Who's at your Dream Table?

Photo illustration by Chris Cosenza using NBC photos

This week is the debut of Season 3 of Poker After Dark, and the first episode is being called the Dream Match because the Rutgers student who won the seat in a freeroll got to pick the pros he's playing against this week. Scott and I talked a little bit about this on the show last week, but it got me to thinking: What would be my "Dream" table? Who would I love to play against in a Poker After Dark match? This isn't as easy as it sounds. There are a lot of players out there and only five seats to fill. And do I go with the pros I think I match up well against so I might have a sniff at the $120K? (Stop yer laughin!) Or do I go with my idols? Maybe I pick pros that get on each other's nerves, allowing me to sneak past them as they gun for each other? (I said quit yer laughin!)

After some careful consideration I decided I would want to play against a combination of all of these. So, here's my table:

Seat No. 1: Me
Seat No. 2: Todd Brunson. He's hilarious (even if he still doesn't know who I am after a few conversations at the WPT and WSOP events plus numerous AIM messages) and he's brilliant. His Stud/8 chapter changed my poker life. I can think a few things more entertaining than sitting next to him for a few hours (provided I last that long).
Seat No. 3: Doyle Brunson. Do I really need a reason? Plus with Dolly on Todd's left maybe Todd will loosen up and remember who the hell I am.
Seat No. 4: Daniel Negreanu. This was a tough pick for me. I've met Daniel on numerous occasions and he was pretty damn cool. He's a chatter box at the table and his ability to put people on hands and then announce it to everyone is pretty astounding. And, if I want to play the best I'd have to have him there, plus Scott Long got to play with him in the Vinny Lecavalier tournament and I didn't, and I just can't live with that for much longer.
Seat No. 5: Phil Hellmuth. He's my first poker hero, and even though his ego is 11 times too big for a human, he really is the best NLHE tournament player ever. I love the guy, and with the players I have flanking him, he's sure to go off on someone. I'd love to play a hand badly against him and have him berate me! It would crush me a little, but it would be so priceless.
Seat No. 6: Phil Ivey. He's my favorite player, and clearly I'd want him on my right. Plus with him acting AFTER Hellmuth you know he's just going to make the Poker Brat go insane!

Who just missed the cut?
Kenna James: He's a friend of mine now and I've actually sat down with him and played before, so I think he'd understand if I left him off the roster.
Barry Greenstein: I wanted to play against him because he's so good and so funny, but if he's at the same table as Ivey they won't care about playing and the prop bets would drive me insane.
Freddy Deeb: Yes, I know, he's my BFF, but Negreanu might accuse him of "Going South" in a tournament and who knows what the hell might happen then!

I could list dozens of players, but instead I was hoping you'd tell me who's be sitting at your Dream Table and why?

-- Chris

Comments

[OhCaptain]

For me, I have several ideas for different tables for different reasons.

You're picks are one my favorite combinations. Sammy Farha would be one I'd inlcude near the top of your list though. He's amazing to watch. His ability to garbage to gold just inspires me.

Getting Phil Laak and Antionio Esfandiari at the same table would be fun as well.

But why not think of it this way...why not fill it with some of the hottest female players on the planet??? Sitting with hotties for several hours could fun...for different reasons?

And since we are playing for $120,000, you might want to consider just loading the table with 5 ginormous fishes...I could use the money in my bankroll.

Just some thoughts. Happy New Year!

[Erik]

My 5 players would be:

Phil Ivey: He's my favorite player as well. I'd love to try and make him laugh. Also it'd be nice to watch him play without TV editing.

Daniel: Basically for the same reasons as you list. He seems very affable.

Doyle: Just for the chance to say I played with him.

Phil Laak: I want to see his antics in person, plus he seems pretty funny.

Scotty: Having him and Daniel at the same table would be high humor.

[aka_BigAl]

Yang, Gold, Hachem, Raymer, Momeymaker would be fun but probably poor TV.

I'd go:
Farha - style
Doyle - history
Daniel - humour
Me
Hansen - action
Phil Ivy - to see him work

Prediction for biggest pot with rags: Hansen and Farha

[Snuffy]

Original concept for a post.

http://snuffysports.blogspot.com/

[Blazman]

I would take....
Shauna Hiatt
Andrew Black
Jerry Lee
Evelyn Ng
Mark Seif

[Erik]

How about

Shana
Brandi Hawbaker
Katja Thater...ummmm can't think of anymore hot women in poker.

[Snuffy]

How about Brandi Newhizzle, Captain Tom and any two others?

[ungarop]

For comic relief:

Daniel Negreanu
Eugene Todd Bro
Joe Sebok
Gavin Smith
Mike Matusow

For my favorite players:

Phil Ivey
Andy Bloch
Chad Brown
Barry Greenstein
Howard Lederer

For obvious reasons:

Shannon Elizabeth
Evelyn Ng
Liz Lieu
Vanessa Rousso
Erica Schoenberg

[Erik H]

Ah yes, Ruusso and Schoenberg.

[Chris Cosenza]

Snuffy: I wrote my post Saturday after the home game and had to save it to come to work to get the images today for the illustration, so again you lose. Oh, and no one reads your blog except Fasso, so how would anyone know you had this idea first anyway? The only way anyone finds your blog is through mine, mooch. LOL!

[Mike F.]

Seat 1: Jim McManus, for historical context as needed

Seat 2: Mike Matusow, for comic relief as needed

Seat 3: Michael Craig, just an all-around good guy

Seat 4: Me, so I can be at the center of the shot

Seat 5: Phil Ivey, best player on Earth

Seat 6: Marcel Luske, for the international flair

[Erwin Blonk]

T.J. Cloutier
Chris Ferguson
Phil Ivey
Rolf Slotboom
Marcel Luske

And I'd invite them for some PLO after the show.
Apart from maybe Luske not a wild bunch but good play for sure.

[Erik H]

Who is Rolf Slotboom?

[Turley11]

Lot of the same for me... I know I've mentioned it before, but I feel I've already had my dream table. Day 1 up at Foxwoods a few years back, I'm in Seat 2, seat 1 is Chip Reese, seat 4 Lyle Berman (he was showing a concept of the electronic poker table Chris and Scott love) and in seat 5 was Todd Brunson. A couple days later I was at a table with Scotty, Gavin Smith, Humberto Brenes and Eric Seidel...

[Al Martin]

Come on this one is easy-
Player1 - Nemo
Player2 - Flounder
Player3 - The little mermaid
Player4 - Dory
Player5 - Marlin

This way I have a slight chance of taking it down.....

[Erwin Blonk]

"Who is Rolf Slotboom?"

Fair enough :)
A Dutchman with a specific approach to pot limit Omaha that I admire. He wrote a bunch of very good articles on it.
In general he tends to study all pokergames beyond what most do and has interesting insights.
Like most of my picks, his tablemanners are Spockian (as opposed to Hellmuthesque), which I like.

[Michelle from Tampa]

Happy New Year, everyone! :)

My list?

Daniel N. (No joke: I've actually had dreams where I've asked him, "Don't you ever want to just kick Phil Hellmuth in the nuts?")

Doyle (legend, plus I still have to thank him for all of the books he signed for my birthday)

Todd (to talk to him about Andy Beal-what a great book)

Ivey (simply because he is a master, and is the only one I've ever met)

Antonious (He's simply dreamy)

Farha (to watch him punish Antonious)

Esfandiari (seems like a cool cat)

Reese (to soak all of the knowledge in)

Luske/Hellmuth (to kick in the nuts)

[jimmy]

What about Dutch Boyd you 2 smucks?

[JLBSox]

Ivey
Negraneau
Greenstein
Annette 15
Gavin Smith

Figure you have it all here, the Old and New, the Stoic and Entertaining.

[Chi-Guy]

Interesting Blog although I have been thinking about this all week so an easy answer for me.

I would have to half Phil Laak and Antonio seated there. It is just too much fun to have that Duo around. I'd put Shannon Elizabeth somewhere seated VERY close to me, if not sharing a seat with me.

I would omit Phil Helmuth because I would love to see him NOT be invited. In fact, I would ask Full Tilt to send him a letter saying he was NOT invited.

In order to have the most fun, I think Mike the mouth and Sheiky would make it a party. Also, since I would have little to no chance in the tournament, I would probably drink all day and see if I could get everyone else at the table drinking. There was one tournament where they all drank and it was pretty fun. I was surprised at what lightweights they all were.

[Dave]

Since I'm quite unlikely to come out on top in this format...
1) Negreanu. The kind of personality you'd like to have at your table, other than the fact that he's much better than you.
2) Ferguson. Just to see how stoic someone can be at the table.
3) Ivey. obviously.
4/5) Jamie Gold/Jerry Yang. Come on, they're the last two World Champions. ;)
Alternate) I'd ordinarily say Jen Tilly, but that would probably mean Laak would tag along, so I'll say Shannon Elizabeth here.

[Sharkey]

1.) Eugene Todd bro
2.) Gavin Smith
3.) Joe Sebok
4.) Mike the Mouth
5.) Sheiky
6.) Me (I'll bring the stuff)

Not sitting in that order, we'll draw for seats.