The "phone call" and splitting 4.5 million smackers

You've just outlasted 5600 of the best (and worst) poker players in the world and you're now sitting at a TV TABLE with some of the best pros in the world including Howard Lederer. You're mic'd up with what's called a lav mike (short for lavalier mic), which is so small you can quickly forget you're wearing it at all. You've come to the conclusion that you may actually have a chance to WIN this whole WSOP thing. Fast forward to finding yourself in position with a bluffing hand against said Howard Lederer. If you didn't see this on ESPN (I'm betting you did), here's how it went down:

Howard Lederer raises with a real hand and Steve calls with 8 6 offsuit. The flop pairs Lederer's Jacks but there are also a Queen and a King on the board. Lederer bets big and Dannenmann goes over the top and reraises him BIG. Lederer, obviously not having any read on the amatuer lays down his best hand. Shortly thereafter you see the camera pan to Dannenmann on his cell phone. His hand is covering the mic on the phone and he does NOT realize the camera is on him but he's telling his buddy about the bluff. The lav mic caught the whole exchange and the camera caught the rest.

Now there are poker forums all over the net blasting Steve for being an ass, a douchebag, and other names I won't repeat here. Lighten up folks, you would have DONE THE SAME DAMN THING! You can't tell me you're not going to go call your poker buddies and let them know that you just bluffed one of the biggest poker names on the planet. Don't even try it, you gotta tell someone when you do the equalivent of sacking Michael Vick after slicing throught the Falcons offensive line like butter. He pulled off that bluff with perfection, using position and the scare cards to get Lederer off his hand. You simply can't fault it. If another pro had pulled off the same bluff (and not got caught bragging about it to his buddy), the hand would have barlely been newsworthy. Let's move on....

To even make the WSOP this year, Steve had a buddy named Jerry Ditzell offer to split the entry. The decision to split the winnings was, according to Steve "an implied agreement" vs. a verbal deal. After cashing out, he immediately split the winnings his longtime poker buddy. No courts required, no agents, no contracts. If everything in life was so simple....

I'd love to turn 5K into 2.25 million before taxes. Steve, if you need a backer next year I'm available!

Steve Dannenmann, who is this guy?

If you're reading this, it's more than likely that you googled or yahoo'd your way to my blog. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you're looking for information on this loud-mouth CPA that just bluffed Howard Lederer with 8 6 offsuit. Perhaps you already know (SPOILER ALERT!) that Dannenmann placed second in the World Series of Poker Championship event and wonder what he did with the money. Regardless of why you're here, it's my goal with this blog to shed as much light on this interesting character.

Let's start with the basics:

Date of Birth: August 15, 1966
Birthplace: Baltimore, MD
Now Resides: Severn, MD
Marital Status: Married
Children: 1 Stepson
Started playing poker: About 2 years ago, 2003
Favorite poker game:No Limit Hold em
Ambition: Chance to take on Joe Hachem again after being well rested....making final table of another large event.

Steve Dannenmann Jeffrey Jones
You may be wondering if he was separated at birth with Jeffrey Jones ("Ed Rooney" from Ferris Bueller's Day Off), the answer is no. But with 4.5 million (actually 2.25 million since he split his winnings with his buddy Jerry Ditzell) in his pocket, I don't think he cares what you think!







I'll share more with you tomorrow when I make my next post. I'll talk about the deal he made with his poker playing buddy Jerry to split the entry and any winnings. I'll also talk about the now infamous "phone call".

Stay tuned.