Poker News

Poker in Twitter: Deauville, Football, Kat von D and Victoria Coren’s duck.

Poker News Daily scours the Twitter feeds of hundreds of poker players to bring you the funniest, most interesting, weirdest Tweets of the last few days. This weekend saw many players tweeting about the tournaments they were in, which included the UBOC, the LAPC and the EPT Deauville. Other popular topics this week were football (the poker world seems to support the Saints almost unanimously) and other sports, as well as new houses, tattoos by Kat von D, and a river card made to measure for Eric Mizrachi.
The online cards were good for some and cruel to others: while Dave “Hollywood_Dave” Stann challenged players to face him at Ultimate Bet: “Rockin UBOC on UB right now...come join so I can felt you, too ”, Liv Boeree was not having such a great day: “finished 42nd in UBOC 8 for $6300. Set of 33s get it all in on turn... he rivers 9 for higher set. Laptop across the room time.” Eric Mizrachi could have shared some of his luck with her, as he boasted a screenshot from a spectacular river card in Poker Stars:  “Deliver the nice river, Ty @pokerstars_com http://twitpic.com/zmlrd”

Tournament manager supreme Matt Savage kept the world informed of the progress of the LAPC, starting with a comment on his famously grueling schedules: “We have completed days 1A/1B or .5 of the 51 events at this years @LAPokerClassic! Not sure what I was thinking when I made this schedule?” Apparently Mr. Savage is superstitious, since he made Dave Stann back off from certain comments that might bring the tournament ill luck: “@Hollywood_Dave please do NOT mention LAPC = Going Well and Obama Presidency = F'ing Up Country in same tweet! You may jinx us here in LA.” No jinx was apparent to Rob Perelman, who tweeted in delight: “Heads up pot. Final board A4444. Check check. Then 2nd guy tries to muck. This is why I love the @LAPokerClassic!” Some of poker’s hottest ladies were in attendance after trotting the globe in The Amazing Race last year; Tiffany Michelle posted a picture of her view from the table: “http://twitpic.com/z4bfu - Playin the 1st LAPC event, nice view - this girl follows me everywhere ”

The poker world followed the NFC very closely last weekend, and the general feeling seemed to favor the Saints, although Doyle Brunson voiced his admiration for the Vikings’ legendary quarterback: “Brett Favre has balls the size of basketballs.” Favre was the man of the day, with praise and heckles piled on him via Twitter. Gene Bromberg tried to be fair: “I gleefully join in on Favrebashing, but that should've been a flag. Low, late hit, gotta call that”, Justin “BoostedJ” Smith blamed it on the team: “@shannonelizab The vikings aren't even giving Favre a chance to win”, and Joe Sebok cheered and booed: “yes, saints! boo favre & vikings. city of new orleans deserves this... ” Shannon Elizabeth, who tweeted throughout the game, was a happy fan when the fat lady sang: “Congrats Saints! GREAT GAME!!”

The EPT Deauville had two excellent commentators in Vicky Coren and Isabelle Mercier, both of whom tweeted frequently with updates on their own performance and those of friends and team members. Coren had never been able to survive Deauville’s Day 1, and was hoping this year would be it: “It's Day 1 of the Deauville EPT. I've played this three times before and never survived Day One. Let's see if I can break my duck” (“Breaking one’s duck” is a British expression, originally from cricket, that means doing something for the first time.) Coren tried hard, and kept updating on her status to add to the suspense: “We started with 30k in chips. I went down to 4k, now up to 20k, tiptoeing between the outdraws. Two more levels and the duck gets it...” The duck, however, remains unbroken, as she got busted out in Day 1 once more. Fellow Brit Matthew Grant commiserated with some historic consolation: “@VictoriaCoren Nevermind, the only victory that matters near Deauville happened in 1944 ” Coren marveled at Mercier’s youthful looks when they sat together: “Ex Team Pro Isabelle Mercier is on my table, looking incredible. She just doesn't age, that woman. Is it a French thing?” It may have been Mercier’s joy at playing in Deauville, which she tweeted happily about: “Deauville Deauville! Always loved this French little piece of paradise... Especially when it's GAME DAY !!!! ... http://bit.ly/5V41EV” Mercier’s joie de vivre did not last very long, however, as she tweeted from her Facebook account: “Busted out few hours ago holding pocket 10's against poker Jacks and pocket Aces!!! Turned blue and slowly getting... http://bit.ly/4sN0Rb”

Celebrity tattoo artist Kat von D, from the TV show LA Ink, has been leaving her mark on the poker world. First she tattooed Tiffany Michelle, who shared a photo of her tattoo: “Pics of my tatt that Kat did on her show are on my website www.tiffanymichelle.com under the 'Film, TV, Shows' Gallery ” and more recently on Pearl Aday, as tweeted by heavy metal poker star Scott Ian: “Kat Von D shooting Pearl right now.” If he does not shape up to his crazy prop bet, Joe Sebok could be next.

Sebok got some unflattering tweets regarding his stunning new LA home – @DougLeePoker remarked acidly: “@JoeSebok Wow, sick place! and all you had to do was align yourself with a company that has stolen millions from their customers. Well Done!” Sebok’s affiliation with Ultimate Bet is evidently not well accepted by the poker world.

There were many random tweets on off topics that seemed too interesting to pass by, so here is a brief overview of the weird and wonderful tweets of this weekend. There is the cheerful but always cryptic Marcel Luske: “Just an other day,,, more news ,, more twitters , more closely 2 Our goalls & destiny,so enjoin the day & feel great & help others . {;”, a very happy tweet from Eric Mizrachi: “Got some GREAT NEWS today, my friend Myrielle "Meeyu" Pierre survived the earthquake. C U tomm Meeyu! http://twitpic.com/y267b”, some naughtiness from Gavin Griffin: “We just backed into someone's driver's side door and left an 8 square inch dent. Gave em 100 bucks. Win”, and a recognition of friendship from Daniel Negreanu: “I just counted. The number of good friends of mine that are unabashed media whores: zero! All my friends are so normal”, while Doyle Brunson experienced new things: “Got back from a recording session. I'm just a West Texas hillbilly, all that chit amazes me.”

The Tweet of the day is a tie between Jeff Madsen and Howard Lederer. Madsen quipped: “Tiger woods supposedly in Mississippi for sex Rehab. I'll b in Biloxi soon, maybe I need to check myself in?”, while Lederer pointed out: “Went to see Nadal tonight at Aussie Open and saw the best homemade fan sign ever at the match. It read "Go Nad." LOL”
If you are as addicted to Twitter as we are, be sure to follow us @PokerNewsDaily so you can stay up to date on all the breaking news in the poker world and be a part of some PND Twitter exclusives in the coming weeks.

Tiffany Michelle Comments on New Amazing Race Cast

The pairings for the 16th cycle of the Emmy Award winning reality series “Amazing Race” were released last week and, this time around, no poker players will make the journey. Competing last season was UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle, who hit the “Amazing Race” circuit with Maria Ho. Michelle sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the new season, which kicks off on February 14th on CBS.

Poker News Daily: This cycle’s cast list includes former housemates on CBS’ “Big Brother,” Miss Teen South Carolina 2007, and a Major League Baseball third base coach. Who’s your horse?

Tiffany Michelle: It’s interesting to see that there are three all-female teams this season. Last year, it was a really young, competitive bunch. The producers have to keep it to where everyone’s strengths, weaknesses, and abilities are on par with the others in that season. We thought it was weird that there wasn’t an old couple or a mom and daughter last year. This year, they opened it up again.

I’ve been watching the initial meet the cast videos and I think the cowboys (Jet and Cord) will be a fan favorite. The ones that stood out to me were the detectives (Louie and Michael). That’s an interesting type of person to put on the show.

PND: Were you surprised to see that no poker players will journey out for this season of “Amazing Race”?

Tiffany Michelle: Doing enough in the entertainment business, I have some insight into how casting works. You can’t exhaust one group of people. You want to keep it new and fresh every year and that’s why we were brought on last year. Each season, they’ll reach out to grab people from all walks of life. As hot of a topic as poker is, each of the poker players who have been on reality shows were there for a reason. I don’t think you’ll see a huge influx of poker players on reality shows.

PND: What about poker players gives them a leg up on the competition in a series like “Amazing Race”?

Tiffany Michelle: Your outlook on life, games, and competition is different than the everyday person’s. Poker encompasses psychology, mathematics, aggression, and observation. Poker is very similar to chess in that it requires a lot of mental stamina and gamesmanship. Poker players are used to approaching games from a different point of view.

PND: There has been a trend on the show to include racers who have already appeared in front of television cameras and in the public eye. Does that give anyone an edge?

Tiffany Michelle: After Phil [Keoghan] says go, you are not even aware of the cameras or audio guys. Within the first day, you’re oblivious to having a camera crew. They’re good at not getting in your way too.

PND: This installment’s cast is rumored to travel to places like Chile, Argentina, Singapore, and Seychelles. If you had the chance to run the “Amazing Race” again, where would you go?

Tiffany Michelle: Warm places like Australia, the Caribbean, and some lovely tropical destinations. This season, it’ll be a little bit colder and you won’t hit a lot of hot spots. A lot of our season’s cast wanted to go to Africa because it’d be an incredible experience. That was one place that I thought would be awesome. From a technical standpoint, it’s hard to pull that off, though. We went to Vietnam, which they said for years they had tried to do.

PND: How’d you fare at the L.A. Poker Classic?

Tiffany Michelle: I only played one event. Maria and I both played and it was nice to be back in the saddle. Now, I am off to Panama and I’ll be back at the Commerce Casino after that. I’m trying to decide between doing the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) or L.A. Poker Classic Main Events. In two weeks, I’m going to Las Vegas to do a show with the Harlem Globetrotters. We’re going to suit up and play against them. I’m pretty sporty, but basketball is my worst sport.

PND: We read on Twitter that you were reviewing movies for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. What’s your involvement with them?

Tiffany Michelle: I’m a member of SAG, which is the union for acting, entertainment, film, and television. Every year, whereas the Emmys and Oscars are voting on by academies, actors vote on the SAG Awards. During awards season, they send you movies to watch and you vote. I always get a slew of current nominees.

I thought “Inglorious Basterds” was incredibly phenomenal. I thought it was an amazing movie. “Up in the Air” was cool too. I’m a girl, so of course I loved “It’s Complicated.” For television shows, I love “Glee” and Kevin McHale is a friend of mine.

PND: How have you been faring in the ongoing Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC)?

Tiffany Michelle: Sunday was the $2,500 buy-in $1 million guaranteed. I played it even though I don’t play short-handed poker. I can play six-handed, but I know there are a lot of specific strategies with regards to starting hands.

Poker2Nite Previews WPT Season 8 on Fox Sports Net

On Wednesday’s installment of the Fox Sports Net poker news show “Poker2Nite,” Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and Justin “Boosted J” Smith recapped a hand from the Bellagio Cup V. The tournament will kick off the eighth season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) on Fox Sports Net.

The WPT premieres on Sunday night at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net, with Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton and former actor Vince Van Patten once again having the call from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Jaka and Smith finished second and third, respectively, in the event and tangled in a hand where Jaka held A-J and Smith had pocket deuces.

The duo broke down the hand over the course of a five-minute segment, with Jaka noting, “There’s so much information out there. People can figure it out just by studying it, but when you do something new that hasn’t been talked about over and over again, they don’t know what to do.” For example, Jaka led out with the best hand on the flop, electing not to check despite flopping a monster. Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes ultimately took down the Bellagio Cup V Main Event to the tune of $1.2 million.

A new segment called “This Week in Side Action” recapped cross-booking between 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey and Team Full Tilt’s Tom “durrrr” Dwan. The “Poker2Nite Dictionary” defined cross-booking as, “When two players bet against each other by offering a percentage of any winnings.” Essentially, one player would have to pay the other half of what they cashed for. In this case, Dwan came up empty-handed after busting on Day 2 of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, while Ivey cashed for $23,500. Consequently, Dwan paid “The Tiger Woods of Poker” $11,750. “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok added that the $23,500 payday did not cover Ivey’s 10-day stay in a suite at Atlantis.

“Poker2Nite” roving reporter and Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones scoped out the brand new 18-table poker room at Aria, which is part of Las Vegas’ CityCenter. Aria Poker Room Manager Adam Altweis, who previously sat down with Poker News Daily in an exclusive interview, told Jones, “Our high-level executives really put forth a big effort. The room was made for the player.” The Aria poker room features direct access to the poker cage and may soon sport Ivey’s Room, a nosebleed-stakes table surrounded by glass similar to Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio.

Sebok had already had a chance to check out the brand new digs at Aria and told his “Poker2Nite” co-host Scott Huff, “I was there on opening night and it’s spectacular.” On the prospect of Ivey’s Room coming to fruition, Sebok speculated, “I don’t even think those talks happened.” Only time will tell. Following the Aria segment was Isaac Haxton discussing a hand against Ryan Daut during the 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Daut won $1.5 million for taking down the WPT tournament.

Dana Workman dished out the “Weekly Misdeal” sponsored by Bluff Magazine, which offers a satirical look at the week’s poker headlines. This week, Workman poked fun at the proposed New Jersey intrastate internet gambling bill, the 2010 WSOP rules governing Twitter use and player hygiene, and 2009 WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada playing in the same celebrity basketball game as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen.

Finally, “Poker2Nite” previewed the finale of the Absolute Poker College Challenge, which will see players vie for $10,000 in college tuition. The final table will be streamed live online. Highlights will be shown next Wednesday at 11:00pm ET, when the next new episode of UB.com’s “Poker2Nite” will air on Fox Sports Net.

Poker2Nite Previews WPT Season 8 on Fox Sports Net

On Wednesday’s installment of the Fox Sports Net poker news show “Poker2Nite,” Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and Justin “Boosted J” Smith recapped a hand from the Bellagio Cup V. The tournament will kick off the eighth season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) on Fox Sports Net.

The WPT premieres on Sunday night at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net, with Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton and former actor Vince Van Patten once again having the call from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Jaka and Smith finished second and third, respectively, in the event and tangled in a hand where Jaka held A-J and Smith had pocket deuces.

The duo broke down the hand over the course of a five-minute segment, with Jaka noting, “There’s so much information out there. People can figure it out just by studying it, but when you do something new that hasn’t been talked about over and over again, they don’t know what to do.” For example, Jaka led out with the best hand on the flop, electing not to check despite flopping a monster. Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes ultimately took down the Bellagio Cup V Main Event to the tune of $1.2 million.

A new segment called “This Week in Side Action” recapped cross-booking between 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey and Team Full Tilt’s Tom “durrrr” Dwan. The “Poker2Nite Dictionary” defined cross-booking as, “When two players bet against each other by offering a percentage of any winnings.” Essentially, one player would have to pay the other half of what they cashed for. In this case, Dwan came up empty-handed after busting on Day 2 of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, while Ivey cashed for $23,500. Consequently, Dwan paid “The Tiger Woods of Poker” $11,750. “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok added that the $23,500 payday did not cover Ivey’s 10-day stay in a suite at Atlantis.

“Poker2Nite” roving reporter and Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones scoped out the brand new 18-table poker room at Aria, which is part of Las Vegas’ CityCenter. Aria Poker Room Manager Adam Altweis, who previously sat down with Poker News Daily in an exclusive interview, told Jones, “Our high-level executives really put forth a big effort. The room was made for the player.” The Aria poker room features direct access to the poker cage and may soon sport Ivey’s Room, a nosebleed-stakes table surrounded by glass similar to Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio.

Sebok had already had a chance to check out the brand new digs at Aria and told his “Poker2Nite” co-host Scott Huff, “I was there on opening night and it’s spectacular.” On the prospect of Ivey’s Room coming to fruition, Sebok speculated, “I don’t even think those talks happened.” Only time will tell. Following the Aria segment was Isaac Haxton discussing a hand against Ryan Daut during the 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Daut won $1.5 million for taking down the WPT tournament.

Dana Workman dished out the “Weekly Misdeal” sponsored by Bluff Magazine, which offers a satirical look at the week’s poker headlines. This week, Workman poked fun at the proposed New Jersey intrastate internet gambling bill, the 2010 WSOP rules governing Twitter use and player hygiene, and 2009 WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada playing in the same celebrity basketball game as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen.

Finally, “Poker2Nite” previewed the finale of the Absolute Poker College Challenge, which will see players vie for $10,000 in college tuition. The final table will be streamed live online. Highlights will be shown next Wednesday at 11:00pm ET, when the next new episode of UB.com’s “Poker2Nite” will air on Fox Sports Net.

Poker2Nite Previews WPT Season 8 on Fox Sports Net

On Wednesday’s installment of the Fox Sports Net poker news show “Poker2Nite,” Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and Justin “Boosted J” Smith recapped a hand from the Bellagio Cup V. The tournament will kick off the eighth season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) on Fox Sports Net.

The WPT premieres on Sunday night at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net, with Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton and former actor Vince Van Patten once again having the call from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Jaka and Smith finished second and third, respectively, in the event and tangled in a hand where Jaka held A-J and Smith had pocket deuces.

The duo broke down the hand over the course of a five-minute segment, with Jaka noting, “There’s so much information out there. People can figure it out just by studying it, but when you do something new that hasn’t been talked about over and over again, they don’t know what to do.” For example, Jaka led out with the best hand on the flop, electing not to check despite flopping a monster. Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes ultimately took down the Bellagio Cup V Main Event to the tune of $1.2 million.

A new segment called “This Week in Side Action” recapped cross-booking between 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey and Team Full Tilt’s Tom “durrrr” Dwan. The “Poker2Nite Dictionary” defined cross-booking as, “When two players bet against each other by offering a percentage of any winnings.” Essentially, one player would have to pay the other half of what they cashed for. In this case, Dwan came up empty-handed after busting on Day 2 of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, while Ivey cashed for $23,500. Consequently, Dwan paid “The Tiger Woods of Poker” $11,750. “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok added that the $23,500 payday did not cover Ivey’s 10-day stay in a suite at Atlantis.

“Poker2Nite” roving reporter and Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones scoped out the brand new 18-table poker room at Aria, which is part of Las Vegas’ CityCenter. Aria Poker Room Manager Adam Altweis, who previously sat down with Poker News Daily in an exclusive interview, told Jones, “Our high-level executives really put forth a big effort. The room was made for the player.” The Aria poker room features direct access to the poker cage and may soon sport Ivey’s Room, a nosebleed-stakes table surrounded by glass similar to Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio.

Sebok had already had a chance to check out the brand new digs at Aria and told his “Poker2Nite” co-host Scott Huff, “I was there on opening night and it’s spectacular.” On the prospect of Ivey’s Room coming to fruition, Sebok speculated, “I don’t even think those talks happened.” Only time will tell. Following the Aria segment was Isaac Haxton discussing a hand against Ryan Daut during the 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Daut won $1.5 million for taking down the WPT tournament.

Dana Workman dished out the “Weekly Misdeal” sponsored by Bluff Magazine, which offers a satirical look at the week’s poker headlines. This week, Workman poked fun at the proposed New Jersey intrastate internet gambling bill, the 2010 WSOP rules governing Twitter use and player hygiene, and 2009 WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada playing in the same celebrity basketball game as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen.

Finally, “Poker2Nite” previewed the finale of the Absolute Poker College Challenge, which will see players vie for $10,000 in college tuition. The final table will be streamed live online. Highlights will be shown next Wednesday at 11:00pm ET, when the next new episode of UB.com’s “Poker2Nite” will air on Fox Sports Net.

Poker2Nite Previews WPT Season 8 on Fox Sports Net

On Wednesday’s installment of the Fox Sports Net poker news show “Poker2Nite,” Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and Justin “Boosted J” Smith recapped a hand from the Bellagio Cup V. The tournament will kick off the eighth season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) on Fox Sports Net.

The WPT premieres on Sunday night at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net, with Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton and former actor Vince Van Patten once again having the call from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Jaka and Smith finished second and third, respectively, in the event and tangled in a hand where Jaka held A-J and Smith had pocket deuces.

The duo broke down the hand over the course of a five-minute segment, with Jaka noting, “There’s so much information out there. People can figure it out just by studying it, but when you do something new that hasn’t been talked about over and over again, they don’t know what to do.” For example, Jaka led out with the best hand on the flop, electing not to check despite flopping a monster. Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes ultimately took down the Bellagio Cup V Main Event to the tune of $1.2 million.

A new segment called “This Week in Side Action” recapped cross-booking between 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey and Team Full Tilt’s Tom “durrrr” Dwan. The “Poker2Nite Dictionary” defined cross-booking as, “When two players bet against each other by offering a percentage of any winnings.” Essentially, one player would have to pay the other half of what they cashed for. In this case, Dwan came up empty-handed after busting on Day 2 of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, while Ivey cashed for $23,500. Consequently, Dwan paid “The Tiger Woods of Poker” $11,750. “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok added that the $23,500 payday did not cover Ivey’s 10-day stay in a suite at Atlantis.

“Poker2Nite” roving reporter and Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones scoped out the brand new 18-table poker room at Aria, which is part of Las Vegas’ CityCenter. Aria Poker Room Manager Adam Altweis, who previously sat down with Poker News Daily in an exclusive interview, told Jones, “Our high-level executives really put forth a big effort. The room was made for the player.” The Aria poker room features direct access to the poker cage and may soon sport Ivey’s Room, a nosebleed-stakes table surrounded by glass similar to Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio.

Sebok had already had a chance to check out the brand new digs at Aria and told his “Poker2Nite” co-host Scott Huff, “I was there on opening night and it’s spectacular.” On the prospect of Ivey’s Room coming to fruition, Sebok speculated, “I don’t even think those talks happened.” Only time will tell. Following the Aria segment was Isaac Haxton discussing a hand against Ryan Daut during the 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Daut won $1.5 million for taking down the WPT tournament.

Dana Workman dished out the “Weekly Misdeal” sponsored by Bluff Magazine, which offers a satirical look at the week’s poker headlines. This week, Workman poked fun at the proposed New Jersey intrastate internet gambling bill, the 2010 WSOP rules governing Twitter use and player hygiene, and 2009 WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada playing in the same celebrity basketball game as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen.

Finally, “Poker2Nite” previewed the finale of the Absolute Poker College Challenge, which will see players vie for $10,000 in college tuition. The final table will be streamed live online. Highlights will be shown next Wednesday at 11:00pm ET, when the next new episode of UB.com’s “Poker2Nite” will air on Fox Sports Net.

Dominating Fantasy Football Week 17 with Online Poker Skills

Week 17 of the National Football League (NFL) will feature a hodgepodge of players competing for their spot on rosters in 2010. Players like Curtis Painter and Arian Foster will become household fantasy names on Sunday. How can you use your poker skills to navigate the murky waters?

Live and online poker players are top-notch when it comes to researching their competition. Ask any player in tournaments like the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and they’ll tell you that they research their foes prior to every match. Although Full Tilt Poker recently punished Brian Townsend for compiling hands Swedish poker pro Isildur1, the practice, even though it may be against the Terms and Conditions of many sites, is still somewhat commonplace.

Think about how much information exists on players. Online, sites like PokerTableRatings.com and HighStakesDB.com offer a significant amount of information on a player, including major hands played, notorious opponents, and career earnings. Behold the power of the internet, as more information than you can possibly stomach is at your fingertips. To survive Week 17 of the NFL in a one-week league or in the traditional fantasy playoffs, a bevy of research is needed.

Poker News Daily has partnered with Fantazzle.com, which specializes in one-week fantasy sports games, to bring our readers a free Week 17 contest with a $20 prize. If you win this “freeroll” and make a deposit of $50 using PayPal or a major credit card, you’ll take home five times the value of your prize. Fantazzle.com founder Ryan Parr told Poker News Daily, “Week 17 is all about strategy and skill. At a high level, any poker player thinks they have a chance of winning money. You know football, you think you know fantasy football, and you come on Fantazzle.com to win money because you’re more intelligent than the guy sitting next to you. Some days may be a little rough and some days you won’t get a feel for the guys you’re playing against.”

Fantazzle.com offers football, baseball, racing, golf, hockey, and basketball. The latter two sports are just getting into full swing, so even as the football season winds down, there’s still plenty of fantasy action to be had. Baseball is the second most popular fantasy sport behind football and its season kicks off in April.

If you think Week 17 in the NFL is a breeze to navigate, think again. In Week 16, the Indianapolis Colts, gunning for an undefeated season, pulled their starters in the third quarter and, as a result, were thumped 29-15 by the New York Jets and handed their first loss of the season. Fantasy managers who had their seasons riding on players like Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark instead watched Donald Brown and Joseph Addai scamper for touchdowns and Painter throw a pick-six. Clark had four grabs for 57 yards, while Wayne had a paltry three catches for 33 yards.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears versus Minnesota Vikings game turned out to be the shootout of the week, as the Bears won 36-30 in overtime. Minnesota had given up more than 30 points just once all season. Chicago quarterback and Vanderbilt University graduate Jay Cutler threw for four touchdowns for just his second multi-touchdown performance since Week 9. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who leads all tailbacks in fumbles with six, coughed the ball up in overtime to set up the game-winning score. If you think you know what’s going to happen on the field, think again.

Put those researching skills to the test. Who will dominate Week 17 in the NFL? Will the Colts, Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals rest their starters? Poker players should head to Fantazzle.com and give it a shot.

Two more take Pokerstars’

The show's debut, which saw a poker-playing-priest win $100,000 and U.S. Army National Guard sergeant walk away with $25,000, drew four million viewers, making it the most successful poker show in television history.

This week, Oluwasegun "Big Mike" Odumuyiwa, a 35-year-old music manager from Northville, Michigan, is hoping to get a chance at the $1 million grand prize.

Odumuyiwa, who played basketball and football at Eastern Illinois University says he will use the money to take care of his late brother's family.

Also taking his shot at the cash will be Brian Barboza, a 31-year-old wine and liquor salesman from Raynham, Massachusetts.

Barboza says he's hoping to win enough money to buy his way into the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event.

But to get to the cash, both Barboza and Odumuyiwa will have to first beat one of the show's celebrity defenders, including Super Bowl Champion Jerome Bettis, four-time NBA Champion John Salley, UFC champion Tito Ortiz or Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole.

Round two will then see them take on a Team PokerStars Pro, either WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker, Barry Greenstein or Vanessa Rousso.

The contestants will have Daniel Negreanu's help the whole way, but then they will have to decide whether to take $25,000 and walk away or take on Negreanu heads-up for $100,000 and a chance at the $1 million grand prize.

The show will air on FOX Sunday, Nov. 22, immediately following the network's NFL coverage.

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Linda Johnson Recaps the California State Ladies Poker Championship

One of the annual events that I look forward to attending each year is the California State Ladies Poker Championship (CSLPC) held at the Oceans Eleven Casino in Oceanside. In fact, I’ve never missed one since this event debuted 13 years ago. The CSLPC is much more than just a ladies poker tournament; it’s several days of fun and female bonding that happens to include poker.

Bob Moyer and Dan Dreger, two of the managing partners at Oceans Eleven, spare no expense when it comes to making the ladies feel welcome and at home. In addition to feeding us lavish meals three times a day, they provide great entertainment for us when we aren’t playing poker. There is always a theme for the weekend. This year, it centered on a murder mystery that took place in Europe. Clues were given on Friday and Saturday and the crime was solved on Sunday (By the way, my character, Bonnie Ponzi, was not the murderer). There was a show one evening featuring some very talented Oceans Eleven employees. Dancing took place nightly in the bar.

The CSLPC kicked off this year with a poker clinic taught by Jan Fisher, Thomas Gallager, Karina Jett, Susie Isaacs, and me. On the break, one of the attendees came up to Jan and said that she had a problem with bluffing because she is a Christian and she thinks bluffing is stealing. Jan thought for a while trying to come up with an analogy that might help. Finally Jan said, “Do you watch basketball on television?” The lady said yes. Jan then asked if she thought it was okay to steal the ball from the other team while they are dribbling down the court. She replied, “Yes, it’s part of the game.” Voila! Jan convinced her that bluffing was also part of the game and the lady made the final table after pulling off a successful bluff.

The next day was a $125 buy-in LIPS tournament that attracted 195 entrants; I managed a seventh place finish. A big controversy was created by the handful of men who entered the tournament. Due to legal rulings by California courts, card rooms cannot prohibit men from playing in ladies events. Personally, I don’t understand why a man would want to enter a woman’s tournament, nor do I think they should do so. However, the men I encountered were pleasant and acted like gentlemen. Most said that they “just wanted to play in a tournament” and it was the only one offered that morning. I don’t think they deserved the poor treatment they got.

A friend told me that at her table, several women called the clock on a man who had not taken an unreasonable amount of time to act on his hand. Every time a man was eliminated, there were ecstatic screams and loud applause by many of the women. My opinion is that they should just be ignored completely.

The second tournament was the $225 CSLPC event. Congratulations to Donna Delfin from Sacramento, who won the 2009 title. In addition to her prize money, she won an entry into the 2010 Ladies World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament, a customized jacket, a gift certificate, and a beautiful trophy. Battling Donna in a tough two-hour heads-up match was Lois Petty. Lois had many fans supporting her. In fact, the tournament had been dedicated to Lois, who has stage four cancer.

There always is a charity component to the CSLPC. A silent auction and raffle was held on Saturday night to benefit Ivey Ranch, a local school for handicapped children. Sunday’s tournament was a tag team event that was Half Limit Omaha/8 and Half Limit Hold’em. Players were allowed to play either with a partner or without one since more money would be raised for Ivey Ranch (25% of the prize pool was designated for this wonderful charity) if there were extra entrants. I opted to play without a teammate and ended up winning.

Most of the attendees stayed around for the farewell awards banquet on Sunday night. There were no dry eyes in the audience when Bob Moyer presented Lois an award for being such an inspiration to us all.

Tournament Director Tina Corpiz and Director of Marketing Suzanne Carter did an amazing job coordinating the 2009 CSLPC. I can hardly wait to see what plans they come up with for the 2010 version.

Amazing Race: Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle Speak on Elimination

In the Netherlands, professional poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were eliminated from the CBS reality series “Amazing Race” when the duo was unable to complete either side of the leg’s Detour. The last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events sat down with Poker News Daily to recap their journey.

Poker News Daily: Congratulations on finishing sixth in the 15th cycle of “Amazing Race.” The show was filmed during the WSOP Main Event. How do you feel now after watching it unfold on television?

Ho: It definitely took some time after the fact to cope with, but watching it on television was hard for both of us. We’re living it and feeling those emotions all over again.

Michelle: We made it so much further than we thought we would. At any point, we were willing to accept our fate.

PND: Several in the poker community have labeled the Netherlands’ Detour as sexist due to the presence of a high striker and whipping winds at the golf course. Do you agree?

Ho: From a production standpoint, it’s so hard for them to come up with all of these tasks. We’re not going to call it unfair. All we knew is that we gave it everything we had, but what we had wasn’t enough to complete it. In golf, the elements were too much to overcome. For us to try the high striker 70+ times, it obviously wasn’t the easiest thing to do. It might have come off like we didn’t give it our best shot, but we did.

Michelle: We spent three hours giving each side of the Detour a decent shot. If you can’t finish a Detour, you got a penalty of 24 hours. At one point, EMTs had come out and assess that we weren’t getting hypothermia. Either way, we knew it would be tough to come back from that.

PND: What was the most memorable part of the race?

Ho: Every moment was memorable. We got to go to so many good places and do things that we would never be able to do under normal circumstances. It was memorable when we got a four-hour penalty after losing two tourists and also had a speed bump to overcome. I feel like people were going to count us out and we wanted to show that we could compete, so we gave that next leg of the race our all. It was so great to come in the middle of the pack on that leg.

Michelle: Any time I was able to do a challenge that the guys were doing, like in the Dubai desert, it was incredibly rewarding.

PND: Was it tough seeing that two Harlem Globetrotters were among your competition?

Ho: We definitely tried to size them up a bit based on what we saw. Once we got to know who they were, they didn’t physically intimidate us. It’s not always about being the strongest or the fastest.

Michelle: We started calling them the “Lakers” because they looked like basketball players. We knew that they were going to have a lot of strength physically, but we could use our intelligence and creativity to counteract that.

PND: Do you feel that you represented the poker community well?

Michelle: All that we can represent is ourselves. It’s a big burden to take the poker community on our shoulders. A lot of poker didn’t come into play and this is a very physically intense game. All that we can hope is that our friends thought well of it. All we could do is represent Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle the best we could.

PND: Are you changed after this experience?

Ho: The “Amazing Race” was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s life-changing in the sense that you get to push your limits physically, emotionally, and mentally. This race gave us both the opportunity to do that. Given any situation we encounter, we know what’s inside of us and what we’re capable of. In addition, the bond between Tiffany and I will last a lifetime. We were close friends leading up to this race and there’s nothing like having a person to lean on.

PND: The finish line of this installment of “Amazing Race” is in Las Vegas. How disappointed were you to hear that given you’re both professional poker players? Also, who’s your pick to win?

Ho: You have some strong teams left. Sam and Dan are tough boys. Meghan and Cheyne won a lot of legs. The Globetrotters have been in it to win it. Matt and Gary have sneaked by. Any of the last five teams are going to be tough competition. We got so close with those top teams. We’re excited to see how it ends.

Michelle: This was ours to lose. Las Vegas is our second home. It’s a place we’re very comfortable and familiar with. It broke our hearts that we couldn’t be a part of it. Lady Luck was on our side for parts of the race. If we made it that far, we would have given the other teams a good fight to the finish.

Phil Ivey Appears on ESPN Magazine Cover

Phil Ivey is the latest sporting legend to grace the cover of ESPN: The Magazine, which typically covers American football, basketball, baseball and for some bizarre reason college sports.

Poker News in Brief: Oct. 12-18, 2009

With both the World Series of Poker Europe and the PokerStars European Poker Tour London completed, it was up to smaller events like the Aruba Poker Classic and the PartyPoker World Open V to provide poker headlines.

The relatively unknown Brandon Hall became the champion in Aruba while the very well-known Phil Laak took down the World Open V.

But there were several stories that didn't make it to the front page of PokerListings.com and as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature, we've presented them below.

This week we'll take a look at the Poker Professor holding class, Doyle Brunson getting some recognition and Vladimir Geshkenbein becoming a heads-up champion.

Lederer wins $10k H.O.R.S.E. prelim at Bellagio

Howard Lederer added another poker title to his resume this week and he only had to beat 19 players to do it.

The $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. WPT Festa al Lago preliminary event wrapped up on Thursday after drawing a small but skilled field that included Eli Elezra, Michael Binger, Andy Bloch, Scott Clements, David Singer and several other established pros.

Lederer beat Russian pro Ralph Perry in heads-up play to secure a first place prize of $92,150. Despite two final tables at the WSOPE this year, Lederer hadn't won a major tournament since taking down the $100,000 buy-in event at the 2008 Aussie Millions.

Lederer, who is sometimes known as the "Poker Professor", now has over $5 million in career tournament earnings.

Doyle Brunson inducted into Athletics Hall of Fame

Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson is perhaps the most famous player in poker, but this week he was recognized for his athletic achievements.

After years of waiting patiently, Brunson was finally inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Hardin Simmons University.

Before he started playing poker for a living Brunson competed in track and played basketball at HSU.

Brunson was a key member of an HSU basketball team that won its conference championship for a spot in the NCAA Division 1 playoffs. Brunson scored 412 points and was the only HSU athlete in any sport to be named the MVP of the Division 1 Border Conference.

Brunson was initially passed over for Hall of Fame recognition because of his involvement in the poker world.

The Texas Dolly is still one of the most popular poker players in the world and his twitter account "TexDolly" recently hit over 41,000 followers.

PKR Heads-Up Grand Slam for Vladimir Geshkenbein

Vladimir Geshkenbein outlasted some of the biggest names in poker to win the PKR Heads-Up Grand Slam this week.

The Russian beat Juha Helppi in the final heads-up match to take down a first place prize of $120,000.

The field was comprised of 32 players including Tony G, Tom Dwan, Luke Schwartz, Annette Obrestad, Peter Eastgate, Sammy George, J.C. Tran and numerous other high profile poker players.

Fans were hoping for a live resurrection of the online rivalry between Dwan and the trash-talking Schwartz, but were disappointed when Dwan busted out in his first match. Schwartz didn't make it much further, busting in his second match.

No one could figure out a way to beat the lesser-known Geshkenbein, who did win the high roller event at APPT Macau earlier this year. Geshkenbein has now earned nearly $400,000 playing poker in the last few months.

Forum tournament winner to play Ziigmund

A series of Online Forum Challenges are set to take place on Power Poker over the next few months with the ultimate winner getting a shot at celebrated high-stakes player Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies.

Power Poker will be hosting a series of tournaments over the next three months as part of the Online Forum Challenge and any player that takes part in every event will be entered into the Heads Up with Ziigmund freeroll.

The freeroll will offer a prize pool and a bounty in addition to the winner getting a chance to play Sahamies heads-up for $1,000.

All poker forum members are welcome to take part in the challenge and you can learn more by going to the Online Forum Challenge website here.

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Doyle Brunson Inducted into Hardin-Simmons University Athletic Hall of Fame

Legendary poker player Doyle Brunson will be feted yet again on Friday night, but not for any of his performances over his 50-plus year career in the game of poker.

Brunson, a 1954 graduate of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas with a Bachelor of Science degree, will be taking part in ceremonies during Homecoming Weekend at his alma mater that will include induction into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The dinner will take place at 6:30pm local time on the campus of Hardin-Simmons and Brunson will be inducted along with former athletes Mickey Davis Brewer (basketball), Collin McCormick (football), and Morris South (football).

For those who don’t know a great deal about Brunson’s life before poker, he was a tremendous athlete in his younger years and made his impact known upon his arrival at the university in both basketball and track. Brunson was an immediate success in track and field, running the mile and finishing in third place in his first-ever shot at the 1951 Border Conference meet. While he ran track, Brunson also was a prized member of the school’s freshman basketball team.

As a sophomore, Brunson scored 151 points for the basketball team, placed second in the mile, and ran on the fourth place mile relay team at the Border Conference track meet. The following year, Brunson again placed second in the mile and excelled in basketball, helping Hardin-Simmons to win the Conference championship and enter the NCAA Division I basketball playoffs. Brunson scored 412 points over the entirety of his college basketball career and, at the time, was the only HSU athlete in any sport to be named the MVP of the Border Conference.

After such a stellar collegiate career, Brunson was deemed good enough that professional basketball’s top team began to look at him. The National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Minneapolis Lakers (now in Los Angeles), with George Mikan at center and Basketball Hall of Fame member Slater Martin at guard, were considering drafting Brunson. A freak accident, however, prevented him from achieving that goal.

While working in a warehouse, Brunson was unloading a shipment of sheetrock when it started to fall to the floor. Doyle tried to use his leg to stop the shift of the sheetrock, which weighed approximately one ton, and the resulting collapse of the load on his leg seriously injured his knee and broke his leg in two places, injuries which Brunson admits still affect him today. After recovering for two years, Brunson was healthy, but his dream of professional basketball was over. Soon after, Brunson began his trek into the world of poker.

The admittance into the Hardin-Simmons University Athletic Hall of Fame is entirely for Brunson’s performance on the collegiate level and do not reflect his influence on the poker world. As such, Brunson will accept the honor with his usual humble nature. In a recent blog post found on DoylesRoom.com, Brunson looked ahead to his induction ceremony: “After being turned down for 40 years I have mixed feelings, but all my old teammates will be there, so I’m going down and will be on my best behavior.”

All of us here at Poker News Daily would like to congratulate Brunson and the Brunson family on a long overdue honor.

ESPN The Magazine Editor Discusses Poker Players in Body Issue

Hitting newsstands around the United States last Friday was the inaugural Body Issue of “ESPN: The Magazine.“ The periodical profiled athletes and their physiques and included an image of Phil Hellmuth, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, and Jennifer Harman playing poker in the nude.

Besides poker, other sports showcased in the magazine include boxing, bull riding, golf, baseball, Motocross, NASCAR, basketball, hockey, football, soccer, softball, swimming, surfing, tennis, track and field, and mixed martial arts. Poker News Daily sat down with “ESPN: The Magazine” Editor Sarah Turcotte to gauge reaction to the provocative issue.

Poker News Daily: Explain the background to the Body Issue of “ESPN: The Magazine.”

Turcotte: This is the first time we’ve done it and we’ll definitely be doing it again. My boss was trying to come up with a way to profile an athlete’s body. You see them in locker rooms, but you don’t really know what goes into them. Not only do we have poker and soccer players, but we also have sumo wrestlers and triathlon runners. It’s a huge mix. There are over 80 athletes involved and 40 in varying stages of being undressed. Poker is a great sport. The players work hard, make great money, and have good mental toughness. We believe it’s a legit sport.

PND: What has been the reaction so far?

Turcotte: We’ve been shocked by how positive it’s been, but there have been negatives with some of the more conservative sports. For example, LPGA fans heard about it and formed their opinions beforehand. When you realize what a massive undertaking this is and the kind of company these folks are in, it makes sense. It’s not “Playboy Magazine;” it’s about celebrating an athlete’s physique. So far, I’m shocked by how well it’s been received. I don’t think we ever could have conceived how popular it would be.

PND: Talk about the photo involving Harman, Nguyen, Hellmuth, and Negreanu.

Turcotte: That was a really great photo to do. My hats are off to all of them for being included. That was our only coed shoot because in most sports, you don’t compete against different genders. It turned out great.

PND: What can you tell us about the shoot?

Turcotte: The poker shoot was great. We had two hours and shot in Las Vegas. Anyone who has been around Daniel and Scotty would fall in love with them. Their interaction together was great and I found myself calling everyone “baby” for the next few days. Jen is such a sweetheart and I was amazed at how much respect the guys had for her.

PND: What do you want readers to take away from this installment of “ESPN: The Magazine”?

Turcotte: My perspective as the Feature Editor is to be on the shoots and be the advocate for the athlete. We made it a collaborative process and I want the athletes to be proud of it. In terms of readers, I think the biggest thing is that it’s awesome to see someone like Serena Williams looking beautiful, but people are familiar with her. However, not everyone knows Scotty Nguyen and Jennifer Harman, so hopefully this will give them some respect.

PND: Can you name other athletes that readers can expect to see in the issue?

Turcotte: Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, tennis star Serena Williams, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, Sarah Reinertsen (the only female amputee to compete in the Ironman Triathlon), Andrew Cogliano of the Edmonton Oilers, Christina Kim of the LPGA, and six guys from the DC United soccer team.

HORSE is HORSE

I was cruising around the internet this week reading a number of poker blogs, as I am apt to do, when I queued up Daniel Negreanu’s. Never one to shy away from giving his opinion, he was adamant that No Limit Hold’em should be the only game played at the final table of the $50,000 HORSE event at the World Series of Poker, just as it was when Chip Reese won the first edition of it in 2006. As much as I am a fan of Negreanu’s, and as much as I respect him, I must disagree.

First, let me say that I completely understand where he is coming from on this issue. For the first three years of the event, almost 150 players entered the tournament each time. This year, only 95 runners competed. Negreanu believes that the reason for this is that HORSE doesn’t deliver television ratings, so ESPN is not broadcasting the event. In turn, many of the players who would have played can no longer afford to, as their online poker room sponsors don’t want to pony up the buy-in if there is no chance for the players, and the poker room logos they would be wearing, to appear on the small screen. The prestige of the event would shrink along with its size as would the “EV [for] the grinders who play mixed cash games for a living.”

It all makes sense. If the general poker watching public doesn’t want it, the network doesn’t want it. If the network doesn’t want it, the sponsors don’t want it. And if the sponsors don’t want it, the players can’t afford to play.

But I still don’t think the final table should be No-Limit Hold’em. Why? Because it’s a HORSE tournament. It doesn’t make sense to change the final table to a game that wasn’t even a part of the previous several days of the event. Why should a player work hard at five different limit games only to make the final table and have it all taken away on one unfortunate hand? It’s not that it’s “not fair”, because, after all, everybody would know what the structure was going into the tournament. It is just silly. Why not make the final table of every WSOP event No-Limit Hold’em? Then ESPN could film them all and then select the most exciting ones for broadcast.

Personally, while I can see some truth in Negreanu’s belief that the no-No-Limit Hold’em format is why ESPN is not airing the HORSE tourney, I don’t feel that that’s really the main reason why it’s not going to be on television. The popularity of poker on television is on the downswing. For the last few years, we’ve been bombarded with poker programming and it has become old. Even for the casual fan, the all-in fests that make up the majority of poker telecasts have become boring. ESPN is now only showing four WSOP events and only two are “real” tournaments – the $40,000 Special Anniversary Tournament and the $10,000 Main Event. The other two – the WSOP Champions Cup Invitational and the Ante Up for Africa Charity event – are being shown for their novelty and for their star power (the former for poker celebrities and the latter for likely appearance of entertainment celebrities).

Really, the $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em event is taking the place of the $50,000 HORSE event in the ESPN lineup. It’s a high buy-in event, which creates a field densely populated with recognizable faces and it’s No-Limit, which ESPN likes. I would not be surprised if the WSOP finds a way to keep an ultra-high buy-in No-Limit event next year to satisfy the desire for an elite tourney.

In the end, the problem might be able to be solved by a simple name change. If it wasn’t called a HORSE tournament, then many people, including myself, would not be so averse to having a “non-HORSE” game played at the final table. The lack of logic would not longer be a problem. Name it “The All-Around Championship” or something and mix several different formats, including No-Limit Hold’em. Now you have an event where players can compete to see who is the best all-around poker player (not that the “best” can be determined through one tournament) and the final table is attractive for television. Make the buy-in high enough to limit the field and you will likely have a final table with a significant proportion of “name” poker pros.

If it sounds like it’s just a semantics issue, it is. But seriously, how can it be a HORSE tournament when the final table isn’t in HORSE format? Would it make sense to have the championship game of the NCAA basketball tournament be a football contest because football gets better television ratings than basketball? Of course not. Sure, the final table was No-Limit when the venerable Chip Reese won it in 2006, but that doesn’t mean it should have been.

Las Vegas Mogul Bob Stupak Dies at 67

The poker and the Las Vegas communities lost one of their own last week, when entrepreneur and former World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Bob Stupak succumbed to a lengthy battle with leukemia.  He was 67 years-old.

To cite just one or two things Stupak will be best remembered for would be doing a disservice to a man whose long list of accomplishments ranges from building the iconic Stratosphere to winning a WSOP bracelet to placing a $1 million bet on the Super Bowl.

In addition to his reputation as an exceptional and well-rounded gambler, Stupak was also considered by many to be a master of publicity.  Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman summed up his legacy in a statement he gave to the Las Vegas Review Journal: “Bob was an impresario, a ringmaster in the mold of the promoters who made Las Vegas the great town that it is,” he said.  “His ingenuity got him into trouble sometimes, but that happens to folks who try to grab the brass ring.”

It is true that Stupak did not always have the easiest road to success.  After a failed attempt at running a restaurant, he opened Bob Stupak’s World Famous Historic Gambling Museum on the Las Vegas Strip.  Despite its less-than-stellar location on the northern portion of Las Vegas Boulevard, the museum drew patrons with slot machines, which promised huge payouts for a small investment.  Unfortunately, the building burned down just two months after opening.  In its place, Stupak built Las Vegas World, a casino with a space motif.  Years later, Stupak would pioneer the efforts to build the 1,149-foot tall Stratosphere.  While the project was seen to completion, it went bankrupt within its first year of operation and was sold off to Carl Ichan.

Stupak did not let these setbacks keep him down for long, though, and managed to keep himself in the spotlight via a series of outlandish sports bets and other gambling ventures.  The Las Vegas Sun reported that Stupak placed a $1 million bet on the 1989 Super Bowl, which garnered quite a bit of media attention, although the paper also suggested that he quietly made some side bets to compensate for the financial blow he would take should he lose.  Thankfully, he won.

In exchange for a $100,000 donation to the United Negro College Fund, Stupak was able to suit up for the Harlem Globetrotters in 1996.  Stupak’s official website features a video of the event highlighting his charitable contribution, but John L. Smith’s biography of Stupak, “No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and the Las Vegas Stratosphere,” suggests he could not help but set up some side bets on his basketball prowess for as much as $250,000.

Stupak’s charitable side extended beyond his Globetrotters adventure and he was known throughout Vegas for his philanthropic efforts, which included financing a local park and community center and helping to fight homelessness in the city.  He was a civic-minded individual as well, running for Las Vegas Mayor and Nevada Lt. Governor, among other posts, but he failed to win any of his campaigns.

The poker world knows Stupak as a man with a knack for 2-7 Triple Draw.  He won his bracelet in the now defunct $5,000 2-7 Triple Draw with rebuys event, a tournament that many of the pros cited as one of the more prestigious bracelets to win.  In addition to nabbing the bracelet in 1989, Stupak made three other appearances at 2-7 final tables in the 1980s and 1990s.  He also final tabled the World Poker Tour’s first trip to Commerce Casino for the L.A. Poker Classic and made an appearance on the popular “High Stakes Poker” television program.

Stupak is survived by his three children, daughters Summer and Nicole and son, Nevada, as well as two sisters and two ex-wives.  Stupak’s body was cremated and there were no plans for a funeral.

2 Months, $2 Million: Team Loses $84,200

This week on the G4 online poker reality show “2 Months, $2 Million,” the team suffered a major setback, losing $84,200 collectively. However, the quartet defeated a rival group in football, nightlife, and online poker challenges.

The third of 10 episodes of “2 Months, $2 Million” hit television airwaves on Sunday at 9:00pm ET on G4. The installment began with Dani Stern playing basketball outside of the Las Vegas home with Aaron “aejones” Jones. The two have been friends after meeting at a poker tournament and the one-on-one basketball game spurred the idea of a house versus house competition. The rival faction featured Jones, Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger, Daniel “Starkey” Starkey, and Steve “Zugwat” Silverman. On the latter player, Stern noted that he is a “feared online poker player.”

In the football competition, the first squad to amass seven touchdowns would be declared the winner. A Stern interception return for a touchdown tied the game at three scores each. Then, Stern found the end zone again on the defensive side of the ball, running in a fumble recovery for another touchdown to put the “2 Months, $2 Million” team ahead 6-4. In the end, a Stern caught a pass in the end zone, which was enough to win 7-4.

By Day 1 of Week 3, the team was down $34,700 on their quest for $2 million. Silverman sought retribution for the gridiron loss by taking on “2 Months, $2 Million” cast member Jay Rosenkrantz heads-up online. Rosenkrantz dropped $17,000 in a pot and found himself down $40,000 for the week. Meanwhile, it was revealed that the crew had gone out six straight nights and faced a seventh with the nightlife portion of the house war set to take place. Rosenkrantz remarked, “Maybe the house war is becoming a bit of a distraction and we’re not playing real poker.”

Stern and Emil Patel participated in the nightlife challenge, which took place at Ghostbar at the Palms. The three tasks to determine the winning house included getting a girl to buy you a drink, getting a girl to do five pushups, and getting a girl to remove her panties. The score was tied 2-2 when Lichtenberger convinced Ghostbar customer “Jenny” to take off her underwear, which he promptly put on his head in celebration as the “aejones house” took down the nightlife challenge.

Online, Rosenkrantz’s struggles online continued. He was down $64,000 on the week and fledgling in Omaha against “ROCK_ET_MAN.” Rosenkrantz frustratingly got up from the table and lamented, “I’m not going to be able to save my week and now all I want to do is just crush aejones, luckychewy, Zugwat, and Starkey.”

The poker challenge served as the rubber match in the series and featured best of three heads-up sit and gos. Silverman outlasted Rosenkrantz 2-1 in the first match-up, continuing his domination of the “2 Months, $2 Million” star on the virtual felts. The second match-up saw Roberts and Lichtenberger compete. When the battle was over, Jones’ house was up 4-2. Jones bested Stern in the first game of their series before Stern won the next two to make the overall score 5-4, with Jones’ house still in the lead. Patel and Starkey then waged war, with the former battling back to tie the poker challenge at six matches apiece and force a tiebreaker.

In the tiebreaker, whose match-up was determined by pulling names out of a hat, Roberts defeated Jones in the first two games to secure the victory for the “2 Months, $2 Million” cast. In the final hand, Roberts’ A-8 outdrew Jones’ pocket nines when an ace hit the flop. Jones and company were forced to clean the “2 Months, $2 Million” house as a result of the loss.

The four protagonists suffered their worst week to date. When the smoke cleared, Roberts was down $4,000, Stern was down $33,000, and Rosenkrantz was down a blistering $80,000. Patel was the lone member of the group in the black, earning $32,800 for the week. Overall, the team was down $84,200 during Week 3 for an overall total of $114,400 in earnings. Roberts noted, “We can’t string together a bunch of winning sessions and get comfortably into the black for the summer.” As a result of Rosenkrantz’s abnormally large loss, he was not assessed a “Penalty Stunt.”

“2 Months, $2 Million” airs weekly on Sunday nights at 9:00pm ET on G4.

Card Player Cruises Releases 2009-2010 Schedule

Starting in November, Card Player Cruises will return to the high seas aboard the 138,000 ton Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Explorer of the Seas. Destinations over the next year for the cruising company include Alaska, the Mediterranean, and Mexico.

The nine-night Canada and New England Fall Foliage cruise will depart from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey in November and steam up the eastern seaboard of the United States. Ports of call include Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, and Boston and the cruise starts at $550 per person. Card Player Cruises partner and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson commented in a press release distributed by the travel company, “This trip will feature some of the most spectacular scenery on the Eastern Seaboard. There’s no better time to visit this region than in the fall, when the foliage stands out in every imaginable color.”

Besides the fall foliage outside of the ship, the other main attraction on the November cruise will be its poker room. $100 to $200 buy-in poker tournaments will abound, with private seminars and free poker lessons also taking place. In addition, the press release notes, “Passengers can play as much or as little as they want during the week.” The Explorer of the Seas also features a rock-climbing wall, ice skating rink, miniature golf course, basketball court, disco, spa, fitness center, pools, Jacuzzis, and shops. In addition, what would a cruise be without a parade of food?

Here is the upcoming schedule for Card Player Cruises:

Canada and New England Fall Foliage nine-night cruise – October 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas
Departs from Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne, New Jersey

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – November 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

Western Caribbean seven-night cruise – March 7, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Voyager
Departs from Galveston, Texas

Mediterranean Venice 12-night cruise – May 15, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance
Departs from Barcelona, Spain

Alaska seven-night cruise – August 27, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody
Departs from Seattle, Washington

Eastern Caribbean seven-night cruise – September 25, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis
Departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – December 5, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

The poker room closes while the ship is parked in port and opens while the vessel is out in the open water. Card Player Cruises customers make up between 25% and 40% of the total number of passengers onboard, so traditional cruising activities still occur day and night. In order to play poker, Card Player Cruises guests must be at least 18 years-old, while some special events, such as the PartyPoker Million, feature a different age requirement.

Besides tournaments, each ship’s poker room hosts a wide variety of cash games, ranging from limits of $1/$2 to $30/$60. Customers with children are more than welcome to participate as well. Card Player Cruises explains, “There are extensive programs for children that provide entertainment for the kids from morning until night. Some of the activities are scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, talent shows, pizza parties, disco parties, trips to the spa/gym, video games, etc. Children are able to sail at reduced rates on most cruise lines.”

Prices for the above schedule vary between $448 per person and $1,719 per person. The cost covers food, cabin, nightly entertainment, and use of the ship’s amenities. According to Johnson, the majority of players who board a Card Player Cruise are recreational and several are celebrating milestones like birthdays and anniversaries. Players can call 888-999-4880 for additional information and to book passage.

Doyle Brunson Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: You have an autobiography coming out later this year. Can you talk about why you’re writing the book now and what readers can expect?

Brunson: The book is supposed to be out in November. It’s been in the works for four or five years and I’ve vetoed it twice because I didn’t want it out there. They pressured me around until I finally released it. It’s a story about my life and the things I’ve been through. It’s hard to talk about some things, but I’ve tried to get most of it in there.

PND: Can you give us a glimpse of some of the things that are difficult to talk about in the book?

Brunson: Just think about your own life. Is there anything in your own life that you wouldn’t want to put on public display? There are some personal things. At my age, I’m trying not to be any more famous than I already am.

PND: What would casual poker fans be surprised to learn about Doyle Brunson?

Brunson: I don’t know what the perception of me is. I’ve been married for 50 years and that’s pretty unusual in the poker world. I’ve tried to keep my personal life isolated from the gambling world. That’s the only way you can keep your family together, at least with my wife. She couldn’t handle that pressure, so I try not to talk about gambling around my house. My son has turned out to be a professional poker player, but I didn’t teach him anything; he taught himself in college. I never discuss gambling in my house simply because my wife is what you would call a “square.” She’s not accustomed to the ups and downs of the poker world.

PND: What’s the difference between poker in 2009 and when you won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 1976 and 1977?

Brunson: The popularity of poker is much more now than it was. The fact people accept that you’re a poker player now is a big thing. In those days, you were a second-class citizen. They thought you were a gangster if you played poker for a living. I think the media has softened that a bit and the public can accept you now as a poker player.

PND: Talk about November Nine member Jeff Shulman’s comments that he would trash the WSOP Main Event bracelet if he won.

Brunson: That’s a little bit strong. I understand his concerns and I agree with most of them. The WSOP is a pretty big tradition. It’s the biggest event in the poker world. I think it’s a little bit strong to say that you’re going to throw the bracelet away. If he felt that way, he probably shouldn’t have entered. Jeff is a sensible young man and he’ll come off that statement a little bit. He thinks that Harrah’s has prostituted the poker world. I agree with him to some extent. I think there could be changes made.

All of us who came from the original WSOP at Binion’s have seen a big difference. At Binion’s, they bent over backwards for us and made the poker player come first. They paid all of our expenses, set up big buffets for us, and paid for our rooms just to come out and play. Naturally, Harrah’s doesn’t do that and I can see their point of view. It’s a big business. Harrah’s makes a lot of money off the WSOP. It’s a two-edged sword and you have to compromise on some things.

PND: You seemed to tighten up a bit on the most recent season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” Was this a strategy coming in or just how the table played out?

Brunson: I get that a lot. The way others at the table play dictates the way you play. These young kids are so aggressive that it’s hard to be more aggressive than they are. That would just make a total crapshoot out of it. I have slowed my play down a little bit, but I’ve never lost on one of those shows. I’ve played 15 in a row and won every time. The object is to win. Some of the younger guys try to put on a show and demonstrate how smart they are instead of just trying to play poker. One of these days, I might just break loose and show them what aggression really is.

It’s so simple just to sit back and win that it’s hard not to do it. The reason I’ve been so successful is that other people try to build their image up. Instead of trying to play good poker, they try to make “flashy” plays.

PND: If you hadn’t become a professional poker player, where would you likely be right now?

Brunson: My life was heading towards playing in the NBA. That’s what I worked my whole life for. I was lucky enough to be a good athlete. I was an All-State basketball player. I was State Champion in the mile. In college, I was the Most Valuable Player in my conference. The NBA scouts had already come down and talked to my coach and I was going to be drafted the next year. I feel like I could have played in the NBA. Then, I would have probably gone back and been a teacher or a coach.

PND: Talk about the explosion of poker on television. Is it surprising to you?

Brunson: It is. It’s hard for me to accept the fact that people perceive poker players as celebrities. I don’t consider myself to be a celebrity. I’m not an entertainer; I’m a poker player. It seems like some of these “wannabees” spend more time trying to be entertainers and performers than they do playing poker. It doesn’t sit too well with me. I guess I’m a poker purist. I like poker for what it is: a great game. America is just finding out about it and I found out about it 50 years ago. I hate to see people who play poker do things besides playing poker to benefit themselves.

Ante Up for Africa Poker Event Features Hollywood Invasion

On Tuesday night, cable station ESPN featured action from the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament held during the 2009 World Series of Poker. The final table aired for just 30 minutes in a unique telecast.

The two-hour show opened with a montage of celebrities taking part in the event, including “Rounders” actor Matt Damon, “Pearl Harbor” actor Ben Affleck, and comedian Sarah Silverman. A total of 137 players took to the felts, with the feature table during ESPN’s first hour headlined by basketball Hall of Fame member Charles Barkley, whose association with gambling was highlighted on several occasions throughout the episode by ESPN commentator Norman Chad. Comments included “Don’t say blackjack around Charles” and “Charles is probably wondering if he can double down on the flop.” Joining Barkley at the feature table were 2008 WSOP November Nine member Ylon Schwartz, “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander, and “Celebrity Apprentice” candidate Herschel Walker.

Highlights from around the field included Ultimate Bet Star Player Tiffany Michelle besting Damon in a hand holding pocket sevens. After Affleck’s pocket fives ran into a flop of 4-6-K, Chad remarked, “That’s a worse flop for Ben than ‘Gigli.’” Ante Up for Africa emcee Phil Hellmuth and Nelly then sang the St. Louis rapper’s hit song “#1” and the recurring “40th Annual Memories” relived Howard Lederer’s first bracelet win. Lederer’s sister, Annie Duke, was featured heavily during the segment and, together with actor Don Cheadle, the “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up co-hosted the Ante Up for Africa event.

The Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand featured Walker calling the big blind with unknown cards, Alexander calling with K-10, and Barkley checking his option with pocket eights. The flop came J-Q-6 and the action checked around to see a king fall on the turn. Alexander led out for 700, Barkley folded, and Walker made the call. The river was another queen. Alexander checked, Walker put out a small bet of 600, and Alexander made the call. Walker flipped up A-Q for trips and scooped the pot.

Damon recalled the public’s reaction to the movie “Rounders,” which was released in 1998 and also featured Edward Norton, John Malkovich, and John Turturro: “When it first came out, it was a bomb. It kind of hurt my feelings.” Chad revealed that 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker got his start in poker after watching the film. Damon’s lifelong friend, Affleck, was ousted from the Ante Up for Africa event holding pocket sixes after Jennifer Harman hit a flush on the river. Affleck signed autographs for fans on the rail and headed to the feature table to support Damon.

Barkley doubled up with 8-7 against A-Q after filling his straight on the river, leaving ESPN commentators to note, “That was like a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game.” The end of the first episode featured Barkley hitting the rails holding 8-6 of diamonds despite flopping a flush draw.

The second episode aired at 9:00pm ET. This time around, feature table personalities included Damon and Erik Seidel, whose runner-up performance to Johnny Chan in the 1998 WSOP Main Event was featured prominently in the movie “Rounders.” The Wild Card Hand saw Damon raise to 10,000 pre-flop with A-7. Seidel pushed over the top all-in holding unknown cards and Damon tanked before finally releasing his hand. Seidel turned over pocket sixes and told Damon, “I think you probably made the right choice.” Seidel eventually sent Damon packing with A-J against pocket tens when the actor inopportunely shoved on an ace-high flop.

“The Nuts,” which had featured 40th Annual Trivia the past two weeks, recapped Chad’s red carpet interviews. Chad joked to Mike Matusow that money should be pooled for Mike Tyson, who was in attendance for the event, to punch Hellmuth. Matusow commented, “I will throw an extra $5,000 to the charity if he connects.” Chad also interviewed Damon and Affleck to divulge who really wrote “Good Will Hunting” and asked the latter if he could beat Chad’s record of three marriages. Chad’s final interview was with Sasquatch, the mascot of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. Chad referred to the furry animal as co-host Lon McEachern.

The final table featured 18 WSOP bracelets, with Seidel owning eight of them. The nine-handed spectacle did not air until 30 minutes remained in the second ESPN episode of the night, reflecting the desire by producers to show the paths of celebrities in attendance during this unique charity tournament. The final table lacked strategy, with a multitude of three-way all-ins panning out with players unable to cover their blinds. Alex Bolotin eventually emerged as the 2009 Ante Up for Africa champion and pocketed $176,000. Over $360,000 was raised for the victims of the crisis in Darfur. On the turbo structure, Chad quipped, “Bolotin is the Ante Up for Africa all-in champion.”

Next week at 8:00pm ET, ESPN will kick off its 24 hours of coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

NBC’s <i>Face the Ace</i> premiers Saturday

NBC's prime-time poker-themed game show Face the Ace is set to premier this Saturday night Aug. 1 at 9 p.m. ET with a group of facetheace.com and Full Tilt Poker qualifiers taking on the some of the world's best poker players with $1 million on the line.

Hosted by The Sopranos Steve Schirripa, contestants on the show will first select a pro from behind four smoked-glass doors and then play that pro in a heads-up No-Limit Hold'em match with $40,000 up for grabs.

Should the contestant prevail, they can keep the $40,000 or choose another pro to play for $200,000. Contestants moving on to the third round will play for the $1 million top prize.

If the contestant loses at any point, they walk away with nothing and the winning pro takes $10,000 for their charity of choice.

"Most people don't get to compete against their favorite athletes in sports like football or basketball," said Schirripa.

"This show gives contestants an incomparable opportunity to test their skills against some of the best poker players in the world.  The same people they've read about or have watched on TV are the ones they have to defeat for chance at winning life-changing money."

The series will premiere with back-to-back shows Saturday evening and continue its seven-episode run on Saturday afternoons beginning in September.

Fifteen Full Tilt pros were chosen as "Aces," including Patrik Antonius, Andy Bloch, Allen Cunningham, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Gus Hansen, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Mike Matusow, Huck Seed, Erik Seidel, and Gavin Smith.

Collectively, the group has won 41 World Series of Poker bracelets, 11 World Poker Tour titles, and nearly $100 million in live tournament winnings.

Poker After Dark host Ali Nejad will act as the tournament director and provide additional commentary.

Plus, Deal or No Deal Briefcase Model Megan Abrigo will serve as the hostess.

Visit PokerListings.com

Harlem Globetrotters, Miss America May Join Tiffany Michelle on Amazing Race

According to an article that appeared this week in The Examiner, two members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and Miss America 2004 may join poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho on Season 15 of the CBS reality show “Amazing Race.”

Poker News Daily can confirm that Tiffany Michelle is among the cast for the 15th cycle of the reality series, citing anonymous sources inside the industry. Her rumored partner is Maria Ho, who Reality Fan Forum snapped a picture of at Los Angeles International Airport on the day that “Amazing Race” filming allegedly began. In the image, she did not appear to be donning a backpack (as is customary for “Amazing Race” teams); instead, she was pulling a suitcase. Michelle and Ho represent the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively.

The Examiner speculates that Harlem Globetrotters members Nate “Big Easy” Lofton and Herbert “Flight Time” Lang are members of the “Amazing Race” cast. Lang attended Centenary College in Louisiana and wears #4 for the showcase basketball team. His biography found on the Harlem Globetrotters website appropriately reads, “He is a self-proclaimed reality TV junkie… What Flight Time likes about reality TV is that, even though he knows parts are staged and scripted for dramatic effect, ‘After a certain amount of time, you really get to see what people are like.’” Lang was roped into reality television after catching an episode of CBS staple “Survivor.”

Lofton attended Southeast Louisiana and grew up in New Orleans. His biography notes, “His gregarious personality and thunderous dunks entertain Globetrotter fans young and old.” A total of 26 players make up the current roster of the Harlem Globetrotters, which showcase unusual basketball skills at venues around the world. Several members of the team, including Lang, appeared on the ABC reality series “The Bachelorette” in May. The Globetrotters challenged the seven remaining bachelors to a pick-up game of basketball, with bachelorette Jillian Harris looking on intently. “The Bachelorette” wrapped up on Monday night with Harris riding off into the sunset with Ed Swiderski.

Joining Lang, Lofton, Michelle, and Ho will likely be Miss America 2004, Ericka Dunlap. The Examiner notes that “Amazing Race” has featured pageant winners before, as Dustin-Leigh Konzelman and Kandice Pelletier competed as part of Season 10 and All-Stars. Dunlap hails from Florida; the reigning Miss America is Katie Stern, a native of Indiana. No indication was given as to who will partner with Dunlap for “Amazing Race.”

An entry appearing on Wikipedia adds that two newscasters from the television network C-SPAN will also take part in “Amazing Race” when the 15th season kicks off in September. The show pits teams of two against each other in a race around the world. Along the way, they’ll complete various challenges as part of “Detours” (a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons) and “Road Blocks” (a task that only one team member can perform). Each leg typically consists of one Detour and one Road Block; many of the legs end with the last team arriving at the “Pit Stop” being eliminated.

“Amazing Race” will once again air on Sunday nights, debuting on September 27th for two hours. The popular reality program follows CBS News program “60 Minutes” and will serve as the lead-in for the new drama “Three Rivers.” “Amazing Race” is an Emmy-winning reality show whose reigning champions are lawyers and siblings Tammy and Victor. In seasons past, the top prize has been $1 million and to date, no “celebrity” installment of “Amazing Race” has taken place.

Other poker players who have appeared on major reality shows include Annie Duke, who finished as the runner-up to comedian Joan Rivers on the second season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” In addition, Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande competed on “Survivor: China,” the 15th cycle of the cornerstone CBS show. Bellande was the eighth player voted out of “Survivor: China” and served as a member of the jury.

L.A. Laker running deep in 2009 WSOP Main Event

Nonetheless, just weeks removed from winning an NBA championship with the Lakers, Farmar is finding success at the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

"I've never played online," he said. "I played one day before I came here. The day before I flew out to Vegas I went to the casino in L.A. and played just so I knew what was going on at the table."

"I got lucky early and now I'm starting to get the hang of it."

Farmar is faring pretty well, considering there aren't too many players in the field with the lack of experience he's working with.

The Lakers guard has been a popular player in the Amazon Room, drawing lots of attention from the ESPN camera crew and entertaining everyone in the vicinity.

"I don't know how to play!" said Farmar during a hand before the break, drawing laughs from everyone at the table.

Despite his naive table image, however, Farmar must know a little something about poker as it appears he's primed to survive into Day 3 of the Main Event.

"I know poker hands, I know what beats what, but I never sat down and played," Farmar said. "I didn't know what a small blind or a big blind was, none of that. I just learned."

Farmar has been a key part of the Lakers' resurgence on the basketball court in the last two years, and the popular point guard has been finding success ever since his days at UCLA, when he was considered one of the top college point guards in the nation.

With 160k in chips at the latest count, Farmar appears to be finding success at the poker tables as well.

While the Lakers do play cards on the road, Farmar has never been introduced to any form of poker until now.

"We play cards all the time," Farmar said. "Us on the Lakers don't play poker but a lot of teams do."

He's become a recognizable face everywhere thanks to his basketball profile, and Farmar has been asked for his time by spectators and press frequently throughout the day.

Despite all the attention, Farmar's been all smiles as his chip stack has grown.

"At first I was a little hesitant to make bets to call people, afraid to lose money," Farmar said.

"Once I started watching people play and getting the hang of it, how they bet, when they call people. Now I think I'm pretty good."

It's been a fantastic month for Farmar, who is now trying to follow up a basketball world championship with a deep run at the WSOP.

"I'm just lucky," Farmar said. "They invited me here to have a good time."

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Troy Weber Holds Commanding Chip Lead after Day 1D of WSOP Main Event

While Day 1D of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event might best be remembered for disarray, it was an industrial salesman from Indiana who swayed the attention of the poker world for at least a moment. Troy Weber, 38, finished the day as the commanding chip leader with 353,000 and was the only player to break the 200,000 chip mark through all four starting days.

Weber held the chip lead late in the evening and managed to add significantly to his advantage by winning a massive pot with just minutes remaining on the clock. The player seated directly to his left had built a stack of 150,000 and the two went to battle for the largest pot of the tournament to date. On a flop of J-8-3 with two hearts, the other player bet 7,000 and Weber check-called. Weber checked again when another eight hit the turn and his opponent bet 11,000. Weber raised to 30,000 and his opponent quickly moved all-in. Weber thought for several minutes before deciding to call. A large crowd gathered as the players revealed their hands:

Weber:
Opponent:

Weber’s trip eights were out in front and he earned the pot when the nine of diamonds landed on the river. Weber now holds one of the largest end of Day One stacks in WSOP history.

Reigning World Champion Peter Eastgate played on Day 1D and took center stage at the ESPN secondary table, where he stayed until the conclusion of play. Eastgate will take 44,725 chips into Day 2. Other former Main Event Champions to take to the felts on Day 1D were Bobby Baldwin and Robert Varkonyi, both of whom survived the day.

The man who took second to Eastgate in last year’s WSOP Main Event, Ivan Demidov, was eliminated. Joining him on the rail were his girlfriend and established poker pro Lika Gerasimova along with Dario Minieri, Huck Seed, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Mark Seif, Jeff Madsen, Steve Sung, and Daniel Alaei.

Notable celebrities who played on Day 1D included Ray Romano (actor), Jordan Farmar (Los Angeles Lakers basketball player), Marlon Wayans (actor and comedian), John Salley (former NBA basketball star), Lou Diamond Phillips (winner of “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here”), Joseph Kahn, and Sully Erna (musician). Farmar, Wayans, and Phillips survived the day.

The highest-ranked former WSOP gold bracelet winner from Day 1D is Josh Arieh, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia. Arieh, who took third in the 2004 WSOP Main Event for $2.5 million, bagged up 135,700 when play concluded. He doubled his 30,000 starting stack early in the day when he made the nut flush against an opponent’s second nut flush. From there, Arieh coasted to land among the chip leaders.

Here’s a look at how some other notable pros finished on Day 1D:

J.C. Tran – 139,975
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier – 127,475
Kirk Morrison – 96,000
Phil Ivey – 84,025
David Benyamine 81,700
Kenny Tran – 65,600
Jen Harman – 61,125
Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott – 59,000
Lee Markholt – 57,350
Tom “durrrr” Dwan – 24,100
Erick Lindgren – 20,450

Players who survived Day 1D will return on July 8th at Noon and merge with the survivors of Day 1C. Tuesday’s Day 2A will combine those that advanced from Days 1A and 1B. Players will take their seats at Noon on Tuesday and play five two-hour levels. Those that make it through will return on July 10 for Day 3, which will combine all of the players in the Main Event for the first time.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for continuing coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Alex Bolotin Wins WSOP Ante Up for Africa; Mike Tyson Enters

The 2009 installment of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa charity tournament brought out Hollywood’s elite and poker’s biggest names. In the end, Alex “Diesel” Boloton emerged victorious, winning $176,000 and donating half of his earnings to the ENOUGH Project and International Rescue Committee.

A total of 137 players took to the felts inside the Amazon Room for the Ante Up for Africa event, one of four tournaments that will be televised as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP. In 2007, the charity gala attracted 167 runners, while just 88 turned out last year. Prior to the festivities kicking off on Thursday, Ante Up for Africa Co-Founder and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke told reporters, “I knew how effective poker was as a fundraising tool. However, you can throw as much money at a problem as you want, but ESPN will help get awareness of things going on.” The Celebrity Apprentice runner-up added, “Poker players know how fortunate they are. We have a different view of money and what money is for. A lot of poker players are very socially responsible.”

A red carpet entrance preceded the festivities, with a bevy of stars lending their names to the $5,000 buy-in charity event. Among the first entrants down the red carpet was “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Brad Garrett, who told reporters that he’d want his tombstone to read, “I could smell it from here.” Following Garrett was former professional basketball star and current NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who explained that he was frustrated after poor performances in the Ante Up for Africa event over the past two years. He told People Magazine that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring Shaquille O’Neal was “a really good pickup.”

WSOP bracelet winner Jason Mercier, fresh off inking a sponsorship agreement with PokerStars, explained, “This feels really weird. I’m here with celebrities and stars of the poker world.” When asked what celebrity he ogled the most, Mercier responded, “Charles Barkley – I watched him play basketball since I was a little kid.” Mercier then joked, “Watch me take this down.” Others who followed Mercier down the red carpet included comedian Sarah Silverman, NBA on TNT analyst Kenny Smith, actor Dean Cain, “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander, Ben Affleck, “Rounders” star Matt Damon, and rapper Nelly.

One of the surprise turnouts to the 2009 WSOP Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament was legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who has recently gained a cult following as a result of his cameo in the box office blockbuster “The Hangover.” Tyson told Poker News Daily that he does not regularly play poker, but was looking forward to competing. A tiger did not accompany him down the red carpet. Media outlets in attendance included US Weekly, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the L.A. Times, ABC Radio, the Hollywood Reporter, the Associated Press, and a variety of local television stations and Hollywood photo services.

Poker’s elite dominated the final standings, with Rafe Furst, Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, Steve Zolotow, and Ultimate Bet pro Matt “mattg1983” Graham all making the money. Other poker stars that turned out included 2008 WSOP Main Event Last Woman Standing Tiffany Michelle, Andy Bloch, Brandon Cantu, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Barry Greenstein, Greg Raymer, Robert Williamson III, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Peter Eastgate, and Victor Ramdin.

The tournament ran for 10 hours, about twice as long as WSOP officials had estimated prior to the event. At the end of the day, $362,000 was raised for charity. The top 10 finishers were as follows:

1. Alex Bolotin - $176,449
2. Adam Richardson - $109,194
3. Rafe Furst - $72,308
4. Erik Seidel - $51,601
5. Chris Ferguson - $38,550
6. Phil Gordon - $30,760
7. John Hennigan - $25,900
8. Matt Kay - $22,970
9. Jennifer Harman - $21,439
10. Phillip Tom - $15,713

Bodog Opens 2009 WSOP Ante Up for Africa Betting

Online poker room, sports book, and casino Bodog has opened up betting lines for the Ante Up for Africa event held as part of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The tournament kicks off on July 2nd and is expected to last five hours.

The event will become part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP, joining the $40,000 buy-in tournament commemorating the Series’ 40th running, the Champions Invitational, and the Main Event. Viewers can tune into ESPN on Tuesday, August 11th to catch all of the action from the Ante Up for Africa fundraiser. The charity was founded by “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, actor Don Cheadle, and Norman Epstein to generate money and awareness for victims of the crisis in Darfur. It raised over $2 million in its first two years after being founded in 2006. Duke raised over $730,000 for Refugees International on “Celebrity Apprentice” after finishing second in the reality series to comedian Joan Rivers.

Bodog asks potential bettors, “Which Celebrity will last longest in the 2009 Ante Up for Africa Tournament starting on July 2nd?” Leading the way at the time of writing is Cheadle, who is going off at 7:1 odds. The “Oceans Eleven” and “Crash” actor is a sponsored pro of Full Tilt Poker after signing with the site last month. “Rounders” star Matt Damon sits at 9:1 odds, tied with “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander. The 1998 film “Rounders” turned many of today’s established superstars onto the game of poker. Alexander took 10th in the inaugural Ante Up for Africa charity tournament in 2007, cashing for $12,000 in the $5,000 buy-in event.

Basketball legends Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith are both fetching 10:1 odds. Barkley played in last year’s running of the Ante Up for Africa event and was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1993 as a member of the Phoenix Suns. The Auburn University alum was an 11-time NBA All-Star. Smith graduated from the University of North Carolina and won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995 with the Houston Rockets. Smith and Barkley are both NBA analysts for cable station TNT.

Montel Williams, Hank Azaria, and Casey Affleck are each going off at 8:1. At one point, Williams was the chip leader of the 2007 WSOP Main Event, but fell by the wayside on Day 2. Azaria voices several characters on “The Simpsons” animated series, including Apu, Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Duffman. Affleck also lent his name to the “Oceans Eleven” franchise and finished ninth in the Ante Up for Africa tournament last year for $16,000, an event ultimately won by John “World” Hennigan.

Two former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestants are available for betting. Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, whose suggestion to Rivers that she use celebrity impersonators on the show’s final task may have propelled the talk show host to victory, is going off at 9:1. Dennis Rodman, who was fired after a boardroom that centered on his alcohol abuse, is fetching 10:1 odds. Rodman won five NBA titles as a member of the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.

“Everybody Loves Raymond” actor Brad Garrett has 9:1 odds on his head. Garrett was a former winner on “Celebrity Poker Showdown” after defeating his original table, which included Curt Schilling, Catherine O’Hara, Sara Rue, and fellow “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Ray Romano. He then defeated Jason Alexander, Bonnie Hunt, Colin Quinn, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in the season finale. Former NBA star Reggie Miller is also generating 9:1 odds. Joining him are actress Sarah Silverman and comedian Marlon Wayans.

Other celebrities slated to appear in the 2009 Ante Up for Africa event during the 2009 WSOP include Ben Affleck, Mekhi Phifer, Cedric The Entertainer, Tia Carrere, Danny Masterson, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Cheryl Hines, and Rob Schneider. Representing the poker world will be Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Tiffany Michelle, Andy Bloch, and Erik Seidel. More participants are expected to be announced.

Prince crowned at Bayou Poker Challenge

Gaspard, a professional poker player from Chicago, came into the third and final day of the Circuit's $5,000 New Orleans finale with a commanding chip lead and never relinquished it over the ensuing five hours of play.

He personally eliminated Kurt Scheer (9th) and Justin Allen (7th) in a pair of fortuitous hands to build his stack up to more than double his closest rival and maintain his dominance as his rivals handled the rest of the eliminations.

Ultimately, Gaspard and runners-up Billy Kopp and Ken Christopher decided to chop the remaining prize money while three-handed.

When negotiations concluded, so too did play, as none of the remaining players deemed it necessary to finish the contest.

Gaspard, who held more than half of the chips in play at the time of the chop, earned the WSOPC title and a $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event of the World Series of Poker this summer.

The former pro basketball prospect now has over $950,000 in career tournament winnings since turning his attention from the hardwood to the felt.

"The reason I play sports is because I love doing it - it's as simple as that," he said. "I am very competitive by nature. Basketball meant a lot to me, but after I discovered poker, I found something new that I could compete - and win - at."

In total, 167 players played the final WSOP Circuit event of the season.

Among those to cash were Shaun Deeb (14th place), Matt Brady (12th place) and Dwyte Pilgrim, whose 18th-place finish marked his thirteenth cash of the 2008-2009 WSOPC season, earning him unofficial "Player of the Year" honors.

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Doyle’s golfing career

As you probably know, I was a world class athlete in track and basketball as a youngster. I broke my leg severely which ended all of that. I then played poker for a number of years and then found golf at the age of 30. I still had great hand and eye …

A Poker Pro Mortgages His Life For a Trip To Vegas!

It is probably wrong to call Bo Fric a poker pro in a sense that we normally know it. He has never had big success in poker, actually he is almost broke. He calls himself “just a regular guy who likes to play poker”.

Mister Fric himself.

Many, or should I say all, poker players dream of a trip to Las Vegas to play the Main Event of WSOP. Fric, a fan of Eli Elezra (because he wears his hair the same way like Fric), is going to fulfill that dream and many others on this summer in a project he calls “My Poker Bucket List”.

Here is the list what Fric is planning on doing in Las Vegas:

# Take Doyle Brunson out for dinner
# Shoot craps with Phil Ivey
# Play Golden Tee, Wii, and Pool with Daniel Negreanu
# Win a hand in Bobby’s Room
# Have lunch with the Canadian heroes: Daniel, Brad, Gavin and Nenad and FBT
# Train MMA with Team Cardrunners and a UFC star
# Play a $10,000 hand of blackjack
# Have a drinking contest with Gavin Smith
# Go club hopping with Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Laak
# Play the main event
# Go to a gentlemen’s club with Layne Flack
# Drive cart for Patrick Antonius or David Benyamine in high stakes golf match
# Learn to pick up Asian women from Barry Greenstein
# Play a game of pickup basketball with Nenad, Grinder, Huck, J.C. and others
# Go suit shopping with Sammy Farha
# Get business advice from Eli Elezra and Howard Lederer
# Drink coronas with Scotty Nguyen
# Play Mike Matusow in a match play golf game
# Sweat $5,000 sportsbet with Erick Lindgren
# Spend an afternoon at the spa with Tom “Durrr” Dwan
# Play Chinese Poker with Poker Road crew Ali, Gavin, Joe, and Huff.
# Appear on Poker Road Radio
# ATV with the Poker Road Crew
# Cash in a WSOP event
# Ride in a Bugatti with Guy Laliberte
# Play Video Poker with Archie Karas
# Take a helicopter ride with Chris Moneymaker
# Go stockcar racing with Gus Hansen
# Take a balloon ride with Sam Grizzle
# Get Joel some female help
# Play Rock Band with Evelyn Ng
# Play blackjack with Andy Bloch
# Practice Yoga with Allen Cunningham
# Go out for an evening of swing dancing with Chris Ferguson
# Practice Buddhism with Andy Black
# Visit Fremont St. with Gabe Kaplan
# Meet the guy who got breast implants for a prop bet
# Get marriage advice from Norman Chad
# Have a smoke break with Eugene Todd
# Get publishing advice from Dan Harrington
# Host the world’s largest poker pro paintball game

Well, that is a long list to accomplish and he will need a lot of money to do all the stuff. Fric is planning on filming his trip and make a documentary about it afterwards and of course a book. But there are few problems in his plans:

1. I don’t know any of these people on a personal level and really don’t know how to begin.

2. I currently have a slight negative balance in my bank account, $30,000 in credit card debt, and less than $3,000 liquid cash.

3. I don’t know the first damn thing about writing a book or filming a documentary.

Mortgaging a house is a good start for making money. If you want to help Fric in this plan and find more information about him, check out the website of the Poker Bucket List and sign as a member for free.

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A Poker Pro Mortgages His Life For a Trip To Vegas!

Joan Rivers Calls Poker Players Trash, Annie Duke a Nazi on Celebrity Apprentice

The confrontation between Joan Rivers and Annie Duke was taken to a new level on this week’s episode of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. Joan’s daughter, Melissa Rivers, took the fall as a result of her team’s loss, leading the elder Rivers to label all poker players “trash” and call Duke a Nazi in a profanity-laced tirade. Note that this article contains language that is not suitable for all audiences.

Previous episodes have been highlighted by Joan Rivers comparing Duke to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. This week’s task challenged the teams to create a four-page spread in Sports Illustrated (SI) for Right Guard Fast Break. Each ad would prominently feature New York Knicks Power Forward David Lee, a rising star in the NBA. Because of last week’s loss, Kotu was down to just two members. Show host Donald Trump sent West Coast Choppers CEO Jesse James to the team, which ultimately chose country music star Clint Black to be its Project Manager. Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick became Project Manager of the all-female team Athena, which featured Duke and the younger Rivers, who is a producer by trade.

Melissa Rivers immediately threw out ideas for the spread, but was given the cold shoulder by Duke and Roderick, who had formed a bond during recent installments of the popular reality series. Duke told NBC cameras, “Melissa came up with some cockamamie idea. This isn’t for Redbook. This isn’t for some women’s magazine. This is for SI. Men read SI. If that’s her main idea she’s going to offer up, she’s going to be cut out of the process.” Duke devised the idea of shooting Lee entirely nude with a basketball covering his private parts. The idea was later tweaked to include only the waist up. The shot would be paired with a tagline reminding readers that Right Guard was the only thing Lee needed to wear.

The younger Rivers’ annoyance with Roderick and Duke continued to build throughout the episode. She explained, “The way Annie talks and the rudeness and the sense of entitlement and thinking that she’s so much better than everybody else – That annoys me. Annie is beyond arrogant.” Meanwhile, her opponents, Kotu, met with Right Guard executives, who emphasized the importance of the “power stripe,” an important branding element. For Athena, this component of the product was not discussed on air.

Duke created a four-page spread showing a typical day in Lee’s life. Each shot showed the NBA star being comfortable and, more importantly, being dry. Melissa Rivers commented, “Brande thinks she’s in charge of the task, but it’s clearly Annie. Annie is totally manipulating Brande.” The tension in Athena paralleled the strife in Kotu, where Black chose to run with his own ideas, as has been the case in previous episodes. James created the concept of showing how Lee, a small-town kid from Missouri, entered the high-pressure New York City NBA market. While Black incorporated parts of James’ vision, he still brushed off others, leading the motorcycle enthusiast to become detached throughout the episode. He could regularly be seen staring at his Apple computer.

Athena went to a local club to shoot images for its spread. Melissa Rivers directed the photography, but Duke commented, “I think Melissa knows she’s the odd man out, but frankly I don’t need to conspire against Melissa. I think Melissa is doing a good job of conspiring against herself.” James was equally unhappy, stating in a side interview during the task, “Clint sucks. The ad’s cheesy. The layout’s cheesy. The photos are cheesy. It’s a bummer.”

Duke attempted to make Melissa Rivers feel more at home on the team. However, she later told NBC cameras, “Brande told me that Melissa was having a paranoid fantasy about us conspiring against her, so I tried to make sure I was pulling her in privately. It absolutely made it seem like I wasn’t on Brande’s side. Playing cards is all about game theory, managing your opponents, and trying to figure out very logical strategies to counteract. There are ways to manipulate your competitors.” Duke then checked in with the Kotu, attempting to gauge her adversaries’ moods. Joan Rivers, who was seated next to James at the time, critiqued, “Annie plays people so brilliantly. She’s so despicable. She’s so duplicitous. I can’t wait for her to get her first facelift because she’s going to need two doctors.”

James’ frustrations finally boiled over. In the waning hours of the night, he told Black that he disapproved of the team’s final project. The conversation was highlighted by James telling the country superstar, “You need to pack your shit and go home.” The star of CNBC’s “Mad Money,” Jim Cramer, who served as Trump’s eyes and ears during the episode, then visited Athena. His stay included Duke pointing out various areas of the task that she was responsible for, which included branding and the team’s presentation. Cramer was impressed by Duke’s positioning: “I think that Annie set it up so that if they lose, Annie doesn’t take the bullet. It’s a rather remarkable position to be able to take credit for the good, but certainly not be hit if they don’t win.” Duke gave Athena’s presentation to the Right Guard executives, while Black explained Kotu’s message. In the end, the executives sided with Kotu, sending Duke and Athena to the boardroom.

In the boardroom, Ivanka Trump questioned why Roderick delegated the key elements of the task to Duke. The World Series of Poker bracelet winner told the panel, “I doubt that there’s anyone in this game who wants to win more than I do.” While watching from the team’s suite, Kotu’s Joan Rivers quipped, “You’re damn right. You’ll bury your mother for it.” In the middle of the boardroom, Trump passed a note to Cramer, whispered to him, and then reminded the contestants that raising money for charity would mean a considerable amount in the later stages of Celebrity Apprentice. Duke and Roderick are the number one and two fundraisers on the show to date, respectively, leaving Trump to fire the younger Rivers.

The dismissal ignited a melee among Duke, Roderick, and the Rivers family. Joan Rivers told her team, “You have a Nazi and a follower. I don’t work with scum.” Instead of exiting the building immediately, as is customary, Melissa Rivers instead fled to her mother, telling off Celebrity Apprentice staff in the process. To two producers, she stated, “Fuck you. Fuck you. I’m not doing an interview.” Between the edited profanity, the words “whore” and “pit vipers” were clearly audible. Passing Duke and Roderick in the hallway, Melissa Rivers greeted, “Fuck you both. Goodbye.”

Joan Rivers, who was packing her belongings to leave as well, told Duke and Roderick, respectively, “You are a piece of shit. You are a stupid blonde.” Joan Rivers then fired a shot across the bow of poker players everywhere, stating, “Your people give money with blood on it. I met your people in Las Vegas. None of them have last names. You’re a poker player. A poker player! That’s beyond white trash. Poker players are trash, darling, trash.” Both Rivers entered an elevator and left Trump Towers, with Melissa Rivers shouting, "Lying fucking whores."

Next Sunday, the final five (or four if Joan Rivers has truly quit the show) return at 9:00pm ET on NBC.