Controversy Rages As WPT Foxwoods Bubble Bursts
October 30, 2011 10:32 amDay 3 of the WPT World Poker Finals at the Foxwoods Casino began with 66 runners still in contention from the original starting field of 189 players. As the competition thinned, a whole slew of big names then found themselves on the rail with no recompense for their efforts. Those players included Erik Seidel, Kathy Liebert, Jason Mercier, Jeff Forrest, David Sands and Dwyte Pilgrim.
Day 4 of the $10,000 buy-in event resumes today at noon with the remaining 27 players left in the tournament all guaranteed at least $19,916, when the action was halted on Day 3 after the money-bubble burst.
However, not all the players were satisfied with the manner in which the money-bubble burst with many pros taking to twitter to vent their frustration at the way the floor staff organised that crucial stage of the tournament.
In what has been seen as an old amateur player getting hood-winked by more knowledgeable players, Alistar Melville (pictured right) found himself out in 28th place and zero dollars after Foxwoods changed the goal posts mid-game. As Jason Mercier posted:
“What a f***ing joke may not ever come to Foxwoods again after what I just saw. Might take a bit to explain but I’ll try my best..28 players left and 27 pay. Floor announces they drew number of hands and that 4 more hands will be played. That they will not play to the $.”
“Then… Some old amateur guy gets crippled in the last 4 hands and has 4k left or so. The 4 hands finish and then the floor decides that…After a bunch of players complain, that they are going to play to the money bc this guy is short. He is going to be the big blind in 2 hands.”
“Instead of getting a redraw for the next day. The guy doesn’t know any better and all these pros took total advantage of him #wptfoxwoods…That’s about the 15th thing wrong that the floor did this tourney. #shocker #suchajoke.”
This is not the first time Foxwoods has courted controversy, and on hearing the news Daniel Negreanu wrote:
“I skipped Foxwoods and wouldn’t give them my business unless they address the floor staff situation. All I hear are horror stories.”
Day 4 Gets Underway
Controversy aside, Day 4 of the WPT World Poker Finals at Foxwoods Casino resumes today at noon with the remaining 27 players left in the tournament expected to play down to the final table of six where a $449,910 top prize awaits the eventual winner.
Leading the field is the WPT Player of the Year Andy Frankenberger, who hasn’t been out of the top five count since Day 1 and now has a 658,500 stack. He also has a good bit of daylight between himself and Jack Schanbacher (483,500) in 2nd spot and online prodigy Christian “charder30” Harder (378,500) in 3rd.
Other notable names still left in the running include Hoyt Corkins, Jonathan Little, Matt Stout, Matt Glantz, Cornel Cimpan, and Allen Kessler.