[Sqred]

I highly doubt there was a deal struck when the Superstars got down to heads up. That kind of deal would have disrupted the pre tournament deal 6 or 7 seven of them probably made before the event got under way. Let's see, Doyle, Howard, Annie, Chip, and Johnny, anyone want to lay odds those 5 weren't doing business? T.J., Hmmm, someone that routinely needs to borrow I am sure stuck to his no deal guns. I think Hellmuth was probably a dealer as well, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get heads up. Lets see, that leaves two, didn't it seem like Raymer and Daniel took some ridiculous gamble in vain attempts to double up in the "winner take all" format? Daniel has a no deals policy and he has insulted Annie in a public forum, accused Doyle and Chip of being cheats in a drunken e-mail. I would think that might get him barred from the trough. And Raymer is a rank outsider in this company.

I think A,D,H,J,P,C, worked out the formalities, threw T.J. a bone out of compassion, and cut out Raymer and Danny. The only two players coincidentally, who really looked likle they were playing winner take all.

Annie probably got a few hundred K more for winning the whole enchilada.

Oh, and ESPN had to ask Phil to whine and pout. Yeah it was fake, but because he didn't really care seeing that he was scoring anyway. Believe me, if it was a 2M freezeout, ESPN wouldn't have had to coax.

The whole thing was a sick joke. Only television network sleazebags make high stakes poker seem seedier than it actually is.

FJM