Valley players cash in World Series of Poker

July 13, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Mat-Su players represented Alaska well in the 2007 World Series of Poker.

Two Wasilla poker players, Wayne McGregor and Dan Bush, each managed to finish in the money in Las Vegas. McGregor, who is also the president of the Alaska Poker Association, cashed twice, placing 22nd in the $1,500 pot limit Omaha Hi/Lo event and 215th in event 35, the $1,500 no-limit Texas Hold ‘em event.

Bush, meanwhile cashed in event 38, the $1,500 no-limit Hold ‘em, finishing 110th.

McGregor took home $6,236 for the Omaha event and $3,294 in the no-limit event. Bush's finish was good for $4,740.

The two were among more than 40 Alaska players to travel to Las Vegas for the annual series of poker tournaments, with half hailing from the Valley.

Back home in Wasilla, McGregor said the World Series experience was more than worth the time he put in.

&#8220That is our Holy Grail,” he said Thursday.

McGregor also got to play in the main event, a $10,000 no-limit event that is considered the sport's championship event. While he got knocked out early in that tournament - which this year featured more than 8,000 players - he said he had no regrets.

&#8220I got to play in the biggest tournament in the world,” he said.

Making the experience sweeter, he said, was the fact that he won his seat in the main event in an online tournament on FullTiltPoker.com.

&#8220It's a lot easier to plunk down $10,000 when you know Full Tilt is paying for it,” he said.

During his six World Series events, McGregor got to sit at the same table with some of the biggest names in the sport, including eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Eric Seidel, noted poker commentator Mike Sexton and Robert Mizrachi, who won this year's $10,000 pot limit Omaha event and is the brother of 2006 Card Player Magazine Player of the Year Michael &#8220The Grinder” Mizrachi.

Playing alongside such high-level players was a thrill for McGregor.

&#8220It's a great time,” he

said.

McGregor said he believes even more Alaska players will travel to the World Series next year.

&#8220A whole bunch of us are going back there,” he said.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com