WSOP Blog
Nine Thoughts From Behind the Scenes at the 2011 November 9
Created By: Arthur Crowson Posted in: WSOP Blog, Tournament TrailBy now you know that Pius Heinz won the 2011 WSOP Main Event.
You probably watched the live stream, the full broadcast and have memorized every single bustout hand.
There were a few things they didn't focus on in the broadcast, however, and we’ve compiled a list of the various happenings you may have missed if you weren’t in Las Vegas for the grand finale.
After the jump you’ll find nine stories that went a bit under the radar. Also be sure to check our 2011 WSOP Main Event picturebook.
1. Badih Bou-Nahra Had Amazing Fans
Considering Badih Bou-Nahra had to fly most of his fans in from Belize he had some incredible support.
We counted more than 100 fans cheering on Bou-Nahra wearing a variety of Belize paraphernalia. Bou-Nahra was the biggest showman at the final table and definitely played off the energy of his fans.
Ben Lamb, Phil Collins and Matt Giannetti also had tons of fans but it was a little more understandable considering they live in the U.S.
2. Chants Were Odd but Great
Almost every player got their own specialized chant and some of them were pretty amazing.
Personally we were a big fan of the way Eoghan O’Dea’s fans cheerfully sang “Olé, Olé, Olé” except “O’Dea, O’Dea, O’Dea.”
Of course every time Phil Collins raked a pot his fans serenaded him with renditions of his famous namesake’s hits like “In the Air Tonight.”
Perhaps the best and oddest one was the Pius Heinz one. For some reason it was sung to the tune of KC & the Sunshine Band’s “Baby Give it Up” and would go “Na na na na na na na now, Pius Heinz, Pius, Pius Heinz.”
We’re still humming it in the shower.
3. Lamb and Collins Talked Frequently on the Break
Not sure what they talked about but knowing that Collins and Lamb are friends it could have been a small bit of strategy.
4. Allen Bari Got Kicked Out
It’s not exactly a surprise that out of all the poker players on location it was the always-controversial Allen Bari who got kicked out of the Penn and Teller Amphitheater.
We didn’t hear the exact reason but we’re to bet it involved alcohol and shouting. No shoe throwing this time though. We think.
5. Ben Lamb Accidentally Received Payout Sheet for First Place
Apparently when Ben Lamb when to get his third place payout he accidentally received the sheet for first place. He Tweeted a picture of the sheet and said "Wow biggest needle ever. Gave me this instead of one that said 3rd."
Lamb should have just taken the first place payment and ran.
6. Matt Giannetti was Most Visibly Upset About Busting
Sam Holden received the minimum payout at the final table and was generally in good spirits.
Matt Giannetti on the other hand finished in fourth place for $3 million and was, quite honestly, pissed off.
It’s tough to feel bad for a guy who just won $3 million but Giannetti was gunning for the final three and likely would have gotten there if not for bad luck.
7. Staszko and Heinz Have Limited Wardrobes
Not sure if you caught this but Pius Heinz and Martin Staszko appeared to be wearing the exact same thing they were this summer when they made the final table.
It was unclear if it was a superstition or if they just don’t like to switch it up that often.
8. The Poker Hall of Fame Ceremony was Surprisingly Moving
You can get a bit jaded as a poker journalist: Everybody owes each other money, there’s always a scandal of some sort, so many well-known players are broke, etc.
That’s why it was somewhat of a surprise that the Poker Hall of Fame ceremony that saw Linda Johnson and Barry Greenstein inducted was actually quite heart-warming.
The honor obviously meant a lot to Linda Johnson as she talked in detail about how different the industry was when she broke onto the scene.
Meanwhile Barry Greenstein mostly talked about various ways he would change the way the Hall of Fame system works and pushed hard for cardroom manager/poker player/innovator Eric Drache to be nominated for the hall of fame.
9. Daniel Negreanu was on Team Lamb
Daniel Negreanu was Tweeting heavily throughout the 2011 WSOP Main Event final table and later revealed he was a part of the team that analyzed hands on the live stream for Ben Lamb.
Negreanu even claimed he had picked up tells on Martin Staszko and Pius Heinz but by this point Lamb was already out of the tournament.
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