Poker News 
/ Short-Stacked Shamus / 18 June 2011 / Leave a Comment 
So close! Mike Sexton made heads-up at Event No. 25 before falling to Chris Viox (Photo credit: PokerNews / WSOP.com)
We're crossing the halfway point of the 2011 World Series of Poker, with 27 bracelets having been awarded as of last night. Among the many storylines that have emerged thus far regarding who is winning and who is not, a couple are starting to stand out. One is the fact that all but one of the first 27 winners are first-timers, having earned their first ever WSOP bracelets. Among the victorious, only John Juanda, winner of Event No. 16, the $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit) Championship, had previously won gold at the WSOP.
Another storyline involves the many near-misses by high profile players, the so-called "name" pros known by poker fans for their previous successes and television appearances. Last night saw another such close call when three-time bracelet winner Barry Greenstein finished third in Event No. 27, the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship. Daniel Idema took his first WSOP bracelet in that one, breaking through after a near-miss of his own in the same event last year when he finished second.
Consider, though, how amid all of the first-time bracelet winners there have been so many well-known pros finishing just one spot shy of being able to pose for that winner's photo.
Event No. 2, the $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship, attracted such a stacked field that it was no surprise to recognize the players sitting across from one another at the end. Gus Hansen, who took his first bracelet at last fall's WSOPE, and two-time bracelet winner Eric Froehlich both fell in the semis, while 2009 WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy Timoshenko finished runner-up to Jake Cody (see report here).
A number of women have come close to becoming the first females to win an open event since Vanessa Selbst in 2008. In Event No. 4, the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event that attracted a whopping field of 865, Maria Ho (of "The Amazing Race" fame and 38th-place finisher in the 2007 WSOP ME) finished runner-up to Allen Bari. And Kim Nguyen also took second in Event No. 19, the $2,500 Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event, falling to the third U.K. bracelet winner of this year's WSOP, Darren Woods.
Other high-profile runner-ups so far this year include Chris Bjorin (two WSOP bracelets and 59 lifetime cashes), George Lind (well-known online tourney crusher), Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler (who this summer earned his third WSOP runner-up), Eric Buchman (2009 November Niner), and, of course, Phil Hellmuth who fell to Juanda (see report here).
And yesterday saw yet another noteworthy runner-up as WPT commentator and Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton came up short, finishing second to Chris Viox in Event No. 25, the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event.
We may see still more near-misses -- or breakthroughs -- by familiar faces this weekend. Last season's World Poker Tour player of the year Andy Frankenberger is currently fourth with 28 left in Event No. 28, a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event. And Shaun Deeb leads with 19 left in Event No. 29, the $2,500 10-Game Mix event.
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