If you've been keeping up with this year's World Series, there's no doubt you've heard something about Vinny Vinh... He's the only player in WSOP history to mysteriously disappear during tournaments, go on to cash, and reappear at a later date. Rumors fly across the tournament floor like chips and money changing hands on the felt. I'm one of Vinh's friends and an associate of his backers this is the inside scoop on what's happened to Vinny at this year's WSOP.
The Facts
Vinny cashed in two events and earned about $30k in prize money. He made the second day of both the $1000 Multiple Rebuy NL Hold'em (Event 8) and the $2500 Short-handed NL Hold'em (Event 30) but failed to show up and finish either tournament. His chips still went into pots, the cards in the muck, and the stack would move tables as players went bust around Vinh's empty chair. Putting chips from Vinny's stack into the pots became as habitual for other players at the table as stealing his blinds. After Vinh's last ante was paid and his final hand killed, he had outlasted more than half the remaining fields on both tournaments' second days.
On the first days, Vinny had amassed sizable stacks well above the average which made it easier for his unmanned chips to make it deeper in the money. It is reported that he started day two of Event 8 second in chips, but it's only because Vinny did not count them at the end of the night and just wrote 200k on his bag. I stood right behind Vinny when he doubled up his 130k stack on a great call at the end of day one. He didn't lose any hands after that and I know for a fact he had more than the reported chipleader, Sorel Mizzi, who was at about 240k. Over dinner Vinny told us how confident he was that he would final table the event and win his first bracelet. When he didn't show up the next day, we frantically tried to find him but had no success.
The second time Vinny pulled his disappearing act, we knew where he was staying... But he was still incapable and unwilling to finish the second day of yet another tournament. His backers were disappointed, but still planned to allow Vinny to play in the main event. When he didn't show up to play on Day 1a as he was originally scheduled, nobody was surprised. Knowing the situation, WSOP officials refunded Vinh's buy-in and took his chips out of play...
People were surprised when Vinny showed up at the last minute on Day 1d and was still able to play in the main event. He doubled his stack to 40k by the start of the dinner break but that's where he ended his day... With only two more levels to play after dinner, Vinny's stack was once again left without Vinny. He had been complaining of fatigue and how he couldn't wait to get back to sleep and his table described him as fidgety and twitchy. Even though his stack was blinded and anted off for four hours, Vinh managed to limp on to Day 2b with a measly 3,400 in chips.
Much to our surprise and the media's delight, Vinny actually showed up for Day 2b... His short stack only lasted two hands before he busted out. Vinny Vinh (or his chair) didn't make the money this time, but at least he finally showed up to play a second day during this year's WSOP...
