Poker News

WSOP Tournament of Champions Returns as Poker All-Star Game

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has one. So does the National Football League (NFL). Now, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) will introduce an All-Star Game featuring 27 players in a made-for-television Tournament of Champions.

The event has been scheduled to take place over two days during the 2010 WSOP, beginning on June 27th with a final table taking place on July 4th. No new WSOP tournaments begin on either day, meaning that attending the soon-to-be prestigious event won’t take away from other festivities at the Rio. ESPN will air the All-Star Game, being dubbed the $1 Million 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions Freeroll, on August 3rd.

Five entries into poker’s version of an All-Star Game are automatic and are awarded to the three prior WSOP Tournament of Champions winners and the reigning WSOP and WSOP Europe Main Event champs. The first Tournament of Champions took place in 2004, when UB.com and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke earned a $2 million winner-take-all prize after besting Phil Hellmuth heads-up to become the series’ first winner.

In 2005, Mike Matusow defeated DoylesRoom pro Hoyt Corkins to earn gold. Others at the final table included Hellmuth and Steve Dannenmann. Matusow won $1 million for his efforts and a total of 117 players entered. In 2006, World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton came out on top, outlasting PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu. Matusow finished third that year in an impressive showing and Sexton banked $1 million for the win. Also gaining automatic entry to the 2010 Tournament of Champions are Joe Cada and Barry Shulman, who took down the 2009 WSOP and WSOP Europe Main Events, respectively.

Two slots in the 27-player field will be sponsor exemptions. WSOP officials will award both seats, although details on how they would be dished out were not available at press time. The general public will determine the final 20 seats in a fan vote. Balloting opened today at Noon ET on WSOP.com and will close on June 15th at Midnight ET on WSOP.com. The top 20 vote-getters will gain entry into the newly-forged $1 million freeroll.

The only requirement for voting by the general public is that a player must be a WSOP bracelet holder, eliminating the likes of Tom “durrrr” Dwan from contention. Open voting for the 2009 class of the Poker Hall of Fame led to Dwan being included as one of the final ten nominees; a committee later struck him of his bid, charging that he did not stand the test of time, one of several criteria needed for enshrinement. There are 521 living WSOP bracelet holders. Click here and vote now!

The top nine players in the Poker All-Star Game will finish in the money, with the tournament’s winner pocketing $500,000. The runner-up will bank $250,000, while the third place finisher will score $100,000. All other players in the top nine will see their bank accounts grow by $25,000. In case you’re wondering who is in the running to vie for the half-million dollar top prize, the WSOP will provide a list of the top 50 vote-getters after every ballot is cast on its website.

With a considerable amount of money at stake in poker’s version of an All-Star Game, Harrah’s officials will take steps against players artificially inflating vote counts. A press release distributed by the WSOP on Monday explains, “In an effort to avoid ballot-stuffing, the tally of individual votes won’t be divulged during the open voting period and balloters will be required to complete an authentication process to ensure one vote per e-mail address.”

WSOP officials expect the Tournament of Champions Freeroll to become an annual staple of the extravaganza in Las Vegas. Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment Vice President Ty Stewart noted in the same press release, "The Tournament of Champions brand has heritage in delivering the big moments. We're thrilled to reinvent it around a model that should elevate the game by engaging millions of poker fans. We have received a lot of input from players and their affinity for the TOC and we are excited for them and the fans and hope its here to stay."

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on the WSOP All-Star Game, this year’s version of the Tournament of Champions.

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.

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.

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.

Pitbull Poker Update

Almost nine months have gone by since the Pitbull Poker scandal was blown wide open and to date, justice has yet to be served. The small poker site, formerly part of the Flash Poker Network, was first put under investigation by members of the TwoPlusTwo community. Many of these members suspected the site had players that had access to see hole cards at a table, also known as superusers. During the scandal, the two owners of the site closed up shop in the middle of the night, sticking players with bankrolls at Pitbull Poker.

Poker News Daily caught up with former room manager Dave Brenes, who stated that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and has not heard from either of the owners. As of now, there have been no updates and no resolutions in the matter, leading many to believe that nothing will ever be resolved in the case.

Representatives for Poker News Daily were able to reach the embattled former poker room manager for Pitbull Poker on Thursday. Brenes told PND that he has moved on from Pitbull Poker and is holding down a temporary job while looking for something long-term. To his knowledge, no employees or customers have recovered any funds since the owners closed the company doors and disappeared. Message boards for casino and poker site affiliates confirm that players owed funds through business dealings with the company have yet to be compensated.

Brenes concluded the conversation by stating that he has not heard anything from either of the owners, Kevin Baronowski and another identified in an earlier article as “Justin.” He claims that he is just as much of a victim as anyone else and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. His tone was much more upbeat and hopeful now that, in his mind, the controversy is behind him.

The controversy first started back in July 2009, when “chesterboy” from the TwoPlusTwo forums posted that he suspected that there were superusers on Pitbull Poker. Most posts like these are ignored for the most part by the community, but this player was actually a prop player and a respected longtime member of the community. Others stepped forward once he broke his silence and the site was suddenly placed under the microscope of intense scrutiny. While representatives for Pitbull Poker said there were no shady dealings at the site and that they were working to produce hand history files to back up their claims, players demanded their funds en masse.

Pitbull Poker closed its doors in the middle of the night without informing the company's employees. On-site staff called police, who did not stop owners from disconnecting and removing computer equipment. The next day, the poker room was down and all players with account balances were suddenly left in the dark. Scores of players called for justice, with some losing hundreds and others losing tens of thousands of dollars.

Players on the site weren’t the only big losers thanks to the shocking actions of the site's owners. Affiliates stepped up to say that they hadn’t been paid either, with one, “JC Hawk," leading the charge, claiming he was owed well over $100,000 from his poker site NLPT.tv on top of cash investments he made into the site directly. Hawk gathered as many individuals as he could to join his cause and worked with the Costa Rican government to help bring the owners of Pitbull Poker to justice.

Some players, including “chesterboy”, decided that they could no longer be part of the world of online poker. In an announcement on the forums, he stated that he would be leaving poker for good and joining the United States Army. In December, JC Hawk continued to state that he was pursuing legal matters against Baronowski. It was Hawk’s guess that Baronowski had fled Costa Rica and was in hiding in his native homeland of Canada.

Since the turn of the new year, there have been few new developments in the case and at this point, the prospects of affiliates and players recouping any owed funds seems to be low. Many in the industry have claimed that this story is a perfect example of why regulation and legalization of online poker is vital to protect consumers from this type of apparent fraud.

Poker News Daily will continue to monitor the ongoing saga involving Pitbull Poker and report any new updates as they become available.

Phil Hellmuth Makes WPT Bay 101 Final Table

After 15 grueling hours of play in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star event, the field was whittled from 27 players to six. Among those competing for the $878,000 first place prize is UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth.

Hellmuth has made three final tables on the WPT circuit. He finished fourth in the Gold Rush event during Season 1 for $34,000 and took third at Foxwoods during Season 2 for $281,000. Hellmuth returned to the WPT spotlight during Season 6, when he made the feature table of the L.A. Poker Classic, finishing sixth for $229,000. All told, the 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner has $836,000 in career WPT earnings; he’s poised to double that total if he wins at Bay 101.

Hellmuth told WPT Live Updates Hostess Jacque, “The guy on my left, Andy, is a very good player. I’ve had a read on him for two straight days, so that’s been helpful, but he still has the chip lead. If I can get a read on him tomorrow, I have a good chance to win.” On what it would mean to take down his first WPT title in four tries, Hellmuth remarked, “It would mean a lot. I really want to win. It’s what I do. I’ve been working really hard.” Hellmuth alludes to online poker legend Andy “BKiCe” Seth, the Bay 101 Shooting Star’s final table chip leader.

At one point during play on Thursday, Lon Diamond was down to just 17,000 in chips before mounting the comeback of a lifetime. With a stack equivalent to one big blind when play wrapped up on Thursday, Diamond tripled up and then doubled twice more to stay alive. Ultimately, Diamond was the final table bubble boy at Bay 101, finishing in seventh place for $58,000. Diamond called all-in pre-flop with A-Q, but ran into the pocket queens of Seth. The board came 10-9-6-6-8 and the six-handed final table was determined.

Former WSOP Main Event winner Scotty Nguyen hit the rails in eighth place for the same $58,000, baby. Nguyen shoved pre-flop under-the-gun with J-8 of hearts and ran into Seth’s K-Q. The flop came queen-high, keeping Seth out in front, and no help came for the five-time bracelet winner on the turn or river. Nguyen has made a colossal eight WPT final tables, emerging as the champ once.

Poker fans will also recognize Hasan Habib, who owns the second shortest stack entering the Bay 101 final table. Habib finished second in the WPT Championship during Season 2 for $1.3 million and promptly took third the following season for another $896,000. Making his first WPT final table is Matt Keikoan, who took seventh in last season’s Legends of Poker for $140,000.

To go from 11-handed to 10-handed action took five hours. Here are the six players remaining in the 2010 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event:

1. Andy “BKiCe” Seth - 2,164,000
2. Phil Hellmuth - 1,433,000
3. Dan O'Brien - 1,129,000
4. Mclean Karr - 1,112,000
5. Hasan Habib - 455,000
6. Matt Keikoan - 371,000

When play resumes in San Jose, California, the blinds will be 8,000-16,000 with an ante of 2,000. Nearly two hours will be played at this level before the price of poker increases. Players who found the exit on Thursday were:

7. Lon Diamond - $58,600
8. Scotty Nguyen - $58,600
9. Brian “tsarrast” Rast - $38,000
10. David Forster - $38,000
11. “Miami” John Cernuto - $29,300
12. Dan Gamon - $29,300
13. Nick Schulman - $23,400
14. Chau Giang - $23,400
15. Joseph “BigEgypt” Elpayaa - $23,400
16. Tim McDermott - $23,400
17. Lars Elmoe - $23,400
18. Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka - $23,400
19. Vanna Tea - $20,500
20. John Monnette - $20,500
21. Jonathan “driverseati” Tamayo - $20,500
22. Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little - $20,500
23. Taylor Raines - $20,500
24. Tom Marchese - $20,500
25. Thuy Phan - $17,600
26. Ted Jivkov - $17,600
27. Kafir Nahum - $17,600

Each of the six players remaining is assured a payday of $117,000, twice what the tournament’s seventh and eighth place finishers received. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT results.

EPT Berlin Poker Robbery Featured on Most Wanted TV Show

The armed robbery that took place during the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin festivities was featured on the German television program “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst,” the equivalent of “America’s Most Wanted.”

The episode aired on Wednesday night and German police are now awaiting tips that could help bring the perpetrators to justice, according to Abendblatt.de. Viewers and anyone else in the poker industry with information are encouraged to pick up a phone and call 089-95 01 95, which will connect you to the program’s studios in Munich. “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst” appears on the television station ZDF and its producers work in conjunction with local police.

Like “America’s Most Wanted,” “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst” is a longstanding staple of the television airwaves. “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst” premiered in 1967. Episodes feature a handful of unsolved mysteries and, according to “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst” officials, about 40% of the cases presented on the program are ultimately solved. Whether the mega-heist of EPT Berlin will be among them is unknown. Four gunmen held up the registration area of the PokerStars sponsored tournament and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, officials from PokerStars and the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin have been dissecting the robbery in order to improve security measures in the future. Poker News Daily caught up with EPT Berlin winner Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee and asked him what steps should be taken: “Don't have poker tournaments’ cash desks in hotels or, if you do, beef up security. The staff, security, and players all pulled together to fix a disastrous situation. I actually think Thomas Kremser of TK Poker Events did an excellent job.” MacPhee appeared on CBS’ “Early Show” on Monday morning and also virtually sat down with CNN’s Campbell Brown.

As can be seen by the numerous video clips of the melee circulating online, poker chips were strewn about EPT Berlin’s tables and dealers and floor staff alike were left running for the exits. Fortunately for those involved, the gunmen never entered the tournament area. MacPhee praised the heroic efforts of the event’s staff: “The dealers saved the day, especially Fred (the best dealer in the world), who kept the deck intact during the chaos on one of the outer tables. That’s a good dealer and the security was extremely tight afterward. I was getting escorts everywhere, so my hat goes off to them for handling a difficult situation in the best possible way.”

On Thursday, Time Magazine posted a column about the robbery featuring video footage of the midday shenanigans as they unfolded. Time writers described what they saw: “The entire caper looks like something out of a movie, although it's less ‘Oceans 11’ and more like Woody Allen's comedy, ‘Take The Money and Run.’” Posters on popular online poker forums were quick to recall the top casino capers featured in the 2001 movie “Oceans 11.”

A wide variety of reports also surfaced as to the amount of money plundered from the German poker tournament. The Las Vegas Sun newspaper pegged the total at $328,000, while Doyle Brunson’s blog claimed the bandits took more than triple that amount. The Las Vegas news outlet described its take on the surveillance footage: “Footage on German television showed a hotel security guard battling with one of the robbers, then wrestling a second one to the floor. The captive escaped after his accomplice returned from another room wielding a large metal post and chased the guard away.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest updates on the EPT Berlin high-stakes heist.

Poker Game Shows Need Fixing

For several years, the only two poker television shows that anyone knew about were the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on ESPN and the World Poker Tour (WPT) on the Travel Channel (now on Fox Sports).  When poker erupted in the United States, many new shows were born, such as the Ultimate Poker Challenge, Celebrity Poker Showdown, and Poker Superstars Invitational.  There was even a show on MTV where Phil Laak would go to a celebrity's house and deal a sit and go for the celebrity and his/her celebrity friends.  The airwaves became over-saturated with poker, ratings declined, and shows died.

Today, it looks like we are in the middle of a televised poker rebirth.  Aside from first-run episodes of the WSOP, High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark have taken over as the go-to programming for poker fans.  Now, a new type of program, the poker game show, has invaded the public consciousness.  Full Tilt Poker's Face the Ace debuted on NBC in August, the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge hit the air on Fox last fall, and it was recently announced that newly-inducted Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton will host a new game show called Shuffle Up and Deal in 2010.

The evolution is interesting.  Originally, we had major tournament poker.  Big tournaments attract attention and have drama built right in.  As poker programming expanded, smaller tournaments started to be shown.  Then, as standard tournament poker began to jump the shark, smaller matches featuring celebrities, poker pros, or both entered our living rooms as fans became more interested in watching personalities they knew rather than Joe Boring from Normal, Illinois.

Non-poker celebrities quickly lost their luster, as poker fans wanted to see quality poker.  We had all been there and done that with big tournaments, so television producers gave us the more intimate settings of the cash game (High Stakes Poker) and the small sit and go (Poker After Dark).  High Stakes Poker, in particular, has been a huge hit because we get to see top pros and a few deep-pocketed amateurs put a lot of their own money on the line and we really get a feel for what they go through in the toughest cash games.

Now, we have poker game shows with a live audience, a host, an announcer, lights, and music, the whole shebang.  The ones currently on the air, however, are inherently flawed.  Well, you could say they are terrible, but really, they were behind the eight ball from the beginning.

Why?  Because they want to force real poker, regardless of the added gimmick, into a game show format.  It just doesn't work.  The problem is in the pace of the game.  Poker is a slow game.  Yes, there is excitement with big hands, but overall, it's really boring to watch.  On the other hand, game shows are rapid fire, a pace that poker just can't match.  Poker can't win – if you show lots of hands to please the avid poker fan, it's too slow for the masses.  If all you do is show all-ins, the avid poker fans don't like it because it's not real poker.

Another byproduct of the slow pace is that it makes not caring about the contestants an issue.  Look, it's cool if some guy beats Howard Lederer, but it's not like I haven't seen that before in tournaments.  Make me want to root for the guy.  Face the Ace is terrible at this.  Million Dollar Challenge is okay – it helped that the first contestant was a priest who said he was going to donate his winnings to his church.  On a regular game show, the action is fast enough where the game itself is what is interesting, regardless of who the players are.

Now, to spice up the show, colorful personalities can be added, but that's easier said than done in poker.  The contestants have been hit and miss and let's face it, many of the top poker pros that the contestants face off against aren't brimming with personality either.  Take the first match-up of Face the Ace.  It was a guy who could barely utter two words against Phil Ivey.  Great!  Ivey is a guy we want to see!  Oh, but we forgot that Ivey, as tremendous of a player as he is, is less than chatty at the table.  What ensued were uncomfortable silence and even more uncomfortable forced dialogue.

I am actually quite intrigued by Sexton's new show and am looking forward to watching when it debuts.  Shuffle Up and Deal sounds like it could fit better into the "game show" category and hold the interest of casual viewers, although it may lose some hardcore poker fans.  There aren't a ton of details on the game yet, but what we do know is that each show will pit amateur players against each other, each selecting cards from an electronic board in an effort to make the best five card hand.  The player who wins the most money will advance to a bonus round for a chance to win a progressive jackpot that starts at $250,000 and goes up $10,000 every time someone doesn't win.  So, while it won't really be poker – more like a hybrid of poker and Deal or No Deal – it sounds like it has a chance to excite viewers with its fast pace.  If there is enough strategy involved, die-hard poker players may enjoy it too.

Who knows, it may turn out that game show poker isn't meant to be.  While I have not been thrilled with the offerings so far, I do applaud the shows' creators, producers, talent, and staff for trying to offer the viewing public something other than the standard fare.  One day, someone may get it right and when they do, I'll be watching.

PokerStars Cancels LAPT Vina del Mar Event

PokerStars, the world's leading online poker site, has announced the cancellation of its Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Chile event in Vina del Mar from March 19th to 23rd. The cancellation comes as a result of a massive earthquake that rocked the South American nation on February 27th approximately 175 miles north of the Vina del Mar Casino and Resort.

Much of Chile is still in a state of recovery following the 8.8-magnitude quake that killed at least 500 people and left the region's infrastructure demolished. It was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded and was followed by a flurry of 30 aftershocks, some measuring greater than a 6.0 magnitude. More than 500,000 homes were destroyed and many highways and hospitals were severely damaged.

At least three more aftershocks struck central Chile on Thursday, March 11th, the strongest with a magnitude of 7.2, which was more powerful than the quake that annihilated the country of Haiti. The first aftershock hit as President-elect Sebastian Pinera was being sworn in during a ceremony in Valparaiso, a city outside of Santiago. A tsunami warning was issued by Chile's Navy immediately after the aftershocks hit. No news on the extent of the damage is known at this time.

Regarding the cancellation of the Vina del Mar event, PokerStars has apologized to all of the players who planned to attend the festival. Anyone who qualified or bought into the tournament will be fully refunded both their buy-in and any out-of-pocket expenses. Any questions about the event can be sent to lapt@pokerstars.com. The next stop on the LAPT will be the Grand Final in Argentina, the date yet to be confirmed.

This isn't the first time an unforeseen incident has shaken up a PokerStars-sponsored tour event. In December 2008, the LAPT Mexico was postponed when government officials shut down the tournament on Day 2 of the three-day event. PokerStars was forced to distribute the prize pool among the 89 remaining players and then hold an online freeroll to decide the final table. The final nine were then flown into Punta del Este to play a televised final table with a $50,000 prize pool.

Just last week, the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) stop at Berlin was raided by armed robbers, who escaped with £250,000 in prize money. The break-in caused panic in the poker room as players fled to the exits and chips scattered all over the tables and floor. Nobody was hurt during the scuffle and players returned to their seats four hours later. American Kevin "ImaLucSack" MacPhee went on to win the Main Event and £1,000,000.

Fundraising for the catastrophe in Chile has been slower than that of Haiti, but President Barack Obama has promised U.S. support for victims and the American Red Cross has pledged $50,000 in aid for the country.

Poker in Twitter: Players in Action at Bay 101 and Doyle Talks Movie About His Life

Twitter is one of the hottest social networking sites around nowadays and poker players take advantage of it to the fullest. Whether they are playing poker or just going through their daily routines, the world of poker provides a great deal of entertainment through the 140-character Tweets. Poker News Daily constantly monitors these messages over Twitter and provides a look at the best of the lot.

After the conclusion of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship in Las Vegas, players quickly moved the action to San Jose for the always popular World Poker Tour (WPT) stop at the Bay 101. Prior to the start of the event, Daniel Negreanu decided he wanted to cross-book his action with online phenomenon Tom “Durrrr” Dwan. “Made a bet with Durr,” Negreanu fired across the Twitterverse. “He set a line I picked sides. He made me a 6/5 fav on crossbook. I bet on him so I have 12 pct of him he has 10 of me.” Unfortunately, neither Negreanu nor Dwan – who were two of the 50 bounties at the Bay 101 event – was able to make the money in the tournament.

Other players were having similar difficulties with the unique tournament, which is the only bounty event on the WPT circuit. For knocking out one of the bounty players, the victor claims a $5,000 prize and a shirt to commemorate the event. “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok was among those with the $5,000 on his head and didn’t run well from the start of the tournament. “So frustrated. Lose every hand that I play. Really don't get this run I'm in for a while. Losing every way imaginable,” Sebok tweeted before being eliminated by Bobby Suer. “This is not going well,” Sebok’s father, Barry Greenstein, commented over Twitter. “Joey has already been knocked out, and I'm down to 15k, 75BB at 100-200 blinds.” Greenstein, also a bounty in the tournament, met the same fate as his son.

“Steamed my way back 2 Vegas right after got knocked out of Bay101,” 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event champion John Juanda reported on Wednesday. “I’m sick & tired of poker! Good news is there wont be any pkr till April.” Howard Lederer had much the same feeling as Juanda when he Tweeted, “I don't like to do much before noon. And going bust @bay101live is not one of those things. Had a flip for about 70k. Oh well.”

Not too concerned about her performance at the Bay 101 tournament was recent National Heads-Up Poker Championship victor Annie Duke. Duke made a joke prior to the start of the Bay 101, Tweeting, “I won the Heads Up Poker Championship on NBC but Donald Trump gave the trophy to Joan Rivers,” a reference to her stunning defeat on NBC's “Celebrity Apprentice” last year. Duke continued to ride the high of her Heads-Up championship when she jokingly chirped, “They introduced me at Bay 101 and @Erik_Seidel booed me. Sore loser.” Although she wouldn’t be around for the money portion of the tournament, Duke took it in stride when she Tweeted on Thursday morning, “Happy to be back to Bikram (yoga) cause I like to celebrate a big win by sweating my ass off.”

Doyle Brunson commanded the Twitterscape with news that a movie about his life is being considered by Hollywood. “A studio called about making a movie about my life,” the legendary poker veteran tweeted on Monday. “Said they would get my favorite actor to play me. Problem, Denzel Washington is my fav,” finished Brunson, which opened the floodgates to other poker players to chirp in. “If anyone could pull that off, it's Denzel!,” Tweeted Alex Outhred, while Brunson 10 member Amit “amak316” Makhija agreed with Outhred when he Tweeted, “Denzel playing dolly = instant Oscar.”

Poker News Daily continues to keep track of the world of poker through various Tweets. We also chirp in with some nuggets of our own on Twitter, so be sure to add @pokernewsdaily to follow the poker world and the world of poker players in Twitter.

Phil Hellmuth Leads WPT Bay 101 Entering Play Down Day

UB.com pro and 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth leads the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star event entering its play down day. By the end of Thursday, six players will be left standing.

It’s hard to believe. Hellmuth holds the record for number of bracelets won and has made three WPT final tables. However, one accolade the decorated poker pro lacks is a WPT title. After a two-year hiatus from reaching a final table on the roving tournament series, Hellmuth is poised to buck the trend by leading the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event after two days of play.

Hellmuth told WPT Live Updates Hostess Jacque following Wednesday’s action, “It feels pretty good. I played about as well as I could play today. I had a huge hand against [Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka]. He’s a great young player and has so much talent. He moves his chips so well and the only way I could beat him was to try to play tight.” In a key hand between the two, the final board read J-J-4-3-Q and Hellmuth led out for 21,000. Jaka made the call and Hellmuth showed Q-J for a boat. Coverage found on the WPT’s website explained, “Jaka didn't appear to expect such a strong hand, and he says with sincerity, ‘Wow! Nice hand,’ as he mucks his own cards.”

Hellmuth’s competition was anything but soft on Day 2. The feature table included Hellmuth, Jaka, Andy “BKiCe” Seth, Unabomber Poker’s Phil Laak, Justin “Boosted J” Smith, Tyler “brainwash” Cornell, J.C. Tran, and Day 1B chip leader Eugene Katchalov. Jaka doubled through Katchalov early on after his pocket queens caught a set against Katchalov’s pocket aces. Jaka ended with the seventh largest stack at 332,500, with Hellmuth amassing 550,000 chips during two days of play.

Seth, an online poker legend, busted Shooting Stars in back-to-back hands at the feature table to collect a pair of $5,000 bounties and autographed shirts. Tran was all-in with K-5 of spades on a board reading K-8-5-10 for top and bottom pair. However, Seth flipped over a wired pair of eights for a set. Tran shouted for a king on the river to stave off elimination, but a seven fell.

On the very next hand, 2007 WSOP Main Event champ Jerry Yang called all-in with pocket fives on a board of 9-5-2. However, he was the victim of a set-over-set situation, as Seth showed pocket nines. The board filled out 10-4 and Seth claimed his second straight Shooting Star bounty. The youngster will enter Day 3 with the third largest stack at 453,000.

The money bubble burst on Wednesday with the elimination of Michael Cooper in 37th place. Cooper ran pocket tens into the pocket aces of Scotty Nguyen. Then, a bevy of bust outs occurred, including Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania in 34th place, Steve “gboro780” Gross in 33rd place, and PokerXFactor instructor Chris “Fox” Wallace in 28th place. Twenty-seven players survived to see Day 3:

1. Phil Hellmuth - 550,000
2. Hasan Habib - 496,000
3. Andy “BKiCe” Seth - 453,000
4. Dan O'Brien - 439,000
5. Matt Keikoan - 426,500
6. Nick Schulman - 381,500
7. Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka - 332,500
8. Brian “tsarrast” Rast - 322,000
9. Chau Giang - 307,500
10. David Forster - 305,500
11. Joseph “BigEgypt” Elpayaa - 302,000
12. Vanna Tea - 279,000
13. Lon Diamond - 242,000
14. Lars Elmoe - 216,000
15. Taylor Raines - 198,000
16. John Monnette - 179,000
17. Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little - 177,500
18. Dan Gamon - 170,500
19. Jonathan “driverseati” Tamayo - 154,000
20. “Miami” John Cernuto - 134,500
21. Scotty Nguyen - 132,500
22. Tom Marchese - 117,500
23. Ted Jivkov - 105,500
24. Tim McDermott - 80,000
25. Thuy Phan - 78,000
26. Kafir Nahum - 73,000
27. McLean Karr - 30,500

When play wrapped up on Wednesday night, the blinds were 1,500-3,000 with an ante of 500. Each player remaining is assured at least $17,000 and today’s action will conclude when the six-handed final table is determined. The survivors will battle on Friday for an $878,000 top prize. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT results.

Poker2Nite: Annie Duke Discusses Heads-Up Poker Championship Win

The UB.com poker news show “Poker2Nite” aired its second episode of Season 2 on Wednesday. National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke joined the Versus franchise.

Appropriately, the 30-minute show kicked off with discussion of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which featured four former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champions in the final eight. In addition, the Final Four were all over the age of 40. “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok told viewers, “In a game dominated by youngsters, it seemed not to be that way in this tournament.” Sebok also questioned the need to have seven online qualifiers join the field of 64; six were eliminated in the first round.

“Poker2Nite” also touched on the robbery of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin Main Event, where Sebok remarked that thieves made off with $272,000, although that figure has varied widely. Results from the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Celebrity Invitational and L.A. Poker Classic aired along with a recap of professional golfer Tiger Woods turning down a $75 million sponsorship offer from Paddy Power Poker.

Following footage from the National Heads-Up Poker Championship draw party, which included interviews with Erick Lindgren, Jennifer Tilly, Joe Cada, and Jamie Gold, Duke joined the set. The UB.com pro is fresh off a deep run in the L.A. Poker Classic and a $500,000 win in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. She told Sebok and co-host Scott Huff, “I took from October to February off mainly because I realized that when I was going into a lot of tournaments, I was taking an attitude of resenting poker because it was taking away from time with my kids.”

Duke noted that being mentally prepared to play poker is critically important: “When you’re not in the mood to play, you lose some of those small edges.” The UB.com pro was on her way to San Jose, California for the Bay 101 Shooting Star event, explaining that a fundamentally solid performance was important: “This is going to be a big test of how hungry I am because I’m really tired.” Duke ultimately busted on Day 1B after committing her stack with A-K on a flop of 10-6-3 and running into Yukinori Yamazaki’s pocket aces.

Duke faced a gauntlet of poker talent in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, including Full Tilt Poker math whiz Andy Bloch, her first round opponent. On getting past the former MIT Blackjack Team member, Duke commented, “Once I got past him, it was a huge confidence boost, like a monkey off my back.” Duke then bested Darvin Moon, Paul Wasicka, Jerry Yang, and Dennis Phillips before battling eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel in the finals. Duke dubbed Seidel “really good.”

Snowboarder Hannah Teter, who won a silver medal in the women’s halfpipe during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, joined “Poker2Nite” via Skype to discuss her love for poker. She explained that the game was an integral part of her preparations for the Winter Olympics: “We played poker while training this summer, but during the winter, we’re in the zone.” Instead of cash, Teter and company typically played for candy. She added that she’d like to head to the WSOP this year to play in a charity event.

“Poker2Nite” host Dana Workman did not have an in-studio guest this week for the “Girls of Poker” segment, but presented the “Poker2Nite Online” vignette highlighting the groundbreaking Tweets and online news of the week. They included Scotty Nguyen, Brian Balsbaugh, and Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad blasting Twitter messages about the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and a picture that appeared on PokerListings of Lindgren and Erica Schoenberg getting cozy. Also addressed during the update was whether Sebok should continue to rock his beard.

Next week, PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) hostess Joanna Krupa will join “Poker2Nite.” You can catch the series every Wednesday at 11:00pm ET on Versus.

EPT Berlin Poker Robbery: No New Leads, No Suspects

Although the entire incident was caught on tape and broadcasted around the world through social media outlets like Twitter and YouTube, German police still have no leads and no suspects in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin armed robbery.

According to the Berlin-based Berliner Zeitung newspaper, the suspects may have fled the scene in a swank black Mercedes. The Associated Press, a global media goliath, added that the crooks escaped through a nearby shopping mall before hopping into a getaway vehicle in a rare “Oceans 11”-like daytime casino heist. Meanwhile, as the story has gained attention around the world, the Toronto Star reported that the bandits looted EPT Berlin to the tune of $335,000. However, all prize money was ultimately paid out.

According to Bild.de, there are no new clues and no suspects in the case, which featured four gunmen assault the registration desk at EPT Berlin. No one was harmed during the incident, which marked one of the most bizarre series of events in modern tournament poker history. According to Berliner Zeitung, police in the German metropolis were busy examining every shred of evidence they could get their hands on, including footage from hotel surveillance cameras at the Grand Hyatt and a bevy of player and staff cell phone cameras.

Meanwhile, according to the same German news outlet, witnesses claimed that the gunmen threatened tournament staff with a hand grenade, although the PokerStars Blog reported that only pistols and a machete were present. Even claims of an inside job surfaced after The Local and the New York Times both reported that an accomplice inside of the Grand Hyatt might have tipped the assailants off as to the timing of the attack.

The German news media quoted a police spokesperson as saying that it was obvious from flyers and publicity material when the end of registration was and therefore an “inside job” may not be likely. The attack occurred at 2:15pm local time on Saturday as a roomful of poker players competed for a €1 million top prize in the EPT’s first visit to Berlin.

Meanwhile, Bild.de noted that a security guard who tackled one of the thieves was 6’8” tall and had a shoe size of 14. Tournament participant Frank Betsch told local media, "I could see everything very well since, at the time, I stood on the side of the room because I wanted to watch the ladies game that had just started. I have never seen such a crime scene. I heard a sound and thought, ‘That was a gunshot.’”

The Star revealed that German Police Chief Rainer Wendt chastised PokerStars, the tournament’s organizers, for not having enough security. Purportedly, its guards were unarmed and a bevy of cash was on-hand at the registration area.

A unique insight into the poker robbery came from 10-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson, who commented in a recent blog on DoylesRoom that he’s been through five heists during his lifetime: “The guys that robbed the EPT in Berlin made a nice score. They took 800,000 Euros at gunpoint. I’ve been there and done that 5 times in my life and believe me, it’s no fun. I’ll bet everybody that was there will remember it for the rest of their lives.”

American poker player Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee took down the EPT Berlin Main Event for €1 million. Then, MacPhee appeared in interviews on CBS’ “The Early Show,” BBC, and CNN. The burglary even received face time on ESPN’s original series “Around the Horn.” Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on the EPT Berlin robbery.

MiniFTOPS XV Kicks off Today on Full Tilt Poker

On Wednesday at 21:00 ET, the Mini version of the 15th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) will kick off. The schedule features 27 tournaments, culminating in a $55 No Limit Hold’em Main Event on March 21st.

The MiniFTOPS XV schedule mirrors the slate of events of FTOPS XV, but features tournaments with buy-ins that are one-tenth as pricey. The world’s second largest online poker site happily accepts customers from the United States and a flood of participants are expected. In the opening event of MiniFTOPS XIV, a parade of over 16,000 players turned out for a $22 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament. Last time out, the Main Event field numbered 15,987.

The tournament series allows low-budget online poker players to compete in a wide variety of games including Hold’em, Omaha, HORSE, Seven-Game, Stud, and Razz. The priciest buy-in is $266 for the MiniFTOPS XV Two-Day Event, while several tournaments boast entry fees of less than $15. During MiniFTOPS XIV, a $13 No Limit Hold’em Knockout event generated a massive field of 22,240 players, the only tournament in FTOPS history to pass the 20,000-entrant mark.

Like FTOPS XV, MiniFTOPS XV tournaments will feature a Full Tilt guest host. Top female pro Jennifer Harman will serve as the face of the Main Event, while 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Scott Montgomery will host the Two-Day Event. Other hosts include CardRunners instructors Taylor Caby and Andrew Wiggins, Robert Williamson III, John “The Razor” Phan, and Portugal’s Joao Barbosa, who will take to the felts in Event #1.

All told, at least $6 million will be on the line. Let’s get down to business. Here’s the schedule for MiniFTOPS XV on Full Tilt Poker:

Wednesday, March 10th at 21:00 ET
Event 1: $22 No Limit Hold'em
$350,000 Guaranteed

Thursday, March 11th at 13:00 ET
Event 2: $26 Pot Limit Omaha High/Low Knockout
$75,000 Guaranteed

Thursday, March 11th at 21:00 ET
Event 3: $55 No Limit Hold'em 3X Shootout
$35,000 Guaranteed

Friday, March 12th at 13:00 ET
Event 4: $22 No Limit Hold'em Cubed
$300,000 Guaranteed

Friday, March 12th at 21:00 ET
Event 5: $22 Limit Hold'em Six-Max
$75,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, March 13th at 13:00 ET
Event 6: $55 Pot Limit Omaha Six-Max
$150,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, March 13th at 15:00 ET
Event 7: $11 No Limit Hold'em with Rebuys
$350,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, March 14th at 13:00 ET
Event 8: $13 No Limit Hold'em Knockout
$250,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, March 14th at 15:00 ET
Event 9: $55 No Limit Hold'em Heads-Up
$200,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, March 14th at 17:00 ET
Event 10: $33 No Limit Hold'em
$600,000 Guaranteed

Monday, March 15th at 13:00 ET
Event 11: $22 Omaha High/Low
$60,000 Guaranteed

Monday, March 15th at 21:00 ET
Event 12: $109 No Limit Hold'em
$400,000 Guaranteed

Tuesday, March 16th at 13:00 ET
Event 13: $33 No Limit Hold'em 4X Shootout Six-Max
$150,000 Guaranteed

Tuesday, March 16th at 21:00 ET
Event 14: $55 HORSE
$100,000 Guaranteed

Tuesday, March 16th at 21:00 ET
Event 15: $22 No Limit Hold'em Turbo
$200,000 Guaranteed

Wednesday, March 17th at 13:00 ET
Event 16: $22 Seven-Game
$50,000 Guaranteed

Wednesday, March 17th at 21:00 ET
Event 17: $33 No Limit Hold'em Six-Max with Rebuys
$350,000 Guaranteed

Thursday, March 18th at 13:00 ET
Event 18: $22 No Limit Hold'em Cashout
$60,000 Guaranteed

Thursday, March 18th at 21:00 ET
Event 19: $22 Stud
$40,000 Guaranteed

Friday, March 19th at 13:00 ET
Event 20: $22 No Limit Hold'em Six-Max
$200,000 Guaranteed

Friday, March 19th at 21:00 ET
Event 21: $33 Razz
$50,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, March 20th at 13:00 ET
Event 22: $266 No Limit Hold'em Ante from the Start Six-Max Two-Day Event
$600,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, March 20th at 15:00 ET
Event 23: $11 Pot Limit Omaha with Rebuys
$150,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, March 20th at 21:00 ET
Event 24: $53 No Limit Hold'em Super Turbo Six-Max
$75,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, March 21st at 13:00 ET
Event 25: $26 No Limit Hold'em Knockout Six-Max
$300,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, March 21st at 15:00 ET
Event 26: $22 Pot Limit Omaha Heads-Up
$40,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, March 21st at 17:00 ET
MiniFTOPS XV Main Event: $55 No Limit Hold'em
$800,000 Guaranteed

Visit Full Tilt Poker for details.

Maxim Names Tiffany Michelle, Vanessa Rousso as Hottest Women in Poker

The world of poker is dominated by men for the most part, but there are women who have made their mark on the felt. On many poker forums, there has been a debate as to who the “hottest” poker player in the game is – and that debate goes for the men in the game as well. A top men’s magazine, Maxim, has recently taken on the challenge of naming the 20 hottest women in poker, albeit with some liberties taken along the way.

Topping the list are two players who have earned their stripes on the tables and are sponsored poker players in their own right. UB.com’s Tiffany Michelle heads the list. She made her mark on the poker world in 2008 when she was the last woman standing in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Since that time, she has continued to excel at the poker tables and has appeared on “The Amazing Race” with fellow poker pro Maria Ho. Other movie and television credits for Michelle include the movie “Semi Pro” with comedian Will Ferrell and the FX series “Nip/Tuck.”

Along with Michelle, poker professional Vanessa Rousso was included in the 20-woman lineup for “hottest woman in poker.” Rousso, who currently carries a sponsorship with website hosting company GoDaddy.com along with PokerStars, also appeared in last year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Rousso is one of the preeminent women in the game today, with several six-figure cashes in her career that include a victory at last year’s European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final High-Roller event and a runner-up finish to Huck Seed at the 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship. She recently cashed at the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) L.A. Poker Classic, finishing in 59th place.

Three other women have had or continue to have an intimate involvement with poker as well as maintaining an active career outside of the game. Top model Joanna Krupa is on the Maxim list, as she maintains her modeling career alongside hosting duties for the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT). Former Absolute Poker spokesperson and model Serinda Swan makes the list along with actress Shannon Elizabeth, who has held sponsorship logos with both Full Tilt Poker and DoylesRoom in her poker career.

For those who wonder where 2005 WSOP Women’s Champion Jennifer Tilly is on the Maxim list, she is included along with other poker playing actresses such as Playboy model Jenny McCarthy and former “That 70s Show” performer Laura Prepon. Maxim also puts former “Baywatch” actress Pamela Anderson on the list, the second oldest member of the “hottest women in poker” behind Tilly. Anderson once was the face of her own online poker room, PamelaPoker.com, and allegedly settled a poker debt by marrying her opponent, former Paris Hilton paramour Rick Salomon, in a marriage that was later annulled.

For those who remember the Bravo television show “Celebrity Poker Showdown,” many of its alumni appear on the Maxim list. Academy Award winner Mena Suvari, comedian Sarah Silverman, former “Beverly Hills 90210” actress Jennie Garth, “Austin Powers” star Heather Graham, “Party Of Five” actress Lacey Chabert, “The Office” star Jenna Fischer, and actress Rosario Dawson all make their mark on the Maxim hot list and continue to play in charity events across the country. Rounding out the “hottest women in poker” are Jennifer Love Hewitt, Traci Bingham, and Odette Yustman.

While it may not settle the arguments across the online forums, Maxim’s “Hottest Women In Poker” definitely adds fuel to the fire. Were there any ladies that the magazine missed on their list? Poker News Daily would like to know, so be sure to inform us of who Maxim should have featured on the list and who shouldn’t have been there by leaving a comment below.

ESPN March Poker Player Rankings Released

Tuesday, ESPN.com released the March version of "The Nuts," its ranking of the top ten poker players in the world.  The list does not simply rank the best living players, but rather aims to determine who is currently playing the best poker.  All variations of poker are considered – live and online, tournaments and cash games.  Poker News Daily's own Dan Cypra is one of the members of the voting panel, along with ESPN.com writers Gary Wise, Andrew Feldman, and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee, Bluff Magazine's Editor-In-Chief Lance Bradley and Senior Writer Jessica Welman, PokerNews Editor-In-Chief Matthew Parvis, and tournament reporter Don Peters, and PokerRoad's Court Harrington.

This is the fourth month for "The Nuts" and for the fourth month, the seemingly peerless Phil Ivey sits atop the rankings.  He did not have any significant live poker tournament success in February, but his cash game prowess is still second to none.  While the rankings are a measure of who is the best "right now," the panel's focus is not so narrow as to limit evaluation to just a single month.  Ivey gets credit for his outstanding results in the months leading up to the most recent vote.

Jason Mercier, one of the best players that the general poker public may have never heard of, moved up one spot to number two.  In February, the Floridian made the quarterfinals of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and placed third in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic's High-Roller event.  When he found out that he had climbed to the second spot, Mercier was excited, telling ESPN.com, "It's pretty cool [to be No. 2]. I think that I've reached as high as I can go. I don't think I have any chance of beating out Ivey."

The biggest riser among last month's top ten was Tom "durrrr" Dwan, who was number eight in February and is now number three.  Dwan doesn't have any notches in his tournament belt recently, but he has been destroying the online cash games, as he usually does.  He made $2.7 million in the month leading up to the current vote, much of it off Patrik Antonius in the Durrrr Challenge.

Speaking of Antonius, his poor cash results resulted in him dropping in the rankings from second to fifth.

New to "The Nuts" this month are Cole South and Scott Seiver.  South has been tearing up cash games to the tune of $2.5 million in profit this year, while Seiver won the L.A. Poker Classic High-Roller event and placed fourth in the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Venetian High-Roller Bounty Shootout.

Dropping from the rankings were Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier and Jeffrey Lisandro, who were ninth and tenth, respectively, in February.

ESPN.com "The Nuts" Poker Player Rankings – March 2010

1. Phil Ivey
2. Jason Mercier
3. Tom "durrrr" Dwan
4. Daniel Negreanu
5. Patrik Antonius
6. Yevgeniy "Jovial Gent" Timoshenko
7. Daniel Alaei
8. Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin
9. Cole South
10. Scott Seiver

Florida Resident Arrested for Serving as Online Poker Payment Processor

A German national residing in Naples, Florida was arrested last month for running online gambling payment processing businesses out of his home. According to the criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, 29 year-old Michael Olaf Schuett "did knowingly conduct, control, manage, supervise, direct and own an unlicensed money transmitting business."

In fact, Schuett owns hundreds of business, nine of which are tied to payment processing. Those nine are MCM Capital Management Corp, MI Global Inc., South Naples Escrow Co., Southwest Florida Payroll Co., Woodhouse Systems, Mathew’s Trade Corp., and Internet Payment Services Group Inc. Schuett would receive wire transfers from two companies – the British Bluetool Ltd. and the German International Payment Systems – and then send cashier's checks, personal checks, or wires to customers located in the United States and Canada. While the exact composition of Schuett's customer base is not exactly known, it is presumed that most, if not all, of his customers are online gamblers. 

It was the suspicion of shipping companies and bank employees that eventually led to Schuett's arrest. Examples of activities that raised red flags included:

• Schuett's shipping of over 150 FedEx parcels from his home every week. FedEx employees opened some of the packages and discovered that each contained a check.
• Unusually high volume of wire transfers going in and out of Schuett's bank accounts, all with overseas companies.
• Some bank customers who attempted to cash checks written from an MCM Capital account told bank officials, when asked, that the checks were proceeds from playing online poker.
• Schuett told employees at one bank he used, Shamrock Bank, that his new account was to assist German nationals in purchasing real estate in Florida. The account's activity was not consistent with what would normally be associated with real estate transactions.

All told, Schuett filtered millions of dollars from online gambling companies through his companies and bank accounts to customers in North America. An example of the sheer dollar volume involved can be seen with his Bank of America accounts. Since November 1st, 2007, Schuett opened approximately 40 accounts at the large national bank and transferred approximately $70 million in and out of them to about 23,000 customers.

Schuett is specifically charged with violating United States Code Title 18, Section 1960, which in part states, "whoever knowingly conducts, controls, manages, supervises, directs, or owns all or part of an unlicensed money transmitting business, shall be fined in accordance with this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."

He is currently being held without bond in Lee County jail. Judge Sheri Polster Chappell denied bond because she believed Schuett could be a flight risk, as his visa expires in April, he is a German citizen, and he has no employment in the United States. In addition, one of the few reasons that someone might stay in the country, a spouse, may not be significant in this case. Schuett has only been married to his wife, 28 year-old Jennifer Sherman, for one month and has only known her for nine months.

Naturally, concerns have been raised within the online poker community about what this means for players looking to receive funds from poker rooms. In the long-run, many speculate that there will be no negative effect. Other poker rooms have experienced troubles with their payment processors in the past, and while it does create payout delays in the short-term, they typically find other processors.

What could result is the notion that payment processors, which poker players imagine to be "legitimate" companies, could really just be individuals receiving money from poker rooms and mailing checks to players from their own residences.

UB.com Cancels 2010 Aruba Poker Classic

The annual UB.com Aruba Poker Classic will take a leave of absence in 2010, according to officials from the USA-facing online poker site. Instead, UB.com plans to increase its presence at other live events and expand its online tournament offering.

In 2009, Brandon "AreTheseUtz" Hall defeated a field of 475 players in the UB.com Aruba Poker Classic Main Event to collect a $753,000 first place prize. The $5,500 tournament’s prize pool swelled to well over $2 million and a throng of online poker players flocked to the Radisson Aruba Resort and Casino to partake in the annual pilgrimage. Now, the tournament will be put on the shelf for 2010.

In lieu of the annual gala in paradise, UB.com will focus its efforts on expanding its live and online tournament schedules. In the virtual world, a monthly $500,000 Guaranteed is in the works. As it stands now, UB.com and its sister site, Absolute Poker, hold a weekly $200,000 Guaranteed that regularly draws over 1,000 entrants. Last week, 2008 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) winner Carter “ckingusc” King took down the contest and earned $48,000.

The Ultimate Bet Online Championship, or UBOC as it’s commonly referred to, will be expanded to run twice per year. It last appeared in January and featured two $1 million prize pool events, the first of which saw its purse grow to $1.5 million. When a second UBOC would occur is not yet clear. Full Tilt runs its Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) four times per year, while PokerStars’ WCOOP and Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) take place in September and May, respectively. The $500,000 guaranteed UB.com tournament may ultimately grow to become a $1 million event.

Tokwiro COO Paul Leggett commented in a press release on Wednesday, "It is with great regret that we are announcing that the Aruba event will not run this year, but 2010 is going to be an exciting year for UB and its players. Over the last year, we've been redefining the UB brand in every way. We love the Aruba Poker Classic event, but we think we can do a lot more for our players by investing in new events and rewards." Tokwiro is the parent company of UB.com and Absolute Poker. Both sites happily accept customers from the United States.

UB.com will also continue to qualify players for land-based tournaments on the World Poker Tour (WPT) as well as the World Series of Poker (WSOP), which kicks off in late May from the Rio in Las Vegas. In addition, “major WSOP incentives and additional loyalty benefits for top players” are being planned, according to the same press statement.

In 2002, Juha Helppi defeated Phil Gordon in the first ever running of the UB.com Aruba Poker Classic, which appeared as part of the WPT schedule during Season 1 in 2002. One year later, Erick Lindgren took down the $500,000 top prize in a final table that also featured Barry Shulman. During Season 3, Eric Brenes tangled with Layne Flack and came out on top for $1 million, with Mike Matusow and John Juanda also reaching the final table. In 2005, Freddy Deeb took down the Aruba Poker Classic title in the tournament’s final year as a stop on the WPT circuit.

The 2006 installment featured Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy battling heads-up against Devon Miller. The pro ultimately fell short and Miller banked $775,000. In 2007, Travis “TravestyFund” Rice emerged victorious, while Matt Brady took down the 2008 UB.com Aruba Poker Classic. Whether the tournament will reappear in 2011 remains to be seen.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this breaking story.

Eugene Katchalov Leads WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star After Day 1B

A total of 196 players took to the felts in San Jose, California for Day 1B of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament. Eugene Katchalov came out on top after the second starting day, earning a $10,000 cash bonus.

Katchalov finished with 131,500 chips, which will be the third largest stack after the survivors of Day 1A and Day 1B are combined for Day 2. When the cards hit the air today in the West Coast casino, 126 players will be seated. Overall, the tournament drew 333 entrants, down 15% from last year’s tally of 391. In 2009, Kathy Liebert took second to Steve Brecher and heading into Day 2, another female leads the way, Vanna Tea.

Shooting Stars, who have $5,000 bounties on their heads, doubled up left and right to close play on Tuesday at Bay 101. Full Tilt Poker front man Howard Lederer was all-in with A-J of diamonds and up against pocket kings, but flopped one jack and turned trips to advance to Day 2. Lederer will have a stack of 20,600 chips when play resumes, the 109th largest tally.

Also doubling up late in the day was 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Jerry Yang, whose 74,300 chips make up the 27th largest stack. Yang is fresh off an Elite Eight appearance in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, where he fell to eventual champion Annie Duke.

Not as fortunate was 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event winner John Juanda, whose pocket fours could not hold up against the A-K of Tyler Cornell. When the smoke cleared, Cornell made a Broadway straight to collect Juanda’s $5,000 bounty and autographed Shooting Star shirt.

Also falling short on Day 1B was Victory Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari, who was all-in pre-flop with a wired pair of nines against the pocket kings of Betfair pro Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi and the A-3 of another player. The board ran out J-8-8-5-3, ultimately giving Mizzi a king-high flush, and Esfandiari was relegated to the rails. "The Magician" had tripled up earlier in the day with pocket kings against A-K and pocket nines. Meanwhile, Mizzi busted two players in the hand and owns the ninth largest chip stack entering Day 2.

UB.com pro and 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth was all-in on a flop of J-5-3 with two spades holding A-Q of spades for the nut flush draw and two overcards. His opponent held 4-5 for a pair. The turn came a queen, saving the day for “The Poker Brat,” and a harmless nine fell on the river. Hellmuth ended the day with a stack of 62,800 chips, the 42nd largest tally in the WPT tournament. His talented company at Table 22 on Wednesday will include Phil Laak, Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, Justin “Boosted J” Smith, and Corwin “mig.com” Mackey. Talk about a tough draw.

Here are the top 10 chip stacks in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event as play enters Day 2:

1. Vanna Tea – 143,900
2. Greg “FBT” Mueller – 132,800
3. Eugene Katchalov – 131,500
4. Timothy McDermott – 118,100
5. Grantland Hillman – 115,100
6. David Sands – 106,900
7. Oddie Dardon – 105,500
8. Scotty Nguyen – 99,900
9. Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi – 97,600
10. Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko – 97,600

The winner of the event will take home an $878,000 grand prize, with the top 36 players finishing in the money. Here are the payouts for the six-handed feature table:

1st Place: $878,500
2nd Place: $521,200
3rd Place: $292,800
4th Place: $234,300
5th Place: $175,700
6th Place: $117,000

Other notable names appearing in the top 50 after two starting days include:

13. J.C. Tran – 93,100
15. Hasan Habib – 89,700
16. Nick Schulman – 88,100
18. Scott Montgomery – 84,800
19. Chris “Fox” Wallace – 84,100
26. “Miami” John Cernuto – 76,700
27. Jerry Yang – 74,300
30. Phil Laak – 72,700
35. Chau Giang – 68,500
41. Steve “gboro780” Gross – 64,200
42. Phil Hellmuth – 62,800
45. Matt “All In At 420” Stout – 61,000
47. Brandon Cantu – 58,100

The WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament will crown a champion on Friday. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT results.

EPT Berlin Robbery: Kevin MacPhee Appears on Early Show

The weekend robbery of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin event has garnered headlines around the world. On Monday morning, the tournament’s champion, Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee, appeared on CBS’ “Early Show” to break down the heist.

In one of the most bizarre events ever to take place during a poker tournament, masked gunmen stormed the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, nabbing a portion of the EPT’s prize pool. According to a Monday update issued by the Associated Press, the four thieves are still on the run and police have “no clear leads.” The perpetrators robbed the poker tournament’s registration area just after 2:00pm local time on Saturday in a midday assault and, according to the news outlet, escaped with a "low six-digit figure" of cash into a nearby mall. No one was harmed.

MacPhee told the millions of “Early Show” viewers live from Berlin, “It was one of the craziest days that I’ve ever experienced. There was a lot of panic in the room that day and then we were asked to come back and play for €1 million. It was very unusual.” Video of the robbery aired concurrently with MacPhee’s interview. A few hours later, participants returned to the tournament room and resumed their pursuit for the €1 million top prize.

MacPhee was seated at the feature table with the scuffle began and recalled, “We weren’t really sure what was going on. I just saw a wave of people headed for the back exit. There was a lot of panic and the actual TV stage started to collapse. When that started to happen, all of the players got up out of their seats to see what was happening.” The commotion began out in the hallway and players made their way to safety in the tournament room, some seeking cover under tables.

The tournament’s eventual winner knew that someone with a gun was likely to blame for the near riot: “My first instinct was just to get down on the ground. I figured that only someone with a gun in the room could cause that kind of panic. The gunmen didn’t even enter the poker room. They stayed near the tournament registration area, which was where the cash was. Thankfully, they didn’t come into the poker room and make it worse than it already was.” The Main Event drew nearly 1,000 players.

News of the rare casino heist has made waves across the world’s largest media outlets. Media outlets including the Sydney Morning Herald, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and Toronto Star have all reported on the story, as have a variety of poker news outlets. According to The Local and reprinted in the New York Times, another assailant may be to blame: “Because the well-timed heist bore the signs of an amateur job, police told Berlin daily Berliner Zeitung that they now believe there was at least one other accomplice already inside the hotel who gave a signal to begin the raid.” Whether the accomplice worked for the Grand Hyatt Hotel remains to be seen.

Despite the financial loss, all players received their prize money and the tournament carried on to a conclusion. As for what MacPhee did to celebrate his rather eventful live win, the online poker player told “Early Show” viewers, “Sundays are our busiest day, so… I celebrated by playing more poker. I think I’ll get out in Berlin the next couple of nights and try to celebrate a little bit more.”

Check out the complete CBS News interview with Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee.

Annie Duke Breaks Down National Heads-Up Poker Championship Win

Over the weekend, UB.com pro and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke became the first female winner ever of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which will air next month on NBC. Duke sat down to discuss her monumental win.

Poker News Daily: Your breakthrough match came against 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Paul Wasicka, which featured you drawing out with A-10 against pocket aces and 8-5 against pocket jacks. Talk about the roller coaster of a match.

Annie Duke: I had Paul Wasicka ground down and then he doubled through me. We were about even in chips and then I was slightly behind before I won with A-10 against aces. I sucked out and made a Broadway straight and he was crippled. I was horrified when I won that hand. It was an epically long battle. He said that whichever way this goes, we could both sleep well. He was so gracious and it was an amazing match.

PND: In a Guest Column on Poker News Daily, you lamented that neither Erik Seidel nor you had much success in the invite-only tournament. How surreal was it to be playing against each other for the title?

Annie Duke: That was storybook. After I won my match against Wasicka and Erik won his match, we talked on the phone. I realized how close we were to playing each other in the finals. What an incredible feeling to know that you’re in the finals and whatever the result was, you’d be very happy. He said that this was the happiest he’s ever been coming in second and I’d have felt the same way. It was a very relaxing feeling and not the same as in the other matches. Erik Seidel might have the best poker mind out there.

PND: You drew 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon in the second round. How is Moon’s game?

Annie Duke: Darvin Moon was really nice. He’s just a good guy and he was talking about how happy he was to be there and how he’s living the dream. It was really pleasant to play with him. He knows that he doesn’t have the game of a player like Huck Seed. I was happy to draw him, of course, but he wasn’t a pushover.

PND: You’re a former WSOP Tournament of Champions winner and have also captured a bracelet. Where does this rank among your various poker accomplishments?

Annie Duke: This is second to the Tournament of Champions. I’ve always ranked the Tournament of Champions above the bracelet and I would put this above the bracelet as well. It’s the timing. Given that I had just taken five months off, the timing was big. I feel like I’m standing with some pretty cool winners of this event, so I am pretty happy. I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with Huck Seed, Phil Hellmuth, Ted Forrest, Chris Ferguson, and Paul Wasicka. To have gotten to play Erik in the final was a really memorable experience.

In the Tournament of Champions, I was three-handed with my brother and Phil Hellmuth. Now, being able to play with one of my best friends and be among those winners is incredible. I think I needed the win and have been really focused since I got back into poker. I had a nice run at the L.A. Poker Classic leading up to this.

PND: In the L.A. Poker Classic High-Roller event, you were seated alongside Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka. Tell us about his poker skill set.

Annie Duke: Playing heads-up against him helped me in the event I won. He’s very good at leveraging the chip stacks of his opponents. He’s good at changing up his play and I watched what he was doing. I learned a lot from my match with him.

Greg “FBT” Mueller, Yevgeniy Timoshenko Among WPT Bay 101 Day 1A Leaders

Two players on recent hot streaks are among the chip leaders after Day 1A of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament. A total of 17 bounties took to the field on Day 1A, with 25 more expected today.

Greg “FBT” Mueller won two bracelets during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), coming out on top in the $10,000 World Championship of Limit Hold’em for $460,000 and a $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout for another $195,000. Moreover, he made a third final table, taking seventh place in the World Championship of Seven Card Stud for $53,000. All told, Mueller logged one of the most successful WSOP showings in history and is up to his winning ways once again in San Jose, California, the site of Bay 101.

Mueller sent Shooting Star and recent WPT Southern Poker Championship winner Hoyt Corkins out on Monday. The DoylesRoom pro was all-in before the flop with A-K, but Mueller, who is also a Shooting Star, picked up pocket aces. The board ran out Q-8-4-9-9 and Corkins signed over a commemorative shirt. Mueller also laid claim to the $5,000 cash bonus. The former hockey player has the second largest chip stack after Day 1A at 132,800, trailing only chip leader Vanna Tea’s 143,900.

Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko is the reigning WPT Championship winner and also took down the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event for $1.7 million. In 2008, Timoshenko found the winner’s circle of the Asian Poker Tour’s (APT) Macau Main Event for $500,000. Timoshenko, a Shooting Star, owned the fourth largest stack when play wrapped up for the night on Monday at 97,600. A total of 53 players remained of the 136 who entered.

Timoshenko dropped a portion of his stack late in the day. He led out for 6,900 into a pot of 10,000 on a board reading K-8-4-6-5. Team PokerStars Pro front man Daniel Negreanu made the call and turned over 5-4 of hearts for two pair. Timoshenko had K-J for top pair and was a victim of a less-than-stellar river card. The hand boosted Negreanu to 50,000 in chips, but he ended the day with just 19,600, the 48th largest stack.

The first Shooting Star to depart was T.J. Cloutier, who shoved on a flop of A-J-4 holding pocket queens. Wade Griffith held A-J in the hand for top two pair and Cloutier failed to improve on the turn or river. Griffith finished in 42nd place after Day 1A with a stack of 30,000 chips.

Besides Mueller, Timoshenko and Negreanu, the Shooting Stars who survived the day were Mike Matusow (39th place with 35,100), Freddy Deeb (41st place with 30,800), and Steve Brecher (51st place with 10,800). Here are the top 10 chip stacks after the first of two starting days at Bay 101:

1. Vanna Tea - 143,900
2. Greg Mueller - 132,800
3. Oddie Dardon - 105,500
4. Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko - 97,600
5. Joseph Elpayaa - 87,300
6. Scott Montgomery - 84,800
7. Chris “Fox” Wallace - 84,100
8. Bruce Kramer - 81,200
9. Daniel LaFrance - 79,400
10. Tyson Marks - 74,000

When play wrapped up for the day, the action was in Level 9, where the blinds were 300-600 with an ante of 75. No Shooting Star has ever won Bay 101 since it became part of the WPT in 2004.

As an added bonus, Tea pocketed a $10,000 cash prize for leading the pack after Day 1A; the leader after Day 1B will also collect $10,000. The cards hit the air at 10:45am PT this morning.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT results.

Face the Ace Lawsuit Dismissed in Nevada’s Eighth District Court

On Monday, Poker News Daily learned that the Eighth District Court in Nevada dismissed a lawsuit filed by Brandon McSmith, who claimed ownership of the idea for the NBC poker game show “Face the Ace.”

McSmith can now file an appeal or seek the intervention of a federal court. McSmith told Poker News Daily that while he was disappointed in the decision, he’s optimistic an appeal will be successful: “Judge Michelle Leavitt dismissed the case on the basis that I didn't state a claim. Leavitt has her fair share of appeals that have gone against her.”

McSmith purportedly created a show dubbed the “All Star Poker Challenge” in which five pros would take on contestants in a series of heads-up matches similar to the structure of “Face the Ace.” Each match was worth $2,000 in prize money and players who fought through all five pros would take home a trip to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. On “Face the Ace,” the top prize was $1 million and only three matches were held.

On why Leavitt may have dismissed his case, McSmith told Poker News Daily, “She didn't want to listen to any of the evidence before her. Under Nevada procedures, you state a claim that's plausible. I'm trying not to be negative, but it looked like it was stacked against me. I will either appeal it or file in federal court. It gives the FBI a little more time to investigate.”

The FBI became involved in the copyright infringement case late last week, when McSmith successfully contacted Arlo Devlin-Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Devlin-Brown was one of the primary forces behind a $30 million online poker funds seizure last July that affected more than 24,000 players. It’s speculated that Devlin-Brown’s interest in the case may stem from the involvement of Full Tilt Poker, which sponsored “Face the Ace” and lent its pros to the program. 2009 WSOP Main Event November Niner Phil Ivey was the series’ very first pro challenger.

Poker PROductions brought “Face the Ace” to life. The production company also creates new episodes of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” and NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and is headed by Mori Eskandani. On a timeline for his next move, McSmith forecasted, “I have my people working on it right now. It’ll be less than three weeks. We’re pulling everything together. I won't sit back and wait, but I want to make sure to cross my T’s and dot my I’s first. I'm not too worried about going to federal court. The big decision is if I want to get [Judge Leavitt's] decision overturned.”

McSmith sent a package to an FBI Special Agent containing hard copies of e-mails and other correspondence related to his claims to “Face the Ace.” The agent actually asked him why he didn’t file his copyright infringement case in federal court in the first place, an avenue that McSmith may now take. The plaintiff is a security worker at a casino in Las Vegas by trade.

“Face the Ace” debuted with a paltry 0.4 rating and a 2 share, equating to nearly 1.6 million viewers. It squared off against “America’s Most Wanted” on FOX, the Rachel McAdams movie “Red Eye” on ABC, and a re-run of “Numb3rs” on CBS, falling short in the ratings against all three programs. The series, which featured host Steve Schirripa of “The Sopranos” fame, has not yet been renewed for a second season. McSmith noted that despite the relative failure of the show, its worldwide syndication and being its creator make a lawsuit worthwhile.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest developments in the “Face the Ace” lawsuit.