Friday, 29th March 2024 14:25
Home / Uncategorized / WSOP 2015: Words and pictures by George Danzer

George Danzer had a few things on his mind before play started today, but the main one concerned a picture.

danzer_tweet.jpg
You see, part of the reward for winning WSOP Player of the Year, as Danzer did in 2014, is having your picture hung in the tournament room for eternity, or at least until they run out of space in about 50 years from now. For Danzer that moment came today.

Danzer_poy_WSOP.jpgNot a bad choice: Danzer and his Player of the Year picture
“No they didn’t let me choose the picture, but it’s fine,” said Danzer. “I have two bracelets!”

The picture shows just that. Danzer, with full Mohawk, clutching the two bracelets he won here last summer before he added a third in Australia. It’s a permanent reminder to everyone as to the prowess of one of the games great players.

“All my friends have to see it too! So it’s a nice rub in!”

Actually, of all the players not to be begrudged his trophies, it’s Danzer. As Jan Heitmann put it, Danzer is one of those players who simply works on playing well, knowing that eventually the results will come. Last year the waiting for a first bracelet came to an end. Surely the highlight of his career?

“I hope not!” said Danzer, laughing. “It was until now. I hope I can manage to have another year like that further down the road, but until this day it was the best year I’ve had.”

It started in Monte Carlo, where Danzer one a side event. That meant a payday and a trophy and then a trip to Las Vegas, where he won his first bracelet early in the series.

“It just all went automatic form there,” he said. “I didn’t think about the next tournament, I just saw I had a chance for Player of the Year so I played every tournament, so it was a really hard grind.”

danzer_shuffle_up_WSOP.jpgDanzer with a few words of advice before play starts
To Danzer also fell the honour of getting things started today in the Brasilia Room, which meant a few words for the waiting crowds of players. He took the opportunity to impart some advice on his fellow players.

“I said that everybody should respect the other players, even if it’s a crazy play. Keep calm, and respect the dealers and the staff. Don’t get mad at someone making a mistake because we all do it.”

Nice sentiments, even if it means you have to follow your own advice.

“I took my own advice!” he said. “I had a pretty good beat in a monster pot when an opponent played it very interestingly and sucked out on me. But I kept calm and still have 20,000.”

That’s usually enough for Danzer, as the picture hanging above his head properly demonstrates.

Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog. Photos by Jayne Furman of PokerPhotoArchive.com.

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