Brock Parker working his 'magic' at the WSOP
This has been a good World Series of Poker for people named Daniel and Brock.
Daniel Negreanu reached his second final table of the Series this week beforet bowing out in fourth place in Event 18, the $10,000 Omaha 8 World Championship. Daniel Alaei won his second bracelet by winning the Omaha 8 world championship (and beating Negreanu). And Brock Parker won his second bracelet this Series by emerging from a field of 1,068 to win Event 19, the $2,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em event. Parker also won this year's $2,500 Six-Handed Limit Hold'em tournament (Event 14).
Parker, 27, is a Washington DC-area pro who gravitated to poker after first playing Magic tournaments for money. Parker isn't the only Magic player who has found success on the felt. David Williams and Eric Froelich are also among the handful of professional poker players who have crossed over from Magic and had successful poker careers.
Froehlich, a two-time gold bracelet winner, said he got his start in poker due largely to Parker's influence.
"We all played Magic together," Froehlich said. "But Brock was the good poker player. We watched him play and he made all this money and it looked like fun, so we got into it also. I think a lot of (Magic players) who first got into poker came to it because of Brock...He was part of the Magic scene and he is responsible for many of us becoming poker players."
But don't let all the Magic talk fool you. Parker is an excellent poker player as well.
"He's an online legend, and it's well deserved," poker pro Alex Borteh said.
He might be "below the radar" for most poker fans. But Negreanu certainly knew who Parker was.
"We lost a player and are taking 10 min breakm (sic) I have 888k," Negreanu twittered from the table a few days ago. "Main competition is Brock Parker- tsoprano on PokerStars. He's tough."
Parker is particularly tough at six-handed games. "I like to play more hands," said Parker as he explained why he was successful in the six-handed tournaments. "Playing nine-handed is pretty boring. I guess six-Handed gets (me) more motivated because I get to play in a lot of pots."
While Parker was cleaning up in the six-handed event, Alaei was staring down a loaded Omaha 8 final table that included Negreanu, Omaha High-Low Deuce-to-Seven specialist John Monnette -- who finished second to Phil Ivey in last week's Deuce-to-Seven world championship -- and Annie Duke.
Alaei had an 8-to-1 to chip Kings with no low showing.
"In the poker world, bracelets are like trophies," Alaei said after his victory. "So, it is good to win. Now, I want a third bracelet. Before, I wanted number two. And now, I want number three."
Vin Narayanan is the managing editor at Casino City. When he's not writing or editing stories, he likes to play Chinese Poker, Badugi, Razz and any other "non-traditional" poker game. He also thinks blackjack is his best game and loves game theory.
Before joining Casino City, Vin covered (not all at the same time) sports, politics and elections, wars, technology, celebrities and the Census for USATODAY.com, USA WEEKEND and CNN.
A proud graduate of Michigan State University, Vin can be found on most nights and weekends trying to find a way to watch the Spartans while taking care of his infant daughter.
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