Poker News

Three Ps Approach to Playing a Maniac

You’ve settled into your chair at your favorite poker room or online and are ready to play some world-class, A-game poker. After a short time, however, a player comes to the table who starts to get, for lack of a better term, “crazy.” Pumping up pots with straddle bets, raises from out of position, and other action-garnering devices, the maniac asserts his table presence. To make matters worse, he is winning from players you were taking the chips from with your A-game.

I have seen many players go on tilt from playing against such maniacs and it is easy to see how they fall into that hole. The mindset of some players becomes “I’m going to get that sucker” rather than playing excellent poker and using the game to get the chips. There are three P’s that a player has to learn to be able to prevent from becoming one who spews chips to the maniac.

Position

The first way to have some power over the maniac at the table is to have position. If, for most of the hands, you can have the advantage of having him act before you, you can at the minimum gauge his actions and, when he either shows or goes to showdown, get an idea of the cards he is playing. If he is a true maniac, he is winning with some less than desirable hands, while occasionally showing down a monster.

Having this positional advantage will make it possible, if you have acquired a solid table image, to 3bet and, on some occasions, force him to leave the hand. Be mindful, though, that the maniac player is one who doesn’t fold something unless it is complete junk; you have to be prepared to play your hand, no matter how bad, if you get called on your 3bet bluff.

If you are out of position, you options are limited. You can wait until you have one of the few plays in position to decide to attack but, once again, you are probably going to head to the river. Thus, you are going to have to execute the second of the three P’s.

Power

There are two ways to use power to defeat the table maniac. The first, through a dominance of chips, is pretty easy to execute. Sometimes, the table maniac is there for the quick hit and run, to get a good score, or to make enough to get into a tournament. By having a larger chip stack than the maniac, you can thwart his indiscriminate play by coming over the top of him. After a few timely re-raises - remember, you can’t go overboard or you will just encourage him - the maniac will realize that when you’re in a hand, it is probably best that he doesn’t engage you.

The second method, and the one that most players will try to use to combat the maniac, is through the power of the cards. If a maniac is coming with questionable offerings, coming back at them with strong hole cards - and, yes, making some hands - will either slow him down or eliminate him from the table quickly. Strong hole cards, in this case, are big pocket pairs, A-K, or A-Q.

If you hit your set on the flop or make top pair, then let the maniac drive the car to the turn. If nothing comes there to change your dominant situation, spring upon the maniac with a re-raise and see if he is willing to give you even more of his chips. If he continues on, the opportunity to cripple and/or crush the maniac is yours.

Of course, to get the power cards, you have to execute the final part of the three P’s plan.

Patience

Perhaps this is the most important of the three P’s because you don’t want to become like the maniac himself. If you begin to enter more hands, play loosely, and show weak offerings, then you have set yourself up to be targeted as the maniac. A full exercise of poker skills is necessary to remain patient at the table and let a situation set itself up.

You must have the patience to wait for a strong starting hand to take on the maniac and you must be patient and wait for the time when you are in position. As you see, without the patience factor, the three P’s becomes ineffective.

Some Final Thoughts

Battling a maniac at the poker table can be exhausting work not only for your bankroll, but also for your mentality. It is critical that you don’t fall into the trap of trying to be the one who busts the maniac from the game because this will tremendously affect your play and could cause a significant financial loss. You must stay inside your strengths to be able to engage the maniac fully when the situation is in your favor.

And, finally, who said you have to break the maniac? By not falling into this mental trap of trying to be the table sheriff, you are able to take advantage of the other players at the table who are dropping the level of their game in response to the maniac’s plays. Through a proper usage of the three P’s, you should be able to get the chips from all of your opponents and not jut the maniac.

Jennifer Tilly hosting charity tournament

Jennifer Tilly will host the 2nd Annual All In for CP Celebrity No-Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament next Saturday, Dec. 12.

“All in for CP” was organized first time last year and the event raised $44.000 for the cause. This year they aim to get even more money for One Step Closer Foundation. 50% of the funds they raise will go directly to the Foundation.

“All in for CP” will gather up people from TV and Movie business, but also some poker professionals and other celebrities.

Jamie Gold, Barry Greenstein, Todd Brunson, Phil Laak, Clonie Gowen and Men “The Master” Nguyen have already confirmed their attendance.

Other celebrities playing in the tournament are the last year’s winner and The Simpsons creator Sam Simon, actor Ken Davitian, Shannon Elizabeth, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Shawn “Napster” Fanning and some Playboy playmates.

The tournament is held in Las Vegas, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Buy-in will be $500 and re-buy $200. There’s going to be a celebrity afterparty as well, which will be sponsored by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

Source: Pokerlistings, AllInforCP

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Jennifer Tilly hosting charity tournament

Tilly Hosting Charity Tournament for CP

The 2nd Annual All In for CP Celebrity No-Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament is set for Saturday, Dec. 12 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The buy-in is $550 with $200 Re-Buys and a host of celebrities from all walks of life are already planning to attend.

Actors Dean Cain, Ken Davitian, Shannon Elizabeth, and Glenn Morshower have all confirmed, along with TV personality Montel Williams, and last year's champion, Simpsons creator Sam Simon, who donated his winnings to the One Step Closer Foundation.

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Napster creator Shawn Fanning and WWE diva Alicia Webb will also be there, joining Playboy Playmates Stacy Fusion, Jennifer Leigh, and Brande Roderick, who plans on bringing her husband and former Denver Broncos linebacker Glenn Cadrez.

Poker players returning for this year's tournament include 2006 WSOP Main Event champion Jamie Gold, Barry Greenstein, Pam and Todd Brunson, Phil Laak, Clonie Gowen, and Men 'the Master' Nguyen.

The tournament is the brainchild of Jacob Zalewski, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

"We hope to see a future where Cerebral Palsy is a thing of the past," says Zalewski. "We know we are getting one step closer to that vision everyday."

The event kicks off at the Hard Rock at 2 p.m. PT and will include a celebrity after-party sponsored by the Poker Player Alliance.

Founded in 2007, The One Step Closer Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization whose main goal is to ease the lives of those who suffer from Cerebral Palsy.

The organization also aims to financially assist researchers looking for medical advancements in treating and diagnosing Cerebral Palsy.

Last year the tournament raised $44,000 for the cause.

For tickets and information, call 281-740-8604 or check out the event’s website.

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Sportingbet PLC Reports Strong Third Quarter 2009 Revenues

While many companies around the world continue to dig themselves out of the yearlong recession that has affected global business, some online gaming companies seem to be doing quite well for themselves. In announcing its third quarter numbers for 2009, Sportingbet PLC joins a small list of gaming companies that have been able to turn a profit.

During the announcement last week of the company’s third quarter 2009 earnings, Sportingbet PLC, which owns the popular online poker room Paradise Poker, reported an increase in revenues versus the same time period last year. Sportingbet PLC was able to show a net profit of £48.6 million for the third quarter 2009, up 26% against the £38.6 million that the company pulled in during the third quarter of 2008.

European betting on Sportingbet’s online sports book seems to be the driving factor for its third quarter success. Amounts wagered on sports betting in Europe grew by 38.2% during the third quarter 2009 to £263.8 million versus 2008’s £190.9 million. “I am pleased to report a solid performance,” stated Andrew McIver, the Group Chief Executive for Sportingbet PLC. “Group performance continues to be driven by the European sports betting business, which has seen strong growth in all its key metrics including amounts wagered and active customer numbers.”

Sportingbet PLC, which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “SBT,” admitted to cutting some costs during the third quarter, however. In July, Sportingbet divested itself of ownership in Italian operations, Sportingbet Italia S.p.A., which had been a drain on profits. In addition to this cut, Sportingbet stated that its overall profits could have been better, but continued loss of American revenue and the competition with other online poker rooms that accept U.S. play cut into the bottom line.

McIver continues to be optimistic about the future of the company: “Trading (in Sportingbet PLC stock) since the start of the second quarter has remained robust… The Group performance to date gives the Board confidence with regard to the remainder of the financial year.”

The third quarter report comes on the heels of Sportingbet’s announcement of its fiscal year 2009 numbers, which reflected growth in bookmaking operations and a continued drop in players at Paradise Poker.

In October, Party Gaming announced the results of the third quarter and showed a drop of about 4% of revenues. Party Gaming officials attributed the drop to “higher player numbers offset by lower yields,” meaning they weren’t pulling in as much money even though they had more players. Much like Sportingbet PLC, Party Gaming does not accept any American action. Recently, Party Gaming completed the purchase of assets of the World Poker Tour (WPT), trumping a bid submitted by a subsidiary of the iPoker Network.

Poker Psychology: The Complete Circle

The game of poker is warfare of an unusual type. You battle it out with chips and cards instead of armaments and physical strength, using conflicting information to make the best decisions possible. Some players come to the felt with a major part of their arsenal muted; they lack the psychological support to allow them to attack poker properly.

While many people talk about the mathematics, strategy, knowledge of opponents, and heart that it takes to play poker competently, most do not acknowledge that you need to have the psychological abilities to be at the maximum of your abilities. One of those psychological factors is having what I call “The Complete Circle.”

The Complete Circle is made up of three components: support from family, support from knowledgeable poker friends, and non-poker interests. If you have only one or two parts of this circle, you are not reaching your full potential.

The first part, support from family, is perhaps the most critical part of building The Complete Circle. For some in the poker world, they face ridicule and sometimes outright dislike from family members regarding their pursuit into the world of poker. It can be parents, a spouse, or any significant other who, if they do not agree with what you are doing, can cause you to have apprehension at the tables.

For example, look at many of the popular Asian players in the game today. In the Asian culture, gambling is looked at as the bottom of the barrel when it comes to society and can have an effect on the particular person’s game. You can read the stories of many of these Asian players that admit that they lied to their parents about their poker pursuits. It wasn’t until they rectified this situation and received the blessing of their parents that they were able to fully extend their skills at the tables.

When it comes to spouses or significant others, that can be even trickier. A partner, through repeated arguments about the money and time involved in the game, can induce a player to not be at their best. You probably have seen this in action at the felt… a player moves from the table to take a cell phone call, has their significant other badger them about when they will be home or a bill that could be paid with the chips sitting on the table, comes back, and they return on significant tilt.

It is critical to poker success to have your significant other firmly behind you in your chosen hobby or occupation. Why do you think most poker players have significant others that are involved in some way, either recreationally or professionally, with the game? It is not only a situation of “birds of a feather,” but it is also has basis in a firm understanding and support.

The second part of The Complete Circle, support from knowledgeable poker friends, is good for the growth of your game. Instead of ruminating about particular issues such as bad beats, the play of particular hands, or alternative strategies in the recesses of your own mind, having several poker playing compatriots to bounce these questions off of can expand not only your knowledge of the game, but also give you a fresh insight. These friends can come from a multitude of areas. Poker forums, for example, allow players to build a network of confidants.

The final part of The Complete Circle is non-poker interests. Do you truly believe that a radio DJ, after playing music for several hours a day, goes home and does the same? Do you think a mechanic, after grinding over vehicles for a living, goes home and works on his car? The ability to step away from what is a focal point of your life is important to keeping a fulfilling life.

While it is important to have a passion for the game of poker, it is also important to have outside interests that can release your mind from that pursuit. The change of pace is critical to recharging the batteries and perhaps even re-feeding that passion that is important to success. Having anything be a 24/7 pursuit not only leads to burnout, but it also stunts the ability to make adjustments to your mindset and skills to become better.

By having The Complete Circle filled, you will have made a substantive stride towards success at the tables. It will clear your mind, allowing you to focus on the tasks at hand, and will relieve outside pressures that can distract you from your pursuit at the tables. It is a segment of the psychology of poker that you can change to improve your game immediately.

National Council on Problem Gambling Head Discusses Internet Research

Given that compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has been delayed six months to June 1st, 2010, research on the effects of online gaming may now take center stage as lawmakers craft sensible legislation. At the helm of the National Council on Problem Gambling is Keith Whyte, who sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss the internet side of problem gambling research.

In June, Congressmen Jim Moran (D-VA), Lee Terry (R-NE), and Frank Wolf (R-VA) introduced HR 2906, the Comprehensive Problem Gambling Act. The bill boasts 26 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle and allocates $71 million over five years for problem gambling awareness, research, and treatment. Its language was incorporated into Senator Robert Menendez’s (D-NJ) S 1597, the Internet Poker and Game of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act.

Poker News Daily: Thank you for joining us. Talk a little bit about the differences between live and online problem gambling research.

Whyte: A lot of the research we have is not online and there may be some significant differences between online and live players. When we think about online players, one of the ways I try to break it down is to look at the risk factors for gambling problems: high speed of play, social isolation, use of credit cards, higher limits, and easy access. Those can all be found in the online arena. All of the studies have found that internet gambling users tend to be younger and male. Also cited is that online gamblers are not necessarily losing a lot of money; they are just on there 14 hours a day to the detriment of their work and family life. Problem gambling is not just about the money.

PND: Online gamblers have access to a wide variety of options like poker, blackjack, sports, and casino carnival games. Does that increase, decrease, or not affect the propensity for problem gambling to occur?

Whyte: It’s a pretty robust finding that the more types of things you gamble on, the more likely you are to have a gambling problem. The fact that online gamblers tend to play more types of games means that they are more likely to develop a gambling problem.

PND: Is an online problem gambling study in the works?

Whyte: As we work on Capitol Hill, there are a lot of people asking questions about the online environment. One of the reasons we haven’t done the research is funding and resources. As an advocacy organization for programs that assist problem gamblers, a lot of our focus is on prevention and treatment. For example, we’re still trying to build a safety net for problem gamblers at the state level. We are keen on trying to understand this better and I’d like to see the National Council in a position to support that research.

PND: Have any online poker or internet gambling sites come to you looking for research or offering assistance?

Whyte: bwin has collaborated with Harvard University. Other examples have included the involvement of eCOGRA, but it’s nothing that we’ve done directly.

PND: Will regulation of the industry through a bill like Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, deter problem gambling?

Whyte: That’s one of the concerns we have at the state level right now. We have no confirmation that regulated gambling is more responsible; it’s how that regulation is done. We’ve had problems with state governments not collecting and releasing information, which makes it much more difficult for us to act.

Online high stakes: The Isildur1 factor

Isildur1, the unknown Swedish player named after a character from Lord of the Rings, showed up on the high-stakes scene Sep. 16th. Two weeks later, he began to tear it apart.

His first two weeks on Full Tilt were rather uneventful. In fact, he seemed like just another new fish for the $25/$50 No-Limit Hold'em regulars to destroy.

One of his first real matches came versus Haseeb "INTERNETPOKERS" Qureshi. After playing for a while at $25/$50, the two players eventually moved up to $100/$200 where Isildur1 took Qureshi for close to $500k.

This was the first big win for unknown Swede and it was the fuse that lit the fireworks about to come.

Isildur1 spent the next few days playing some of the most well known players on Full Tilt. He picked apart UgotaBanana for $300k and went on to play some heavy sessions of $200/$400 and $300/$600 Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha.

During that time he took over $700k off of Cole South and lost small amounts to Brian Hastings and Brian Townsend. But after a few days, Tom "durrrr" Dwan finally showed up on the scene. It was the moment high-stakes railbirds were waiting for and all bets were on Dwan breaking the Swedish fish in short order.

Over four days of action - the majority of which was played at $500/$1,000 - Isildur1 won over $3 million, putting Dwan into a bankroll tailspin.

With his newly found riches, Isildur1 has played at the highest stakes available online almost every day since and the action has been ground breaking

While he has taken over $5.2 million from Dwan, Isildur1 has lost $3 million to Phil Ivey, $1.1 million to Townsend, $840k to Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies and $578k to Patrik Antonius.

And in his sessions with Antonius and Ivey, Isildur1 has been involved in all ten of the largest online pots ever played.

First Antonius and Isildiur1 teamed up to break the one-year-old record for the largest pot in online poker history when they tangled over a whopping $878,959.

Isildur1 then became the first person to lose a seven-figure pot online when he and Antonius broke their own record for the largest pot ever played less than a week later. This $1,356,947 pot went to Antonius after his flopped straight held up on the river.

Just two days, later Isildur1 beat Ivey in a pot worth $1.1 million, making him the only player online to have both won and lost a million dollar pot.

Seven of the ten largest pots in online poker history have come in the last week, all between Isildur1 and either Antonius or Ivey. However, through all of this action, Isildur1's true identity is still unknown. The high-stakes world has come up with a variety of theories, the leading one being that he is Blom90.

Viktor "Blom90" Blom burst onto the high-stakes Euro-site scene in early 2009 building a massive bankroll before virtually disappearing. Many sources have claimed Isildur1 is Blom90, but to this day, Blom has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.

Others have claimed he is the same person behind the "martonas" account, another player who burst onto the high-stakes scene earlier this year before dissapearing. There have even been rumors he is retired Swedish footbal legend Henrik Larsson.

The only thing that can be confirmed is the action created by Isildur1 has completely re-arranged the look of the year's biggest winners and losers online. Thanks to the $3 million he's won from Isildur1, Ivey now tops the charts with over $6.3 million - $600k ahead of Antonius, who is now at $5.7 million.

In third place on the year is Sahamies with $5.7 million. Fourth place belongs to Ashton "theASHMAN103" Griffin who has remained at $3.6 million ever since his original heater in early August.

Thanks to the $1.1 million he's won off Isildur1, Brian Townsend sits in fifth place with $3.3 million. And finally, in sixth place is Isildur1 himself, who who has made just over $3 million to date.

The majority of the money made by the top earners has come from Isildur1's profit off of Dwan, who is the year's top loser, down a whopping $6.8 million so far. Gus Hansen takes up second place with $5.8 million, $2 million ahead of third place loser LarsLuzak.

Finally, in fourth sits French professional David Benyamine and his $2.3 million in losses.

To see all of the largest pots played by Isildur1 since his arrival on the scene, head to MarketPulse.

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Isildur1 back up over $2 million in profit for the year

After dumping off most of his $5 million in profits just a week after he had made it, Isildur1 has spent the last week attempting to climb his way back. And with last night's profit added to his roll, the unknown Swede is almost half way there, back up over $2.2 million.

The night started with Isildur1 playing $300/$600 PLO against Antonius and Rafi "howisitfeellike" Amit. Amit stuck around for 100 hands before leaving with $181k profit, most of which came from Antonius.

After reaking even over another couple hundred hands, the players chose to move up to the nosebleed stakes for the remainder of the night. For the next hour and a half, Isildur1 took on unknown UK player DjAdi at at the Hold'em tables and Antonius at PLO, crushing both.

Despite winning the largest pot of their match, DjAdi lost over $160k. But Antonius had an even worse go of it, losing both of the session's largest pots and finishing his night down over half a million. With his six-max losses factored in, Antonius booked a $688k loss.

Isildur1 left the tables with $667k profit, continuing his current winning streak.

Below are the three largest pots from the night. You can watch more hands replayed by heading to MarketPulse .

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Taking the Underground by Lee Jones

The poker media industry is an interesting beast. It spends a lot of time covering tournaments because, well, tournaments are fairly straightforward to cover and people like to know who’s winning what. You have a starting day and an ending day and the tournament promoters have an interest in providing information to the media. You can show chip counts, the big winners and losers for each day, and more.

However, there’s a lot more to poker than tournaments and one of the reasons that I’m writing for Poker News Daily is that they understand that. While these other aspects of the poker world are not as easy to cover, they’re still interesting and important.

Recently, I was traveling and heard about an underground poker game. I suggested to my editor that it would make an interesting piece – including ideas about strategy changes one makes for such games. Let me pause here to say that I define an “underground” poker game as one that (1) runs fairly regularly, (2) is a for-profit enterprise, and (3) is illegal or quasi-legal in its jurisdiction.

Underground poker games are, of course, a long-standing tradition throughout the United States – simply the commercial version of home games that have made up the backbone of poker playing today. Most of the poker luminaries of the last generation – Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, T.J. Cloutier, and Bobby Baldwin – built their bankrolls playing underground games. In fact, well-known blogger, geek, writer, and actor Wil Wheaton got his start in the poker world by writing a delightful piece about an underground game in Hollywood.

The venue of my underground game experience was not in Hollywood, but I won’t be more specific than that. One simply doesn’t give out the GPS coordinates of underground poker games. The host told me a general area of the city to go to and then asked me to call him; he gave me directions from there. I found myself at a nondescript, unmarked warehouse in a nondescript light industrial area. The description fit the instructions I had gotten on the phone and there were eight to ten cars parked where he told me to park. I immediately noticed one thing: the cars were all parked facing outward, as if people here had succumbed to the British passion for backing into parking places… or thought they might be leaving quickly.

I got to the unmarked door and pushed the doorbell. A few seconds later, an electric latch buzzed open and a young man in jeans and a sport shirt welcomed me in. “Lee? Hi – I’m Rich [names changed here]. Come on in.”

The warehouse had been minimally decorated, but as a functional poker room, it had everything you needed. There was a bar (everything is complimentary), a couple of big screen televisions showing sports, and Mexican food. There were a couple of couches in the middle of the room, but even with all the accoutrements, including the two casino-size poker tables, there was still plenty of room for a three-on-three soccer game.

The owner/host, Jerry, came over and greeted me warmly. He may have been running an illegal poker game, but Jerry was a consummate businessman and host. He worked tirelessly to ensure that his customers were taken care of.

There was a tournament that evening with a very reasonable fee and extraordinarily generous blind structure. Everybody was able to play a lot of poker and nobody busted out for at least an hour. Once eight or nine people were out, they started the cash game, which was really the centerpiece of the operation. On his busiest nights, Jerry had two tables going, but with the tournament, just one cash table went the night I was there.

The cash game is where Jerry made his money and this is where we’ll switch to discussing strategy changes for such games. First, the rake in Jerry’s games (and virtually all underground clubs) is high. Jerry’s price is 5% of the pot with a cap at $20. Basically, you’re paying Jerry’s insurance premiums. I note that while this would be considered usurious in any U.S. casino poker room or California card club, it’s actually less than people routinely pay elsewhere in the world to play poker.

Two important lessons come from this high rake:

Rule #1: Play Fewer Pots.  When the pot is being raked that heavily, splashing around and picking up small pots on the flop costs you a lot of money. You’re never getting quite the price you think you are and you’re basically just “churning” your money like a stock day-trader paying commissions on dozens of trades every day. It means you have to be that much more profitable just to break even. For instance, with Jerry’s structure, the rake isn’t capped until the pot reaches $400, which is an all-in coup between two players with $200 buy-ins (a typical amount).  Your goal should be to play fewer pots, but try to make those pots larger. In a perfect world, you want the pot to be over $400, reducing the actual percentage of rake that you’re paying.

Rule #2: Watch Out for Winning Regulars. As I played in the cash game ($1-3 No Limit Hold’em), it became clear that most of the players were regulars. I also quickly figured out who the tougher players were. Now, these guys are not only beating the game, but they’re also beating the crippling rake. So, they have a pretty good idea of what they’re doing, not only in general, but also in the specific context of Jerry’s game. They know who the fish are and the mistakes the fish are making. In fact, somebody who may be a fish with respect to the sharks in that game might have an edge on you simply because he knows these people and plays with them all of the time. Many of the players in these games battle against each other in home or underground games three to four times per week or more. That kind of intimate knowledge can make the difference between being a shark and being the target; it’s unlikely that you’ll be a favorite the first time you sit in Jerry’s game.

With that said, underground games certainly have their appeal. I will admit that it would have been fun if Jerry had a John Malkovich-inspired Russian accent, but poker is pretty much the same around the world. Once we settled down to play, both in the tournament and the cash game that followed, it could have been the Bellagio or my home game. There were cards and chips, blinds, raises, and bad beats. Some of the players were good and many were bad. There was certainly plenty of EV for a solid No Limit Hold’em player.

I’ll leave with just one very important disclaimer: when you play in an underground game, you have stepped out of the realm in which most of us live our lives. There is a reason why there’s a heavy door with an electronic lock and video cameras watching every outside corner of the building. The place could be busted by the police at any time or, much worse, held up. You are also almost certainly breaking the law. Think about all that before deciding to try out the underground poker scene.

Lee Jones is the Card Room Manager of Cake Poker and has worked in the poker industry for six years. He has been associated with professional poker for almost 20 years. He is also the author of “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” which has been in print for over 14 years.

Poker Pros Comment on Isildur1 and High-Stakes Online Poker

Online railbirds have been thrilled to watch the continuing battle between the online poker newcomer Isildur1 and several of the top professionals from the Full Tilt Poker stable. While Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, and Tom “durrrr” Dwan have swapped six-figure pots with the Swedish phenomenon, online poker fans and players have been offering their thoughts on Isildur1 and high-stakes play. Poker News Daily sought out the opinion of two top professionals in the game today for their outlook on this week’s battles on the virtual felts.

Tom Schneider, who is the proud owner of two World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and captured the Player of the Year award in 2007, believes that there is a dominant factor in the gentlemen engaged in this game. “I think a part of this game is ego for everyone,” Schneider told Poker News Daily. “Keeping it in check is important for good play and bankroll management, however. Good players and even great players are susceptible to go broke if they’re not careful.”

“Most all of us are guilty of playing higher than our bankroll would suggest,” Schneider continued. “I don’t know how deep these guys are, but I can’t imagine that both of them can continue to play for this kind of money for too long, especially if there aren’t some really bad players in the game.”

Many have suggested that the players in this high-stakes game are perhaps the best in the world, but Schneider respectfully disagrees. “I can’t comment on whether these players are better than the rest because I haven’t played with them,” Schneider admitted with a laugh. “Confidence is key in poker. If you have built your bankroll up enough to play at this level, one has to be incredibly confident. Having said that, one of the best poker players in the world might be playing in a $1/$2 game right now. He or she may never play higher because they don’t want to.”

“Is there really a best player in the world,” Schneider continued during our discussion. “I don’t think so. It is much like saying, ‘Is there a best artist in the world?’ Poker is too much art to have a best player. A list of great players could be written, but the word ‘best’ shouldn’t be used. No offense to Phil Ivey, but I would use the term ‘amazing’ to describe him. Did he play better than anyone at the final table (at the WSOP Main Event)? I’m not sure.”

Joe Sebok, who drove deep in the 2009 WSOP Main Event (finishing 56th) and is a sponsored pro with UB.com, is one who admits to being amazed about the players and the high-stakes game that is occurring. “There’s no denying that they have sick skills,” Sebok stated, “They also have a certain amount of sick gamble in them. That’s a trait that you just can’t teach to people. These guys want to gamble as high as they possibly can, working the smallest edges imaginable. You have to take your hat off to that.”

Sebok coins a new term for the players that the online world is transfixed with. “They are a different breed, for sure,” he says. “A lot of factors all combine to create these ‘super gamblers.’ There is definitely a lot of ego involved.” When asked if he would be playing at these levels, Sebok laughed. “I think they are insane! I can’t imagine that I would ever play that high. I don’t think I would even want to if I had unlimited bankroll. I just don’t have it at that high of a level. As I’ve said before, it takes an innate sick amount of gamble and I don’t have it at that level.”

VP of Bodog Poker Network Discusses Expansion

Recently, officials from Bodog announced the formation of the Bodog Network, a family of poker sites encompassing the various Bodog brands around the world with expansion to non-Bodog domains expected in 2010. Poker News Daily sat down with Jonas Odman, Vice President of the Network, to review the company’s plans to take on new sites.

Poker News Daily: Thanks for joining us. Can you give us an update on the Bodog Network? When can we expect more sites to be added?

Odman: We’re talking to potential partners now and will hopefully get someone on board. We have a target list, but we’re looking for someone who is technologically savvy to be the first partner. Ideally, we would like to find someone with a big European base of players.

PND: Are American-facing sites more attractive than those that do not accept U.S. players?

Odman: It’s possible that we would not want or require the customer database of our partners. So, if our partners take American players, it’s fine. They can take players from anywhere they want. It’s a big project. We will have to develop things on the business-to-business side. It’s new to us and will be a big project. We want to move up in player liquidity.

PND: Explain the importance of seeking out European-focused online poker sites to join the Bodog Network.

Odman: We want to cover all limits at all hours so you always have a game when you log in. If you’re a high-limit player and log on during European hours, you might have trouble right now. Also, we will be able to offer better tournaments.

PND: What will happen to Bodog.com’s team of sponsored pros, which includes Evelyn Ng, David Williams, and Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo after the departure of Jean-Robert Bellande?

Odman: Team Bodog will represent Bodog.com and continue to do that. Our operators on the network will have their own teams of players.

PND: Are you planning to offer payment services and other ancillary features as well or only focus on online poker?

Odman: Initially, it will just be poker. The sites will have to do payments themselves. Our target partners are bigger and they won’t need to have those types of services provided to them anyway.

PND: What are the benefits of potential partners moving to the Bodog Network?

Odman: There are some unhappy operators on other networks. On Bodog, the operators can keep their customer databases. That will differentiate us from some networks. We also have a unique solution to rakeback where operators that bring in net depositing players will earn more money than they would on other networks.

The players that the network wants are net depositing players, but with the way the rake is split now, the winning players get too large of a proportion of revenue. We don’t think that’s fair. We want to reward operators who bring in net depositing players.

We will take the players’ deposits as a factor before we split the rake between the operators. The typical rakeback player will be worth much less. The winning players will come anyway because we will have good players for them to play against. By focusing on net depositing players, it will benefit the whole ecosystem.

PND: What is the long-term focus of the Bodog Network?

Odman: Our long-term goal is to be in the top three and it depends on which partners we get. We have a good liquidity now, but we want to move up the ladder.

Trishelle Cannatella Signs with Absolute Poker

The Absolute Poker family just became a little larger. The USA-facing site on the CEREUS Poker Network welcomed former 2002 “Real World” star Trishelle Cannatella as a sponsored pro. Poker News Daily sat down with Cannatella to discuss her new role.

Poker News Daily: Congratulations on signing with Absolute Poker. Besides “Real World,” some of our readers will recognize you from stints on “Punk’d,” “Fear Factor,” “Criminal Minds,” “Ninja Cheerleaders,” “The Dukes of Hazard: The Beginning,” “The Surreal Life,” and “Dr. Steveo.” How’d the signing come about?

Cannatella: One of my friends manages poker players. She was getting me gigs like going to charity tournaments and doing appearances. I started playing and she talked to someone at Absolute Poker. They asked me to be their ambassador.

PND: How did you get started in poker?

Cannatella: I started off in home games. They gave me a “Poker for Dummies” set and it’s how I learned. I taught myself how to play like that and began beating the guys at their own game. Then, I decided to play a live tournament at Caesars Palace, around an $80 buy-in event, and I won. I didn’t think I could actually do that and so I started playing a little bit more. I don’t have the bankroll to play very high stakes.

When I first started playing, it was on Paradise Poker. I used to play $1 tournaments online all night long. Now, I go from that to getting to play with people I used to see play on television. I am serious about it and am really looking forward to it.

PND: What can we expect from you on Absolute Poker?

Cannatella: I’m going to be playing on the site as “Trishelle_C” and am going to do blogs, both video and written. I’ll be going to events like charity tournaments and Aruba. I also spent the whole summer in Las Vegas for the WSOP. I really love poker, so it’s exciting to be part of the site.

PND: Who were you railing at the WSOP?

Cannatella: Phil Galfond was there. I became friends with Tom Dwan and Jeff Madsen. While I was there, I played a satellite and was the only girl at the table. The other players all have their iPhones and their sunglasses on and I got no respect at the table. All of a sudden, Chris Ferguson comes over, climbs over the rope, and told me that he was watching me play. Then, I started getting respect at the table.

PND: What’s next for your television career?

Cannatella: I took a little bit of a break after the Hulk Hogan wrestling show. Now, I’m getting back into things. I auditioned with a new show that’s like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” meets “Sex and the City.” I’ve also been in talks with more reality television show producers.

PND: Talk about fellow female Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones. Have you met her before?

Cannatella: She’s gorgeous and I met her in Las Vegas. We have a lot of mutual friends and I’m excited to work with everyone. I’m also friends with some of the poker girls and I love Tiffany Michelle.

PND: Who in the poker community have you gone to for advice?

Cannatella: I ask Phil Laak a lot for help and he tells me to go to CardRunners and study. He told me that he’d give me a month of free training if I go to CardRunners every day. So far, I haven’t had time.

Isildur1 doomswitches Dwan for $460k

Not only have Dwan and Isildur1 played heads up for the last three days straight, but the still unknown Isildur1 has managed to come out on top in all three sessions.

After this most recent session Isildur1 is up over $2.3 million from the last three nights alone.

Mostly due to the $2.3 million in losses to Isildur1, Dwan has managed to dump a staggering $3 million over the last week.

Last night's losses can be mostly attributed to durrrr losing the three largest pots of the night. The pots were worth a mind-boggling $588k, $611k and $695k, the latter being the biggest pot recorded this year.

The second largest pot of the night was also one of the most interesting. After Isildur1 re-raised Dwan pre-flop with 5♠ 7♠, Dwan made the call with 3♠ 6♠.

The flop (6♣ K♠ 7♥) gave each player a pair, but it was the turn (6♣ K♠ 7♥ 4♠) that sparked the fireworks.

With both players holding a pair, gut-shot straight draw and flush draw, they assumed they had as many as 17 outs to win.

Unfortunately for Dwan, Isildur1's hand killed twelve of his outs, leaving Dwan with only five for the win. The river came as a blank to both players, with Isildur1's pair of sevens good enough to take the $611k pot .

Surprisingly, it seems as if Dwan's losses are specific to his rival Isildur1.

While losing money hand over fist on the NLHE tables to Isildur1, Dwan won $520k from Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies playing $500/$1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha.

With the $520k from Ziigmund factored in, Dwan actually came out of the night with a marginal profit of $60k.

Below you can see how the three largest pots of the session played out. If you want to watch more, head to our MarketPulse page.

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Erik Seidel Appears on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm

Normally, poker players are seen on television only within their element, in a poker tournament or cash game. Recently, however, a top pro took the time to appear on one of the most popular programs on cable television.

In last Sunday’s episode of the HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm” entitled “Officer Krupke,” Erik Seidel appeared in a non-speaking role on the show. Seidel was seated behind “Curb” star and creator Larry David and his on-screen wife, Cheryl Hines, as the couple dined in a restaurant. David and Hines discussed her auditioning for a role on the “Seinfeld” reunion, which has been a prominent part of this season’s storyline. Seidel’s prominence in the shot – he is framed by both David and Hines as they perform the scene – has led many to discuss how he got on the program.

On the poker forum TwoPlusTwo, some answers are given on how Seidel got his “moment in the sun.” A tweet from Seidel himself that was posted on the site admits, “Yes, that was my ugly mug on Curb. From a charity auction, I’m a huge fan of the show.” Also noted in the discussion on TwoPlusTwo were the appearance of actor/poker player Ben Affleck and that Daniel Negreanu will have a spin on another HBO program, “Entourage,” also because of a charitable cause.

Seidel’s charitable actions have been quite apparent over the past year. When poker pro and friend Annie Duke battled her way to the final two on the past season of the NBC reality series “Celebrity Apprentice,” Seidel was prominent in several of the tasks. Not only did he appear during the final episode pitting Duke against eventual winner Joan Rivers, but Seidel also contributed to one of the early tasks on the program. In that episode, Seidel was among several poker players that donated to Duke’s cupcake drive. Seidel purchased one of the cupcakes created by Duke’s Athena teammates for $5,000, helping the team to victory.

The latest sighting of Seidel on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” continues a long-running theme of poker players appearing in mainstream television, movies, and magazines. In addition to Duke’s “Celebrity Apprentice” appearance this year, the team of Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho on the current run of “The Amazing Race” has drawn attention to poker personalities. After battling valiantly through several difficult physical stunts, the duo was eliminated two weeks ago, finishing in sixth place on the Emmy Award-winning program.

Negreanu has been able to parlay his poker stardom into a cameo role in one of the top films of this year, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” where he played poker against the character Gambit. Fellow poker players Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman, and Phil Hellmuth joined Negreanu in the recent “Body Issue” of “ESPN: The Magazine.” In addition, popular recent poker films and television series such as “The Grand,” “Lucky You,” and the highly controversial ESPN series “Tilt” have featured some of the biggest names in the game such as Doyle Brunson and Antonio Esfandiari.

It is good to see poker players such as Seidel in an arena outside of the poker table and even better that Seidel was able to parlay his appearance on the program into a charitable cause. The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode with Seidel appears nine more times between now and November 15th, so there are plenty of opportunities for poker fans to check out his turn on one of the most popular programs on cable television.

WSOP Main Event: Cada and Moon talk heads-up

But after running like Gods to get heads-up for the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event title, both 21-year old online pro and heads-up guru Joe Cada and 46-year-old Darvin Moon, the luddite logger from Western Maryland, sound confident heading into Monday's fight for poker's most prestigious title.

Despite being bailed out by the deck after several missteps during the more than 14-hour play down to the final two Saturday, and the fact he's facing a 2.5:1 chip deficit, Moon believes he can win.

"I feel confident about everything I do," said Moon. "I know I'm not the best at everything I do, but I feel confident."

Cada's road to heads-up included being down to as little as four big blinds and hitting more than one two-outer on the way up Saturday.

Although he's feeling lucky to still have a shot at the $8.5 million first-place prize, he feels like heads-up is his game.

"What can I say? I got lucky," he said. "I'm not too mad about the plays I made. It was unfortunate the results and unfortunate what happened to the other guys, but good for me I guess.

"I'm very excited to get heads-up because that's what I play and I'm feeling pretty confident. But anything can happen. I came from down to 2 million and now I'm heads-up. Anything can happen. There's still a lot of tournament to be played."

While Cada regularly plays $10/$20 heads-up cash games online, Moon says he's played heads-up only once - when he won a satellite into the Main Event.

"Back home we always get down to two and chop," he said. "It'll be a learning experience. We'll see how it goes. He's better than me, but I'm confident. They say he's some kind of specialist heads-up online. I'm not online to watch or see, so we'll just see what happens."

Cada has studied heads-up strategy on online forums and through his backers at PokerXFactor.

Moon's strategy appears to be a little less refined.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Can you give me the definition of strategy?"

When play resumes Monday, Cada will hold 135,950,000 chips to Moon's 58,850,000 and the entire poker world appears to be buzzing about the match up.

"This has been the most exciting Main Event Final Table I've ever witnessed," said World Series of Poker President and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. "To see Joe Cada go from about two million in chips to nearly 136 million in chips - and to watch Darvin Moon go from chip leader to short stack and back again - was truly astonishing.

"The heads-up competition is going to be outstanding."

To catch all the action as it happens, tune into PokerListings 2009 Main Event Live Coverage beginning at 10 p.m. PT Monday.

Visit PokerListings.com

WSOP Main Event: Darvin Moon Three-Outs Phil Ivey, Steve Begleiter

In a rather bizarre scene at the final table of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table, Darvin Moon sent crowd favorites Phil Ivey and Steve Begleiter packing, three-outing both.

In the first hand back from a break that ended around Midnight PT, Ivey shoved all-in pre-flop with A-K and Moon made the call with A-Q. Ivey, who had become aggressive in the moments leading up to the day’s dinner break, watched as the door card came a queen, sending Moon out in front in the hand for good. Ivey ate an apple throughout his final hand, with at least half of the fans in attendance chanting “Iv-ey, Iv-ey” in unison.

The turn came a three, leading Ivey to take another bite of his apple, and the Full Tilt Poker pro was sent into the Las Vegas night after the river was a five. He received a standing ovation for his 12 hours’ worth of work and $1.4 million in earnings.

As has been customary, eliminated players greet the media in the orchestra level lobby in front of a red Jack Link’s Beef Jerky WSOP backdrop. Prior to Ivey’s elimination, Kevin Schaffel and James Akenhead both made their way to the waiting media, answering a barrage of questions. Ivey, however, did not show up. Instead, Harrah’s Communications Director Seth Palansky explained that WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla had managed to procure several quotes, which would be distributed at the end of the night, and that Ivey would not come out.

Full Tilt Poker blogger Michael Craig told Poker News Daily, “As impressed as everybody is with Phil Ivey, his play today exceeded expectations. He was phenomenal, he played like a champion, and only busted because he got very unlucky.” A Full Tilt Poker representative explained why Ivey did not want to be interviewed following his ousting: “If you just lost that million, would you?”

Shortly thereafter, Begleiter was sent packing after Moon once again hit a three-outer. This time, Begleiter was all-in pre-flop with pocket queens against Moon’s A-Q. The board blanked out until the river, when an ace hit, sending Begleiter home in sixth place. In a span of about 30 minutes, Moon had three-outed two Full Tilt Poker pros.

Unlike Ivey, Begleiter came to speak to the media and explained, “I’m a little numb obviously. I would have liked to win that pot. I got my money in really good and I was one card away from being right back in the thick of it. I played some hands well tonight. I played some hands poorly tonight. I really thought that [last] hand was mine, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Begleiter spoke on Moon’s recent pair of eliminations, which were reminiscent of his play down the stretch in July’s Main Event play: “Darvin’s a good player. There are no bad players out there. He’s figured out how to hold onto most of his chips and he’s got mine now. He’s going to be a factor. It’s going to be really interesting.”

Begleiter took home $1.6 million for his efforts. Here’s how the final table stacks up headed into five-handed play:

1. Darvin Moon – 63,925,000
2. Eric Buchman – 53,250,000
3. Antoine Saout – 51,725,000
4. Jeff Shulman – 15,525,000
5. Joe Cada – 10,350,000

According to ESPN officials, Moon was spotted playing Texas Hold’em Bonus at the Rio during the dinner break, winning about $1,000. Begleiter and Moon played the game early this morning prior to the resumption of the Main Event. Moon now sits alone on the left side of the table, while Buchman, Saout, Shulman, and Cada are seated next to each other to the dealer’s right.

Although the balcony is empty at the Penn and Teller Theater, the orchestra section remains full headed into the 1:00am hour.

Chad Brown, Liv Boeree Join ESPN Inside Deal

The final installment of ESPN’s poker show “Inside Deal” before the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table was released on Tuesday, featuring Chad Brown and Liv Boeree.

The “Inside Deal” crew moved to a new set to open the show and its attention immediately turned to Phil Ivey mucking the winning flush during last week’s WSOP on ESPN broadcast, which saw the field trimmed to 18 players. “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee gave his take on the errant move: “It was shocking. That’s really all you can say. I’m sure it’s happened before, but not in the final 27 of the WSOP Main Event.” Ivey remains in the running for the $8.5 million first place prize despite the hiccup.

On Kara Scott being the new host of the GSN poker franchise “High Stakes Poker,” Lee quipped, “At least we know that Norman Chad will be watching;” Chad referred to Scott as “Kara Scott-Chad” throughout the 2009 WSOP Main Event broadcast. Poker News Daily can independently confirm that Scott is the new host of “High Stakes Poker” pending finalization of her contract and obtaining a working visa. No official announcement has been given by GSN.

A recent study released by the Joint Committee on Taxation, a U.S. Government agency, revealed that over $40 billion could be realized from taxing the internet gambling industry over a 10-year period. Lee explained the significance of the report: “That has to raise a lot of eyebrows in the government, knowing that amount of money could go into their coffers. This has to slowly move the pendulum toward us.” In the meantime, the financial services industry in the United States must come into full compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by December 1st.

Boeree them joined the show and revealed that she studied physics and astrophysics in school before being cast for a poker reality show featuring Ultimate Bet pros Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth. Boeree has been competing on the tournament circuit for only one year and commented, “I definitely don’t think I could go back to hosting now. I find it very difficult being at a European Poker Tour (EPT) event and asking people what their strategies were.” Her favorite band is Metallica, whom she has met and seen in concert. Boeree, a Brit, also claimed that her worst pet peeve of Americans is “easting like idiots.”

Brown discussed being one-half of a “power couple” in poker along with wife Vanessa Rousso: “We both have our own careers. As a couple, [we] can be supportive of each other.” Brown was the 2006 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year on the strength of five Top 40 finishes in World Poker Tour (WPT) events and a fifth place showing in EPT London. On the accolade, which only takes into account $5,000 buy-in tournaments with more than 100 players, Brown told Lee and fellow “Inside Deal” host Laura Lane, “These are the best players in the world you’re competing against.” John Juanda and Barry Greenstein were on his heels throughout much of the competition.

Brown noted that he was cast to be part of a movie directed by James Woods, but the project was put on hold due to the lingering global recession. On his acting career, the Team PokerStars Pro member explained, “If you’re a movie star, you can do whatever you want. If you’re a working actor, you need to stay in Hollywood and pound the pavement.” While Brown has put his acting skills to use on the green felts, Boeree commented that exploiting her femininity is advantageous: “There are definitely times when you can use it to your advantage. If you can flirt with the guys, they’ll want you to stick around.”

“Inside Deal” now heads to Las Vegas for the finale of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. The show is released each Tuesday on ESPN.com.

WPT signs on for Annie Duke Charity Tournament

The WPT is putting up a seat in its exclusive Celebrity Invitational tournament to the winner of the charity event.

Organizers have also released an updated list of celebrities to attend the Duke charity tournament.

It now appears Amazing Race competitors Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho will be buying in, along with fellow reality TV star Trishelle Cannatella, Magician Penn Lillette, world champion snowboarder Jeff Brushie, supercross icon Jimmy Button, actor Joshua Malina and several others.

The usual assortment of poker players will also be lining up to play with Duke, Howard Lederer, Dan Harrington, Joe Sebok, Greg Mueller, Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Andy Bloch and "Hollywood" Dave Stann scheduled to appear.

The public will be able to buy in for $330 and rub shoulders with all the aforementioned celebrities and poker players.

The top 10 finishers will receive prizes from sponsors WSOP Academy, ClubWPT.com, Rockwell Time, Crown Royal, Team UltimateBet, Cartwright Entertainment, Hardcore Elegance, AMA Supercross Anaheim and Commerce Casino.

Taking place at the Commerce Casino in L.A., the Annie Duke Celebrity Poker Night is set to benefit the Decision Education Foundation, which teaches young people to make smart decisions.

The WPT Celebrity Invitational takes place Feb. 20-21, 2010. Also held at Commerce Casino, the Celebrity Invitational is recognized as one of the biggest celebrity tournaments in the world.

The event has drawn the likes of Ben Affleck, Tobey McGuire, Vince Vaughn and Mena Suvari. Former winners include Phil Laak, Van Nguyen and Freddy Deeb.

To sign up for the the Annie Duke Celebrity Poker Night or learn more about it, click here.

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Daniel Negreanu Breaks Down WPT Tournament Poker Statistics

Anyone in the world of poker knows the difficulty of not only the game, but also making a living at it. On his blog at Full Contact Poker, professional player Daniel Negreanu demonstrated this reality with a thorough breakdown of statistics culled from the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) website.

Negreanu, in a posting entitled “I Am A Stats Geek Like No Other,” starts off the discussion regarding his statistical analysis by looking at the return on investment (ROI), for players on the WPT circuit. In his analysis, Negreanu looks at the average WPT event costing $10,000 and estimates roughly another $10,000 for travel, hotel room, and meals. In Negreanu’s opinion, players have to win over $20,000 per event to “break even” on the tournament poker circuit.

Negreanu limited the analysis to players who have played in at least 30 tournaments and found 176 players who fit the criteria. Not surprisingly, many of those in the top ten by Negreanu’s calculations of Earnings Per Event are some of the most highly respected players on the circuit today. Former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Carlos Mortensen leads the pack with an average of slightly over $100,000 per event entered and is joined by such players as Jonathan Little, Gus Hansen, and Negreanu himself.

Perhaps the most telling statement on this ROI analysis from Negreanu is the discussion of tournament veteran Casey Kastle. Kastle, who was responsible for the non-smoking movement in poker rooms, holds the record for most cashes in WPT history. In fact, according to the number crunching from Negreanu, he has cashed in 30% of the tournaments he has entered. On the down side, Castle earns about $7,000 per cash, meaning that he is actually losing money.

“If you are going to make it on the WPT, the most crucial stages come late,” Negreanu says on his blog. “You can’t waste opportunities and you need to raise your game at the late stages. You don’t get tons of opportunities, but when you do, you have to get to the final table in order to make any money.”

The ladies don’t escape Negreanu’s gaze, either. Of the women who have played the minimum 30 tournaments, only five – J.J. Liu, Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harman, Mimi Tran, and Vanessa Rousso – have over $10,000 per event entered and the latter two barely eclipse that number.

Finally, Negreanu presents his overall breakdown. Of the 176 players eligible, only 56 have an ROI of $20,000 or more. “Shockingly,” Negreanu continues, “of the 176 eligible, only 90 of those actually have an ROI of over $10,000. That means there are 86 people out there who have played 30 or more events and are overall losers to the investment.”

This, according to Negreanu, points out a couple of factors that players need to take into consideration. “It’s one of the key reasons that a solid satellite system is essential for any live tour to be successful,” he says. “Without smaller feeder tournaments, the cost of playing is too big. Now, I love the WPT, but I think one of the biggest mistakes they’ve made is not focusing more on a feeder system involving online satellites. It’s essential.”

The statistics also point out the importance of being able to play cash games profitably, according to Negreanu. “When I started out, I grinded in cash games and satellites in order to be able to afford the expensive buy-ins. I’m afraid I don’t think enough people really think about how they are managing their money when it comes to deciding whether to play an event.”

The statistical evidence presented by Negreanu is difficult to argue with and many should look at it before they decide on a career as a professional tournament poker player. His work shows that it is difficult to be a professional and that you need to have ample skills in not only cash games, but also in the tournament arena.

Bodog Cancels Sunday Tournaments, $100,000 Guaranteed

Players logging into the popular online poker room Bodog on Sunday to play in the weekly $100,000 Guaranteed flagship tournament found the site down due to technical difficulties.

On the PocketFives.com online poker forum, the trouble for many users began shortly before 5:00pm ET when one frustrated person posted, “Anyone else having problems logging into bodog?” The site’s $100,000 Guaranteed begins at 4:00pm ET each Sunday and comes with a $162 buy-in. On October 18th, a total of 469 players entered, creating an overlay of nearly $30,000. Overlays of over $20,000 are common in the event, which has become a haven for the world’s top online poker pros looking to claim their share of the dead money in the prize pool.

Players battling in the $100,000 Guaranteed at the time attempted to diagnose the problem, with PocketFives.com member “dirtydonzo” taking it upon himself to call Bodog’s customer support. The response: “Just called them. No real information. Lady said they are having technical difficulties and they are working to fix the problem. She didn’t have any specific details and didn’t know when the site might be back up.” The post was time stamped at 4:53pm ET, less than one hour into the $100,000 Guaranteed.

Meanwhile, PocketFives.com member “MarkFSU1” relayed his story, which was echoed by several other players: “I got a message saying the 100k was canceled because [there were] not enough players.” Customer support purportedly told some concerned Bodog members that the $100,000 Guaranteed would be rescheduled.

One player who attempted to log in while the melee was unfolding received an error message notifying him of maintenance: “Bodog is down for regularly scheduled maintenance and/or software upgrades. We expect to be back up shortly.” At 7:09pm ET, about two-and-a-half hours after issues were first reported, Bodog representative Rebecca “BodogBecky” Liggero appeared and claimed, “Tonight, Sunday, October 25th, Bodog Poker had to cancel all tournaments because many players were experiencing disconnection problems. Players will be compensated according to Bodog Poker rules, i.e. players will be paid a percentage of the prize pool based on their stack size when the tournament was canceled.”

According to Bodog’s Terms of Service, when a guaranteed prize pool tournament is canceled prior to hitting the money bubble, “the payout will be based on the prize pool composed of buy-ins only,” meaning that the guarantee is not factored in. Half of the purse is distributed evenly among all players remaining in the tournament, while the other half is dished out based on chip counts. Liggero instructed concerned online poker players to contact the individual Bodog licensees.

Liggero told Poker News Daily that the site is looking to right the ship this weekend. She relayed a statement from the Bodog Network claiming, “Bodog has more customers than ever and yesterday this caused some problems with our database. To repair the problems, we were forced to cancel all ongoing tournaments, including our flagship $100,000 tournament. All players have been compensated in accordance with our tournament cancellation policy. On top of that, we will invite all affected players to a $10,000 freeroll on Sunday. They will all receive an email with the details.”

A similar occurrence took place during the $100,000 Guaranteed five weeks ago. On September 20th, about 90% of players in the event were disconnected and blinded off. In a post made two days later, Liggero explained, “At 8:09pm EST on Sunday we had to restart our servers, and after that many players, but not all, were blinded out of the 100K tournament. At the time of the restart, 43 players were left in the 100K tournament, and all were already in the money. Since the tournament was not stopped, the result will stand and everyone will keep their prize money.” The statement added that Bodog officials should have halted the tournament at 8:09pm ET and so an additional 35 players would be compensated accordingly.

Players logging into the site on Monday were met with a small software update and the $100,000 Guaranteed is scheduled for Sunday, November 1st, the same day as the start of the fourth Bodog Poker Open. Bodog accepts players from the United States and features a stable of pros that includes Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, “Survivor: China” castaway Jean-Robert Bellande, Evelyn Ng, and David Williams.

French businessman wins EPT Warsaw

"I think I was lucky today," said Christophe Benzimra, who beat Italian pro Alfio Battisti heads-up to win the Polish leg of the tour and its almost €360,000 first-place prize.

"I am not a professional player, I play for fun. I really enjoyed it, but I'm not giving up work. I play poker just for the pleasure of it."

The owner of a Plexiglas factory in Bucharest, Romania, the 47-year-old began playing poker just three years ago and has competed in almost every EPT over the past two years.

The win represents his first cash.

Held at the Casinos Poland at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the fourth edition of EPT Warsaw drew 203 players creating a more than €1.1 million prize pool.

Considering the event is not televised, EPT Warsaw is traditionally the least-attended EPT stop.

Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano, who broke his own records by reaching a fifth EPT final table and recording his 12th cash, finished fourth.

Although he has yet to win an EPT title, Pagano's finish pushed him past fellow Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier on the EPT all-time Tournament Leader Board.

Oleksandr Vaserfirer, who began the final tale with the chip lead, finished third.

Ukrainian Ruslan Prydryk finished fifth and Canadian Clayton Mozdzen, one of 33 PokerStars qualifiers in Warsaw, finished sixth.

Russians Alexander Klimashin and Anatoly Gurtovoy finished seventh and eight respectively.

EPT Warsaw also included a nine-man High Roller event, won by Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri.

Next up on the PokerStars European Poker Tour is EPT Vilamoura set for Nov. 17-22 in Portugal.

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Deeb in control at WPT Festa al Lago final

But the two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, who has more than $6.2 million in career tournament earnings, will come into Monday's fight for the title and $1.2 million first-place prize with something equally important - the chip lead.

"It never gets old making money," said the Lebanese-born American. "And I'm feeling very confident. I always feel confident. Otherwise I don't play. I really want to win though, and I'm definitely going to try my best."

The kind of player that constantly adjusts his game to best attack the players seated around him, Deeb said chip lead or not, that will be his plan at the final table.

"I'll just wait things out, see how it goes and see how they play," he said. "Every day is a different day."

Business owner and part-time poker player Shawn Cunix will come in just a few hundred thousand shy of Deeb's 3.8 million chip stack.

The Ohio native has close to $500,000 in career tournament earnings and while this is the biggest stage he's ever played on, he said he feels ready for it.

"I honestly will continue to play the game exactly like I have," he said. "I'm very confident that I'll do my best and whatever happens, happens."

The player currently sitting third in chips could very well be one of the hottest players in poker right now.

New Yorker Tommy Vedes followed up a final-table appearance at the 2009 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 event with a 19th-place finish in the Main Event.

Then he spent the late summer tearing up almost every tournament he played, final tabling the World Poker Open in Tunica, finishing 18th at WPT Cyprus and grabbing the early chip lead at PokerStars EPT London before fizzling out 54th.

"I think my game was always good," he said. "I just never really took a shot at playing big events before and I guess now it's showing. We'll see what happens tomorrow."

Veteran pro Craig Crivello sits right behind Vedes and with two WSOP final tables and three deep runs in the Main Event on his resume, stretching all the way back to 1995, it appears he's been on the verge of something big for a long time.

He believes experience could be the telling factor at this final table.

"I'm feeling pretty confident," he said. "Experience definitely helps. Some of these younger players have never been here before and I have.

"I know Freddy Deeb is an experienced veteran. Some of the other players though, (being on TV and playing for big money) may affect them a little, but I feel comfortable.

"We'll see what happens. I have to get some cards too. It doesn't matter how good you feel, you still have to get cards."

One of the younger players Crivello was referring to is 23-year-old Jason Lavallee, who came into the final 11 with a massive chip lead.

After a difficult play down to the final six, the Montreal, Quebec native will enter the TV final table fifth in chips in an attempt to put his fall from the top behind him.

"I don't have as much room to maneuver as I wish I did," he said. "It was a tough day, obviously I took a lot of beats, but I still kept my composure and tried to not spew off too many chips.

"I'm just going to try to go out tomorrow with a fresh mind and not sweat too much over it."

Finally, the short stack at the table is 22-year-old Jason Burt, who is hoping a few years of online MTT and cash-game experience will be enough to keep him from being too shaky on the WPT stage.

"I've played a lot of tournaments, so hopefully I won't be too nervous," he said. "I've never been on TV before, except for some local stuff, so we'll see how it goes."

The final table will play out at the Bellagio in Las Vegas beginning at 4 p.m. PST.

To catch all the action, click through to PokerListings' Live Updates.

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Unknown player Isildur1 banks $347k

Last night online player Isildur1 sat for a total of 3,477 hands across multiple six-max and heads-up tables ranging in stakes from $25/$50 to $200/$400.

Playing a mix of No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha, Isildur1 managed to finish his night with an impressive profit of over $347k.

The biggest pot of the night, worth $92k, saw Isildur1 lose his stack to a player named DjAdi after getting it all in on a set-up flop.

This pot ended up being the deciding factor in his match against DjAdi, with Isildur1 finishing $54k down.

Isildur1 also lost the second largest pot of night playing $100/$200 PLO against CardRunners pro Haseeb Qureshi. Qureshi flopped the best hand with his top-set of queens, and never looked back.

The players got it all in over three streets, the last $30k going on after Qureshi rivered the big full.

Despite winning a pot worth almost $78k, Qureshi took a brutal beating over his 750 hand session. In the end Isildur1 walked away with more than $345k of Qureshi's money.

Below you can see the three biggest pots of the night, or you can find your way to MarketPulse to see the rest of them.

Set-up Flop.

The hand just kept getting better.

Not what he had in mind, but it worked.

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Tilly returns at WPT Festa

But the 1994 Academy Award nominee and 2005 World Series of Poker Ladies champion came back to the World Poker Tour for the Festa al Lago main event this week and told PokerListings she's here to stay.

"Poker is actually an addiction," she said. "I did take almost a year off. I did a play in the West End and I did a couple of movies, but I found that when I was doing the theatre, I was really missing the poker."

When the curtain would fall in her nightly performances of Wallace Shawn's Grasses of a Thousand Colours at the Royal Court Theatre in London, Tilly would head straight to the famed Victoria Casino to sit in with Neil Channing and the rest of the Vic's regulars.

With boyfriend Phil Laak still pursuing his poker dreams around the globe, Tilly couldn't help but feel poker's pull and soon she was forced to admit her love for the game actually outweighed her interest in acting.

"It's really hard to get away from, especially when you have a boyfriend who you live with who is really fanatic about poker," she said. "I guess now I'm just at a time in my life where I find poker more interesting than acting, although I suppose that could change."

While Tilly enjoyed some success in her first foray into poker, amassing more than $500,000 in tournament cashes, the poker lifestyle articles she wrote for Bluff Magazine that were a little more lifestyle than poker, and some of the mistakes she made on televised poker shows, quickly became fodder for the more visceral voices on several online poker forums.

Looking back, Tilly admitted she found it all rather hurtful and it was one of the reasons she decided to leave the poker world behind.

"I did get very discouraged because lots of times you read online, people are saying all these horrible things about you, people who don't know anything about your game or your stats or anything," she said.

"I had to get my computer expert to break the link to Two Plus Two, because Two Plus Two is like crack. Those guys are really smart and funny and I would go there every day and laugh and laugh and laugh, until I saw something bad about me and I would feel really horrible."

But after a little soul searching in her time away from poker, Tilly feels she's now more equipped to handle the criticism.

"I've never really lived my life, since I got out of high school, caring about what people think that much and I feel like just because it was annoying to other people to have an actress playing poker or they thought my articles were dopey or whatever, I'm not going to crawl into a hole and not try to achieve.

"I think I'm kind of in a place now in my life where I don't care what people think."

Taking a few steps away from playing poker actually gave Tilly the time to refine her game and she also feels better prepared to succeed.

"I've just been doing a lot of reading and studying in my time off and I feel like I'm in really good shape to re-attack the poker thing again," she said. "It's really an amazing game. It encompasses all areas of life. I think poker is really a metaphysical puzzle and every situation you encounter in poker is an analogy for life.

"So the work that I've been doing has been more than going to PokerXFactor or CardRunners or reading all the poker books that have ever been written. It's also been reading books about the conscious universe, how you can tell people are lying and psychic phenomenon, how to expand your brain and reach your peak potential."

Tilly's return to poker has already included a final table appearance at the PartyPoker World Poker Open in London just last week and although she busted out of Festa al Lago late on Day 2 Thursday, she left with a smile and a plan to be back better than ever.

"It's really kind of a lifetime project," she explained. "I've kind of cracked the acting thing, but I could live to be a hundred years old and still not know everything there is to know about poker."

To follow all the action at WPT Festa al Lago click through to PokerListings' Live Updates.

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Festa features rare late registration

For the first time, instead of two starting days, the Bellagio is allowing players to register for the event all the way up until the start of the ninth 90-minute level on Day 2 and begin their run at the Festa al Lago title with the same 60,000 chip starting stack as the Level 1 starters.

"We had always taken buy-ins up until the fourth level," said Bellagio Tournament Director Jack McClelland. "A lot of the higher limit players would rather start at a higher level. They felt like they were wasting their time with 50/100, so they would just come in after two or three levels and play out the end of the first day.

"So it was suggested that they just be allowed to buy in the second day and we figured, what was the difference? We just wanted to give the players as many options as possible."

Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu, who became poker's all time leading money winner with his runner-up finish at the World Series of Poker Europe main event last month, showed up for the start of the first level Wednesday, but told PokerListings he has no problem with the idea of late registration.

"Some people might have a problem with it and say they shouldn't be able to come in late, but really, they're starting with less blinds and they're paying the same amount, that's not a problem as far as I can see," he said.

"There would be an advantage in terms of fatigue, but the Bellagio is set up where you only play noon to 9 p.m., so that's not a factor. It's basically a personal choice.

"Ideally, it makes the most sense to play the entire tournament through because if you're a favorite, and you play the early levels, you are going to have more chips than the guy who comes in late. There's really no advantage to coming late, but for some people, who maybe get bored in the early levels or just don't seem to play that well, it protects them."

Fellow Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier said it doesn't really make sense for most players trying to win the tournament to start late, but he can understand one scenario where it would.

"A high stakes cash player might feel like they're wasting a whole day here at the tournament when they could be making thousands of dollars elsewhere, but that's the only case where it would seem somewhat logical, because they're giving up a huge edge," he said.

"The bottom line is it will be good for the rest of us. They'll be more people playing, more money in the prize pool and these people are going to be coming in with a slight disadvantage."

It appears the choice comes down to how deep, or short stacked, a player wants to start the tournament. While the 60,000 starting stack amounts to 600 big blinds deep in Level 1, by Level 8 it is only 50 big blinds.

However, by the time Level 8 wraps up on Day 2, close to half the starting field could be out already.

Whether it's an advantage or not, it appears the idea is catching on.

While just 150 players had registered to start Day 1, that number rose to 246 by the day's fifth and final level.

Plus, big name players like Andy Bloch and Phil Hellmuth are rumored to be among those who will be starting sometime on Day 2.

Much like the massive starting stacks, pro-friendly deep structure and reasonably long tournament days it has become famous for, McClelland says it all a part of what makes Bellagio a favorite destination for poker players.

"We want to satisfy the players and accommodate them, whether you come from across the street or around the world to Bellagio to play, we want you to be able to play," he said.

"If they want to start in level one and grind it out and make more money, that's fine. If they want to start late and gamble a little, that's fine too. Gambling is legal in Nevada, even encouraged in some spots."

To follow all the action at WPT Festa al Lago click through to PokerListings' Live Updates.

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Internet Gambling Proponents Prepare for Kentucky Supreme Court Hearing

On Thursday, lawyers from the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) will lead a contingent into Frankfort, Kentucky in a case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names. Among those prepping is Ian Ramsey from Stites and Harbison, local counsel for the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC).

Oral arguments in the case will begin at 11:00am local time. The case is the final one on the docket for the week, leaving many in the industry speculating that the proceedings could last for longer than the scheduled 15 minutes per side. Ramsey told Poker News Daily what he’s expecting to unfold: “I expect that we’re going to have a lot of questions from the bench. The parties have raised many issues and the Supreme Court is going to have to sort through them.”

Among those factors that will contribute to the Supreme Court’s decision is whether the Commonwealth of Kentucky had jurisdiction to seize the domain names on the grounds that they were “gambling devices” and whether the State bringing a criminal gambling charge to a civil forfeiture hearing will hold weight. On the question of jurisdiction, Ramsey cited a ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court on October 16th, which the IGC submitted as supplemental authority in its Kentucky case. The Arizona legal battle ended with the state’s highest judicial body ruling, “However noble the State’s purpose is, in rem jurisdiction requires presence of the subject property in the state.”

The question remains as to where a domain name is located. Is it located on a bettor’s computer? Is it located on a server? Is it located overseas where the internet gambling site is based? Is it located somewhere in cyberspace? The Commonwealth of Kentucky, under the direction of Governor Steve Beshear and Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown, charged that domain names were “gambling devices,” a term typically reserved for objects like roulette wheels and slot machines that you’d find in an underground casino.

Ramsey explained the far-reaching impact of the case, which has garnered worldwide attention: “The citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky are interested, the citizens of the United States are interested, and anyone around the world on the internet is interested in this case. We look forward to a well-reasoned, thoughtful opinion by our Supreme Court.” In January, the Kentucky Court of Appeals in Louisville ruled by a two to one margin that the State did not have jurisdiction to act. The lone dissenting opinion noted that the domain names were part of a larger gambling device.

The URLs in jeopardy belong to some of the behemoths of the industry like PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Ultimate Bet. Full Tilt Poker sought a backup plan by purchasing FullTilt.com last September, shortly after word broke that FullTiltPoker.com was among those domain names seized. Poker News Daily also learned that Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, both members of the USA-friendly CEREUS Network, had contingency plans in the event that their primary domain names were held hostage. If successful, the 141 domain names under fire would be unavailable not only in Kentucky, but also around the world.

Besides iMEGA and IGC, other organizations involved in the legal squabble include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Electronic Frontier Foundation, eBay, Network Solutions, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), and the Center for Democracy and Technology. In its amicus brief, the PPA argued that its one million members will suffer “immediate and irreparable harm” if the domain names are inaccessible and that poker is a game of skill and therefore not illegal gambling.

Kara Scott to Host High Stakes Poker?

With the news from GSN that co-host AJ Benza will not return alongside former actor turned poker pro Gabe Kaplan for season six of High Stakes Poker, rumours have been flying as to who his replacement could be – the only thing we know is they have breasts.

Alex Outhred Discusses Deepstacks University

Known as “The Insider” for his efforts in cataloging hands at every final table of the early years of the World Poker Tour (WPT), Alex Outhred went on to create the curriculum for and become one of the preeminent instructors for the WPT Boot Camp, which has taught the intricacies of poker to thousands of players. Then, he moved on to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Academy, where he was critical in the implementation of its study guide. Outhred now has some other “pots on the stove,” both inside and outside of the poker world, including a new teaching outlet.

One of his latest endeavors, Deepstacks University, had been keeping him in the recording studios. Deepstacks University is an online and live poker school slated to open at the beginning of November. What makes Deepstacks University different is that it offers players poker instruction for a cost that is vastly less than the various boot camps that are available. It was easy to see Outhred’s enthusiasm for the new teaching tool after only a few moments of talking to him.

“Deepstacks University, in my opinion, is truly a quality product,” Outhred stated immediately. “We have some of the best minds in the game in Tom McEvoy, T.J. Cloutier, Mike Matusow, and the Binger brothers (Michael and Nick). I have played and worked with everyone involved with Deepstacks University and it’s truly an honor to work beside them.”

Outhred’s desire to teach poker stems from his background, which included everything from studying psychology at the University of Michigan to being exposed to the wealth of teachers and psychologists within his family. “It is really a great feeling when you see someone who benefited specifically from your instruction win a big tournament or a WSOP bracelet or Circuit ring. To illuminate poker concepts and theory that play a factor in taking down a title is definitely a point of pride for me, for the student, and the process itself.”

He’s also quick to note, however, that there is something in it for himself. “When I am teaching my courses on Deepstacks University, it does help me out,” Outhred said. “All of the things that I tell students help to reinforce the same ideas in my head, which then run over into my play at the tables. By keeping these ideas and concepts fresh and accessible in my head, I can only play better. An important aspect of this cycle that has developed lately has been bringing fresh lessons that I’m learning at the live tables directly to the Deepstacks University videos.”

With a wealth of players around him (in addition to the professionals listed before, other top pros such as Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Andrew “Browndog19” Brown, Jon “pokertrip” Friedberg, and Liv Boeree round out Team Deepstacks), Outhred has found that there is always room to improve his game. “It’s tough to pick just one (of my associates), but Nick Binger is someone I learn from because I believe we have a uniquely similar style of play,” Outhred said. “We both seem to have that knack for going with our reads and knowing when to drop a big hand or kick into that purely aggressive mode that it takes to do well in tournament poker. Seeing his style of play and the corresponding results embolden my confidence in my own game and my likelihood for future success.”

In the past three years, Outhred has pulled in approximately $300,000 from tournament poker (he was 54th in last year’s WSOP Main Event) and also earned $500,000 from the FOX television game show “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” The money earned has allowed him to become part owner in a restaurant, Stout Burgers and Beer, in Hollywood, California. The establishment is set to open next month.

“I’ve been thinking about the future and the restaurant was something I wanted to do,” Outhred admitted. “I have been on a bit of a bad streak results-wise since the WSOP last year and I really wanted to see the restaurant and Deepstacks University get off the ground. To be able to do that, I really put my attention on them and put playing high buy-in poker events on hold until next year.”

Starting the restaurant while maintaining a place in the poker world was critical for Outhred: “I wanted to be able to take care of my future and be secure. By getting these things in line, I’ll be able to do that. People sometimes forget that poker will always be there and I didn’t want to be one of the people who forgot that.”

Outhred seems to be demonstrating that someone can combine life and poker and be successful at both. With Deepstacks University and his restaurant set to open for business within a couple of weeks, “The Insider” will be busier than ever and we can only hope to see him back on the felt soon.

Hevad Khan Joins ESPN Inside Deal

This week on the ESPN.com poker show “Inside Deal,” Team PokerStars Pro member Hevad Khan relived some of his memorable antics from the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and gave his take on this year’s November Nine.

“Inside Deal” began by rehashing the week’s news, starting with the massive 730 player turnout in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) London stop. Aaron Gustavson took down the event, besting 2008 WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate heads-up. “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee explained, “With 730 players, EPT London had a tremendous turnout, but it utilized several factors to its advantage.” Among them were that it piggybacked on the WSOP Europe festivities in London, the buy-in was only ?5,000, and 200 players qualified online through PokerStars, which sponsors the EPT.

Daniel Negreanu was quoted on the Hardcore Poker Show as saying, “Personally, I don’t think [Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker] should exist anymore, especially considering what happened at Ultimate Bet. I don’t feel we owe them any favors.” The sound byte led Lee to speculate that players will ultimately continue playing at the two sites as long as their present management, Tokwiro Enterprises, properly oversees the operation. Russ Hamilton was fingered as the main man responsible for the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal.

Then, an interview with Phil Ivey aired in which he noted that he’s third in line for the Durrrr Challenge behind Patrik Antonius and David Benyamine. Ivey told “Poker Edge” host Phil Gordon, “[Tom Dwan] is probably going to have an advantage on me in the beginning because I’m not used to playing four games.” Dwan is halfway through his match against Antonius and leads by $700,000 after 25,000 hands. The contest pits the two pros against each other across four tables of $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha for 50,000 hands.

Khan joined the “Inside Deal” set to talk about the “Hevad Khan Rule,” which bars excessive celebration at the WSOP. On the rule, Khan told Lee and “Inside Deal” host Laura Lane, “I like the rule. I had a rule named after me.” Khan lived in New York when he final tabled the 2007 WSOP Main Event, but has since moved to Las Vegas. On delaying the final table until November, Khan admitted, “Momentum is a big thing in poker. This whole period can turn amateurs into pros and pros into disasters. For me, I’m glad I got to play the next day.” Jerry Yang took down the 2007 WSOP Main Event to the tune of $8.25 million, his only WSOP cash to date.

Khan is 24 years-old and a former StarCraft aficionado. As such, he’s been able to take advantage of several aspects of StarCraft that translate to the poker world. Khan explained that StarCraft’s requirements of “multitasking and fixating yourself in front of a computer for hours on end with no other misdirection” have helped him succeed in poker. Other high-profile StarCraft players include Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, one of Khan’s close friends.

On the success of younger pros in today’s poker scene, Khan explained, “Young guys are able to play poker when they’re 18 and that’s a three year boot camp before they can enter the live felt.” Khan added that Darvin Moon, one of the elder statesmen at the WSOP Main Event final table, will finish third or better when the smoke clears in the $10,000 buy-in tournament next month, rationalizing, “People with big chip leads usually win the tournament.”

On which of the short stacks – James Akenhead, Antoine Saout, or Ivey – will be eliminated first from the Main Event, Khan explained that Ivey would: “You can imagine the amount of money he has on prop bets.” Therefore, Ivey’s focus would be on winning, which could result in an early exit as he attempts to double up.

Khan gained fame after recording a video while playing 30 sit and gos at once on PokerStars, which thought he could be a bot. When asked what the most number he ever played at a time was, Khan answered 43, with 32 to 38 being common. Nowadays, he refrains from playing sit and gos altogether.

Finally, Khan admitted that he is rooting for Ivey to take down the 2009 WSOP Main Event, saying, “It’ll bring the public together more.” Ivey is seeking his eighth bracelet overall and third of 2009; he also won three in 2002.

“Inside Deal” is released every Tuesday on ESPN.com.

WSOP on ESPN Ratings up 11% in 2009

On Tuesday night, action from the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) will continue on cable station ESPN. “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” has seen a ratings boom in 2009 down the stretch, with the Main Event final table on tap for November 10th.

According to ESPN officials, through 11 weeks of coverage of the 2009 WSOP, its broadcasts have delivered a 0.91 average household coverage rating, up 11% from last year, when the average rating was 0.82. ESPN coverage of the 2009 WSOP began on July 28th, when the network aired the brand new $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP. ESPN then went on to feature the WSOP Champions Invitational, a 20-person freeroll consisting of former Main Event winners, and the Ante Up for Africa charity gala, which included actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Last week, coverage of Day 5 of the Main Event was featured during the 9:00pm ET hour, followed by Day 6 at 10:00pm ET. Each episode lasted for one hour and the first garnered a 0.88 rating. The second hour began with a rap by Prahlad Friedman and had a feature table that included 2007 WSOP Player of the Year Tom Schneider. That episode generated a 1.17 rating, the second highest of the season. Last Tuesday marked the first week that the WSOP on ESPN moved to a 9:00pm ET kickoff, as it had previously started one hour earlier at 8:00pm ET. The Main Event final table will air on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00pm ET and run for two-and-a-half hours.

Key for ESPN’s advertisers, which include online poker rooms PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker as well as Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, are two demographics. Males age 18 to 49 have tuned into the 2009 WSOP on ESPN in droves, rising 12% from the number that watched the 2008 broadcast. Among males age 25 to 54, the number of viewers is up 16% in 2009. PokerStars sponsors the “Straight from the Pros” segment as well as the program’s on-screen chip counts, while Full Tilt Poker sponsors the “Deal Me In” strategy segment during WSOP on ESPN broadcasts. Ultimate Bet has also been spotted airing commercials on the cable station. The site is fresh off the conclusion of its annual Aruba Poker Classic, which saw Brandon Hall and Robert Mizrachi chop heads-up.

Last year marked the first that the final table of the prestigious $10,000 buy-in Main Event was delayed until November in order to coincide with its broadcast on ESPN. As a result, ratings mushroomed by 50% for the final table airing. At the end of the day, Peter Eastgate bested Ivan Demidov in front of a packed house at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio and banked $9.1 million.

This year, another schedule change has the poker world talking. Play will resume in the Main Event final table on November 7th at 12:00 Noon PT and continue until two players remain. Then, the pair will play heads-up beginning on November 9th at 10:00pm PT to determine a winner. The gap in between will allow time for media interviews and further study by the heads-up participants of each other’s tendencies.

While WSOP on ESPN coverage has focused on players like Eastgate, Joe Hachem, Dennis Phillips, and Betrand “Elky” Grospellier, the following nine players will take to the felts in November:

1. Darvin Moon (Oakland, Maryland) – 58,930,000
2. Eric Buchman (Valley Stream, New York) – 34,800,000
3. Steven Begleiter (Chappaqua, New York) – 29,885,000
4. Jeff Shulman (Las Vegas, Nevada) – 19,580,000
5. Joe Cada (Shelby Township, Michigan) – 13,215,000
6. Kevin Schaffel (Coral Springs, Florida) – 12,390,000
7. Phil Ivey (Las Vegas, Nevada) – 9,765,000
8. Antoine Saout (Paris, France) – 9,500,000
9. James Akenhead (London, England) – 6,800,000

Check out the WSOP on ESPN every Tuesday at 9:00pm ET.