WSOP Tournament of Champions

Once all the hoopla of the main event is said and done, it is time for the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions. Although the event takes place just before the next series begins, so the 2006 Tournament of Champions is technically about competitors from 2005, it is televised after the main event, as a bit of a cap to the weeks of thrilling poker action. This year, there was some real justice to the Tournament of Champions.

The original idea for the Tournament of Champions of poker was conceived by Mike Sexton, who wanted to give poker tournament champions an opportunity to play poker against one another in really exciting settings. Unfortunately, the poker world was not yet ready for this concept. The idea was revived in 2004 due to the sudden explosion in interest and popularity with regard to poker. The standards for that first year.s invitational were somewhat arbitrary, with participants chosen based on their poker performances in the past. The two million dollar first prize was taken down by Annie Duke, who defeated Phil Hellmuth to take the title. Phil, never one to disappoint, offered his traditional tirades on camera about how he had deserved to win the event.

The following year, the top finishers in each of the World Series of Poker circuit events plus the final table of the main event were chosen to compete. Also chosen were Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson, based on their being the top bracelet winners of all time. There was some uproar over their inclusion, as they had not been forced to qualify the traditional way, and players like Daniel Negreanu complained that this cost real qualifiers equity in the event. Since then, the concept of sponsor's exemptions has been standardized to some extent; it is now implicit that the sponsor of the tournament can add some players as they see fit. That year, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow defeated Hoyt Corkins with a memorable cry of "Vindication!" as he took the top honors.

In 2006, 27 players participated in the event; the circuit winners, the final table of the main event, and six sponsored exemptions. One of those sponsored exemptions found himself heads up against, ironically, Daniel Negreanu. This other player won the event and the title. Naturally, it was Mike Sexton, who had dreamed up the poker game event years before. The World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions had come full circle, setting the stage for epic battles in the years to come.

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