BLOG – Is Phil Hellmuth adjusting to the modern poker game at last?
Man freed after EPT Berlin questioning
Dwan extends lead further in durrrr challenge
Urindanger profits from huge PLO action
PokerStars Sunday Million awards $271,000
Paul Pham wins Black Belt Poker London Live
Win a trip to Las Vegas with PKR.com
British Masters Poker Tour to return for a second season.
Poker Players Alliance Focusing Efforts on State Level
To open the 2010 calendar year, officials from the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) have largely focused their energies on the state level, including Florida, California, Alaska, and Delaware.
With momentum on Capitol Hill largely riding on the shoulders of Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), the Chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, the PPA has gradually turned towards the movement to legalize and regulate online poker at the state level. In Florida, calls for legalized intrastate online poker have been building, leading PPA Executive Director John Pappas to testify in front of the Florida Senate Regulated Industries Committee in February.
Despite the seemingly positive introduction of intrastate internet gambling legislation, the PPA has been cautious about throwing its full weight behind any bill. In an update to PPA members sent recently, the organization explained its skepticism: “Florida is contemplating a single-source provider of online poker, i.e. one poker website. PPA is concerned that the lack of competition and consumer choice could also negatively impact the player experience.”
Pappas told Poker News Daily that building an online poker site from the ground up is far from an easy endeavor: “The idea that they’ll be able to maintain liquidity is a bit of a fallacy, particularly if it’s going to be limited to one operator. Players will be bored with one site and they currently like the ability to play on multiple sites. My pitch has been to look at what’s going on at the federal level.” On Capitol Hill, Frank’s HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, allows multiple internet gambling sites to solicit U.S. customers.
In Delaware and Pennsylvania, legislation has been passed in 2010 introducing and expanding table games, including poker. As you might expect, the PPA has been wholly enthusiastic about both developments, commenting, “The PPA welcomes this as a first step in advancing opportunities for poker players to play games of skill such as Texas Hold’em in a licensed and regulated atmosphere.” Table games will likely debut in the middle of 2010 and according to the Allentown Morning Call newspaper, the Sands Corporation has set a target rollout date of July 1st.
In Alaska, a unique battle is brewing as to whether charity poker tournaments are permitted under state law. PPA Alaska State Director Rich Markgraf has reportedly sent a letter to government officials seeking clarification of the legality of charity events. The PPA dubbed the Alaskan stance against charity tournaments a “misguided notion.”
In early February, Pappas testified in front of the California Senate Governmental Organization Committee arguing for increased competition in any proposal legalizing intrastate online poker. Pappas explained to Poker News Daily, “We believe in a competitive marketplace, one that favors everyone who wants to get into the marketplace.” However, increased momentum at the state level for legalized internet gambling could pay dividends on a national level. 2010 is an election year, leading many in the industry to question whether legalizing internet gambling will even be addressed.
In its monthly update, the PPA was quick to point out that online poker players helped raise more than $1.5 million for victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th. Major online poker sites matched player donations dollar-for-dollar, resulting in a $1.5 million haul for charity. PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato applauded the efforts of many in the community in the organization’s mailer: "Like the rest of the world, the poker community is eager to do anything it can to aid Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake. I applaud PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Cake Poker for providing poker players across the globe an easy way to make a contribution."
Visit the official website of the PPA to keep up-to-date on its latest endeavors.
V Foundation Charity Poker Tournament Set for March 24th at Grand Sierra
On March 24th, the Grand Sierra Resort Casino in Reno will host a $220 buy-in charity poker tournament benefiting the V Foundation. The event will be televised on ESPN2 and kicks off at 7:00pm local time.
A bevy of poker players are slated to appear in the name of charity, including Victory Poker front man Antonio Esfandiari, UB.com pro Adam “Roothlus” Levy, two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Jeff Madsen, poker instructor Alex Outhred, Alec “traheho” Torelli, former “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle, Erick Lindgren’s significant other Erica Schoenberg, 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year Sara Underwood, actor Mekhi Pfifer, embattled baseball great Jose Canseco, Absolute Poker’s Trishelle Cannatella, and Liv Boeree.
Outhred, one of the event’s promoters, told Poker News Daily, “Half of the prize pool will go to the V Foundation. On site, we’ll be selling raffle tickets for two spots for the race.” The tournament will have $100 rebuys and “the race” in question will be on skis at Mount Rose. Racers will run two at a time and among those likely to take part is recent World Poker Tour (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star winner Mclean Karr. Flanking him will be many of the aforementioned poker pros along with Maria Ho, Phil Laak, Ali Prescott, UB.com’s Matt “mattg1983” Graham, and “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok.
On Friday, Outhred proudly announced to cyberspace that Canseco had joined the ski lineup, Tweeting, “Ok folks. Our 14th ski race slot has just been filled by... Jose Canseco. Yes, Jose Canseco on skis. Now it's a race.” The race part of the event is dubbed “Take it Downhill,” a pun on the popular poker term, and Outhred explained the harmony between poker and skiing: “We’re trying to combine the two. A lot of poker folks like to ski and snowboard.” The race takes place one day after the charity poker tournament and a barbeque with flowing beer will follow it.
Because of the star-studded cast of celebrities and poker players as well as the involvement of the V Foundation, ESPN2 has allotted a 30-minute window for the event to be beamed into millions of households around the United States. Outhred explained, “The V Foundation would love to get involved in the poker world. There are already a number of different foundations and charity tournaments. We’ve gotten the thumbs up from ESPN for a 30-minute time slot on ESPN2. We just need to hand deliver them a fully produced show.”
Prizes for the V Foundation charity poker tournament include cash payouts, seats in upcoming events, and lessons from poker pros. A cocktail party will kick off the festivities at 5:30pm and, an hour and a half later, the poker tournament will begin. The entire gala marks the first tournament for Check-Raise Events, which is looking to make a splash in the poker world. The winner of the charity poker tournament will have a cancer grant created in their name.
The V Foundation supports cancer research and is named in honor of Jim Valvano, who won the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament in 1983 with North Carolina State. The Foundation receives a considerable amount of support from ESPN and holds several high-profile fundraisers including an annual golf outing and a college basketball tournament dubbed the Jimmy V Classic. Tickets for the ski portion of the event will be available at Mount Rose.
Outhred is a pro at Deepstacks University along with major poker names like Mike Matusow, T.J. Cloutier, Michael Binger, Tom McEvoy, and Jon “pokertrip” Friedberg. The 14 members of Team Deepstacks have more than $30 million in live and online poker winnings. Learn more about the V Foundation Charity Poker Tournament.
Annie Duke Appears on Tonight’s Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show
On Sunday night at 5:00pm PT, UB.com poker pro and recent National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Annie Duke will join Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show for a 90-minute in-depth interview. Poker News Daily will sponsor the segment, which will be archived on the Chat Show’s website following its airing.
For Duke, the last six months have been a whirlwind. After taking five months off to spend more time with her children, Duke retuned to the poker scene with a vengeance. The decorated female poker pro finished 19th in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) L.A. Poker Classic for $45,000, her first in the money finish in a WPT event since late 2008. Then, Duke bested a tremendously talented field in the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, including a win over longtime friend Erik Seidel in the finals.
Duke told Poker News Daily how she wound up being a guest on Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show: “I know Kevin and he uses Twitter a lot. People on Twitter were suggesting me for a show. On New Years Eve, [my boyfriend] Joe and I went out for a nice dinner and Kevin Pollak was at the same restaurant. He was with another friend of ours and we agreed to set a date for my show then.” With March 14th having been circled on the calendar for months now, Duke is looking forward to her lengthy chat on the internet-based show.
For Pollak, Sunday began with a plane ride home and, like many people, the Chat Show’s host was feeling the ill effects of forwarding his clocks one hour for Daylight Savings Time. Pollak Tweeted early Sunday morning, “Hey, Daylight Savings Jerk! Thanks for taking that hour of sleep! I had to get up at the crack of my ass to fly home today & it sucked!”
Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show involves parodying the longtime CNN franchise “Larry King Live” by having each guest perform a King impression live on the air. Past guests who have undergone the ritual include “Full House” star Dave Coulier, musician Lisa Loeb, and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane.
Duke told Poker News Daily what she’s expecting when her interview kicks off today at 5:00pm PT: “I’ll imagine I’ll have to do a Larry King impression. I was at a party for ‘American Idol’ and Samm Levine told me to practice a Larry King impression. I’ll think I’ll throw out the city Moosetick, Wisconsin.” On what topics Pollak might like to highlight, Duke admitted, “I always go into those things letting the conversation go where it goes. I like watching where a conversation goes. I don’t want to listen to something that’s prepared.”
In a previous interview with Poker News Daily, Pollak noted that discussion topics could include Duke’s relationship with her brother, Full Tilt Poker front man Howard Lederer; how she decided to become a professional poker player; her take on the games of others, and how poker has changed with the presence of television cameras. The modern poker boom began after an aptly-named Tennessee accountant named Chris Moneymaker defeated decorated veteran Sammy Farha in the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
Because of the length of interviews on Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show, a considerable amount of ground can be covered. Listeners can rest assured that there will be plenty to discuss, as Duke’s extracurricular activities outside of poker include a runner-up showing to comedian Joan Rivers in NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” an appearance in the mob on the NBC poker game show “1 vs 100,” and narrowly missing out on a $250,000 top prize on Jeff Foxworthy’s “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?”
Duke won the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions, taking home a $2 million payday after defeating fellow UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth heads-up. Lederer finished third in the winner-take-all event six years ago.
Poker News Daily will be sponsoring Duke’s appearance on Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show. Stay tuned for a full recap.
UB.com Launches Second Sundays Charity Poker Tournaments
Annie Duke and UB.com are once again looking to give back to those in need. The online poker site, with the help of the always benevolent Duke, is introducing Second Sundays, a new series of events benefiting charities. The series will kick off on Sunday, March 14th and run on the second Sunday of each month. Participants will have a chance to compete for cash prizes, entries to UB.com events, UB.com gear, and Rockwell Time and Monster JAMZ products, while making a contribution to a charitable organization.
Said Duke, who recently won the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, “We’re struggling with a difficult economy. Charitable organizations have recently experienced a drastic decline in donations. Most people, though sympathetic to charitable causes, have simply cut back.”
The lineup of UB.com beneficiaries this spring includes the San Antonio Aids Foundation, Road 2 Recovery, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, and the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The Second Sundays inaugural $10 buy-in event begins at 13:00 ET on March 14th with proceeds to be donated directly to the San Antonio Aids Foundation, which is committed to providing medical care and social services to those with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The Foundation aims to help prevent the spread of HIV through education, counseling, and testing.
Each month, Second Sundays will bring to light various charities, raise awareness around their causes, and provide UB.com members, participants, and interested readers with information and testimonials by those affected. Results and recaps will be posted regularly on UB.com.
For those who participate in the promotional event, but don't finish in the money, UB.com will hold a freeroll the following day for a chance at another $1,025 in tournament entries. Anyone who finishes in the top five spots in the freeroll will be awarded a seat in the following Sunday's $200,000 Guaranteed Tournament on UB.com.
Duke, who is notably recognized as one of the most charitable members of the poker community, is excited about the opportunity to give with the help of players at UB.com. “This is not about individuals each making large donations. It’s about a large number of people collectively donating small amounts of money in order to make a difference.
“UB is a global community. Its members have been very generous and supportive of charitable efforts in the past. This grassroots movement could mobilize more people to join our community in order to effectively make a difference.”
Duke's growing list of charitable foundations includes the ENOUGH Project, the Women's Sports Foundation, Head to Hollywood, and Ante Up for Africa. For more information on Second Sundays, visit UB.com.
The Weekly Turbo: UB Cancels Aruba Poker Classic, Maxim’s Hottest Poker Girls, and More
Get $50 Free at PartyPoker - Win Your Way to the WPT Grand Prix de Paris
Poker News in Brief: March 8-14, 2010
Phil Hellmuth made his fourth WPT final table at the 2010 Bay 101 Shooting Star with a chance to win his first WPT title.
You can read more about the stunning conclusion of Bay 101 in our news section.
It wasn't all Hellmuth during the week, however, and as usual, PokerListings compiled some of the lesser-known poker stories in our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature.
This week we'll take a look at UB sponsoring a major Canadian tournament, PokerStars hosting the world's largest poker game and the upcoming Wynn Poker Classic main event.
UB Poker to Sponsor Poker Pro Canada Classic
UB Poker said no to the Caribbean and yes to Canada this week.
The online poker site cancelled its signature tournament in Aruba, but announced it is becoming one of the key sponsors of the Four Aces Poker Pro Canada Classic in Montreal.
Taking place April 15-18, the $1,650 buy-in tournament will now feature UB Poker pros Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke.
UB will be sending over 50 players from its site to the tournament in satellites that start at just $11.
To learn more or qualify for the tournament check out the UB site here.
Wynn Classic Main Event Kicks Off Tomorrow
The Wynn Classic poker series, which began Feb. 25, is scheduled to culminate with the $5,000 main event this Monday at noon PT.
The series has already seen a couple of notable pros take down side events including Justin Young winning the $500 H.O.R.S.E. event and Chris Bjorn taking down the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event.
Scott Clements and Bryan Devonshire also finished runner-up in two events.
Now in its fourth year of existence the Wynn Classic has crowned Chris Moore, Zachary Hyman and Keith Ferrara as champions in previous years.
This year's Main Event will run three days with the final table playing out on Wednesday.
$1 million in Prizes as Gladiator Continues
The Gladiator promotion on PartyPoker is off to a hot start and organizers are estimating players could potentially earn over $1 million by taking part.
"The Gladiator is off to a mightily powerful start and we forecast over $1 million in prizes based on the first week's activity," said a PartyPoker spokesman.
"It still isn't too late to get involved though - there is still plenty of time to win some great cash rewards. If a customer earns 2,000 points a day for the remaining 20 days of the promotion they will pick up a cool $5,000."
The Gladiator runs from March 3 to April 1 on PartyPoker and any player that earns a minimum of 10 PartyPoints each day will gain entry into $10,000 freeroll.
To learn more about the Gladiator promo visit the PartyPoker website.
PokerStars Hosts World's Biggest Poker Game
PokerStars held one of the more unusual events related to poker this week.
The online poker room hosted what site representatives are calling, "The world's largest poker game."
The title doesn't refer to number of players or the prizepool - it refers to the size of the chips and cards being played with.
The event featured English rugby stars James Haskell, Ben Foden and Delon Armitage pushing massive shoulder-high chips around a field.
PokerStars is the official gaming and casino partner of the English Rugby team and the entire event was filmed as a promo for the site.
You can check out the clip here.
International Poker Network Upgrades Software
The International Poker Network, which includes poker room's bwin, BetClic and Paradise Poker, released an improved poker client this week.
The software update allows players to pick their own seats and the ability to use the same wallet for poker and casino.
"Being able to choose your own seat at the table may seem like a small thing to some," said Wendy Lawrence of GTECH G2, the software provider for IPN, "But we design everything from the player's perspective, so when players told us this is a feature they'd like to see, we built it in.
IPN recently celebrated its three millionth member and its two billionth hand. The network also awarded a €601,370 bad beat jackpot last fall.
Visit PokerListings.com
Joe Cada Signs with Apparel Company Shodown Couture
In our industry, sponsorship opportunities outside of the poker landscape are difficult to come by. While players such as Vanessa Rousso have been able to land lucrative deals outside of the poker spectrum, those opportunities seem to be few and far between.
It was announced on Friday that World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Joe Cada, who defeated Darvin Moon in November to become the youngest Main Event champion ever, would be sponsored by Shodown Couture, a clothing company that features apparel themed around the poker lifestyle.
“The signing is a perfect match with Shodown’s brand image and philosophy. Joe’s style is aggressive, but he is respectful while playing. He intimidates at the tables,” said Philip Lake, President and Founder of Shodown Couture. “He is the face of poker and is extremely talented. He represents what Shodown is about: quality play, bad ass style, and respect for the game.” The first event that Cada will appear at wearing Shodown Couture apparel will be the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) stop in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun in April. Soon after, Cada will have his own self-inspired line of clothing with the company.
“I’m pumped to be a part of the Shodown Pro Team and really looking forward to helping design my signature series,” Cada stated during the announcement. “The guys at Shodown not only understand fashion that appeals to poker players like me, but they are also poker players themselves and grind as hard as we do.” Cada’s agent, Dan Frank of Top Set Management, echoed Cada’s sentiments and said it was difficult to find sponsorship deals that went in line with Cada’s persona. “Shodown struck a chord with us, as they are the underdog, just like we are. Their work ethic echoed our own and we appreciate that,” Frank stated.
Cada becomes a member of a formidable stable of players being sponsored by Shodown Couture. Cada joins two other players on the Shodown Pro Team who are quite successful in their own right. 2006 WSOP Main Event runner-up and 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Paul Wasicka is one of Cada’s teammates. Also flanking Cada is the youngest player ever to win on the European Poker Tour (EPT), top online and live player Mike “Timex” McDonald. Both were excited to team up with Cada and look forward to assaulting the tables not only through their play, but also through their clothing styles.
“I’m ecstatic that Joe Cada has joined the Shodown Pro Team,” Wasicka enthusiastically commented. “He represents the brand ideals perfectly and I can’t wait to see what designs come out of this.” McDonald agreed with Wasicka and was quite pleased with the addition of Cada to the squad: “I love being a part of the Shodown Pro Team. I’ve been waiting to see who we were adding to the team and needless to say, I am pleased.”
The Shodown Couture line features shirts that are made from bamboo fibers, which makes them a perfect choice of clothing for players who have to deal with extreme temperature changes that can be found in poker rooms. The line offers unique designs that not only feature a poker theme, but also are aggressive, eye-catching, and fashionable. Shirts from Shodown Couture start at $49.99 and are currently available online only, but plans are in place for Shodown Couture’s apparel to move into retail outlets by mid-2010.
Suspect Arrested, Released in EPT Berlin Poker Robbery
According to the Associated Press, a man held in custody related to the armed robbery of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin event last Saturday has been released due to a lack of evidence. The Associated Press sources an unidentified Berlin Police spokeswoman.
The news outlet added that $328,000 was stolen from the Grand Hyatt Hotel in the German city. The Associated Press story detailed the suspect’s stay in custody before ultimately being set free: “The suspect, who was detained late Friday, denied throughout several hours in questioning having taken part in the heist at the Grand Hyatt hotel in the capital.” A total of four robbers stormed the EPT Berlin tournament registration area exactly one week ago in a mid-afternoon heist. No one was injured and the assailants did not enter the tournament area.
According to MSNBC and the Berliner Morgenpost, the man arrested may have been involved in a separate Berlin casino robbery six years ago: “The [Berliner Morgenpost], citing security officials, said a man was arrested late Friday in Berlin and that he was believed to have also been involved in a Berlin casino raid in 2004.” Bluff Magazine added that the suspect was purportedly of Arabic origin. The entire raid was caught on tape by dozens of security cameras as well as the personal cell phones of tournament participants and staff. Also running at the time was EPTLive.
Being debated is who was responsible for the decision for tournament security guards to be unarmed. PokerStars officials told a German news outlet on March 8th, "EPT events are run by local organizers. In the case of the EPT Berlin event, it was the Spielbank Berlin. Hence, they are responsible for the security team." The EPT Berlin marked the roving tournament series’ first trip to the German metropolis. A total of 1,000 players turned out for the Main Event of EPT Berlin.
On the horizon in the United States is the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), a multi-million tournament series that will play out at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Last time out, the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event drew 6,494 players for a total purse of $61 million. Team PokerStars Pro member Joe Cada took down the $8.5 million first place prize, more than six times what Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee pocketed for winning the EPT Berlin Main Event last weekend.
The robbery halfway around the world has attracted the attention of Harrah’s officials in Las Vegas. WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky told Poker News Daily that in the wake of the high-profile heist, the WSOP may take additional steps beyond its usual security measures in order to prevent a similar occurrence: “Obviously, the robbery raises eyebrows and is definitely on our radar. We’ve also had a security briefing since then. It really is night and day what happened in Berlin. We’re a casino and we’re used to having all of these scenarios.”
Palansky added that plenty of surveillance exists on the WSOP playing floor: “There are hundreds of cameras at the WSOP and the Amazon Room is treated like a gaming floor. I don’t want to reveal security plans, but we feel very comfortable with what we will have in place to ensure it’s a safe place to be.” Last October, the Las Vegas Sun reported a robbery of Danny's Slot Country on the Boulder Highway.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest updates on the EPT Berlin armed robbery.
Mclean Karr Wins WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star
In the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star event’s final table, Mclean Karr bested a talented final table that included UB.com pro and 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.
Hellmuth’s stay at the televised feature table was short-lived. After entering as the second largest stack, “The Poker Brat” hit the rails in sixth place; Hellmuth still pocketed $117,000 for his efforts. With blinds of 10,000-20,000 and an ante of 3,000, Hellmuth called from the small blind pre-flop with pocket queens and chip leader Andy “BKiCe” Seth made it 80,000 from the big blind. Hellmuth raised to 280,000 before Seth shoved all-in. Hellmuth called for his tournament life and was in prime position to double up against Seth’s A-J.
The flop came K-6-5, keeping Hellmuth out in front, and the turn was a ten. Needing to catch an ace on the river to send the decorated industry veteran packing, Seth saw the ace of hearts hit the board, sending Hellmuth out in dramatic fashion. As you’d expect with Hellmuth, his exit was far from quiet. Coverage found on the WPT’s website explains, “Then, Hellmuth steps off the stage, kneels down, and drops down to the floor in a little ball. The other players expected a blowup, but not this. Someone asks if he needs a doctor and Seth asks, ‘Do you think he'll sign my bounty shirt?’” Seth collected his fourth $5,000 bounty of the Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament.
Matt Keikoan was bounced in fifth place from the $10,000 buy-in WPT event. Keikoan shoved pre-flop with A-7 and received a call from Seth, who held pocket nines. Both players made a flush by the river, but Seth’s nines were enough to scoop the pot and send Keikoan out in fifth place for $175,000. It was Keikoan’s first WPT final table appearance.
Hasan Habib, who has reached the final table of the WPT Championship twice, called all-in on a flop of J-2-2 with two clubs, turning over K-10 of clubs for a flush draw. Karr held 4-2 of spades for trip deuces and a jack of spades on the turn improved the tournament’s eventual winner to a full house. The river was the four of clubs, filling Habib’s flush, but he was still sent away $234,000 richer for his wear. Karr pulled away from the pack after scooping Habib’s stack.
Seventy-five hands later, Dan O’Brien committed his 19 big blind stack with just J-2 of diamonds. He was up against Karr’s wired pair of sevens and the flop came 5-5-3. A ten on the turn left O’Brien drawing to a jack on the river, but an eight of spades instead fell. O’Brien boosted his bankroll by $292,000 and Karr held a 5:2 chip lead over Seth entering heads-up play.
Heads-up action at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event lasted 56 hands. In the tournament’s final pot, Seth pushed before the flop with pocket fours, but ran into Karr’s pocket eights. The board ran out K-10-3-A-A and Karr took down his first WPT title. Seth, meanwhile, recorded his largest WPT cash to date. Here were the final payouts in the San Jose, California poker tournament, which will air as part of Season 8 of the WPT on Fox Sports Net:
1st Place: Mclean Karr - $878,500
2nd Place: Andy "BKiCe" Seth - $521,200
3rd Place: Dan O'Brien - $292,800
4th Place: Hasan Habib - $234,300
5th Place: Matt Keikoan - $175,700
6th Place: Phil Hellmuth - $117,000
Amazingly, Karr was the tournament’s short stack with 27 players remaining. On his comeback, Karr told WPT Live Updates Hostess Jacque following his win, “I was on life support. I got it in good, tripled up, won a few coin flips, and thanks to this great structure… once you get a few chips back, you have a shot again.”
Next up for the WPT is a trip to the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana for the Hollywood Poker Open. The $10,000 buy-in Ohio Valley tournament kicks off on March 20th and will crown a champion four days later.
Tony G Worried About Phil Hellmuth’s Mental Health
World Poker Tour Bay 101 Shooting Star Day 4: McLean Karr Victorious
$2,000 and $500 Cash Freerolls at Betfred Poker
Weekly Freerolls: $7k in Two Days
The following freerolls are open to all PokerListings.com players. Qualify in the specified qualification period, then take your seat to win a boatload of free cash.
If you're not a PL.com registered player on any of the following sites, click on the site's name in the list to sign up. Getting your free seat in the tournament can be just as simple as that.
Be sure to have collected 100 points in February for your seat in the next $2,000 Party Poker freeroll.
Date: Mar. 13 Value: $2,000 Qualify with: 100 points Qualify between: Feb. 1 - Feb. 28Open to all new PokerListings.com players who signed up in February, or any existing players who earned 10 points before March 1st.
Date: Mar. 14 Value: $3,000 Qualify with: 10 pointsThe next $2,000 Monthly freeroll is almost here, buy in with just 200 points.
Date: Mar. 14 Value: $2,000 Qualify with: 200 pointsWeekly freeroll for new depositing players only.
Date: Mar. 16 Value: $500 Qualify with: Deposit and playMonthly freerolls for all PokerListings players on the site. Just 50 pts to qualify.
Date: Mar. 19 Value: $2,000 Qualify with: 25 points Qualify between: Dec. 1- Mar. 19All PokerListings players are welcome to earn their seats in the next quarterly $15k freeroll from Titan Poker. Just 750 points to qualify.
Date: Mar. 28 Value: $15,000 Qualify with: 750 pointsVisit PokerListings.com
Black Belt London Live Day 1A complete
Karr Comes Back for Bay 101 Win
Karr, a U.S. Air Force Academy Applied Math and Statistics grad turned poker player who found his way into the event through a $1,200 satellite said it was at least the second biggest moment of his life.
"It's a close call, I think when I finally graduated from the Air Force Academy and the Thunderbirds came rolling over and we threw our hats in the air and said, "You can't take this diploma back now, I made it," that was pretty close and a bigger sigh of relief," he said.
"Here I was still going to be a big winner even if I came second. It was still going to be my biggest cash ever, but obviously this is really cool. I can't even express to you how happy I am. I don't even think I'll realize for another few days."
Although he was once the shortest stack left in the event, Karr, 28, said he never gave up hope.
"I definitely thought it was possible," he said. "But it was definitely a long shot. I've played a lot of tournaments and there have been times where I've gotten down really short and came back, so I knew it was possible.
"I knew it was going to be an uphill battle against this field though. There were a lot of great players."
In fact, when the final six began Friday afternoon, one of the biggest names in the game donned the marquee at Bay 101.
However, the lights on Phil Hellmuth's tournament were turned off fairly quickly.
The 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner lost the first few pots he played and before long, found himself all in with queens against chip leader Andy Seth's A♣ J♣.
The king-high flop kept Hellmuth safe, but he had a sweat when a ten on the turn gave Seth two more outs to a straight.
The crowd sat on the edge of their seats expecting a Hellmuth double up, but were suddenly shocked into silence when an ace fell on the river sending him out.
Hellmuth stared blankly at the board before standing up, walking to the rail and falling to his knees in anguish.
He cupped his head in his hands and kneeled on the floor in the fetal position rocking back and forth for several minutes before finally getting up, letting the WPT TV crew interview him and signing Seth's new, "I busted Phil Hellmuth," t-shirt.
After a few minutes, he walked off the WPT stage, unlucky for the fourth time, with a smile and a wave to the crowd chanting his name.
After Hellmuth's emotional exit in sixth, Seth appeared to be cruising before Karr bluffed him off an 800k pot and the chip lead with a big river bet on an ace-high board forcing a fold.
It was the moment Karr really thought winning was possible.
"It gave me that confidence that I can knock heads with the best of them here," he said. "It was like, 'Let's play some cards.'"
WSOP bracelet winner Matt Keikoan was the next player out, running ace-seven into Andy Seth's pocket nines.
He was soon followed to the rail by Hasan Habib, who committed his chips with a flush draw against Karr's flopped trips and was sent home fourth from his third WPT final table when Karr turned a full house.
A short stacked Dan O'Brien then stepped out of the way third, running jack-deuce into Karr's sevens and Karr took a better than 2:1 lead into heads up with Seth.
Seth soon doubled with jack-nine versus ace-four when he flopped two pair and before long he pulled even.
As the clock struck 2 a.m. PT it began to look as though the sun might rise before a champion would be crowned in San Jose.
However, Seth pushed with fours soon after. Karr called with eights and after a board of blanks, the $878,500 first-place prize was his.
"I got a little bit of luck and picked some good spots and, wow, here I am," he said.
Visit PokerListings.com
The Nightly Turbo: Big Online Poker Score for an 8-Year-Old, PokerStars Largest Poker Game, and Why Can’t Antonio Beat Phil?
BoylePoker freeroll for all its losing Cheltenham Festival punters
The PokerNews Top 10: The Top 10 Online Poker Innovations, Part 2
Daniel Negreanu Offers Phil Hellmuth 800-1 Odds to Win WSOP Players Championship
Daniel Negreanu is always among the first in line to provoke poker brat Phil Hellmuth. The PokerStars Team Pro took another hearty shot at Hellmuth this week at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star event in San Jose, California, making Hellmuth a rather humorous offer for the upcoming World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player's Championship.
The two poker superstars were seated at the same table during Day 2 of the event when the topic of the $50,000 Player's Championship at this year's WSOP came up. The event, which will replace the $50,000 HORSE event that was introduced in 2006, will feature the same games as HORSE plus No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Hold'em, and 2-7 Triple Draw. Negreanu told Hellmuth he's probably an 800-1 favorite to win the event, which instigated a heated discussion between the two players. Suddenly, talks of a serious prop bet were in motion.
During a break in play at Bay 101, Tournament Director Matt Savage spoke with Negreanu about the bet: "In mixed games, obviously he doesn't spend a lot of time on it and he's not very good at a lot of the Limit games," said Negreanu. "So I was needling him, because that's what we do, so I said, 'you're about 800-1 to win that event.' So now he wants me to book action on 800-1."
Negreanu expects there to be around 150 players in the inaugural Player's Championship. He admitted that the original offer was just to get a rise out of Hellmuth, but a bet will likely be in place before the WSOP kicks off in May. "Laying 800-1 is no fun on anything," Negreanu told Savage. "So instead I told him I'd lay him a price on a crossbook. He's down to 250-1… so now we're getting close."
Savage also spoke with Hellmuth regarding the prop bet and in typical fashion, Hellmuth outlined a lengthy explanation for his side. "At 800-1 I like my father (to win)," joked Hellmuth. "You could pick an internet player off the rail who you could teach for a year and he's probably 800-1. I haven't played a lot of those games, but recently I've been playing a ton of mixed games on the internet and it's been helping my game a ton. Right now, I'm trying to improve and get better at every game because the Hold'em tournaments are so deep that I think it's more difficult these days."
Hellmuth never cashed in the brief four-year history of the $50,000 HORSE Championship at the WSOP. Each of his 11 bracelets came in Hold'em, but he has reached final tables in HORSE, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Seven-Card Stud events. Last year, the $50,000 HORSE Championship attracted only 94 players as the event was taken off the ESPN televised lineup. David Bach was crowned champion, beating John Hanson heads up to collect the $1,276,802 first-place prize and the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy. Other previous winners were Scotty Nguyen, Freddy Deeb, and Chip Reese.
The Player's Championship wager talks have likely been put on hold as Hellmuth prepares for the final table of the WPT Bay 101 event on Friday. Hellmuth, who held the overall chip lead going into Day 3, will enter the final day second in chips behind Andy "BKiCe" Seth. Hellmuth is playing for his first ever WPT title as well as the $878,000 top prize.
Shuffle Up and Deal Producers Searching for Sponsor
In December, Oates Media Group, the creators of the poker game show “Shuffle Up and Deal,” announced an online casting call seeking contestants. Three months later, the franchise is still looking for a sponsor to bring its product to life.
World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton was named the front man for “Shuffle Up and Deal,” a game show in which contestants select cards from an electronic tote board in an effort to make the best hand and reap the most prize money. Whichever player banked the largest cash total at the end of every episode would have a shot at winning a progressive jackpot that began at $250,000 and rose by $10,000 each time it wasn’t hit. The series also featured a “Follow the Ace” home game in which viewers could nab $10,000.
The show originally signed a letter of intent to air on My Family TV, a local station located out of Palms Springs, California, but that is no longer the case. Instead, producer Dewey Oates has been vehemently searching for a larger audience by taking on a sponsor and a cable or network television partner. Oates told Poker News Daily, “If we had a sponsor, we'd start filming immediately. The production company is ready to go.” Meanwhile, Oates and company have approached a couple of the industry’s major online poker sites, which have purportedly taken a cautious approach about expanding further into the U.S. market due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Sexton is a sponsored pro of PartyPoker, which does not accept action from the United States, while PokerStars pro Chad Brown was tapped to host a live stage show version of “Shuffle Up and Deal” in casinos. On Sexton’s involvement, Oates told us, “He got us in touch with the people at Party Gaming, but he can't go to Full Tilt and ask for a sponsorship if he's the host.” Oates approached officials from the WPT, who stated that their sponsorship of the show would hinge on a signed television contract.
Meanwhile, Oates reached out to GSN, which airs the popular cash game franchise “High Stakes Poker,” but the network was seeking a title sponsor or partial sponsor of the show before it would hop on the bandwagon. Oates added that “Shuffle Up and Deal” was not in a position to purchase airtime on major television networks, which would likely come with a hefty price tag. Oates revealed that prices on major stations could top $1 million for a half-hour program, potentially leading to an expensive debut for an upstart program.
Despite the lack of success of the franchise in procuring a television sponsorship, “Shuffle Up and Deal” may soon make its way to a casino near you. Oates and company have been reaching out to top-tier Indian casinos around the United States pitching a floor promotion where patrons would swipe their players’ cards to register for a chance to play a miniature version of “Shuffle Up and Deal.” Oates told Poker News Daily, “We're marketing it to Indian casinos nationwide. We’ve teamed up with SCA Promotions to insure it. We started that two weeks ago and we’re getting phone calls now.”
Facebook serves as the main medium for contestants to register to become a contestant on the “Shuffle Up and Deal” television show. Nearly 1,000 applications from hungry poker fans have been received and Oates was elated at the overwhelmingly positive response: “We're getting a lot of responses. We have people visiting ShuffleUpTV.com signing up to be contestants all day long. We’re getting a lot of energy from the public from people who want to see the show.”
My Family TV specializes in providing “spiritual programming,” according to its website, and is based in Florida.
Scott Seiver Recaps Recent NAPT, L.A. Poker Classic Success
Poker pro Scott Seiver has been on the run of a lifetime. The young gun finished fourth in the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) High-Roller Bounty Shootout last month for $215,000 and won the L.A. Poker Classic High-Roller event for another $425,000. In December, Seiver took down a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event during the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $218,000.
Poker News Daily: Tell us about your recent run in which you’ve logged nearly $1 million in tournament cashes in just three months.
Scott Seiver: I feel I’m playing well right now. Obviously, some of it is getting lucky, but the tournaments’ deep stacks have been helping me. I’ve been playing well recently and it feels good.
PND: Talk about your single-handed destruction of your NAPT Bounty table, where you knocked out all six of your opponents.
Scott Seiver: It was a really interesting tournament because it was a bounty tournament. Some of the players might not have adjusted to that. I just tried to play in a way here I could get all-in to get bounties, which is I think the way to play because that’s where the money is.
PND: Some poker players would argue that you should pay less attention to the bounties and more attention to the prize pool. You feel differently, then?
Scott Seiver: I think it’s not even close. The bounties are a huge part of those tournaments. Any time you get all-in, a huge amount of money is at stake. As long as you can get all-in even with a coin flip, it’s a good idea. All seven players at the NAPT Bounty table were top-level players, so there’s even more reason to be aggressive. You can’t wait to outplay guys like Elky and Barry Greenstein.
PND: How did the field of the NAPT High-Roller compare to the L.A. Poker Classic High-Roller?
Scott Seiver: The L.A. Poker Classic might have been tougher. I happened to have the toughest table for the NAPT, but all around the room, there were sponsored pros. When you’re doing well and playing well, you actually play better. I was feeling good from the NAPT going into L.A. and I think that helped me.
PND: Tell us about your upcoming tournament schedule.
Scott Seiver: I’m at the Wynn right now playing a $1,000 tournament. What I always say is that if you’re doing poorly, you don’t want to see a single card. When you’re doing well, you want to play everything you possibly can. I might play some Circuit Events and might go to Indiana for the WPT. I just want to play right now. I’ve been really enjoying it.
PND: This month, you made your first appearance on ESPN’s list of the top 10 players in the world, dubbed “The Nuts.” How big is that for you?
Scott Seiver: I think it’s wild and it feels great. It’s wild to see your name in print like that and it’s a big publication that I can tell my parents to look at. While I was playing at Bay 101, a friend of mine pulled it up and showed me. Daniel Alaei, who is also on that list and was at my table, hadn’t seen it either.
PND: Two other extremely hot players right now are Jason Mercier and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, who you faced at the L.A. Poker Classic High-Roller and NAPT High-Roller Bounty Shootout final tables, respectively. Talk about their games.
Scott Seiver: They’re both on incredible hot streaks and winning every tournament they’re playing. I had one final table with Jason Mercier before and he didn’t have many chips in L.A., but he played well. Faraz is very good and a very strong player. He’s very aggressive, but not just wildly aggressive. He knows when and who to attack.
PND: How have you been able to evolve your game in the last two years since your World Series of Poker bracelet run in 2008?
Scott Seiver: It’s been by playing a lot. I play a lot online – tournaments and cash games – and also live tournaments and cash games. I play big stack games and short stack games. I’m learning through experience and have a great group of friends to talk to. Practice makes perfect and I try to absorb what I can.
PND: Which fellow pros to you talk to?
Scott Seiver: A bunch of different people like Isaac Haxton, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Aaron Been, and all sorts of other friends. We usually just talk theory and whatnot.