Can Greg Raymer Repeat As Champion in 2005?

Published on March 7th, 2005, 10:48 am EST

With over 6000 entrants expected at this year's World Series of Poker, what are the odds of Greg Raymer winning back to back bracelets? Pretty much zero. Raymer is a solid player, but solid players get bounced out of the World Series of Poker every year. With so many players and so many hands being played, it would be like lightning striking twice in one spot. Varkonyi was bounced quickly two years ago, Moneymaker was dispatched last year, and I would be surprised if Raymer lasted past the first day this year. With the advent of online poker, there are just too many players logging too many hours; the quality of competition has gone WAY up in the last five years. These aren't just 5000+ new, inexperienced players; these are 5000 players who log hours and hours of poker per week, with a great number making poker their full-time job.

It was amazing enough last year, that Dan Harrington made it to the final table two years in a row. But someone winning it two years in a row? Next to impossible, though Raymer is a very solid and respectable player. It's just that there are a couple thousand other solid and respectable players there.