We saw plenty of card protectors at the 2012 World Series of Poker. We snapped plenty of photos of them and each day we added them to our summer series, All Mucked Up. If your brains are anything like ours, you probably forgot most of the ones you saw. Luckily for you, we've chosen our top 10 card protectors from the summer. Enjoy.
No. 10 of our top ten card protectors count down is this man��s bear figurine, which only makes it in because of how insistent the man was that we took a picture of it. He even held up a sheet of paper behind it so we could get it clearer. The power of persistence -- we award No. 10 to the brown bear.
No. 9 goes to the man in the Main Event who used a tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce as his card protector. No, that��s not a figurine, it��s an actual bottle. Reports that he ate it with a ham and cheese omelet after he busted are still unconfirmed.
Close call, but No. 8 goes to the \"Triple Knut.\" This card protector is slightly more function than fashion -- what it essentially is is the most miscellaneous DIY part ever been employed as a card protector. Props for creativity.
Lucky No. 7 is this talkative grinders \"Chiposaurus.\" This extremely rare pre-historic poker mascot��s status as a card protector is actually flawed; it avoids cards and the felt in general, preferring the relatively high peaks of his owners chip stack to make his nest.
No. 6 is extra special. If you go to the bathroom during play of a round, this Buddah can actually take over for you! There��s a grey area in the WSOP rule book, so this player has been getting away with it so far this series. Expect an amendment in next year��s rules.
Don��t ask us why \"The Gnome\" is in the No. 5 spot. Perhaps it��s because the grinder he belongs to looks like he might be the type of person to be seriously involved in gardening -- we never thought to ask him though, and now we��ll never know for sure��
Getting close to the grand prize, the top four were all close shouts. No. 4 goes to this man��s creative Coke-Can UFO. It��s mostly impressive that he has discovered how neatly the bottom of a coke can balances on the top of Rio chips. How does someone find out something like that?
No. 3 goes to the signed fossil that Grey \"fossilman\" Raymer gives out to whoever busts him in an event. We managed to get this close up shot of one he handed out in the middle of the series!
The No. 2 spot goes to this man's genuine family of Smurfs in front of his chips. We'd love to get inside this man's head for a day and just see how happy a place the world is. Thrown in is a Dalmatian for good measure!
Last but certainly not least is the most famous card protector of them all -- Humberto Brenes�� ��Chark��. Brenes never leaves home without the shark, and has been seen to roll out extra sharks from his backpack if his stack gets big enough to accommodate them! This is the one card protector that we know for sure is going to be back next year.
Do you have any favorites from our All Mucked Up coverage? Let us know in the comments section below and as always, follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
