No Left Turn: Southpaw Dealers Shut Out from Feature Table

Southpaw WSOP dealers: We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher!

We\’re down to 14 players in the main event — Phil Ivey\’s the remaining good guy, Jeff Shulman\’s the bad guy, and James Akenhead\’s the Brit …

On a recent hand — being broadcast on screens set up outside the ESPN poker stadium — we saw a chopped pot: A-A-4-4-5 … where both players\’ Ks played as a kicker. After the applause, Robbie the on-stage TD said over the PA, \”How \’bout a round of applause for these dealers. They\’re working hard for you today, and are some of the best in the business!\”

That may be true — but only if you\’re right handed.

When WSOP dealer supervisors sent their best of the best to ESPN for TV-table dealing this year, those who happened to be left-handed were sent back. Supposedly it has something to do with their laying out the flop \”backwards\” … but even lefties who had trained themselves to do it like a righty were still not welcome. ESPN decision … not one worth fighting for the tourney staff\’s perspective, since they did have enough righties in the mix who could handle the job of pitching cards on the feature felt.

Your correct answer streak: 0