The REAL championship at the World Series of Poker
If you have ever been to any poker tournaments, or any convention type things like BARGE, you know the real championship that matters isn't the main No Limit Hold Em event. The championship that people will talk about for decades is the Roshambo Championship. You say you don't know what Roshambo is? Sure you do. Chances are you have played it a hundred times. The more common name for Roshambo is Rock, Paper, Scissors. In some areas, its actually called Paper, Scissors, Rock.
At many poker events, the Roshambo event (unofficial of course) is a nice break from the pressure of the 'real' poker events, and a chance for everyone to let their hair down, and relax.
This event was shot by ESPN, and one would assume that this will air as one of their "Nuts" segments that occur during their WSOP telecasts. The very brief event was held on the main stage immediately preceding the Pot Limit Hold Em Final table (Event #9).
TV's Phil Gordon was the host for the brief event (and Phil needed it to be brief, as he was actually playing in the Pot Limit event - Event # 11). A field of 64 players ponied up $200 each, with $5,000 of the proceeds going to a cancer charity. The winner of this event was actually freerolled into the main event of this years WSOP.
The 64 played down to four last night, and the final four of Roshambo were:
Rafe Furst
Annie Duke
Robert Boyd
Kevin Keller
Each semi-final was a best of seven race, and the competitors were psyched, and ready to go. The first semi-final pitted Robert Boyd against Fill Tilter Rafe Furst. It was a game match , but at the end of the day Robert Boyd was just too much. On "hand" 6, Robert rocked, and Rafe scissored, and that was that. Robert took the match 4 to 2, and was into the finals.
The next match had Annie Duke versus Kevin Keller. Annie had a very special system where she would look at the serial number of a dollar bill, and determine her action from that. Unfortunately for Annie, she took the wrong dollar bill out, and Kevin beat her 4-2 when his Paper wrapped Annie's rock up.
So, the final was set, and the crowd was buzzing. Oddly enough, there was a bigger crowd for this event than there were for about half the final tables thus far.
Kevin Keller shot out to a 3-1 lead, and it looked like Thunder's brother was going to bring the thunder all over Robert Boyd. But, Boyd came rocketing back (with friends Dutch Boyd, and Scott Fischman sweating him), and tied things up at 3 all.
Appropriately, the World Series of Roshambo came down to the last "hand". Robert Boyd scissored, and Kevin papered, and the comeback was complete. Robert Boyd is your 2005 Roshambo champion. Congratulations Robert, they will be talking about this win for decades....or at least minutes.
Ed note: Learn from Annie Duke at Ultimate Bet , and maybe you can make the Roshambo final next year.
