Leaders of the Window Rock tribe of the Navajo Nation announced Thursday that they were planning to build their first-ever casino in Church Rock, New Mexico. Construction is slated to start in April, with the casino hoping to open this fall. According to a story from the ��...full article
Leaders of the Window Rock tribe of the Navajo Nation announced Thursday that they were planning to build their first-ever casino in Church Rock, New Mexico.
Construction is slated to start in April, with the casino hoping to open this fall.
According to a story from the Phoenix Business Journal:
“It’s actually a great strategy for the Navajo Nation. To be able to finance your own development, and earn a higher return on that loan than on existing investment returns,” said Bob Winter, interim CEO of Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, in a released statement.
Tribal gaming is already big business in neighboring Arizona. Gross gaming revenue from Arizona’s Indian casinos in 2007 hit $1.94 billion, up 8.6 percent from 2006, according to Arizona Department of Gaming. Gross gaming revenue is the difference between gaming wins and losses, before deducting casino operating costs and expenses.
Hungarian wins European Challenge II
"I'm very happy. I was disappointed not to win last year but to win this time feels fantastic," Gelencser said.
"I was in a strong position going into the final table but couldn't help but think it would go the same way as last year. Thankfully, it didn't - I had such fantastic support from the rail and am glad I didn't let anybody down."
In 2007 Gelencser, from Hungary, entered the final table in the lead and looking like the obvious winner. Instead it was Branimir Brunovic, a trainee lawyer and online qualifier from Croatia, who took the title.
This year, Gelencser came to the final table in a weaker position and built his way to the top.
The final-table chip counts at the start of play were:
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count |
| 1 | Stefan Rapp | Austria | 292,000 |
| 2 | Josef Klinger | Austria | 117,500 |
| 3 | Dave Ulliott | United Kingdom | 293,500 |
| 4 | Sigfried Rath | Austria | 182,500 |
| 5 | Bernd Stadlbauer | Austria | 383,000 |
| 6 | Tamas Gombkoto | Hungary | 41,000 |
| 7 | Philipp Roch | Germany | 140,000 |
| 8 | Alex Leviev | Austria | 769,000 |
| 9 | Peter Gelencser | Hungary | 291,500 |
| 10 | Benjamin Mirsaidi | Germany | 83,500 |
Alex Leviev, with a dominant chip lead, looked the strongest coming into the final table. But fourth place was as far as he would go; Gelencser and Josef Klinger would eventually battle for the European Challenge II win.
"Peter looked like the obvious winner in 2007, so we are happy he finally converted a dominant stack into a title in 2008," said a PartyPoker spokesman. "There's little doubt that he is one to watch and we expect him to be even more successful in years to come."
PartyPoker also pointed out that Vienna must be lucky for the 20-year-old trainee journalist. Between his third-place finish at the European Challenge in 2007 and his win this year, the only other victory he has is a €500 event in the same city.
"Vienna is a good place for me," Gelencser said. "Poker isn't that big in Hungary yet, but we have some excellent players coming through."
The final-table results were:
| Place | Name | Prize |
| 1st | Peter Gelencser | €165,520 |
| 2nd | Josef Klinger | €85,000 |
| 3rd | Siegfried Rath | €50,000 |
| 4th | Alex Leviev | €37,000 |
| 5th | Stefan Rapp | €30,000 |
| 6th | Bernd Stadlbauer | €25,000 |
| 7th | Tamas Gombkoto | €20,000 |
| 8th | Dave Ulliott | €15,000 |
| 9th | Philipp Roch | €10,000 |
| 10th | Benjamin Mirsaidi | €8,000 |
The event is expected to be broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV4 in late summer or early autumn 2008, and then the recording will be distributed worldwide.
Coverage of the event will also be available in HD. The commentary will be provided by Mike Carlson, Mad Marty Wilson and Ciaran O'Leary.
Related Articles:
- Team West Triumphs in PartyPoker Event
- East Vs. West: Round Two in Vienna
- PartyPoker Opens European Challenge Qualifiers
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Hellmuth to host charity poker tournament after Kentucky Derby
If gambling at the Kentucky Derby isn’t enough for people at the biggest event in horse racing, there will be even more action after the Run for the Roses. Phil Hellmuth and Robert Williamson III will host the Kentucky Derby Poker Championship at Caesars Indiana following ��...full article
If gambling at the Kentucky Derby isn’t enough for people at the biggest event in horse racing, there will be even more action after the Run for the Roses.
Phil Hellmuth and Robert Williamson III will host the Kentucky Derby Poker Championship at Caesars Indiana following the Derby on May 3.
The International Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre and the Health and Climate Foundation will be the primary recipients.
According to bluffmagazine.com:
The tournament is a $2,500 buy-in event which is scheduled to begin at 8:30 following a Red Carpet reception at 7:00 PM. The tournament will have rebuy’s through the first hour and an add-on at the end of the rebuy period.
“I’m really excited to be co-hosting this event with Robert Williamson III and to be supporting such an important cause. The climate is changing and the poor will be the hardest hit. Anything we can to do raise awareness of this issue and help save lives is important”, commented Phil Hellmuth, who will not only be playing in the event but he will emcee it as well.
http://www.bluffmagazine.com/poker-news/Poker%2DSuperstars%2Dto%2DHost%2DKentucky%2DDerby%2DPoker%2DChampionship-1255.htm
For more information, you can visit www.KentuckyDerbyPokerChampionship.org.
Playboy Mansion a hotbed for charity poker
Hugh Hefner and his Girls Next Door are set to open the Mansion grounds up for the tournament Saturday, May 18, with the event running from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.
General admission for the night is $500, complete with access to hors d'oeuvres, an open bar, casino night table games and the "infamous Grotto." (The tournament Web site suggests you bring your own swimwear.) There will also be a silent auction on the grounds throughout the night.
For those who want to have a little poker with their Playboy Mansion experience, a seat in the tournament will cost $1,500. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Urban Health Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization "founded to provide direct care, medicine and medical equipment in response to natural and man-made disasters."
Early registration is available until March 31. To register, or to get more information about the Celebrity Poker Tournament, contact Yvette McNally at yvette_mcnally@sbcglobal.net or visit the event Web site.
As has been the case in the past, first prize for the tournament is a $10,000 seat in the WSOP Main Event. Second prize this year is a Bermuda vacation for two with travel and four-star hotel accommodation, while third prize is a set of Giovanna Wheels and a Koko Kuture Bezel System.
The past two years have both seen celebrity poker players crowned champion at the charity event. Long before his involvement with Ante Up For Africa at the WSOP, actor Don Cheadle won the UHI Playboy Mansion tournament in 2006.
Last year it was actress and 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship semifinalist Shannon Elizabeth who took down the title while helping UHI raise money for its charity programs.
Confirmed to attend so far are Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Pam Brunson, and Hoyt Corkins. If the past two years are any indication, the list of confirmations will blossom as the event grows nearer.
According to the UHI Web site,"the organization enlists pro-bono participation from local health care professionals to provide public health education and information about the availability of health-related and specialty care resources within disadvantaged communities around the globe."
Some of UHI's past activities have included administering medical relief to victims of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, tending to New Orleans residents evacuated from their homes to the Astrodome in Houston, participating in local health fairs and sponsoring youth sports programs, and providing medical exams, medications, and supplies to communities in Nigeria and Belize.
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Massachusetts casino bill dead for now
Massachusetts won’t have any casinos — or an online gambling and poker ban — any time soon. Governor Deval Patrick’s bill that would have licenses three casinos in the commonwealth and would have made online wagering illegal has been sent to a study committee by a ��...full article
Massachusetts won’t have any casinos — or an online gambling and poker ban — any time soon.
Governor Deval Patrick’s bill that would have licenses three casinos in the commonwealth and would have made online wagering illegal has been sent to a study committee by a 106-48 by the House of Representatives. That means the bill can’t come back up for debate or a vote for at least another year.
(more…)
Charity poker event at UNC canceled because of legal issues
A charity poker tournament that was supposed to be played at the University of North Carolina was canceled because of worries that the event might be illegal. The event, called Hold’em for Hunger 2008, was supposed to take place on April 20 on the campus at ��...full article
A charity poker tournament that was supposed to be played at the University of North Carolina was canceled because of worries that the event might be illegal.
The event, called Hold’em for Hunger 2008, was supposed to take place on April 20 on the campus at UNC. The event had been played in each of the past three years and raised thousands of dollars — this year’s tournament expected to raise $25,000 for the UNC chapter of Nourish International.
According to cardplayer.com:
Graham Boone, the tournament director, Nourish International member, and UNC junior, said administrators expressed regret when they called to cancel the tournament, but had to follow the advice of their own attorneys who determined that the event would have been illegal in North Carolina. Gambling, poker included, is considered a Class 2 misdemeanor by North Carolina. “The University supports what these kids are doing 100 percent, but, at the same time, we can’t sponsor stuff that our attorneys deem illegal,” said Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. Crisp’s office was forced to act after receiving several e-mails questioning the legality of the event.
In the fall, the university has received legal advice from an attorney that the tournament was indeed legal.
The Nourish International chapter had raised $13,000 in prize donations. But the group that was supposed to put on the tournament is now short $11,000 for projects it hoped to complete this year.
Former World Series of Poker champion Greg Raymer is helping the cause by signing the 40 500-piece chip cases that were purchased for the event for this and future years. The sets will be auctioned on eBay.
Brunson vs. Antonius match in the works
In a recent magazine interview, Patrik Antonius issued a challenge to poker legend Doyle Brunson to play a heads-up match against each other. It appears Brunson is amenable.
In his blog Tuesday, Antonius said it seems like Brunson has accepted the challenge, and now his agent is working to get the match televised.
"I will try and talk to Doyle and iron out the details. No matter who wins, it will be an amazing experience playing Doyle, one of the great legends of all time, heads up for over a million dollars," Antonius wrote. "I am getting excited just thinking about it."
Brunson, who has his own online poker site at DoylesRoom.com, also brought up the challenge in his latest blog entry.
"It is amazing how things can be taken out of context," Brunson says in the blog. "I saw in Cardplayer Magazine where Patrik Antonius said that someone told him Doyle Brunson said he would swim a river to play Patrik. I don't remember exactly. I could have said I would swim a river to play the Internet stars in a real cash game. I certainly never used Patrik's name but he made a challenge to play me any game for any amount."
Brunson doesn't normally bite on heads-up challenges because even though he thinks he can play two-handed very well, it doesn't make sense when "you can get softer players in a full game."
#img:patrik-antonius_13548.jpg: left: Patrik Antonius#
Brunson said he also wouldn't have singled out Antonius to play heads-up on his own because he's a tough player. Antonius is one of the Internet pros who Brunson says would have thrived in the old days because he has the style, love of poker, instinct and game mentality it takes to compete in high-stakes games.
"I really like Patrik and I think he is a great player, but he cast the gauntlet and I'm prepared to do battle. So, I accept his challenge," Brunson says in his DoylesRoom.com blog.
However, Antonius may not know what he got himself into by saying he'll play Brunson any game for any amount.
"Ive got seven to ten different games, all of which I've played in Las Vegas casinos for high stakes, that I'm willing to commit to for at least a seven-figure match," Brunson writes. "There will be no animosity between us; we are both pros who love a good gamble. It will be interesting if he accepts, and I'm sure we will both have a great time playing."
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Shannon Elizabeth Report: Week 1
Dancing with the Stars made its season debut Monday night with the six male celebrities taking to the dance floor first and the women watching and waiting for their turn on Tuesday.
Though the first night was all "Muscle Monday" with the men, that doesn't mean Shannon Elizabeth didn't make her presence known. During a little quick question-and-answer session with the ladies, it was revealed that, in ((true poker))-player fashion, Elizabeth was making bets with some of the male dance partners about what the male celebrities' scores would be.
By her own admission, she was winning the bets. Hopefully she'll be just as talented at figuring out the dances themselves and not just the scores. She got her opportunity to show what she can do as the first woman to perform on Tuesday.
Usually being the first to perform puts a performer at an automatic disadvantage. Even if you do well, there's still the possibility that the judges are going to want to give a more moderate score to leave room for better or worse performers after you.
In this case, the judges may have been a bit generous for Elizabeth's first performance. She performed the cha-cha, and probably the best thing going for her in the dance was that she had rhythm and knew how to work the sex-appeal angle.
There were some issues with her footwork and while her long legs and arms should eventually be an advantage (especially if she continues to wear micro-minis whenever possible), on her first night out they appeared to be flailing about at times, as if she didn't have complete control of them.
As one judge put it, if she's going to wear something that makes her legs the center of attention, she's going to need to work on making them very straight and ensuring that they look right.
Overall, Elizabeth had a decent first dance on the show and it's to be hoped she'll demonstrate more practice, a little refinement and more ease on the dance floor in her next appearance. As it was, at times she looked like she was really concentrating on the moves rather than enjoying the dance.
Her panic over her mistakes once the dance was over could also make her more endearing to viewers, perhaps getting them to vote for her. She may need any help she can get in that area since her main fan base is the young males who salivated over her in American Pie, and those aren't exactly the type of viewers Dancing with the Stars gets.
#img:shannon-elizabeth_7579.jpg: left: More at ease at the poker table than the dance floor.#
The judges gave her a little boost as well, with all three awarding her seven out of 10 points for a total score of 21 out of 30. Perhaps that's because even with her mistakes and obvious flaws on the dance floor, she was still miles above most of the male competitors who performed on Monday.
The best of the men on Monday turned out to be R&B singer Mario who lit up the dance floor with his cha-cha. It was obvious he was having fun on the dance floor, and his music background certainly helped him as he scored a 24 from the judges.
Scoring just one point better than Elizabeth from the male group was football player Jason Taylor, who was surprisingly fluid and well coordinated in his fox-trot. The only thing he was lacking was some personality on the dance floor, as he too looked like he was concentrating on the steps rather than performing.
Actor Cristian de la Fuente came in third for the men, scoring a 21 to match Elizabeth's. Comparing the two performances, however, de la Fuente's score should have been lower than Elizabeth's.
He didn't live up to his hot Latin reputation with his cha-cha, whereas Elizabeth capitalized on the sexiness of the dance.
The remaining men were definitely a big step behind their own group and Elizabeth's performance. Comedic magician Penn Jillette's dance was more an impression of bigfoot doing the cha-cha, as he stomped his way around the floor. However, he has a personality that shines on the dance floor and that earned him a 16 from the judges.
Steve Guttenberg did mildly better, getting an 18 for his fox-trot. In comparison to the past "mature" men to grace the Dancing with the Stars stage, he did very well, and he is very charming and obviously excited to be a part of the show.
Bringing up the rear for the men, radio host Adam Carolla garnered a 15 for his fox-trot. The judges could have been a bit more generous and at least put him above the bigfoot cha-cha, but perhaps they found stomping more appealing than karate chop arms and a dancer who looks like he's afraid to even look at his partner because she's half his age.
Elizabeth's biggest competition will probably come from her fellow female group of celebrities. Things were looking good for her after Monica Seles and Marissa Jaret Winokur performed after her.
Seles' fox-trot was stiff and mechanical, but still deserved better than the 15 she received to rank her at the bottom of the pack with Carolla.
Winokur didn't fare a whole lot better with her cha-cha. Her overexuberance may have messed her up a few times, and there was a point when it wasn't even clear they were still doing the cha-cha. Her enthusiasm and potential did net her an 18 from the judges, though.
The competition got a lot harder for Elizabeth as the final three women took to the stage. The biggest surprise of the evening was Priscilla Presley's fox-trot. The "mature" female celebrities in the past (think Jane Seymour or Marie Osmond) have come across as stiff and had more difficulty with the dances.
Presley took to the stage and performed a beautiful, traditional fox-trot with grace and style. After some small nitpicking from the judges, they each gave her an eight for a total of 24 points. That puts her right in line with the top male dancer, Mario.
Most people might have found it hard to follow a great performance by Presley, but Kristi Yamaguchi took to the stage next with the confidence of an Olympic champion. If she feels the pressure of being expected to do well, it didn't show on the dance floor.
In the words of one of the judges, her performance was "absolutely wicked." She set the bar high as the woman to beat as she danced a nearly flawless fox-trot and scored a 27 from the judges.
Marlee Matlin wrapped up the show for the night, taking on the cha-cha. As it turns out, even a deaf woman can dance better than most of the male celebrities, and she scored better than Elizabeth.
There were times it was obvious she was watching her partner for cues, but Matlin stayed on time with the music and performed a solid cha-cha to earn a 22 from the judges.
All the celebrities will get another opportunity to dance Monday, and then Tuesday will see the first eliminations of the competition as one male and one female each get the boot.
After her first dance, Elizabeth is right smack in the middle of the dancing pack, which should keep her safe from elimination. Stay tuned for the next installment next Wednesday to see if Elizabeth lives to dance another day after Week 2.
Related Article: Shannon Elizabeth Makes Dancing Debut
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World Series of Golf 2008
For almost as long as people have been playing golf, people have been betting on it. Golf had the image of a somewhat seedy gamblers game until a few bright minds put together the PGA. After a couple seasons of the PGA, golf was no longer considered seedy, or even a means to gamble to most. It was a professional sport, a skill game.
Poker is on the same route as golf. Poker was a seedy game, for seedy people to be played in the back rooms of seedy pubs. In the last decade, the game has grown into itself, and has come a considerably long way along the road to being accepted along with professional sports.
The Word Series of Golf is an annual golf tournament held in Las Vegas Nevada. Like the World Series of Poker, the entrance fee for this event sets each player back $10,000. Each player is given a set amount of chips for their buy-in, and is paired up with a player of similar skill for their first round on their way to the $250,000 first prize.
Unlike the standard forms of golf, where winning the round is 100% dependant on your skill with a club, The WSG allows for players to use poker strategy on the course.
Each pair of players tee off on a hole as per normal. After the tee off, the players are now able to check, bet, raise, call or fold on winning the hole. Same as poker, once you fold or lose the hole the opponent wins all the chips in the pot.
Once you lose all your chips, you're out of the tourney. Unlike in real golf where you can always make up strokes on later holes, there is no way to get back your chips once you go bust. What was a simple putt on the practice green can becomes a battle with nerves once your opponent puts all their chips across the line.
A few of the poker players to enter in last year's WSG include: Phil Ivey, Phil Gordon and Rhett Butler. With the interest other poker players have shown for the event on high stakes poker tables, this year should have the largest count of professional poker players in attendance.
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