Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier outwitted eight other top poker pros to win the final slot into the 2010 WSOP (World Series of Poker) Tournament of Champions. The WSOP Academy, the main education provider for the World Series of Poker, hosted the single table "sudden-death playoff" event for nine poker players that are not eligible for the public poll to fill the final slot.
Aside from Grospellier, poker pros Andy Bloch, Don Cheadle, Gus Hansen, Michael Mizrachi, Sorel Mizzi, Gavin, Smith, Liv Boeree and Paul Wasicka all fought a good battle, but only Grospellier was left standing in the end. He defeated Michael "Grinder" Mizrachi after the players decided to go all-in during the pre-flop. Grospellier possessed Ks/10c and Mizrachi had Ah/6h.
The board revealed 4c/5c/Qd/Jc and Grospellier took the title with a flush. Aside from winning the slot into the WSOP Tournament of Champions All-Star event and the opportunity to win the $1 million dollars prize pool. Grospellier said that he is very happy with his win and he look forward to receiving his WSOP bracelet soon.
Grospellier, who is living in South Korea since 2001, is also an accomplished "Starcraft" player. After a friend introduced him to the game of poker, he earned his mark as online player but moved on to participate in live events taking home a total of $6,065,016 dollars in lifetime poker earnings. He holds major titles from the 2008 EPT (European Poker Tour) and the 2008 WPT (World Poker Tour) and the 2008 PCA Main Event where he won $2 million dollars.
The World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions (TOC) is the main All-Star Event in all of poker events. The freeroll poker tournament features twenty-seven players; twenty picked by public voting, five automatic entries and two sponsor entries.
With the start of the 2010 World Series of Poker, there were 521 World Series of Poker bracelet holders that are eligible for the public vote, which started on March 15th, 2010 on WSOP.com/TOC and will remain open until June 15th, 2010 at 12:00 midnight ET.
The five players that are granted automatic entry into the event are the three past WSOP tournament of champions winners (Mike Sexton, Annie Duke and Mike Matusow), the reigning WSOP Main Event champion (Joe Cada) and the reigning WSOPE (World Series of Poker Europe) Main Event champion (Barry Shulman).
Jeff Goldenberg, the Chief Executive Officer of the World Series of Poker Academy said that the player and the public response to the WSOP Academy event was greater from what they have expected and shows that the TOC is considered the All-Star Game of poker. The sponsor's exemption event was covered for the exclusive use of the WSOP Academy. Phil Hellmuth and Ali Nejad will be giving the hand-by-hand commentary. The content can be accessed by World Series of Poker Academy customers through its online site and live poker events.
As the sole education partner to the World Series of Poker, the WSOP Academy aims to bring one-of-a kind poker experiences to participants at the WSOP. The Academy will host the new Mind and Body Academy on July 4th, 2010 with Mindset Guru Sam Chauhan and Joe Navarro from the FBI. The two-day advanced WSOP Main Event Primer on July 2nd, 2010-July 3rd, 2010 has been modified for 2010.
07/14/2010 14:06 PM
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