AND THE BRACELET GOES TO... ELIO FOX WINS THE 2011 WSOP EUROPE MAIN EVENT

2011 World Series of Poker Europe
Hotel Majestic Barriére / Le Croisette Casino Barriére
Cannes, France
Official Report
Event #7
Main Event Championship
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In:  €10,000 + 400 (Euros) / $13,765 (USD)
Number of Entries:  593
Total Prize Pool:  €5,692,800 / $7,836,414
Number of Places Paid:  64
First Place Prize:  €1,400,000 / $1,927,310
15-20 October 2011


TOURNAMENT HEADLINES

And the Gold Bracelet Goes To….Elio Fox!

New York Poker Pro Elio Fox Wins 2011 WSOP Europe Championship

American Wins WSOP Europe’s Most Prestigious Gold Bracelet

Cannes Rolls Out the Red Carpet for 2011 World Series of Poker:  Best Tournament Series Ever?

2011 WSOP Europe Smashes All Previous Records – Attendance and Prize Money Way Up

Main Event Championship Draws World-Class Field

More Misery for France – No Gold Bracelet Wins this Year for Host Country


OVERVIEW

Cannes, France (21 October 2011) – Cannes may be best known for its glitzy and glamorous international film festival.  But over the past two weeks, the biggest stars of the fabulous French Riviera have been poker players.

No poker player played a bigger role nor gave a more masterful performance on the Cote d'Azur than Elio Fox, from New York City.  He won the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event Championship, which came to a rousing conclusion late Thursday at Hotel Majestic Barriére, in Cannes, France.  For his victory, Fox collected a whopping $1,927,310 in prize money.  He also received the most-cherished prize in the game of poker – his first WSOP gold bracelet. 

Fox became only the fifth WSOP Europe Main Event Champion in history, following in the trail-blazing footsteps of four previous champions crowned in London, and exclusive club which includes Annette Obrestad (2007), John Juanda (2008), Barry Shulman (2009), and James Bord (2010).  But Fox's feat was perhaps the most impressive of any before, since he faced the nearly insurmountable challenge of overcoming a record tournament field size.

Fox triumphed over a door-busting 592 total entries, making this tournament the largest WSOP Main Event Championship ever.  Making things much tougher, these were not run of the mill poker players.  They were, according to just about any metric, the very best players in the entire world, which may actually infer the toughest 600 or so players of any event in history (Side Note:  It’s now becoming irrefutable that just about any mega buy-in tournament today is comprised of players who are much more skilled than their predecessors of previous years and decades). 
 
With the competition so fierce, the stakes had to be high.  And, they were.  The €10,000 buy-in was equal to about $13,765 (USD).  The No-Limit Hold’em tournament generated the second-biggest non-WSOP Main Event prize pool of all-time, totaling €5,692,800 -- which equals about $7,828,409. 

The tournament took six full days to complete, with the finale played before a worldwide live stream shown on ESPN3 and at WSOP.com.  Final table action was also taped for a television broadcast to be shown, at a future date and time to be announced soon.

On the sixth and last day, the final table unfolded amidst an unusual atmosphere for a WSOP gold bracelet championship event.  Played inside one of the elegant ballrooms normally used to show premier movies by the world’s top filmmakers who annually attend the Cannes Film Festival, the final table atmosphere embodied about as different a feel from the WSOP Main Event (“November Nine”) ambiance as could be imaginable.  There were no huge crowds, nor boisterous cheering sections.  There were virtually no spectators whatsoever, at least in the live setting. 

Instead, wild enthusiasm was replaced by stately grace and quiet contemplation.  It was as though a few of the world’s top chess grandmasters were playing inside an eerily-quiet echo chamber.  Alas, pretty much all that could be heard for nearly 12 hours were the faint cricket-like sounds of clacking poker chips being stacked, splashed, and re-stacked, occasionally broken up by the movement of television cameras.  In short, the finale looked and sounded more like a busy television newsroom than the world’s premier poker series.  Nonetheless, given the power and reach of television, this finale was (and will be) watched by more people worldwide than virtually any other tournament played this year, aside from the WSOP Main Event. 

Later, when millions of poker fans everywhere tune in to watch what happened, they will witness a majestic performance by Fox, the new champion.  True to his name, his performance was as sly as any WSOP victory this year.  He seized the chip lead during when play went down to 12-handed and then began the final table session with the biggest stack.  It took him about nine hours -- lightening fast by WSOP Europe standards -- to demolish what remained of the competition and take his place alongside the greats who have won one of poker's most prestigious prizes.

Fox is a 25-year-old professional poker player.  He was previously a college student at prestigious Bard College in New York before making the decision to play poker full-time.  2011 has been a monster year for the youthful new champ.  Fox won the Bellagio Cup championship earlier this year, played in Las Vegas.  For that victory, he won about $680,000 -- which is a mere pittance to what he pocketed in France.  Fox won three times that amount here in Cannes, plus his first career WSOP gold bracelet.

The top-64 finishers in this year's WSOP Main Event Championship collected prize money.  The top ten finishers were as follows:

1st Place – Elio Fox (New York, US)
2nd Place – Chris Moorman (Basildon, UK)
3rd Place – Moritz Kranich (Hamburg, Germany)
4th Place – Brian Roberts (Austin, US)
5th Place – Dermot Blain (Ulster, Ireland)
6th Place – Shawn Buchanan (Abbotsford, Canada)
7th Place – Jake Cody (Leeds, UK)
8th Place – Max Silver (London, UK)
9th Place – Patrik Antonius (Monte Carlo, Monaco)
10th Place – Arnaud Mattern (Paris, France)

Also ranking among those who cashed were six former WSOP gold bracelet winners – including Jake Cody (8th), Amir Lehavot (15th), Erik Seidel (21st), Freddy Deeb (39th), Hoyt Corkins (42nd), and Sean Getzwiller (43rd)..

This tournament was a bold exclamation point to the most successful tournament series of the five years that WSOP Europe has taken place.  Attendance and prize money figures exceeded all previous years.

The Main Event Championship was the seventh and final WSOP gold bracelet tournament played this year in Cannes.  Recapping all events which are now completed, the seven champions were as follows:

EVENT #1:  Guillaume Humbert (Nyon, Switzerland) won $288,899.
EVENT #2:  Andrew Hinrichsen (Melbourne, Australia) won $202,386.
EVENT #3:  Steve Billirakis (Las Vegas, NV – USA) won $326,183
EVENT #4:  Tristan Wade (Boynton Beach, FL – USA) won $249,444
EVENT #5:  Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi (Miramar, FL – USA) won $460,277
EVENT #6:  Philippe Boucher (Quebec City, Canada) won $170,627.
EVENT #7:  Elio Fox (New York, NY -- USA) won $1,927,310

A few days after WSOP Europe ends, the G20 Economic Summit is scheduled to take over Hotel Majestic Barriére, which has been packed with poker players since October 7th.  Several national leaders are reported to being staying in the hotel after the tournament concludes.  But no President, nor Prime Minister will have as memorable a time as was enjoyed by Elio Fox, the new champion of WSOP Europe. 
 
For more information about WSOP Europe, including all previous results and reports, please visit this RESULTS PAGE at lnmandiya.com.


THE WINNER – ELIO FOX

The winner of the €10,000 + 400 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Championship (WSOP Europe -- Event #7) was Elio Fox, from New York City.

Fox is a 25-year-old professional poker player.  He has been playing full time for about three years.  Fox began playing while he was a college student.

Fox resides in the borough of Manhattan.  However, he also has a residence in Canada, which he set up primarily to play online poker.

Fox’s father passed away when he was nine-years-old.  He was raised by his mother.

Fox attended and graduated from the Dalton School, a private school located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Fox has an unusual first name, which is Elio.  He was named after his godfather, an immigrant from Italy.

Fox attended and graduated from prestigious Bard College in New York.  He majored in economics.

Fox was not certain of his career path while in college.  He did not have any specific field or job in mind following graduation.  Fox started to play online poker during his freshman year and gradually improved to the point he was making a good living.  When Fox graduated from college, he had a healthy bankroll and no college loan debt, unlike many other college students.

Fox is single.

Fox is an avid scuba diver.  He started diving when he was 14.  His dream is to travel around the world, visiting exotic destinations, and serving as a scuba guide.  He has already been on numerous dives.  Next, he hopes to dive on the Galapagos Islands.

Prior to this victory, Fox cashed in a number of live tournaments.  His most notable previous victory took place at the Bellagio Cup (July 2011), held in Las Vegas.  Fox collected about $680,000 for that win, but won nearly three-times that amount in Cannes at WSOP Europe.

Fox attended the 2011 WSOP held in Las Vegas.  He entered 17 gold bracelet events and suffered a dismal outcome.  Fox did not cash once.  However, he did manage to win two tournaments played elsewhere in the city at the time – at the Bellagio and at the Venetian.

This was the first year that Fox attended WSOP Europe.

Fox collected €1,400,000 for first place.  The payout is equal to about $1,927,310 (USD).

This was Fox’s first time to cash in a WSOP event.

Fox plays on his own bankroll.  He has no backers.

With this victory, Fox now has one win, one final table appearance, and one cash at the WSOP.  Fox’s career WSOP earnings now total $1,927,310.

Fox is to be classified as a professional poker player, since he has been playing full time for about three years.  He has played much more online poker than live poker during his lifetime.

Fox becomes the fourth American poker player to win a gold bracelet this year at the WSOP Europe


WINNER QUOTES

On his feelings immediately after winning a WSOP gold bracelet:  “I think the most important thing to me is knowing whether I played well, or not.  I get really hard on myself when I play poorly.  Obviously, winning a lot of money is a great feeling.  But as a poker player, I think it’s extremely important to be tough on yourself, especially when you are playing badly.  Even if your results have been good, and vice-versa. Obviously, I am ecstatic that I won this.  It’s an amazing feeling.  But it’s also important to keep the important stuff in mind.  I mean, winning a big title isn’t everything.”

On how he evolved into a professional poker player:  “I started playing poker between my freshman and sophomore year in college.  I started to get better and better.  By the time I graduated with my degree, I had saved enough money where I didn’t have to work.  So, I continued playing.  Ever since then, I have played professionally – mostly online.

On explaining his victory:  “I ran really well.  I think I am pretty good at poker.  But people put too much stock into somebody winning a tournament and I think that all the time when the media talks about a new player winning some tournaments….there’s a lot of luck in tournaments.  Short-term results in tournaments really does not matter that much.  There are a lot of great players with no wins to their name and some mediocre players with a lot of wins to their name.  But, I was really fortunate to run this well.  I certainly hope it continues.”

On winning nearly $2 million in prize money and how it changes his finances:  “I really do not have expensive tastes.  I do not buy expensive stuff.  I just want money to travel and play poker with and doing what I love.”

On why poker specifically appeals to him as a career choice:  “I like living a lifestyle that involves a lot of freedom.  I don’t like being on a set routine.  The idea of going to the same job every day over and over for ten hours a day sounds like horrible to me.  Poker is just the opposite of that.  It is also extremely interesting.  You are constantly learning new things.  There is always more to learn.”

On poker getting tougher as many players tend to improve:  “But that’s also what makes it fun.  The tougher it gets, the better you need to be.  You just have to constantly adapt and get more creative….there is something really thrilling about playing at a final table where everyone else is really, really good.”

On what he would be doing instead if he did not play poker for a living:  “I probably would have gotten some kind of job……but I really have no idea.”

On his other interests in life, aside from poker:  “My goal was to get my dive-masters certificate and travel around and visit different locations, because I really like scuba diving.”

On his intense interest in scuba diving and how it applies to poker:  “The thing I like about scuba diving and possibly being a dive master is you get to travel to all these exciting locations.  You are never in the same location because the dive seasons change.  So, I find that very compelling.  It’s also why I find poker so compelling.  These big tournaments are often at very different locations and you get to visit what's going on all around.”


THE FINAL TABLE

For the purposes of WSOP records and results, this “official” final table was comprised of the final nine players (top nine finishers).  However, the actual televised final table was played eight-handed.

The final table included only one former gold bracelet winner – Jake Cody.  The shortage of former champions on the final day was a bit surprising, given the large number of previous winners in the field and WSOP Europe Main Event’s history of featuring many of the game’s most accomplished players.

Six different nations were represented at the final table – including Canada (1), Germany (1), Ireland (1), Great Britain (3), Monaco (1), and the United States (2).

Six of the nine finalists were aged in their 20s.  The oldest player was 31.

All nine finalists were professional poker players.

Oddly enough, the two heads-up finalists both held university degrees in economics.

The runner up was Chris Moorman.  He is a 26-year-old professional poker player, originally from Basildon, UK and now residing in Limassol, Cyprus.  Moorman holds a college degree in economics from Essex University, in England.  Moorman had second- and third-place finishes at this year’s WSOP in Las Vegas – and now with this performance has yet another runner-up finish.  He had a chance to take over the 2011 WSOP “Player of the Year” lead, had he won first place (pending Ben Lamb’s finish in the Main Event).  But his second-place showing leaves him just short of points.  Nonetheless, Moorman has nearly $2.5 million in overall live tournament earnings, but is still seeking his first major live tournament victory.  Second place paid €800,000 (or $1,101,320).

When heads-up play began, Elio Fox enjoyed nearly a 2 to 1 chip lead over Chris Moorman – 11,095,000 to 6,720,000.  Fox pretty much won all the key hands during the 40-minute duel.  An emotional backbreaker took place when Fox ripped about half of Moorman’s stack away when he showed the tiny deuce of clubs, which matched four more clubs on board, good for a flush.  That hand seemed to take the winds from Moorman’s sails.  The match ended about 15 minutes later.

The final hand took place when Fox held about a 6 to 1 chip lead.  He was dealt Ad Ts against Moorman’s Ah 7s.  Fox had been raising pre-flop incessantly and Moorman decided he had enough and re-raised all-in.  It proved to be the wrong move at the wrong time.  His hand was dominated.  The final board ran out – 6s 4s 3h 6d 8h.  The ace-high gave Fox the victory.

The third-place finisher was Moritz Kranich, from Hamburg, Germany.  He nursed a short stack during much of the later stages of the final table and finally went out with a desperate move, hoping to survive another round of blinds and antes, which failed.  Kranich is a 31-year-old professional poker player.  He had two previous major wins – at EPT Deauville and WPT Bellagio.  He now has in excess of $2.8 million in career tournament winnings after collecting €550,000 (or $757,157) for third place.

The fourth-place finisher was Brian Roberts, from Austin, Texas (USA).  He took a bad beat on his final hand, losing to a straight on the river.  Still, Roberts could be very proud of his effort.  He is a 28-year-old professional poker player.  Roberts has nearly two dozen major cashes in a wide variety of tournaments, mostly played in the American Midwest.  He cashed twice at WSOP Europe and earned the biggest payout of his career with this final table appearance.  Roberts received €400,000 in prize money (or $550,660).

The fifth-place finisher was Dermot Blain, from Dublin, Ireland.  He is a 27-year-old professional poker player.  Blain was the 2009 Asian-Pacific Poker Tour champion, held at Macau.  Blain has numerous other cashes on his poker resume over the past six years as a pro and has now accumulated more than $1 million in career live tournament earnings with this in-the-money finish.  Blain went out when he was short-stacked, after moving all-in with K-Q.  He ran into A-J, which flopped an ace and ended Blain’s tournament life.  The Irish poker pro collected €275,000 in prize money ($378,578).

The sixth-place finisher was Shawn Buchanan, from Abbotsford, British Columbia (Canada).  Buchanan is a 29-year-old professional poker player.  He is widely-regarded as one of the top, if not the top player in the world who has yet to win a WSOP gold bracelet.  Unfortunately, Buchanan will have to wait a bit longer for his first victory after his pocket tens lost an all-in confrontation against an ace, after an ace flopped.  His sixth-place showing marked the third time this year that Buchanan finished in the top six.  In fact, he has three second place finishes over the past two years in WSOP tournaments.  With this cash worth €200,000 (or $275,330), Buchanan crossed the $4 million mark in overall career tournament earnings.  However, he fell out of the running for the 2011 WSOP “Player of the Year.”

The seventh-place finisher was Jake Cody, a 23-year-old professional poker player from Leeds, UK.  He took a bad beat on his final hand, losing with pocket jacks versus pocket tens (the under pair made a straight).  Cody has enjoyed as strong a two-year run as any relative newcomer to the game.  He won his first WSOP gold bracelet earlier this year in the $25,000 buy-in Heads-Up World Championship, which earned him a payout totaling $800,000.  He also won an EPT event in Deauville and a WPT event in London, giving him what some call “Poker’s Triple Crown.”  It’s pretty amazing that in just two short years, Cody has already won more than $2.6 million.  Cody added the sum of €150,000 (or $206,497) to his bankroll.

The eighth-place finisher was Max Silver.  He was the chip leader when play was at 13-handed, but suffered a series of losses late on Day Four which reduced his stack from 3,000,000 down to about half of that.  Then, he was the first player to exit the televised final table.  Silver is a 21-year-old professional poker player.  He previously won the UK and Ireland Poker Tour championship played in Dublin as well as a European Poker Tour event played in London.  He took fourth place in the No-Limit Hold’em Shootout event, at this year’s 2011 WSOP Europe.  Silver collected €115,000 (or $158,314).

No female player made it to any of the seven gold bracelet final tables played at 2011 WSOP Europe.  In fact, only three females have ever made such an appearance in the entire five-year history of the WSOP Europe series.  The last female player to accomplish this was Linda Lee (Las Vegas, NV) back in 2008, when she finished in seventh place.  The only other two females to make final tables at WSOP Europe occurred in 2007 when Jennifer Harman finished second, and later Annette Obrestad won the inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event Championship.

Final table play began at 2:10 pm.  Play ended at 12:30 am.  The total duration was 9 hours, and 15 minutes (minus a 65-minute dinner break).

This was the quickest WSOP Main Event Championship in history. 

SIDE NOTE:  The longest final table of any WSOP event in its 42-year history took place in the 2008 WSOP Europe championship, played in London.  John Juanda won the title that year, which took a record 19 hours and 10 minutes.  That match was about twice as long as this year’s finale.

 
OTHER IN-THE-MONEY FINISHERS

There were only six former WSOP gold bracelet winners who cashed in this event – including Jake Cody (8th), Amir Lehavot (15th), Erik Seidel (21st), Freddy Deeb (39th), Hoyt Corkins (42nd), and Sean Getzwiller (43rd).

Three inductees in the Poker Hall of Fame entered this tournament – Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, and Erik Seidel.  Only Erik Seidel finished in the money.

Five former world champions entered this tournament – Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, Scotty Nguyen, Carlos Mortensen, and Jonathan Duhamel.  None cashed.

Only one former WSOP Europe Main Event champion entered this tournament – last year’s winner, James Bord.  He did not cash, finishing just a few spots out of the money.  “I am still proud of the way I played,” Bord said afterward.  “Winning WSOP Europe last year was the thrill of a lifetime.  I am still very pleased.  I am very blessed, no matter what happened this year.”

Shawn Buchanan was the only player at this year’s WSOP Europe who cashed three times (he entered five of the seven events).


FOR THE AGES

Players were eligible to play in WSOP Europe events, provided they were 18-years-old or older. 

The legal age to participate in a WSOP event held in Las Vegas is 21 years.  This means players who are 18, 19, or 20 can only play at WSOP Europe, but not at the WSOP in Las Vegas.  In 2011, no player aged 18-20 made it to a final table.  Oddly enough, an 18-year-old won the very first WSOP Europe Main Event Championship – Annette Obrestad, in 2007.

The average age of players who entered this year’s events at WSOP Europe is about 33 years.  However, younger players enjoyed a disproportionate amount of success.  The average age of players that cashed was lower than average.  Furthermore, the average age of final table participants was lower still.  This general trend mirrors what happened in Las Vegas during the first 58 gold bracelet events.

The average age of WSOP Europe Main Event entrants was 32.7 years.  The average age of players who cashed was 34.8 years.  The average age of final table players was 26.7 years.  The winner was 25 years old.

In all seven gold bracelet events held at WSOP Europe, the breakdown of players’ ages who made it to the final table was as follows (59 finalists):
Age 20s – 36
Age 30s -- 17
Age 40s – 3
Age 50s – 1
Age 60s – 2
Age 70s (and up) – 0

This year, all seven winners of gold bracelets at WSOP Europe were aged 30 or younger.  The six winner’s ages were:  23, 24, 25, 26, 26, 30, and 29.


ODDS AND ENDS

This is the last of seven events on the 2011 WSOP Europe schedule.  It is the 66th gold bracelet event played in 2011, when combined with the 58 premium events which took place in Las Vegas, plus the WSOP Circuit National Championship, held a few months ago.

The €10,000 buy-in is equal to about $13,765 (USD).

This is the 955th gold bracelet event in World Series of Poker history.
Note: This figure includes every official WSOP event ever played, including tournaments during the early years when there were no actual gold bracelets awarded.  It also includes all WSOP Europe gold bracelet event completed, to date.

This is the 21st gold bracelet awarded at WSOP Europe since its inception, in 2007.

Six of the seven gold bracelet events played at WSOP Europe this year were won by professional poker players.  The exception was the winner of the first tournament, Guillaume Humbert, from Switzerland.  He works as a bartender at a ski resort.


MORE ABOUT 2011 WSOP EUROPE

The list of previous WSOP Europe Main Event Champions reads as follows:
2007 – Annette Obrestad (Sandnes, Norway)
2008 – John Juanda (Las Vegas, NV -- USA)
2009 – Barry Shulman (Las Vegas, NV – USA)
2010 – James Bord (Stanmore, UK)
2011 – Elio Silver (New York, NY – USA)

Three countries have now hosted WSOP gold bracelet events – the United States, Great Britain, and France.

In its 42-year history, WSOP gold bracelet tournament action has taken place at only five venues.  They are Binion’s Horseshoe (1970-2003), Rio Las Vegas (2004-present), Casino at the Empire (2007-2010), Caesars Palace Las Vegas (one event in 2011), and now Barriére Cannes (2011).  Note:  During the 1980s, as few other Downtown Las Vegas casinos also hosted limited portions of the WSOP. 

The first four years of WSOP Europe were played in London, UK at Casino at the Empire.

2011 WSOP Europe marked the first time that a WSOP tournament had ever been played in a non-English speaking nation.

This was the first time any WSOP gold bracelet event has been hosted at a non-owned venue.  In other words, Barriére is not a Caesars Entertainment property. 

One of the official sponsors of 2011 WSOP Europe was luxury carmaker, Mercedes Benz.  Many poker players were shuttled to and from the nearby Nice-Cote d’Azur Airport (about 30 miles away) via Mercedes Benz chauffeur-driven cars.

The 2011 WSOP Europe Staff included longtime Tournament Director Jack Effel, who has overseen all tournament operations, since 2006.  He and his staff were present in Cannes.  However, much of the set-up and actual operations were conducted by Barriére’s excellent poker staff.  This group included – Eric Cavillon (Head of Poker Operations), Alain Fabre (Casino General Manager), Jean Etienne Bouedec (Vice President of Operations), Gregory Chochon (Barriére Poker France), and Lucille Denos (Tournament Director) and many other fine industry professionals.

Official WSOP rules typically specify an “English Only” rule, which means all table discussion relating to play must be conducted in English.  However, at WSOP Europe (Cannes), there was a duel “English or French Only” rule, which means players could communicate in either language, at any time.

Tournament play was split between two first-class venues – Le Croisette Casino Barriére and Hotel Majestic Barriére.  The casino and hotel are nestled neck-a-neck along the coastal esplanade facing the Mediterranean Sea.  Tournament Day Ones and final table action were played at the hotel.  Restarts (Day Twos, Day Threes, etc.) were played inside the casino.   

The two poker venues are unquestionably the most glamorous settings for any poker tournament ever held.  Poker action takes place inside the same ballrooms which host the world-famous Cannes Film Festival, held annually every May.  Many of Hollywood’s most-famous movie stars have stayed at the Majestic Barriére.  The hallways are filled with photographs of Hollywood royalty from the 1930s to the present day.  The hotel also hosts various global economic summits, which attract many of the world’s leaders.

A few days after WSOP Europe ends, the G20 Economic Summit is scheduled to take over the host hotel.  Several national leaders are reported to being staying in the Hotel Majestic Barriére after the tournament concludes. 


MORE ABOUT FRANCE AND FRENCH PLAYERS  AT 2011 WSOP AND WSOP EUROPE

In some ways, 2011 was a banner year for the French poker scene.  Not only did France host its first WSOP Europe tournament ever, French players also won four gold bracelets at this year’s WSOP. 

The four French players who won gold bracelets at the 2011 WSOP were as follows:
Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier ($10,000 Seven-Card Stud)
Elie Payan ($1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha)
Fabrice Soulier ($10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship)
Antonin Teisseire) $5,000 Triple-Chance No-Limit Hold’em)

However, French poker players posted disappointing results in the seven gold bracelet events at WSOP Europe.  None came close to achieving victory.  The highest French finisher was Bernard Guigon, who took fourth place in Event #2.

There were no French players at the final table of the Main Event Championship.  The highest French finisher was Arnaud Mattern, who finished in 10th place.  Only three French players finished in the top 25.

One French poker player did manage to win a (non-gold bracelet) event played at Cannes.  Barbara Martinez, from St. Gratien, won the first-ever WSOP Europe Ladies Poker Championship.

Barriére Poker helped to qualify about 100 of the 593 total entrants.  One of the players won his way into the tournament by scratching-off a lottery ticket.

At €5,692,800, this was the largest prize pool of any poker tournament ever played in France. 

With €1,400,000 going to the winner, this was the largest amount of prize money ever won in any poker tournament held in France.


THE TOURNAMENT

The €10,000 +400 (Euro) buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event Championship attracted 593 entries.  This figure was up 71 percent over last year’s attendance (346 players).  This was the largest WSOP Europe Main Event in history.

This was the second-largest prize pool of any non-WSOP Main Event tournament in WSOP history.  Only the 2009 Poker Players Championship (won by Scotty Nguyen) had a bigger prize pool.

The total prize pool amounted to €5,693,800.  At the corresponding exchange rate, this was equal to $7,828,409 (USD).

The top 64 finishers collected prize money.

The tournament attracted a highly-competitive field, including most of Europe’s top poker players.  Events in Cannes were unquestionably the most internationally diverse fields in WSOP history – even more so than those played the first four years of WSOP Europe held in London. 


WSOP AND WSOP EUROPE NOTES

FINAL NUMBERS:  Through Las Vegas Event #58 and Cannes Event #7 (all gold bracelet events), WSOP events attracted 78,298 combined total entries – the most players ever in a single year.

FINAL NUMBERS:  Through Cannes Event #7, all combined events played at 2011 WSOP Europe attracted 2,626 entries (360+771+180+258+125+339+593) – the most players in any single year of WSOP Europe events.

FINAL NUMBERS:  Through Las Vegas Event #58 and Cannes Event #7 (all gold bracelet events combined in 2011) show that the WSOP paid out $205,540,933 – the most of any single year in history.  Note:  This does not include a $1,000,000 payout in the WSOP Circuit National Championship (which had no entry fee).

FINAL NUMBERS:  Through Cannes Event #7, all combined events played at 2011 WSOP Europe paid out €10,802,270 in prize money.  This was equal to about $14,844,126 (USD) – the most amount of prize money in any single year of WSOP Europe events.
 
NATIONALITIES OF WINNERS:  Through the conclusion of all WSOP Europe events, the breakdown of nationalities of gold bracelet winners was as follows:
United States (4)
Switzerland (1)
Australia (1)
Canada (1)

NATIONALITIES OF WINNERS:  Through the conclusion of Event #57 (WSOP Las Vegas) and Event #7 (WSOP Europe), the breakdown of nationalities of gold bracelet winners this year has been as follows:
(Note that 2011 WSOP Main Event is still pending):
United States (39)
Canada (6)
Ukraine (4)
France (4)
Great Britain (3)
Russia (3)
Brazil (1)
Pakistan (1)
Sweden (1)
Switzerland (1)
Australia (1)

BIRTHPLACES OF WINNERS:  Through the conclusion of Event #57 (WSOP Las Vegas) and Event #7 (WSOP Europe), the national origin (birthplace) of winners has been as follows:
United States (35)
Canada (6)
Ukraine (4)
France (4)
Great Britain (3)
Russia (3)
Israel (1)
Honduras (1)
Indonesia (1)
Germany (1)
Brazil (1)
Pakistan (1)
Sweden (1)
Switzerland (1)
Australia (1)

STATISTICS -- PROS VS. AMATUERS:  Since tracking first started in 2005, this year’s WSOP/WSOP Europe has the greatest disparity of professionals winning over semi-pros and amateurs than any year recorded – with 56 out of 64 (completed) events won by pros or semi-pros.  Through the conclusion of Event #57 (WSOP Las Vegas) and Event #7 (WSOP Europe), the breakdown of professional poker players to semi-pros and amateurs who won gold bracelets has been as follows:
Professional Players (50): Jake Cody, Cheech Barbaro, Eugene Katchalov, Allen Bari, Harrison Wilder, Matt Perrins, Sean Getzwiller, Viacheslav Zhukov, David Diaz, Andrew Badecker, Tyler Bonkowski, Brian Rast (2 wins), John Juanda, Aaron Steury, Darren Woods, Jason Somerville, Bertrand Grospellier, John Monnette, Elie Payan, Mark Radoja, Chris Viox, Dan Idema, Andy Frankenberger, Chris Lee, Sam Stein, Mark Schmid, Jason Mercier, Mikhail Lakhitov, Fabrice Soulier, Mitch Schock, Matt Jarvis, Justin Pechie, Ben Lamb, Rep Porter, Andre Akkari, Joe Ebanks, Lenny Martin, Athanasios Polychronopoulos, Antonin Teisseire, Matt Matros, Marsha Wolak. Maxim Lykov, Nick Binger, Andrew Hinrichsen, Steve Billirakis, Tristan Wade, Michael Mizrachi, Philippe Boucher, Elio Fox
Semi-Pros (6): Sean R. Drake, Amir Lehavot, Oleksii Kovalchuk, Eric Rosawig, Arkadiy Tsinis, Alexander Anter
Amateurs (8): Geffrey Klein, Foster Hays, James Hess, Kirk Caldwell, Ken Griffin, Owais Ahmed, David Singontiko, Guillaume Humbert

FIRST-TIME CASHERS WINNING:  Through the conclusion of all WSOP tournaments played in 2011, the victories of 14 of the 64 winners (23 percent) marked the first time the new champion had ever cashed at the WSOP.  This includes Elio Fox, the WSOP Europe Main Event champion.

LADIES COLD STREAK CONTINUES:  The streak of consecutive male WSOP gold bracelet winners is currently at 219- consecutive events, and counting.  Aside from the annual Ladies Poker Championship, the last female player to win a WSOP tournament open to both sexes was Vanessa Selbst, in 2008.  The longest “cold” streak for female players occurred between years 1982 and 1996, when 221 consecutive open events passed without a female champion.

BEST SHOWING BY A FEMALE:  The highest finish by any female (open events) at this year’s WSOP was accomplished by two players.  Maria Ho finished second ($5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em).  Kim Nguyen also finished as the runner up ($1,500 buy-in Six-Handed Limit Hold’em).

BEST SHOWING BY A DEFENDING CHAMPION:  The highest finish by any defending champion at this year’s WSOP was by David Baker, who after winning the previous $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball World Championship finished in sixth place in defense of his title.

WORLD CHAMPIONS THE YEAR AFTER VICTORY:  Defending world champion Jonathan Duhamel played in this tournament.  But he did not cash.  Reigning world poker champions rarely perform well the following year after their victory. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson was the last world champion to win a gold bracelet the next year, which happened ten years ago, in 2001.  Perhaps it’s due to the increasing size of the fields. But there’s also great pressure on the champions to perform well.  What follows is a list of the only world champions in history to win a gold bracelet after winning the world championship during the previous year:
Johnny Moss (1975)
Doyle Brunson (1977)
Bobby Baldwin (1979)
Stu Ungar (1981)
Johnny Chan (1988)
Hamid Dastmalchi (1993)
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2001)

NEW RECORDS SET AT 2011 WSOP EUROPE:  Several tournament records were broken at 2011 WSOP Europe, including:
First WSOP winner in history from Switzerland – Guillaume Humbert
Largest tournament attendance in WSOP Europe history – 771 entrants (Event #2)
Most international final table in history – 8 nations (Event #3)….TIED RECORD
Highest WSOP finish ever by a player from Japan – Azusa Maeda – 2nd (Event #1)
Highest WSOP finish ever by a player from Portugal – Michael Dattani – 2nd (Event #6)
Largest WSOP Main Event in WSOP Europe history – 593 entrants (Event #7)
Biggest prize pool in WSOP Europe history -- $7,828,409 (Event #7)
Largest overall attendance in WSOP Europe history – 2,626 total players
Biggest overall prize pool for all events in WSOP Europe history -- $14,844,126

……….

Note:  All results are now official and may be reprinted by media