WSOP Day 27 Update - Razz Not Spectator Sport, Big Names Go Deep

Day 27 of the 2010 WSOP is underway with three events playing to completion today. The $2,500 Razz Event started with 18 players with 15 left including Artie Cobb, Vladimir Shchemelev, Steve Diano, Jennifer Harman and Frank Kassela. The past weekend's $1,000 NL Final table is underway with 8 players left. Sebastien Roy is the current chip leader. Finally, the NL Holdem Shootout Event is down to 13 players with Obrestad in the field.

Razz is Not a Spectator Sport

While waiting for the Razz event to start, I was talking with one of the head floor supervisors that said that “Razz is not a spectator sport” when referring to why the final table is being stuck over in the corner of the Orange section. While this may be true (see for example the WSOP videos 2009), there are two people currently railing both Artie Cobb and Chris Bjorin. They would be Cobb'€™s wife and sister-in-law.

I saw the two over on a side table and she was wearing an old school WSOP bracelet. She was talking to a couple of railers and I thought that perhaps she was Cobb'€™s wife, but wasn'€™t sure. I happened to step in her way, and she asked me to move so she could see. That gave me the opening to ask who she was watching.

Once I found that out, I had a nice chat with Cobb's wife and found out quite a bit about the couple. Apparently, the two of them had lived 15 minutes from each other in NY but actually met in Las Vegas. They both happen to be of the same religion (Jewish) and both have a love for the game of poker. To quote Cobb's wife “I have been a professional poker groupie for over 30 years.” She also told me that by her religion, gambling was considered a sin. Obviously that didn'€™t stop her or Artie.



She also talked to me a bit about Chris Bjorin. For those of you not familiar with Bjorin, he is a two time WSOP bracelets and over $4.6 Million in tournament earnings. This event will mark his 5th cash at this year’s WSOP. Bjorin’s two bracelets are in NL Holdem and PL Omaha. He also made the final table of the WSOP Main Event in 1997 and the WSOP Europe final table in 2009. Cobb’s wife told me that he is only one of two men that she knows that play’s poker in suit. She also told me that she wished him good luck and “hopes he finishes 2nd.” Of course, she wants her husband to win.

Big Names Going Deep

Artie Cobb and Chris Bjorin aren’t the only players making a deep run today. Jennifer Harman is looking for her 2nd final table of this WSOP over in the Razz Event as well as Frank Kassela who is looking for his 2nd bracelet of this WSOP.



Over in Day 2 of the PL Omaha Hi-Lo Event, we have Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, and Barry Greenstein still in. Barry is currently fifth in chips in this event and looking to make a run at the final table.



We still have a ways to go before we get to a final table in either the Razz or the Shootout Event. Also, the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E.World Championship kicks off at 5 p.m. PDT and should have a strong field. I’ll be back a little later to bring you more from Day 27 of the 2010 World Series of Poker.