WSOP Update: Vinnie Vinh Missing Again, Hellmuth Ties Cloutier's Final Table Record

Yep.

The Vinh has gone missin' again, this time on Day 2 of the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em short-handed event. We don't want to speculate but we're guessing Vinh has found God, paid off all his debts, got clean and sober and is in a A.A. meeting right now saying, "My name is Vinnie Vinh!!! And I'm fucked up!!!"

We could be wrong on this though.

Meanwhile, Phil Hellmuth's ego can be easily found at the ESPN featured final table as it celebrates matching T.J. Cloutier's record 39 WSOP final tables. Hellmuth and his ego have now completed the triple crown of WSOP records with the most bracelets, most cashes and now (tied for the) most final tables.

In related news, Katharine McPhee looks good.

2007 WSOP Updates: Brandi Hawbaker Isn't a Slut; Vinnie Vinh Isn't Dead

:: During a WSOP break, WCP fave Brandi Hawbaker issued a statement on 2+2 pulling a Peter Cetera and defending her honor. In it, Brandi says:

"What troubles me the most is that very few people know me, yet I am continually referred to as being a 'theif' and a 'whore'. This could not be further from the truth."

This is somewhat disappointing to us, cause we kind of dig morally casual thiefy chicks. Probably explains the 147 times one of us has woken up in a Vegas hotel, handcuffed to the bed, with our wallets missing after some girl told us she wanted to knock boots and listen to us talk about ourselves for a few hours. As we've said before, fool us once, shame on you...fool us 147 times, shame on us. Read the full 2+2 thread here.

:: The Vinnie Vinh rumor mill continues to swirl, with the latest grill for the mist (or whatever that fucking phrase is) coming from Shane "Shaniac" Schlegler. In a 2+2 post, Shaniac says:

"I heard from his backer that he's alive and that he's done this before. If I had to guess, I would say his current substance problem is meth not crack. Crack doesn't hasten the physical changes that were evident in Vinnie the way I understand meth does."

We've spoken with numerous pros about this (off the record), all who've lamented they think Vinh is currently "on meth." They all noted how thin Vinh appeared at the start of the WSOP, some not even recognizing him until he referred to himself in third person. Trust us*, meth is bad. And by "bad" we mean "fucking rad."

Read the full 2+2 thread here and view photos of her at the 2007 WSOP here.

* Never trust us.

2007 WSOP Tournament Updates: "You are loser! Get out of my way! I make it somehow!"

:: In Event #8 ($1,000 NLH w/ rebuys), Michael Chu beat Tommy Vu, goo goo g'joob! And yes, this is the same Tommy Vu who was a big time infomercial personality in the '90's (a video sample after the jump). Some classic Tommy Vu quotes:

"Are you man enough to get off your lazy American ass and go to Vu’s seminars?"
And let's not forget:
"At first I got lots of discouragement from friends and stranger who are loser! You know what these people kept telling me? They kept saying, 'Well Tom Vu, you a crazy nut, here you are, a poor immigrant, poor minority, speak no English, no contact, on and on, and you trying to be rich in America! You crazy, man! Look at people out there! They smarter than you are, they not even rich! Who are you to try?' And you know what? I have to keep telling these people every time, I kept saying, 'You are loser! Get out of my way! I make it somehow!'"

That is fucking hilarious and not the slightest bit stereotyped at all. For the win, Chu banks $585,774. Vu brings home $364,761. Shane Schlegler finished fifth, Michael Gracz sixth, and Amir Vahedi seventh.

:: Alex Kravchenko took down Event #9 ($1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo), banking $228,446.

:: Justin Bonomo looks to make his big breakthrough as he takes a commanding chip lead to the Event #10 ($2,000 NLH) final table. Bonomo is stacked at 2,036,000...his closest competitor is Hunter Frey at 852,000.

:: Phil Ivey is gunning for his sixth bracelet in Event #11 ($5,000 7CS). Ivey is stacked at 322,000. David Oppenheim brings the chip lead to final table play with 609,000. Marco Traniello sits at his second final table of the week as short-stack with 30,000. And the insufferably annoying and cheesy Ted Lawson joins them with 90,000 in chips.