Bill Chen and Matt Gavrilenko's Epic Journey at the 2005 World Series of Poker

Bill Chen and Matt Gavrilenko, two seasoned poker players, embarked on an ambitious journey to participate in the entire 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Bill Chen, born in 1970, graduated from the University of Washington in St. Louis with three majors: physics, mathematics, and computer science. He is the co-author of the book "Mathematics of Poker" with Jerrod Ankenman. Matt Gavrilenko, born in 1982, is known for his successes in limit hold'em and 2-7 triple draw, and was one of the pioneers of the theoretical approach in poker.

The duo decided to play the entire WSOP 2005, supported by their employer SIG. Their journey began with a late-night arrival at the Rio, where they were registered for the tournament by their friends Sybil and Steve Landrum. They were given numbers 180 and 181 in the tournament and also registered for the next five tournaments.

During their stay, Matt Gavrilenko played only all-ins in the $1,500 tournament, losing a hand with Kx Jx against a pair of dams. In the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo tournament, Bill Chen had 2,900 chips and Matt Gavrilenko had 7,500 chips. Bill Chen won a hand against a loose-aggressive French player with Ax 3x 4x 5x. However, Bill Chen made a mistake in a hand against Scottie Nguyen, leading to his elimination. Despite the setbacks, Bill Chen and Matt Gavrilenko had 24k and 18k chips respectively in the $2k pot-limit hold'em tournament, showing their resilience and skill.