3 Barrels: BIG 50 record; Tom Franklin flogs bracelet; Todd Brunson attacked

3:Barrels: BIG 50 record; Tom Franklin flogs bracelet; Todd Brunson attacked

Three stories with more than a passing reference to the World Series of Poker including a new attendance record, someone trying to get rid of a bracelet, and a bracelet winner going all Rambo on us.

3:Barrels: BIG 50 record; Tom Franklin flogs bracelet; Todd Brunson attackedAn avalanche of people the likes of which the World Series of Poker (WSOP) has never seen before has knocked every door from their hinges in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino as the BIG 50 exceeds expectations.

Speaking to Forbes in May, Seth Palansky and the crew believed the $500 buy-in (first entry, rake-free), 50,000 starting stack, 50-minute -levels, $5m GTD, $1m GTD to the winner, barnstormer of an event would top 10,000 entrants.

It’s done more than that.

Who’s doing Norris McWhirter’s job these days? Whoever it is, wake them up, and tell them to get on a flight to McCarran because we have a new record on our hands.

Event #3: BIG 50 – $500 No-Limit Hold’em pulled in an incredible 9,121-entrants on Day 2d, (5,166 of which were unique entries), and that means a record attendance for a live poker tournament of 28,371-entrants.

Here’s the breakdown.

Day 1a – 6,095 entrants
Day 1b – 5,972 entrants
Day 1c – 7,183 entrants
Day 1d – 9,121 entrants
Total – 28,371

It’s a story that someone of Margaret Atwood’s ilk would struggle to write, and if you dare complain about the registration lines, you won’t be warded off with a nonchalant wave of the hand, you’ll get the back of one right across your cheek.

At the time of writing, 1,597 players are hoping to claim a piece of $13,509,435. Big stacks include Ben Dobson (3,560,000), Richard Trigg (2,690,000), Justin Liberto (2,235,000), Jason Wheeler (2,070,000).

WSOP Big boys

1. Big 50 – 28,371 entrants
2. 2015 Colossus – 22,374
3. 2016 Colossus – 21,613
4. 2017 Colossus – 18,054
5. 2018 Colossus – 13,070
6. 2017 Giant – 10,015
7. 2018 Giant – 8,773
8. 2006 Main Event – 8,598
9. 2018 Crazy Eights – 8,120
10. 2017 Crazy Eights – 7,997

Tom Franklin flogging his bracelet

There are thousands of players trying to win a WSOP bracelet, but there’s always one dog that can’t wag its tail.

‘Captain’ Tom Franklin is selling his 1999 $2,500 Limit Omaha bracelet on eBay. Franklin beat 104-entrants to win that sliver of gold and the $104,000 first prize, and he’s expecting some mad bastard to pay $50,000 for it so they can have this conversation with friends.

Friend: “Wow, a WSOP bracelet, when did you win that?”

Buyer: “I didn’t win it. A guy called ‘Captain’ Tom Franklin won it, and I bought it from him for $50,000. Cool, uh?”

Friend: “No.”

The 68-years-old has won more than $3.2m playing live tournaments, and he’s still going strong, finishing 39/470 in the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice-6 Handed a few days ago.

Todd Brunson attacked; Seeks retribution

The new Rambo 5 trailer’s out.

Have you seen it?

Methinks, Todd Brunson has.

During a sojourn at The Tavern on Rainbow Boulevard, two young men, resembling Serbian passport control officers, attacked the WSOP bracelet winner, and he wants justice.

“They drew first blood, not me.”

It’s a good job the pair didn’t attack Todd’s dad – cap in the arse and all of that. ​