Top Ten WSOB Moments by Will Cockerell

WSOB Reporter, Will Cockerell announced his top ten champagne moments in the WSOB. According to his list on http://www.worldseriesofbackgammon.com , the number one top moment was when Falafel is played against Korper. Below is number 10 through to six. Keep tuning in to PokerNews to find out the top five.

10. Koca-Hansen, WSOB Round Three, Riviera Cup Final.
8-2 to Koca in quick time before Gus Hansen showed all of his best grafting abilities and poker bluffing doubling skills to force the match into DMP. Gus briefly went favourite to threaten a fairytale comeback, but Koca flapped over the line.

9. Doing An Olsen.
This could just become everyday backgammon parlance. It refers to voluntarily leaving yourself odd at the back with your opponent closed out on the roof, giving yourself a bad 55 or 66. To lose due to this error is said to be "internet dice" due to the freakish nature of the parlay. However it can happen and did in spectacular fashion to poor Andreas Christian Olsen in his WSOB Championship match with world champion Trabbi. It cost ACO, Denmark's number-3 ranked player, a cool 20,000 euros in equity.

8. Excitement of the WSOB Race.
The Riviera Cup crackled with intrigue all throughout the Main, the Consolation and the Last Chance. Top players everywhere behaving like kids in a candy store gazing with pleading eyes at the big jar of gobstoppers just out of their reach. Next time perhaps WSOB might open things up a little more, to say, 12 live qualifiers, and then get set for the fur to really fly! Also, perhaps the winning of a major event is triumph enough, and shouldn't guarantee entry to the WSOB championship. This would mean that the tournament winners won't have the option to sit the other events out, as John Hurst cannily did.

7. Nicky Check-Kenny Nissen, Riviera Cup Quarter-final.
A real classic, between a juggernaut: chairman of the Danish Backgammon federation, and a nervy, edgy, at times hyper-ventilating British journeyman who tends to have his fans peeking out from behind the furniture – watching Nicky play is not for the squeamish. The match went to the formbook with Nissen grinding Check down for the 8-3 lead, before Check dug in deeper than he ever has before to find himself leading 11-10. Nissen wins the next and now it's Crawford. Checks blitzes for all he's worth and with the help of a magical 22 closes out Nissen for the all but certain gammon and win. His only chnace is to get hit off the roof. And he does! So close to a famous victory, but surely not to be. But Check wriggles. He somehow gives himself a 66 shot from Nissen's ace-point to spring himself to game, set and match.

6. Undisputed Success of the WSOB "Final Table".
Backgammon's longest day, it will live in memory for all who saw it. There were some magnificent matches. One thing for sure, the short matches still gave ample opportunity for the players to show moments of incredible skill: Bob Koca's Take against Falafel being the shining example. Being blitzed to kingdom come, Koca's fabulous Take gave him the passport to go on and win the match. And why did he take? Because he'd studied the position in practice. Not luck therefore, just skill. There was a flip side too: the high pressure combat produced some incredible blunders.

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