Blue Shark Optics pro Christopher “Fox” Wallace Shines in $10,000 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. Event

I was off covering the WSOP $1,000 NLHE final table with Dominik Nitsche and Bob Bounahra last night, while our Blue Shark Optics pro Christopher “Fox” Wallace took down the $10,000 Event #22: H.O.R.S.E. I definitely wanted to cover his epic bracelet journey, but first thing––I don’t understand half the games they play in H.O.R.S.E. Second, I always feel like an intruder on the set of 24 when I cover events on the blue-lit ESPN stage. Anyhow, according to our esteemed reporters at PokerNews who feed live coverage to the WSOP site, Fox picked off greats like Daniel Negreanu, Nick Schulman, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Nick Kost, and David Benyamine on Day Three en route to victory. He credits his win to “a combination of luck, wiles, and Blue Shark Optics eyewear.” Just kidding. 

Richard Sklar made an equally impressive run, as he clawed his way up from being the shortest stack among 21 at the beginning of Day Three to the chip leader coming into the final table. He ultimately fell in third, with Fox besting Randy Ohel heads up and picking up a half million dollars first prize. On the last hand, Christopher Wallace held an––ahhhh––I can never describe Stud 8 hands––lets say he won, thanks in no small part to his state-of-the-art eyewear. 

Gold fedora and Blue Shark Optics eyewear––a deadly combination.

With the motto “Dark Sunglasses Belong in the Sun... Not at the Poker Table,” Blue Shark Optics features custom and prescription models that pay homage to poker legends such as Chris Moneymaker, Hoyt Corkins, Nancy Birnbaum, and Greg “Fossilman” Raymer (I was disappointed to learn that the Raymer Signature Edition does not feature the lizard-eye hologram patterns he famously wore taking down the 2004 WSOP Main Event). 

Blue Shark Optics eyewear can be found at a booth at the Rio throughout the WSOP, manned by my good friend (and OnTilt colleague) Nathan Dowland. He appears daily on the Mark Hoke show and hosts the Check Raise Show on OnTilt Radio every Tuesday at 7:00 pm. I had the distinct honor of being on the show last night, broadcast live from the Rio's Pavilion Stage––although I was ushered summarily off stage as Seniors WSOP event winner Dan Heimiller took his rightful spot at the microphone. 

Vanessa Selbst Rails Maria Ho, Starts College Chant & Wave (Day 12)

Still on the final two tables of WSOP Event #14: Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better tournament, stacks are getting short. Vanessa Selbst has just shown up to rail her good friend Maria Ho, with her posse of friends and significant other. In person she comes off as sober and intense, just as at the TV tables I have watched––emanating a vibe of super intelligence. Giving Maria vocal support from the rail, Vanessa comments that Omaha 8 is a completely different game from hold’em––with NLHE, you can be out in an instant, while in Omaha 8 the end is like a slow motion train wreck that envelops you piece by wrenching piece.

Maria Ho is down to her last few chips and Vanessa’s rail starts a chat of “Walk walk walk walk” for her all-in in the big blind. A collegiate atmosphere arises, as everyone in the stands joins in. Greg Raymer folds the button, giving into peer pressure and even joining in the chant, which has by now reached a deafening crescendo. Defeating hopes, Konstantin Puchkov in the small blind puts Maria in for her tournament life––how could he not with his stack? Unfortunately, things do not quite work out Maria’s way and she is out in unlucky 13th, for a merely respectable $16,000 payday. Vanessa & co. make their quick exit, presumably to console the prematurely felted, among the best in a field of more than 1,000 runners and still achingly far from the real money.