Posts Tagged ‘Annie Duke’
Annie Duke to raffle HPT winnings
Russian Spy Anna Chapman To Release Poker Themed iPhone App
For those that don’t have enough to do with their iPhones, alleged Russian spy Anna Chapman is coming out with an application that will allow you to play poker against her.
In an article on DNAIndia.com and also reported by ABC, Chapman is said to be releasing a special iPhone app called Poker With Anna Chapman. The application, which will be listed for $1.99, will allow players to take on the “Russian Bond girl” in a single hand of poker, either Texas Hold’em or Five Card Draw. There are prizes offered if the player is able to vanquish the virtual Chapman in the hand.
For those who win, Chapman is offering special access to several aspects of her life. The victors will earn access to a special photo gallery of the redheaded Russian, which are reported to be similar to those she took for a spread in the Russian version of Maxim. The winners will also become Facebook friends of Chapman, where she will keep her followers up-to-date on her activities, and get access to a special online blog. The advertisements for the iPhone app state that Chapman will let people know “her secrets and private life details firsthand” and get “a glance at her social life with parties, shopping, and more.”
ABC News quotes Angela Waters, the marketing manager for Zeda, Inc. (the company offering the app) as saying, “The app appeared because Anna is a huge fan of Apple products. She has been using an iPhone and Mac for quite a while and has recently got an iPad too.” The company quietly did the photo shoot for the app since Chapman is not allowed to make any money regarding her alleged activities in the United States that resulted in her guilty plea.
Chapman began her 15 minutes of fame by being arrested earlier this year in the United States as a part of an alleged Russian spy ring. The 10-member group of Russians pled guilty to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General and were deported back to Russia in an exchange for U.S. and allied operatives. While the other members of the group that was arrested have shied away from the spotlight since their deportation, Chapman has aggressively marketed herself to expand her notoriety and, perhaps most importantly, her bank account.
After being awarded a special medal for espionage services to the Russian cause, Chapman appeared in another photo spread for the Russian men’s magazine “Heat,” been followed by the Russian version of paparazzi as she hits the club scene, was on hand for the launch of a Russian space program rocket in Kazakhstan, and accepted an advisory position with a Moscow-based bank. The latest photo spread in the Russian Maxim and the iPhone poker application are just the latest moves by Chapman to strike while the iron is hot.
According to the Christian Science Monitor’s Fred Weir, Chapman has “made a mockery of the old KGB dictate that retired spies should fade away into anonymity, leaving nothing but a glorious public myth behind.” When it comes to the world of poker, however, Chapman is proving quite skillful at marketing her brand.
Chapman is said to be a skillful poker player, according to DNAIndia.com, so perhaps the move into the poker app world isn’t out of the ordinary. Chapman’s iPhone app joins other offerings from Apple including Annie Duke’s Poker Tutor, the World Series of Poker’s Hold’em Legends, and the World Poker Tour’s Texas Hold’em in a highly competitive field.
Michael Mizrachi’s Training Regimen and Randal Flowers Wins WPT Festa al Lago From Poker In Twitter
The World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Festa al Lago wrapped up action on Wednesday night, with Randal Flowers becoming the youngest player ever to capture two WPT titles. Following his victory, the poker world erupted in congratulations over Twitter.
“There are some ppl in poker that just deserve everything that comes to them,” UB.com’s Adam “Roothlus” Levy Tweeted after Flowers’ victory. “Tonight @RandALLin finally got his due and as did @benvo123.” Christian “charder30″ Harder issued the challenge to those looking to unseat Flowers from his position as the youngest ever two-time WPT winner by Tweeting, “Holy s**t @RandALLin won!!! Much deserved. Good luck trying to break the his record for youngest person to win 2 WPTs!”
Bryan Micon offered his congratulations by Tweeting, “Sick win, please teach me. lolz 22 yrs old – so you were what, 15 when we started battling?” Scott Seiver remarked on the good streak that the 22 year old Flowers is on by chirping, “That @RandALLin is so hot right now he could s**t in tinfoil, put fishhooks in it and sell it to the queen of England as earrings.”
Michael Mizrachi is prepping for the upcoming battle with the November Nine at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table by getting into better shape. The athletic Mizrachi is looking to drop some pounds prior to the WSOP festivities, Tweeting yesterday, “Just waking up! Going to get those crunches, push up and calf raises. Supposed to do it before bed but passed out. Can’t forget to stretch!”
Mizrachi is restricting his diet during his attempt (“Lost 2lbs already on pace!! All I drank was water. Ate turkey, tuna, and bahamian dolphin… great sleeping schedule… tennis class”), but he is also feeling the pangs known by those who are working on losing weight. He tweeted earlier today, “Tennis@11. Personal trainer @2. Hopefully I can make it thru the day. Nutrition is the hard part. I need a burger.”
Travel seems to be a part of many poker players’ schedules, with the international jet-setter Lacey Jones leading the way. “Shoot is wrapped and I have a beautiful sunny day in Paris to enjoy,” Jones Tweeted from the French capital. “Must fight the urge to take a long nap.” Full Tilt Poker’s John Juanda joked about his travel schedule when he Tweeted, “Couldn’t decide whether to go to WSOPC Hammond or EPT Vienna, so I took the middle road and came to Tokyo instead!” Another player on the road was Maria Ho, who was remarkably perky regarding her schedule: “LAX–>ATL to rendezvous w/@VanessaRousso for our trip to South Africa! I’m so excited that even the 24 hour travel day doesn’t faze me… yet!”
Of note over the past few days was the anniversary of Jennifer Harman and Marco Traniello. “Celebrated my 10 year anniversary with @marcopoker by getting married again by Elvis,” Harman Tweeted on Wednesday to her followers. In attendance for the ceremony was Daniel Negreanu, who Tweeted, “Headed to Little White Chapel to watch @RealJenHarman and @marcopoker get married again after 10 years.” Leave it to Negreanu to have set a prop bet on it when the twosome first married: “I had over 7.5 years and got 30-1!”
For the best Tweets of the past few days, we’ll start with Annie Duke, who apparently wasn’t happy with some of the ramifications of business. “I have discovered that networking makes me feel dirty,” Duke observed in a Tweet to her fans. “Sometimes you have to get down in the mud to do great things. Like pottery.” “High Stakes Poker” hostess Kara Scott chose this week to get some work done, Tweeting, “I’m listening to Barry Manilow and doing my taxes. And neither of those is a euphemism for anything cooler. Of course, I mean my British taxes, which means I’m actually months early. God, I am so rock and roll.” Finally, Alec Torelli has decided what he wants to do with his life, Tweeting to his followers, “I love Boardwalk Empire. When I grow up I wanna be like Nucky Thompson!”
Poker Hall of Fame Welcomes Dan Harrington and Erik Seidel
The Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010 was announced on Tuesday morning. 1995 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Dan Harrington and eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel will be enshrined during a ceremony on November 8th at the Rio in Las Vegas.
Harrington received four of this author’s ten Poker Hall of Fame votes. His back-to-back runs in the 2003 and 2004 Main Events coupled with his victory in 1995 and indelible marks on poker literature earned him one of the two Poker Hall of Fame spots up for grabs. All told, Harrington has reached the final table of the Main Event four times and followed up his victory in 1995 with a 17th place finish one year later.
Seidel may best be remembered for his runner-up finish to Johnny Chan in the 1988 WSOP Main Event, his first cash in a WSOP contest. The tournament was depicted in the cult classic “Rounders” and earned Seidel $280,000. Since then, Seidel has won bracelets in Limit Hold’em, Limit Omaha High-Low, No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball, No Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha. He finished eighth in last year’s $50,000 HORSE Championship and has over $4 million in career WSOP earnings.
Seidel was elated to become part of the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame, telling WSOP officials in a press release distributed on Tuesday, “I’m very honored to be elected to the Poker Hall of Fame this year and it’s an extra bonus for me to be going in with Dan Harrington. We have played together and have been great friends for my entire poker career. Both of us refined our games at the Mayfair Club in New York. I have such a high regard for the many members of the Poker Hall of Fame that I have played with over the years and it’s a real privilege to be able to join them.”
The induction ceremony is scheduled for 8:00pm PT on November 8th inside the Penn and Teller Theater. Following it, the 2010 WSOP Main Event will play down to a winner. Others considered for the Poker Hall of Fame, but not enshrined this year, were Chris Ferguson, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Linda Johnson, Tom McEvoy, Daniel Negreanu, and Scotty Nguyen. This author cast votes for both Johnson and McEvoy as well.
In a recent Guest Column on Poker News Daily, UB.com pro Annie Duke, who bested Seidel in the finals of this year’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship, made a case for her close friend’s enshrinement: “The guy behaves with such grace in a sport where grace is really needed. He’s always so graceful and so sportsmanlike. He’s deeply thoughtful, deeply intelligent, and has massive integrity. This guy should be held up as the standard for what we should be doing. I feel strongly that he should be honored.”
The 16 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame and a 17-man media panel each cast 10 votes to determine this year’s class. Only those receiving a majority vote were eligible and up to two players could be inducted this year. In 2009, World Poker Tour (WPT) host Mike Sexton was the Hall’s lone addition.
Seven players, including Johnny Moss, were inducted as part of the Poker Hall of Fame’s first class in 1979. Since then, the cast has grown to include the likes of Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, Johnny Chan, Lyle Berman, Stu Ungar, Jack Binion, Phil Hellmuth, and Chip Reese. The latter is the youngest player in the Poker Hall of Fame, enshrined at age 40. This year marks the first time since 2007 that more than one person will be inducted.
Annie Duke Comments on CEREUS Sale, Poker Hall of Fame
Poker News Daily: The CEREUS Network was recently acquired by Blanca Games, which is managed by Stuart Gordon. What were your thoughts when you heard about the transaction?
Annie Duke: It’s a very positive thing for the brand. The cheating was purportedly under the auspices of Excapsa in terms of software development and the person developing it was able to get into the group through his involvement with them. I’m happy that the brand is making a clean break from that and that’s part of being able to move on. I’ve always felt like the full brunt of what happened was really put on the current UB.com management.
PND: What personnel changes do you anticipate with the new ownership regime?
Annie Duke: I have tremendous faith in Paul Leggett. My understanding is that there won’t be any change in terms of his role. I think perhaps this will be an opportunity to do some house cleaning, but I don’t really know. Paul staying is a good thing because in every aspect of what’s happened, when you look around and see who has behaved, he’s been the most forthright and the most forthcoming. He’s had the most integrity and he’s taken a lot of blame. He’s gone above and beyond and I’ve been very impressed with how he’s handled everything that’s happened.
PND: What can you tell us about Stuart Gordon?
Annie Duke: I don’t know much about him. He owns BingoMania.com and has a lot of experience in the space. He won’t be involved in day-to-day operations as far as I know. He’s more of an investor.
PND: Are you happy that the war of words with Daniel Negreanu is behind you?
Annie Duke: I was satisfied with PokerStars’ accountability and still continue to believe that Daniel can express whatever views he wants to with whatever language he wants to use.
PND: The list of 10 nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010 was released in recent weeks. What are your thoughts on the group?
Annie Duke: My vote is for Erik Seidel. He has eight bracelets and been under-appreciated. I Tweeted for people to go and vote for him. Doyle Brunson was also throwing his hat into the ring for Erik.
PND: Should Phil Ivey and Negreanu, both in their 30s, be seriously considered by the voting panel?
Annie Duke: No one under 40 should get in. I could see an argument for Ivey just because he’s accomplished so much at the age he is, but at the same time, it’s so easy to say that it doesn’t matter because they’ll be just as deserving when they’re over 40. This should be about career accomplishments.
Poker is interesting because in other sports, if you’re active, you’re not eligible. That’s because most sports require a physical aspect where you’d be retiring before you can be considered for a Hall of Fame.
While Ivey certainly has the credentials to get in, he’s going to be a shoo-in in five years. At the moment, Chip Reese is the youngest person inducted at 40. I would work very hard to keep it that way. Chip really represented something in poker that was so amazing and did such amazing things. Preserving that sort of honor of being the youngest member in the Hall of Fame is something we should be striving for.
PND: Convince the voting panel of living Hall of Fame members and members of the media to vote for Seidel.
Annie Duke: Erik Seidel should be in there. He has eight bracelets. He has so many titles. This is someone who has done amazing things year in and year out. The guy behaves with such grace in a sport where grace is really needed. He’s always so graceful and so sportsmanlike. He’s deeply thoughtful, deeply intelligent, and has massive integrity. This guy should be held up as the standard for what we should be doing. I feel strongly that he should be honored.
PND: Is there anyone else you’d consider?
Annie Duke: Linda Johnson would be my second choice in terms of what she’s contributed in terms of her vision, what she did with the WPT at the beginning, and what she’s done for women in poker. In terms of looking at someone as an innovator and bringing poker into the spotlight, she really deserves it.
PND: Are you bummed out that we’re not talking about the Aruba Poker Classic this year?
Annie Duke: Aruba was the thing that in a lot of ways defined UB in terms of setting it off from other brands and the thing that allowed UB to weather a very significant storm. We had a strong sense of community. The players who were really loyal to UB felt like they were a family and a large part of that was Aruba. Every year, you’d go to this event and see the same faces and new faces and all of that community building was import to the brand and the survival of the brand.
From that standpoint, it’s important for them to have it. It’s something that’s key to the identity of UB. I was very sad that it was canceled this year and I hope they’ll bring it back or bring something that will create a strong sense of community. I don’t want to see a situation where people on UB are anonymous.
PND: Talk about watching the Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship unfold on GSN every Saturday night. What did you think about Annette Obrestad critiquing Huck Seed’s play a few weeks back?
Annie Duke: It has actually been extremely interesting to watch. When I was paired with Huck, I wanted him to think I played well. Given Huck’s record and the brilliance of his poker game, if I disagreed with something Huck did, I would assume he did something that I didn’t understand. I would actually ask Huck to explain the play.
When I first came around poker and had just started to play big limits in 1998, I was playing with Ted Forrest. We can agree that Ted has a very unconventional style, but he is obviously a successful player. When I first started playing with him, I thought he was terrible. Pretty quickly, I figured out that he was pretty successful, so maybe there was something I was missing. What I realized was that he wasn’t playing badly, but most of the time, he was doing things I truly didn’t understand.
My game drastically improved because I took a step back from what my initial reaction was. That’s a lesson that every young poker player has to learn. When you realize that what you don’t understand isn’t necessarily bad, it’s a huge step in your development as a player. Maybe Annette will take a look back and learn from that. Annette is an excellent player and extremely talented and when she becomes a more mature player, she’ll be great. This is just an issue of opening up your mind instead of immediately shutting someone off and dismissing them.
Tags: 2010, Annie Duke, cheat, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, poker player, pokerstars, women
Evander Holyfield WSOP Interview
Evander Holyfield is considered to be one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time and was a decorated champion during his career. Hailing from the United States, he is a multiple world champion which earned him the nickname “The Real Deal” which is the moniker for his online poker site skin, RealDealPoker. Holyfield is also an Olympian, winning a bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Games. He currently stands at the only boxer in history to win the World Heavyweight title four times. Some of the big names in boxing history he’s defeated include George Foreman, Larry Holmes and twice beat Mike Tyson.
Holyfield joins site editor Dan Cypra from the red carpet just moments before the start of the World Series of Poker‘s annual charity event, Ante Up for Africa. The two talk a little bit about boxing and also about Holyfield’s passion for poker.
The Ante Up for Africa charity helps those in need in the continent of Africa and his hosted annually by the World Series of Poker. Both Annie Duke and Don Cheadle, two of the three people that started up this worthy cause, were in attendance at the red carpet event and tournament. Some of the other notables in the field were Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Ray Romano.
Phil Hellmuth Enters The WSOPE And Dwyte Pilgrim Wins WPT Borgata From Poker In Twitter
The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOP) Main Event is in full swing, with many of the world’s best poker players in attendance. For all of the action on the felt, however, many in the Twitterverse have been discussing the latest entrance by Phil Hellmuth into the Casino at the Empire in London on Thursday.
“Today maybe my best entrance ever!,” Hellmuth chirped to his followers as he headed to the tables for Day 1A. “Video soon: Red double decker bus, 16 member big band, 11 models dressed like Lady Gaga singing Poker Face.” The usual Hellmuthian parade was captured by several members of the media, including the unfortunate finale, which drew catcalls from those who viewed it in London. “After whole Hellmuth charade, he and the Lady Gagas all walked into the wrong building… The theater next door,” noted poker journalist Eric Ramsey.
The reaction to Hellmuth’s latest entrance was predictably harsh by both the media and his fellow players. “Some of the Hellmuth ‘girls’. Or boys?,” queried poker journalist Tatjana Pasalic. Ramsey also pointed out, “Nothing like broad public displays that perpetuate negative American stereotypes abroad.”
One of the players who had the harshest reaction was Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar, who Tweeted, “Phil Hellmuth couldn’t possibly be any more of a self absorbed a**clown if he tried, why are we forced to put up with this s**t in a £10K?” After Hellmuth Tweeted about his entrance, Aguiar suggested his next grand performance: “@phil_hellmuth no you’re a self absorbed idiot, every1 h8s u, maybe your next entrance can be on a NASA rocket pointed at sun.” Even the normally quiet Andy Bloch piled onto “The Poker Brat” by playfully Tweeting, “Phil Hellmuth, making his grand entrance, walked into a theatre instead of Empire Casino. Good thing he wasn’t driving a race car.”
While much of the attention was on Hellmuth’s entrance, there was some poker played Thursday and during the morning hours on Friday. Of the Day 1A participants, some who could Tweet about their success included Isabelle Mercier (“Bagging chips! Will be returning on Saturday at noon London time with my 34,725 chips.. Could be better.”), Scott Montgomery (“Felt like crap during day 1a of the wsope main event, and didn’t play much better. wish this cold would go away. 40k going into day 2.”) and Day 1A chip leader Nicolas Levi (“Chip Leader au jour 1A. Titre honorifique mais on pouvait pas mieux demarrer!,” which translates as “Chip Leader Day 1A. Honorary title, but could be better start!”).
For those that weren’t in London for WSOP Europe, the Borgata was the place to be for the final table of the World Poker Tour’s Borgata Poker Open. Of particular note was WSOP Circuit terror Dwyte Pilgrim, who took down the title. Tournament director extraordinaire Matt Savage was on hand, providing his followers with updates via Twitter. “Prematurely @DwytePilgrim celebrates WAAAAY too early after flopping 2 pair and Ofir Mor turns and rivers a higher 2 pair… Wow!,” noted Savage after one of the more exciting hands. “Like the football player that celebrates before crossing the goal line, @DwytePilgrim needs to score first.”
Pilgrim was quite chatty during the final table, as noted by WPT reporter Jessica Welman. “Dwyte just told one of the FTP patch-wearers, Ofir Mor, ‘It’s just my opinion, but I think Full Tilt should’ve picked me,’” Welman reported from the final table. Pilgrim also was caught saying at one point to the remaining players, “Quote @DwytePilgrim “You do know I am #1 in the world!,” according to a Savage Tweet. The bluster must have worked, as Pilgrim won the largest WPT event in history (1,042 players), causing ninth place finisher Lee Childs to Tweet, “So happy 4 Dwight & so glad I was one of the first 2 shake his hand & hug him. Much respect! I hope the broadcast shows all positive things.”
The end of the WPT Borgata Poker Open did cause some problems for one of the best in the poker media, B.J. Nemeth: “I just had a run-in w/ airport security when they wanted me to push my bags thru the X-ray machine before they were ready to scan me.” Apparently Nemeth cracked the code to getting further inspection when he followed up with, “The line that set them off: “If you can’t guarantee the security of my stuff, then I have to guarantee the security of my stuff.” Apparently Nemeth got through the security line in good shape, although he did Tweet, “Security punished me by ‘randomly’ selecting me for a full search of my bags and person.”
For the funniest Tweets of the past few days, we go first to Joe Reitman, who was in a charity event on Wednesday with his better half, Annie Duke. “At poker charity event. Knocked @AnnieDuke out. Then she made me double rebuy to put her back into game. Clearly my all-in call was bad EV.” The charity event must not have gone well for Reitman, as he later chirped, “Dear Joe. Next time a 70yr old woman @ a charity event who limps every hand decides 2 reraise u, even if its a min raise, fold. Do not shove.”
Tiffany Michelle came up with an observation from some of her television viewing, Tweeting, “I haven’t spent much time in air ducts, but from what I see in the movies they seem to be very clean, large spaces, easy for crawling thru.” Lauren Kling decided to hit the cash tables in Las Vegas and found some notoriety: “Just sat down at a cash game at Aria and the dealer thought I was Avril Lavigne… so random!” Finally, Shannon Shorr, in action at the WSOP Europe Main Event, noted the generation gap: “Current topic of conversation at table is South Park. Jeff Lisandro asked, ‘What is South Park?’”
Tags: Annie Duke, charity, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, Tiffany Michelle, tournament, vegas, woman, WSOP
The NFL Season Begins, The VMAs And Heading To London From Poker In Twitter
Across the span of the Twitterverse, poker players seemed to be taking time away from the tables to jump into several different activities. For most, that was the first weekend of the National Football League schedule.
Two players who passed up watching the NFL games on television to watch them in person were Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little and Beth Shak, albeit at two different locations. “Heading to the opening day at Giants Stadium to watch the Giants play. Should be fun,” Little Tweeted before the New York Giants crushed the Carolina Panthers 31-17. Shak, on the other hand, watched a disappointing loss from the Philadelphia Eagles against the Green Bay Packers 27-20. Still, she was excited to Tweet, “I’m @Eagles game pic w/ Vince Papale #83 from movie Invincible.”
Other poker players chose to watch the games from the comfort of their homes, with one making some wagers to make it more interesting. “Bet one early NFL game CIN +5 hoping Palmer has a big game against an inexperienced NE secondary,” Tweeted PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu. Following the game, in which the Bengals fell to the Patriots, Negreanu tried to make up his loss: “Looks like I’m dead on my Cincy bet down 21 ugh. Hoping SF -3 will get me even at Seattle.” Unfortunately for “Kid Poker,” Seattle crushed San Francisco.
For most, the Sunday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins provided a good sweat. “I think I get high blood pressure watching my Skins,” “Poker After Dark” hostess Leeann Tweeden chirped to her followers. It seemed that a couple poker players were for the ‘Skins along with Tweeden, including Alex Outhred (“Dear lord, if u feel bad about putting me and my train mates in a train wreck on Amtrak 2 days ago, do NOT let Cowboys win.”) and Lee Childs (“Ah, what a weekend for the JMU Dukes & the Redskins! The ‘boys almost sucked out, but thankfully the floor caught ‘em cheating.”). Eugene Todd sounded off for Cowboys fans when he Tweeted, “Wade Phillips is the worst head coach in nfl and no wonder his fathers first name is bum.”
Other poker players had mixed emotions after their respective teams’ performance. “wow, @ChicagoBearscom were probably just gifted a win,” UB.com‘s Joe Sebok Tweeted following the Bears’ controversial victory over the Detroit Lions. “Weird call there. we are truly a horrible football team. sorry, love ‘em, but wow.” Michele Lewis was a bit happier, Tweeting, “Everyone can thank me for casting my golden dawn spell on the Texans to beat the Colts. I’m starting a new chapter if anyone’s interested.” Finally, “Poker After Dark” announcer Ali Nejad wrapped his Sunday by Tweeting, “Let’s see, A’s lost (out of it, whatever), 49ers lost (week 1, whatever), Raiders lost (what’s new?), BUT GIANTS WON!”
The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) also attracted a great deal of attention from many in the poker community. “I think Justin Bieber is awesome,” Negreanu Tweeted while watching the show Sunday night. “I always like Usher and Michael Jackson stuff and this kid makes good music.” In agreement with Negreanu was Carbon Poker‘s Shannon Elizabeth, who Tweeted, “He was amazing! So cute!”
Christian “charder30” Harder fired off, “You catch Florence and The Machine and the VMAs? She was amazing,” to Erik Seidel following the performance of the band on the show. Annie Duke barely missed having a Bikram yoga session with multiple VMA winner Lady Gaga: “I missed Lady Gaga at 11am Bikram since I practiced at 9am. Would have liked to see her Bikram outfit. Appropriate there to wear no pants.” Outhred provided a good wrap to the VMAs in Tweeting, “What was good about the VMAs: whoever was douchey came off douchey, dope came off as dope. Problem: most guests/nominees were douchey.”
Even though it may seem that players were away from the felt, many of poker’s stars actually were on their way to London, where the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe kicks off on Tuesday. “Just got to my hotel room in London,” Tweeted Full Tilt front man Mike Matusow, but he wasn’t a happy camper. “What a long day, took 7 hrs to get from Vienna to London tonight what a joke.” Someone who was probably on the same flight as Matusow was Tom “durrrr” Dwan, who simply Tweeted, “Austria was sweet, back in London now,” following his arrival.
Another poker player who Tweeted about heading to WSOP Europe was Phil Hellmuth. “WSOPE gonna sorely miss 10 time bracelet winners @texdolly + Johnny Chan! And Chau Giang + David OP.” Others who are on the ground in London and ready for action include Antonio Esfandiari (“Buckingham palace… London here I am baby”), Shannon Shorr (“At Huntsville International Airport en route to London via Chicago O’Hare”), and Eric Mizrachi (“Finally made it to our hotel in London, crazy 2 hour wait in customs line. As we go up we bump into Freddy Deeb”).
For the best Tweets from the weekend, we have to start with PokerStars’ Vicky Coren. In her usual self-deprecating manner, Coren Tweeted, “No column from me today, I had NOTHING TO SAY. Course, that may make the Observer even better value than ever.” Adam “Roothlus” Levy took a trip to the zoo on Saturday and observed, “At the San Diego zoo today. Watching a hippo poop was not on my list of things to see. Unfortunately the hippo did not give me a choice.” Finally, Todd had an offer for anyone on the Twitterverse: “I have extra tickets for the Jay Z and m (Eminem) concert at Yankee Stadium. I paid 750 each for them on the floor. Holla if u want them!”
Johnny Chan Perfect on Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship
On Saturday at 9:00pm ET, the Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship continued airing on GSN. The third round of regular season matches began with Phil Hellmuth teaming with Toto Leonidas, Annette Obrestad teaming with Annie Duke, Phil Laak teaming with Phil Ivey, and Phil Gordon teaming with Jennifer Harman. The unique match boasted four players named Phil and the first all-female team.
Each pair received 50,000 in starting chips and players alternated action by street. Each team is randomly assigned and, out of the 32 players that entered, 16 will make the post-season after four preliminary matches. Players are not allowed to talk strategy at the table while their team has cards. Instead, teams are allotted one 30-second time out to confer.
Harman and Gordon doubled up through Obrestad and Duke after flopping a king-high flush against the nut straight. Then, the contingent of ladies was out in fourth place after running Q-10 into the pocket tens of Gordon and Harman. They received zero points for the regular season standings and Duke, a UB.com pro, was nearly assured to miss the playoffs.
Laak committed his team’s chips pre-flop with A-Q and ran into Hellmuth’s Big Slick. Hellmuth called all-in and watched in agony as Laak’s team flopped two pair. Hellmuth and Leonidas headed for the exit in third place and received four points apiece.
In the match’s final hand, Ivey moved all-in before the flop with a wired pair of threes and Gordon made the call with pocket jacks. The board ran out 10-5-6-7-8 and Gordon and Harman claimed the title and 20 points. Through three regular season matches, Gordon has racked up 44 points, with Doubles Poker Championship commentator Brandon Adams speculating that 35 will be needed to make the playoffs. Ivey and Obrestad each stood at 31 points with one match to go in the regular season.
The second set of matches to unfold on Saturday night featured Huck Seed pairing with Carlos Mortensen, Mike Matusow teaming with Allen Cunningham, PartyPoker front man Tony G teaming with Johnny Chan, and Tom “durrrr” Dwan teaming with Victory Poker’s Antonio Esfandiari.
Doubles Poker Championship viewers were able to see Seed and Mortensen deliberate in a time out speaking only Spanish, although the team was the first to depart. Seed and Mortensen were all-in with K-3 and up against the pocket eights of Matusow and Cunningham. The flop came 3-8-3, giving Matusow and Cunningham a boat against trips and the better hand held for the win when the case three failed to come.
Chan raised to 8,500 pre-flop with pocket nines and Esfandiari made the call with J-10 of diamonds. The flop came 8-8-4 with two diamonds and Tony G led out for 8,000. Dwan pushed all-in and Tony G called. The percentages showed a virtual coin flip until a nine fell on the turn to give Tony G and Chan a boat, leaving Dwan and Esfandiari drawing dead. Dwan tossed a $5,000 casino chip to Matusow, presumably as payment for a last longer bet, and his team was eliminated in third place.
The final hand of the night saw Matusow open-shove with K-2 and Tony G call with pocket sixes. The board ran out five cards seven or lower and Tony G and Chan claimed victory. For Chan, it marked his third straight title. The former back-to-back World Series of Poker Main Event champ is the lone player to have 60 regular season points through three matches, while Seed owns 40.
Chan told Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship host Lacey Jones why he’s been so successful: “The secret is patience, discipline, just watching the other players play, pick up a little bit here, pick up a little bit there, and just finish the hand.” You can catch new episodes every Saturday at 9:00pm ET on GSN.
My 2010 Poker Hall of Fame Vote
For the second straight year, I’ll have the privilege of voting for the Poker Hall of Fame. This prestigious award is given to deserving candidates who meet four criteria: “Played poker against acknowledged top competition; played for high stakes; played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers; stood the test of time; or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.”
The 33-member panel, which consists of the 16 living Poker Hall of Fame members and 17 media representatives, can select as many of the 10 final candidates as they deem worthy of admission. Here are my thoughts on each of the 10 finalists as they appear in alphabetical order:
Chris Ferguson: There’s something to be said for a man who was influential in developing the software for one of the world’s largest online poker sites, Full Tilt. The former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ has five bracelets and over $5 million in career WSOP earnings. He’s one of the game’s most recognizable faces due to his “Jesus” persona and, at 47, also has a National Heads-Up Poker Championship title under his belt. He’s worthy of consideration to the Poker Hall of Fame and would be my fourth favorite selection among the finalists.
Barry Greenstein: Despite having more than $2 million in WSOP earnings and three bracelets, Greenstein may best be known for igniting the move for generosity away from the felts. Greenstein has become known as the “Robin Hood of Poker,” but lacks the sparkling poker resume that the other nine Poker Hall of Fame candidates hold. However, I have little doubt that Greenstein, like Ferguson, will be inducted as part of a future class.
Jennifer Harman: Fresh off an induction into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame, Harman owns two WSOP bracelets, neither of which came in a Ladies event. She’s made two World Poker Tour (WPT) final tables and is approaching the $1 million mark in earnings on the WPT. Harman is a perfect fit for the Women in Poker Hall of Fame and her charity work will undoubtedly earn her a nod in the future, but she is not among my top choices for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010.
Dan Harrington: The man who quite literally wrote the book on poker, Harrington’s “Hold’em” series can be found on the bookshelves of serious players around the world. Despite massive fields, Harrington made the final table of the Main Event in back-to-back years in 2003 and 2004 and won it all in 1995. He’s my top pick for this year’s Poker Hall of Fame class and was a nominee last year.
Phil Ivey: He’s pretty good at poker. Millions upon millions of dollars earned in cash games, eight WSOP bracelets, and a final table in last year’s Main Event are just a few of the reasons that Ivey will eventually receive a Poker Hall of Fame nod. However, “No Home Jerome,” at 34, isn’t yet old enough to run for President of the United States and didn’t record a WSOP in the money finish prior to 2000. While he’ll be a favorite of many members of the voting panel, Ivey has not yet “stood the test of time.”
Linda Johnson: How do you not elect “The First Lady of Poker” to the Poker Hall of Fame? A founding member of the Tournament Directors Association and inaugural inductee to the Women in Poker Hall of Fame, Johnson has made an indelible impact on the game in several different areas. From encouraging more women to play to co-founding Poker Gives and urging players to give back, Johnson epitomizes what a Poker Hall of Fame inductee should be. She’ll be receiving my vote this year as my second favorite candidate.
Tom McEvoy: In my opinion, McEvoy is the poster child for standing the test of time. In his third career WSOP in the money finish, he won the Main Event in 1983. He’s racked up a total of four bracelets and then promptly took down last year’s Champions Invitational, a made-for-television event that awarded a sleek new ride to its winner. McEvoy has authored a bounty of poker books including his “Championship” series and “How to Win No Limit Hold’em Tournaments.” McEvoy also lacks any character questions and will be marked on my ballot.
Daniel Negreanu: The same argument I used as to why Ivey does not warrant a nod for the Poker Hall of Fame this year holds water for Negreanu, who is 36 years old. “Kid Poker” has become one of the main faces of the entire industry through his marketable persona and owns the second largest earnings total in WPT history. He also has four bracelets, but a recent high-profile run-in with Annie Duke that included the use of the “C” word has me questioning whether he’s worthy of being an ambassador for the game.
Scotty Nguyen: Sadly, I can’t bring myself to vote for Nguyen. The only player to have won the $50,000 HORSE Championship and WSOP Main Event, Nguyen’s expertise on the felt is in a league of its own. He has eight WPT final tables and one title, but his demeanor at the HORSE Championship in 2008 remains a major black eye for the industry given the game’s precarious online legality in the United States and the tournament’s national exposure on ESPN. The fact that Nguyen still orders beer at tournaments, albeit non-alcoholic brands like O’Doul’s, continues to confound me after what happened in 2008. If Nguyen wants anyone’s vote, he’ll need to shape up.
Erik Seidel: Duke’s choice for the Poker Hall of Fame, Seidel has been the epitome of class. As she told Poker News Daily, “The guy behaves with such grace in a sport where grace is really needed. He’s always so graceful and so sportsmanlike.” I’m on the fence about Seidel’s accomplishments away from the game, as his dominance on the felts is obvious.
Tags: 2008, 2010, Annie Duke, Barry Greenstein, charity, Daniel Negreanu, high stakes, Jennifer Harman, ladies, legal, Online Poker, Phil Ivey, tournament, women, WSOP
Annie Duke Breaks Down Bellagio Poker Tournament Structures, UBOC 5
Poker News Daily: What have you been up to poker-wise since the conclusion of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP)?
Annie Duke: Trying to slack off. My goal has to been to shirk all responsibility and I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that. The WSOP is a lot. It’s six weeks of playing every day and I am burned out from it. I still have been doing my part and went to Washington DC to testify in front of the House Financial Services Committee. I’ve been spending time with my kids before school starts. I was going to hit The Bike, but it conflicted with UBOC, which I wanted to play a lot of.
PND: You told us earlier that you’re not a big fan of the Bellagio’s tournament structures. Can you explain your point of view?
Annie Duke: When you can sign up on Day 2 and it’s not a bad choice, that’s not a good structure. If I show up on time, I’m playing in a structure where the average stack at the end of Day 1 is 10% higher than the starting stack. Overall, it seems like a waste of a day. If you show up on Day 2, you’re going to lose out on people who are willing to explode, so I also feel like you miss out on opportunities if you start late.
You shouldn’t have a good choice to sign up on Day 2. In the WSOP, signing up two hours late is reasonable to me. The third level in should be good relative to the starting stack. At the Bellagio, you’re signing up eight or 10 levels in. You shouldn’t be able to do that and still have a decent starting stack.
You want to have a lot of play, but at some point, you have to think about people’s play and their health. You should be getting into the money early on Day 2. The pendulum has swung so far partly because of events like the Venetian Deep Stack tournaments. Those go fast because they start you with a lot of chips, but the rest of the structure is pretty fast.
PND: The fifth Ultimate Bet Online Championship, or UBOC, recently played out on UB.com and Absolute Poker. Heading into the series, what were you looking forward to the most?
Annie Duke: I just like the variety. I feel like online it’s always No Limit Hold’em unless it’s one of these big tournament series. To figure out our UBOC schedule, we look at what’s done well in the past. We also want to preserve the integrity of the series itself. It might look like a good strategy to have all No Limit Hold’em events because they’re the most popular, but that hurts your series overall. When the Bellagio went all No Limit Hold’em, their attendance started dropping. People came in for a few tournaments here and there and then left. If you offer a big variety of games, people come in and camp out for a month to play.
It’s all about balancing what does well with what people will sign up for. The pros on UB.com definitely get asked about what they like. They have a good beat on what’s becoming popular. A year or so ago, people started pushing for Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better and that’s a great game.
PND: Tell us about testifying in front of the House Financial Services Committee on July 20th in Washington, DC.
Annie Duke: Since the trip, HR 2267 got out of committee, which is amazing. We’re now in a situation that during the lame duck session when the spending bills are being passed, you’ll have people that know they won’t be retuning to Congress in 2011 and may not have a problem backing an online gaming bill. There’s a decent chance of the bill passing this year. I wouldn’t make it a favorite, but we have the best chance we’ve had in the last five years.
The big thing for me is overwhelming disappointment in the Commerce Casino’s position. They’ve taken an anti-competitive stance in regard to online gaming. Unless the Commerce is the only operator, they don’t want to share. That’s ridiculous for poker players. They want the version where they’re the only hub that offers online gaming in California.
If there’s a bill that allows gaming in California, it doesn’t help someone in Iowa or Delaware. Those states would have to pass their own bills, but look at the population difference. At the Commerce, I can gamble with people from all over the world. I feel like the Commerce Casino’s position is anti-competitive and their customer base consists of poker players. In the end, the poker players fund their commercial interests.
Also, I’m concerned by the comparison of the operators of online sites to the drug cartels. We know that’s not true. These sites may not be licensed in the U.S., but foreign governments that are friends of our government license them. France isn’t in the business of licensing drug dealers and terrorists.
PND: Tell us about Liv Boeree and UB.com parting ways.
Annie Duke: The issue was that she had a really good result that increased her value and wanted something we couldn’t come to terms with. It was very amicable.
PND: What are your Labor Day plans?
Annie Duke: I don’t have any plans, but I’ll probably cook out with my kids. We don’t do big Labor Days or Memorial Days. I feel like every day is a party at the Duke household.
Tags: 2010, 2011, absolute poker, Annie Duke, bellagio, gamble, poker player, tournament, UBOC, WSOP
WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%
After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers.
The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%.
Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen.
After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion Michael Mizrachi, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year.
The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, Barry Greenstein, and T.J. Cloutier alongside former World Champions Johnny Chan and Joe Hachem. Former World Champion Huck Seed would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history.
The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, Mike Matusow, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner Greg Raymer, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion Annette Obrestad, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year Erick Lindgren have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage.
Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion Dan Harrington, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro Josh Arieh. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro Prahlad Friedman.
In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog.
The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament.
The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end.
World Team Poker Adds New Countries
In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks.
Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000.
Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan.
Carlos Mortensen, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner.
Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former Bodog pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, Kathy Liebert, Jennifer “Jennicide” Leigh, and Cyndy Violette. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member.
Victory Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin.
Team USA has largely already been determined, with Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, Allen Cunningham, Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Erik Seidel taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – DoylesRoom, UB.com, and Full Tilt Poker – will be represented.
The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner Johnny Chan, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant Maria Ho, Chau Giang, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung.
Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday:
Greg Mueller: Canada
Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan
Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands
Peter Costa: Cyprus
Max Stern: Costa Rica
Chris Bjorin: Sweden
Martin Pollak: Austria
Dan Heimiller: Germany
Bruno Fitoussi: France
Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India
Toto Leonidas: Philippines
Antonio Esfandiari: Iran
Kevin Song: Korea
Marco Traniello: Italy
Lenny Martin: Russia
Carlos Mortensen: Spain
Roberto Rominelli: Wales
Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland
Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine
Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details.
Tags: 2010, Annie Duke, bodog, Canada, Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Online Poker, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, Russia, spain, tournament, UBOC, usa, vegas, women, WSOP
Commerce Casino Clarifies Stance on Online Poker Legislation
Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words of sorts against the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance.
Many in the industry have asked what brand of internet gambling legislation the Commerce Casino and its allies in California would support, if any. Federal licensing? State licensing? Poker only? Manion explained that the coalition is not against internet gambling: “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” The California Gaming Association also opposes HR 2267.
The coalition also supports not granting Federal licenses to any entity that has violated U.S. law. Manion added, “Another criteria would be poker only. The Frank bill as it’s currently written authorizes all types of gaming. That violates Federal law and breaks agreements of states and tribal nations. It would violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.” One amendment to Frank’s HR 2267 prohibited online wagering on sports, leading to the NFL dropping its opposition to the bill. Manion also stated that states should have the right to continue to regulate gaming in their own jurisdiction.
Manion also expressed concern over the level of protections included in Frank’s measure: “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” The tax companion bill to HR 2267 is Congressman Jim McDermott’s (D-WA) HR 4976, which has not yet been marked up in the House Ways and Means Committee.
Despite the spat playing out in the public arena, Manion told PND that the poker lobbying organization and the California casinos have not yet sat down and discussed their differences on HR 2267: “The PPA’s leadership were present during the Financial Services Committee hearing and said nothing to us. They did not contact anyone from the Commerce Casino or any of the card rooms. Had the PPA contacted the Commerce or the major card rooms in California and said they had major concerns or if they had read the testimony more closely, they would agree that most of what we’re talking about is valid.”
According to a 2009 survey by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, and Associates, 55% to 57% of Californians support the state collecting revenues from online poker. Among the most important factors to respondents were ensuring that minors don’t play, full transparency, independent audits, and cracking down on unauthorized sites. The West Coast state could be among the first to green light intrastate internet gambling given a sizable budget shortfall. California State Senator Rod Wright had introduced SB 1485 this year, but the bill ultimately stalled on its way to becoming law in July.
HR 2267 offers an opt-out provision for states and tribes that don’t want to take part in a Federal internet gambling scheme. However, Manion believes that the provision won’t stand up if reviewed by the World Trade Organization (WTO): “We don’t believe that the opt-out provision as currently written will hold up to WTO scrutiny. If they were to challenge HR 2267, that’d be the component that would be challenged. We should preempt that now so we don’t get a challenge from the WTO. It would leave state-regulated gaming vulnerable.”
Nevertheless, if HR 2267 were to become law before the end of the current legislative session, California could opt out of the legislation and go it alone in the online poker world. However, its lack of liquidity compared to the Federal model could result in its demise. Manion remarked, “Our immediate focus is amending the Federal legislation and also working with the state legislature on legislation they believe would ensure that California revenues stay in California. If the Frank bill passed, the opt-out provision would be in play and California could opt out. The California state legislature could also act in advance of Frank’s bill becoming law.”
HR 2267 was marked up and passed out of the Financial Services Committee on July 28th. Congress is currently in recess.
The PPA’s petition has lapped 7,200 players and talk of a boycott of the Commerce has arisen among poker pros. UB.com pro Annie Duke, for example, commented via Twitter, “I and some other pros are boycotting them as well. I will give my business to a place that supports the players.” What the next chapter will be in this ongoing saga is anyone’s guess.
August 30th – Daily Deal
Happy Monday to everyone! On today’s Daily Deal, the Commerce Casino receives support from several of its competitors, Daniel Negreanu fires insults at Annie Duke, and an important figure in the Senate comes out in favor of online poker legislation. It’s all ahead… right now!
Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily.
Let the battle lines be drawn. Several days after the Poker Players Alliance issued a petition to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance against pro-internet gambling legislation in the United States, more casinos have come onboard to strike down the bill. In a letter issued to the press late Friday night from Commerce Casino Board members, it was revealed that the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park casinos also oppose Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267.
The press release claimed, “Californians wager an estimated thirteen point four billion dollars annually. That makes California the largest internet gaming market in the world, and without state legislation to protect it, critically-needed billions will be captured by offshore and out-of-state operators never to return.”
Why the Commerce Casino, Bike, or any other California casino wouldn’t just apply for a license under HR Two-Two-Six-Seven remains to be seen. PPA Executive Director John Pappas speculated in an exclusive interview with Poker News Daily, “They don’t want to compete with existing online operators or Harrah’s or Wynn or Google or anyone else who may get involved in internet gambling. They prefer to have their own fiefdom in California… A lot of lawmakers went out of their way to address their concerns via amendments, yet they still continue to oppose the bill.”
Moving over to another bitter dispute, in an interview with PokerPlayer, PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu fired off what many have deemed inappropriate comments against Annie Duke. In an article entitled “The Evolution of Daniel Negreanu,” he was asked about the two-thousand ten World Series of Poker Ladies Event in which more than a dozen men played.
Negreanu voiced his disgust at the whole situation and then went on a tirade about Duke, who has never been an advocate of the tournament:
“What irked me is that this woman has the audacity on her website to call herself ‘the best female poker player in the world.’ So I’m like ‘how offensive are you, you f***ing c***? You want to say you’re speaking for women, yet you claim superiority over all of them.’”
Wow. Well … after afterwards Duke issued an open letter to PokerStars about the use of the c-word and the site ultimately responded, “PokerStars does not support the use of derogatory or hurtful language directed at any other player. While this was a personal matter between two players, we wish that better judgment had been used in the choice of words.”
Duke’s brother Howard Lederer and Tony G have been among those pros weighing in on the spat.
Finally, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claimed he would support the legalization of online poker in the United States. Reid also stated he would not support any other form of online gaming, including sports betting.
Reid also won’t support anything that hurts Nevada jobs, but the Senate Majority Leader will play a huge role in whether online poker is legalized. No progress has been made on legalizing internet gambling or online poker in the Senate, so having Reid as an ally could go a long way.
That does it for today’s Daily Deal, be sure to check back every weekday for a new episode of this show. Also be sure to check back with Poker News Daily throughout your day to find out the latest in poker news. I’m Sean Gibson hoping you have an amazing week at the tables!
Round 2 Matches Begin on Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship
On Saturday night, the second round of regular season matches kicked off on the Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship, which airs on GSN. Each of the 32 players in the field bought in for $50,000 and had already played out one match.
In Match #5, which spanned the first 30 minutes of the one-hour GSN show, Howard Lederer paired with Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Mike Matusow teamed with Phil Laak, Andy Bloch teamed with Annie Duke, and Erick Lindgren teamed with former World Poker Tour Championship winner David Chiu. Players alternate action by street and each team is allowed one time out to talk strategy.
Matusow and Laak, by far the most talkative pair at the table, were all-in with K-10 against Lederer and Galfond’s A-9 of spades. The latter team flopped top pair on an ace-high board and never looked back, leaving Matusow and Laak with zero points towards the end-of-season standings. Matusow proceeded to exit stage left and then chucked a water bottle at his partner.
Bloch and Duke hit the rails in third place after the reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship victor open-shoved all-in pre-flop with Q-8. Galfond peeked down at A-6 of diamonds and called for time to consult with Lederer, claiming, “You’re going to know better than me.” Lederer, Duke’s brother, told Galfond to make the call and the door card was an ace. The board eventually ran out 5-2-A-7-10 and Duke and Bloch hit the rail in third place, netting four points.
Lederer committed his team’s chips with J-5 pre-flop and Lindgren called all-in with A-6 in prime position to double up. The board blanked out until a six hit on the turn, leaving Lederer and Galfond with 11 outs heading to the river. Sure enough, a three came, giving the team a straight, the title in Match #5, and 20 points towards the regular season. Lindgren and Chiu each received 11 points.
On his 31 points after two regular season matches, Lederer told Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship hostess Lacey Jones, “Obviously, after two rounds, it’s a great spot for us.” Galfond gave viewers a peek inside his chemistry with Lederer: “We have somewhat different styles, more on the early streets, but when it comes down to it, poker’s still poker.” The top 16 players from the regular season will advance to the postseason.
In Match #6, Huck Seed paired with Annette Obrestad, David Oppenheim paired with Gavin Smith, Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar paired with PartyPoker’s Tony G, and Justin “Boosted J” Smith paired with Tom Dwan. The second match covered the second half-hour of the one-hour GSN show.
After dropping a 46,000-chip pot by calling with ace-high, Dwan and “Boosted J” were all-in with Q-8 against Oppenheim and Smith’s 9-6 of diamonds. Oppenheim and Smith flopped middle pair, but faced a flush draw heading to the river. However, the final card was a brick and “Boosted J” and Dwan were the first casualty of Match #6. Dwan has yet to record a point towards the regular season standings.
Oppenheim and Gavin Smith ran 9-7 of hearts into pocket aces to double up Seed and Obrestad. Moments earlier, the latter pair had bickered after Seed put in a raise on a board reading 6-3-4-5 holding 5-4. Obrestad argued that Seed should have simply called behind. The two ultimately righted the ship after hitting a runner-runner straight to bust Oppenheim and Gavin Smith and set up heads-up play.
Obrestad and Seed continued to struggle to work as a team, receiving a one-round penalty after Obrestad talked strategy with Seed without holding cards. Nevertheless, they came out on top after spiking a flush on the river when Rajkumar and Tony G were all-in with pocket eights. Seed recorded his second straight Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship win and has 40 regular season points. Obrestad and Rajkumar each have 31 points.
The action continues this Saturday at 9:00pm ET on GSN.
Daniel Negreanu Fires Insults at Annie Duke
Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu‘s hurtful remarks about UB.com‘s Annie Duke during interview with PokerPlayer.co.uk have sent the poker community taking sides between the two superstars. Negreanu called Duke a “f***ing c***” during what Negreanu thought to be an “off the record” conversation with writer Mark Stuart last week. His comments were published, however, and a verbal spat between the two sides followed.
In the article, titled “The Evolution of Daniel Negreanu,” Negreanu was asked what irked him about the 2010 World Series of Poker Ladies Event in which more than a dozen men played. Negreanu voiced his disgust at the whole situation and then went on a tirade about Duke, who has never been an advocate of the Ladies Event as a believer of sexual equality at the poker table. “What irked me is that this woman has the audacity on her website to call herself ‘the best female poker player in the world.’ So I’m like ‘how offensive are you, you f***ing c***? You want to say you’re speaking for women, yet you claim superiority over all of them.’”
The article was quickly passed through forums and other social media networks and eventually made its way to Duke, who was astounded by the comments made about her. Responding to the verbal assault, Duke wrote on Twitter, “Thank you for the support. I was certainly shocked at the language myself. I welcome criticism, but not abuse.”
PokerStars received word of the remarks made by Negreanu, the site’s most famous spokesperson, and one member of the PokerStars support team replied to an e-mail sent by a player on the site: “Although Daniel Negreanu is a Team PokerStars Pro, he is an entity to himself and as such will always be encouraged to express his views and speak his mind as he would otherwise do so, PokerStars Pro or not.”
Needless to say, Duke wasn’t satisfied with that response. She fired back with an “Open Letter to PokerStars” on her website demanding some sort of reprimand: “I am not offended by Daniel’s opinion. He has a right to disagree with me and dislike me. And I, just like PokerStars, would encourage him to express his views and opinions. This is not about his views. It is about a particular word he chose to express those views. The word “c**t” is not an opinion, it is an abusive epithet, and PokerStars is completely ignoring the use of that term in their response.”
Duke continues, “But more distressing is the use of the word ‘encouraged’ here. So, PokerStars, you are encouraging Daniel to continue to express views in this manner, to conduct these public attacks using offensive slurs and inappropriate language? I am more than dismayed that PokerStars is making a statement here that they encourage this kind of behavior, this kind of language use. According to PokerStars, this kind of behavior enriches our community.”
PokerStars then answered with an official statement in response to Duke’s letter, saying that the first e-mail was not PokerStars’ official statement on the issue: “PokerStars does not support the use of derogatory or hurtful language directed at any other player. While this was a personal matter between two players, we wish that better judgment had been used in the choice of words.”
Several high profile poker players have weighed in on the conflict, including Duke’s brother and Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer, who came to her defense with a Twitter update shortly after the article was posted. “Hey Daniel, nice job representing poker and reinforcing that our attitude towards women is still Neanderthal,” Lederer said. “I understand some agree w DN on the ladies poker event issue. Many do. But abusing those you disagree with is never cool.”
Even the brazen Tony G offered to act as a mediator. “Let’s smooth over this situation, let’s try and forget that it ever happened. I know this fantastic place in Utah where you can get away from the world and I will pay for you to both go there and relax and chill out,” the PartyPoker pro said in his blog Wednesday. “You are both important ambassadors for the game we love – please let’s resolve this in a diplomatic manner otherwise someone is going to get really hurt.”
Negreanu has yet to offer an apology to Duke, which will certainly cause even more tension at the tables in the future. It’s public knowledge that the two haven’t gotten along since even before the poker boom of 2003 and it’s certainly keeping the community talking. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for more high-stakes drama.
Tags: 2010, Annie Duke, Daniel Negreanu, interview, ladies, poker player, pokerstars, woman, women, WSOP
UBOC 5 Championship Kicks off Sunday
On Sunday, the Championship Event of the fifth Ultimate Bet Online Championship, or UBOC, kicks off on the virtual felts of the CEREUS Poker Network. Players on the CEREUS Network sites UB.com and Absolute Poker will be vying for their share of a $1 million guaranteed UBOC 5 Championship prize pool. The tournament boasts a price tag of $1,050 and begins promptly at 4:00pm ET.
As if the seven-figure purse weren’t enough of a reason to sign up, the UBOC 5 Championship Event features 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth as its host. The tournament comes with a Monster Stack format and a six-figure first place prize, so head to UB.com or Absolute Poker today at 4:00pm ET to get in on the fun. Both sites happily take action from United States online poker players.
The UBOC 5 Championship Event is the culmination of a 20-event tournament series that began back on August 18th. Since then, CEREUS Network pros like Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, and Mark Seif have hosted UBOC 5 tournaments, featuring poker games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and HORSE. This is the second time the UBOC has run in 2010, with the first cycle occurring back in January.
The lone six-figure payday of UBOC 5 so far went to Jeremy “DUHDUHDAISY” Fitzpatrick, who came out on top of the pack in a $1,050 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max Deep Stack event, the eighth on the schedule. A total of 583 players created a $583,000 prize pool, the largest to date heading into the Championship Event. Fitzpatrick owns the eighth spot on the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings and has also recorded wins in the Full Tilt $1K Monday and Bodog $100,000 Guaranteed.
In Event #8, Fitzpatrick edged out Danny “dannyills” Illingworth, whose second place consolation prize was worth $81,000. Illingworth calls Carlsbad, California home and finished second in the Absolute Poker $200,000 Guaranteed last month for $27,000.
Others at the final table of Event #8 of UBOC 5 included “UPAY4RHINOS” (third place for $54,219), “JOAOMATHIAS” (fourth place for $37,895), “LOCKDOWNTEX” (fifth place for $32,065), “POOLI” (sixth place for $26,235), “CRACKIN_TY” (seventh place for $21,571), “N0VASKY” (eighth place for $15,741), and “GR8PKRPLAYA” (ninth place for $9,911).
The opening tournament of UBOC 5 featured a field of 903 players for a $320 No Limit Hold’em Sniper event. A total of $200,000 was guaranteed, but the 900-plus player field swelled the total prize pool to nearly $250,000. The final table was stacked with brand name pros, including eventual winner Joshua “pbdrunks” Van Duyn, who banked $54,000. Rounding out the top three were Felipe “improved” Montenegro and Darren “darrenelias” Elias, who cashed in for $32,000 and $22,000, respectively.
Also taking place today on UB.com and Absolute Poker is the Championship Event of MiniUBOC 5. The smaller version of the grand finale comes with a $55 buy-in and a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool. “GUIGUI_88” will serve as its host and the MiniUBOC 5 Championship begins at 4:00pm ET. MiniUBOC 5 has featured the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart, but with reduced buy-ins for those players lacking deep pockets.
Blanca Games recently acquired the CEREUS Network, although the terms of the transaction remain a mystery. Tokwiro Enterprises, the former owners of UB.com and Absolute Poker, will likely send out a press release with additional details on the acquisition this week. Stuart Gordon is the main face behind Blanca Games, whose website simply notes that its operations “are conducted by subsidiaries and associated companies.” Blanca Games is based in Antigua and has offices in Costa Rica, where UB.com and Absolute Poker are located.
Visit UB or AbsolutePoker to sign up for the UBOC 5 Championship Event.
Tags: 2010, absolute poker, Annie Duke, bodog, buy-ins, Online Poker, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, Tiffany Michelle, tournament, UBOC, WSOP
Poker News in Brief: Aug. 23-29, 2010
With so many great poker stories it's difficult to make it to the front page of PokerListings.com but fortunately every week we compile a list of lesser-known news in our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature.
This week we'll take a look at bwin preparing the "grandest" series of online poker, Dan Kelly winning a UBOC event and NBA-star Shawn Marion helping to raise over $70,000 for charity in a poker tournament.
Dan Kelly wins UBOC Event 10
Noted online poker player Dan "djk123" Kelly added to his already impressive poker resume this week by winning Event 10 of UBOC5.
Kelly, who plays on UB as JEFFGRESSARD, outlasted a field of 294 players to take down a first place prize of $26,000 in the Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event.
For those keeping track at home, Kelly has now won an FTOPS event, made the final table of a WCOOP main event and most recently won the $25k Six-Max event at the WSOP for $1.3 million.
The 21-year-old has over $4 million in combined live and online winnings.
bwin Readies Grand Series of Poker
bwin Poker's exclusive Grand Series of Poker is set to go off this September.
Now in its fifth year of existence, the GSOP has proven to be one of the most popular online poker series with millions to be won.
This year the schedule has been expanded to include 15 separate events as well as GSOP Mini, which will run parallel to the main GSOP and offer smaller buy-ins for cash-strapped players.
The GSOP and GSOP Mini will take place Sept. 19 to Oct. 10 with the $300k guaranteed Grand Slam scheduled for the final day.
Shawn Marion Charity Tournament a Slam Dunk
The proceeds from the Shawn Marion Celebrity Poker Tournament that was held last week at Choctaw Casino have been tabulated and the event raised nearly $70,000 for the Shawn Marion Foundation.
"We appreciate Choctaw's hospitality and support in our mission," said Shawn Marion. "We had a successful event that will help provide scholarships for kids who may not otherwise get the chance to earn a degree."
In addition to the celebrated NBA star there were numerous poker pros in attendance including Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, T.J. Cloutier and Maria Ho.
First place winner James Dean won a 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event seat courtesy of UB.com.
Titan Poker Stages Big Cash Out
Popular European site Titan Poker is set to run a special promotion in September where Titan points will be worth even more than usual.
The Big Cash Out will give players the ability to get even more cash when they redeem their hard-earned points.
What's more, Silver-level players will have the option of cashing in their points for as little as 1,000.
The promo will run from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30.
PartyPoker Throws a Snowball
It's still summer but there's a lot of cold hard cash to be won in PartyPoker's most recent promotion.
The Snowball will allow players to build momentum as they generate frequent player points in the month of September.
If players are able to generate 5-200 points they will automatically gain entrance into freerolls that range from $5k all the way up to $50k.
Fortunately you don't lose the chance to enter smaller freerolls the higher you go so if you qualify for the $50k freeroll you can enter all four of the smaller freerolls.
Players who earn from 500 points all the way up to 50,000 will earn bonus cash from $20 all the way up to $5,000 as well as entry into all the freerolls.
Visit PokerListings.com
Tags: 2010, 2011, Annie Duke, buy-ins, charity, european, freeroll, Online Poker, poker player, Tiffany Michelle, titan poker, tournament, UBOC, WSOP
Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park Side with Commerce
Let the battle lines be drawn. Several days after the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) issued a petition to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance against pro-internet gambling legislation in the United States, more casinos have come onboard to strike down the bill.
In a letter issued to the press late Friday night from Commerce Casino Board members Tom Malkasian and Haig Papaian, it was revealed that the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park also oppose Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267. None of the three additional casinos was quoted in any way.
Calling industry lobbying groups like the PPA “special interest groups receiving funds from illegal offshore gaming operators,” Malkasian and Papaian assert, “Poker players deserve to know the real facts so let us be clear: We support online poker and we are working hard to make sure it will benefit all Americans. America’s poker community should be united in opposing the Frank legislation that would ship jobs, revenue, and taxes beyond our communities. We need to work together to keep American dollars at home.”
The authors of the letter claim to employ more than 20,000 workers in California, a state that has been hit with a massive budget shortfall. It also cites a 2008 study from the California Public Policy institute saying that 70% of California residents use the internet and “according to another study in 2009, Californians wager an estimated $13.4 billion annually. That makes California the largest internet gaming market in the world, and without state legislation to protect it, critically-needed billions will be captured by offshore and out-of-state operators never to return.”
On Friday, PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that 6,000 players had signed an online petition found at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance. The organization was gunning for 10,000 names in total.
In response to the press release from the Commerce Casino Board members, UB.com pro Annie Duke chided via Twitter, “Your press release might be more credible if you got the bill number correct. It’s HR 2267.” The press release cites the Commerce Casino’s opposition to HR 4976, the tax companion bill to HR 2267 proposed by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA). However, Malkasian’s testimony in front of the House Financial Services Committee last month was wholeheartedly against Frank’s HR 2267.
In reaction to the harsh opposition set forth by the Commerce Casino, Pappas commented, “There are requirements in HR 2267 that companies set up at least 50% of their operations in the United States. On their concern of illegal operators, anyone who has been operating illegally won’t be able to get a license. It’s pretty clear their only concern is that they don’t want to compete.” A dozen amendments were added to HR 2267 in a markup hearing held one month ago to the day addressing many of the Commerce Casino’s concerns.
The Commerce Casino’s statements wraps up by saying, “We strongly support poker-only legislation. California lawmakers should be the first to bring an illegal enterprise under legal supervision, provide needed consumer protections, and capture revenue that can benefit our state first.” An e-mail address of supportonlinepoker@commercecasino.net is given for players looking for additional information.
Among the 6,000 poker players that have signed the PPA’s online petition are Patrik Antonius, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Erick Lindgren, Joe Sebok, and new PokerStars pro David Williams. All that’s required to sign is your name, city, and state. The PPA has even gone so far as to provide an avenue for players to Tweet the Commerce Casino automatically. Alternately, you can leave your telephone number and the PPA will personally patch you through to the Commerce Casino.
The addition of the Bike, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park may open the rift even further between online poker players seeking legislation and the brick-and-mortar casinos they placate. Calls for a boycott of the Commerce have surfaced and many of the aforementioned “illegal offshore gaming operators” sponsor pros like Ivey, Duke, and Sebok through their dot-net counterparts. The Bike and Commerce both hold World Poker Tour events, with the former fresh off crowning a champion in the Legends of Poker.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily on Sunday for an exclusive response from Pappas.
Joe Sebok Reacts to UB and Absolute Poker Acquisition
On Thursday, the poker world learned that Blanca Games, which features Chief Executive Officer Stuart Gordon, had acquired the CEREUS Poker Network. UB.com and Absolute Poker both make their home on the USA-friendly network and the former features Joe Sebok as a sponsored pro. Shortly after the acquisition announcement, Poker News Daily caught up to the former “Poker2Nite” host.
One year ago, Sebok signed on with UB.com and immediately became involved in the site’s investigation into the superuser scandal orchestrated by former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Russ Hamilton. He’s remained one of the more visible UB.com pros in a roster that also includes Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke and 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.
Sebok gave us his reaction to the news that Blanca Games had taken control of CEREUS: “I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s a further break from the past and fewer connections to the former owners of Ultimate Bet, not to mention my own excitement about bringing Blanca into the fold and beginning something new. Gordon has a proven track record and I think bringing them into the poker arena is only going to breathe some new excitement into our business.”
Who is Gordon, you ask? He’s the founder and operator of BingoMania.com and Helix Gaming International, both of which hold licenses from the nation of Antigua and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Blanca Games has its headquarters in Antigua and offices in Costa Rica. Sebok elaborated that despite the change in ownership, players should expect continued growth: “The player experience shouldn’t change one bit, except for all of the improvements that will come from us being bought by Blanca. I think we are really going to be able to do many more exciting things now.”
Text found on Blanca Games’ website does not shed much light on its identity, instead only offering up, “The operations of the Blanca Group are conducted by subsidiaries and associated companies.” According to whois.domaintools.com, BlancaGames.com was registered on July 15th, 2010.
Sebok explained that the timing of the sale with his one-year anniversary of joining UB.com is purely coincidental. That said, he is ready to put the past behind him and continue supporting the USA-friendly site and network: “I always knew that we needed to deal with the past, which we continue to do, but the really exciting period was always going to be growing the company and turning it into what we would like it to be. Soon, UB won’t be known for the scandals of the past, but rather for helping lead online poker into the future.”
Poker News Daily can independently confirm that no staffing or operational changes are expected in the new Blanca Games regime. Sebok added, “Blanca wanted, and needed, the entire operation and the offices and staff to remain largely the same.” In addition, Sebok revealed that no changes to the CEREUS Network’s rakeback or promotions would occur.
Some in the online poker community have questioned whether the fleet of UB and Absolute Poker pros may be turned over. However, Sebok told us that he’s staying put: “I look to continue my role and am excited about possibly taking on more. Anyone that knows me knows I like to get involved and get my hands dirty, so whatever UB asks of me, I would love to get involved with.” Sebok finished 56th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, catching a wealth of face time on ESPN and $108,000 in cash to boot.
Given Victory Poker’s move from the Everleaf Network to the Cake Poker Network on September 1st, one wonders whether the CEREUS family of sites will follow suit with consolidation. According to PokerScout.com, the CEREUS Network is the sixth largest worldwide, with a seven-day running average of 1,760 real money ring game players. It includes just two sites and accepts action from the United States.
On the prospects of the CEREUS Network taking on additional sites given new ownership, Sebok told Poker News Daily, “The company’s strategy is not to have network partners. But, I think that more acquisitions in the future are not out of the question.” Also merging in the first quarter of 2011 are Party Gaming and bwin.
Tokwiro Enterprises, the former owners of UB.com and Absolute Poker, will issue a press release with more information about the transaction early next week.
Tags: 2009, 2010, 2011, absolute poker, Annie Duke, cake poker, Online Poker, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, usa, WSOP
Blanca Games Acquires CEREUS Poker Network
Late Thursday, it was revealed that Blanca Games had purchased the CEREUS Poker Network, which consists of UB.com and Absolute Poker. A press release is due out early next week from former owners Tokwiro Enterprises. The purchasing price and terms were not released.
Stuart Gordon is the Chief Executive Officer of the CEREUS Network’s new parent company and commented in a press release distributed on Thursday evening, “The acquisition of CEREUS is a significant opportunity for us. CEREUS is a major platform of well-managed assets. Over the past few years, it has created new brands, like UB.com, that are extremely well-positioned in the most desirable demographic in our market: players in the 20s and 30s age brackets.” UB.com and Absolute Poker both accept players from the United States.
Gordon added, “From our perspective, we have acquired a large, sophisticated online gaming operation with state-of-the art capabilities, ranging from compliance to business intelligence to online marketing to customer service. We see a tremendous growth opportunity in this deal and beyond, as Blanca seeks additional acquisitions in the market.” Gordon founded and manages BingoMania.com and Helix Gaming International. Like UB.com, both sites feature licenses from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, or KGC, and Stuart also owns licenses from the nation of Antigua.
Poker News Daily has independently confirmed that no staffing or operational changes are expected at UB.com or Absolute Poker with the transition to Blanca Gaming. In addition, Gordon commented that he doesn’t expect any changes to occur in the “playing experience” on either site. Blanca Games is based in Antigua and, according to its website, keeps offices in Costa Rica, where UB.com and Absolute Poker are based.
Gordon alluded to Blanca Games’ focus on security on the CEREUS Network going forward: “We intend to leverage the existing strengths of the CEREUS Poker Network, particularly in the areas of security and customer service. Although we are impressed with many of the new security features on the Network today, security is and will remain our top priority.” Both UB.com and Absolute Poker are fresh off high-profile superuser scandals. On the former site, over $20 million was taken from players in a heist featured on the CBS news program “60 Minutes.”
The CEREUS Network is in the midst of holding its fifth Ultimate Bet Online Championship, or UBOC. It’s actually the second time that UBOC has run in 2010 and a $1 million guaranteed Main Event will play out on Sunday. The tournament, hosted by 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, boasts a $1,050 buy-in and kicks off at 16:00 ET. The UBOC 5 Main Event is the culmination of a 20-event tournament series that began back on August 18th.
The CEREUS Network’s team of pros includes Hellmuth, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, Trishelle Cannatella, Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, and Brandon Cantu. No changes to rakeback, tournament schedules, and software were announced as of press time, but more details on the transaction and what it means for players may be given when Tokwiro issues its press release next week.
The CEREUS Network was officially launched in November 2008 after the player bases of Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker were combined. One year later, Ultimate Bet was re-branded as UB.com.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this breaking story.
Tags: 2008, 2010, absolute poker, Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, Tiffany Michelle, tournament, UBOC, WSOP
Top Poker Pros Unite Against Commerce Casino Stance On Poker Regulation
Reacting to testimony by the vice chairman of the board of the Commerce Casino during hearings about online poker regulation in Congress, several top poker pros have taken on a protest of the card room.
During hearings in July in front of the House Financial Services Committee regarding HR 2267 – the bill Massachusetts’ Representative Barney Frank introduced called the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act – Tom Malkasian, who identified himself during his testimony as “an owner, board member and director of strategic planning of the Commerce Casino,” came out with a surprising opinion of the proposed law. In his testimony to the committee, he firmly stated, “I must testify in strong opposition to HR 2267 and urge Members of the Committee to vote against it, barring numerous and significant changes.”
Malkasian detailed in his testimony his opposition to the proposed law on several fronts. He first took on the proposed revenues that the law would bring in, saying that they were “built on false assumptions and conflicting representations.” He cites that some studies looked at the basis of operations for online gaming sites would be located in the United States, something that isn’t guaranteed in HR 2267. Malkasian looks at details demonstrating possible conflict regarding states opting in or out of the regulatory guidelines, leaving to question the actual revenues earned. Finally, Malkasian states that the regulatory framework is inadequate for the job at hand.
Malkasian’s testimony has riled many in the professional ranks of poker, to the extent of announcing a potential boycott of one of the top card rooms in California. The furor has reached a point that there is an actual website – called PlayersBeforeProfits.com – that people can visit to sign a petition. The site has also issued an “open letter” to the Commerce Casino to change its stance on HR 2267.
The letter states, “As dedicated poker players, both online and live, both professional and amateur, we are extremely disappointed in the position Commerce Casino has taken in opposition to federal legislation to license and regulate online poker. Your opposition puts your narrow corporate interests ahead of the interests of America’s poker players.”
The open letter goes on to tout the benefits of HR 2267, including the creation of “a U.S. regulated online poker framework in this country, requiring all online poker sites to measure up to strict safety and consumer protection standards – requirements that do not exist today. More importantly, this bill will create an open and competitive market, giving players a choice of many sites on which to play against others from across the country and the world.”
The statement finishes by saying, “It is disheartening that one of our own in the poker community is opposing good public policy that will keep players safe and preserve our rights to play poker online. We strongly urge Commerce Casino to support America’s poker players. Please change your position on HR 2267.”
The letter, which has been endorsed by nearly 1,100 people at the time of writing and signed by top pros such as former World Champions Doyle Brunson, Chris Ferguson and Greg Raymer, and players as diverse as “Poker After Dark” creator Mori Eskandani and online phenom Tom “durrrr” Dwan, has spurred reaction on several fronts. Through their Twitter feeds, several pros have also been ratcheting up the heat on the Commerce Casino to the point of a discussed boycott.
Poker News Daily guest columnist Annie Duke has been quite vocal over Twitter, saying “I and some other pros are boycotting them as well. I will give my business to a place that supports the players.” Rafe Furst sounded off on the controversy by Tweeting, “Tell @CommerceCasino to support poker players and change their position & support HR2267 – the online poker bill.” Daniel Negreanu waded into the waters as well by tweeting, “Boo @CommerceCasino testified against the online poker bill. Tell them to put players before profits & support HR 2267.”
Poker News Daily contacted the Commerce Casino and was told by an unnamed spokesperson that “a statement about the situation” would be forthcoming.
Annie Duke and Don Cheadle Interview
This interview was taped from the Red Carpet at the WSOP Ante Up for Africa charity event with founders Annie Duke and Don Cheadle. The charity event takes place every year from the World Series of Poker and raises money and awareness for those suffering in the continent of Africa. Ante Up For Africa is a not-for-profit organization founded by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein. They are dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need.
Annie Duke is one of the most famous poker players in the world and is also known for her work in charity circles. At the felts, she has a WSOP bracelet to her name from the 2004 $3,000 Omaha Hi/Lo event. Her biggest tournament score was winning the WSOP Tournament of Champions, where she bested Phil Hellmuth heads-up for $2 million. Currently, Duke is a sponsored pro and spokesperson for UB.com.
Don Cheadle is one of Hollywood’s biggest names who grew to fame in the movie Boogie Nights. He later went on to star in the “Oceans” series of movies and had vital roles in important films such as “Crash” and received critical acclaim for “Hotel Rwanda” where he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Cheadle is also an avid poker player and has been spotted not only doing with with his Ante Up for Africa brainchild, but with other charitable poker organizations as well.
In this interview, Duke and Cheadle are asked about the tournament’s humble beginnings and the need not only for funds to help people in Africa, but for political awareness as well. Both talk about the importance of understanding the view a “World Citizen” has in the global community and how everyday people can get involved and help those in need.
You can learn more about Ante Up for Africa at their official website.
World Series of Poker Main Event Day 2A Airs on ESPN
On Tuesday night, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event continued airing on ESPN. This time, Day 2A was highlighted and featured nine former Main Event champions gunning for a repeat performance. Embattled PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu was seated at the feature table.
On a board of 4-9-Q-A, Adam Fisher 3bet all-in with A-J and received a call from Negreanu, who held A-Q for top two pair. Fisher was drawing dead to the river and exited the feature table. Elsewhere in the field, 2009 WSOP Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon checked in on reigning champ Joe Cada and ESPN commentator Norman Chad drooled over cash game pro Patrik Antonius, who was seated at Table 2: “Patrik and I go to the same health club. He just works out a few more days a week than I do.” Interestingly, Antonius had never cashed in the Main Event entering 2010.
Erik Seidel knocked out an opponent with A-K against K-9 to move to nearly double the starting stack of 30,000 and Daniel Alaei doubled up through Leo Margets after winning a race with K-Q against pocket sevens. Meanwhile, former Main Event champ Scotty Nguyen moved all-in with pocket fives on a flop of A-5-A and doubled up through a player holding A-4. ESPN featured the progress of 1986 Under 10 World Youth Chess Champion Jeff Sarwer, who received more coverage than many brand name pros.
Negreanu promptly dropped one-third of his stack after bluffing with 7-6 of diamonds on a board of A-2-Q-8 with two clubs. A third club hit on the river to give Tony Utnage a flush and he scooped the 100,000-chip pot. Others in action on Day 2A that received face time on ESPN included reigning WSOP Europe Main Event champ Barry Shulman, Barry’s wife Allyn, and Pasha and Antonio Esfandiari.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and Robert Mizrachi both survived Day 2A in an impressive feat. Not so fortunate was Ted Forrest, who was all-in with pocket fives against A-K. His opponent spiked a king on the turn and an ace on the river to send the weight loss prop bet winner to the rail. Also departing was Dennis Phillips, whose A-J could not draw out on pocket sevens.
During the second one-hour episode, which aired at 10:00pm ET on ESPN, Day 2A resumed with Johnny Chan laying it down in a hand against Vitaly Lunkin. Then, 2003 WSOP Main Event champ Chris Moneymaker called the clock on an opponent, but didn’t realize that the action was actually on him. Moneymaker eventually called and his opponent insta-mucked. Alaei hit the rails with A-2 against pocket eights when his foe flopped a set.
UB.com pros Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin and Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp continued their Day 2A march and in the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, Negreanu scooped a pot holding just six-high. Negreanu’s nemesis Annie Duke took down a hand with a straight flush against a full house, while fellow female star Heather Sue Mercer won a pot. Mercer, a former college football kicker, sued Duke University for discrimination and was awarded $2 million. However, because of a Supreme Court decision saying that Title IX cases are not subject to punitive damages, she received no money.
Antonius, who is competing against Tom “durrrr” Dwan in the ongoing Durrrr Challenge, cracked pocket aces with 5-3. Antonius flopped two pair and ESPN commentator Lon McEachern noted, “Let the wamboozling begin.” Antonius’ chip stack rose to nearly 300,000 as a result, or 10 times the starting stack.
The feature table grew tougher with the addition of bracelet winner Praz Bansi and Negreanu’s failed bluffs continued. After check-calling a bet of 3,200 with K-J on a flop of 10-7-9, Negreanu and Charles Hook checked a four on the turn. When a five hit on the river, Negreanu bet 6,800 with air and Hook, holding 9-8 for a pair of nines, made the call. Negreanu’s chip stack was slashed to 29,000.
Next week at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, catch two hours of coverage devoted to Day 2B.
Tags: 2009, 2010, Annie Duke, Daniel Negreanu, darvin moon, Patrik Antonius, poker player, pokerstars, WSOP
PokerStars Issues Official Statement On Daniel Negreanu’s Comments About Annie Duke
The Nightly Turbo: WSOP Coverage Continues on ESPN, Annie Duke Responds, and More
Huck Seed, LuckyChewy Shine in Doubles Poker Championship
The Doubles Poker Championship rolled on over the weekend on GSN. Another two regular season matches were held beginning at 9:00pm ET on Saturday night and David Tuchman and Brandon Adams had the call. Full Tilt Poker sponsors the series.
Each team received 50,000 in starting chips and the blinds began at 500/1,000. Every player coughed up a $50,000 buy-in and two-person teams were randomly drawn. The action alternated players by street and every team received one 30-second time out to talk strategy.
In the first four-handed match of the hour, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad teamed with fellow young gun Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Mike Matusow teamed with Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon partnered with Erick Lindgren, and PartyPoker’s Tony G teamed with eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel. The latter two were the first to go after their K-Q could not draw out on Gordon and Lindgren’s A-10. They received no points toward the regular season standings.
Matusow committed his team’s chips pre-flop with A-5 of spades and Gordon isolated with a wired pair of sixes. Gordon and Lindgren flopped a full house when the first three cards came 2-2-6 and no help came on the turn or river for Matusow and Ferguson, who collected four points toward the regular season standings. Lindgren and Gordon entered heads-up play against Obrestad and Galfond with a 2:1 edge.
Obrestad and Galfond quickly doubled up with A-3 against K-2 to take the chip lead, but Gordon and Lindgren struck back. Gordon shoved with 9-7 pre-flop and Obrestad insta-called with A-10. Gordon and Lindgren flopped a nine and never looked back to double up. Then, Obrestad and Galfond were all-in pre-flop with Q-7 against Lindgren and Gordon’s A-Q of spades. The board filled out 6-2-6-4-8 and Lindgren and Gordon claimed 20 points for the regular season standings after knocking out each team in their match, while Obrestad and Galfond earned 11 points.
During the second half-hour of coverage, former World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship winner David Chiu teamed with Jennifer Harman, UB.com pro Annie Duke teamed with David Oppenheim, Gus Hansen teamed with Justin “Boosted J” Smith, and Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger partnered with Huck Seed. Interestingly, Seed won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 1996 when Lichtenberger was just eight years old.
Duke and Oppenheim were the first casualties of the second match of the night. Hansen raised to 8,000 pre-flop with pocket fives and Duke moved all-in for 24,200 with A-K of diamonds. Hansen called and the board came five cards 10 or lower. Duke and Oppenheim received the goose egg for points as a result. The top 16 players at the end of the regular season will move on to the playoffs.
Seed raised to 45,000 with 10-8 and Chiu came all-in over-the-top for 53,900 with A-K. Seed called and Chiu and Harman stood to double up until a 10 hit on the river. The pair received four points as Seed’s pre-flop aggression paid off.
In the final hand, Smith pushed all-in for 70,200 with A-J and Seed made the call with A-Q. Seed and Lichtenberger were a 71% favorite to win pre-flop and the board filled out 3-4-6-7-7. Seed told Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship floor reporter Lacey Jones, “It was a lot of fun. I thought [Lichtenberger] played very well. I thought we played very well together.”
The tournament was filmed at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. Catch the Full Tilt Doubles Poker Championship every Saturday night on GSN. Check your local listings for more information.
WPT Legends Of Poker And Fun In Cyprus From Poker In Twitter
With August in full swing, poker players have gotten over their post-World Series of Poker lethargy and entered back into card rooms around the world. Many of those players have been keeping their fans up to date on all their activities through 140-character bursts on Twitter.
The Legends of Poker drew a nice field of 462 players and several popular Twitter-peeps were in action over the weekend. “Down to 96 at The Bike… its gonna be a long night!,” World Poker Tour hostess Kimberly Lansing chirped prior to the start of play on Sunday. Several players hovered around the leader board as the numbers began dropping.
Erica Schoenberg made a significant move during the day, but faced an unfortunate problem for play through Sunday. “Still in the WPT at the bike,” Erica tweeted her followers. “Still no IPod. Can’t stop humming Xmas tunes!” The dilemma of no music didn’t seem to sidetrack Schoenberg, however, as she reached the end of the day and tweeted, “Still in the tourney. 245k. Guess I won’t be listening to the IPod much in the future. Jingle bells!”
“Ended the day with 430k and in really good shape with 60 left blinds going to 1500/3k,” tweeted J. C. Alvarado at the close of play on Sunday. Perhaps the remaining contestants at the Legends of Poker should start worrying about Alvarado as he closed his Tweet by saying, “Starting to get a good feeling about this.” Other players who were also in the mix in Los Angeles included Joe Sebok (“Sick run to close the day out. From 28k all the way up to 196k to end. Riding my usual coaster, but ended at my high point. Back tomorrow”), former WPT Player of the Year Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little (“Ended at 305200. Guy open pushed 40bbs and I called with AK and beat his JJ. Great last few levels. We play down to 27 tomorrow”) and Amit “amak316” Makhija (“138k to end a very card dead day. Tomorrow is a new one”).
In the Mediterranean Sea, several top pros turned up for the second annual Full Tilt Poker Merit Cyprus Classic. On hand for play was John Robert Bellande, who passed along a Twitvid of “Level 2 day2 Cyprus. Karina (Jett), Chino (Rheem), John Racener” in action. Jennifer “Jennicide” Leigh continued her comeback by playing the tournament, but unfortunately tweeted to her followers, “Was up to a little over 11k and now I’m out… back to sleep for me.” Antonio Esfandiari was also one of those players dismissed from the event, tweeting, “Just busted Cyprus tournament 62nd place. Pretty tilted.”
Also having fun in Cyprus were the Mizrachi brothers. Although November Niner Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi was eliminated early from the tournament, he hung around to follow brother Eric’s play. “Back from break, have 60k, 39 players left, Avg is 144k, chips are flying here!,” Eric noted over Twitter during a break in play early this morning. As of this afternoon, Eric is still in action in the Cyprus tournament.
On the odder side of poker in Twitter, players Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin and Shannon Shorr – both noted baseball fans – decided to head out to Dodger Stadium following their eliminations from the Legends of Poker. “Nick Lachey 4 seats from us,” Baldwin tweeted from the park during the game. “Rob Lowe also just pointed out one section over. Was afraid to tweet fearing Hellmuth-like tweet accusations.” The defending CardPlayer Magazine Player of the Year also noted that, “Nick looked depressed. Likely from missing Jessica’s intellectual stimulation.”
Things got hazy is late in the evening. Shorr tweeted Sunday evening, “@basebaldy and I legit locked in dodger stadium. stayed at bar too long. 2 of last 5 non-staff members on campus.” Providing either further insight to what happened – or perhaps clouding the waters even further – Baldwin tweeted later, “Got a cop drunk. Locked inside dodger stadium. Barbed wire fence jumping. Improvised ride home. Should have made Day 2 instead!”
When it comes to best Tweets from the weekend, Joe Sebok has to take honors for his viewpoint on his run at the WPT Legends of Poker. “Today is a win-win. either keep going deep in the WPT bike, or I have @davematthewsbnd tickets in Hollywood. can’t lose.” Annie Duke joked with Sebok, “Nice chip count @JoeSebok. Don’t come in 7th!” Finally, European poker reporter Tatjana Pasalic opined through Twitter, “Xmas ads on TV and Halloween party invitations on FBK. What the hell, people? Can’t you live in the moment? #wsop2011 ftw!”
Tags: 2011, aced, Annie Duke, european, full tilt poker, Hollywood, poker player, tournament, usa, WSOP
Joe Sebok Wraps Up First Year at UB.com
In his personal blog on PokerRoad.com, Joe Sebok wrapped up his first year as a sponsored player with UB.com and closed the book on his personal investigation into the prior misconduct on the site.
Sebok begins the heartfelt posting by saying, “Roughly one year ago, I signed with UB and pledged to put in as much effort as was possible to do three things: 1) Get the account names involved in the super-user scandal released; 2) Get all the hand histories out to those who requested them during the cheating scandal; and 3) Attempt to get out the physical names of the actual cheaters, and those who helped them cheat, released to the public.” Over the past year, Sebok has spent an inordinate amount of time on the above issues and notes some of the success he has had as well as some of the pitfalls.
“We were able to accomplish #1 fairly quickly,” Sebok stated, but he also indicated that he had difficulties with the other two goals on the list. The hand history requests, he notes, “have proven more difficult for a number of data reasons on the CEREUS Network side. It seems there were many issues when the network was began and the old data/servers were migrated/changed/what have you.” Sebok says that Paul Leggett, the Chief Operating Officer of the CEREUS Network, will be addressing the issues on his blog at a future date.
Sebok said that legal issues beset the final part of the UB scandal – naming those who were actually behind the situation: “To say that the information was murky and many individuals who were directly involved would never talk to us is certainly an understatement.” Through the efforts of “Mookman” from the Two Plus Two forum and the online blog Wicked Chops Poker, Sebok’s investigation revealed the names of those allegedly responsible for a case that ended up costing UB.com millions of dollars in restitution to those who were affected.
In the Wicked Chops exposé, the previously alleged mastermind, former World Series of Poker Main Event champ Russ Hamilton, is named as the main player in the game. Other names associated with Hamilton, including software developer Greg Pierson, former Ultimate Bet fraud manager Carolyn Heick, and associates Bonnie Leinhos and Travis Makar, were implicated as alleged cohorts in the scam.
Those that have been cleared of wrongdoing through Sebok and Wicked Chops’ multi-part story include two of UB’s most prominent faces, 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Annie Duke, as well as Freddy Deeb, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Antonio Esfandiari, Layne Flack, and Robert Williamson III.
As a part of Sebok’s work on the investigation of the scandal, he released to Wicked Chops a list of players who were a part of the Ultimate Bet scam. These “super users” – called that because of the program that allowed them to see hole cards of their opponents – featured 117 user names among 23 different accounts. All totaled, it is estimated that those involved in the scam took $22 million from recreational players to top pros such as Mike Matusow, Prahlad Friedman, and Brad Booth.
Although Sebok has been able to discover who was behind the UB scandal, he notes that there is little chance those involved will ever be punished for the crime. “I wish we were a police force, but we are not,” Sebok writes. “I wish we could really round up all of these people and interrogate them, but we can’t. I believe we did as much as we possibly could to this end though. I also wish we were a court and we could try them all and jail the convicted, but again, we cannot do this. The poker community would be a better place if we could, but as of right now this just isn’t possible. If it was, believe me, I would be working on it.”
Sebok closes his blog by saying, “With that said, I am excited to be able to hopefully close this chapter and move onto the next. Now, if anything else pops up I will be happy to get back into it and delve further, but as of right now, as of August 2010, I don’t see any deeper I can get into this scandal or any more we can do to close it.”