Poker News

Jamie Gold Hosts Successful Charity Tournament

2006 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jamie Gold continues in his role of poker ambassador – raising money for various charities by hosting charity poker tournaments amongst the rich and famous. Most recently he hosted a celebrity charity tournament on behalf of Children’s Institute Inc.

Anurag Dikshit Sells Remaining Stake in Party Gaming

According to an article that appeared in eGamingReview (EGR) on Tuesday and filings to the London Stock Exchange, Party Gaming Co-Founder Anurag Dikshit will sell his 28% share in the company for at least ?188 million.

It’s a curious twist on a story that began developing last December, when Dikshit appeared in the Southern District Court in New York. The Party Gaming personality pled guilty to violating the Wire Act of 1961 and agreed to fork over $300 million to the U.S. Government. He also faces up to two years behind bars, with sentencing scheduled for 2010. Dikshit’s spokesperson, Shimon Cohen, told EGR, “Anurag has paid the $300 million fine that he was asked to pay by the U.S. authorities and has decided it is time to move away from the company.” The Wire Act has traditionally applied to online wagering on sports, not online poker. Read the entire EGR Anurag Dikshit article.

Dikshit was originally rumored to be selling two-thirds of his 28% stake in Party Gaming; however, EGR later reported that the entirety of his shares would be unloaded. PartyPoker, the online poker arm of Party Gaming, withdrew from the U.S. market in 2006 shortly after the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was attached to the SAFE Port Act in the waning moments of that year’s Congressional session at the urging of then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). The regulations of the UIGEA were approved as midnight rules by the outgoing Bush Administration and will be fully enforced on December 1st.

In a filing to the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday, where Party Gaming is traded under the symbol “PRTY,” Anurag Dikshit, under the names BT Nominees Limited and Crystal Ventures Limited, is listed as selling 75 million shares of PRTY, or two-thirds of his original total. The filing explains, “Crystal Ventures Limited is wholly owned by BT Nominees Limited who hold shares in PartyGaming Plc under a declaration of trust in favor of Mr Dikshit.” Dikshit owned 113 million shares prior to the sale posted on Tuesday in London and retained nearly 39 million “indirect voting rights.” The sale of the remaining interest has not yet been posted.

At the close of trading on Tuesday in London, shares of PRTY were fetching 240.10p and EGR noted that Dikshit expects to pull in at least ?188 million as a result of the transaction; the sum will be donated to charity. On Monday, PRTY was trading at 284p before Dikshit’s sale, which promptly sunk the share price by 15%. All told, Dikshit’s agreement with the U.S. Government last December ballooned the firm’s stock, which sat at below 140p before quickly climbing above 200p. Exactly one year ago, shares of PRTY were valued at 123p.

Ruth Parasol and Russ DeLeon, who founded Party Gaming along with Dikshit, were not expected to follow suit, according to EGR. In the meantime, PartyPoker officials have heralded the election of its ambassador, World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton, to the Poker Hall of Fame. Sexton is the lone representative of the Class of 2009 and will be officially inducted in ceremonies taking place on November 7th during the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table. Sexton is a WSOP bracelet holder and re-signed with PartyPoker in April.

In August, Party Gaming acquired the WPT for $12.3 million, outbidding a subsidiary of Playtech, which owns and operates the massive iPoker Network. Four months earlier, the company entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, agreeing to pay the Federal Government $105 million. In the process, Party Gaming admitted that it solicited U.S. customers prior to the UIGEA’s passage and agreed not to do so in the future until the industry is licensed and regulated.

Industry Reacts to Poker Hall of Fame Nomination of Mike Sexton

This week, the industry learned that World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton would become the 38th member of the Poker Hall of Fame and the lone representative in the Class of 2009. Poker News Daily sought the reaction of some of poker’s greats.

Sexton bested eight other nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame this year, a group that included Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Tom McEvoy, and Dan Harrington. GreasieWheels LLC President Lisa Wheeler, who has worked with Sexton on several charity endeavors, told Poker News Daily, “I’ve worked with Mike Sexton for many years and can honestly say that he lives up to his nickname, ‘The Ambassador of Poker.’ After learning he’d been elected into the Poker Hall of Fame, I was surprised at first. I just assumed he had already been inducted. He’s a staple in the industry and has done so much for its image and evolution. Mike was a shoe-in from the start.”

Sexton serves as the Host, Consultant, and Ambassador for the popular online poker room PartyPoker. In his role, he’s influential on the direction of the site, which has served as his main cheerleader for election to the Hall of Fame. Also central in the industry is Cake Poker Card Room Manager Lee Jones, who explained to Poker News Daily, “Mike Sexton is one of the great gentlemen of poker and he always has a friendly word for everybody. He’s been a powerful influence to help bring poker out of the Dark Ages and into the future. I’m delighted that Mike was chosen for the Poker Hall of Fame; they couldn’t have picked a more deserving person.”

Sexton earned 75% of the vote of a 30-member panel, each of whom was allowed to select up to three players for enshrinement. This author was privileged to be on the voting panel and selected Sexton, McEvoy, and Harrington. On the world’s largest online poker forums, the reaction has been largely positive to Sexton’s nomination. TwoPlusTwo member “venice10” explained, “Well deserved. Mike Sexton has done a great deal to try to lift the game up and is a class act.” TwoPlusTwo member “RadcliffePoker” added, “He has probably done more for poker [than] the whole of 2plus2 put together. He was a driving force behind getting Party Poker off the ground. He has done brilliantly with the WPT in getting a hell of a lot more fish into the game.”

ESPN “Inside Deal” Host Bernard Lee told Poker News Daily, “It’s very well-deserved. Mike has had a tremendous impact on the world of poker. Most people know him from the WPT, but even before then, he was a tremendously accomplished player with a WSOP bracelet. No one deserves it more than Mike.” “Inside Deal” is released every Tuesday on ESPN.com.

Poker pro Kathy Liebert, who rooted on McEvoy throughout the final table of the WSOP Champions Invitational, wrote on Twitter that she expected more than one candidate to be enshrined in 2009: “Seems to me there should be more than one poker player put into [the] hall of fame each year… With so many qualified candidates 75% of vote is too high. Especially with media being 50% of vote.” 2009 marks the first year since 2004 that only one person will become a new member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Dewey Tomko and hole card camera inventor Henry Orenstein were elected last year.

Full Tilt Poker pro Andy Bloch countered why Sexton was worthy of the only nod in 2009: “Arguably, any of the nine players nominated fit the qualifications and most will probably make it to the Hall of Fame in due time. Why was Mike elected before all the rest? Quite simply, he fit the qualifications for the Hall of Fame as both a player and a non-player much more so than any of the rest. I hope more of the others take a cue from Mike Sexton’s induction and do even more to promote the game of poker.” Tournament Director Matt Savage added, “Mike is and always has been the greatest ambassador for the game of poker and the Tournament of Champions was and idea clearly ahead of its time. I am very happy to see someone that has worked so hard to promote our great game receive this prestigious award!”

Finally, what would be an industry reaction article without a comment from the man of the hour? Sexton told Poker News Daily, “I’m truly honored to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. It’s really special because for the first time, there is now a process of being selected that includes the fans, the media, and the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame. The most satisfying part to me is to be accepted and welcomed into this exclusive club by the current members of the Hall of Fame.”

Congratulations to all of us to Sexton for his Poker Hall of Fame election.

Party Gaming Revenue Down 4% in Q3 2009

In figures recently released by Party Gaming, the parent company of PartyPoker, revenues were off 4% in Q3 2009 compared to Q2. Company officials noted that the decrease was “in line with the normal seasonal pattern seen in previous years.”

The acquisition of Cashcade actually ballooned Party Gaming’s revenue to $112.7 million during the third quarter, up 11% from Q2. However, removing Cashcade’s impact meant that revenues decreased 4%. PartyPoker revenues were $45.1 million during the most recent three-month period, a slide of 8% versus Q2. Party Gaming management attributed the fall to “higher player numbers offset by lower yields.” The $45.1 million in poker revenue represented a significant dip from the $65.0 million reported in Q3 2008.

PartyCasino’s revenue clocked in at $49.2 million, up 2% from the previous quarter, and the company’s sports book revenue registered at $4.2 million, up 31%. The company reported Bingo revenues of $13.8 million, nearly seven times the total accrued by the division during the same period last year. Party Gaming CEO Jim Ryan commented in the company’s release to the London Stock Exchange, “Poker remains challenging from a competitive standpoint, but we are encouraged by the increased player traffic during September and into October on the back of our new retention initiatives such as the enhanced loyalty program, improved VIP offer, and automated reactivation campaigns.”

Party Gaming boasted a base of 7.3 million users in 2009, up 24% from the 5.9 million users it placated to in 2008. The online giant played host to 79,200 average daily players, up from 63,900 in 2008, or 24%. However, its yield per active player day was down significantly in the third quarter of 2009 to $15.40, a slide of 23% year over year and 11% quarter over quarter. The company blamed the dip on “higher bonus costs driven by the acquisition of Cashcade and the costs associated with the new retention initiatives.”

A total of 208,100 new real money sign-ups occurred during Q3 2009 company-wide, a climb of 51% from the 137,600 who registered during Q3 2008. The number of unique active players during the period was 726,300, up 35% from 2008, and the company reported average daily net revenue of $1.2 million, down 5% from 2008, but up 10% over the previous quarter.

All told, PartyPoker boasted 4.6 million active players during the third quarter of 2009, a slide of 2% year over year. The online poker site, which does not accept customers from the United States, hosted 50,400 daily average players, even with 2008 figures, and a $9.70 yield per active player day, down 31% from the $14 recorded last year. PartyPoker saw 120,100 new real money sign-ups during the third quarter, up a colossal 30% from the 92,100 who signed up during Q2 2008. PartyPoker had average daily net revenues of $489,700, a dip of 31% year over year and 9% quarter over quarter.

Company officials explained the poker business unit’s lackluster performance: “Despite the competitive challenges in poker, we continued to sign up large numbers of new players and achieved an absolute increase in player numbers versus the previous quarter despite seasonality. Player yields declined year-on-year due to foreign exchange movements as well as competitive pressures.” On Thursday, it was announced that PartyPoker Ambassador Mike Sexton is the lone member of the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner has served as the host of the World Poker Tour (WPT) since it debuted on The Travel Channel in the United States in 2003.

According to PokerScout.com, PartyPoker is the fourth largest online poker site worldwide, featuring a seven-day running average of 5,200 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, which occur in the evening throughout Europe, over 10,000 cash game players can be found on its felts. Party Gaming is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY.”

Mike Sexton Elected to Poker Hall of Fame

The 38th person elected into the Poker Hall of Fame is none other than PartyPoker Ambassador and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton. He will be enshrined as part of ceremonies to be held on November 7th.

2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Poker Hall of Fame. This year, nine finalists were up for nomination to the Hall, with a panel of 15 living Hall of Fame members and 15 media representatives (including this author) determining the fate of the 2009 class. Sexton was the only one that I felt was a shoe-in for election, as 75% of the 30-member vote was required in order to capture one of poker’s most prestigious accolades. A press release distributed by World Series of Poker (WSOP) officials properly labeled Sexton “a true gentleman who has constantly enhanced the game of poker both with his play at the tables and his promotion of the game off of it.”

Ballots were due on October 2nd, with each person able to vote for up to three candidates for the 2009 class. This author selected Sexton, Tom McEvoy, and Dan Harrington, the three elder statesmen on the 2009 ballot. Other nominees included November Nine member Phil Ivey, “The Robin Hood of Poker” Barry Greenstein, “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” lead man Daniel Negreanu, Men “The Master” Nguyen, WSOP Main Event and HORSE Championship winner Scotty Nguyen, and eight-time bracelet holder Erik Seidel.

The list of Poker Hall of Fame members reads like a roll call of poker legends: Doyle Brunson (inducted in 1988), Johnny Chan (2002), Phil Hellmuth (2007), Stu Ungar (2001), Chip Reese (1991), and Barbara Enright (2007), just to name a few. Now, Sexton’s name will be added to this illustrious list. In a press release distributed by PartyPoker, Sexton commented, “I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and it is particularly special because for the first time it was a process that involved the fans, the media, and the living members of the Hall of Fame. To me, the most meaningful aspect of this process was the acceptance by the living Hall of Famers, who welcomed me into their exclusive club.”

One of Sexton’s most impressive feats was taking down the 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions, which saw the new Poker Hall of Fame member best a final table that included Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, Andy Black, and Chris Ferguson. Sexton earned $1 million for the victory and, according to WSOP officials, donated half of his prize money to charity. His lone WSOP bracelet came in 1989, when the World Poker Tour (WPT) host outlasted a field of 174 players to win a $1,500 buy-in Limit Seven Card Stud High-Low event. He has reached the final table in 20 of the 47 WSOP events he’s entered, a 43% success rate.

Sexton is the voice that many in the industry “grew up to” following the poker boom in 2003 and was instrumental in bringing the WPT to life. Sexton sat, and continues to sit, alongside Vince Van Patten on WPT broadcasts, popularizing the notion that Texas Hold’em takes “a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.” He represents one of the few constants in an industry constantly in flux and had the backing of a bevy of influential industry veterans in his push for the Poker Hall of Fame, including Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Steve Lipscomb, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, Padraig Parkinson, Matt Savage, Roland de Wolfe, and an army of public relations staffers at PartyPoker.

To me, one of the most defining acts for Sexton was when he took on a lead role to campaign on behalf of players shut out of the 2009 WSOP Main Event after Day 1D had reached capacity. Sexton joined forces with “Captain” Tom Franklin to present WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack options to accommodate players. Sexton, curiously, had little to gain from taking an active role in the situation, as he had already played on Day 1A and survived with an average chip stack. The situation manifested Sexton’s stature within the industry and is one of the many reasons we will look forward to welcoming him into the Poker Hall of Fame in November.

Sexton honored by Hall of Fame induction

"It's a nice honor," Sexton told PokerListings from London, just moments after he was notified about his induction.

"It really feels great. I'm truly flattered. Being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame is about more than winning a tournament or having a good year. Essentially it is about having your career evaluated, being appreciated for what you've accomplished and what you've done for poker."

For the first time in the Hall's 20-year history, the nomination process was open to the public, who helped define nine finalists for this year's class, including Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Phil Ivey, Tom McEvoy, Erik Seidel, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu and Sexton.

The decision on inductees was then left up to the 17 living Hall of Fame members and a 15-member media panel.

Sexton was the only finalist that received the 75% of the panel's votes necessary for induction.

"The fact that, for the first time, this was a process that involved the fans, the media and the living members of the Hall of Fame is what makes this very special to me," Sexton said. "That they consider me worthy of induction into this exclusive club is the most precious thing."

Sexton, 62, has more than $3.7 million in career tournament earnings over an almost 30-year career in the game, but is perhaps best known as an analyst for the World Poker Tour's television coverage and as a spokesperson for PartyPoker.

While he claims he started out as just another poker player, after winning the 1996 Four Queens Poker Classic $5,085 No-Limit Hold'em Championship Finals, Sexton began writing a regular magazine column and embraced a role as a catalyst for poker's growth, setting up major tournaments and working as an ambassador for the game.

"I've always tried to promote poker in the best possible way," he said. "A lot of it has just been about being in the right place at the right time."

While he will officially be inducted in a special ceremony during the final of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event Nov. 7, Sexton said becoming the 38th member of the Poker Hall of Fame is no indication his poker career is coming to a close.

"As long as I'm alive and healthy and I can walk back and forth from the tournament area, I'll still be playing, it doesn't matter how old I get," he said.

"I still enjoy playing and now I feel like when I play poker, I'll be carrying the torch for all the Hall of Famers."

The Poker Hall of Fame was established in 1979 and acquired by Harrah's Entertainment along with the World Series of Poker in 2004.

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Mike Sexton Elected to the Poker Hall of Fame

The Poker Hall of Fame recently announced that Mike "The Ambassador of Poker" Sexton has become the 38th member of the Hall of Fame. Despite facing stiff competition from other elite players including November Niner Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and...

F1 Driver Giancarlo Fisichella New PartyPoker.it Spokesman

The latest sports star to take an interest in the game of poker is Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella.  The Italian speedster recently signed on to a sponsorship deal with PartyPoker.it, PartyPoker’s Italian site.

Fisichella, known to his fans as Fisi, gained notoriety in the poker world during the PartyPoker-sponsored Sports Challenge IV earlier this year.  The tournament combined online qualifiers from PartyPoker with celebrities from the world of sports and put them in themed heats.  Fisichella played in the “Racing” heat and impressed commentators and observers alike with his understanding of position and use of aggression.  He ultimately lost to online qualifier and PartyPoker VIP player Scott O’Reilly, but his display of skill impressed PartyPoker enough to keep him in mind for a future sponsorship deal.

Apparently, Fisi has had a hard time getting poker off of his mind.  As he explained in a statement to PartyPoker, he often turns to poker to pass the time while on the racing circuit: “Poker has become a very popular pastime in the paddock in recent months with many of the drivers.  I have joined two new teams recently and am delighted to be in pole position as a new ambassador for PartyPoker.it!”

The other team Fisichella is referring to is Ferrari, which he signed a deal to race for in September of this year.  The longtime driver has been affiliated with several other teams during his storied career, including Jordan, Minardi, Renault, Force India, and Benetton.  The Roman got his start racing go-karts back in the mid-1980s, made a name for himself on several tours, and transitioned to the F1 circuit in 1996.  He won his first F1 race when he took down the Brazil stop in 2003 and also has a 2005 victory in Australia to his credit.

Fisichella will now have to find time to fit poker into his busy schedule, serving as a spokesman for PartyPoker.it both online and at major live poker tournaments.  The site is looking forward to having the driver onboard and a company spokesman commented on Fisi’s potential in the poker world: “Giancarlo is the fantastic new ambassador for PartyPoker.it.  Many commentators have already said that they believe that he is on track to be one the best ‘celebrity’ players on the poker circuit.”

In celebration of Fisi joining the PartyPoker team, PartyPoker.it is hosting a series of freerolls with Fisichella-themed prizes.  The daily freerolls will give out €500 in cash prizes as well as a specially designed F1 shirt autographed by Fisi.  The free tournaments will run daily through the end of the month.

The promotion is exclusive to PartyPoker.it and cannot be accessed by PartyPoker.com customers.  PartyPoker’s Italian-only poker site launched earlier this year and has already established itself as one of the most popular online poker sites in Italy.  The country has gone back and forth on the issue of online gambling and, at one point, even outlawed online poker entirely.  Italy passed new laws regulating and licensing online poker in 2008 and, ever since then, sites have had to create online poker rooms specific to Italy and only open to Italian customers.

Fisichella is the first sponsored player for the Italian site, but PartyPoker has been picking up new players from all over the world to be a part of its grassroots-based Team PartyPoker.  Felipe “Mojave” Ramos, Remy Biechel, Ian Frazer, and Bodo Sbrzesny all joined the team this year and the site recently added 2009 Aussie Millions winner Stewart Scott to its list of sponsored pros.

Ultimate Bet Continues Charity Drives in Aruba and Canada

As the final table of their Aruba Poker Classic plays out today, Ultimate Bet is once again showing its commitment not only to quality poker tournaments, but also to charity through a tournament in Aruba and an upcoming event in Canada.

After Day Three of the Aruba Poker Classic finished for the night on Thursday, players were offered the opportunity to play in a special charity event. The $100 Rebuy No Limit Hold’em tournament was held to benefit a local charity, the Children’s Home Imeldahof. All of the $100 rebuys were donated directly to the Children’s Home Imeldahof and Ultimate Bet matched the money made from the rebuys dollar-for-dollar.

In many ways, it was an opportunity for Ultimate Bet and the poker world to give something back to the community that has hosted one of the top tournament destinations for so many years. “We are proud to support such a worthy cause for local kids in Aruba,” said Annie Duke, the Card Room Consultant for Ultimate Bet and a guest columnist on Poker News Daily. “The donations will directly assist Imeldahof and provide an environment in which their children can relax, have fun, and be safe.”

The Children’s Home Imeldahof offers shelter for 52 children who are unable to remain in their own homes due to mental, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect, and alcohol or drug abuse by their parents. The home provides more than just physical shelter; it also emphasizes emotional well-being.

While the festivities were continuing in Aruba, Ultimate Bet announced that it would continue its charitable efforts with another poker tournament north of the border in Canada. From November 14th to 18th at the historical Windsor Station in the center of Downtown Montreal, Ultimate Bet and the Starlight Children’s Foundation will play host to one of the country’s largest charity poker tournaments ever, the inaugural Ultimate Bet Starlight Poker Challenge.

The tournament, which will be a four day event, will be a tremendous battle, as 1,000 poker players will step to the felts to vie for the largest prize pool awarded in a charity event held in Canada. After the four days of play, the final ten players will earn the right to head to Las Vegas to play out the final table. While the trip to Vegas might be enough for some, the major prize at stake is $100,000.

For those who have difficulties at the tables, Ultimate Bet will be sending its big guns to help with training. Ultimate Bet ambassadors Duke and Phil Hellmuth will offer seminars on how to improve their games and, once the teaching is over, will step up and play in the tournament themselves. With these events, Ultimate Bet continues to demonstrate its commitment to charitable causes and the power of poker to raise awareness and funds for deserving organizations.

Giancarlo Fisichella joins Party Poker

PartyPoker has continued its signing spree by adding racing driver Giancarlo Fisichella to its pro ranks. The Formula One veteran, who has just signed a deal with motor racing giants Ferrari, will become an ambassador for Party Poker, representing them online and in major events.

PartyPoker.it adds Italian racer Fisichella

The Italian racing legend recently has signed with PartyPoker.it as an ambassador in an attempt to bring the excitement of Formula One racing to the poker circuit.

"Poker has become a very popular pastime in the paddock in recent months with many of the drivers," Fisichella said.

"I have joined two teams recently and am delighted to be in pole position as a new ambassador for PartyPoker.it."

A veteran of over 200 grand prix starts, Fisichella recently signed a contract with Ferrari that will see him drive with the team for the rest of the 2009 Formula One season.

Fisichella raised some eyebrows with his strong play in the PartyPoker.com Sports Stars Challenge IV this summer. The racecar driver was a favorite to win his heat, but eventually lost out to PartyPoker qualifier Scott O'Reilly.

PartyPoker.it is marking Fisichella's signing by offering a number of daily freerolls where Italian players can win a piece of a €500 prize pool and a unique shirt signed by Fisichella.

The freerolls will run until Oct. 31. Check the site for more details.

"Giancarlo is a fantastic new ambassador for PartyPoker.it," said a PartyPoker spokesman.

"The freerolls are exclusive to Italian residents, but the rest of the world and the international poker circuit is likely to feel the force of Fisi as he gets involved in the game.

"Many commentators have already said that they believe he is on track to be one of the best 'celebrity' players on the poker circuit."

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PartyPoker Million Dollar Hand Returns

Starting today, customers on PartyPoker can take advantage of the Million Dollar Hand, a popular promotion that is back due to its resounding success. Up to $1 million is at stake for each five-card hand collected on the site.

The Million Dollar Hand returned this morning on PartyPoker amid much fanfare and will conclude at 11:59pm ET on October 30th. In order to participate, PartyPoker players must collect cards. They’ll receive one for every 15 PartyPoints they generate and cards can be viewed by logging into a player’s PartyPoker account. Once a player makes a five-card poker hand, they’ll see if they won. Only one pair is required to receive a cash prize and a maximum of two hands can be revealed each day, or 52 throughout the length of the promotion.

The $1 million grand prize will be dished out if a player manages to make a royal flush with their final five-card hand. A straight flush pays $10,000, four of a kind pays $1,000, a full house pays $150, a flush pays $100, a straight pays $50, three of a kind pays $20, two pair pays $10, and one pair, regardless of rank, pays $3. Each player has already been given their first card for free and, once again, it can be revealed by heading to their Party Account. Last time out, no royal flushes were awarded.

PartyPoints are not removed from a player’s account in order to receive cards for the Million Dollar Hand. A spokesperson from PartyPoker commented in a press release distributed by the online poker room, “The Million Dollar Hand is underway and already thousands of cards have been revealed. The question remains – will the big one hit this time around? We’ve seen straight flushes and scared the insurers, but nobody has hit the royal… yet! The Million Dollar Hand also provides great extra value for members of the Palladium Lounge through the VIP Race.”

Palladium Lounge members can participate in a separate $100,000 Million Dollar Hand VIP Race. They’ll earn PartyPoints and Million Dollar Hand cards as normal, but will also accrue points towards the VIP Race. First place at the end of the promotion will take home a $13,000 Aussie Millions prize package. The Main Event of the prestigious tournament series, one of Oceania’s largest, begins on January 24th with the first of three starting days. The 2010 Aussie Millions crowns a champion on January 30th. All cash prizes won during the Million Dollar Hand will be deposited within one hour of cards being revealed.

Elsewhere on PartyPoker, sebstop took down the October installment of the Monthly Million, a $640 buy-in tournament held yesterday. First place was worth a healthy $200,000. Heads-up, sebstop defeated tommo662, who walked away $110,000 richer for his wear. Others who reached the top 10 in the October running of the PartyPoker Monthly Million included Supilami928 (third place for $69,000), DontGetLemon (fourth place for $54,500), DcHustler7 (fifth place for $46,000), yong_yong999 (sixth place for $34,500), p00cket00 (seventh place for $26,500), NoFknSnLeft (eighth place for $17,500), brogba84 (ninth place for $13,500), and franic (tenth place for $9,500). A total of 1,476 players turned out, with 200 finishing in the money.

The Monthly Million is held on the first Sunday of every month on the virtual felts of PartyPoker, with the next running scheduled for November 1st at 12:45pm ET. As with many PartyPoker tournaments, there are several affordable ways to qualify into the Monthly Million, starting at $1. PartyPoker is an independent site that does not accept customers from the United States and boasts World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and 2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Mike Sexton as its ambassador.

Aussie Millions winner joins Party Poker pro team

Stewart Scott is the latest player to join the pro ranks with Party Poker. The former chef, who won a whopping $1,865,724 at this year’s Aussie Millions, has inked a deal to become a brand ambassador.

Matt Glantz Wins PokerStars EPT London High Roller Event

American Matt Glantz emerged victorious in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) London High Roller event, banking £542,000. Glantz bested Erik Cajelais in a tournament that attracted 75 runners.

Cajelais entered the final table as a commanding chip leader, owning a stack of 893,000, well out in front of Glantz, who came armed with 647,500. Glantz had a wealth of experience, however, finishing fourth in the $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship during the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) for $568,000. That final table, of course, featured Scotty Nguyen, a 2009 Poker Hall of Fame finalist, emerging victorious while allegedly inebriated. Also that year, Glantz took third in the World Championship Mixed Event for $184,000.

Cajelais, meanwhile, was fresh off a win in the £2,500 buy-in Pot Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha contest during the 2009 WSOP Europe festivities, which were also held in London. In that event, he defeated Mats Gavatin heads-up and earned £104,000. Also appearing at the Pot Limit final table were Men “The Master” Nguyen, Hoyt Corkins, and Chris Bjorin, who went on to finish sixth in the WSOP Europe Main Event.

Just after the dinner break, Glantz prevailed in the High Roller tournament. Here is how its final table shook out:

1. Matt Glantz (United States) - £542,000
2. Erik Cajelais (Canada) - £326,000
3. Eugene Katchalov (United States) - £193,000
4. Adolfo Vaeza (Uruguay) - £141,000
5. Leo Fernandez (Argentina) - £104,000
6. Ilari Sahamies (Finland) - £74,000
7. Dennis Phillips (United States) - £60,000
8. Shane Reihill (Ireland) - £45,000

Phillips has been on fire over the past year. After finishing third in the 2008 WSOP Main Event for $4.5 million, the truck salesman grabbed 45th in the 2009 installment, earning another $178,000. He won a $500 buy-in tournament during the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza in Las Vegas in April and has become one of poker’s top ambassadors. Phillips, along with a half-dozen other pros, descended on Capitol Hill for the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Fly-In held during National Poker Week. Phillips toured the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and also played in a charity poker tournament.

Sahamies, nicknamed “Ziigumd” in the online world, is the front man for the Cake Poker Network site Power Poker. Sahamies appeared on Season 5 of the GSN cash game show “High Stakes Poker” and was part of the winning squad in the inaugural Caesars Cup. Fernandez, along with Phillips, is a card-carrying member of Team PokerStars Pro. In April, Fernandez finished sixth in the Latin American Poker Tour’s (LAPT) Mar del Plata Main Event for $63,000. His employer, PokerStars, sponsors the EPT.

WSOP November Nine member Phil Ivey was the first player sent packing from the High Roller event. Others who hit the skids on Day 1 included Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Barry Greenstein, Vanessa Rousso, Luca Pagano, J.C. Alvarado, and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. After his victory, Glantz told PokerStars officials, “It feels great. It’s just been my day.” In the final hand, Glantz’s A-2 held up against Cajelais’ Q-J.

The £5,000 buy-in EPT London Main Event is currently underway. This time around, the tournament attracted 730 players, which PokerStars claims is the largest poker event ever held in the United Kingdom. Only 596 players took to the felts in 2008, representing a growth of 23%. A total of 58 countries are represented, including 138 players from the United Kingdom, 131 from the United States, 63 from France, 45 from Germany, and 42 from Italy.

ESPN’s Andrew Feldman Reviews Poker Hall of Fame Candidates

On Friday, ballots were due for the 2009 Poker Hall of Fame class. A total of nine players were considered for enshrinement and among those voting alongside this author was ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman, who shared his thoughts on each nominee.

Barry Greenstein owns three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and has established himself as one of the game’s top all-around players. He’s also been actively involved off the felts, raising money for charity with regularity. On Greenstein, Feldman noted, “Barry’s pros are being one of the top cash game payers in the world and having a tournament resume to back it up. On top of that, he does a lot for charity and has been a great ambassador for the poker world.” Whether Greenstein’s accolades are enough to land him in the Poker Hall of Fame in the November 7th ceremonies remains to be seen.

“Action” Dan Harrington quite literally wrote the book on poker. Without Harrington, one wonders whether any of us would be where we are today. Feldman commented, “Without Dan Harrington, the newest crop of poker players would be sitting in the dark. There have been books written by a multitude of authors, but no one could do what Harrington did by creating a poker bible and putting theories into easy-to-understand terms.” Harrington took down the WSOP Main Event in 1995.

Two of the game’s younger players, November Nine member Phil Ivey and Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, have sparked a considerable amount of controversy as to whether they have “stood the test of time,” one factor required for Hall of Fame enshrinement. Feldman remarked, “I believe age is a factor, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Ivey and Negreanu have unbelievable poker resumes and they’re both some of the best players in the game right now, but they need to play out a full career.” Ivey’s first WSOP cash came in 2000, while Negreanu’s was in 1998.

Scotty Nguyen is one of the most recognizable names in the world of poker and took down the $50,000 buy-in HORSE event during the 2008 WSOP. However, he was allegedly inebriated during its final table, telling off competitors and Rio officials on national television. Feldman noted, “Scotty has perhaps the best accomplishment ever by winning the Main Event and $50,000 HORSE Championship. At times he can be disrespectful, but with a player like Scotty who has a great resume, does one misstep offset his entire career?”

Another controversial nominee is Men “The Master” Nguyen. He boasts 65 in the money finishes in WSOP events, good for the second most all-time, and owns six bracelets. Feldman explained what may keep Nguyen out of the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009: “Being second in career cashes all-time means he’s stood the test of time. He’s also certainly played for high-stakes. Whether the industry respects him will determine his fate this time around.”

Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel is also a candidate for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009. Seidel owns eight WSOP bracelets, good for fifth all-time, and owns more than $4 million in earnings from World Series felts alone. Feldman painted a picture of Seidel’s image: “He, single-handedly by being in ‘Rounders,’ has changed the industry. The problem is that you go from bracelets to ‘Rounders’ and a lot of people don’t give him the respect he deserves.” “Rounders,” which starred Edward Norton and Matt Damon, was released in 1998 and turned many on to the world of high-stakes No Limit Texas Hold’em.

Tom McEvoy is fresh off taking down the WSOP Champions Invitational, a tournament that aired on ESPN. Twenty former Main Event winners competed and, at the end of the day, McEvoy reclaimed the poker spotlight. Feldman explained, “McEvoy has changed the game in great ways and has been involved for the last 30 years. He’s authored some great books and has a great resume. For him, along with Dan Harrington and Erik Seidel, they need to get the full respect of the poker community.” McEvoy has received the backing of PokerStars for his Poker Hall of Fame run.

The final candidate for the 2009 Poker Hall of Fame class is World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton. A former bracelet winner and PartyPoker pro, Sexton is one of the game’s top ambassadors and a Guest Columnist on Poker News Daily. Feldman remarked, “Mike Sexton has done everything above and beyond throughout his career. While many would believe he is the ultimate face of poker, they also have to understand that he’s done more on the felt as well. While Sexton is a shoe-in, stranger things have happened.” Sexton led the charge for a group of 500 players shut out of the WSOP Main Event on Day 1D despite having played on Day 1A.

The Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will take place on November 7th during the WSOP Main Event final table. You can catch Feldman on ESPN.com’s “Inside Deal,” which is released every Tuesday.

Poker Community Responds to Amazing Race Premiere

Professional poker players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle are quickly becoming the talk of reality television fans and poker enthusiasts alike after just one episode of the new season of the CBS series “Amazing Race.”  These two racers, who each made their claim to fame by being the last women remaining in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, are quickly gaining fans and critics after the two-hour premiere, during which they went from first to last place, impressing and irritating their competitors along the way.

Poker News Daily sought the opinions of those on both sides of the issue in order to gain more insight into why the Ho/Michelle team has such a polarizing effect on people.  In addition to discussing some of the pros and cons of their appearance, we also picked up behind the scenes information that sheds more light on how the two young women are being portrayed.

The Skeptic

It didn’t take long for occasional poker journalist and online poker regular Jon Wein to decide that he did not enjoy the duo of poker ladies participating in the show.  He tuned in to watch the show, but Wein claims he “had to turn it off after [Tiffany Michelle] and Maria Ho implied they were rich for the like eighteenth time.”

His biggest issue with the two women appearing on the show is that it deprives other, ostensibly more deserving, poker players from time in the limelight.  “It literally makes me sick that Tiffany Michelle gets this much coverage and publicity for one Main Event run. She’s done nothing else,” he explained.  “Ultimate Bet has all of these talented pros like Matt ‘mattg1983’ Graham and Adam ‘Roothlus’ Levy and then they have her… It’s a complete slap in the face to them.”  Wein even took a playful jab at Michelle’s former Poker News employer Tony “Tony G” Guoga.  “I literally curse Tony G’s name to this day because he put her in the Main Event,” he joked.

While Wein has a very clear opinion on Michelle, he has less to say about her partner.  “I don’t know Maria and have never spoken to her.  I only know what the media portrays her as,” he said.

Considering poker players do not get too many opportunities at mainstream media exposure, an appearance on a reality show can have a major influence on how the game is perceived by those who are not fans of it.  Wein is skeptical that the team, Michelle in particular, will grow poker’s popularity.  “Even if [Michelle] is the sickest ‘Amazing Race’ contestant ever, I just don’t understand how anyone can be like, ‘Wow, what a great ambassador for the game. What a humble person about their successes’…I think she is a poor example of what a poker player should be.”  His opinion is based not only on the first episode of “Amazing Race”, but also last year’s Main Event coverage and his own personal experiences over the course of several summers in Las Vegas.

He may just be one viewer, but the presence of Michelle and Ho on the show has actually convinced the longtime “Amazing Race” fan to take some time off from tuning in, as Wein said he had no plans to watch future episodes this season.

The Supporter

Like Wein, longtime tournament reporter B.J. Nemeth knew Ho and Michelle long before their appearance on “Amazing Race.”  In fact, it is only because of their presence on the show that he tuned in this season.  “I have never watched ‘Amazing Race’ before this season and I am watching primarily because I am friends with Maria and Tiffany,” Nemeth explained.  “I am also watching (to a lesser extent) because of my weekly appearances on PokerRoad’s ‘The Poker Beat,’ where I am sure we will discuss and analyze the show at some point, just as we did with Annie Duke on ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’”  He is a fan so far and even suggested that he might tune into the show for future seasons.

The show has made a fan of Nemeth, but he thinks it will have little impact on bringing new fans to poker.  He explained, comparing their appearance to Duke’s memorable run on “Celebrity Apprentice”:

“Amazing Race” is a unique game and the specific job skills that people bring with them will have little impact, whether they are a doctor, a lawyer, or a poker player.  “If [Michelle and Ho] perform well or win, it won’t be because they are poker players. If they embarrass themselves and lose, it won’t be because they are poker players. And I don’t think mainstream fans will judge the poker industry by how they finish… The impact on poker is very different from Annie Duke’s presence on ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ where she was only on the show because she was a famous poker player, and it was brought up repeatedly from a strategy standpoint and in the boardroom with Donald Trump.”

Nemeth also conceded that any publicity was good publicity though and, unlike Wein, believed that the appearance of the young female poker players would more than likely help rather than hurt the poker cause.  When it comes to Wein’s concerns that their behavior will come off as indicative of the poker industry as a whole, Nemeth disagreed.  “Even though ‘Amazing Race’ fans identify Maria and Tiffany as the ‘poker players’ or the ‘poker girls,’ that’s just an identifier because it’s tough to learn names of 10 to 12 two-person teams,” he pointed out.  “They refer to the other teams in similar ways – ‘the asshole lawyer,’ ‘the interracial couple,’ ‘the father-son team,’ and ‘the gay brothers.’ Reality TV fans are smart enough to know that personality traits are unique to individuals and not to entire professions or sexual preferences.”

The Scoop

Ho and Nemeth had a lengthy chat after the show’s Sunday premiere and Nemeth shared behind-the-scenes details of the first episode with Poker News Daily.  “Maria and Tiffany have agreed that they won’t be answering their critics or talking about specific things until the show is complete. It’s not easy, because they’ve seen a lot of the criticism and want to respond, but they know it would be counterproductive at this point,” Nemeth explained.  However, he did clear up a couple of early points of criticism on behalf of his friends.

He immediately addressed a major issue that both reality television fans and poker enthusiasts were quick to criticize the girls for - their rolling luggage.  Historically, backpacks have proven to be the most popular way to travel on the show and avid fans suggest that rolling luggage slows players down too much during crucial periods of the race where they may have to run.  Nemeth explained that their bags convert into backpacks and the clip showing Ho rolling it down the street was during a three mile walk from one location to the next.

Nemeth also filled us in on the controversial decision by the pair to conceal their occupation from their opponents.  According to Nemeth, the producers encouraged them to keep their status as poker pros under wraps since previous contestants like former “Survivor” winners Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich were highly criticized by their fellow racers for already being rich and famous.

As for their false claim that they worked with a non-profit group?  This is not entirely a lie.  Both women have done a lot of charity work, so there was more truth to their statements than the show depicted.  “The homeless charity that Tiffany mentioned on the show is a real charity that she has worked with and its director called her on Monday to support her,” said Nemeth.  He also said that the girls received less flack from their competitors about their tiny fib than the show implied and that they are still in touch with over half of the teams from the season.

These are just two of several opinions on a show that still has a long way to go to reach the finish line.  In every season of reality television, there will inevitably be heroes and villains.  So far, Ho and Michelle are netting their fair share of criticism compared to the other participants, but picking up a few new fans as well, so it will take a little more airtime to get a better idea of how they will be remembered on “Amazing Race” and whether or not it will have any bearing on the world of poker.

Linda Johnson Goes to Camp

I recently returned from a 10-day trip to Indiana. The first part of the trip was spent at the Hollywood Casino (formerly Argosy Casino) in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.  The new $336 million facility is more than twice the size of its former vessel. The two decks, each wider than an aircraft carrier and nearly as long as a football field, make it the largest riverboat in the country. It gives one the feel of being in a luxurious casino with all of the bells and whistles.

Hollywood Casino has more than 270,000 square feet of space, including 150,000 square feet for gaming with 88 tables, 3,200 slots, and electronic table games. The Hollywood décor and theme is flawlessly executed throughout. The casino brings classic Hollywood to life with a 60-foot serpentine video wall, nine large billboards, and more than 300 flat screen displays featuring first-run movie trailers, video shorts, entertainment programming, and sporting events. Among the casino’s major attractions is an exclusive VIP Producer’s Lounge and an expanded high-limit gaming area.

I’d been to Argosy a few times in the past three years and had always enjoyed the gaming and hospitality there, so decided that the opening of its brand new 41-table poker room (the largest in the Midwest) and the Indiana State Poker Championship would be two great reasons to return. My first mistake was booking a flight into Indianapolis instead of Cincinnati. This error resulted in a two-hour drive to the casino instead of 10 minutes. On the bright side, however, I got to spend the two hours getting to know the Hollywood Casino cardroom manager Thom “TK” Krauss and Tournament Director Kevin Dawn. TK is very much a hands-on manager and knows all of his regular patrons by name. He told me that he loves his job, which was obvious since I saw him there at all hours of the day and night. The poker staff and players were very hospitable and made me feel very welcome.

The poker room is very comfortable, with lots of space between tables, great chairs, and good lighting. Players’ hours are tracked so they can earn comps. By the way, the buffet at Hollywood Casino is as good as the best buffets in Las Vegas. The poker room is so impressive that it recently was selected to host a stop on the World Poker Tour.

Jan Fisher and I gave a poker seminar at the Hollywood on the Roof, a performance area with a panoramic screen resembling the Hollywood Bowl, where bands can entertain guests and video content can be projected in grand scale. Hollywood on the Roof features a high-energy circular bar that looks out onto the casino atrium. The seminar was well-attended and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the locals.

After five days at Hollywood Casino, I went to Indianapolis to participate in Mickey’s Camp, a charity event held annually in a campground called Bradford Woods. There is a separate men’s camp and women’s camp and the attendees actually attend summer camp for adults. They sleep in the same bunks, 12 to a cabin, that kids sleep in during their camp. Each camper gets to choose 10 activities from about 35, including flyfishing, police training, backgammon, Alpine tower, pistol and rifle shooting, gourmet cooking, raft building, canoeing, wine tasting, billiards, table tennis, beer tasting, boxing, jewelry making, photography, yoga, painting, hiking, darts, orienteering, and swimming. I teach the poker class and then run a tournament for the men and women. After my classes, I get to be a camper. This year I chose the following activities: massage, magic, bridge, grilling, backgammon, medical myths, self-defense, sports dialogue, badminton, economics, rifle/pistol, and CPR.

From the $1,500 fee to attend the camp, at least two-thirds of it goes to Indiana charities. This can be done because most of the food is donated by local restaurants and the instructors donate their time as well. The founder, Mickey Maurer, is a great ambassador and philanthropist and has raised more than $1 million for charity through his camp.

Although the attendees are extremely successful in the business world (during the first evening of each camp, we sit under a tent, everyone introduces themselves and tells what they do, and I am always blown away by how accomplished they are), most of them are not the caliber of player I usually encounter in my classes. They sure do have fun though! I had to chuckle when I saw two of the players get up in the middle of the tournament and say, “Thanks, I think I’ve had enough.” Then, they just quit and left their chips on the table.

This was my fourth year at Mickey’s Camp. I love attending charity events and this is one of my favorites.

WPT Borgata Poker Open Attracts Over 1,000 Players

A $3,500 buy-in attracted over 1,000 players to the Borgata Poker Open, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT) circuit. As of Noon ET on Sunday, 1,003 players had entered, which included the 326 player field from Day 1A.

Over 675 players had thrown their hats into the ring on Day 1B. The tournament coincides with World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities in London, but still attracted a bevy of poker superstars to the East Coast casino. At the end of Day 1A, Frank Molinari stood tall over the rest of the field with 169,000 chips. Hot on his heels was Jeremy Brown, who will come armed to Day 2 on Monday with 156,425. One of the top pros to survive Day 1A was Steve Brecher, the champion of the Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament during Season VII of the WPT. Brecher also made a final table during Season II of the WPT, taking sixth in the end-of-season Championship event for $232,000.

Among those making waves on Day 1A was 2008 WSOP November Nine member David “Chino” Rheem. A former WPT Champion, Rheem ascended to the top of the chip counts during play on Saturday, but found himself out of the tournament following the dinner break. Rheem ran a rivered flush into quad deuces after an error by Sonny Waila on the turn resulted in a string bet. Rheem bet the river after making a flush, but his opponent’s pocket twos had him dominated. Rheem pushed with a flush draw on the very next hand, but it failed to materialize against an opponent’s pocket aces.

Others who took to the felts on Day 1A were Ultimate Bet pro Michael Binger, Matt Matros, Kathy Liebert, and Nancy Todd Tyner. Holding one of the largest chip stacks after the first of two starting days is Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, a two-time WPT event winner. Little took down the Season VI Mirage Poker Showdown for $1.1 million and promptly emerged victorious from the field in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals last season for another $1.1 million. He is fresh off an eighth place showing in the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic for nearly $40,000.

Action has already kicked off on Day 1B, with WPT officials proudly promoting the presence of several pros at the Borgata. Among them are Bill Gazes, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee, Allen Kessler, Bluff Online Poker Challenge winner Brian “SN8WMAN” Hawkins, and noted poker coach David “The Maven” Chicotsky. Also in the house are Season IV WPT Player of the Year Gavin Smith, Roy Winston, and bracelet winner Brian Lemke.

Players at the Borgata Poker Open start with 30,000 chips and blinds begin at 25-50, meaning each player starts with 600 big blinds. Levels last 75 minutes each, with a dinner break taking place after Level 6. Antes kick in during Level 5, when blinds are 100-200. First place will likely come with a $1 million payday despite the shrunken buy-in of just $3,500. Typical buy-ins for WPT tournaments are at least $10,000.

The four-figure turnout is a welcome sight for WPT officials, who have watched attendance drop steadily at recent tournaments. Attendance for last month’s Legends of Poker stop in Los Angeles was down 25% year over year to just 279 runners. The Bellagio Cup featured 268 players in attendance, down a staggering 40% from the field that took to the felts in 2008. The WPT was recently sold to a subsidiary of Party Gaming, potentially leading to a greater presence of the brand in the online marketplace. WPT Host Mike Sexton serves as the ambassador of PartyPoker, Party Gaming’s online poker arm.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WPT Borgata Poker Open.

Poker Hall of Fame: Reaction to Changes in 2009 Ballot

Last week, Harrah’s, the World Series of Poker (WSOP), and the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council announced the final list of players to be considered for induction into the Hall this fall. What was originally a 10-man list was chopped to nine when online sensation Tom “durrrr” Dwan was left off because, in the Governing Council’s opinion, Dwan fell short of the “standing the test of time” criteria for Hall consideration. This has brought out differing opinions among some in the world of poker.

“I’d say that an age limit is reasonable,” longtime poker writer Ashley Adams stated to Poker News Daily. “There have to be some criteria - a minimum number of tournaments or dollars won would be reasonable - when it comes to deciding on nominees. I don’t think there should be a minimum number nominated, though. It should depend on the quality of the field.” David Apostolico, who authored two books such as “Machiavellian Poker Strategy” and “Tournament Poker and The Art of War,” said “it made sense” to leave Dwan off of the final nominees list. “No question ‘durrrr’ is a tremendous player,” Apostolico explained, “but the qualifications speak directly to longevity.”

Pamela Brunson, the daughter of poker legend Doyle Brunson (who has a vote for the new members of the Hall of Fame) and a highly respected player in her own right, echoes the thoughts of Adams and Apostolico: “I don’t think ‘durrrr’ should be inducted the Poker Hall of Fame yet. He’s a great player, but hasn’t been around long enough.” Poker News Daily’s Dan Cypra, who also owns a vote on the new Hall of Fame members, thought the issue would have solved itself in the voting. “Other members of the Committee I had spoken to were not considering Tom Dwan anyway… signaling out Dwan (by leaving him off the ballot) when he likely would not have received votes was a bit surprising.”

The question as to the “electability” of a quartet of players - Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Scotty Nguyen - has also raised several points of contention. Some feel that Negreanu and Ivey, despite their youth (Negreanu is 35, Ivey is 33), more than deserve their nominations. In addition, others think that baggage may drag down the two Nguyens and prevent their election to the Hall of Fame.

“Phil Ivey is definitely going down as one of the best overall players of all-time and Daniel Negreanu has done so much for poker,” Brunson commented. “Daniel is a great player with tons of personality. He has put his heart and soul into poker and is one of the best ambassadors of the game.” Cypra agreed with Brunson, but doesn’t believe that either will garner enough votes to earn admission to the Hall. “Ivey is poker’s sweetheart right now, fresh off two bracelet wins during the 2009 WSOP and a final table appearance in the Main Event on the horizon.” He continued, “His 2009 performance alone warrants consideration for the Poker Hall of Fame. Negreanu is one of the premier faces of the game. Serving as one of poker’s top ambassadors, winning four bracelets, and captaining the American Caesars Cup team gives him an impressive poker resume. However, I do not believe either has stood the test of time. Negreanu’s first WSOP cash was in 1998, while Ivey’s was in 2000.”

When the spotlight is trained on the Nguyens, more differences of opinion occur. “A general statement about ‘working in the interests of the game’ or ‘bringing honor and respect to the poker community’ is important,” Adams maintained. “By my standards, Scotty would get the nod from me and I’d have to think about Men.” Cypra, though, recalls Scotty Nguyen’s conduct at last year’s $50,000 HORSE tournament and disagrees: “Scotty Nguyen will not be receiving my vote. His antics during last year’s HORSE Championship hurt the game of poker. One could argue that, because of this, Nguyen has not filled the criteria of ‘played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers.’”

Voting by the 15 living Hall of Fame members and a 15 member media panel will conclude on October 2nd. The 30 member panel can choose up to three of the nominees (or write in their own choice) and a nominee has to earn 75% of the votes (in this case, 23) to be elected to the Hall. The results will be announced during the festivities surrounding the play of the WSOP Main Event final table.

When it comes to his choices, Cypra seems to have narrowed his options, stating, “I think Mike Sexton is a no-brainer. He’s the reason many of us are in the industry today and has served as the game’s top ambassador. He’s also a class act, a WSOP bracelet winner, and a TOC victor. I’m also leaning towards Dan Harrington and Tom McEvoy, who have stood the test of time right alongside Sexton.”

Brunson perhaps has an idea when she said, “I think some of the ‘old timers’ should be inducted before we get around to the young guys. They’ve been around a lot longer and put in their dues, even when poker wasn’t a popular and ‘cool’ profession!”

Betclick poker signs Isabelle Mercier

The former Team PokerStars Pro announced today she would be working as an ambassador for Betclick's upstart poker room.

"We are very strong on betting, but poker is not the strongest part of our offering," said a Betclick spokesman.

"The signing of Isabelle Mercier means we will be putting in place a strategy to develop and improve our offering, but this will not be put into action for a few months yet. It is part of our overall project to enhance our poker platform."

It's unknown exactly what will be required of Mercier as a Betclick ambassador or if she will return full-time to the international poker tournament circuit.

The announcement also mentioned Betclick's intentions to launch regionally oriented poker sites for players in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, Romania and the Netherlands. The sites are scheduled to go live by the end of October 2009.

Although Mercier could not be reached for comment she did mention to PokerListings she wanted to "take on new projects" in an email on Monday.

Mercier rose to poker notoriety when she won the WPT Ladies Night tournament in 2004.

She spent the last five years as a member of Team PokerStars Pro playing in numerous events and representing the brand around the world.

Betclick is mostly known as a sports betting site but has been rapidly expanding its poker operations in the last year. Signing Mercier is the site's biggest poker talent acquisition to date.

Visit PokerListings.com

Tom Dwan in the Party Poker – Poker in the Sky Event

Party Poker will host its “Poker in the Sky” event tonight in Copenhagen. There will be twenty two poker players and two celebrities participating in the poker tourney that will have everyone on the edge of their seat.

There has been a last minute withdrawal from “Poker in the Sky” by 2008 WSOPE event 3 winner Theo Jorgensen. Players might remember him from the boxing match he had against Gus Hansen. He could not overcome his fear of heights and decided not to participate in the tourney.

Two faces who will no doubt be recognized at the “Poker in the Sky” event are the “Ambassador of Poker” Mike Sexton and high stakes player Tom “durrrr” Dwan. The winner of the tournament will win a package to the Party Poker World Open V which will be hosted in London in October. The package includes the $10K buy-in to the main event, plane tickets, and hotel accommodations.

In other Party Poker news, a $45K guaranteed prize pool will be on the line at 3 pm EDT.

Visit our Party Poker review.

PartyPoker offers seats in Conrad Poker Tour

The Conrad Poker Tour final event takes place at the Conrad Punta Del Este Resort and Casino in Uruguay Dec. 4-5 with an estimated prize pool of $1 million.

The $2,500 buy-in event is one of the most highly anticipated tournaments of the year for South American players, according to Latin American PartyPoker Ambassador Felipe "Mojave" Ramos.

"This is one of the major dates on the Latin American poker circuit, which I am very much looking forward too," said Ramos. "I'm aiming for success but also looking forward to having a top group of PartyPoker.com qualifiers to cheer on too!"

There will be four main qualifiers to the event, all of which will be open to players located in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Peru or Chile.

The qualifiers will take place Sept. 11, Oct. 1, Oct. 22 and Nov. 12 on PartyPoker.

Each package won on PartyPoker will include the buy-in for the event, two nights accommodation at AWA Boutique + Design Hotel in Punta del Este, transportation from the hotel to the casino, $500 spending money and a reception dinner with Ramos at one of Punta del Este's high end restaurants.

Visit PokerListings.com

iPoker Network Launches Monthly Million Tournament

Starting in September, a $1 million guaranteed prize pool tournament dubbed the Monthly Million will take place monthly on the massive iPoker Network. The $535 buy-in gala will kick off on September 13th at 18:00 GMT.

Titan Poker is one of several iPoker Network sites gearing up for the first-ever running of the Monthly Million, the same term used by PartyPoker to describe its recurring high-stakes event. A bevy of roads to qualify are available, including $1.10 buy-in tournaments that take place Monday to Saturday at 17:15 GMT. In order to promote its new addition, Titan Poker announced that marketing materials were available to affiliates in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, Russian, Dutch, and Portuguese.

Daily except for Sunday, Titan Poker holds a $66 buy-in freezeout that awards three seats into the Monthly Million. Held the same days of the week at 14:30 GMT are $6.60 rebuys that award at least eight seats into the seven-figure prize pool tournament. On Sundays at 18:30 GMT, Titan Poker holds a $6.60 buy-in satellite that doles out at least 20 seats. In the week leading up to the first Monthly Million on September 13th, the qualifying schedule changes, so check out Titan Poker and other iPoker Network sites for more information.

The Monthly Million features 30-minute blind levels and players will start with a chip stack of 10,000. After playing out on September 13th, the Monthly Million will make its grand return on October 11th at 18:00 GMT. A press release distributed by Titan Poker noted that the contest will be a welcome change from the regular $250,000 Guaranteed weekend tournament: “Titan Poker stages a highly popular $250,000 Guaranteed Prize Tournament every Sunday night, however on September 13, the focus will turn instead to the $1,000,000 Guaranteed. Many players have already guaranteed their seats at the hugely anticipated million-dollar event.”

According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, the iPoker Network is the third largest worldwide. It’s the largest that does not accept players from the United States and boasts a seven-day running average of 5,400 real money ring game players. Its 24-hour peak is roughly double that total and, at the time of writing, which is late afternoon across Europe, a total of 7,726 cash game players have descended on the iPoker Network’s virtual felts. A ticker found on Titan Poker notes that over 18,000 active players are battling on the iPoker Network across more than 3,000 tables. PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker are the two most populous online poker sites in the world, respectively; both accept customers from the United States with open arms.

Besides Titan Poker, other sites that call the iPoker Network home include BetFred, Boyle Poker, CD Poker, Chili Poker, Expekt, Mansion Poker, Noble Poker, Poker Plex, Sun Poker, and VC Poker. The iPoker Network is owned and operated by Playtech, a subsidiary of which unsuccessfully submitted a bid to purchase the World Poker Tour (WPT) earlier this month. Instead, the WPT, which is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in New York City under the symbol “WPTE,” was purchased by a subsidiary of Party Gaming called Peerless Media.

The PartyPoker Monthly Million takes place on the first Sunday of every month and boasts a $640 buy-in. The gala kicks off at 12:45 ET and a full qualifying structure is available with tournaments starting at $1. Like Titan Poker, PartyPoker does not accept players from the United States; it boasts WPT Host Mike Sexton as its ambassador. PartyPoker’s Cash Machine promotion, in which Party Points are matched dollar-for-dollar with site bonuses, kicks off on September 1st.

PartyGaming Purchases WPT Enterprises for $12.3 Million

The long-awaited second bidder in the sale of World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) has finally been revealed. Peerless Media Limited, a subsidiary of Party Gaming, will purchase the rights to the popular poker tour for $12.3 million plus 5% of future gaming revenues.

PartyPoker, the online poker arm of PartyGaming, does not accept customers from the United States. In a form filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after trading had closed on Monday in New York City, WPTE officials explained, “Buyer will pay the Company $12.3 million less the amount of certain obligations of PartyGaming or its affiliates accruing or paid to the Company from July 10, 2009 through the close of the Transaction… $1 million of such amount shall be paid by Buyer to the Company upon the execution of the Purchase Agreement and the balance shall be paid to the Company at the Close.”

The $1 million cash advance will be used to back out of a prior purchase agreement with Gamynia Limited, which is associated with Playtech, the parent company of the iPoker Network. Earlier this month, WPTE entered into an agreement to sell the majority of its assets to Gamynia for $9.075 million plus 4% of future gaming revenues. The new agreement not only increases the sale price by more than $3.2 million, but it also affords WPTE an additional 1% of future gaming revenues.

Addressing the new buyer, WPTE Founder, President, and CEO Steve Lipscomb commented in a press release distributed late Monday afternoon, “The Board of Directors has determined that PartyGaming’s acquisition proposal is financially superior and we look forward to working with one of the pioneers and leaders in the poker and online gaming markets to provide a strong vehicle for the WPT brand to continue its global expansion and return to online gaming.” WPTE stock, which is traded on the NASDAQ under the same four-letter acronym, closed at $1.05, down $0.01 on Monday. Upon hearing that a second buyer was waiting in the wings, the stock shot up from $0.93 to $1.09 last week.

In a similar arrangement as the Gamynia sale, WPTE will hand over its television library, intellectual property rights, and brand names, which include the WPT and Professional Poker Tour (PPT). The company will retain its cash on-hand and pocket “future license revenues from certain existing Sponsorship deals for Season Seven of the World Poker Tour.” WPTE will not distribute any of the proceeds of the sale to its stockholders; the Los Angeles-based company will use the proceeds as seed money in a business venture outside of poker. WPTE officials could not comment on any future proceedings, citing SEC regulations.

WPTE shareholders must now approve the sale. The company’s SEC filing notes that investors holding 39% of the company’s stock have agreed to vote in favor of the transaction. A stockholders’ meeting will be coordinated in order to vote on the proposal.

According to the filed document, “The Purchase Agreement may be terminated by either Buyer or the Company if the Closing has not occurred by February 24, 2010.” If WPTE officials were to accept an alternative proposal from another buyer, the company would be subject to a $1 million termination fee and, in some cases, a $1 million reimbursement for PartyGaming’s up-front payment.

PartyPoker boasts WPT Host Mike Sexton as its ambassador after the two parties reached an agreement in late April. Sexton is a 2009 Poker Hall of Fame candidate and is currently on-site for the WPT’s Legends of Poker, which wraps up on Wednesday from the Bicycle Casino in Southern California. Attendance at this year’s event was off 25% from last year. The tournament will air as part of Season VIII of the WPT on Fox Sports Net.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT sale news.

Jamie Gold on Poker in the Park Charity Tournament, WSOP November Nine

A total of 60 players turned out for the first ever Jamie Gold Charity Tournament held during London’s Poker in the Park, hosted by Gold and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate. In the end, Swedish poker pro Mikael Gabrielsson took down the gala, which featured a reduced $400 buy-in.

Poker News Daily: We know you were shooting for David Craig to turn out. Tell us about the scene at your charity poker tournament.

Gold: Daniel Craig didn’t come, but we invited him. Bluff Magazine brought a few people. Michael Greco brought a soccer player named Teddy Sheringham. Out there, he’s bigger than a movie star. He was very kind and really nice.

PND: Are there any interesting stories you could share?

Gold: Peter Eastgate was obviously the big draw. He donated the shoes, hat, and shirt he wore when he won the Main Event. I felt so bad that I bought his shirt and gave it back to him.

PND: The buy-in was originally scheduled to be the equivalent of $800, but was ultimately cut in half. Can you tell us about the decision?

Gold: It felt like people were having such a hard time in this economy, especially poker players. We ended up having about 60 to 70 players total. They brought in a few more tables and we took a few alternates. Before we lowered the buy-in, we would have been fine. Once it was the day of the event, though, we felt uneasy. You could see that people really wanted to play, but couldn’t afford it. Once we lowered the buy-in, everyone started telling friends and it sold out right away.

PND: Eastgate was subdued following his 2008 Main Event win. Has he become more open?

Gold: Eastgate mentioned during his talk during Poker in the Park that he doesn’t speak English that well. Try going to another country, speaking their language, and know you’re being filmed the whole time. There is a lot of pressure on this guy. You only have certain responsibilities to be an ambassador of the game. I wouldn’t say one of those is being a public speaker. You can tell he’s not comfortable in the spotlight, which is not a bad thing. Peter could not be a nicer, more generous guy and he loves to play poker. People throw questions at him constantly and he describes himself as an introvert.

PND: Despite your busy schedule, we’re sure you’ve had a chance to check out the 2009 WSOP November Nine. What are your thoughts on this year’s group?

Gold: Phil Ivey has been kind towards me and I’d like to see him win it. It’s not like we’re close, but I respect his game so much. As a fan, I’d love to see him win it. I have a feeling that if I got to know a lot of them, I’d want them to win. I like Jeff Shulman a lot too.

PND: Speaking of Shulman, what are your thoughts on his threats to throw away the WSOP Main Event bracelet should he win?

Gold: It is what it is. I’ve only had good interactions with him, so I wouldn’t be upset if he won. He’s worked hard at it and put in so much time. It’s not like he doesn’t deserve it.

PND: Do you think you could have pulled out a win with a delayed final table?

Gold: I’d like to think that I would have still won. I could have been with Johnny Chan getting coached, for example, during the break. I’m not sure how I could have played much better in 2006 and maybe coaching would have taken my bravado away.

PND: What was your reaction to hearing that the final table of the Main Event would be pushed back in order to coincide with its television airing on ESPN?

Gold: I understood completely. It’s a business; it’s not just a game. The people who are running it are smart, sharp business people. It was getting smaller and smaller and the excitement level was getting less and less. It wasn’t a bad move. From a pure poker player perspective, it’s never good to delay the final table of a tournament. If I were one of the ones who had made the final table, it would have been a really exciting four months. You get a check for $1 million and then do your own thing.

PND: Will you be involved in the final table of the WSOP Main Event this year in some capacity?

Gold: Last year, they invited us and gave us front row seats, introduced us to the crowd, and made us feel like a part of the process. The WSOP executives make us feel like we’re part of the family. It’s nice and also smart on their behalf. Keeping the history of the WSOP alive is very smart. I can’t imagine a poker fan that doesn’t love at least one Main Event winner. I’m always happy to be a part of it.

PokerNews Op-Ed: Poker Needs More Ambassadors

Today's poker world seems to have some players that have little respect for the game that has made them wealthy. Outside of their individual achievements, they could care less about how their actions impact the game and if there wasn't a paycheck at...

Jamie Gold Charity Tournament at Poker in the Park Sells Out

The Jamie Gold Charity Poker Tournament held during London’s Poker in the Park on Thursday was a sellout. A total of 50 celebrities and poker players from around the world descended upon the Shadow Lounge at the Casino at the Empire for the festivities.

Gold, who won the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event to the tune of a record $12 million, teamed up with fellow World Champion Peter Eastgate to host the London gala. Eastgate, a Danish member of Team PokerStars Pro, holds the title of youngest winner of the prestigious $10,000 buy-in Main Event at age 22, breaking Hellmuth’s longstanding record by two years. Former soccer star Teddy Sheringham, who was a member of the Manchester United in the late 1990s, was in attendance. Joining him was Michael Greco, who took second in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Dublin event during Season 2 for €39,000. Greco also cashed for $248,000 during the 2009 WSOP.

A fleet of poker pros from the United Kingdom lent their name to the Jamie Gold Charity Poker Tournament. They included Betfair pro John Tabatabai, who finished second to Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad in the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event. For his reward, Tabatabai pocketed a colossal £570,000 for his efforts; Obrestad, also a member of Team Betfair, walked away with £1 million and became the youngest bracelet winner ever. Nick Persaud also made the trek to the Casino at the Empire. He’s fresh off a deep run in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, where he earned $23,000 for a 549th place showing.

Also appearing at the spectacle was J.J. Hazan, the runner-up in the 2006 Master Classics of Poker for €355,000. In that event, Ali Jalali came out on top and earned €700,000 for his efforts. Hazan won a £500 buy-in tournament held as part of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Grand Final in London two years ago for £23,000. Sam Trickett, who finished fourth in a $5,000 buy-in tournament held as part of the 2008 WSOP for $245,000, flanked Hazan in London this week. Trickett won the £1,000 buy-in Main Event of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour’s Luton leg for £109,000.

2005 888 Pacific Poker Open winner Ian Frazer lent his name to Gold’s efforts in London. Frazer finished fifth in the PartyPoker World Open III in 2007 for $30,000 and took 25th in the European Poker Tour (EPT) London Main Event last year for £13,000. While in Las Vegas for the 2009 WSOP, Frazer won a $1,000 buy-in tournament at the Bellagio for $23,000, defeating a final table that also included Greco. Frazer serves as a poker commentator and ambassador for the game.

Prizes at the Jamie Gold Charity Tournament included a £5,200 EPT seat donated by PokerStars and a £3,000 seat to the Unibet Open. The event featured a £500 buy-in and also gave away a Gresham Blake tailor made suit, a custom Marlow Casino chipset, a high-end Gevril wristwatch, Tag Heuer sunglasses, and a week-long poker training session with David “The Maven” Chicotsky. When the smoke cleared in the 50 player contest, Mikael Gabrielsson, a Swedish pro, emerged as the winner. Four camera crews captured the event on tape.

Today, Greco, Tabatabai, Frazer, and Gold will give lectures as part of the Poker in the Park festivities. Frazer’s talk is entitled “Starting Out in Online Poker” and will undoubtedly attract a crowd. Gold speaks tonight at 20:45 local time. Friday marks the final day of Poker in the Park, which emanates from London’s Leicester Square.

PartyPoker Launches Card Rush Promotion

There are 267,000 cards still up for grabs as part of the PartyPoker Card Rush Instant Win promotion. It sounds like a promotion associated with scratch-off lottery tickets, but PartyPoker has put a unique spin on instant win games.

Earning Card Rush cards is simple. All players have to do is hit the felts on the world’s fourth largest online poker site. For every 20 Party Points earned on real money ring game tables, a person will earn a special Card Rush card. Each card comes with a one in three chance of winning a prize, including freeroll entries, Party Points, and up to $50,000 in cold hard cash. Players can nab the first card for just 10 Party Points to get their adventures started off on the right foot.

There are two freerolls associated with the Card Rush Instant Win promotion on PartyPoker. A $10,000 freebie takes place at 12:00pm ET on September 5th. Three hours later, a $5,000 Card Rush Freeroll will pan out on the age-old industry site. Players can accumulate as many Card Rush cards as possible. However, the promotion ends at 11:59pm ET on August 31st or after one million cards have been given away, whichever comes first. At the time of writing, just 267,000 cards are still available in what has been a frenetic pace since the promotion began on August 3rd.

A press release distributed by PartyPoker noted that several of the cards come with a $5 reward. Players must visit their Party Account in order to reveal the contents of their cards and unrevealed cards will be forfeited at the conclusion of the promotion. Text found on the popular online poker site cautions, “Any Party Point awarded during the promotion can be used in our store, but will not count towards your loyalty ranking or any bonus release requirements.” Party Points will not be removed from players’ account balances once they redeem Card Rush cards.

PartyPoker is the fourth largest online poker site in the world, according to PokerScout.com. It boasts a seven day running average of 4,650 real money ring game players with a 24 hour peak that is nearly double that amount. At the time of writing, which is 5:30pm throughout most of Europe, 6,081 cash game combatants have taken to its virtual felts. On the first Sunday of every month, PartyPoker’s tables come to life with the running of the Monthly Million. The $640 buy-in tournament awards at least $1 million and kicks off at 12:45pm ET. Qualifiers start as low as $1, with direct satellites beginning at $35.

The Monthly Million boasts a Championship blind structure. Players begin with a stack of 20,000 in chips and blinds commence at 25-50, increasing every 20 minutes. There is a break after every three levels and antes kick in at the start of Level 6, when blinds are 250-500.

The site is doling out $13,000 packages to the PartyPoker World Open V, which includes the $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event, seven nights’ accommodation in London, and $1,000 in spending money. The triple stack PartyPoker World Open V will take place from October 11th through 15th in the storied European city.

Every Sunday at 2:15pm ET, PartyPoker hosts a $700 buy-in World Open V satellite. One in 20 players in the high-stakes tournament will walk away with a trip to London. Satellites begin at $3, with direct qualifiers taking place daily at 2:25pm ET. The buy-in for that event is $75. PartyPoker, which features Poker Hall of Fame nominee Mike Sexton as its ambassador, does not accept players from the United States.

Liv Boeree Joins Team UB

Liv Boeree, formerly an ambassador of Absolute Poker, has become a card-carrying member of Team Ultimate Bet (Team UB), officials of the Tokwiro-owned online poker rooms announced this week.

In a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet, Boeree noted that she was looking forward to joining “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke and 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, among others, on the Team UB roster: “It’s an honor to play with the two people who helped launch my poker career. Annie and Phil are two of my favorite players, so to sit on the same team as them is a bit of a surreal experience, but one I’m definitely proud of.” While on the show “UltimatePoker.com Showdown” in 2005, Boeree received poker coaching from Duke. The same press release explains, “It was [also] on UltimatePoker.com Showdown that Liv also earned the respect of 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.”

Boeree has worked for various media outlets throughout her career, including Gutshot TV, the Daily Express, and Challenge TV. Her reporting career has led her to become successful on the felts of live poker tournaments around the world. In January, she finished seventh in an AUD $1,100 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament held during the Aussie Millions for AUD $19,000. In April, she caught fire at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship, winning a preliminary tournament, taking third in another, and finishing 37th in the $25,000 buy-in televised Main Event for over $80,000 total. In May of 2008, Boeree won the $2,000 buy-in Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship for $42,000. The event drew 52 runners and culminated with Boeree besting Lenna Martyak heads-up.

In an August 8th blog on Ultimate Bet, Boeree noted that she had just returned from Sonisphere, a music festival near London. Among those who took to the stage was the band Anthrax, which features fellow Team UB member Scott Ian. On Anthrax’s set, Boeree recalled, “These guys are as hard and heavy as ever and it was a real treat to watch them play with their old singer, John Bush.”

Besides Ian and Boeree, other members of Team UB include Adam “Roothlus” Levy, who made a deep run in last year’s WSOP Main Event, ultimately finishing 48th for $135,000. He made the final table of the WPT Festa al Lago in October of 2008, banking $266,000 in a tournament won by Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier. Online, Levy has been a stud. He finished as the runner-up in an event held during the quarterly Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) in February for $387,000. One week later, he took third in the marquee PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up for another $53,000. He’s ranked 95th in the world according to PocketFives.com.

Brandon Cantu joined Team UB in June. That month, he won a $1,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha High-Low Split tournament for $228,000 during the 2009 WSOP, besting Lee Watkinson heads-up for his first bracelet. Nine events prior, Cantu was the runner-up to Ray Foley in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament, where he cashed for $403,000.

Fellow bracelet winner Matt “mattg1983” Graham also calls Team UB home. Graham won his second piece of hardware in 2009 by taking down the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Omaha for a rousing $679,000. He’s defeated two of the game’s best in his bracelet wins, outlasting Vitaly Lunkin in the Pot Limit Omaha event and beating “Survivor: China” castaway and Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande in a $1,500 buy-in Limit Shootout last year.

Other members of Team UB include “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Michael Binger, Gary “Debo34” Debernardi, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, Shawn “westtexasman” Rice, and Tiffany Michelle, who will compete on the upcoming season of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.”

Liv Boeree Signs with Ultimate Bet

Boeree is much more than a poker chic as she has graduated from the University of Manchester studying nothing less than astrophysics. She started her poker career in a poker reality show, where she was schooled by her new teammates, Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke.

Sexy Boeree joins the Team UB.

Before joining the ranks of Ultimate Bet, she was a poker ambassador of Absolute Poker, the sister site of UB and other member of CEREUS poker network.

Boeree is extremely happy that she will be part of the Ultimate Bet professional team:

“It’s an honor to play with the two people who helped launch my poker career,” Boeree said.

“Annie and Phil are two of my favorite players so to sit on the same team as them is a bit of a surreal experience, but one I’m definitely proud of.”

Boeree don’t have many merits yet in her poker career, except the win at the Ladbrokes European Ladies Championship in May 2008.

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Liv Boeree Signs with Ultimate Bet