best player at the final table?

[deuces 0]

I was curious to see who you guys consider to have played the best over the course of the 2005 final table. Based on my admittedly limited knowledge of each person's playing abilities, it seemed to me like Tex Barch and Andy Black were the two standouts.

[Smasharoo 0]

Matusow was by far the best player.

[InertGrudge 0]

Matusow was by far the best player.

[bmwguy525 0]

Matusow was by far the best player.

[deuces 0]

Matusow was by far the best player.

Granted, he's the best player. But I was looking to find out who you thought played the best throughout the course of the final table. I know for many that still might be Matusow, but I think a case can be made for others as well. Just wanted to clarify the scope of the question...

[Guest XXEddie]

Matusow was by far the best player.

Granted, he's the best player. But I was looking to find out who you thought played the best throughout the course of the final table. I know for many that still might be Matusow, but I think a case can be made for others as well. Just wanted to clarify the scope of the question...

Well obviously it was Joesph Hachem

[benhoug 0]

Matusow was by far the best player.

YUP

[deuces 0]

Matusow was by far the best player.

Granted, he's the best player. But I was looking to find out who you thought played the best throughout the course of the final table. I know for many that still might be Matusow, but I think a case can be made for others as well. Just wanted to clarify the scope of the question...

Well obviously it was Joesph Hachem

care to explain your choice??

[Wlleiotl 0]

black did well, and kanter showed a willingness to try to take over the table, but just never realised that there were points that people werent getting moved off hands, like barch with the K7. if he'd kept out of those hands and kept winning the small pots with raises and reraises preflop, he'd have strolled it. barch played far too tight, he should have kept active and not let him get into a situation where he feels he needs to push with A6.hescham obviously played well after the Q7 hand, that was just the kick start he needed to propell him to victory. and the JJ that won him the pot that knocked out barch, well it couldnt have worked out any better, barch will be cursing that he didnt reraise with them.should be fun to watch when its on, donkilicious

[alf13 0]

By a mile........Mike Matusow....Of the rest.....Tex Barch was the best player...Andy Black was a close second.....Danneman and Kanter were the worst although Lazar had what seemed like a nervous breakdown....and Haschem was ultra tight and played solid...but still did some bonehead things.

[arerad 0]

I was curious to see who you guys consider to have played the best over the course of the 2005 final table. Based on my admittedly limited knowledge of each person's playing abilities, it seemed to me like Tex Barch and Andy Black were the two standouts.

Hachem's victory was astonishing because he had been nursing a short stack of chips for 11 1/2 hours through the night, waiting for the right moment and avoiding confrontations that could cost him a chance to get the cash. Since the reference was who played the best at the "final" table it obviously wasn't Mike. He played amazing to get to the final table, but once there he shouldn't have been in such a hurry. I Know he wanted to win badly, but at that point it was too early to go all in without the nuts. Basically I think committed poker suicide.Congrats to Hachem for the greatest win(not best player) at the 2005 WSOP.....Now the rest of us can dream of next year.

[spm 1]

I was curious to see who you guys consider to have played the best over the course of the 2005 final table. Based on my admittedly limited knowledge of each person's playing abilities, it seemed to me like Tex Barch and Andy Black were the two standouts.

Hachem's victory was astonishing because he had been nursing a short stack of chips for 11 1/2 hours through the night, waiting for the right moment and avoiding confrontations that could cost him a chance to get the cash. Since the reference was who played the best at the "final" table it obviously wasn't Mike. He played amazing to get to the final table, but once there he shouldn't have been in such a hurry. I Know he wanted to win badly, but at that point it was too early to go all in without the nuts. Basically I think committed poker suicide.Congrats to Hachem for the greatest win(not best player) at the 2005 WSOP.....Now the rest of us can dream of next year.

Not sure how you can say going all in with KK is committing suicide and then going out with the best hand pre-flop 10-10.

[Mattnxtc 0]

pocket kings on the button and u arent playing it the same way against 2 raises? give me a break...dude got sucked out on post flop twice...what more can u ask of the guy...he outplayed everybody at the table...getting a guy to go all in with 2 overs a gutshot? thats normally a dream for anybody...matusow played the best and was rewarded with 8th place...i got a lot more respect for him after his performance and the fact that id have been throwing chairs if that happened to me with 7.5 million on the line...

[arerad 0]

Not sure how you can say going all in with KK is committing suicide and then going out with the best hand pre-flop 10-10.

I agree Mike was the best player getting to the final table.......however good KK is he put his life on the line when a AQ suited could put him on the rail let alone AA......I wanted him to work the table slowly and take down the 7.5, alas Mike was in too big a hurry to win this thing when he needed some patience.

[zimmer4141 0]

There was really no way for Mike to not go broke with KK there. Even if he doesn't go all in preflop, he would hit a K on the flop to make his set. He would've raised at that point, and the guy with AA would have called and made his flush. He could've folded the KK preflop, but that is almost always a -EV play, no matter how big of a table advantage you have.

[Mattnxtc 0]

Not sure how you can say going all in with KK is committing suicide and then going out with the best hand pre-flop 10-10.

I agree Mike was the best player getting to the final table.......however good KK is he put his life on the line when a AQ suited could put him on the rail let alone AA......I wanted him to work the table slowly and take down the 7.5, alas Mike was in too big a hurry to win this thing when he needed some patience.

if ur worried about aq knocking u out when u have kings then u need to quit poker and take up something that doesnt involve gambling...a 23 offsuit could have put him on the rail...doesnt mean hes not gonna play the same way

[alf13 0]

If Mikey just calls with KK and then takes a flop......hits the K for his set...and leads out...The guy with the AA was a total DONK that would have raised allin...I am about 99.9% sure of that...so the only other way that Matusow could have played the KK hand would have ended the same way....I know that results based thinking is the worst...but in this case it certainly applies....There is not a player in the world bad enough to fold that hand against these Donks that would put their mother in the pot if they got dealt a AJ....He played it fine...

[PotDragon 0]

pocket kings on the button and u arent playing it the same way against 2 raises?

You are at the final table...you have the lead...its the second hand....you are facing a table full of online qualifiers who overvalue ANY ace...there is a raise and a reraise to your button...you have pocket kings...you just berated Phil Ivey publically for playing coin flip hands against the jackwads...you know big pairs only play well heads up....So FOLD !!!!!!PS...I say this as the man who got knocked out of a SNG, the $500 NL event, and the nightly $225 Super all in one day at the "Pot Of Gold" at the Reno Hilton with pocket Kings. Ran into Aces twice...and the dreaded J8 os. :roll: So I am not saying I could do it...but I don't say half the stuff Mike The Mouth Says...but if anyone is saying he played that well they are mistaken.

[Mattnxtc 0]

If Mikey just calls with KK and then takes a flop......hits the K for his set...and leads out...The guy with the AA was a total DONK that would have raised allin...I am about 99.9% sure of that...so the only other way that Matusow could have played the KK hand would have ended the same way....I know that results based thinking is the worst...but in this case it certainly applies....There is not a player in the world bad enough to fold that hand against these Donks that would put their mother in the pot if they got dealt a AJ....He played it fine...

was in the shower and thoguht about that but u beat me too it...

[TheIceman05 0]

pocket kings on the button and u arent playing it the same way against 2 raises?

You are at the final table...you have the lead...its the second hand....you are facing a table full of online qualifiers who overvalue ANY ace...there is a raise and a reraise to your button...you have pocket kings...you just berated Phil Ivey publically for playing coin flip hands against the jackwads...you know big pairs only play well heads up....So FOLD !!!!!!PS...I say this as the man who got knocked out of a SNG, the $500 NL event, and the nightly $225 Super all in one day at the "Pot Of Gold" at the Reno Hilton with pocket Kings. Ran into Aces twice...and the dreaded J8 os. :roll: So I am not saying I could do it...but I don't say half the stuff Mike The Mouth Says...but if anyone is saying he played that well they are mistaken.

You're all nuts. Sometimes you get Kings and run into Aces. It happens. YOU LOSE YOUR STACK 4/5 TIMES when this happens. It's not, like, optional. If he folded Kings there against Jacks, QQ or AK, you all would be talking about how that might be the worst play in history.If he wins the hand, he's got the chips to just slaughter the whole table, no problem. And someone earlier said, "It's too early to get all-in w/o the nuts..."My response: You are a fucking moron. Ice

[Mattnxtc 0]

well put ice

[pokerplayer24 0]

Matusow lost a tough hand early with KK v AA and then still put himself in a position to double up and once again be an above avg stack at the final table. Sadly the guy drew out on him. The fact that AJ even tried to make that move is ridiculous.

[Mattnxtc 0]

donkeys always draw..what can you say

[PotDragon 0]

If he wins the hand, he's got the chips to just slaughter the whole table, no problem.

Ahhh yes....IF. I thought we were talking about skilled tournament play ?IF he is the best player at the table...then folding and letting the jackwads battle would work too.But IF neither of the other 2 will call ...or IF he thinks it's advisable to play even 8-1 favs to a raise/ re raise at the final table with the lead...then play it.How'd it work out for him ? Where is the skilled read in missing that your opponnet has picked up aces ? Ohhh...that's right, you are only to the level where your own cards matter. Sorry.

[jasonmason 0]

Dannenmann was definately the best player at the table.He got all in with A-6 against Black's 8-9 (How do you call with 8-9 what a terrible call!!) on a board of 2-6-9 because he knew that the Ace was coming on the river. Genius!Then the guy gets screwed on the final hand when he goes all in with a pair of Aces on the turn and Haschem calls him with a straight. Dannenmann wouldn't have gone all in there if he knew he was drawing dead! What a joke.sw