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Youthful Hess wins WSOP Seniors title in record field20 June 2011James Hess, a 50-year-old talent manager from Encino, Calif., became the youngest player in World Series of Poker's history to win the $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold'em World Championship, defeating a record field of 3,752 players to claim the $557,435 first-place prize. Poker is a natural pastime for all seniors. It may very well be the only competitive game which allows persons 50, 60, 70, or even 80-years and older to compete on an equal playing field with opponents who are in their 20s and 30s. Where else but a poker table could a 61-year-old grandmother become a “world champion,” as happened a few years ago when Clare Miller won a WSOP gold bracelet? Where else but a poker table could a crusty 80-year-old Korean War vet outplay and outwit more than a thousand other competitors, which occurred when Paul McKinney won his gold bracelet? Where else but a poker table can seniors proudly use all the knowledge and experience life has given them, and at the same time -- feel young again? Hess, who turned 50 in May (the lowest age allowed to participate in the event), is originally from Cambridge, Mass., and graduated from the University of Southern California. He is married and has two children. The runner up was Richard Harwood, from Granada Hills, Calif. He earned a very nice consolation prize amounting to $342,407. Harwood is a television director. He has directed many notable shows, including The Incredible Hulk, Sheriff Lobo, Harper Valley PTA, and several Bob Hope Show specials. Harwood has also directed sports programming, including the Olympic Games. Craig Koch of Eugene, Ore., was third for $248,971, Joseph Bolnick of Los Angeles was fourth for $182,347, Gregory Alston of Dublin, Calif., was fifth for $134,801, James Jewell of Fort Worth, Texas, was sixth for $100,594, and Charles Cohen of Somers, N.Y., was seventh. Walter Browne, from Berkley, Calif., was eighth. During the 1960s and 1970s, he lived in New York and was regarded by many authorities as the second-best chess player in the United States, behind Bobby Fischer. He is a six-time U.S. national chess champion. Leo Whitt of Louisville, Ky., rounded out the final table, finishing ninth. The top 396 finishers collected prize money. Former gold bracelet winners who cashed in this tournament included: Andre Boyer (42nd), Mike “Little Man” Sica (88th), Susie Isaacs (132nd), Rich Korbin (138th), and Mike Carson (139th). Paul Magriel, the former world champion backgammon player who is now a tournament circuit regular, finished in 50th place. Attendance shattered the previous record, set at last year’s WSOP. The total number of entries at 3,752 surpassed the 2010 figure by 610 players (3,142). This represents a 19 percent increase in attendance, an almost unconscionable turnout given that last year’s attendance was the largest in history by a 16 percent margin from the previous year. Moreover, this was the largest single-day start of any live poker tournament in history. Even the previous record setting WSOP Main Event Championships of recent years had four Day Ones, meaning the 3,752 players who began the start of this event constituted the largest live field in one place at any one time in poker history. Tournament summary by Nolan Dalla, WSOP Media Director, reprinted by permission. |