Cannuli Wins WSOP Bracelet and $333k On His Phone with Jeff Gross

(Photo: Cardplayer.com)

Poker vlogs tend to be sedate affairs for the most part: hand analyses, lifestyle tips, tournament reports, etc but Jeff Gross’ most recent one is a roller-coaster ride of emotions as he first ‘rescues’ Thomas Cannuli from a fate worse than death, then watches on in disbelief as our hero fulfils a lifetime goal – landing a WSOP bracelet!

If this all sounds a bit melodramatic, well trust me, it’s not. Cannuli was running deep in the $3,333 buy-in High Roller WSOP online event, number 61 in the summer bracelet events, but he had a problem. His phone was running out of battery and his WiFi connection was dubious to say the least.

The answer? Jeff Gross and friends to the rescue of course – a mad-dash car ride to pick up their friend Tom and plant him somewhere where he could play his final table without fear of being disconnected! The answer? The Bellagio’s plush and well-equipped sports book area.

Now playing for a World Series bracelet from a mobile seems to me a tad uncomfortable, especially when you’re relying on someone to provide a battery charger, moves seats to avoid a cleaner and generally deal with a busy area at perhaps the biggest moment of your career.

(Photo: Cardplayer.com)

For Cannuli and Gross, however, it turned into a piece of poker drama, one which personified the huge buzz and uptimes which the glorious game can bring: cards hitting their mark; bets getting through; calls hitting the flop; shoves somehow overcoming the odds on the river; high-fives and laughter and rolling on the floor in hilarity and disbelief as every hand brought the bracelet a step closer!

With Gross having been knocked out earlier, there was even a case of schadenfreude on hand as Cannuli knocked out the very player who had earlier ended Gross’ hopes with a lucky flush.

‘FLOATZ’, as Cannuli is known online, is no stranger to big wins and deep runs – two years ago making the final table of the Main Event and finishing a hugely creditable 6th and pocketing $1,426,283 in the process.

Here, however, with a prizepool of $1,335,600 and over $322,000 up top, there is nary a mention of the money between Cannuli and Gross – despite Gross having a piece of his friend’s action – the eyes firmly and solely set on Thomas landing that first item of WSOP jewellery.

“This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Holy Cannuli just won a bracelet from the Bellagio. I’m shaking how proud I am,” says Gross, as his close buddy is on his hands and knees trying to come to terms with the historic and deeply personal moment.

It was a more relaxed pair who met up the following day to discuss the bracelet win, Gross revealing that Cannuli had also been playing PLO cash games during the online victory, as well as it being almost 4am when the late starting WSOP event came to a conclusion – and remember, he did it from a cellphone against some incredible good players.

Poker has a lot of great moments in its grand history, but for me this is up there with the best for raw emotion and sheer intensity. I haven’t spoiled the vlog  by sharing the huge hands Cannuli won to make it to the title: you can ride along with the guys as the cameras zooms in on the biggest and best of them in (sometimes shaky!) real time.

Hats off to Cannuli for his incredible win, and to Gross for being THAT friend, the one who is there when you most need them.