Phil Collins has been eliminated in 5th place at the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event final table, earning $2.269m. Collins is the first American player to fall on the day. Collins doubled up against fellow Yank Ben Lamb after scoring a diamond flush on the river during Hand #73, but on Hand #100, chip leader Pius Heinz’s pocket nines were joined by a nine on the turn, giving him the edge over Collin’s pair of sevens, and (presumably) making Collins’ lovely wife Katie cry. Heinz improved to 86.7m, followed by Matt Giannetti at 49.7m, Martin Staszko at 40.9m and Lamb at 28.7m.
Elsewhere at the WSOP, slot machine manufacturer International Game Technology is using the media hoopla to debut a new video poker game, Texas Hold’em Heads Up Poker. IGT claims the machine is the first to be powered by a ‘neural net,’ a mathematical model that mimics human brain function. The gist is that players using the machine can supposedly ‘read’ the machine’s style of play, much as it would a real live human. IGT is helpfully placing the new slot on the Rio’s casino floor, in the hopes that WSOP railbirds will perhaps wander over during the meal break.
Phil Collins’ exit from the WSOP brings a (welcome) end to the endless amount of (singer) Phil Collins references by both the railbirds and the ESPN announcers. In The Air Tonight, One More Night, yada yada yada… For the record, this is the tune we’ve been humming all day.
