Posts Tagged ‘2008’
WPT Bellagio Cup: Joseph Miceli leading, Annette Obrestad also continues after receiving some help from the card deck
The second day of the WPT Bellagio Cup is over. At the moment 113 players of the original 310 who started in the tournament will continue to the third day. Other players still have the possibility to register in the tournament until the end of the first level of the third day.
After the first two days the biggest chipstack is held by Joseph Miceli (440k). The next ones in chipcount are Jordan Morgan (431,3k), the first-day chipleader Guillaume Darcourt (378k) and Paola Martin (290,8k).
Of the big names Men Nguyen (240k), Daniel Alaei (220k), Scott Seiver (215k), Annette Obrestad (117,7k) and Joe Hachem (100k) are also in the rop row. View the whole chipcount from here.
Obrestad’s games were nearly over during the second day as her pocket kings encountered the set Jordan Smith had flopped with pocket queens. However, the river brought the king to the table, and Annette’s wishes of winning the WPT race are still alive.
“Annette Obrestad”
The starting chipstack was 40k. At the moment the average stack is 109,7k.
The prize pool is not yet available since the buy-in time for the tournament still lasts until the end of the first level of the third day.
Chipcount Top10:
Source: WPT and TheHendonMob
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Betfair Poker joins Ongame Network
Betfair and Ongame Network published today a joint press release about Betfair Poker joining Ongame Network’s global online poker network in the end of this July.
This deal between Ongame and Betfair will bring a lot of new players and more money to Ongame Network.
The Head of Betfair Poker, Daniel Svard, comments the migration:“From now on Betfair Poker players will have a greater supply of games at all times of the day. Both companies have also really committed to developing their functions.”
Martin Lerby, Head of Ongame Network continues:“In the long run Betfair is an ideal partner for us. Betfair is a respected, technically mature brand. We are very delighted to welcome Betfair’s players and know-how in this highly competitive market.”
Source: Ongame Network
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Carlos Mortensen, Marcel Luske to Play World Cup Heads-Up Match
Following the World Poker Tour (WPT) press conference on Saturday, two of poker’s biggest names will take part in a World Cup prop bet that will end with the loser hanging his head in shame for a day.
Spain’s Carlos Mortensen will play a heads-up match against Marcel Luske of the Netherlands in the Bellagio’s Monet Ballroom one day before the World Cup final game between each player’s home country. The loser will wear the jersey of the winning player’s country as they watch the World Cup final together on Sunday morning prior to the start of Bellagio Cup VI. Then, they’ll keep the winner’s jersey on throughout Day 1 of the tournament. Sunday’s World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain kicks off at 2:30pm ET, with the Bellagio Cup starting later in the day.
The heads-up event is open to the public and can be seen live via Ustream through a dedicated link that will be posted on WorldPokerTour.com. Updates will be on Twitter throughout the contest and video highlights will be available on YouTube.com and on WPT’s website at the conclusion of the match.
Mortensen and Luske were both eliminated from the World Series of Poker Main Event and will shift their focus fully toward the Bellagio Cup following Sunday’s game. Mortensen had three cashes at the WSOP this year, including a sixth place finish in the $10,000 HORSE Championship for $102,237. Luske, meanwhile, played only a handful of events at the Rio and had one cash, a 22nd place finish in the $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout.
Luske, who updates his Twitter account frequently, expressed his disappointment following his elimination from the Main Event: “there is always a reason 4things, busted from the main, back in the bellagio, like being home earlier than expected… lol gl 2 the survivors.”
The Bellagio Cup is the fourth stop on Season 9 of the WPT and will run from July 11th to the 15th. The final table will take place Thursday, July 15th, one day earlier than the initially scheduled, inside the Bellagio Fontana Lounge beginning at 4:00pm PT. Last year, Brazil’s Alex Gomes bested a field of 268 players to collect $1.1 million. The final table was one of the best the WPT has ever seen, consisting of pros Erik Seidel, Justin “Boosted J” Smith, Alec Torelli, Faraz Jaka, and Christopher Sonessen. The other two winners of the Bellagio Cup were Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul (2008) and Mike “SirWatts” Watson (2009).
Among the topics discussed at Saturday’s WPT press conference will be the addition of a new female on-air talent, added tour attractions, and new additions to the television production.
Jesper Hougaard, Johnny Chan Among WSOP Main Event Day 2A Chip Leaders
The marathon that is the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event rolled along on Friday, with 2,412 players returning from Days 1A and 1C to take part in Day 2A.
1987 and 1988 Main Event champion Johnny Chan sat just a few spots in back of chip leader Corwin Cole to begin the day, with $50,000 Player’s Championship winner Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and England’s Barny Boatman also in the top ten. Although there was a festive atmosphere in the Amazon Room at the start of play, over half the field would not survive to bag up chips at the end of the night.
The early action consisted of many players who were looking to double up or go home with their meager chip stacks. One of the players able to succeed on that front was 2008 WSOP Main Event final tablist Dennis Phillips, who made Big Slick work against an opponent’s pocket jacks to earn an early chip up. Phillips would continue to drive his stack upwards, reaching 45,000 late Friday night. However, the popular St. Louis poker pro would Tweet his demise before the end of action: “The search for the next November Nine goes on… unfortunately was just eliminated & will not be in the hunt.”
Phillips wasn’t the only one to face his WSOP mortality on Friday. World Poker Tour host and Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton saw pocket kings vanquished when he was looking for a triple up, being outdrawn by pocket nines on a 2-9-8 rainbow flop. Also departing the Rio on Friday were 2009 November Niner James Akenhead, Rincon Circuit champion Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire, Ted Lawson, Liz Lieu, and UB.com’s “Hollywood” Dave Stann, who commented on Twitter about his defeat at the hands of Jennifer “Jennicide” Leigh: “That was fun. Guess I’m headed back to LA early… Straights don’t beat flushes here apparently. nh Jennicide.”
Several top pros rode the elevator the opposite way on Day 2A. Chan, who started action stacked with 163,700 in chips, continued to be a force at the tables. “The Orient Express” was able to build on his Day One play, ending Day 2A in tenth place on the leaderboard with 281,600 in chips.
Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke was also able to mount an assault. Starting the day with 67,000 in chips, the current National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner rode a roller coaster throughout the day before getting into an epic hand late in the evening. Holding 
on a 
board, the UB.com pro was able to get her opponent to commit the remainder of their chips with an offsuit 4-2.
A nondescript nine hit on the turn, but the crowd was stunned when the 
hit, making Duke’s opponent a boat, which many railbirds inaccurately assumed gave her tablemate the hand. According to WSOP.com reports, Duke calmly pointed out, “I have the straight flush,” earning her the pot in stunning fashion. Duke used that hand to skyrocket to 176,600 in chips.
Making the most noise in the Rio on Friday was Denmark’s Jesper Hougaard. The only person to ever win Las Vegas and European WSOP bracelets in the same year (2008), Hougaard started Friday with the 51,000 chips he built on Day 1C and attacked his tablemates throughout the day. By the time the smoke cleared on Friday night, Hougaard had amassed 316,200 in chips, good for third place behind Boulos Estafanous. According to WSOP statistics, 1,192 players have reported chip counts and will be back for play on Day 3.
Those who come to the felt on Saturday will have a significant challenge ahead of them. Day 2B – the combination of Days 1B and 1D – will be composed of slightly more than 2,700 players. James Danielson is the leader of Day 2B at 201,050 in chips, but he is pursued by WSOP bracelet and gold ring winner Steve “MrSmokey1” Billirakis (187,150). Other top professionals stepping to the felt on Saturday include tenth place Jason DeWitt (149,950), Full Tilt Poker’s David Benyamine (130,800), Team PokerStars pro Vanessa Rousso (111,050), Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond (107,100), and English powerhouse James “Flushy” Dempsey (106,175).
Sunday will be a rest day for the survivors of the WSOP Main Event. The field will come together for the first time on Monday, when Day 3 will consolidate the field at the Rio. Expect the field to number approximately 2,500 by that point, with the latest incarnation of the “November Nine” to be determined one week from today.
Tags: 2008, 2009, Annie Duke, David Benyamine, european, full tilt poker, Hollywood, pokerstars, vegas, WSOP
Did David Sklansky cheat by trying to earn a couple of “Sklansky bucks”?
The poker pro Prahlad Friedman has caused a huge discussion. In Twitter Friedman suggested that the wise man of poker, David Sklansky, would be a cheater…
- mmm.. some Sklansky bucks!
Friedman tells about a game with Sklansky where every player got 5,000 chipstacks. However, 300 chips were missing from one player’s stack. Finally these chips were found from Sklansky’s stack after each player had already been asked to check their stacks. Sklansky claimed that he had not heard the request at all. There was one chip too much in each of his chipstacks - which accounted for this unnoticed disproportion.
One commentator wrote that if Sklansky himself had noticed a missing $100 in his stack, he surely would have gone nuts. Sklansky’s answer was rude:
“Whoever this guy is who said that I would go nuts if I was missing 100 is either joking or doesn’t realize how little that amount is since this website came along” , he wrote and referred to those big sums he has earned from 2+2 page. Sklansky is one of the owners of the Twoplustwo company.
- Did David try to cheat or not? You can follow this discussion on 2+2 forum.
Source: 2+2 and TheHendonMob
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Did David Sklansky cheat by trying to earn a couple of “Sklansky bucks”?
7,319 Players Enter Second Largest WSOP Main Event in History
7,319 players stormed the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for the first four Day Ones of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, making it the second largest tournament in the history of the 41 year old institution.
To put this year’s tournament in perspective, only the 2006 WSOP Main Event and its 8,773 player field – held prior to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States later that year – eclipsed the number of players accommodated by the Rio this year. While this year’s Main Event is the second largest tournament in history, the first place prize will not be the second largest in history. Due to the flattened payout structure instituted by Harrah’s and WSOP officials last year, this year’s winner will receive $8,994,138, the third largest payday behind 2006 champion Jamie Gold’s $12 million and 2008 victor Peter Eastgate’s $9,152,416.
Day 1D was by far the largest of the four Day Ones held., as 2,391 players stepped up to take their shot at winning poker’s most cherished championship. Day 1D vastly outpaced the three previous Day Ones (1,125, 1,489, and 2,314 players, respectively), leaving poker fans around the Pavilion and Amazon Rooms of the Rio scrambling to search for their favorite pros.
Former Dallas Cowboy great and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Emmitt Smith issued the call to “shuffle up and deal” before stepping to the felt himself, decked in Full Tilt Poker regalia. Although he made it through the first break, the all-time leading rusher in NFL history didn’t last long at the tables. Joining him on the rail were such professional players as Ante Up For Africa champion Phil Gordon, John Kabbaj, Pamela Brunson, 2005 WSOP final table duo Joseph Hachem and Steve Dannenmann, John Juanda, Sorel Mizzi, and Noah Boeken.
According to statistics from the WSOP website, 1,699 players survived the carnage of the final Day One of the 2010 WSOP, with several notable professionals stepping up to the top of the leaderboard. WSOP bracelet holder Steve “MrSmokey1” Billirakis was able to capture the lead of Day 1D by finishing off the night with 187,150 chips. He is closely pursued by Khamsy Nuanmanee, a 24 year old player from Las Vegas who thrilled the crowd around the Rio with her run up to 170,525 in chips. Others trailing behind this duo on Day 1D include David Benyamine (130,800), Team PokerStars pro Vanessa Rousso (111,050), 2010 bracelet winner Matt Keikoan (105,175), Josh Arieh (103,650), Jason Mercier (90,525), and 2010 WSOP Player of the Year contender Frank Kassela (87,000).
The remaining 5,129 players in the 2010 WSOP Main Event will now proceed to play over the next two days. Days 1A and 1C will be hitting the felt Friday afternoon for Day 2A, with roughly 2,400 players scheduled to meet again for battle. Corwin Cole looks to be the overall leader for the four Day Ones with 228,200 in chips, but there are a host of challengers that await him in the Top Ten of Day 2A alone.
Sitting in fourth place at the start of Day 2A is the last man to win back-to-back WSOP Main Event titles, Johnny Chan, stacked with 163,700 in chips, top female professional Lauren Kling (149,650) in seventh, Hendon Mobster Barny Boatman (144,050) in eighth, and $50,000 Player’s Championship winner Michael Mizrachi holding down the tenth place slot with his 142,650 in chips. Others who will be looking to move up the leaderboard on Day 2A include Hoyt Corkins (129,150), defending WSOP Europe Main Event champion Barry Shulman (113,325), recent PokerStars signee David Williams (112,225) and former World Champion Chris Moneymaker (107,425).
After play today and Saturday, the field should be cut down to roughly 2,500 survivors. The WSOP Main Event will then take a break on Sunday before bringing the remaining warriors back for action on Monday. Then, players will attempt to reach 747th place, the first position that will be paid at this year’s Main Event.
Tags: 2008, 2010, aced, David Benyamine, full tilt poker, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, vegas, WSOP
Liv Boeree and UB.com Renegotiating Contract
Rumblings around the Amazon Room, site of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, have Liv Boeree and UB.com parting ways. However, Poker News Daily can independently confirm that the two sides are actively renegotiating Boeree’s contract.
Boeree made waves in April after taking down the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) San Remo Main Event for $1.7 million. She bested the largest European EPT field ever of 1,240 in the process and defeated Sweden’s Jakob Carlsson heads-up. Boeree’s win was the latest in the so-called Year of the Woman, which also included Annie Duke winning the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and Vanessa Selbst taking down the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Mohegan Sun Main Event.
Poker News Daily has learned that Boeree’s contract has expired, but the two sides are pursuing a new deal. A UB.com spokesperson explained on Thursday, “Liv’s contract has expired. We are in contract renegotiation discussions now.” The negotiations are expected to come to a head within a week.
Meanwhile, the 2010 WSOP Main Event is playing out at the Rio in Las Vegas. Boeree played on Day 1B on Tuesday, running into a set of kings during the first level to cripple her stack. Then, she was poised for a much-needed double up with pocket jacks, but an opponent with pocket eights found a set. Boeree has never cashed in a WSOP tournament with a buy-in greater than $2,000. This year, she turned in three in the money finishes for $8,000 total.
Boeree, who is dating fellow poker pro Allie Prescott, still appears on UB.com’s website as a sponsored pro. The U.K. native was born in 1984 and, 21 years later, appeared on “Ultimate Poker Showdown.” There, she received instruction from Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, and David “Devilfish” Ulliott and the rest, as they say, is history. Duke and Hellmuth now front Team UB, while Ulliott serves as the namesake behind the Entraction Network site Devilfish Poker.
In May 2008, Boeree took down the Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship for $42,000. Then, she final tabled a preliminary event held during the Aussie Millions in 2009 for another $13,000. The same year, Boeree took 37th in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship at the Bellagio for $40,000, nearly doubling her $25,000 buy-in. Her crowning glory remains her win in San Remo, where she became just the third woman ever to win an EPT title, joining Vicky Coren (EPT London in 2006) and Sandra Naujoks (EPT Dortmund in 2009).
Besides Hellmuth, Duke, and Boeree, UB.com’s roster of sponsored pros also includes former “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok, “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle, two-time bracelet winner Brandon Cantu, and Anthrax’s Scott Ian. In early June, Cantu re-signed with UB.com for one year. UB.com pros were spotted at the site’s get-together at the Mandarin Oriental bar at CityCenter in Las Vegas on Monday. The night ended with a shotgun wedding as part of a site-sponsored prop bet contest.
Recent player signings include David Williams and Vanessa Selbst inking agreements with PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site. In addition, PokerStars is sponsoring the stable of pros belonging to Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy and Eric “sheets” Haber during the Main Event, which includes well-known players like Nick “fu_15” Maimone, and Jamie “TheNew” Robbins. Back in May, Amanda Musumeci joined the ranks of Bodog, which parted ways with Williams, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and Jean-Robert Bellande.
Tags: 2008, 2009, 2010, Annie Duke, bellagio, bodog, european, Justin Bonomo, ladies, Online Poker, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, poker show, pokerstars, Tiffany Michelle, tournament, vegas, woman, WSOP
Peter Eastgate to Retire from Poker?
In news that has stunned the poker community, 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Peter Eastgate has stated that he plans to retire from international high-stakes poker, at least for the time being.
In a blog on his sponsor site, PokerStars, Eastgate indicated that he lacked the desire to continue to pursue the lifestyle of a professional poker player. “When I started playing poker for a living, it was never my goal to spend the rest of my life as a professional poker player,” the 24 year old Eastgate states. “My goal was to become financially independent. I achieved that by winning the WSOP Main Event in 2008.”
Eastgate goes on to say that, while he has enjoyed the ride of being recognized as a former Main Event Champion, his heart may not be in the game anymore. “The period following (winning the WSOP Main Event) has taken me on a worldwide tour, where I have seen some amazing places and met many new people; it has been a great experience,” Eastgate writes in the statement on the PokerStars blog. “In the 20 months following my WSOP win, I feel that I have lost my motivation for playing high level poker along the way and I have decided that now is the time to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
Where Eastgate becomes a bit cryptic as to his future is at the end of the statement: “What this (next chapter) will be, I do not yet know. I have decided to take a break from live tournament poker, and try to focus on Peter Eastgate, the person. I want to thank PokerStars, my friends and family for their support over the last 20 months and for their support in my decision to take a break from poker.”
Since his victory at the 2008 WSOP Main Event, where he won $9.15 million, Eastgate has been traveling the world and seemingly playing well. In 2009, he won a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em preliminary event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $343,000 and then went on a sizzling run in defense of his WSOP championship. In last year’s tournament, he finally succumbed in 78th place, arguably one of the best championship defenses of the past ten years.
In the past ten months, Eastgate has been around the world displaying his poker skills in such locales as London (where he finished second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event), Tallinn, Estonia; Sydney, Australia; Deauville, France; his home court of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Las Vegas. According to the Hendon Mob database, he has won $1.54 million since his WSOP championship and currently sits sixth in lifetime earnings with $10.9 million.
Obviously, however, Eastgate has felt the call of other things outside of the poker world. In June, Poker News Daily reported that Eastgate would not attend any preliminary events at the WSOP, focusing his concentration on Denmark’s run in the 2010 World Cup and traveling to South Africa for the matches. He commented at the time, “I don’t have the motivation to play all the small events at the WSOP. That would be a waste of money. To me it’s not that important to win bracelet number two.” He also questioned the logic of some of the “young guns” in the game, most notably Tom “durrrr” Dwan, playing in the preliminary tournaments because of prop bets on winning bracelets.
Eastgate isn’t the first young poker pro to make the decision to step away from the felt for a while. Late last year, noted online pro Shaun Deeb announced that he would step away from the game, only to reappear at this year’s WSOP. Former EPT champion Michael “Timex” McDonald and online cash game wizard Jonas “Nebuchad” Danielsson announced a “retirement” of sorts from the game this year.
Comments on Eastgate’s decision has sent social media outlets and poker forums into a frenzy. On Twitter, none other than eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel noted, “Wow, 2008 WSOP champ Peter Eastgate quits poker… Interesting story, wish him all the best.” Noted French poker journalist Benjo DiMeo thought that Eastgate’s move was for the best when he Tweeted, “Now here is a smart kid.”
On the forums, Eastgate’s decision has been met with mostly good will. On PocketFives.com, poster “TpocketT” remarked, “Eastgate seemed like a very smart, thinking player. Gl to him, I think he’s basically done what most people set out to do when they become poker players – get rich and retire.” Another poster, “matze_widi,” agreed, stating, “I like that move, reevaluate your life… there are so many more fun things to do other then playing poker… and he obviously has no money issues.” But perhaps the final word on Eastgate’s decision – and potentially a look to the near future – was written by “wackyJaxon”: “I would guess that he will be back, its just a temporary decision, gives him time and then can play when its ‘fun’ for him. Would take a small prop bet he enters a live tourney by end of next WSOP.” ?
Tags: 2008, 2009, 2010, Australia, european, poker player, pokerstars, skill, Sydney, tournament, vegas, WSOP
WSOP Main Event Day 1C: Chan Takes Control
The official WSOP count for the day was 2,314, which topped the 1,125 from day 1A and the 1,489 from day 1B.
While the WSOP doesn't have an exact number of players who have pre-registered for the final starting day, staff did go on record and say the total number would top the 6,844 in 2008.
Eight previous Main Event Champions played the day and only five emerged to play another. Joe Cada, Scotty Nguyen, Carlos Mortensen, Johnny Chan and Tom McEvoy are all still competing while Phil Hellmuth, Huck Seed and Jerry Yang were sent packing.
There were 540 unfortunate souls who didn't survive the day, while 1,774 will return on Friday for day 2.
Among the other players who had their WSOP hopes cut short were Tom Dwan, Chad Brown, Shaun Deeb, Jeff Madsen, Dario Minieri, Howard Lederer, Scott Fischman and former Playboy Playmate Shanna Moakler.
On the other end of the spectrum Johnny Chan, David Williams, Lauren Kling, Robert Mizrachi and Hoyt Corkins all have over 100k in chips.
Patrik Antonius played in his first WSOP tournament since the $50k Player's Championship, as the Finn has been sticking mostly to cash games in recent weeks.
Tomorrow will be the final "Day 1" of the 2010 Main Event with the first of two "Day 2s" starting on Friday. Action starts at noon again so be sure to keep it locked here for all of the latest news and live updates.
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2008 Main Event Champ Eastgate a No-Show
The 24-year-old Danish pro said he is burnt out on tournament poker and taking an indefinite leave of absence from the game that brought him fame and fortune.
"In the 20 months following my WSOP win, I feel that I have lost my motivation for playing high-level poker along the way and I have decided that now is the time to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life," Eastgate said in a press release from his sponsoring company PokerStars.
Eastgate took the poker world by storm by becoming the youngest World Champion in WSOP history, breaking Phil Hellmuth's 19-year-old record. His cash immediately propelled him to the number two position atop the all-time WSOP earnings list - a ranking he still holds.
That financial security is now leading him to explore opportunities beyond the felt. "The period following [my WSOP victory] has taken me on a worldwide tour, where I have seen some amazing places and met many new people; it has been a great experience," said a reflective Eastgate.
"I have decided that now is the time to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life. What this will be, I do not yet know. I have decided to take a break from live tournament poker, and try to focus on Peter Eastgate the person," he explained.
This should come as good news to the rest of the field as Eastgate proved his 2008 win wasn't a fluke by finishing 68th out of 6,494 as the defending champion last year.
Eastgate did not give any timetable on the leave of absence, though he also didn't use the term retirement or categorically rule out a return to professional tournament play.
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BLOG – The 2008 champion steps down and a WSOP overview
Huge Numbers on Main Event Day 1b
A total of 1,489 players bought into Day 1b, which was a nice bump from the 1,125 that bought in on Day 1a.
Among the big name players to take part on the usually slow starting day were Erick Lindgren, Justin Bonomo, Joe Sebok, Liv Boeree, Jamie Gold and Arnaud Mattern.
Unfortunately all of the above players busted along with 400 more, leaving approximately 1,000 players to carry the torch into Day 2b.
Annette Obrestad made her first appearance in the North American version of the tournament she won in London in 2008.
After nearly 12 hours of play Obrestad busted and will likely want to forget her first experience in the biggest poker tournament in the world.
Meanwhile Jason DeWitt, Phil Galfond, Alex Kostritsyn, Florian Langmann and Kido Pham will bring large stacks into Day 2b.
Other notables to make Day 2b include Brandon Cantu, Dan Kelly, Johnny Lodden, Phil Laak, Jon Turner, Dan Harrington, Gavin Smith and Matt Stout. Day 2b will start at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Day 1c begins at 12 p.m. tomorrow.
The 2010 WSOP continues through July 17. For comprehensive coverage of the WSOP tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates and News.
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Williams, Selbst Join PokerStars
The online poker room introduced the two players as members of Team PokerStars Pro during a press conference at the Palms on Tuesday.
Williams mentioned he was happy to be a part of the PokerStars family.
"It's quite special to be part of Team PokerStars," said Williams. "I've always felt it's the biggest and best site there is."
"Being part of a product that you can endorse whole-heartedly is amazing."
Both players are young but have experienced a lifetime of poker over the last decade.
A former Magic: The Gathering player, Williams rose to poker stardom when he finished runner-up to current Team PokerStars member Greg Raymer in the 2004 WSOP Main Event.
It was the best ever finish for an African American in the Main Event and Williams earned $3.5 million for his second place finish.
Over the next few years Williams was never short of media exposure as Bodog Pro and was featured on reality game show King of Vegas and in his own Raw Vegas video blog.
His poker record is also impeccable with second place finish in the WPT Borgata Poker Open for $573,800 in 2004, a WSOP bracelet win in the 2006 $1,500 Seven-Card Stud event.
Most recently Williams won the WPT World Championship at Bellagio for $1.5 million to bump his lifetime earnings to $7.9 million.
Williams is hopeful his game will only improve as a member Team PokerStars Pro.
"If I'm struggling or I have questions about my game I'm going to have world champions that I can turn to," he said.
Meanwhile Vanessa Selbst is one of the premier female players in the game with five WSOP final tables, a victory in the 2008 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for $227,933.
Selbst won NAPT Mohegan Sun back in April for $750,000, which bumped her lifetime earnings up to $1.6 million.
Selbst was born in Brooklyn, New York, and cut her teeth playing online poker where she was known as fslexcduck.
She's currently a law student at Yale and an instructor at the online poker training site Deuces Cracked.
Selbst and Williams will join a team that already includes Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Vanessa Rousso, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Jason Mercier, Barry Greenstein and many more players from around the globe.
Both players will play in the ongoing 2010 WSOP Main Event.
The 2010 WSOP continues through July 17. For comprehensive coverage of the WSOP tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates and News.
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Tags: 2008, 2010, Barry Greenstein, bellagio, bodog, Daniel Negreanu, Online Poker, pokerstars, tournament, vegas, WSOP
ESPN Inside Deal Features Vanessa Rousso, Dean Hamrick
This week, the ESPN.com poker news franchise “Inside Deal” welcomed recent World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Dean Hamrick and top-tier female pro Vanessa Rousso. New episodes of “Inside Deal” are released every Tuesday exclusively on ESPN.com.
Hamrick finally got over the proverbial hump in 2010, taking down a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event for $604,000 and his first bracelet. He’ll take that money and head back to Michigan, telling “Inside Deal” hosts Laura Lane and Andrew Feldman, “It felt amazing. It was a little weird because it was 6:30 in the morning when I won, so I was as excited to finally get to sleep as I was to win the bracelet. It’s a pretty surreal moment. Everyone is around you and they’re dealing that last river card and you know if it goes right, you’re going to be the champ and get everything you ever wanted.”
Hamrick made deep runs in the 2007 and 2008 Main Events. However, the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament marked just his second WSOP final table. He reflected, “When you’ve been close a couple of times, you realize how hard it is to get back. A final table is very tough, especially in the bigger fields. You don’t want to make a mistake and every decision is crucial.” Hamrick also revealed that the skill level of the field has gotten considerably tougher, a sentiment that many pros in the tournament series have echoed.
Rousso joined “Inside Deal” and discussed whether she considered 2010 to be the Year of the Woman: “I think that whole Year of the Woman thing is just to have something cool to say marketing-wise. Yeah, some women have had some great results this year. I don’t think there’s anything unique about 2010. Women will have great results in years to come. Truth is, we just have a lot of great women players now.” Annie Duke, Vanessa Selbst, and UB.com’s Liv Boeree have been among the females to win major tournaments since 2010 began.
In an interview-heavy episode, “Inside Deal” then welcomed Unabomber Poker front man Phil Laak, who is fresh off a 115-hour marathon poker session that set a Guinness World Record. The previous mark, held by Paul Zimbler, was just 78 hours. Why did Laak feel the need to obliterate Zimbler’s record by two full days? “When I got to 80 hours, I hadn’t made a plan of when I’d stop. I just figured I’d stop soon after that because I’d be so exhausted. What I didn’t expect is that I was supercharged.” Laak profited nearly $7,000 from the $10/$20 cash game table at the Bellagio.
Laak added that he has a renewed outlook on life following his weeklong affair: “Since the challenge, I have become super human. I think better, I play poker better, I have more patience, I’m more empathetic, I work harder at the gym, and things are more effortless. It’s crazy.” Laak’s record may have been broken by a group of European young guns; however, the validity of the attempt appears to be in doubt.
Finally, a viewer e-mailed asking Rousso whether she thought the WSOP Ladies Event should offer up a bracelet despite not being open to the general public. Rousso’s response: “I don’t really get that freaked out about it. I know a lot of pros have a very strong opinion one way or the other. For me, it’s up to the WSOP. If they choose to put it on the schedule, it’s a bracelet event. It’s as simple as that.” Shaun Deeb, David Sesso, and other males entered the tournament this year, but none survived Day 1.
Catch ESPN’s “Inside Deal” weekly on ESPN.com.
Sahamies played 87 hands and lost 164,000 dollars
Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies didn’t play very well at Full Tilt Poker last night. Altogether he played 87 hands and managed to lose even 164,000 dollars.
The boisterous Finn played among others $300/$600 PLO and $500/$1000 CAP PLO during the night. The major benefits of “Ziigmund”’s losses were taken by the nick “Vaga_Lion” who managed to earn over 121,000 dollars.
Sahamies’s year has been pretty action-packed so far. In one phase he had already profited over two million dollars, but at the moment his year is “only” about 208,000 dollars on the positive side.
The graph below shows Ziigmund’s winnings this year:
Source: Highstakesdb.com and TheHendonMob
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Scott Montgomery attempts back-to-back $1,000 NL events
Vanessa Rousso the new mannequin for EQ Energy Drink
PokerStars pro Vanessa Rousso has signed a deal with EQ Labs which makes EQ Energy Drink.
EQ Energy Drink is not a traditional can drink but instead a tablet that can be dissolved in any beverage. Rousso said this is one of the reason why she loves the product - the tablets are so easy to carry along.
According to the deal Rousso will help with marketing the product and will receive company shares as compensation. Rousso told Pokernewsdaily that she has always been an entepreneurial spirit and cannot wait to get along to carry out both EQ promotional events and commercials - as well as taking advantage of all business contacts she already has.
Michael Owens, the Managing Director of EQ Labs, is very content with the new deal. Rousso also uses the company product herself, and with this deal the company will receive more TV publicity.
Rousso is one of the best poker players in the world. Her biggest tournament cash came at EPT Grand Final where this poker beauty - who has studied game theory at the university - won the High-Roller Event and the prize of $1,021,713. During her career Rousso has won over $2,6 million dollars from tournaments.
Source: Pokernewsdaily and TheHendonMob
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Poker News In Brief: June 21-27, 2010
It's been a year of redemption stories at the WSOP, as Dutch Boyd, Eric Buchman and Scott Montgomery have all taken down gold bracelets.
Be sure to check our live tournaments, news and video sections for complete WSOP coverage.
Here's a look around the world at what's happening in poker outside the WSOP:
Vanessa Rousso Signs Energy Drink Deal
Poker's fastest-rising female star is at it again, as Vanessa Rousso has signed an endorsement deal to be the official spokesperson for EQ Energy Drink.
Already a major presence on PokerStars and GoDaddy.com, Rousso's become one of the hottest commodities in poker since splashing onto the scene in 2008.
"The energy tablets are awesome," Rousso said in a press release.
"They taste great, are super portable, and of course, give me a real energy boost."
Winner.com Poker Announces Dublin, Manila Qualifiers
Winner.com Poker has announced qualifiers for two major live events.
Players can qualify now at www.poker.winner.com, which is offering satellite events to qualify for spots in the Irish Winter Poker Festival in October.
The site is also offering qualifying for the Asian Poker Tour's Philippines 2010, which begins in August at the World Resort Manila.
PokerStars Launches Qualifiers For EPT Tallin
PokerStars announced that qualifiers are now available on the site for the PokerStars EPT Tallinn event, which will kick off Season 7.
The EPT Tallinn will run August 11-16 in the Estonian capital at the Swissotel.
Satellite qualifiers are playing on the website now for as little as €5.45.
CityCenter Introduces 2010 Aria Classic
One of the newest major poker rooms in Las Vegas released the schedule for its first major event this week.
The 2010 Area Classic takes place from June 27 to July 17 at Aria Las Vegas (inside MGM CityCenter), with the five-day $1.5k Main Event capping off the run.
The event runs parallel to the 2010 WSOP Main Event and will offer an alternative to players who have busted from the Main Event.
Check out www.arialasvegas.com/casino/poker.aspx for more info.
Qualifier Takes Down PokerStars.com UKIPT Killarney Main Event
26-year old Femi Fakinle made the most out of his chance at the UKIPT Killarney Main Event.
Fakinle qualified for the €1,000 in an PokerStars online satellite for €215.
Fakinle took the win amongst a field of 253 players and takes home €63,400.
Visit PokerListings.com
Inside Look at the Hijack Seat with Bernard Lee
With the 41st annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) well underway, there have already been several highlights including:
1. Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi captured Event #2, the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship. En route to winning his first bracelet, he eliminated his brother, Robert, in fifth place, while removing himself from “The Best Player Without a Bracelet” List.
2. Phil Hellmuth created a huge buzz as he made Day 3 in Event #8 ($1,500 No Limit Hold’em), vying for his 12th WSOP bracelet. Alas, his bid came up short, as he finished in 15th place.
3. Men “The Master” Nguyen won his seventh bracelet in Event #10, $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship.
4. Tom “durrrr” Dwan just missed his first bracelet in Event #11 ($1,500 No Limit Hold’em), finishing second to New Zealander Simon Watt, which also prevented him from collecting on several very lucrative prop bracelet bets.
5. Eric Buchman, a member of the 2009 November Nine, was able to win his own bracelet in Event #18, $2,000 Limit Hold’em. Buchman, who finished fourth in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, also came close to a bracelet in 2006, finishing as the runner-up in Event #4, $1,500 Limit Hold’em.
6. Another WSOP Main Event final tablist from 2005, John “Tex” Barch, won his first bracelet in Event #25, $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha.
7. Sammy Farha, who is dubiously best known for finishing as the runner-up to Chris Moneymaker in the 2003 WSOP Main Event, captured his third bracelet in Event #25, the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship.
Additionally, during the WSOP, Poker News Daily and I introduced a new show called The Hijack Seat. The idea for the show actually originated back in June 2009. I came up with the concept of doing audio interviews similar to my radio show, but primarily focused on the players at the WSOP. After discussing the idea with Poker News Daily, there was significant interest, but we realized that there was very little time to work out the details. Thus, they requested that I contact them in early 2010 if I were still interested. In some respects, it was a blessing in disguise, as ESPN Inside Deal began work behind the scenes during the summer and I was extremely busy with the start of the show. Therefore, I put the show idea on the back burner until next year.
Once the new year arrived, I was very interested in the show for the 2010 WSOP. When I reached out to Poker News Daily at the beginning of this year, they asked if the show could be video interviews since the site had expanded its capabilities. After further discussions, I agreed and decided to move forward with it.
I chose the show’s name, The Hijack Seat, for a few reasons. First, I thought the name was somewhat original and cool. With the button, under the gun, and cutoff fairly common, the hijack seat is a relatively new term in poker. Also, to interview my guests, I temporarily “hijack” the player to ask them questions that are somewhat unique and informative. Finally, a player sitting in the hijack seat must get through four spots (cutoff seat, button, small blind, and big blind) to steal the blinds and antes. Thus, I ask them four questions at the end of every program before I let them go.
I hope that you have seen an episode, but if not, here are links to the first few shows and a quick synopsis:
Greg Raymer: “The Fossilman,” who was my first guest, talked about why he likes to rent a house instead of staying at the Rio and what he brings in his daily bag just in case. View Part 1 and Part 2.
Billy Baxter: The seven-time bracelet winner discusses his love of Lowball and his relationship with Stu Ungar.
Howard Lederer: “The Professor” discusses his relationship with Doyle Brunson and his prop bet with David Grey. View Part 1 and Part 2.
Dennis Phillips: The 2008 November Niner talks about his lucky coin, special watch, and prize cows (that’s right, this is not a misprint).
Since the introduction of the show, several people have e-mailed me asking how I am able to interview certain players. Overall, there are three ways. First, I am fortunate that several of these players are personal friends. Second, I have forged relationships with some of these players via my work with ESPN and my radio show. Finally, I have been playing in several 5:00pm events (mostly Mixed Games) and many of the pros play in these events vying for the shot at a bracelet.
I am constantly trying to bring you the best guests and get interesting information about poker and their lives. I hope you will enjoy the future installments of The Hijack Seat.
Bernard Lee is the official spokesperson of Foxwoods Resort Casino. Lee is the co-host of ESPN Inside Deal, host of PokerNewsDaily.com’s Hijack Seat, a columnist for the ESPN.com, Sunday columnist for the Boston Herald, and author of “The Final Table, Volume I” and “Volume II.” Visit BernardLeePoker.com. Listen to “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino every Tuesday from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on 1120 AM in Boston (MoneyMatterBoston.com or RoundersRadio.com). For questions or comments, e-mail him at BernardLeePoker@hotmail.com.
Aussie Millions on GSN: Howard Lederer, Tony G Exit High-Roller Event
Eight players remained entering GSN’s coverage of the 2010 Aussie Millions High-Roller Event on Saturday night. The one-hour show, which airs at 9:00pm ET, features commentary from Paul Khoury and Grub Smith.
Four of the final eight were Americans, three were Aussies, and one was a Brit. With the blinds at 6,000/12,000, Full Tilt Poker front man Howard Lederer raised to 36,000 with A-10 and PartyPoker pro Tony G, who had been playing back at Lederer throughout the final table, made it 120,000 with pocket aces. Lederer moved all-in and Tony G snap-called. Lederer flopped a 10 to keep his tournament hopes alive, but a running 7-3 sent him to the rails in eighth place. Lederer took down the 2008 Aussie Millions High-Roller event for over $1 million.
Bill Jordanou doubled up with pocket kings against Tony G’s pocket jacks. Then, Tony Bloom doubled his stack at the expense of Full Tilt’s Dan Shak, who called Bloom’s all-in with A-4. Bloom held pocket tens and watched as the board ran out 2-K-5-6-9. Shak had a flush draw by the time the river was dealt, but could not hit it. Bloom promptly doubled once more, this time through PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein, by sucking out on pocket kings with pocket jacks.
Shak was all-in with pocket eights and up against Jonathan Karamalikis’A-2. Karamalikis turned a deuce to make matters interesting, but he bricked the river to double up the dangerous pro. Karamalikis goes by the moniker “Monster Dong” online and, like many of his tablemates, is a sponsored pro of Full Tilt.
On a flop of 9-10-2, Karamalikis check-called a bet of 50,000 from Phil Ivey holding J-9 to see a four on the turn. Karamalikis once again checked and Ivey, who held A-10 for top pair, bet 145,000. Karamalikis tanked before eventually moving all-in. Ivey called and the river came a six, doubling up the eight-time bracelet winner. Smith remarked, “If there’s one person the rest of the table didn’t want to have chips in front of them, it’s Phil Ivey.” Ivey stacked one-third of the chips in play in the process.
Karamalikis’ exit came when he was all-in pre-flop with A-10 against Shak’s pocket nines and Tony G’s pocket sevens. When the flop came 6-4-3, Shak moved all-in for 196,000 and Tony G tossed in his time button to receive 30 extra seconds to act before finally folding. The board filled out 4-5 and Karamalikis, who was the chip leader when eight players remained, exited stage right in seventh place.
Crippled from the earlier kings versus jacks hand, Greenstein ultimately hit the rails in sixth place after running Q-10 into pocket kings. Then, Tony G was all-in with pocket tens against Shak’s A-K, setting up a race situation. Shak flopped top two pair and Tony G couldn’t catch up, hitting the rails in fifth place as the final casualty of the night.
Coverage of the 2010 Aussie Millions airs on Saturday nights at 9:00pm ET on GSN and repeats at Midnight ET as part of the network’s weekly poker block. Its Aussie Millions coverage originally featured almost exclusive coverage of Full Tilt pros, but has since expanded to include players like Greenstein and DoylesRoom’s Dani Stern that don the logos of competing online poker sites. Aussie Millions coverage will air until August 14th, when the Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship replaces it.
The Aussie Millions High-Roller event features a mammoth buy-in of AUD $100,000, the equivalent of nearly USD $90,000 at today’s exchange rate. A top prize of AUD $1.2 million is on the line, with the runner-up receiving exactly half of that amount.
Phil Hellmuth Excelling in 2010 World Series of Poker
“Gave myself a great chance to win today. Should be proud, but instead I feel absolutely horrible.”
That was a Twitter update from UB.com‘s Phil Hellmuth moments after he took seventh place in Event #41 of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), a $1,500 Omaha Hi/Low Eight or Better tournament this week. Hellmuth fell just short of capturing his 12th bracelet – which would have been his first in a non-Hold’em event – and silencing the haters who were on hand mocking and booing him during Thursday’s final table.
But it wasn’t meant to be for the 11-time bracelet winner. Hellmuth held on for dear life with a short stack for most of the day and eventually went down at the hands of John Gottleib, whose Ah-Ad-Qh-8c bested Hellmuth’s As-Th-3c-2h after all of the chips went in pre-flop. As usual, Hellmuth showed emotion after his elimination, but was gracious in defeat, shaking the hands of the six remaining players before he exited the ESPN final able arena.
Despite the regular criticism from his peers about his game, Hellmuth continues to make deep runs in events with large fields. Earlier this month, he took 15th in Event #8, a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament that drew 2,341 entrants. His other cash of the series was a 50th place result in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Event, which attracted 792 of the top tournament players on the planet.
Hellmuth has also had a large degree of success on the World Poker Tour (WPT) this year, taking sixth place in the Bay 101 Shooting Star in San Jose in April. A month later, he finished seventh at the $25,000 Five Star Classic at the Bellagio, barely missing out on the televised final table. Those two scores accounted for more than $270,000, pushing his lifetime earnings over $9,000,000. Hellmuth has also cashed in the WSOP Main Event each of the past two years, taking 45th in 2008 ($154,400) and 436th in 2009 ($25,027).
He hasn’t won a tournament in three years, but his accomplishments on the live scene are still more impressive than most of his naysayers. Hellmuth has seven final table appearances on the circuit since 2008. Meanwhile, Full Tilt pro and friend Mike Matusow, who is always first in line to take a jab at Hellmuth, has made only three final tables during that time span. Hellmuth is also clobbered daily by forum members across the world, most of whom have never played a high-stakes tournament in their life.
His antics remain questionable at times, but Hellmuth’s unorthodox style has earned him enough success to label him among the top No Limit Hold’em tournament players in the game still today. Poker News Daily will be on the scene should Hellmuth make another deep run during the remaining weeks of the 2010 World Series of Poker.
Carlos Mortensen, Robert Mizrachi Among Finalists in WSOP HORSE Championship
To say that the remaining field in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) $10,000 HORSE Championship is stacked would be a severe understatement. Cuong Do, who finished 30th in last year’s Main Event, owns the top spot on the leaderboard with 23 players remaining at 720,000. Right behind him in the chip counts for Event #43 is online poker veteran Marco “CrazyMarco” Johnson.
Former CardRunners instructor and former Full Tilt Poker Red Pro Brian Townsend sits in third holding a stack of 616,000. Fifth place belongs to Carlos Mortensen, the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) all-time money leader and 2001 WSOP Main Event champion. Mortensen will come armed to Friday’s play in the HORSE Championship with a stack of 503,000.
Richard Ashby, one of five British bracelet winners in 2010, is poised to make it six for the U.K. in the HORSE event. Ashby is in seventh on the leaderboard at 441,000 and took down a $1,500 buy-in Seven Card Stud event (#21) earlier this year for $140,000 and his first WSOP bracelet. Just behind Ashby is Nick Schulman, a WPT champ and WSOP bracelet holder. Schulman won the 2005 WPT World Poker Finals for $2.1 million and took down the tour’s Battle of the Champions one year later. His bracelet came in last year’s 2-7 Lowball World Championship for $279,000.
Robert Mizrachi has already made two final tables at this year’s World Series, including a fifth place finish in the $50,000 Player’s Championship. Mizrachi holds down the fort in 10th place entering the finale of Event #43. Two-time bracelet winner Scott Fischman, whose last WSOP final table came in London in 2008, sits in 11th after two days of play in the HORSE Championship.
Also a part of the talented lineup in Event #43 are Marco Traniello, Full Tilt pro Brandon Adams, DoylesRoom pro Todd Brunson, Matt Glantz, Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler, John “World” Hennigan, and Scotty Nguyen. Yikes. Here’s a full list of chip counts:
1. Cuong Do – 720,000
2. Marco “CrazyMarco” Johnson – 626,000
3. Brian Townsend – 616,000
4. Eugene Katchalov – 525,000
5. Carlos Mortensen – 503,000
6. Ian Gordon – 483,000
7. Richard Ashby – 441,000
8. Roman Yitzhaki – 429,100
9. Nick Schulman – 402,000
10. Robert Mizrachi – 364,000
11. Scott Fischman – 347,000
12. Marco Traniello – 323,000
13. Brandon Adams – 310,000
14. Todd Brunson – 274,000
15. Matt Glantz – 200,000
16. Michael Chow – 180,000
17. Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler – 104,000
18. Steve “MrSmokey1” Billirakis – 89,000
19. Pawel Andrzejewski – 80,000
20. Abe Mosseri – 71,000
21. Al Barbieri – 65,000
22. John “World” Hennigan – 60,000
23. Scotty Nguyen – Did Not Report Chip Count
Poker News Daily Hijack Seat host and Guest Columnist Bernard Lee is the short stack entering the final day of play in Event #42, $1,500 No Limit Hold’em. Lee will be on life support when play resumes at 2:30pm PT, as he’ll have just four big blinds to work with. However, he’s assured a payday of at least $17,000 and a total of 25 players are still in the mix.
James Schaaf and Ryan Hemmel own a commanding lead over the competition at 1.26 million and 1.08 million, respectively, in Event #42. Dean Hamrick, who took fifth in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event last year, sits in third on the leaderboard entering Friday’s finale at 858,000. Perhaps the most decorated player left in the field is PokerStars front man Humberto Brenes, a two-time Costa Rican bracelet winner. Brenes has made three WPT final tables over the course of his career.
The lone bracelet awarded on Thursday in Las Vegas went to the U.K.’s Steve Jelinek, who won Event #41, $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better. In the tournament’s final hand, Jelinek’s As-Ah-Qd-4h bested John Gottlieb’s Ad-Kh-9d-5c. Jelinek’s wired pair of aces was enough to capture his first bracelet and $245,000. He became the fifth U.K. player to win gold this year, joining Praz Bansi, James Dempsey, Ashby, and Mike Ellis.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the 2010 World Series of Poker.
Frank Kassela, Scott Montgomery Win WSOP Bracelets
Wednesday was a busy day at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), one that began with Phil Ivey being awarded his eighth career bracelet and ended with three more players collecting hardware of their own. Events 36, 39, and 40 crowned winners in the Amazon Room, with a pair of familiar faces standing on top at the end of the night.
Full Tilt Poker pro Scott Montgomery picked up his first piece of WSOP hardware on Wednesday by winning the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em Event #36. Montgomery, who was a member of the original WSOP November Nine in 2008, bested a field of 3,102 players to win the gold bracelet.
Montgomery admittedly ran hot just to reach the final table on Tuesday and his scorching run of cards continued on the final day. He began the final table eighth in chips, but his aggression fueled him to the top of the leaderboard and ultimately the $481,760 first prize. Montgomery took a huge chip lead into heads-up play against Mick Carlson and sent the Indiana native to the rail in just 15 minutes. On the final hand, a short-stacked Carlson moved all-in with Kd-2s and Montgomery called with Ad-7h. The board didn’t help Carlson and he earned $297,996 for his runner-up finish.
Montgomery, meanwhile, became the fourth Canadian to win a bracelet at the 2010 WSOP, joining Miguel Proulx, Aadam Daya, and Pascal Lefrancois. He eclipsed the $4,000,000 mark in career live tournament earnings.
1. Scott Montgomery – $481,760
2. Mick Carlson – $297,996
3. Adam Richardson – $210,892
4. Daniel Fuhs – $152,655
5. Sebastien Roy – $111,783
6. John Dolan – $82,804
7. Peter Dufek – $62,033
8. Timothy Beeman – $46,985
9. Michael Michnik – $35,986
Frank Kassela, Maxwell Troy, Vladimir Schmelev, Jennifer Harman, and Stuart Rutter all made repeat appearances at a final table when the $2,500 Seven Card Razz event reached its final eight players Wednesday evening. After 12 grueling hours of play, Kassela defeated Troy for the title, becoming the first player to win two bracelets in 2010.
Kassela, a father of five from Memphis, Tennessee, earned $214,084 in prize money, but battled from start to finish getting there. Kassela worked with a short stack for most of the tournament, crawling his way up the pay ladder before going on a rush early on Wednesday and entering the final table third in chips. From there, Kassela picked his spots wisely and overcame a 2:1 chip disadvantage to defeat Troy for the victory.
1. Frank Kassela – $214,085
2. Maxwell Troy – $132,229
3. Melville Lewis – $85,284
4. Vladimir Schmelev – $61,795
5. Mikko Pispala – $45,433
6. Jennifer Harman – $33,890
7. Stuart Rutter – $25,646
8. Chris Bjorin – $19,686
The $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Shootout played from 14 players down to one on Wednesday and, with notables Annette Obrestad and J.C. Tran vying for the title, gained a fair amount of interest going into the final day. Obrestad built a giant stack early on, but lost a pair of coin flips to cripple her and she eventually followed Tran to the rail before the final table was formed.
Jeff King eliminated Justin Scott in ninth place, propelling him to a chip lead that he would hang onto for most of the night. However, it was a 21 year-old pro from California that stepped up and claimed victory on Wednesday. Steven Kelly dominated in the late stages of the final table and took a significant chip lead into heads-up play against King. Then, at around 1:40am local time, King moved all-in for his last 1.5 million chips with Ks-Qd and Kelly made the call with Ah-9d. The board ran out Js-9c-3s-2c-3h and Kelly was instantly $381,922 wealthier.
1. Steven Kelly – $381,922
2. Jeff King – $236,819
3. Derric Haynie – $161,117
4. Dustin Dirksen – $112,214
5. Reagan Leman – $78,361
6. Brett Shaffer – $56,446
7. Paul Varano – $40,887
8. Michael Cooper – $30,119
9. Justin Scott – $22,575
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the continuous updates from the 2010 WSOP.
Tags: 2008, 2010, canadian, full tilt poker, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, poker player, tournament, WSOP
2010 Women in Poker Hall of Fame Nominees Announced
The Women In Poker Hall of Fame has announced the names of seven ladies nominated for induction in 2010, of which two will be enshrined during ceremonies in September.
The Women in Poker Hall of Fame, founded by the Ladies International Poker Series and sponsored by CardPlayer Magazine, is designed to honor women who have acquired prominence and made contributions to the poker world. The Hall, which inducted its charter members in 2008, also recognizes those who have contributed significantly to promoting women in poker through their involvement in the gaming industry.
The qualifications for women to be named to the Hall are quite rigorous. Potential candidates must meet three criteria to be considered by voters: a candidate must have been active as a player or industry leader for a minimum of 15 years. The lady, whether a player or an industry leader, must have contributed to the world of poker in some significant way. This person can qualify by either winning major poker tournaments or making significant contributions to the industry. Finally, a person must be a proponent of women’s poker. Even is she does not play in women’s events, she must support them.
With these criteria, popular female players who have made waves recently, including PokerStars’ Vanessa Rousso, Full Tilt Poker’s Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, Vanessa Selbst, and UB.com’s Liv Boeree, are not eligible for the Hall yet. “They will have their time to shine in the near future,” stated Women in Poker Hall of Fame Board Member Karina Jett. “The criteria set by the Board ensures inductees are well established players or industry professionals.”
The seven women who have been nominated feature representatives from every era in the history of the game. “Some of these candidates are better known than others, but they are all worthy of induction,” said Lupe Soto, the Hall’s Founder. The seven women who have been nominated for induction are led off by Poker News Daily’s guest columnist Annie Duke.
Duke has been one of the top female players in the game for nearly two decades. The current National Heads-Up Poker Championship titleholder, she has earned over $4.2 million dollars in her career. In addition to being an excellent player, Duke has also been at the forefront of the poker community, advocating in the halls of Congress on several key issues.
Duke is joined by Jennifer Harman, the only woman to have won two open World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and a fixture in some of the biggest cash games in the world. Harman has used her poker success to drive attention to several charitable causes, including the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and has earned over $2.3 million in tournament earnings during her career.
Kathy Liebert is another contemporary of Duke and Harman who has had a successful career in poker. Liebert is the all-time leading money winner among women with well over $5.6 million in earnings. She was the first woman to win a $1 million first prize in a poker tournament when she captured the 2002 PartyPoker Million.
Joanne “J.J.” Liu has quietly made her impact on the poker world. While playing in some of the most difficult cash games around the world, Liu has also been a formidable foe in the tournament arena. A graduate of Bradley University, she has earned over $2.1 million from tournament poker, including a third place finish in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event and a seventh place finish in a $2,500 Six-Handed Limit Hold’em event at this year’s WSOP.
Involved in poker since 1979, Phyllis Caro has been a part of nearly every aspect of the poker world. Working her way up from being a dealer, Caro has become one of the preeminent women in the gaming industry. Today, she works as the Director of Poker Operations at Hollywood Park in California. She has also assisted her husband Mike Caro with some of his best known works.
Nani Dollison is one of only three women – 2008 Women in Poker Hall of Fame charter members Barbara Enright and Susie Isaacs are the other two – who have won the Ladies’ Championship at the WSOP twice in their career. One of the most aggressive players on the felt, Dollison has earned almost $800,000 in her poker career and has played in venues that span the globe.
One of the pioneers for women in poker is Betty Carey. She was considered one of the most feared players – male or female – in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She consistently battled against some of the legends of the game, including “Amarillo” Slim Preston, Johnny Moss, and Doyle Brunson, and more than held her own. She was one of the first women to play in the WSOP and is someone whom all the nominees above have to thank for blazing the trail.
Out of this exceptional list, only two will earn nominations. The voting process is open to the public at the Women in Poker Hall of Fame website until July 15th, with the two players elected to the Hall announced in August.
Tags: 2008, 2010, Annie Duke, Doyle Brunson, Hollywood, Jennifer Harman, ladies, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, woman, women, WSOP
Montgomery Talks First WSOP Bracelet
Scott Montgomery now has both, and the 28-year-old Canadian pro was in the house Thursday to accept his $1k No-Limit Hold'em bracelet.
After making the 2008 November Nine and cashing out for more than $3 million in a fifth-place finish, Montgomery is once again showing his mastery of the large-field events.
The Full Tilt sponsored pro outlasted the rest in a field of 3,102 players in the $1k No-Limit Hold'em event to win the bracelet, just two years after making the Main Event final table amongst a field of 6,839 players.
For Montgomery, the higher the number of entrants in the field, the better.
"I've always enjoyed playing the big-field events," Montgomery said from the Pavilion Room stage.
"Playing six or seven days in a row doesn't tire me out at all. Some people you can tell, after a couple of days they start to get run down."
"If you're not willing to play seven days in a row of 12-hour poker events, there's no reason to go into the field if the tournament is going to last that long."
Montgomery is the third former November Niner to take down a bracelet at the 2010 WSOP, following the path of Eric Buchman and Phil Ivey, both of whom made the 2009 November Nine.
"Making the November Nine, I've had a lot of opportunities to play poker," Montgomery said.
The bracelet is the fourth for Canada at the 2010 WSOP, tying the Canadians with the Brits for most bracelets from a non-U.S. country.
Montgomery was already upwards of the $3 million mark in WSOP earnings going into 2010, and his latest result will only open more eyes to the talented Canadian.
"Some people say winning the event is like proving yourself, showing people how good you are," Montgomery said. "I don't think about it that way myself."
"I know what my skills are as a player. I know what level I'm at. I'm not the best in the world but I'm good enough to get by. I play what I'm best at and I do well at it."
The 2010 WSOP continues through July 17. For comprehensive coverage live from Las Vegas tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates and News.
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Scott Montgomery wins Event #36; $1,000 NL Hold ‘em
Magnificent Montgomery - Day 27 WSOP Recap
It was a breakthrough day for one Scott Montgomery, who tallied his first WSOP bracelet win, while Frank Kassela snagged his second bracelet of the summer in $2.5k Razz.
In a strange turn of events the Rio also suffered a blackout around 2:00 a.m. which saw the lights go out in the entire Amazon Room and Pavilion Room.
Here's a look around the Rio on Day 27 of the 2010 WSOP:
Event 36 - $1k No-Limit Hold'em
Scott Montgomery already had an impressive WSOP resume, but now the 28-year-old Canadian has a gold bracelet all his own.
Montogomery broke through for his first career WSOP bracelet win, outlasting the field of 3,102 players and cashing for a first-place prize of $481,760.
The win brings Montgomery's career WSOP winnings total to more than $3.5 million, mostly thanks to his 2008 WSOP Main Event final table.
Svletlana Gromenkova was amongst the notables in the money, finishing 33rd.
Event 39 - $1.5k No-Limit Hold'em Shootout
The final table was a slugfest in the $1.5k Shootout, and it was relatively unknown Steve Kelly coming away with the bracelet victory and first-prize cash of $382,725.
Kelly had only cashed once in a WSOP event so to say it was a big score for him was an understatement.
1,397 players came out for the event, with Annette Obrestad appearing primed to make a final table run.
Luck didn't shine on the 21-year-old phenom near the final table bubble however, and Obrestad took an 11th place finish. She will have to wait another day to book her first WSOP final table appearance.
Event 40 - $2.5k 7-card Razz
The bracelet and first-place prize of $214,085 went to Frank Kassela, who outlasted the field of 365 players for the win. It was Kassela's second bracelet of the summer which should put him in contention for the 2010 Player of the Year.
Although the day began with some big names chasing WSOP glory, including arguably the best female poker player in the world Jennifer Harman and upstart Russian Vladimir Schmelev they were all relegated to the rail before getting even a sniff of the bracelet.
Heads-up proved to be a brutal marathan affair that eventually saw Kassela emerge unscathed at nearly 5 a.m.
Event 41 - $1.5k Pot-Limit Omaha Eight or Better Hi-Lo
157 of the original 847 entrants survived to play on Day 2, and the money bubble broke today at 80 players.
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson was amongst those making the payout structure, sneaking in just past the bubble with a 75th place finish.
Mike "The Mouth" Matusow also made a nice showing, finishing 40th.
Ryan Karp will head into Day 3 with the chip lead but big-time players Phil Hellmuth and Barry Greenstein are also in the running.
Play was originally scheduled to go down to a final table Wednesday, but instead 15 players will come back tomorrow as play resumes at 2:30 p.m.
Event 42 - $1.5k No-Limit Hold'em
It was another big turnout for another $1.5k No-Limit Hold'em event, as 2,521 rounders registered for this event.
The vast majority of that number was eliminated on Day 1, as we played all the way down to 297 players.
270 places get paid in this tournament, so the money bubble will come early in the day Thursday when play resumes at 2:30 p.m.
Tom Dwan, Humberto Brenes, Carter Phillips and Dan Skolovy are amongst the notables coming back for Day 2.
Event 43 - $10k H.O.R.S.E. Championship
We're almost done with this year's slate of $10k Championship event, with just three more to play in the 2010 WSOP.
$10k H.O.R.S.E. began Wednesday, and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson made a quick move to the top of the leader board, where he stayed much of the day.
241 players came out for Day 1, including Marco Traniello, Annie Duke, Ted Forrest and Jeffrey Lisandro who all made it to Day 2.
A total of 169 players including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Scott Seiver and Matt Glantz will come back for Day 2 as we continue to whittle down to the money in this event.
Play resumes at 3 p.m. Thursday.
For a full account of how today played out at the World Series of Poker, click through to PokerListings WSOP coverage.
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Tags: 2008, 2010, Annie Duke, Barry Greenstein, canadian, Jennifer Harman, no-limit, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, Russia, Tom Dwan, tournament, WSOP
Poker Pro Tiffany Michelle Celebrates 26th Birthday at Crystals
UB.com‘s Tiffany Michelle turned the big two-six last week and to celebrate, she had a Friday night of dinner and dancing at Crystals, part of the new CityCenter development in Las Vegas.
Michelle was joined by fellow Team UB pros Liv Boeree and Adam “Roothlus” Levy, sponsored adult film actress Samantha Ryan, Absolute Poker‘s Trishelle Cannatella, “Amazing Race” partner and poker player Maria Ho, and 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year Jeff Madsen at actress Eva Longoria Parker’s Beso restaurant to start the evening. Being from Los Angeles, Michelle was already a fan of the first Beso location in Hollywood and her opinion was no different of its Vegas sibling. Michelle Tweeted, “Now one of my fav restaurants is in Los Angeles AND Vegas…”
After dining on lobster, the birthday girl moved the party to the Eve nightclub, also at Crystals. Michelle and her entourage walked the red carpet, posed for pictures, exchanged pleasantries with fans, and then headed inside for drinks and dancing.
No birthday is complete without a cake and Michelle’s was something to see. Created by Gimme Some Sugar bakery, it was a three-tier chocolate cake with cookies and cream filling and chocolate ganache. The top and bottom tiers were wrapped in pink fondant, while the middle tier was black. Pink and black playing card suits wound around the tiers, while a gold chain (edible, we assume) hung from the top. Attached to the chain were brass knuckles and Michelle’s nickname “HOT CHIPZ.” A gold dollar sign adorned the top of the cake.
Always finding the time to Tweet, even on her special night, Michelle posted, “Off the hook at @Eve_NightclubLV. Best bday ever, not to mention the SICKEST cake.”
Michelle has not had much good fortune in this year’s WSOP and has yet to find herself on the right side of the money bubble. She has one lifetime cash at the annual tournament series; it was a big one, as she was the last woman standing in the 2008 Main Event, placing 17th for $334,534. She will get her chance to be the top female in the Main Event once again starting in a couple of weeks, as the big $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Championship kicks off on July 5th at the Rio. Last year, she was absent from the Main Event to film the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.”
She has had more success online, however. Last Thursday night, she Tweeted, “Seriously, 4 as BAD as I’ve been running @ the WSOP/Rio… I’m making up for it on UB.” Michelle proceeded to place second in that night’s $15,000 Guaranteed rebuy on the USA-friendly online poker site.? Play with Michelle by visiting UB.com.
Tags: 2008, absolute poker, Hollywood, Online Poker, poker player, Tiffany Michelle, tournament, usa, vegas, woman, WSOP
Annette Obrestad Eyes Second WSOP Bracelet in $1,500 NLHE Shootout
Full Tilt Poker pro Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad is within inches of capturing her second World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. Obrestad famously took down the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event, the first ever running of the £10,000 buy-in tournament, and banked £1 million. She’s making her Las Vegas WSOP debut this year and a bracelet win would be the icing on the cake for the 21 year-old.
Fourteen players remain in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Shootout, the 39th event of the 2010 WSOP. Among them is Obrestad, who, prior to the tournament series, jumped from Betfair to the USA-friendly Full Tilt Poker. Now, she’s vying to become the first woman to win an open event at the 2010 WSOP and the latest in a string of pros to capture hardware this year, a list that includes Phil Ivey, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi.
The field of 14 survivors will split into two tables of seven. The tournament began with 1,400 competitors and, in a shootout format, players must win their tables in order to advance. Tuesday’s finale saw Obrestad compete against a starting group that included Scott Sitron and Fatima Moreira de Melo, whom she beat heads-up to move on to Wednesday’s finale. The top 14 players are guaranteed $7,000, with a grand prize of $382,000 on the line.
Poker pro J.C. Tran is one major obstacle that stands in Obrestad’s path to her second WSOP bracelet. Tran won the Main Event of the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker in 2006 for nearly $700,000. One year later, he took down the World Poker Tour’s World Poker Challenge for $683,000. Tran has two WSOP bracelets, which came in 2008 in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event and last year in a $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha contest. All told, Tran has over $2 million in career WSOP and Circuit Event earnings. The action picks back up at 2:30pm PT today.
The lone bracelet awarded on Tuesday went to Hungary’s Valdemar Kwaysser, who took down the Pot Limit Hold’em Championship (Event #38) for $617,000. Kwaysser outlasted a field of 268 and edged out Canadian Matt Marafioti heads-up. Five countries were represented at the final table; the only bracelet winner in contention, Blair Rodman, finished in eighth place.
Kwaysser joined Peter Gelencser and Peter Traply as the only residents of Hungary ever to take down WSOP events. Kwaysser, 26, lives in Budapest and has been playing poker for five years. On the Hungarian poker community, he told WSOP officials, “We help each other a lot. I truly believe that why Hungary has done so well, considering the size of the country which is small, is because we all stick together, and we learn together, and discuss poker together.”
DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Dani Stern took fifth in the Pot Limit Hold’em Championship and cashed for $161,000. Stern finished one spot on the leaderboard ahead of PokerStars North American Poker Tour Venetian winner Tom Marchese, who banked $123,000 for his sixth place showing. The man who Marchese defeated in the televised Venetian tournament, Sam Stein, was the final table bubble boy in Event #38.
The Pot Limit Hold’em Championship marked the second in the money finish of the 2010 WSOP for Marchese and the first for Stern. Here’s how the final table cashed out:
1. Valdemar Kwaysser – $617,214
2. Matt Marafioti – $381,507
3. James Calderaro – $284,845
4. Konstantin Bucherl – $214,106
5. Dani Stern – $161,934
6. Tom Marchese – $123,264
7. Peter Jetten – $94,394
8. Blair Rodman – $72,754
9. Alexander Kuzmin – $56,404
Two events fire up today from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. At Noon PT, a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament will begin. Five hours later, the cards hit the air in the $10,000 HORSE World Championship. Keep it tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WSOP results.
Tags: 2008, 2010, canadian, full tilt poker, Online Poker, Phil Ivey, pokerstars, tournament, usa, vegas, woman, WSOP
Kwaysser Shines Bright In WSOP Universe: Day 26 Recap
Here's how the day developed.
Event 36 - $1k No-Limit Hold'em
A relatively quick day played out in the $1k NLHE - 38 players were whittled down to the final nine players in efficient fashion.
Sebastien Roy was the man who dealt with the conditions best and he will return as chip leader tomorrow.
2008 Main Event finalist Scott Montgomery also made the last nine players and he will pose a big threat when they resume at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.
Event 38 - $10k Pot-Limit Hold'em Championship
26 players returned to contend the latest Championship bracelet and a tough battle ensued - a boisterous rail cheering on what was a very accomplished line-up at the final table.
An attritional day's play saw Dani Stern and Sam Stein fall along the way and eventually PokerListings blogger Matt Marafioti faced off heads-up against Hungarian Valdemar Kwaysser.
It was Kwaysser who eventually came out on top with the bracelet win and $617,214 in prize money.
Kwaysser was modest about his PLHE skills, saying "I don't know much about Pot-Limit Hold'em. I noticed people respect my raises a lot because there are no antes involved."
Event 39 - $1.5k No-Limit Hold'em Shootout
140 players returned to battle their way through 14 tough tables and by the time the 14 winners were decided late in the evening, Annette Obrestad and J.C. Tran were the marquee names left standing.
The remaining players will return tomorrow at 2.30 p.m. to play down to the bracelet.
$381,922 is the first prize awaiting the winner.
Event 40 - $2.5k 7-Card Razz
An exciting day of Razz played out today with many big names battling it out for the privilege of making it through to this tough Razz final.
By the time the chips were bagged and tagged, many of those had fallen although English pro Stuart Rutter, respected high-stakes player Jennifer Harman and seasoned veteran Chris Bjorin all remain in the hunt with 15 players left.
Melville Lewis is the man best-placed to pick up the bracelet however, positioned at the top of the leaderboard come the end of play.
They will return tomorrow at 3.30 to lowball their their way to the bracelet.
Event 41 - $1.5k Pot-Limit Omaha/8
A bumper field of 847 convened to fight for this Omaha/8 bracelet and when all was said and done, just 171 made it through to day 2.
Amongst the bigger names in contention were Barry Greenstein, Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow and it should be an intriguing tussle when they return at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.
For an in-depth look at how Day 26 of the World Series of Poker played out along with blogs, news and videos, click through to PokerListings WSOP 2010 coverage.
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Tags: 2008, 2010, aced, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, no-limit, Phil Hellmuth, skill, tournament, WSOP