I have been watching reruns of the WSOP and thought it was one of the most intriguing of the last few years. It seemed a little more fresh, and since there were a lot of new faces, brought some new life to the tourney. One thing I do know, I hate Mike Matusow. He is so annoying and such a whiner when things don't go his way, almost as bad as Phil. It seems like he gets bailed out of bad calls more than anyone I have ever seen.
What did y'all think?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Las Vegas Sees Marginal Decline in Gaming Revenue
Las Vegas Sees Marginal Decline in Gaming Revenue
There was more apprehension than normal pending the monthly release of Nevada's gaming revenues. Last month's release, detailing May's revenue statistics, marked the second worst year-over-year performance...
There was more apprehension than normal pending the monthly release of Nevada's gaming revenues. Last month's release, detailing May's revenue statistics, marked the second worst year-over-year performance...
Sexton's Corner, Vol. 57, Johnny Chan, Legend of Legends: Part 2, Turning Pro
Sexton's Corner, Vol. 57, Johnny Chan, Legend of Legends: Part 2, Turning Pro
As we learned in Part 1, when Johnny Chan decided to turn pro and move to Las Vegas in 1978, it was a decision that met considerable resistance from his parents. Attending the University of Houston seemed to be the right path...
Las Vegas Sees Marginal Decline in Gaming Revenue
There was more apprehension than normal pending the monthly release of Nevada's gaming revenues. Last month's release, detailing May's revenue statistics, marked the second worst year-over-year performance...
PPA Announces Fundraiser for Paralyzed Veterans at DNC
The Poker Players Alliance has announced a fundraiser to be held at Coors Field in Denver, amid the hoopla surrounding the Democratic National Convention held in that city later this month. The August 26th event will be called 'Poker...
As we learned in Part 1, when Johnny Chan decided to turn pro and move to Las Vegas in 1978, it was a decision that met considerable resistance from his parents. Attending the University of Houston seemed to be the right path...
Las Vegas Sees Marginal Decline in Gaming Revenue
There was more apprehension than normal pending the monthly release of Nevada's gaming revenues. Last month's release, detailing May's revenue statistics, marked the second worst year-over-year performance...
PPA Announces Fundraiser for Paralyzed Veterans at DNC
The Poker Players Alliance has announced a fundraiser to be held at Coors Field in Denver, amid the hoopla surrounding the Democratic National Convention held in that city later this month. The August 26th event will be called 'Poker...
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
At poker World Series, which prevails? Skill or luck?
The stock question regarding poker is: Luck or skill, which is it? Well, given a reasonable field, skill seems to still come in handy.
The first event of the 39th World Series of Poker over the weekend was a $10,000 buy-in in pot-limit hold 'em and the cost of admission kept the field to a cozy 352 players. In part because of that, the final table featured at least five well-known professionals so there must be something to this skill thing. The final table big names were Andy Bloch (finished 2nd), who was part of the famous MIT blackjack card-counting team; Kathy Liebert (3rd), one of the most accomplished woman players in the world; Mike Sexton (4th), a commentator on TV's World Poker Tour; Phil Laak (9th), the "Unabomber" and TV regular, and Patrik Antonius (7th) from Finland. The winner was a lesser-known but still formidable pro, Nenda Medic, who collected more than $794,000. Former pitcher Orel Hershiser, who went to the elite eight in the national poker heads-up championship earlier this year (he lost to Bloch), was in the field but didn't cash.
Don't expect such luminaries at the final table for Event 2. It's a much cheaper buy-in, just $1,500, attracting a record field of 3,929 (record for live non-Main Event tournament). From that kind of land-rush crowd, often it's an amateur who emerges from the pack although last year, Phil Hellmuth won his 11th World Series bracelet in a similar event in a field of more than 2,600 players.
From
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ordine/blog/2008/06/post_334.html
The first event of the 39th World Series of Poker over the weekend was a $10,000 buy-in in pot-limit hold 'em and the cost of admission kept the field to a cozy 352 players. In part because of that, the final table featured at least five well-known professionals so there must be something to this skill thing. The final table big names were Andy Bloch (finished 2nd), who was part of the famous MIT blackjack card-counting team; Kathy Liebert (3rd), one of the most accomplished woman players in the world; Mike Sexton (4th), a commentator on TV's World Poker Tour; Phil Laak (9th), the "Unabomber" and TV regular, and Patrik Antonius (7th) from Finland. The winner was a lesser-known but still formidable pro, Nenda Medic, who collected more than $794,000. Former pitcher Orel Hershiser, who went to the elite eight in the national poker heads-up championship earlier this year (he lost to Bloch), was in the field but didn't cash.
Don't expect such luminaries at the final table for Event 2. It's a much cheaper buy-in, just $1,500, attracting a record field of 3,929 (record for live non-Main Event tournament). From that kind of land-rush crowd, often it's an amateur who emerges from the pack although last year, Phil Hellmuth won his 11th World Series bracelet in a similar event in a field of more than 2,600 players.
From
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ordine/blog/2008/06/post_334.html
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Final Table Set for Bayou Poker Challenge WSOP Circuit Event
From the bodog Beat:
The Bayou Poker Challenge WSOP Circuit event is down to the final nine players playing for a WSOP Circuit ring. (Image courtesy of FlipChip/LasVegasVegas.com)
Day 2 of the Bayou Poker Challenge WSOP Circuit event at Harrah's New Orleans wrapped up in the wee hours of the morning when Fatolla Shahen was eliminated in 10th place to cement the final nine who would make up the final table.
Leading the way into Day 3 of the event is Timothy "TK" Miles, who moved into that position by eliminating the bubble boy. The Tallahassee, Fla., resident has a couple of WSOP Circuit prelim events wins under his belt, but a win here to take home the $382,928 first-place prize would be by far his largest career cash.
At the opposite end of the spectrum near the bottom end of the chip counts is a poker player who has made himself quite comfortable in the Harrahs New Orleans poker room. Lou Esposito is entering his third straight WSOP Circuit championship event final table held at this casino. He finished third at the Bayou Winter Challenge back in December and is the defending champion of the Bayou Poker Challenge from last May. If anyone can crawl up the leaderboard, "The Big Easy" can.
Here are the full final table chip counts:
1. Timothy “TK” Miles - 687,000
2. Ed Jatho - 406,000
3. Jeff Tims - 345,000
4. Marc Fratter - 311,000
5. Nick Ceci - 256,000
6. Gabe Costner - 166,000
7. Chuck Kelley - 142,000
8. Lou Esposito - 116,000
9. Floyd Vanderford - 65,000
The final table gets underway in about two hours and PokerNews.com will have all of your live updates, or come back to the Beat for a recap tomorrow.
The Bayou Poker Challenge WSOP Circuit event is down to the final nine players playing for a WSOP Circuit ring. (Image courtesy of FlipChip/LasVegasVegas.com)
Day 2 of the Bayou Poker Challenge WSOP Circuit event at Harrah's New Orleans wrapped up in the wee hours of the morning when Fatolla Shahen was eliminated in 10th place to cement the final nine who would make up the final table.
Leading the way into Day 3 of the event is Timothy "TK" Miles, who moved into that position by eliminating the bubble boy. The Tallahassee, Fla., resident has a couple of WSOP Circuit prelim events wins under his belt, but a win here to take home the $382,928 first-place prize would be by far his largest career cash.
At the opposite end of the spectrum near the bottom end of the chip counts is a poker player who has made himself quite comfortable in the Harrahs New Orleans poker room. Lou Esposito is entering his third straight WSOP Circuit championship event final table held at this casino. He finished third at the Bayou Winter Challenge back in December and is the defending champion of the Bayou Poker Challenge from last May. If anyone can crawl up the leaderboard, "The Big Easy" can.
Here are the full final table chip counts:
1. Timothy “TK” Miles - 687,000
2. Ed Jatho - 406,000
3. Jeff Tims - 345,000
4. Marc Fratter - 311,000
5. Nick Ceci - 256,000
6. Gabe Costner - 166,000
7. Chuck Kelley - 142,000
8. Lou Esposito - 116,000
9. Floyd Vanderford - 65,000
The final table gets underway in about two hours and PokerNews.com will have all of your live updates, or come back to the Beat for a recap tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Poker News - Poker Room Review: Aviation Club, Paris, France
Poker Room Review: Aviation Club, Paris, France
I found the ideal way to make a Parisian vacation seem cheap: Start out by playing pot-limit poker at the Aviation Club. The Aviation Club is a fine private club located in the most prestigious part of Paris, on the Champs Elysees...
Calif. online gambling study bill moves forward
Visit PokerListings.com
I found the ideal way to make a Parisian vacation seem cheap: Start out by playing pot-limit poker at the Aviation Club. The Aviation Club is a fine private club located in the most prestigious part of Paris, on the Champs Elysees...
Calif. online gambling study bill moves forward
On Wednesday, the Committee on Governmental Organization moved to approve the bill with a vote of 11-0 and passed it on to the Committee on Appropriations.
That takes the bill, AB 2026 The Gambling Control/California Intrastate Online Poker Act, one step closer to being put up for vote in the legislature.
The bill was introduced in the legislature by Assemblyman Lloyd Levin in February, and if passed, would direct the California Gambling Control Commission to work with the state Department of Justice in order to study whether online gambling for California residents would be illegal under federal laws.
What Levine seeks to have answered is whether online gambling run in California just for California residents would be legal according to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. According to the UIGEA, the states have a right to legalize and regulate intrastate online gambling.
When Levine introduced the bill, he told media that the federal law appears to leave room for states to legalize online gambling as long as the player and the server hosting the online game are both located in the state. His bill is an effort to determine if that is true.
Levine's bill will need to get approval from the Committee on Appropriations as its next step to a vote. However, if it is approved, and the study shows that intrastate regulation is legal and feasible, California could eventually look into setting up intrastate online poker and gambling for its residents.
"It would be regulated," Levine said in Capitol Weekly. "We don't know what the state's piece will be, but it will be a regulated entity."
Levine has also stated that he believes regulated online gambling in the state will ensure consumer protection for online gamblers. For instance, players will have recourse if a site refuses to pay them if they're on a legal site, playing legally.
Related Article: Online Poker Bill Introduced in California
Visit PokerListings.com
Poker News - Bodog CEO Calvin Ayre Announces Retirement
Bodog CEO Calvin Ayre Announces Retirement
Calvin Ayre, the highly visible founder and CEO of Bodog, announced his planned retirement yesterday in a statement issued by the company. According to the statement, found at bodoglife.com, Ayre will also give up operational control...
Calvin Ayre, the highly visible founder and CEO of Bodog, announced his planned retirement yesterday in a statement issued by the company. According to the statement, found at bodoglife.com, Ayre will also give up operational control...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Poker News - #372 - Chris Ferguson has won the NBC Heads-Up Championship
#372 - Chris Ferguson has won the NBC Heads-Up Championship
Details to follow immediately, 9 44 PM....
Second Annual Jennifer Harman Nevada SPCA Fundraiser a Huge Success
There are many charity poker tournaments these days, but only a few of them would qualify as events. Friday at the Venetian, about 275 generous poker players saddled up to play some poker and help a great cause at the second...
Details to follow immediately, 9 44 PM....
Second Annual Jennifer Harman Nevada SPCA Fundraiser a Huge Success
There are many charity poker tournaments these days, but only a few of them would qualify as events. Friday at the Venetian, about 275 generous poker players saddled up to play some poker and help a great cause at the second...
Poker News - Finland wants to turn online poker into state monopoly
Finland wants to turn online poker into state monopoly
Finland, which runs most of its gambling operations under government agencies, may attempt to add online poker to its roster. Everything in Finland, from slots to horse racing, comes under the purview of the state, currently. According to pokerpages.com: Following a report in Finnish newspaper Keski-Uusimaa that ��...full article
Finland, which runs most of its gambling operations under government agencies, may attempt to add online poker to its roster. Everything in Finland, from slots to horse racing, comes under the purview of the state, currently. According to pokerpages.com: Following a report in Finnish newspaper Keski-Uusimaa that ��...full article
Finland, which runs most of its gambling operations under government agencies, may attempt to add online poker to its roster.
Everything in Finland, from slots to horse racing, comes under the purview of the state, currently.
According to pokerpages.com:
Following a report in Finnish newspaper Keski-Uusimaa that Finns spend as much as 50 million euros annually on foreign online poker sites, Veikkaus, Finland’s national betting agency for lottery and sports betting, said they felt they could keep a significant portion of that money within Finland and use it towards public projects.
“We could gather the majority of the revenue flowing out,” said Ilkka Juva, communications manager for Veikkaus. “Certainly not all of it, but two thirds of 50 million euro could be attainable.” Nearby Sweden’s state-owned monopoly Svenska Spel could be used by Veikkaus as a business model, should the proposal move forward.
'Poker After Dark' Releases Season Four Preview
Fresh off the April 18th wrap of filming for the upcoming season's episodes, the popular program "Poker After Dark" has released the highlights for the fourth season of the series, which will consist of ten new episodes...
Sexton's Corner, Vol. 41: Mirage Serves Up 'Texas Hold'em Plus'
If you like action, big pots, and a chance to buy one extra card for a dollar at the beginning of a hand, you need to check out two special $3/6 tables at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, right away! As you walk into the poker room...
#370 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #20 – The Brain Trust - Match One - Bloch
To me, this is almost an anticlimax. Andy Bloch? Chris Ferguson? How could I choose between them. They both enriched the FULL TILT POKER STRATEGY GUIDE tremendously, and well as my own skills and my life. Two of the best...
Poker Room Review: Aviation Club, Paris, France
I found the ideal way to make a Parisian vacation seem cheap: Start out by playing pot-limit poker at the Aviation Club. The Aviation Club is a fine private club located in the most prestigious part of Paris, on the Champs Elysees...
PokerStars launches PokerStars.tv
PokerStars has announced that it is launching a new Web site, pokerstars.tv, that will host poker-themed videos and webcasts. Right now the site is still in the beta stage and has a lot of PokerStars material on it. But it is likely poised to go beyond ��...full article
PokerStars has announced that it is launching a new Web site, pokerstars.tv, that will host poker-themed videos and webcasts.
Right now the site is still in the beta stage and has a lot of PokerStars material on it. But it is likely poised to go beyond the realm of its own events.
According to pokernews.com:
The site includes a video tutorial narrated by Daniel Negreanu, which gives an overview of what the site contains and how site members can use and access the material. For instance, under the “Channels” tab at the top of the site, users will find sub-groups for major events such as the European Poker Tour, channels dedicated to each Team PokerStars pro, under which are found live-play videos, instructional comment, interviews, and behind-the-scenes peeks at each player.
The site only has videos in English, although the site intends to include videos in other languages.
PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo: Glen Chorny Wins
Canadian Glen Chorny was the chip leader going in to and coming out of the final day of play at the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Chorny won an astounding $3,198,500 after eliminating Denes Kalo...
Monday, April 21, 2008
Poker News - PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo: Glen Chorny Wins
PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo: Glen Chorny Wins
Canadian Glen Chorny was the chip leader going in to and coming out of the final day of play at the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Chorny won an astounding $3,198,500 after eliminating Denes Kalo...
WPT settles lawsuit with players
Visit PokerListings.com
Canadian Glen Chorny was the chip leader going in to and coming out of the final day of play at the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Chorny won an astounding $3,198,500 after eliminating Denes Kalo...
WPT settles lawsuit with players
The pro poker players questioned the World Poker Tour's standard player's release and contracts with casinos in their lawsuit. They claimed that the releases and contracts violate federal and state antitrust laws.
According to the players' lawsuit, they had to waive rights to use their images and names to promote products and video games before they were allowed to enter a WPT tournament.
In one example, video clips of Howard Lederer playing in a WPT tournament were used in a WPT video game that directly competes with another video game, World Championship Poker, that he and his sister Annie Duke appear in.
The WPTE has denied that its casino contracts, releases or other activities violate any laws, and continues to maintain that it didn't have any liability or wrongdoing in the matter.
However, it wanted to settle its differences with the players so that the WPT can focus on its continued growth rather than litigation.
No monetary compensation was awarded in the settlement, but the WPTE and the poker players agreed to implement a new standard form release that will be provided to all players at all WPT tournaments and events going forward.
"We are glad to put this dispute behind us, and we look forward to working with all players to grow the sport of poker," said Steve Lipscomb, WPTE founder and CEO.
"We are happy to have come to an agreement that is fair to all players, and to have put in place a new release that clears up ambiguities in how players' images may be used," said Chris Ferguson.
"We are especially happy that this new release will apply to all poker players who wish to participate in WPT tournaments and events. WPTE has created some of the best poker events in the world, and we are excited to participate in them once again."
Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem had also been a part of the original lawsuit, but were no longer participating in the action.
Related Articles:
Visit PokerListings.com
Poker News - Online poker bill in California clears hurdle
Online poker bill in California clears hurdle
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature. California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a ��...full article
Stars return for DoylesRoom bounty tournament
Visit PokerListings.com
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature. California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a ��...full article
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature.
California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a story at pokerpages.com:
The Bill, titled “The Gambling Control / California Intrastate Online Poker Act”, was introduced Feb 15, 2008 by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys), Chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.
According to Capitol Weekly, the newspaper of California government and politics, Bill AB 2026 directs the California State Gambling Control Commission, in conjunction with the state Department of Justice, to perform a study regarding authorization of Internet poker for California residents, in accordance with the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which stipulates that individual states have the right to legalize and regulate intrastate online gambling.
The study, if approved, could pave the way for a future bill that would legalize online poker in the state as soon as next year.
Stars return for DoylesRoom bounty tournament
The pair of stars will join the April 23 Celebrity Bounty Poker Tournament, which starts at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The bounty tournament takes place every Wednesday at DoylesRoom, giving online poker players a chance to play against some of poker's best as well as against celebrities. Often Doyle Brunson himself will take on the tournament, as will Mike Caro, "The Mad Genius of Poker."
Hilton, who is the younger sister of Paris Hilton and heiress to the Hilton Hotel Empire, has participated in DoylesRoom events in the past. According to a press release from DoylesRoom, she is also a successful model with a fledgling fashion line and is quickly gaining recognition as a "skillful and sexy poker hostess."
Best known for her role as Tony Soprano's daughter, Meadow, on The Sopranos, Sigler has been spotted at the poker tables on occasion as well.
Aside from the chance to play against some stars and perhaps some pros, the Celebrity Bounty Tournament offers up a chance at some big money. The celebrities will have a bounty on their heads of $500.
The bounty is awarded to the person who knocks a celebrity out of the tournament. If a single player knocks out two of the bounties, he will be awarded $5,000.
The big money, however, is reserved for a player who manages to knock out all three bounties. That's worth $25,000 at DoylesRoom.
On top of that, there is the prize pool built from the $27.50 buy-in, giving players all sorts of opportunities to walk away a winner.
First-time Bounty Tournament players can also play the tournament for free. They'll need to pay for the tournament up front, but the buy-in will be refunded to them once it's over.
Registration for the April 23 tournament at DoylesRoom is currently open.
Related Articles:
Visit PokerListings.com
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Poker News - World Poker Tour Settles Player Release Lawsuit
World Poker Tour Settles Player Release Lawsuit
WPT Enterprises, Inc., operators of the World Poker Tour, announced today the settlement of a lawsuit brought against it by several big-name poker players. The action, which focused on the player release form used by the World Poker...
Poker Room Review: Aviation Club, Paris, France
I found the ideal way to make a Parisian vacation seem cheap: Start out by playing pot-limit poker at the Aviation Club. The Aviation Club is a fine private club located in the most prestigious part of Paris, on the Champs Elysees...
#362 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #12 – Highlights from High Noon
In the second pair of brackets today, Clubs/Spades, all but one of the matches ended in 70 minutes and without as much weird action has the Diamonds/Hearts round of 32. I was saving up my round-up notes for the end...
#361 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #11 – Opinions Are Like A-Holes; Everybody Has One
I took a quick bathroom break right after the Hearts/Diamonds round of 32 concluded. I heard one side of the following cell phone conversation from one of the stalls:...
#373 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #23 – Once and For All
The championship match of the Fourth NBC Heads-Up Championship is knotted at one apiece. Cards were in the air at 9:12 PM. As with the first two matches, the players started with 640,000 chips and blinds were set at 3k-6k,...
PokerRoom to host Battle of the Forums
Visit PokerListings.com
WPT Enterprises, Inc., operators of the World Poker Tour, announced today the settlement of a lawsuit brought against it by several big-name poker players. The action, which focused on the player release form used by the World Poker...
Poker Room Review: Aviation Club, Paris, France
I found the ideal way to make a Parisian vacation seem cheap: Start out by playing pot-limit poker at the Aviation Club. The Aviation Club is a fine private club located in the most prestigious part of Paris, on the Champs Elysees...
#362 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #12 – Highlights from High Noon
In the second pair of brackets today, Clubs/Spades, all but one of the matches ended in 70 minutes and without as much weird action has the Diamonds/Hearts round of 32. I was saving up my round-up notes for the end...
#361 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #11 – Opinions Are Like A-Holes; Everybody Has One
I took a quick bathroom break right after the Hearts/Diamonds round of 32 concluded. I heard one side of the following cell phone conversation from one of the stalls:...
#373 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #23 – Once and For All
The championship match of the Fourth NBC Heads-Up Championship is knotted at one apiece. Cards were in the air at 9:12 PM. As with the first two matches, the players started with 640,000 chips and blinds were set at 3k-6k,...
PokerRoom to host Battle of the Forums
The first step to getting involved is registering as a PokerRoom player through PokerListings.com if you haven't already done so. You can sign up through any PokerRoom link on this site.
Once signed up, players are eligible for the 100% bonus up to $1,000 that PokerRoom offers exclusively to PokerListings.com players. To be eligible, player must also make a deposit at the site.
After that, players can go to the PokerRoom Battle of the Forums page to claim a tournament ticket with the claim code TEAM9932.
The tournament ticket will be submitted directly to the players' accounts once they've submitted the claim code.
That ticket is for the first round of tournaments that will determine who represents the forum in the actual Battle of the Forums. It will be a freeroll taking place at 10 p.m. CET on Saturday, April 19, for PokerListings players only, with the top seven moving on to represent the site in the battle.
Those top seven players will take on the teams from other forums May 3-4. The Battle of the Forums will be played over four rounds, with each round consisting of several tournaments where one player from each team competes.
Five players from each team will compete during the rounds, with the two extra players available for substitutions if necessary. The first two rounds will take place May 3 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. CET. The final two rounds will take place May 4 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. CET.
The top three teams in the tournament will walk away cash prizes. The prizes are:
- 1st place: $25,000
- 2nd place: $10,000
- 3rd place: $5,000
The prizes will be divided equally between all seven team members.
For players who didn't make their forum team, there is a second-chance event on April 26. Players can put together their own team of five players to play in a one-off Battle of the Forums Open Qualifier Team Play event.
The event costs $25 per team, with all buy-ins going toward the prize pool. The top three teams in the qualifier will move on to play in the Battle of the Forums event as wild card entries.
Visit PokerListings.com
Poker News - Asian Poker Tour gets Savage
Asian Poker Tour gets Savage
Visit PokerListings.com
#365 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #15 – Load Up on Guns and Bring Your Friends
This was a wild day of poker at the Heads-Up Championship. We’re down to eight players and what a concentration of world-class talents we have. Here’s the line-up for the Sunday quarterfinals:...
PokerStars Launches PokerStars.tv
PokerStars has launched a new video site dedicated to "offering live webcasts of major events and a unique collection of high quality poker footage." The site, currently in the beta-testing phase, is located at pokerstars.tv and includes...
Golser thrills railbirds; re-buys for $1 million
Visit PokerListings.com
#371 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #21 – Queens Rule – Match Two - Ferguson
Cards were in the air for Match #2 in the best-of-three format at about 7:45 PM. Andy Bloch was responsible for me meeting Penn Jillette and Jimmy Carter on the same day. Chris used to be an avid basketball and...
#368 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #18 – Chris Ferguson Has Eliminated Phil Ivey to Make the Finals of the Championship for the Third Time in Four Years
Chris Ferguson eliminates Phil Ivey to win his way into the finals. On a board of 9-4-3-5, Chris bets 100,000. Ivey moves all-in. Chris thinks about it for 4 minutes. He’s shaking his head almost imperceptibly. He doesn’t look happy....
PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Day 4: Chorny Leads
Glen Chorny will be chip leader, when Day 5's 'almost' final table begins. Twelve hours after announcing 'shuffle up and deal,' the PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo called it a night, without reaching their eight person final table
PoolStars Announces WSOP Seat Promotion
PoolStars is giving poker players a chance to walk away with a seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event in their side pocket. The online billiards Web site, which offers a virtual version of the popular recreational game...
#359 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #10 – Spades Wrap-Up
We’re less than an hour from starting the second round (a/k/a “round of 32”) and I still want to post a preview of the coming matches, so let me summarize very briefly how the Spades bracket sorted itself out last...
Savage comes to the APT with over 350 televised events under his belt including the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour and many more. He was appointed tournament director for the WSOP in 2002 and has since seen the prize pool and the fields of the popular poker series rocket to astronomical levels.
In 2001 Savage founded the Tournament Directors Association, an organization that works to standardize tournament rules worldwide. A favorite among players, Savage was inducted as the first member of the Poker Room Manager's Hall of Fame in 2003. He was also awarded the inaugural Benny Binion award for outstanding service in the poker industry that year.
As tournament director for the Asian Poker Tour Manila leg, Matt Savage will oversee the action for all six days of the tournament, which is expected to attract approximately 400 players from around the world. A third of participants are expected to come from the Philippines, where people have started to catch the poker bug.
APT organizers also took the time to announce they've found a venue for the first leg of the tour. The Dusit Thani Manila Hotel will be the place to be during APT Manila. The Dusit Thani Manila is located in the city's central business district and provides access to accommodation, shopping malls and transport services.
The APT is Asia's original poker tour. The brand was recently acquired by Manila based gaming company ESL-Asia and there are plans for numerous expansions of the tour. This year there are four events that take place in Manila, Macao, South Korea and Singapore.
It's worth noting the APT is not associated with PokerStars' Asian ((Pacific Poker)) Tour (APPT), which saw its inaugural season last year.
Related Articles:
- APT Releases 2008 Schedule
- Tony G Wins APT Singapore Event
- ((Betfair)) To Host Asian Poker Tour In Singapore
Visit PokerListings.com
#365 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #15 – Load Up on Guns and Bring Your Friends
This was a wild day of poker at the Heads-Up Championship. We’re down to eight players and what a concentration of world-class talents we have. Here’s the line-up for the Sunday quarterfinals:...
PokerStars Launches PokerStars.tv
PokerStars has launched a new video site dedicated to "offering live webcasts of major events and a unique collection of high quality poker footage." The site, currently in the beta-testing phase, is located at pokerstars.tv and includes...
Golser thrills railbirds; re-buys for $1 million
But it certainly does get the railbirds all jacked up.
Such was the case yesterday when, after dropping 10 consecutive $20k buy-ins in a session with another of the world's best Limit players, Matt "Hoss_TBF" Hawrilenko, Austrian poker pro Markus Golser soiled some railbird shorts - and possibly Hawrilenko's - with a $1 million re-buy.
A pre-emptive strike on the "Golser is busto" thread? A pure showtime move for the rail? A statement to Hawrilenko about his bottomless bankroll?
We'll never know for sure. What we do know however is that he still ended the session $200k+ in the hole - although it seemed not to be much of a sweat for him, as he was more than a gracious loser in the chat with Hawrilenko after.
His only suggestion? Hawrilenko buy him a few drinks at this year's WSOP in Vegas.
Ironically, the biggest pot of the session as tracked by the PokerListings.com MarketPulse section went to Golser, shortly after his million-dollar buy-in.
The details:
Full Tilt Poker Game #6053776422 TABLE : Mirasol (six-max) $1,000/$2,000 - Limit Hold'em - Wed Apr 16 2008 - 1:45am (ET)
Table Setup
Seat 3: Hoss_TBF ($246,216.50)
Seat 6: Markus Golser ($996,494.50)
Hoss_TBF posts the small blind of $500
Markus Golser posts the big blind of $1,000
The button is in seat #3
Pre-flop
Hoss_TBF raises to $2,000
Markus Golser calls $1,000
Flop: #Kd-#3d-#Qh
Markus Golser bets $1,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $2,000
Markus Golser raises to $3,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $4,000
Markus Golser calls $1,000
Turn: #Kd-#3d-#Qh-#Ks
Markus Golser bets $2,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $4,000
Markus Golser raises to $6,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $8,000
Markus Golser calls $2,000
River: #Kd-#3d-#Qh-#Ks-#8d
Markus Golser checks
Hoss_TBF bets $2,000
Markus Golser raises to $4,000
Hoss_TBF calls $2,000
Showdown:
Markus Golser shows #Kh-#Qc for a full house, kings full of queens
Hoss_TBF mucks
Markus Golser wins the pot ($35,999.50) with a full house, kings full of queens
Summary:
Total pot $36,000 | Rake $0.50
Board: #Kd-#3d-#Qh-#Ks-#8d
Seat 3: Hoss_TBF (small blind) mucked
Seat 6: Markus Golser (big blind) collected ($35,999.50)
For more big hands from their session, and more of the top 100 biggest pots won online over the last day, week, month and year, jump to the MarketPulse section.
Visit PokerListings.com
#371 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #21 – Queens Rule – Match Two - Ferguson
Cards were in the air for Match #2 in the best-of-three format at about 7:45 PM. Andy Bloch was responsible for me meeting Penn Jillette and Jimmy Carter on the same day. Chris used to be an avid basketball and...
#368 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #18 – Chris Ferguson Has Eliminated Phil Ivey to Make the Finals of the Championship for the Third Time in Four Years
Chris Ferguson eliminates Phil Ivey to win his way into the finals. On a board of 9-4-3-5, Chris bets 100,000. Ivey moves all-in. Chris thinks about it for 4 minutes. He’s shaking his head almost imperceptibly. He doesn’t look happy....
PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo Day 4: Chorny Leads
Glen Chorny will be chip leader, when Day 5's 'almost' final table begins. Twelve hours after announcing 'shuffle up and deal,' the PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo called it a night, without reaching their eight person final table
PoolStars Announces WSOP Seat Promotion
PoolStars is giving poker players a chance to walk away with a seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event in their side pocket. The online billiards Web site, which offers a virtual version of the popular recreational game...
#359 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #10 – Spades Wrap-Up
We’re less than an hour from starting the second round (a/k/a “round of 32”) and I still want to post a preview of the coming matches, so let me summarize very briefly how the Spades bracket sorted itself out last...
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Poker News - Online poker bill in California clears hurdle
Online poker bill in California clears hurdle
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature. California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a ��...full article
Poland moves toward regulation of online gambling
Published reports have noted that Poland will be attempting to regulate online gambling and poker as soon as this year. The effort to regulate goes back to last year for the European country, which apparently is getting closer to totally legalizing online wagering. According to pokerpages.com: Marek Kapica, ��...full article
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature. California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a ��...full article
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature.
California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a story at pokerpages.com:
The Bill, titled “The Gambling Control / California Intrastate Online Poker Act”, was introduced Feb 15, 2008 by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys), Chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.
According to Capitol Weekly, the newspaper of California government and politics, Bill AB 2026 directs the California State Gambling Control Commission, in conjunction with the state Department of Justice, to perform a study regarding authorization of Internet poker for California residents, in accordance with the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which stipulates that individual states have the right to legalize and regulate intrastate online gambling.
The study, if approved, could pave the way for a future bill that would legalize online poker in the state as soon as next year.
Poland moves toward regulation of online gambling
Published reports have noted that Poland will be attempting to regulate online gambling and poker as soon as this year. The effort to regulate goes back to last year for the European country, which apparently is getting closer to totally legalizing online wagering. According to pokerpages.com: Marek Kapica, ��...full article
Published reports have noted that Poland will be attempting to regulate online gambling and poker as soon as this year.
The effort to regulate goes back to last year for the European country, which apparently is getting closer to totally legalizing online wagering.
According to pokerpages.com:
Marek Kapica, Deputy Minister of Finance, stated publicly this week that Poland will have to legalize online gambling, saying, “We cannot control this process anyway and it is better that the budget at least derives some revenues from it.”
Massive Overlay Awaits PokerNews Players at an Exclusive WPC Satellite!
Pacific Poker continues to give PokerNews players sensational value through exclusive tournaments. On Tuesday April 22 at 19:00 GMT, a $27.50 WPC Satellite will commence that will award over $10,000 in prizes...
Great Britain wins Poker Nations Cup
Great Britain won the PartyPoker.com Poker Nations Cup that ended this week. The team of professionals from the United Kingdom defeated six other teams in the tag-team poker format, where substitutions were allowed for each nation’s team in each of six “heats.” According to pokerpages.com: The winning GB ��...full article
Great Britain won the PartyPoker.com Poker Nations Cup that ended this week.
The team of professionals from the United Kingdom defeated six other teams in the tag-team poker format, where substitutions were allowed for each nation’s team in each of six “heats.”
According to pokerpages.com:
The winning GB team included team captain Roland De Wolfe, on-a-winning-streak Neil Channing, Surinder Sunar, Joe Beevers, Ian Frazer and online qualifier Charlie Durbin. Channing just came off the high of winning the Irish Open, as well as being the player that clinched the cup for their GB team.
In fact, Channing anchored team GB in a thrilling heads-up with Ireland’s Donnacha O’Dea. A turning point in the play came when Channing went all-in with 8 4 off suit, which got called by O’Dea’s 2 2. So Channing was behind on the flop and the turn only for a 4 to hit on the river which knocked O’Dea. Then O’Dea went all-in with 10c 3c, only to be called by Channing’s 10h 9h. A 10 on the turn gave Britain the cup, repeating their 2006 win.
Ireland finished second in the event, and the United States finished last out of the six teams.
WPT World Championship brings out starsWith a $25,000 buy-in, the World Championship attracts players from all over the world and brings the winners from the other events on the tour to compete for what is potentially a multi-million dollar first-place prize.
Despite the other major tournaments taking place elsewhere, many pros have already made their presence known in Las Vegas during the World Championship's preliminary events.
The Bellagio has been offering up lucrative tournaments since April 2 during its Five Star World Poker Classic tournament series building up to the World Championship. One player who seems to have taken full advantage is Billy Baxter who conquered Event 6 and Event 12.
#img: bill-baxter_17801.jpg:left: Billy Baxter flies high in Five Star series.#
Baxter also cashed in Event 1 of the Five Star series in ninth place. He's not the only pro warming up with some wins before the World Championship either.
Scott Clements took down Event 4 and cashed in Event 2. Michael Mizrachi picked up a win in Event 7, plus a cash in Event 1. The Grinder also won one of the Super Satellites despite already having secured a seat in the World Championship with his win in Event 7.
Toto Leonidas won Event 8 for a $189,400 cash to add to his 15th-place cash in Event 7. Darrell Dicken picked up a win and $223,330 in cash in Event 10, and Michael Binger took down Event 13 for $317,280.
Allen Kessler didn't win any of the official events, but he did pick up his seat in the World Championship by winning one of the super satellites.
Other notables who've been making waves in the poker ranks at the Bellagio during the series are Shannon Shorr, who has three final tables in the series, and Scotty Nguyen with his two cashes.
Other pros who've picked up some money in the Five Star World Poker Classic are David Levi, Alan Smurfit, Jean-Robert Bellande, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Mark Seif, Justin Bonomo, Todd Brunson, Robert Mizrachi, David Pham, Jonathan Little, Erica Schoenberg, Tom McEvoy, Hevad Kahn, Erick Lindgren and more.
More than likely these will be some of the names popping up during the World Championship as well when it kicks off with today at noon PDT. With eight days of poker action on tap, poker fans can head to the Live Tournament section as our reporting team provides the best live updates, reports, interviews, photos and more from the WPT World Championship.
Visit PokerListings.com
World Poker Tour Settles Player Release Lawsuit
WPT Enterprises, Inc., operators of the World Poker Tour, announced today the settlement of a lawsuit brought against it by several big-name poker players. The action, which focused on the player release form used by the World Poker...
Brandi Hawbaker dead at 26
In news that spread quickly over the internet poker forums, Brandi Hawbaker, famous mostly for her role in the drama on those same internet poker forums and in the live poker world, committed suicide on Sunday, according to varying reports. According to bluffmagazine.com: Word of the 26-year ��...full article
In news that spread quickly over the internet poker forums, Brandi Hawbaker, famous mostly for her role in the drama on those same internet poker forums and in the live poker world, committed suicide on Sunday, according to varying reports.
According to bluffmagazine.com:
Word of the 26-year old’s death first surfaced on WickedChopsPoker.com after a poster using the nom de plume “Bob. B. Bobson” posted the following comment on a post that was 16 months old:
“You may want to know that Brandi Hawbaker (of semi-recent poker drama) died earlier this week. She was 26 years old. I do not know any more than that, including how she died or any circumstances of her death, or even if there is a funeral planned. Even if I did know, it’s nobody’s business but her family and friends.”
The news was confirmed at neverwinpoker.com by Bryan Micon, who knew Hawbaker personally.
PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo: Glen Chorny Wins
Canadian Glen Chorny was the chip leader going in to and coming out of the final day of play at the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Chorny won an astounding $3,198,500 after eliminating Denes Kalo...
Poker News - Online poker bill in California clears hurdle
Online poker bill in California clears hurdle
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature. California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a ��...full article
Exclusive Pacific Poker Tournament
PTP and RNB were approached by Pacific Poker with the opportunity to run a private tournament this Sunday at 2pm eastern with an absolutely insane value. Pacific does not accept US players. Here are the details:
PokerStars.net offering free seats to the WSOP
Visit PokerListings.com
Forum chatter reports Hawbaker death
Visit PokerListings.com
Golser thrills railbirds; re-buys for $1 million
Visit PokerListings.com
PokerStars Launches PokerStars.tv
PokerStars has launched a new video site dedicated to "offering live webcasts of major events and a unique collection of high quality poker footage." The site, currently in the beta-testing phase, is located at pokerstars.tv and includes...
WPT reverses decision to take percentage of prize pool for charity
The World Poker decided yesterday not to donate a percentage of the prize pool for its 2008 Ladies Championship to charity after top women’s players said they wouldn’t play in the event because of the policy. Two-time champion Susie Isaacs led a group of players who ��...full article
2007 WSOP Europe Broadcast Schedule Announced
World Series of Poker Europe title sponsor Betfair has announced its upcoming schedule of 2007 WSOP-E broadcasts, anchored on the United Kingdom's Sky Sports channel and scheduled to air across much of Europe. Betfair's sponsorship...
WSOP Champions: Where are they now, Part 4
Visit PokerListings.com
Barry Greenstein shines at Stars of Poker
Visit PokerListings.com
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature. California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a ��...full article
A California bill designed to fund a study on online poker within the state got through a key committee on its way to a potential vote by the legislature.
California Bill AB 2026 received unanimous approval by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee (AGOC), according to a story at pokerpages.com:
The Bill, titled “The Gambling Control / California Intrastate Online Poker Act”, was introduced Feb 15, 2008 by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys), Chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.
According to Capitol Weekly, the newspaper of California government and politics, Bill AB 2026 directs the California State Gambling Control Commission, in conjunction with the state Department of Justice, to perform a study regarding authorization of Internet poker for California residents, in accordance with the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which stipulates that individual states have the right to legalize and regulate intrastate online gambling.
The study, if approved, could pave the way for a future bill that would legalize online poker in the state as soon as next year.
Exclusive Pacific Poker Tournament
PTP and RNB were approached by Pacific Poker with the opportunity to run a private tournament this Sunday at 2pm eastern with an absolutely insane value. Pacific does not accept US players. Here are the details:
PTP and RNB were approached by Pacific Poker with the opportunity to run a private tournament this Sunday at 2pm eastern with an absolutely insane value. Pacific does not accept US players. Here are the details:
PokerStars.net offering free seats to the WSOP
"There's nothing better than going to the World Series and playing for the biggest prize pool on earth, except getting there for free," said Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem.
Players will have the chance to qualify from April 13 to June 27 with $1 million in WSOP prize packages up for grabs. The winning package includes:
- $10,000 buy-in to the 2008 WSOP Main Event
- Hotel accommodation at the Palms
- $2,500 for expenses
All players have to do is download PokerStars free software and register an account. The Million Dollar Giveaway Round 1 freerolls run every hour and are accessible in the PokerStars lobby.
Those finishing in the top 50 of the round 1 freerolls will win a ticket to the Million Dollar Giveaway Weekly Final.
The weekly final tournaments are held on Saturdays from April 19 until June 28 at 7:31 ET, 13:30 ET and 20:00 ET. The early event offers one seat while the later two award three seats.
PokerStars qualifiers who make it to the final table of the WSOP Main Event will automatically win a cash bonus, including an extra $1 million if they win the Main Event. Second-place winners will get a $400,000 bonus and third place earns a $300,000 bonus. Finish in fourth-fifth or sixth-ninth place and get $200,000 or $100,000 respectively.
PokerStars.com is the world's biggest poker site and is home to former world champions Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer and Hachem. Moneymaker and Raymer both qualified for their Main Event seats on PokerStars. To date 659 players have qualified to go to the WSOP on PokerStars.
The site's software is also considered some of the best in the business. To check out PokerListings' review of the site, just follow any of the highlighted links to the room.
Related Articles:
- Griffin and Brown Sign as Team PokerStars Pros
- International Flavors Abound at PokerStars Events
- PokerStars Launches Battle of the Planets
- PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up Gets RaiN'ed Out
Visit PokerListings.com
Forum chatter reports Hawbaker death
The first news of her death was posted at NeverWinPoker, where Bryan Micon wrote on Thursday:
"It is with great sadness that I write this story. Brandi Hawbaker to some, Naami Dea to others, took her own life on Sunday. This news has been confirmed through Brandon and Brandi's family.
"Brandon, Brandi's family, and friends have asked the poker world to respect their privacy while they grieve. When the time is right we will have Brandon's statement on NWP. This truly is a tragedy, as the whole poker world loved to watch this eccentric young lady on and off the felt. Brandi will be missed and I hope she has found some peace."
Since that posting, poker forums across the Web have been talking about the news and speculating on whether it is just a hoax.
The 26-year-old Hawbaker rose to attention in the poker world not so much for her poker skills but instead because of her eccentricities at the poker felt, as well as due to the scandals she's been a part of in the poker community.
All a person has to do is troll the 2+2 forums to see the impact she's had on the poker community - good or bad - and the many ways she's found to keep herself in the spotlight.
The person who broke the news, Micon, was one of Hawbaker's biggest nemeses, often raking her through the coals with his stories on NWP and YouTube videos.
"She did some bad stuff, we all watched. She did some crazy stuff, we all watched. She died, we all watch... She is our Marylin Monroe," Micon wrote.
Her flamboyant reputation may have been what kept her in the public eye, but Hawbaker did have moderate success in the game as well. In October 2006, the poker community first took notice of her when she cashed in a Festa al Lago V event at the Bellagio and went on to also cash in 35th place in the World Poker Tour Festa al Lago V main event.
Her most recent success was at the 2007 World Series of Poker where she cashed in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event.
Visit PokerListings.com
Golser thrills railbirds; re-buys for $1 million
But it certainly does get the railbirds all jacked up.
Such was the case yesterday when, after dropping 10 consecutive $20k buy-ins in a session with another of the world's best Limit players, Matt "Hoss_TBF" Hawrilenko, Austrian poker pro Markus Golser soiled some railbird shorts - and possibly Hawrilenko's - with a $1 million re-buy.
A pre-emptive strike on the "Golser is busto" thread? A pure showtime move for the rail? A statement to Hawrilenko about his bottomless bankroll?
We'll never know for sure. What we do know however is that he still ended the session $200k+ in the hole - although it seemed not to be much of a sweat for him, as he was more than a gracious loser in the chat with Hawrilenko after.
His only suggestion? Hawrilenko buy him a few drinks at this year's WSOP in Vegas.
Ironically, the biggest pot of the session as tracked by the PokerListings.com MarketPulse section went to Golser, shortly after his million-dollar buy-in.
The details:
Full Tilt Poker Game #6053776422 TABLE : Mirasol (six-max) $1,000/$2,000 - Limit Hold'em - Wed Apr 16 2008 - 1:45am (ET)
Table Setup
Seat 3: Hoss_TBF ($246,216.50)
Seat 6: Markus Golser ($996,494.50)
Hoss_TBF posts the small blind of $500
Markus Golser posts the big blind of $1,000
The button is in seat #3
Pre-flop
Hoss_TBF raises to $2,000
Markus Golser calls $1,000
Flop: #Kd-#3d-#Qh
Markus Golser bets $1,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $2,000
Markus Golser raises to $3,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $4,000
Markus Golser calls $1,000
Turn: #Kd-#3d-#Qh-#Ks
Markus Golser bets $2,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $4,000
Markus Golser raises to $6,000
Hoss_TBF raises to $8,000
Markus Golser calls $2,000
River: #Kd-#3d-#Qh-#Ks-#8d
Markus Golser checks
Hoss_TBF bets $2,000
Markus Golser raises to $4,000
Hoss_TBF calls $2,000
Showdown:
Markus Golser shows #Kh-#Qc for a full house, kings full of queens
Hoss_TBF mucks
Markus Golser wins the pot ($35,999.50) with a full house, kings full of queens
Summary:
Total pot $36,000 | Rake $0.50
Board: #Kd-#3d-#Qh-#Ks-#8d
Seat 3: Hoss_TBF (small blind) mucked
Seat 6: Markus Golser (big blind) collected ($35,999.50)
For more big hands from their session, and more of the top 100 biggest pots won online over the last day, week, month and year, jump to the MarketPulse section.
Visit PokerListings.com
PokerStars Launches PokerStars.tv
PokerStars has launched a new video site dedicated to "offering live webcasts of major events and a unique collection of high quality poker footage." The site, currently in the beta-testing phase, is located at pokerstars.tv and includes...
WPT reverses decision to take percentage of prize pool for charity
The World Poker decided yesterday not to donate a percentage of the prize pool for its 2008 Ladies Championship to charity after top women’s players said they wouldn’t play in the event because of the policy. Two-time champion Susie Isaacs led a group of players who ��...full article
The World Poker decided yesterday not to donate a percentage of the prize pool for its 2008 Ladies Championship to charity after top women’s players said they wouldn’t play in the event because of the policy.
Two-time champion Susie Isaacs led a group of players who said they wouldn’t play in event because 15% of the prize pool would be given to event partner Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
According to a story at pokerpages.com:
World Poker Association Chairman, Wendeen H. Eolis explains, “The furor has centered on the WPT’s insensitivity to the varying financial means of ‘working players’ and more broadly on the decision to compel a charitable donation in an event labeled as a championship.” The WPT has never exacted such a pledge in any previous championship event. Eolis called upon the WPT to “reverse this mistake” for the future.
Today, Lyle Berman, Chairman of the Board of World Poker Tour Enterprises told Eolis, “The WPT has re-evaluated its decision to make a charitable donation a condition for participation in the WPT Ladies Championship.” He added, “In the future there will be no such requirement in a WPT championship event.”
The group of women threatening the boycott have said they don’t have a problem with donations being made to charity, as long as the decisions were made by each player and were voluntary.
World Poker Tour officials said they thought the decision to link the event to charity would increase its visibility and draw more interested.
2007 WSOP Europe Broadcast Schedule Announced
World Series of Poker Europe title sponsor Betfair has announced its upcoming schedule of 2007 WSOP-E broadcasts, anchored on the United Kingdom's Sky Sports channel and scheduled to air across much of Europe. Betfair's sponsorship...
WSOP Champions: Where are they now, Part 4
The third installment featured Amarillo Slim Preston, Doyle Brunson and Bobby Baldwin, showing off some of the game's biggest characters and biggest legends. This week we showcase another bumper crop of WSOP champions, with the likes of Tom McEvoy, Berry Johnston and Johnny Chan.
Tom McEvoy (1983)
Tom McEvoy has been one of the most stable, solid players on the tournament circuit since he took up poker full time in 1978.
McEvoy worked as an accountant before he got into poker so obviously he never had any trouble with the math behind the game.
McEvoy burst onto the poker scene in 1982 by winning the $1,000 Hold'em event of Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker. He took down $57,600 for his efforts, but the best was yet to come.
In 1983 McEvoy won the $1,000 Limit Hold'em event of the WSOP and grabbed his first bracelet. With momentum on his side, McEvoy registered for the Main Event and went on to outlast 107 opponents and win the biggest game in town. McEvoy won $540,000 and a piece of poker immortality.
Since then McEvoy has added two more WSOP bracelets to his resume ($1,000 Razz in 1986 and $1,500 Limit Omaha in 1992) in addition to cashing in numerous WSOP events. In 2005 he won the Bay 101 Shooting Stars of Poker in San Jose when it was still a part of the Professional Poker Tour, which has since collapsed.
McEvoy has always been opposed to smoking and in 1998 he helped organize the first tournament where smoking was not allowed. Since then most major poker tournaments have banned smoking at the tables.
McEvoy also authored or coauthored over a dozen books on poker and remains a pillar of knowledge on the game.
These days McEvoy lives in Las Vegas and is still active on the circuit, as well as working as an ambassador for the game as a member of Team PokerStars. McEvoy also blogs on occasion for PokerListings.com and you can read his articles here.
Berry Johnston (1986)
Berry Johnston is a poker veteran in nearly every way possible. His first WSOP bracelet came in 1983 (the same year McEvoy won the Main Event) and he added a bracelet of the Main Event variety in 1986.
Time has not slowed Johnston down, as his WSOP wins are spread over many years. He won his third WSOP bracelet in 1990 in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em, his fourth in the 1995 $1,500 Limit Omaha event and finally his fifth in the 2001 $1,500 Razz event.
Johnston has gone onto accumulate a total of over 26 final tables in the WSOP and 52 money finishes. The record Johnston is most well-known for, however, is cashing in the Main Event a total of 10 times, which is more than any other player.
Away from the tables Johnston is known as a devoted family man who is a gentleman at all times.
In 2004 Johnston was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, where he joined some of the game's most colorful and successful players.
Johnston is still a regular on the poker tour and is also a pro with Full Tilt Poker. Johnston can be found on the site playing as "Berry Johnston."
Most recently Johnston went deep in the 2007 Main Event and managed to finish 113th for $58,570.
Johnny Chan (1987, 1988)
Johnny "The Orient Express" Chan is one of the most recognizable players in the poker industry, and if his astounding accomplishments in the poker world weren't enough, he also had a cameo in the poker flick Rounders.
When it comes to sheer number of bracelets accumulated there are three players who rise above the rest - Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan. Chan and Brunson both have 10 while Hellmuth pulled ahead with his 11th bracelet in 2007.
Although Chan has been making money in the poker world for years, it was the 1987, 1988 and 1989 WSOP Main Events that turned The Orient Express into a household name.
Incredibly Chan won both the '87 and '88 Main Events and if it wasn't for Hellmuth he would have won the '89 one as well. The fields are so large in the modern Main Event it's unlikely that anyone will ever win consecutive titles again, let alone three in a row.
Since his stunning back-to-back Main Event victories, Chan has been immersed in the poker world. He continued to meet with success at the World Championship and returned to the final table in the 1992 Main Event in which he finished seventh.
After 1988 Chan would go on to win seven more bracelets, the most recent coming at the $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em in 2005. It was during that year that Chan became the first player to win 10 bracelets, although Brunson would quickly catch him in 2006 and Hellmuth would eclipse that record in 2007.
Chan is still very active on the poker circuit and is invited to poker TV shows like High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark and the NBC National Heads-up Poker Challenge on a regular basis. Chan has the unique distinction of having the most victories at Poker After Dark.
As of 2008 Chan's live tournament winnings exceed $6.5 million. He lives in Las Vegas, has six children and is a consultant for various casinos and game makers. In 2007 Chan launched his own online poker room at Chanpoker.com.
Chan was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2002 and continues to be a force in the poker world.
***************
Stay with us next week as we bring you three more WSOP champions and take a closer look at what they've been up to since they won the big dance.
Related Articles:
- WSOP Champions: Where Are They Now, Part 3
- WSOP Champions: Where Are They Now, Part 2
- WSOP Champions: Where Are They Now, Part 1
Visit PokerListings.com
Barry Greenstein shines at Stars of Poker
The event, which was organized by PokerStars at the EPT4 Grand Final, featured a number of Team PokerStars pros including Daniel Negreanu, Katja Thater, Dario Minieri, John Duthie, Vicky Coren, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Noah Boeken, Barry Greenstein and one PokerStars Supernova Elite Joe "bigjoe2003" Michael, who won a Supernova Elite satellite into the event.
The event, which was by invitation only, took place over the course of seven hours and with $100,000 in prize money up for grabs, no one wanted to go out first. That dubious honor would surprisingly go to "Kid Poker" Negreanu. The Canadian pro was knocked out by EPT creator John Duthie in one of those set-over-set debacles you always hear about.
Negreanu quickly had some company on the rail in the form of Noeh Boeken and Dario Minieri, who finished eighth and seventh respectively.
Coren finished sixth but got one heck of a bad beat story out of the experience. Coren went out when she got A-K against A-K and her opponent hit a flush.
Michael did well to survive that long against the sheer number of talented poker pros but eventually went out fifth when he ran JJ into AA.
French pro Grospellier didn't last much longer than Michael and ended up going out in fourth when his A-K failed him against A-J. ElkY was the unfortunate bubble boy and all three remaining players were in the money.
It was clear that Katja Thater was gunning for first place but after a long, hard-fought battle she eventually went out on a blind steal that went awry. She earned $20,000 as a consolation prize for finishing third.
The heads-up battle saw Duthie and Greenstein feeling each other out for the first bit but eventually Greenstein managed a pivotal double-up. In the final hand Duthie got all-in with #9h-#8h versus Greenstein's #As-#Ks. The big slick prevailed and Duthie had to settle for third and $30,000.
Meanwhile Greenstein took home a stunning $50,000 for seven hours of work. It's very likely Greenstein's been killing the cash games lately but his last big score came in October at the WPT North American Championships, where he won $316,638 for coming in fourth.
Visit PokerListings.com
Friday, April 18, 2008
Poker News - Canadian wins EPT Grand Final
Canadian wins EPT Grand Final
Twenty-two-year-old Glen Chorny of Ontario, Canada, won the PokerStars European Poker Tour Grand Final on Thursday, outlasting a field of 842 other players to take the season-ending event. Chorny pocketed just over 2 million Euros ($3.2 million) for the first-place finish, which is believed to be ��...full article
Pacific Poker adds to WPC seats for PL.com players
Visit PokerListings.com
Twenty-two-year-old Glen Chorny of Ontario, Canada, won the PokerStars European Poker Tour Grand Final on Thursday, outlasting a field of 842 other players to take the season-ending event. Chorny pocketed just over 2 million Euros ($3.2 million) for the first-place finish, which is believed to be ��...full article
Twenty-two-year-old Glen Chorny of Ontario, Canada, won the PokerStars European Poker Tour Grand Final on Thursday, outlasting a field of 842 other players to take the season-ending event.
Chorny pocketed just over 2 million Euros ($3.2 million) for the first-place finish, which is believed to be he most money ever awarded at a poker tournament held in Europe.
(more…)
Pacific Poker adds to WPC seats for PL.com players
But don't panic if you didn't get your shot at a free seat in the WPC. Pacific Poker has decided to add a few more chances for PokerListings.com players to win seats.
Players from Italy, France, Germany and Spain will get another shot at seats in freerolls specifically for their country.
The freerolls will take place at 4 p.m. Pacific Poker Time on the following dates:
- April 21: Italy
- April 22: France
- April 23: Germany
- April 24: Spain
As an added bonus, poker players don't have to do anything to qualify. In the initial freerolls that were open to all PokerListings.com players, players had to earn five points during a seven-day qualifying period to get into each freeroll.
All it takes now is to have signed up at Pacific Poker through PokerListings.com and be from one of the four countries listed.
What online rounders will be playing for is a seat in the WPC, which is worth $1,000+$50, but has the potential to be worth much more since the tournament has a guaranteed $3 million prize pool. Plus, the winner will take home $1 million.
The WPC is a newly created tournament from 888.com that will start out online, bringing together players from all over the world to compete. When it gets down to the final table, play will be stopped and the remaining players will be flown to Barcelona, Spain, to finish the game live.
They will be given free transportation from anywhere in the world to Barcelona, as well as five-star hotel accommodation for the duration of the final event.
The WPC online tournament will take place April 26 at 10 a.m. Pacific Poker Time. The final table will take place May 6-10.
The final table will also be filmed to air on Sky Sports 2 on May 12.
The WPC freerolls aren't the only benefit for PokerListings.com players at Pacific Poker. The poker site also hosts monthly $5,000 freerolls for PokerListings.com players and is running World Series of Poker freerolls for them as well.
Pacific Poker has also upped the ante on its bonuses for PokerListings.com players. All players who sign up at the poker site via a PokerListings link are eligible for an exclusive 125% match bonus up to $475.
Players don't need to clear the entire bonus beforehand, either. Instead they will receive 50% up to $175 as an instant bonus that will be immediately credited to their account. The additional 75% up to $300 is a pending bonus released in a lump sum once cleared.
Head to Pacific Poker to take advantage of these and many other features the poker site has to offer.
Related Articles:
- Pacific Poker Gives WPC Seats to PL.com Players
- Here Comes the 888.com World Poker Crown
- 888 signs Shane Warne to play poker
Visit PokerListings.com
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Poker News - #373 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #23 – Once and For All
#373 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #23 – Once and For All
The championship match of the Fourth NBC Heads-Up Championship is knotted at one apiece. Cards were in the air at 9:12 PM. As with the first two matches, the players started with 640,000 chips and blinds were set at 3k-6k,...
#370 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #20 – The Brain Trust - Match One - Bloch
To me, this is almost an anticlimax. Andy Bloch? Chris Ferguson? How could I choose between them. They both enriched the FULL TILT POKER STRATEGY GUIDE tremendously, and well as my own skills and my life. Two of the best...
Barry Greenstein wins “Stars of Poker” event at EPT
While players were battling out in the European Poker Tour’s Grand Final, PokerStars hosted an invitation-only table with poker pros playing for a first-prize of $100,000. Barry Greenstein won the event, outlasting a talented field, according to pokerstarsblog.com: The line-up was among the toughest you’ll see. Daniel ��...full article
The championship match of the Fourth NBC Heads-Up Championship is knotted at one apiece. Cards were in the air at 9:12 PM. As with the first two matches, the players started with 640,000 chips and blinds were set at 3k-6k,...
#370 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #20 – The Brain Trust - Match One - Bloch
To me, this is almost an anticlimax. Andy Bloch? Chris Ferguson? How could I choose between them. They both enriched the FULL TILT POKER STRATEGY GUIDE tremendously, and well as my own skills and my life. Two of the best...
Barry Greenstein wins “Stars of Poker” event at EPT
While players were battling out in the European Poker Tour’s Grand Final, PokerStars hosted an invitation-only table with poker pros playing for a first-prize of $100,000. Barry Greenstein won the event, outlasting a talented field, according to pokerstarsblog.com: The line-up was among the toughest you’ll see. Daniel ��...full article
While players were battling out in the European Poker Tour’s Grand Final, PokerStars hosted an invitation-only table with poker pros playing for a first-prize of $100,000.
Barry Greenstein won the event, outlasting a talented field, according to pokerstarsblog.com:
The line-up was among the toughest you’ll see. Daniel Negreanu, Katja Thater, Dario Minieri, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, John Duthie, Vicky Coren, Noah Boeken, Barry Greenstein, and PokerStars Supernova Elite Joe “bigjoe2003″ Michael, who won a Supernova Elite satellite to the event.
In the end, Greenstein beat EPT creator Duthie heads up. The chips were shoved in the middle with Greenstein’s ace-king suited beating Duthie’s 9-8 suited.
Poker News - WPA takes on WPT Ladies Championship issue
WPA takes on WPT Ladies Championship issue
Visit PokerListings.com
Creepy Negreanu blog post: “I literally want to eat people’s brains”
The newest entry on Daniel Negreanu’s blog is entitled “Eating Brain.” And it doesn’t get less creepy after that. The posting talks about his preparation for the European Poker Tour Grand Final, which is currently taking place. But it quickly takes a turn into the strange ��...full article
Last week some players decided to cancel their plans to compete in the Ladies Championship after learning that an automatic 15% was being taken from the prize pool as a donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity organization.
Susie Isaacs became the most prominent opponent of the forced donation, stating her case in her blog as well as through media outlets.
The women weren't opposed to donating money to charity; what they didn't like was that organizers had decided to take it automatically from the prize pool of the championship event.
"The furor has centered on the WPT's insensitivity to the varying financial means of 'working players' and more broadly on the decision to compel a charitable donation in an event labeled as a championship," said Wendeen Eolis, World Poker Association chairman.
Eolis pointed out that the WPT has never exacted that kind of pledge in any previous championship event, and she called upon the WPT to "reverse this mistake" for the future.
As a result, Lyle Berman, WPT Enterprises chairman of the board, told Eolis that the organization has re-evaluated its decision to make a charitable donation a condition for participation in the WPT Ladies Championship.
"In the future, there will be no such requirement in a WPT championship event," Berman said.
#img: susie-isacs_798.jpg: left: The boycott was a winning move for Susie Isaacs.#
Isaacs has already expressed her happiness with the news. She had said in her blog that boycotting the WPT Ladies Championship was one of the hardest poker-related things she's had to do.
"I am no longer sad [about not playing] in the WPT Ladies Championship. It was worth it," Isaacs says in her blog. "I believe that the efforts of a group of women, from coast-to-coast, have made a big difference for the future of ladies poker tournaments."
Isaacs and her poker club colleagues also stressed that they are very pro-charity, and their issue wasn't about the charity itself, but about the forced donation taken from the prize pool which diminishes the playability of the tournament from a financial standpoint.
"We were completely amenable to promoting the tournament and encouraging women to contribute to SGK from their prize winnings, as appropriate to their individual bankrolls - if the WPT would just make the donations optional," Isaacs said.
Isaacs also thanked Eolis for bring the matter to the attention of the WPA Executive Committee, which helped bring the issue to a "wonderful completion for all female poker players everywhere."
According to a press release, Steve Lipscomb, WPT founder and CEO, explained to Eolis that his strategy in planning the Ladies Championship was to advance opportunities for women in poker to get television coverage while aligning the WPT and the players with a good cause.
The WPT Ladies Championship went ahead as initially planned with the 15% taken from the prize pool for charity. One hundred fifty players showed up to participate and played down to the final six last weekend.
"The WPA is pleased the (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) has been the beneficiary of a significant gift from the poker community," said the Association in a press release.
Since the WPA was created, it has also been committed to charitable giving. Last summer the WPA conducted a raffle to benefit children in need in the Las Vegas area. It also has plans for fundraisers during its inaugural conference this summer and during its Annual Membership Drive in order to raise money for worthy causes.
Related Articles:
Visit PokerListings.com
Creepy Negreanu blog post: “I literally want to eat people’s brains”
The newest entry on Daniel Negreanu’s blog is entitled “Eating Brain.” And it doesn’t get less creepy after that. The posting talks about his preparation for the European Poker Tour Grand Final, which is currently taking place. But it quickly takes a turn into the strange ��...full article
The newest entry on Daniel Negreanu’s blog is entitled “Eating Brain.” And it doesn’t get less creepy after that.
The posting talks about his preparation for the European Poker Tour Grand Final, which is currently taking place. But it quickly takes a turn into the strange and macabre, tongue in cheek though it may be.
According to pokerkingblog.com:
After getting some of the more boring details out of the way, Negreanu sends out a warning shot to all of the other players who may be unfortunate enough to sit at his table.
The 140 pound vegan says that he is in “that killer mindset”, “like I literally want to eat people’s brains.”
If that isn’t enough to send a cold chill down your spine, Negreanu continues:
“Just literally rip their brains to shreds after an appetizer of ripping their hearts out of their chests, taking a big bite out of them, and then spitting the blood back in their faces.”
Whole thing here. And you can read the blog here.
We’ll have a count on how many brains Daniel ate after the EPT event is over.
Poker News - WSOP Champions: Where are they now, Part 4
WSOP Champions: Where are they now, Part 4
Visit PokerListings.com
Hachem nearly gets in fight at EPT Grand Final
Former World Series of Poker main event champion Joe Hachem is nicknamed “Salty” for a reason, apparently. With 82 players left in the European Poker Tour’s Grand Final, Hachem nearly got into fisticuffs with a player named Woody Deck. At the time, players were two away ��...full article
WPT Ladies Championship down to final table
Visit PokerListings.com
Stock prices tumble for Vegas casinos
Tuesday was a bad day for the major Las Vegas casinos, as many of their stock prices took big hits. The stock losses came a day after MGM Mirage said it was going to be laying off more than 400 workers. According to a story at majorwager.com, ��...full article
Benyamine and ICallSoWhat coin-flip for $169,000
Visit PokerListings.com
UIGEA hearing opens criticism floodgates
Visit PokerListings.com
The third installment featured Amarillo Slim Preston, Doyle Brunson and Bobby Baldwin, showing off some of the game's biggest characters and biggest legends. This week's crop of WSOP Champions is just as ripe with the likes of Tom McEvoy, Berry Johnston and Johnny Chan.
Tom McEvoy (1983)
Tom McEvoy has been one of the most stable, solid players on the tournament circuit since he took up poker full time in 1978.
McEvoy worked as an accountant before he got into poker so he obviously never had any trouble with the math behind the game.
McEvoy burst onto the poker scene in 1982 by winning the $1,000 Hold'em event of Amarillo Slim's Superbowl of Poker. He took down $57,600 for his efforts but the best was yet to come.
In 1983 McEvoy won the $1,000 Limit Hold'em event of the WSOP and grabbed his first bracelet. With momentum on his side McEvoy registered for the Main Event and went on to outlast 107 opponents and win the biggest game in town. McEvoy won $540,000 and a piece of poker immortality.
Since then McEvoy added two more WSOP bracelets to his resume ($1,000 Razz in 1986 and $1,500 Limit Omaha in 1992) in addition to cashing in numerous WSOP events. In 2005 he won the Bay 101 Shooting Stars of Poker in San Jose when it was still a part of the Professional Poker Tour, which has since collapsed.
McEvoy has always been opposed to smoking and in 1998 he helped organize the first tournament where smoking was not allowed. Since then most major poker tournaments have banned smoking at the tables.
McEvoy also authored or coauthored over a dozen books on poker and remains a pillar of knowledge on the game.
These days McEvoy lives in Las Vegas and is still active on the circuit and works as an ambassador for the game as a member of Team PokerStars Pro. McEvoy also blogs on occasion for PokerListings.com and you can read his articles by clicking here.
Berry Johnston (1986)
Berry Johnston is a poker veteran in nearly every way possible. His first WSOP bracelet came in 1983 (the same year McEvoy won the Main Event) and he added a bracelet of the Main Event variety in 1986.
Time has not slowed Johnston as his WSOP are spread over many years. He won his third WSOP bracelet in 1990 in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em, his fourth in the 1995 $1,500 Limit Omaha event and finally won his fifth bracelet in the 2001 $1,500 Razz event.
Johnston has gone onto accumulate a total of over 26 final tables in the WSOP and 52 money finishes. The record Johnston is most well-known for, however, is cashing in the Main Event a total of 10 times, which is more than any other player.
Away from the tables Johnston is known as a devoted family man who is a gentleman at all times.
In 2004 Johnston was inducted into the poker hall of fame where he joins some of the game's most colorful and successful players.
Johnston is still a regular on the poker tour and is also a pro with Full Tilt Poker. Johnston can be found on the site playing as "Berry Johnston."
Most recently Johnston went deep in the 2007 Main Event and managed to finish 113th for $58,570.
Johnny Chan (1987, 1988)
Johnny "The Orient Express" Chan is one of the most recognizable players in the poker industry and if his astounding accomplishments in the poker world weren't enough he also had a cameo in poker flick Rounders.
When it comes to the number of sheer bracelets accumulated there are three players that rise above the rest - Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan. Chan and Brunson both have 10 while Hellmuth pulled ahead with his eleventh bracelet in 2007.
Although Chan has been making money in the poker world for years it was the 1987, 1988 and 1989 WSOP Main Events that turn The Orient Express into a household name.
Incredibly Chan won both the '87 and '88 Main Events and if it wasn't for Hellmuth he would have won the '89 one as well. The fields are so large in the modern Main Event it's unlikely that anyone will ever win back-to-back titles, let alone three in a row.
Since his stunning back-to-back Main Event victories Chan has been immersed in the poker world. He continued to have success at the World Championship and returned to the final table in 1992 Main Event where he finished seventh.
After 1988 Chan would go on to win seven more bracelets, the most recent coming at the $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em in 2005. It was during that year that Chan became the first player to win 10 bracelets, although Brunson would quickly catch him in 2006 and Hellmuth would eclipse that record in 2007.
Chan is still very active on the poker circuit and is invited to poker TV shows like High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark and the NBC National Heads-up Poker Challenge on a regular basis. Chan has the unique distinction of having the most victories at Poker After Dark.
As of 2008 Chan's live tournament winnings exceed $6.5 million. He lives in Las Vegas, has six children and is a consultant for various casinos and game makers. In 2007 Chan launched his own online poker room at Chanpoker.com.
Chan was inducted into the poker hall of fame in 2002 and continues to be a force in the poker world.
***************
Stay with us next week as we bring you three more WSOP champions and take a closer look at what they've been up to since they won the big dance.
Related Articles:
- WSOP Champions: Where Are They Now, Part 3
- WSOP Champions: Where Are They Now, Part 2
- WSOP Champions: Where Are They Now, Part 1
Visit PokerListings.com
Hachem nearly gets in fight at EPT Grand Final
Former World Series of Poker main event champion Joe Hachem is nicknamed “Salty” for a reason, apparently. With 82 players left in the European Poker Tour’s Grand Final, Hachem nearly got into fisticuffs with a player named Woody Deck. At the time, players were two away ��...full article
Former World Series of Poker main event champion Joe Hachem is nicknamed “Salty” for a reason, apparently.
With 82 players left in the European Poker Tour’s Grand Final, Hachem nearly got into fisticuffs with a player named Woody Deck. At the time, players were two away from the money bubble.
Here’s what happened, according to pokerkingblog.com:
Joe Hachem was involved in a hand with Peter Traply. On a board of A-6-J-A-3, Hachem bet out 80,000 and Traply called, showing A-10. Hachem tapped the table, said “nice call”, and mucked his hand. This is where things got heated.
Woody Deck, who was not involved in the hand, asked if he could see Hachem’s cards. Hachem objected, saying that he didn’t have to show because the winning hand had already been shown. The dealer agreed, and mucked Hachem’s cards. Deck, according to Pokernews, then asked Hachem if he was trying to angle shoot, and said “Don’t be an asshole.”
A war of words ensued and things escalated. Play even stopped at other tables to watch the goings-on. But no punches were thrown and order was restored.
We’ll have results of the EPT when the event concludes.
WPT Ladies Championship down to final table
Leading the pack into the final table will be Vanessa Selbst. With $182,200 in chips, Selbst has a considerable lead over the pack, with her nearest competitor being Nancy Todd Tyner with $107,400 in chips.
Selbst built up her lead steadily through two days of play in the championship. She was the chip leader after Day 1 as the playing field made its way down to the top 10 players by the end of the day.
Some of the poker pro casualties in Day 1 included Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Tilly, Evelyn Ng, JJ Liu, Shirley Williams, Anjela Brunson, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, Lily Mizrachi, Sabyl Cohen and Maureen Feduniak.
In Day 2, Karina Jett, Erica Schoenberg, Jennifer Carson and Emeline Boich hit the bricks to leave the following ladies at the final table:
- Seat 1: Nancy Todd Tyner - $107,400
- Seat 2: Janice Kim - $32,900
- Seat 3: Cindy Kerslake - $16,400
- Seat 4: Vanessa Selbst - $182,200
- Seat 5: Donna Varlotto - $68,600
- Seat 6: Van Nguyen - $42,300
Selbst earned her spot in the WPT Ladies Championship by winning the WPT Ladies tournament at the Commerce Casino. She said during a WPT interview that she didn't consider anyone in particular a threat at the final table, but it was the most aggressive players who made the final table so it won't be an easy win.
#img: van-nguyen_17747.jpg: left: Nguyen makes another final table.#
Perhaps the most threatening of Selbst's opponents at the final table will be Van Nguyen. She built herself back up from being the short stack while 10-handed, and she already has a WPT win under her belt after taking down the Celebrity Invitational.
The final table will take place April 25, the day before the WPT World Championship final table, and be taped for future television broadcast.
The WPT World Championship will start Saturday at the Bellagio. Selbst confirmed she plans to buy into that event as well. Men "The Master" Nguyen is also hoping to duplicate his wife's success in the Ladies Championship with a win of his own in the World.
Stay tuned to PokerListings.com for live updates, reports and more in the Live Tournaments section when the event kicks off.
Related Articles:
Visit PokerListings.com
Stock prices tumble for Vegas casinos
Tuesday was a bad day for the major Las Vegas casinos, as many of their stock prices took big hits. The stock losses came a day after MGM Mirage said it was going to be laying off more than 400 workers. According to a story at majorwager.com, ��...full article
Tuesday was a bad day for the major Las Vegas casinos, as many of their stock prices took big hits.
The stock losses came a day after MGM Mirage said it was going to be laying off more than 400 workers.
According to a story at majorwager.com, printed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Shares of MGM Mirage, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, closed at $49.58, down $2.24, or 4.32 percent. MGM Mirage was trading at $100.50 in October. Other casino operators also fell in value during trading Tuesday.
Shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. fell $4.97 to close at $69.05 on the New York Stock Exchange, off 6.71 percent. In October, Las Vegas Sands hit a 52-week high of $148.76. Shares of Wynn Resorts Ltd., traded on the Nasdaq National Market, fell $2.63 to close at $98.06, down 2.61 percent. Wynn reached a high of $176.13 in October.
Revenues have been down in the last quarter across the Las Vegas Strip.
Benyamine and ICallSoWhat coin-flip for $169,000
But first, let's investigate the nature of Omaha and compare it with Texas Hold'em.
In Hold'em, two pair on the flop is usually a straightforward hand to play unless the board consists of three suited/consecutive cards. There aren't many situations where you can possibly lay it down. If your opponent has an unfortunate set, it's just bad luck.
In Omaha, on the other hand, two pair is one of the toughest hands to play. If the pot is raised, re-raised, and you push all-in on the flop, one of two following situations is likely to occur.
- Your opponent has a draw, and depending on the strength of it, you'll be somewhere between 10% ahead and a slight underdog.
- Your opponent has a set and you're a big underdog.
Consequently, you rarely want to push all-in on the flop with a bare two pair - at least when the stacks are deep and you know that your opponent wouldn't risk his stack with a speculative holding.
But in Omaha, you can have additional outs to your two pair, which makes the hand a lot more valuable. The closer to the nut draw your extra outs are, the better your hand becomes. And even if your opponent has a better draw, your hand might block a few of his outs, which improves the chance of the two pair holding up.
This is exactly what happened in a hand between ICallSoWhat and David Benyamine at Full Tilt yesterday.
On the flop, ICallSoWhat held top two plus a flush draw and David Benyamine had only king high, combined with a truckload of outs though. And since Benyamine had the better flush draw, he was actually ahead when the money went in.
Full Tilt Poker Game #6059198672 TABLE : Eginton (6 max) $200/$400 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - Wed Apr 16th 2008 - 3:26pm ET
Table Setup
Seat 2: ICallSoWhat ($84,396.50)
Seat 6: David Benyamine ($129,168)
David Benyamine posts the small blind of $200
ICallSoWhat posts the big blind of $400
The button is in seat #6
Preflop
David Benyamine raises to $1,200
ICallSoWhat calls $800
Flop #Ac-#3c-#Ts
ICallSoWhat checks
David Benyamine bets $1,200
ICallSoWhat raises to $4,800
David Benyamine raises to $16,800
ICallSoWhat raises to $52,800
David Benyamine raises to $127,968, and is all in
ICallSoWhat calls $30,396.50, and is all in
David Benyamine shows #Qd-#9c-#Kc-#Jd
ICallSoWhat shows #9d-#As-#Tc-#7c
Uncalled bet of $44,771.50 returned to David Benyamine
Turn #Ac-#3c-#Ts-#5h
River #Ac-#3c-#Ts-#5h-#3h
David Benyamine shows a pair of Threes
ICallSoWhat shows two pair, Aces and Tens
ICallSoWhat wins the pot ($168,792.50) with two pair, Aces and Tens
Summary
Total pot $168,793 | Rake $0.50
Board: #Ac-#3c-#Ts-#5h-#3h
Seat 2: ICallSoWhat (big blind) showed #9d-#As-#Tc-#7c and won ($168,792.50) with two pair, Aces and Tens
Seat 6: David Benyamine (small blind) showed #Qd-#9c-#Kc-#Jd and lost with a pair of Threes
For more big hands from this session, and more of the biggest pots won over the last day, week, month and year, jump to the MarketPulse section.
Visit PokerListings.com
UIGEA hearing opens criticism floodgates
The hearing was unique in that voices of parties with a direct interest in online gambling were joined by a chorus of protests from those who would become UIGEA's collateral damage.
Representatives from various industries who would be affected by the proposed regulations told Congress that implementation of UIGEA is impractical and intrusive, both for everyday citizens and for the institutions with whom they conduct business.
Wayne Abernathy, American Bankers Association vice president for financial institutions policy and regulatory affairs, summed up the situation when he described the government's proposed UIGEA regulations as "an unprecedented delegation of governmental responsibility with no prospect of practical success in exchange for the burden it imposes."
In a press release following the hearing, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative spokesman Jeffrey Sandman noted that "U.S. banks and credit card companies, along with every other type of U.S. company involved in payment systems, would be forced spend substantial resources to force compliance with a ban on Internet gambling that can be easily circumvented by anyone in the U.S. that wants to continue to gamble online."
A more philosophical underpinning to UIGEA protest was added by Edward Leyden of iMEGA, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association, in the opening of his testimony. He described the Internet as "an indispensable engine for economic prosperity and social justice," and proposed that "the inalienable rights that each of us holds under the Constitution to freedom of privacy, speech, expression, and conduct are not lessened in any way when we are using the Internet."
In a recent interview with PokerListings.com, Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas was enthusiastic about what the hearing had accomplished.
"It continued to expose the folly of UIGEA and why it's a completely unworkable statute," said Pappas. "This is not coming from the gaming community. This is the banks, the regulated community, saying 'We don't want to be the policemen for the federal government, nor do we believe the payment system is adequately set up for us to do that."
Stopping the burden in its tracks
More than a few of those who gave testimony during last week's congressional hearing suggested that rather than try to prohibit online gambling, a better solution to handling its potential problems would be to license and regulate the industry through a bill such as the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA) sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).
That sort of legislation, says Pappas, is at the very least 12 to 18 months away from becoming a reality.
"In full candor, I think it's going to be very difficult to pass a bill. We're going to try at every level to do something, but given presidential politics and congressional politics, it's going to be very difficult to move something through," said the PPA director. "Understand this is an election year not only for the presidency but for every member of Congress. Whether it's Internet gaming, immigration reform, or health care, I think we'll see very few bills of substance make their way through Congress this year."
Until then, the best poker players can hope for is to prevent UIGEA's regulations from becoming the law of the land. To that effect, Frank and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) introduced legislation to halt that burden until a more fitting solution can be found. Frank introduced the bipartisan bill, H.R. 5767, on April 10 on behalf of himself and his Republican co-sponsor.
By Congressional standards, the bill is short and sweet: in less than 130 words it renders the UIGEA toothless. Perhaps more importantly, it sets the stage for true public debate over the best way to handle online gaming in America - debate that was missing in 2006 when UIGEA was initially passed.
Changing the debate
While stopping UIGEA is an important step toward legal, regulated online poker in America, it's only the first of many that need to be taken. Concerned citizens who enjoy the game online can influence the debate by making their views known to their representatives in the government. Pappas noted that letter-writing campaigns such as those conducted by the PPA's members have been particularly effective in motivating members of Congress to overturn UIGEA.
"I had a meeting with Rep. Rob Andrews (D-New Jersey), and he said, 'I hear from people on three issues more than any other. I hear from them about immigration, I hear from them about the war in Iraq, and I hear from them about online poker.'"
Such communications between representatives and constituents are, in effect, the anti-UIGEA: conducted out in the open, rather than in the back rooms of Congress, and encouraging debate rather than stifling it.
"We've had three congressional hearings in less than a year. These things don't just happen out of nowhere because one day a member of Congress wakes up and decides it's a good idea to hold a congressional hearing," said Pappas. "It's because he's hearing from his constituents."
In addition to encouraging its members to continue communications with their representatives, PPA also plans to register more voters for this November's elections. With a focus on swing states and key congressional districts, the organization hopes to mobilize as many as 100,000 new voters to make Washington aware that poker players are a "vocal political force."
Whatever the final outcome for online gambling in the US, Pappas thinks that the tone of the debate has definitely shifted.
"People are beginning to recognize that whether I like gambling or don't like gambling, UIGEA is not the right approach," he said. "The right approach is to license and regulate it. I think that is a message that is beginning to resonate on both sides of the aisle."
"That'll be our winning message," he concludes. "It's not a message that you need to be for poker or against poker, it's a message that you need to be for good government."
Related Articles:
- Hearing Discusses UIGEA Problems
- House Subcommittee to Hold UIGEA Hearing
- Stakeholders Sound Off on UIGEA Regulations
- EU Investigates U.S. Online Gambling Restrictions
Visit PokerListings.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)