We all know that the nine people left in the World Series of Poker Main Event are going to make a bundle of cash, no matter where they finish up. Of course thanks to the fact that people will take bets on anything from football to cockroach races, we can make money on the WSOP Main Event as well. Those who are looking for a big payday themselves from this event will find that the odds that exist on the final table are very interesting to say the least.
Darvin Moon has a huge stack. Anybody who has ever played tournament poker knows that the player with a big chip lead can use his massive cache of chips as a stick to beat their opponents into submission with. With a lead of almost twenty five million chips, obviously he is the odds on favorite to win the whole thing. Of course the smart money is not always the best money, and the odds in on the Main Event final table tell us who the odds makers think is the best player at the table.
Phil Ivey, despite a chip deficit of almost fifty million, is right behind the two chip leaders when it comes to the odds of winning. Folks who make their living dealing in odds don’t have the luxury of being fans. Their stock in trade is accuracy. It is unlikely they would put Ivey near the top unless they thought he had a reasonable chance to win, even with his small stack. While it is not our place to give betting advice, a lot of money can be made by those putting their cash on Ivey (if he happens to win). What is also telling is the degree to which the odds makers think that skill is a factor in the game of poker. No matter how you look at it, it is very interesting.
