Poker Giant Bodog Sending More Players to the WSOP

WSOP: A Man With a Mind for Numbers

Experienced poker player poised to do some damage at the WSOP

June 8, 2006

By Jake Gosselin
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

Sid Schipper shouldn’t have any problems with numbers at the WSOP in Las Vegas. Schipper, a 52-year-old resident of San Diego, has two master’s degrees - one in computer science and one in mathematics.

The 2006 World Series of Poker will feature approximately 8,000 players from around the world, and will award more than $70 million in cash prizes and a grand prize of $10 million. This year, Bodog is sending 700 of its most talented online players to the WSOP, which runs from June 25-Aug. 10. All of the games are played at Harrah's Rio casino and hotel.

Schipper played in last year’s WSOP and finished 700th out of the 5,613 players, 140 spots away from being in the money. He was knocked out when he went all-in with AK against an opponent holding pocket aces. But Schipper will be there again this year, representing Team Bodog in the Main Event when it begins on July 27.

Schipper has been playing in poker home games for nearly his entire life but when poker started gaining popularity and air time on television, his interest grew and he began to play more often and more seriously in online poker rooms and local casinos.

While he had placed bets on the Bodog Sportsbook, Schipper tried out Bodog Poker for the first time after seeing the Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker TV series on Fox Sports Net and then discovered the many opportunities Bodog offers for those hopeful of earning a WSOP seat.

Schipper, who volunteers as a Big Brother for a 9-year-old boy who lost his father to cancer, credits his wife, Rita, for allowing him to indulge in poker.

As an experienced poker player Schipper has had a few interesting experiences at the table. Once, at the Bellagio, Schipper was playing at a table next to an attractive young woman. The woman recognized and waved to Daniel Negreanu and Scotty Nguyen as the two elite pros walked by. Apparently friends, she then asked Nguyen to take over for her while she went to the ladies’ room. Nguyen obliged.

“Everybody folded to me and I picked up 6-7 suited, which was a pretty miserable hand in general, but I asked myself when I would ever get a chance again to play with Scotty Ngyuen?” Schipper says. “So, I decided to play the hand aggressively rather than just laying it down. As I prepared to put my raise into the pot, Scotty looked over to me and waved his finger and said ‘No, no, no, be very careful, I am Scotty Ngyuen!’"

Schipper read that to mean that Nguyen was limping in for the flop so he raised and the whole table folded except for Nguyen, who called and said, “Okay, but I warned you.”

When the river finally came, Schipper felt great holding the nut straight so he raised and again Nguyen said, “Be very careful, I’m Scotty Nguyen!” Then Nguyen raised. Schipper got nervous and called. Nguyen flipped his cards to show a 4-5 off suit for a full house. He laughed and said, “I warned you. I’m Scotty Nguyen!”