur made way for the professionals. With Matusow joined by Phil Hellmuth, Phil Gordon, Stan Schrier, Duane ‘Dewey’ Tomko, and the Spanish player Carlos Mortensen in the final six, it was anyone’s guess who would be world champion.
“I’m supposed to be the best No Limit Hold’em in the world, and now I have a chance to prove it tomorrow, so it’s a very big day for me.” Said Phil Hellmuth. “I’m focused in on all the players, I’m zoned in and playing great.”
The Matador and the Bull
With six players left, Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow was eliminated first for a result worth $239,765 as Hellmuth’s pocket kings beat Matusow’s pocket eights and took out his friend. If The Poker Brat was celebrating, it wasn’t for long. Unable to miracle a straight on the river of what could have been a ‘recovery’ pot, Hellmuth fell short of his second Main Event title by just four places. The Californian won $303,705 as his final chips went to the Spanish player Mortensen.
Moving all-in with ace-six, Gordon was a big underdog, as Mortensen called with pocket queens in a pot that would define the leader at the event final table. As it happened, the Spanish player hit a flush and knocked out a dangerous opponent, increasing an already significant lead. Gordon left in fourth for $399,610, and he was shortly followed from the felt by Stan Schrier in third for $699,315, queen-ten beaten by Tomko’s pocket kings.
Heads-up, Mortensen had a better than 2:1 chip lead. Maintaining the lead when he raised with the king-queen of clubs. Tomko called with pocket aces and a flop of J-T-3, two of them clubs, got the money all-in with Mortensen holding a 48% shot at ending the tournament there and then. A three on the turn was no help, and Tomko stood to double up. Unfortunately for Tomko, a nine on the river changed everything. It gave the Spaniard Mortensen the straight for all of the chips, the bracelet, and the $1,500,000 top prize. Tomko – who incredibly had now finished as the runner-up in the WSOP Main Event twice, this year and 19 years previous in 1982, took home just under $1.1m.
“I finally got aces for the first time in five days and I went broke with them!”
“When I play, especially at the final table, I have to think I’m the best,” said Mortensen after the biggest victory of his career. “I have no fear of anybody.”
After winning the Main Event, ‘The Matador’ showed that he could avoid defeat against everyone in his path, and in doing so, won the first WSOP bracelet for Spain.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Carlos ‘The Matador’ Mortensen | Spain | $1,500,000 |
| 2nd | Dewey Tomko | United States | $1,098,925 |
| 3rd | Stanley Schrier | United States | $699,315 |
| 4th | Phil Gordon | United States | $399,610 |
| 5th | Phil Hellmuth | United States | $303,705 |
| 6th | Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow | United States | $239,765 |
| 7th | Henry Nowakowski | United States | $179,825 |
| 8th | Steven Reihle | Germany | $119,885 |
| 9th | John Inashima | United States | $91,910 |
2000 WSOP Main Event 2002 WSOP Main Event
About the Author: Paul Seaton has written about poker for over 10 years, interviewing some of the best players ever to play the game such as Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth. Over the years, Paul has reported live from tournaments such as the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and the European Poker Tour. He has also written for other poker brands where he was Head of Media, as well as BLUFF magazine, where he was Editor.