Poker News

The iPad and its Potential With Online Poker

Although most online poker players use Windows PCs, there has been a growing swell of players using Apple Mac computers like MacBook Pros and iMacs.  The Mac-centric poker niche is growing, with four major sites having native software clients: PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, UB.com, and Absolute Poker. The popular hand history tracking utility PokerTracker 3 came out recently with a Mac OS X beta edition of its software.  With the release of Apple’s tablet computer, the iPad, there has been plenty of speculation about the machine's future with online poker.

When thinking about the iPad and its potential for being used for online poker, we need to keep the following questions in mind:

• What are the hardware specs of the iPad?
• Is the interface going to be applicable to an online poker software program?
• Will the screen quality and resolution level make online poker practical?
• Does the iPad have enough bandwidth to have a lag-free online poker experience?
• Is the iPad OS something that a poker site can work with to create an App?
• Will the legal environment allow a poker site to release an App?

The iPad is a high-resolution 9.7-inch LED-backlit computer that weighs just 1.5 pounds.  It’s touted as being perfect for web browsing, watching movies, and viewing photos.  The unit works in either portrait or landscape mode, very similarly to an iPod Touch or iPhone.  The multi-touch screen on the iPad is based on the current iPhone technology, but has been totally re-engineered for the larger surface to be more precise and responsive.  The battery life is said to last up to 10 hours by using a special lithium-polymer technology.  The iPad uses an A4 chip that was custom designed by Apple engineers to be extremely powerful, but at the same time very power efficient.  Units will have an option for 16, 32, or 64 GB of internal flash storage.

All iPad units will have built-in WiFi with 802.11n, which is currently the fastest wireless protocol available.  In addition, there will be 3G models with data speeds up to 7.2 MB per second on the AT&T network for coverage anywhere without a WiFi network, but with a 3G signal.  Units are expected to start shipping at the end of March and the base version costs just $499.

The iPad interface is the multi-touch screen that has been made more precise and responsive to help counter the potential problems it would face with a much larger screen.  The resolution of the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen is 1024x768, which is a bit inferior to what most experts predicted it would be.

With all the glitz and glamor of the iPad now out in the open, as poker players, we’re wondering about its capabilities for online poker.  The unit, on the surface, seems like a great little online poker machine.  The touch screen appears to be perfect for interfacing with a poker table.  You could use the bet slider with the flick of a finger, fold or check by tapping the appropriate button, and even muck your cards by flicking them into the middle of the table.  Interface-wise, there’s no question that the touch-screen of the unit will work splendidly.

The next question for whether or not the iPad would be feasible for an online poker player is how a table would look on the screen.  There’s plenty of screen available for a single poker table to load up in the 1024x768 space.  In fact, it’s probably feasible to have four tables load up at the same time.  The graphics capabilities of the unit were rather impressive during Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ presentation with a few video games, so we know it can handle the minimal graphics required by many of the poker rooms.

Another question we have to answer is about the iPad bringing the necessary bandwidth to play one or even four tables at the same time.  Since most poker rooms only require a dial-up connection, which is surpassed in spades by both WiFi and 3G connections, there’s absolutely no concern about the unit not having enough bandwidth to handle the rigors of playing online poker.

The iPad uses a new operating system that works very similar to the iPhone OS, with more capabilities to take advantage of the unit’s more robust power.  Because the development kit is already available to software developers, there wouldn’t be much of a stumbling block to developing a solid iPad version of the software.

With the all of the questions answered fairly positively when asking the question whether or not the iPad will work with online poker, we’re down to our final one: Will the current legal environment allow it?  Since Apple is based in California and controls the App Store, the worldwide distribution of Apps for the iPad will be based on U.S. laws.  The legal environment in the United States is murky at best with online poker, with virtually no chance of Apple approving an App created by a major poker site for real money poker play.  With that being the case, it would seem foolish to expect a poker site to invest money and resources toward a project that would only meet failure.

The potential future of the iPad and real money online poker is bright.  The unit is perfect for those who want to sit on their couch, relax, and play a few hands of poker.  Maybe you’re stuck at the airport or who knows where and you want to log on and play a few hands.  The iPad certainly has the technological power to handle the task.  The only stumbling block is left up to the legal environment.  For now, we’ll probably just enjoy whatever random Texas Hold’em video games Apple approves in the iPad App Store to satisfy our poker craving.

L.A. Poker Classic Unique Opening Event Draws Sizeable Field

Poker tournament participation has recently been holding steady or, in some cases, even showing a decline in many American casinos. The opening event of this year’s L.A. Poker Classic has bucked this trend.

The L.A. Poker Classic, held annually at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, is recognized as one of the preeminent tournament events on the yearly schedule. It opened up play on January 20th with one of the more unusual events on its 51 tournament slate. The $300 buy in No Limit Hold’em event featured a guaranteed $1 million prize pool, which automatically ensures that a deep field will contend for the championship.  Tournament director Matt Savage, who has been lauded for his tweaking of tournaments since he took over as the main man at the Commerce last year, had another surprise in store for the Commerce contestants.

For the opening tournament, Savage scheduled four Day Ones and. Players who were eliminated on any of the first three Day Ones could enter again. With the ability to reenter the tournament, players were highly aggressive over the first three days of competition. Savage’s innovation for the first event on the L.A. Poker Classic schedule led to one of the largest tournament fields outside of a World Series of Poker (WSOP) event in history.

After the carnage of the first four days was completed, a total of 3,791 “unique” players had entered the event, according to a Tweet from Savage. Of those original entries, another 2,083 buy ins were received from players who had been eliminated, but felt they still had a chance at taking down the tournament. When Day Two of the tournament began on Sunday, 5,847 buy ins were recorded, eclipsing the guarantee by over $754,000.

With 3,791 players into the tournament, 540 took away at least $600 for their troubles; however, the majority of the prize pool was divvied up on Day Two. The 72 players who survived the first four days would earn a minimum of $1,980 for their efforts. Leading the way was Tim Telesio of Moreno Valley, California, but he was hotly pursued by several top Los Angeles pros such as Michael Woo, Cuong Nguyen, and Gevork Kasabyan.

The battle for the final table raged well into Monday morning. Nguyen and Kasabyan were victims of the early action on Sunday, but Woo was able to drive to the final table and finished in sixth place. Taking the championship early on Monday was Darrell Cain, who started the day in 25th place. Cain, who calls Sacramento home, was able to defeat Rocky River, Ohio’s Michael Blocksidge in heads-up action to win the “Bronco Buster” trophy (based on the Frederic Remington bronze statue of the same name) and the first place prize of $363,936.

Savage’s innovative tournaments will not be limited to just the opening event of this year’s L.A. Poker Classic. In an attempt to cater to players of all disciplines of poker, Savage has brought such games as Badugi, Chinese Poker, and an Eight-Game Mixed event to center stage at the Commerce during the L.A. Poker Classic. Perhaps Savage’s best innovation, however, is the Ironman Tournament.

The Ironman Tournament, which will be played on February 21st, is a creation from what some would say is the more sadistic side of Savage’s mind. In the $2,000 event, there are no breaks, whether for personal reasons or meals. A player can leave the table at any time, but the player continues to be dealt and blinds are posted appropriately. Play continues until a champion is determined, with the winner taking 50% of the prize pool and a seat into the World Poker Tour (WPT) L.A. Poker Classic Championship Event. No deals are allowed and a security guard stationed outside of the restroom ensures that everyone washes their hands.

The innovative Ironman Tournament was a success when it was unveiled last September. Savage debuted the concept during last year’s Commerce Casino Hold’em Series and 64 players took to the felt for the tournament. After over 19 hours of play, Brett Radin walked away with the $51,160 first prize, defeating a field that included 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, Gavin Griffin, Matt “mattg1983” Graham, and defending WPT L.A. Poker Championship winner Cornel Andrew Cimpan.

Savage’s reputation for staging the best poker tournaments in the game today, as well as his innovative game creations, should have the L.A. Poker Classic on the minds of anyone connected to the poker world. The tournament schedule currently in action continues play through the month of February and will end the first week of March with the completion of the WPT Championship Event.

Darvin Moon to Attend NFC Championship with Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney

This weekend, the New Orleans Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:40pm ET on Sunday and the game will air on Fox. Among those in attendance will be 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon.

Moon will be seated in a luxury box in the Louisiana Superdome, home of the Saints, alongside several top-tier names. Headlining the list is singer Jimmy Buffet, whose bevy of hit singles include "Margaritaville," "Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude," "Cheeseburger in Paradise," and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," which he recorded with country superstar Alan Jackson. Buffet’s career has spanned 40 years and resulted in a bevy of chart-topping hits. He even has his own restaurant chain, Margaritaville, which has a location inside the Flamingo on the Las Vegas Strip.

Speaking of country music, Kenny Chesney will also be seated in the same suite as Moon, according to Saints officials. Chesney, from East Tennessee, has been cranking out hits since 1993. He struck it big in the late 1990s with "She's Got It All" and then released two more hit singles before the decade was through, "How Forever Feels" and "You Had Me from Hello.” In the 2000s, Chesney became a staple of the country music scene, pumping out memorable tunes like "Young," "The Good Stuff," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems,” and "Living in Fast Forward." His 2009 hit "Out Last Night" hit number one on the U.S. country charts.

Not all of Moon’s new pals hail from the world of music. Joining Moon, Buffet, and Chesney will be Avery Johnson, the head coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks since 2004. Johnson, the NBA Coach of the Year in 2006, saw his team fall to the Miami Heat in that year’s NBA Finals. Johnson won a championship ring in 1999 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. In fact, the Spurs retired his number in 2007 and the current Mavericks coach became a member of the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame one year ago.

Wrapping up Moon’s star-studded company is Ronnie Lott. A standout from the University of Southern California (USC), Lott was drafted in 1981 and spent most of his career with the San Francisco 49ers. Lott is a four-time Super Bowl Champion and became a member of the illustrious Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 2000. He briefly joined the broadcast team of the “NFL on Fox” in the mid-1990s and currently resides in California. Lott is one of the top defensive players in NFL history and rounds out Moon’s cheering section during Sunday’s encounter.

The Saints received a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs and pummeled Kurt Warner and the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals last weekend by a final score of 45-14. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns as the team cruised to victory. Brees led the NFL in touchdowns during the 16-game regular season with 34, one more than Minnesota Vikings signal caller Brett Favre and Indianapolis Colts gunslinger Peyton Manning. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will likely have the call for Fox from New Orleans.

The Saints’ opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, flattened the Dallas Cowboys last week and also received a first-round bye in the post-season. Favre, whose decision whether to retire or play has dominated off-season headlines for the last half-decade, threw for 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns during the NFL regular season. He hasn’t tossed an interception since December 20th and has just nine turnovers all season. Favre is 40 years-old and played college ball at Southern Mississippi.

No in game or on air recognition of Moon is planned, according to Saints media relations staff.

Tribes meet in city to discuss internet poker

After the California Nations Indian Gaming Association chairman called for unity at the Western Indian Gaming Conference on Wednesday, tribes began to tackle the complicated issue of legalizing Internet poker in the state.

Mark Seif Speaks About Amir Vahedi’s Death and Funeral Info

The poker world still mourns the loss of beloved player Amir Vahedi, known in Hollywood circles for having been Ben Affleck’s first poker tutor. His colleague and close friend Mark Seif recently made declarations on his website regarding the loss of Vahedi and shared the information about his funeral for anyone who wishes to pay their respects to the late poker player.

Seif wrote that Vahedi’s brothers were concerned about some inaccurate information about Vahedi’s death in the news.

I spoke to Amir’s brothers, Masoud and Sayed today.  They are heartbroken over the loss of their brother.  While deeply saddened by their brother’s passing, they told me that the outpouring of condolences and support has been overwhelming.  They are very thankful and have asked that I clarify a few facts that have been misreported in the news.

The first item that Seif clarifies is that Vahedi’s cause of death is yet unknown. While it is suspected that diabetes may have been the cause, there is a full autopsy and toxicology examination in progress to determine exactly what caused Vahedi’s passing:

The cause of death is unknown at this time.  An autopsy was performed in Las Vegas, where Amir’s body remains for at least a couple more days, until it is transported to Southern California.  The final autopsy report is expected in 6-8 weeks.  The preliminary findings were that all of Amir’s vital organs appeared healthy, and there were no signs of disease or injury.  The family confirmed that Amir was diabetic, but do not know if diabetes played a role in his death.  They are awaiting toxicology reports.

A point that Seif puts special stress on is the fact that Vahedi was a family man whose unexpected death has left many bereaved, since it seems some outlets reported Vahedi had left no family:

The reports that Amir died without any family are inaccurate.  In addition to his brothers, Amir has a sister, two daughters, Chanel and Erika, and a son.  Amir’s sister and children are heartbroken as well.

Many poker celebrities and reporters have expressed their condolences on Twitter. They include the great Doyle Brunson, whose site signed Vahedi as a pro for a while: “We will miss Amir Vahedi. He represented Doylesroom for a year or so, was a great guy, willing to do anything that was asked of him...RIP.” “The Professor” Howard Lederer had few, but meaningful, words to say about Vahedi’s passing: “Amir Vahedi was one of the good guys. I'm very sad. RIP.” The opinionated Daniel Negreanu also commented on this sad occasion: “RIP Amir Vahedi. Amir was a hard worker that did everything to support his family. My condolences to the Vahedi family. Must be tough.”

Those who wish to pay their respects to the late Vahedi and give their condolences to his family can do so on Friday, January 15th at 3:00pm at Forrest Lawn Memorial in Hollywood Hills, California.

Amir Vahedi Dies After Diabetes Complications

In a tragic story coming out of Las Vegas, World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Amir Vahedi has passed away after complications arising from diabetes, according to fellow poker pro Mark Seif. He was 57 years-old.

In the early morning hours of January 10th, Seif, an Absolute Poker pro, posted on his blog, “I’ve just been told by close friends of Amir Vahedi that Vahedi passed away in Las Vegas on January 8, 2010, due to complications involving blood sugar levels.  Waiting for more details. Devastating news. Very very sad.” Vahedi finished seventh in the 2008 World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, earning $237,000. His bracelet win came back in 2003, when Vahedi bested Cleve Haley in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event for $270,000 during the WSOP.

A wave of support streamed in via Twitter. UB.com pro Annie Duke commented on Sunday morning, “Still thinking about Amir. What a nice, sweet, funny soul. I keep picturing him with his cigar and his smile. 2 things he always had.” She further speculated that Vahedi passed away due to complications with diabetes. Fellow UB.com pro and 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth added, “Amir Vahedi Rest In Peace my old friend...Amir was one of the nicest, gentlest guys on tour, and everyone loved him...Very sad, diabetes...”

“Hollywood” Dave Stann weighed in on the death via Twitter as well, reminiscing about a poker tournament that played out in November: “Amir Vahedi rocked. Just saw him @ my bday HORSE tourney & have vid footage of him there, which now is so much more precious. RIP, friend.” Stann called for a charity tournament to take place during the upcoming L.A. Poker Classic in honor of Vahedi. The WPT Main Event at the California casino kicks off on February 26th and crowns a champion on March 4th.

On PocketFives.com, a thread entitled “RIP Amir Vahedi” was flooded with posters paying homage to the WSOP bracelet winner. Site Mod “Dissident” weighed in, “always though Amir was a class act. RIP.” Fellow online poker player “ill flu” recalled pertinent words of advice that Vahedi once spoke: “He actually said, ‘In order to live, you must be willing to die…’ I actually remember that out of his mouth.”

Finally, longtime poker player “CalBandGreat” shared his memories of the affable Vahedi: “I have played with Amir dozens of times and he was always a class act and very friendly. He would play in a lot of midstakes MTT's at Hollywood Park, The Bike or Commerce and he would be one of the few people in the tourney who everyone recognized, so a lot of people went up to talk with him and he was nice to everyone. Very sad news.”

Vahedi was an Iranian transplant and served as a poker mentor to actor Ben Affleck. In a comment posted on the website of Bluff Magazine, “Cowboy” Kenna James fondly spoke of Vahedi’s spirit: “Amir lived life and made no excuses. He played the game hard and fast and put opponents on their heals. But always with a broad smile and a laugh that exposed his love of the game.”

Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Nolan Dalla gave his two cents on the life of Vahedi on Bluff’s website, explaining, “Amir was one of poker’s nicest players and most colorful personalities. His life story was right out of a novel, immigrating to this country from a repressed war-torn region, ultimately becoming one of the most beloved people in an entire industry.” Other Iranian-born members of the poker community include Shawn Sheikhan, Mansour Matloubi, and three-time bracelet winner Farzad Bonyadi.

Poker News Daily would like to extend our condolences to the entire Vahedi family.

Amir Vahedi Dies

Born in Tehran, Iran, Vahedi was a former Iranian soldier who moved to the United States as a political refugee.

After owning several businesses in the U.S., Vahedi took on poker as a full-time profession, rising to prominence in 2003 when he won his first and only World Series of Poker bracelet and finished sixth in the Main Event.

Vahedi’s career tournament earnings totaled more than $3.3 million and he once famously tutored actor Ben Affleck when Affleck caught the poker bug.

He was named No-Limit Texas Hold'em Player of the Year in 2001 and had nine No-Limit final table appearances in 2003 alone.

However, the Sherman Oaks, California resident was perhaps most famous for constantly chomping on an unlit cigar at the poker table.

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2010 PCA: Island Vibe Perfect for Poker

“I don’t know what it is,” said the 35-year-old software analyst turned poker pro from Stockton, California.  “I guess I really like this place.”

After finishing runner-up to Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier at the 2008 PCA, Khan went deep at Atlantis again last year, making 21^st place.

This year, he managed another strong finish, busting out 37^th on Day 4 Saturday.

“The fact that I’ve been here before and gone through such a big field, I feel that it helps me,” he explained. “It helps me remain calm and patient.”

Calm and patient is the exact same vibe Floridian poker pro Robert Mizrachi said he feels while playing in the Caribbean, and the results have followed.

Mizrachi managed a fourth place finish at the 2007 PCA and in late 2009, he finished runner-up at Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic.

“I guess it’s more relaxing,” he said of playing on the islands. “You’ve got nothing on your mind and it’s easy to focus on poker.”

Just 24 players remain in the hunt for the title and $2.2 million first-place prize headed into Day 5 Sunday and Mizrachi is still deep-stacked and in the hunt.

The 1,529 entrants this year have made the 2010 PCA the largest tournament ever held outside the United States.

Like Aruba, the PCA sees more people win their seats online than the average big buy-in tournament.

In fact, with a total of 756 online qualifiers, almost half of the field won their way into the 2010 PCA on the virtual felt.

A fact Mizrachi said sets up well for his game.

“They are actually very aggressive players and I just know how to pick my spots against them,” he said. “I guess I play better against more aggressive players. My style of play is very effective against 18-21-year-old Internet players. With their style of play, I just know how to beat them.

“I play sometimes more aggressive than them, and other times I just try to trap them - Mixing it up works very well.”

No matter how calm and relaxed the island vibe is, wading your way through such a massive field is no easy task, even for a man who seems to do it every year.

“It’s a huge tournament so you are dodging land mines every day,” said Khan. “I really don’t know what it is for me here. I guess it’s a matter of running good and playing good.”

Joining Mizrachi among the leaders heading into Day 5 are two-time PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker event winner Ryan D’Angelo, Team PokerStars Pro and EPT founder John Duthie and WSOPE main event champion and CardPlayer publisher Barry Shulman.

To catch all the island poker action at the 2010 PCA as the remaining 24 play down to a final table of eight Sunday, tune in to PokerListings’ Live Updates.

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Poker After Dark Season 6 Kicks Off with Commentators III

Season 6 of the popular NBC poker program “Poker After Dark” kicked off this week with “Commentators III.” In a somewhat surreal scene, announcers from popular poker programs took to the felts at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas.

Each player started with 20,000 in chips and blinds at 100-200. Dan Gati replaced Full Tilt Poker’s Ali Nejad in the booth, as Nejad took to the felts as part of the kickoff week. He raised with A-J in the first hand shown and received no action, turning over his two cards to prove that he always has a hand. Also appearing as part of “Commentators III” this week are Howard Lederer, “High Stakes Poker” hosts Gabe Kaplan and Kara Scott, “Poker2Nite” anchor and UB.com pro Joe Sebok, and Mark Gregorich.

In one hand, Nejad raised to 650 pre-flop with K-J and Lederer made the call with 10-J. The flop came 8-9-6, giving Lederer an open-ended straight draw, and the action went check-check to a four on the turn. Lederer led out for 875 and Nejad quickly mucked, prompting a flurry of references to a set of fours. During the last “Commentators” week, Nejad busted with a set of fours against Kaplan’s set of tens.

Nejad then ramped up his charm, telling the assembled panel of announcers, “I had something special to do today in honor of Joe [Sebok] finally making a TV table.” He produced a tray of champagne classes and gave one to each competitor. Sebok has a bevy of televised final table bubbles in his career, including a ninth place finish in the 2008 World Poker Tour (WPT) Festa al Lago, a seventh place finish at the 2007 Legends of Poker, and a seventh place finish at the 2007 Bay 101 Shooting Star; WPT final tables are played six-handed. He finished fifth in the 2006 Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic for $99,000.

On his tendency to bubble, Sebok told “Poker After Dark” host Leeann Tweeden, “Unfortunately in poker, I became more famous for missteps than good steps.” It was later revealed that Sebok and Nejad attended the University of California, Berkley at the same time, leading to a discussion as to whether the two had ever met. Kaplan then flopped the nuts with K-J on a board of 10-Q-A. Nejad, who held Q-J for middle pair and a gutshot straight draw, bet 850 after Kaplan checked. Kaplan raised to 2,100 and Nejad folded.

Twenty-five minutes into the kickoff episode of “Poker After Dark” Season 6, the first river card was dealt. Sebok led out for 550 with Q-3 on a board of 4-8-Q with two spades. Kaplan put in a raise to 2,150 with 3-4 of spades and Sebok called. The turn was another queen, giving Sebok trips, and the action went check-check. The river was a four, giving both players full houses. Sebok bet 2,700 and Kaplan wisely folded. Sebok became the new chip leader after scooping the pot of 7,900.

Scott, who was largely quiet throughout the episode, donned a CardRunners logo for her first “Poker After Dark” appearance. She exclaimed, “I’m playing with Gabe Kaplan! It’s really exciting!” Amid discussion of the upcoming Heath Ledger movie, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” Sebok raised to 1,100 with A-K and Gregorich called with pocket nines. The flop fell 7-3-10 and Sebok made a continuation bet of 1,600. Gregorich called and a six came on the turn. The action went check-check as Sebok let his foot off the gas and a four came on the river. Both players again checked and Gregorich scooped the 6,000-chip pot.

In one of the final hands shown on Monday night’s episode, Gregorich held pocket rockets and raised to 1,200 pre-flop. Sebok came along with 5-6 of clubs from the big blind and the flop came Q-6-8. Sebok checked, Gregorich fired out a bet of 3,000, and Sebok folded.

“Commentators III” continues all week on “Poker After Dark.” The franchise airs late nights at 2:05am ET on NBC and is sponsored by Full Tilt Poker, whose logo appears in the center of the felt.

Tiffany Michelle Breaks Down Survivor After-Party

UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle, who appeared on the 15th cycle of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race,” partied with the cast of “Survivor: Samoa” following the show’s season finale over the weekend.

The two-hour “Survivor” season finale and one-hour reunion show aired on Sunday night on CBS, the same network that carries “Amazing Race.” The episode featured three tribal councils, including the final one that saw Natalie White, Russell Hantz, and Mick Trimming plead their case for the $1 million first place prize in front of the nine-man jury. Ultimately, White emerged victorious. Michelle told Poker News Daily, “I learned all about the villain Russell. Was I surprised? I don’t know. I felt like there were so many good speeches at the final tribal council. I think [Erik Cardona’s] speech really hit home and I had a feeling that Natalie was probably going to win even though it’s hard to judge.”

White claimed seven of the nine jury votes and Hantz received the other two despite serving as the strategic mastermind of this season of “Survivor.” Hantz, however, won $100,000 from a fan vote and may compete on the upcoming “Heroes Versus Villains” cycle of “Survivor.” On Hantz’s strategy, Michelle noted, “From doing reality television, when $1 million is on the line, you get stuff done. When you have $1 million there for the taking, you’ll see how creative you can be. Russell will go down as being one of the fan favorites.”

Present at the “Survivor” viewing party with Michelle on Sunday night were “Amazing Race” teams Meghan and Cheyne, Sam and Dan, and Tammy and Victor, who won the show’s 14th season. The after-party took place at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, with personalities from reality series like “Big Brother” and “The Bachelorette” in attendance. Michelle painted a picture of the scene at the California hotel: “Russell was pretty pissed. Once he got a few drinks in him, though, he was okay. I think he banked on winning. Shambo was getting down on the dance floor and so was Dave [Ball].” Michelle added that while “Survivor” contestants usually wind up disliking each other after each season ends, “Amazing Race” cast members become friends for life.

Michelle has come a long way since the days of the “French fry incident” during the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Now a sponsored pro of UB.com, Michelle explained how the public’s perception of her has changed over the last year and a half: “It’s always flattering when someone comes up to you and says, ‘I love your race.’ I didn’t really do anything differently than just be myself. I’m getting used to it. Poker is a steppingstone to me being in the public eye and hopefully I got the bad stuff out of the way. Luckily, I’m getting a lot more love now.” Michelle was also a former reporter for PokerNews.com.

On Tuesday, Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin signed with UB.com, joining Michelle and others such as Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp, and Adam “Roothlus” Levy. The crew filmed videos for the website in recent days and Michelle discussed the online poker site’s latest addition: “I like where UB is going with the new branding and doing something different than the other sites. It’s a bunch of guys and me and I really like the young vibe that they have. Some of these guys are well on their way to having really good poker careers. UB is tapping into the younger generation of poker players.” UB.com makes its home on the CEREUS Network alongside its sister site, Absolute Poker. Both accept players from the United States.

We’d like to extend a special thank you to Michelle for lending her insight for this article.

PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge Winner Mike Kosowski Recaps Win

On the December 27th episode of the FOX poker game show “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge,” Mike Kosowski, a first responder on September 11th, 2001, defeats Daniel Negreanu heads-up to earn $1 million. He sat down with Poker News Daily to recap his run.

Poker News Daily: Tell us how you earned a spot on the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.”

Mike Kosowski: I think my dog, Joe DiMaggio, was one of the reasons I made it so far. When I won the 16,000-person online tournament, they tell you to make a video. I had an idea to use my dog. My son taped it and we put the dogs on the poker table with us. I said, “Sometimes, we can’t find enough people for a game.” The game happens to be Bella, my son’s dog, winning with a royal flush.

PokerStars liked it so much that they called me back. They re-interviewed me and told me I’d be an alternate. I flew to California hoping that I’d get on and, sure enough, I got picked as the first alternate. I lost and thought it was all over with, but they needed a fourth person for a sit and go to face Daniel Negreanu and I beat that field of three. I did well and got my shot against Negreanu, who is probably one of the best pros in the game today.

PND: How’d you convince your wife to let you film on your wedding anniversary?

Mike Kosowski: We were going out to put a down payment on a space for our 25th wedding anniversary when I got the e-mail saying that I was picked. She asked what I wanted to do and she knew it was my dream. She said when we get back, we’ll have the party, and that’s what happened. When you think about the odds, I have to consider myself to be one of the luckiest guys in the world. I survived 9/11 and the odds of me getting out of there that day were tremendous. Then, I won the show.

PND: Do you have any plans for the money?

Kosowski: The dog will get new bowls and bigger bones for Christmas. We’re talking to a financial planner right now. I was on a fixed income being retired before this. I’ll put away some for my son’s college and my daughter’s wedding. We’re also donating to two charities, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund and City Harvest.

PND: How did you get started in poker?

Mike Kosowki: I read “Super System” 1 and 2 and started getting serious around 2005. That’s when I showed my wife. I was watching the World Series of Poker and playing online. I walked upstairs and changed the channel on the television. My wife watched for about a half-hour and said that Daniel Negreanu was pretty good. I said I’d be playing against him one day and will beat him. Seven to ten days later, I had a dream about it. She thought I was losing it.

PND: You seemed to get run over by Joanna Krupa in your first match of the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.” Did you take away anything from it that helped you succeed down the stretch?

Mike Kosowski: I was very nervous. Daniel was my coach and I lost. What happened was that I out-bet myself out of the game. I was backing out of a lot of hands and, even when I had a decent hand right before the end with A-7, she re-raised me and I folded. I got stuck with 6-9 and had to call. I was that low on chips and she beat me.

After that, the nervousness was over with. I thought the tournament was over for me anyway. We did the sit and go for a spot at the final table in another location and I knew I wouldn’t lose if I sat back and played my game. The sit and go went well for me. I had trip tens and trip aces to knock people out. Everything worked well in the first sit and go. In the second sit and go, which was for the shot to play Daniel, I was nervous again. I told myself that if I don’t stay aggressive, then I’m a loser. I caught some great cards to start and when I was chip leader, it was easy to make a few calls.

PND: How often do you play poker? Will you play more as a result of this win?

Mike Kosowki: I play $1 and $2 games with a few buddies of mine once a week and I haven’t been to Atlantic City in about six months. I chopped a tournament down there three years ago and go about three times a year. I’m not much of a big gambler, but I like to play online. I don’t think that’ll change much now.

The great news was that after I won, PokerStars offered me the chance to go to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for the Main Event. I’ll be bringing the whole family and get a shot at that tournament. I never thought in my life I’d be in a $10,000 tournament. My dad always told me never to bet anything more than what is in your pocket. I’m grateful to the people at PokerStars for letting me go.

The Season 1 finale of “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” airs on Sunday, December 27th following NFL coverage on FOX.

Daniel Alaei wins Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Classic

Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Alaei can add a WPT title to his CV after claiming the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Classic at the Bellagio over the weekend. The Californian worked his way through a top draw final table comprising six professionals and two previous WPT title-holders.

Alaei: Out of Bobby’s Room and Into a WPT Title

“This is great,” Alaei said moments after the win Saturday. “I’ve been wanting one of these for a while. I was basically the only one of my friends that didn’t have one, now I’ve got one and it feels great.”

The tournament began at Bellagio this past Monday with 329 players entering the fray by time registration closed.

But it did so without the eventual champion, who chose to spend Day 1 letting his stack be blinded off while he stuck it out in Bobby’s Room in a cash game with noted whale and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté.

Alaei immediately went to work Tuesday building a big stack that put him contention before making a final six Friday pundits dubbed one of the toughest in tour history.

When play got going just after 4 p.m. Saturday, short staked online pro Steve O’Dwyer moved up the leader board with a few well timed shoves, but soon ran into Scotty Nguyen and a pair of jacks pushing with A♦ 6♦.

Nguyen flopped a set, and although O’Dwyer picked up two pair on the turn, the river bricked to bounce him sixth.

Nguyen could not hold on to those chips, however, falling below the two million mark before open shoving with nines.

WPT Bellagio Cup runner-up Faraz Jaka made the easy call with kings and after a board of blanks, the Prince of Poker was forced to settle for fifth place money in his sixth WPT final table appearance.

Shawn Buchanan then dropped out fourth in his attempt at a second WPT win, shoving short with K♥ 8♦ and running smack into Alaei’s A♣ K♦.

A short stacked Josh Arieh doubled up twice early to jump back into contention and scooped a more than 3 million chip pot calling down a naked Jaka bluff with just ace-high to move into the chip lead.

Despite not being involved in any of the bust-out hands, all the chips seemed to end up in Josh Arieh’s stack, and just after play went three-handed, he had an almost 3:1 chip lead on Alaei and Jaka combined.

Alaei moved on to heads-up with Arieh, calling Jaka’s A♠ 6♥ shove with kings and flopping a set to send Jaka home third in a hand the 26-year-old Santa Fe Springs, California native described as critical.

“That was extremely crucial,” he explained. “I knew I wanted to get heads-up with Josh, but if Josh would have busted him I would have only had 3 million to his 16 million and that would have been really tough.”

Arieh, a two-time WSOP bracelet winner making his second WPT final table appearance, still held an almost 2:1 chip lead when heads-up began, but it didn’t last long.

In just the second hand of heads-up play the two combatants found themselves in a classic race with Alaei all in holding queens and Arieh on big slick.

The queens held and suddenly Alaei was the one in charge.

“There was really nothing we could do - Two queens against ace-king,” he said. “It just kind of played out and I’m happy to be the one standing here.”

Alaei gave back some chips when Arieh sucked out with a dominated ace, but eventually made a huge call with top pair against Arieh’s under-pair to book the $1,428,430 win.

Alaei, who has two WSOP bracelets and is a regular in the Big Game and TV’s High Stakes Poker, said the experience he has playing in the world’s biggest cash games paid great dividends.

“I’m more used to the swings,” he said. “I’m used to big money changing hands. That makes you more comfortable and that definitely had to give me an advantage here.”

Visit PokerListings.com

Full Tilt Poker Bot Lawsuit Focuses on Attorney Background

While several litigations against Full Tilt Poker appear to be resolved or dead in the water, the online poker room is still not in the clear when it comes to a lawsuit accusing the site of unfairly seizing player funds, using bots on the site, and racketeering.

Poker News Daily first reported the story of Lary “pokergirl z” Kennedy in early October.  The gist of her rather complicated case is that Kennedy was accused of using a bot by another player on the site who was also a frequent poster in the TwoPlusTwo poker forum.  As a result of those accusations and Kennedy’s own admittance that she used another player’s account when her own screen name wasn’t eliciting enough action, the site seized the funds in her account, which amounted to just over $80,000.

After a long period of communication with Full Tilt, Kennedy decided that her best course of action was to file suit against not only the company, but also several individuals involved with Full Tilt, including Raymond Bitar, Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, John Juanda, Chris Ferguson, Perry Friedman, and Patrik Antonius, just to name a few.  While the crux of the complaint centers on Kennedy’s alleged mistreatment by the site, it also levels numerous charges against two companies involved with Full Tilt, Vert Enterprises and Tiltware.  The charges in the suit include fraud, libel, slander, false advertising, and somewhat surprisingly, racketeering.

The invocation of the Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act stemmed from what Kennedy and co-plaintiff Greg Omotoy claimed were hundreds of illegal gambling transactions.  While most typically associate the RICO Act with mobsters and gangs, it is actually common when it comes to civil suits, as those affected by RICO are able to receive three times the amount of damages they would otherwise have gotten.

Nonetheless, the accusations, which include claims that Ferguson and Bloch created and implemented bots used on the Full Tilt site, has raised a few eyebrows regarding its legal merit.  Full Tilt, which is notorious for keeping mum in legal situations, spoke out against the suit, calling it “baseless” and “frivolous.”

Kennedy’s official website documenting the case shows no new information as of late and most of the attention following the announcement of the suit has been directed at her counsel, Cyrus Sanai.  The UCLA Law School graduate has been in the news before for another internet-related matter, a case involving California Judge Alex Kosinski.  In mid-2008, Sanai uncovered a number of lewd photographs on the sub-directory of a personal website belonging to Kosinski and filed a disciplinary complaint against the judge, who was in the midst of a high-profile pornography trial.  Some legal blogs like Overlawyered and Patterico have suggested that Sanai has a less-than-stellar reputation in some corners of the California legal community.

When Pokerati posted a story chronicling some of Sanai’s actions over the past couple of years, a commenter purporting to be Sanai posted rebuttals to the criticisms and directed the focus back to the case itself.  The comments stated that he tried repeatedly to resolve the matter with Full Tilt representatives and even sat down for a mediation session that failed to produce any results.  Within the comments, Sanai also expressed interest in learning more about other cases in which the site seized customer funds.

These sentiments are echoed on Kennedy’s personal site as well, which encourages anyone with a similar story to contact Sanai, who would consider taking on new clients on a contingency basis.

Face the Ace: Brian Twitty Wins $40,000

We had a chance to catch last weekend’s installment of the NBC poker franchise “Face the Ace.” In the end, Brian Twitty, a real estate appraiser and band member, walked away with $40,000 after defeating Jennifer Harman.

The first contestant to take to the “Face the Ace” stage was Anathan Thangavel from Beverly Hills, California. The recent law school graduate selected the ace of clubs because he was out at a club partying until 5:00am the night before taping. Out strolled 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year Erick Lindgren, who has appeared on “Face the Ace” multiple times. Each player began with 20,000 chips and blinds kicked off at 200/400.

Holding 7-9, Thangavel called pre-flop and Lindgren rapped the table with 7-J. The flop came 2-3-7, giving both players top pair, but Lindgren held a better kicker. The Full Tilt Poker pro led out for 1,000, Thangavel raised to 3,000, and Lindgren shoved for 15,200. Lindgren told the challenger that he could see one of his cards and Thangavel picked the jack. Upon seeing the paint card, he quickly sent top pair into the muck.

In a key moment in the match, Thangavel picked up pocket jacks and called the big blind, while Lindgren raised to 2,000 with A-K of hearts. An all-in and call put Lindgren at risk and the assembled crowd on the “Face the Ace” stage watched the drama unfold. The flop came A-3-A, giving Lindgren trips and leaving the challenger drawing thin. The turn and river came a 10 and three, respectively, and Thangavel was down to just four big blinds.

In the final hand between Lindgren and Thangavel, the latter was all-in with J-3 and Lindgren made the call with 9-10. The flop came 6-9-K, giving Lindgren middle pair, and the turn came a 10 to improve him to two pair. Needing a queen on the river to make a straight, Thangavel watched as a seven hit, sending him home.

The next contestant was Twitty, who hails from Cypress, California. Twitty told “Face the Ace” host Steve Schirripa that he wanted to play against Phil Ivey, but instead found himself up against Jennifer Harman. Twitty was the victim of a bad beat late in his match against Harman after the pro raised to 3,100 with K-J. Twitty moved all-in with A-9 and Harman called with her tournament life on the line. The flop came 8-3-7, keeping Twitty’s ace-high ahead, and a seven on the turn changed nothing. However, Harman spiked a king on the river for a six-outer to double up.

Then, Harman made it 6,000 pre-flop with A-3 and Twitty pushed with A-Q. Harman called to put Twitty at risk, but the flop came queen-high to keep Twitty out in front for good. In the final hand between Harman and Twitty, the Full Tilt Poker pro was all-in with Q-8 of diamonds and Twitty called with K-J. The flop came 10-10-10, keeping Twitty in the lead, and a jack on the turn improved him to a boat. Harman needed the nine of diamonds for a straight flush or a queen for a better full house on the river to win the hand, but watched as an ace hit. Twitty earned $40,000 for defeating his first pro.

When asked if he wanted to take the money and run or play another pro for $200,000, Twitty selected the cash. The episode, which aired on Saturday, marked the second to last for “Face the Ace,” which will air its season finale on January 2nd. “Face the Ace” makes its home on NBC.

WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic Kicks off Monday

The 2009 installment of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic will kick off on Monday from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The tournament’s namesake told UB.com’s “Poker2Nite” that a field of 400 players is expected.

Only one Day 1 in the $15,000 buy-in WPT event will occur, with the six-handed final table taking place on the 19th. In 2008, original World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member David “Chino” Rheem took down the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, besting Justin Young heads-up and earning $1.5 million. Young took $936,000 for his runner-up performance. Others who reached the feature table, which played out on cable station Fox Sports Net, included Evan McNiff (third place for $540,000), Steve Sung (fourth place for $396,000), Amnon Filippi (fifth place for $288,000), and DoylesRoom poker pro Hoyt Corkins (sixth place for $216,000).

The Five Diamond has been a staple of the WPT circuit and served as the series’ very first event back in May of 2002. That year, Full Tilt Poker pro Gus Hansen outlasted John Juanda heads-up in a talented final table that also featured Freddy Deeb, John “World” Hennigan, Chris Bigler, and Scotty Nguyen. A quaint field of 146 players turned out for the inaugural WPT tournament, creating a prize pool of $1.4 million.

In Season II of the WPT, Paul Phillips took down the Five Diamond in Las Vegas, besting Poker Hall of Fame member Dewey Tomko heads-up and banking $1.1 million. Hansen once again made the final table of the tournament and finished third this time around, while Mel Judah took sixth place and earned $101,000. The next season, a battle of PokerStars sponsored pros took place, as Daniel Negreanu trumped Costa Rican sensation Humberto Brenes heads-up in the event’s finale. The number of entrants jumped to 376 from 314.

In Season IV of the WPT, Rehne Pedersen earned over $2 million for his Five Diamond win and beat Patrik Antonius heads-up. Brunson made the final table of the event and finished third, while J.J. Liu took fourth place for $362,000. Also making waves were Darrell “Gigabet” Dicken and Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, who finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively.

In the December Bellagio tournament during Season V, Joe Hachem, winner of the 2005 WSOP Main Event, took down the title and its corresponding $2.2 million grand prize. Hachem and Negreanu made PokerStars proud by reaching the final table and the Aussie’s win solidified his name as one of the tops in the industry. In 2007, Eugene Katchalov banked $2.5 million for his WPT victory, outlasting a colossal field of 626 players. Also reaching the final table were Devilfish Poker namesake David Ulliott and former PokerStars Caribbean Adventure champion Ryan “Daut44” Daut.

After its annual Las Vegas stop, the WPT crew will break for the holidays and resume action in late January for the Southern Poker Championship. December’s Bellagio stop will mark the tournament series’ last trip to Sin City before the annual WPT Championship in April. Here’s a look at the remaining events in Season VIII:

Southern Poker Championship: January 24th to 27th
Beau Rivage (Biloxi, Mississippi)

WPT Celebrity Invitational: February 20th to 21st
Commerce Casino (Commerce, California)

L.A. Poker Classic: February 26th to March 4th
Commerce Casino (Commerce, California)

Bay 101 Shooting Star: March 8th to 12th
Bay 101 (San Jose, California)

Hollywood Poker Open: March 20th to 24th
Hollywood Casino (Lawrenceburg, Indiana)

WPT Championship: April 17th to 24th
Bellagio (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Poker2Nite Recaps UIGEA Compliance Delay

The six-month delay in compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was featured on Wednesday night’s episode of the UB-sponsored poker news show Poker2Nite.

The series, hosted by PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok and Scott Huff, opened with a discussion of the reprieve until June 1st, with the former explaining, “I don’t think we should start lying to ourselves and telling ourselves that all of the sites are going to start popping up. All this did is maintain the status quo.” Huff added, “The only way this was going to occur was if the message was being heard by more and more people.” Horse racing interests, members of Congress, and banking associations joined forces with the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) to petition U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for a delay, which was granted last week.

A trip to a poker home game in Los Angeles revealed that few people understood what the PPA or UIGEA were. The segment served as a lead-in to an appearance via Skype by PPA Executive Director John Pappas, who told Huff and Sebok, “It gives us six months to work with Congress to try to clarify the law so it won’t affect people who want to play poker in the internet… What we’ve done is put the onus back on Congress. We’ll be pushing Congress to move quickly.” He ardently told Poker2Nite viewers who question the legality of online poker, “There is no Federal law that says playing online poker is illegal.”

Dana Workman’s “Weekly Misdeal” came with a sponsorship from Bluff Magazine this week. Her satirical news segment focused on the arrests of 75 to 85 year-old women in Cypress for playing poker as well as a new Irishman signing with PokerStars. She also took a shot at California State Senator Margarita Prentice, who is considering proposing a new video keno bill after serving as a major proponent of a law that made playing online poker in the Northwest state a Class C felony. Finally, Workman recapped the ESPN: The Magazine Body Issue featuring four nude poker players, including UB.com’s Phil Hellmuth.

A new segment called “All in Blind” featured six topics sealed in white envelopes. Both Sebok and Huff had no idea what they were and the duo selected three to discuss. Up for debate first was whether 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon’s appearance on ESPN’s Monday Night Football or the 16-0 New England Patriots team was better. Huff chose Moon because “he actually got something,” while Sebok selected the Pats because “they got a little bit of history.” The Patriots lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

The second topic discussed on the Poker2Nite “All in Blind” segment was innerpsy’s short-lived online poker record of 40,088 hands played in a 24-hour period. Finally, Huff and Sebok debated whether they preferred James McManus’ poker history tale “Cowboys Full” or Doyle Brunson’s new autobiography “The Godfather of Poker.” Huff resoundingly selected McManus: “The New York Times says it’s good, so it’s good enough for me.” Contrastingly, Sebok emphatically chose Brunson, the figurehead for the poker industry..

Finally, the Poker2Nite Dictionary came to life. The show’s hosts discussed the meaning of “stacks ‘em off,” which translates to “to bust someone, or knock them out,” and “button,” which originally used to be called the “buck.” Huff claimed that phrases like “Pass the buck” President Harry Truman’s “The buck stops here” originated in poker.

Poker2Nite’s air time varies by market, but according to UB.com, the series begins at 11:00pm ET each Wednesday. When Poker News Daily caught the show, it was scheduled for 1:00am ET. Repeats are available on Fox Sports Net on Thursdays at 4:00pm ET and Fridays at 11:00am ET and 6:00pm ET.

Visit UB.com for more information and to view online clips.

Poker Community Celebrates Thanksgiving

If you hail from the United States, this weekend is a time for family, food, shopping, and some nice downtime from the stresses of life.  If you’re a poker player, it is also time to squeeze in a tournament, be it in Costa Rica, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or Los Angeles and put in some extra time at the tables in between bites of turkey.

Players like Jean-Robert Bellande, Jon “pokertrip” Friedberg, David “Bakes” Baker, and Team PokerStars Pro Maria “Maridu” Mayrinck decided to escape the cold weather and squeeze in a tropical vacation shortly before the holiday, flying out to Costa Rica to take part in the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) event.  Meanwhile, other players like Eric “AvrilSharapova” Ladny, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Brian Lemke spent their time at the final table of the United States Poker Championships at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Even poker players who stayed at home still found themselves unable to stay away from the felt for too long and several players turned up for the $2,500 buy-in Main Event of the final Venetian Deep Stack series of the year.  Some of the players who took part in the event included Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler, UB.com Pros Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire and Brandon Cantu, Full Tilt Red Pro Jeff Madsen, Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, Nenad Medic, Jamie “TheCronic420” Rosen, and Christina Lindley.

Lindley filled Poker News Daily in on her last minute change of plans when it came to her holiday vacation.  After a successful run online the past two weeks, including a runner-up finish in Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) Event #24 worth more than $106,000, Lindley decided to delay her trip home to Nashville, Tennessee in order to take part in the Venetian event.  She flew out the morning the event started, played until she busted, and then headed home for the typical Thanksgiving fare.  “I told my mom I’d get there in time to make a pumpkin pie,” Lindley explained.  “And maybe some karaoke with my little brother, who is home from college, if we’re lucky.”

Another player who is opting to stay away from the felt is Nick “fu_15” Maimone.  When Poker News Daily asked what his Thanksgiving plans were, he responded, “Not playing poker? AKA trying to be normal.”  Others are following Maimone’s lead and opting for traditional holiday plans including trips home.  A quick glance at Twitter indicated that poker pros and “The Amazing Race” teammates Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle would both be spending the holidays with friends and family.

Just because a fair share of players are heading home for the holidays doesn’t mean the poker rooms will be empty this weekend.  The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California will once again be holding their annual Turkey Shootout/Ho Ho Hold’em Series, with the first of 13 events kicking off Thanksgiving Day.  The “Turkey Shoot” tournament will feature a $100 buy-in.  If you are wondering just how many people would opt to play a poker tournament Thanksgiving Day, last year’s installment drew 230 players and offered up a first place prize of $8,600 to tournament winner Susie Baranowski.

Even players who take Thursday off for a little family and feasting may skip Black Friday shopping for some card playing.  The first event of the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic, the $500 buy-in SpadeClub.com tournament, is scheduled for Friday and players like Mike “GoLeafsGoEh” Leah plan on taking part.  Granted, Leah is Canadian, so his Thanksgiving happened a few weeks ago and he isn’t skipping any festivities to take part.  The Bellagio also has two other tournaments scheduled throughout Thanksgiving weekend, with events continuing daily until the World Poker Tour Main Event begins on December 14th and wraps up shortly before Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Poker News Daily.

Taking the Underground by Lee Jones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two important lessons come from this high rake:

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

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

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

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

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

Absolute Poker Pro Matt Vengrin to Judge Miss California Teen USA

First, Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso signs up to be a judge on the E! reality competition show “Bank of Hollywood.” Now, Absolute Poker Pro Matt Vengrin is following suit and branching out, serving as a judge in the upcoming Miss California Teen USA pageant.  The event, which wraps up Sunday, will determine who will succeed reigning Miss California Teen USA Chelsea Gilligan of Beaumont.

“As a poker player, I know how fierce competition can be,” said Vengrin in a statement from Absolute Poker.  “Just like playing in the World Series of Poker (WSOP), these girls are in for a grueling, but fun weekend, and I’m excited to be an integral part of the experience.”

Fittingly for Vengrin, the event is taking place at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage.  The casino’s theater, called “The Show,” played host to the preliminary rounds of the competition on Saturday and the finals are taking place Sunday afternoon.  Though the completion did not get underway until this weekend, the pageant contestants have been preparing for the event for months, including an October orientation in Palm Springs and preliminary interviews at the Riviera Resort this past Friday.

According to the Miss California organization’s official website, Vengrin and the other judges will be evaluating the contestants based on their performance in the interview, evening gown, and swimsuit competitions.  The site lists judging criteria as “character, poise, confidence, and personality.”  The winner will represent the Golden State at the Miss Teen USA pageant, which will take place in the summer of 2010.  The current Miss Teen USA crown holder is Stormi Henley of Tennessee.

This latest appearance is another boon for Vengrin in what has been a landmark year for the online poker pro.  Earlier this year, he parted ways with Full Tilt Poker, which signed him to a Red Pro sponsorship agreement.  In June, news broke that Vengrin was a new spokesperson for Absolute Poker.  Other sponsored pros on the Absolute Poker roster include Lacey Jones and recently-signed “Real World: Las Vegas” alum Trishelle Cannatella.

In September, Vengrin, who plays online under the screen names “plattsburgh” and “vengmoney,” made waves in this year’s PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) by making three final tables, which was enough to tie him with WCOOP Player of the Series Dan “djk123” Kelly for most in that department.  Over the course of 2009, Vengrin has racked up more than $250,000 in online tournament winnings and recently had a deep run in the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic, where he finished in 27th place and won $21,327.

The New York native has had his fair share of live poker success as well, most notably a third place finish in a $3,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Event at the 2008 WSOP.  Vengrin netted $167,973 for his finish and his lifetime live poker tournament winnings are at almost a half-million dollars.

Vengrin’s participation with the pageant is not the first time poker and beauty queens have crossed paths.  Poker players like Clonie Gowen and Tiffany Michelle are both former pageant contestants; Gowen held the title of Miss Teen McAlester, Oklahoma in her youth.

Matt Keikoan Wins WSOP Lake Tahoe Circuit Event Championship

A cozy field of just 64 players turned out for the $5,150 buy-in World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Event Championship at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe. In the end, bracelet winner Matt Keikoan emerged victorious from the pack and earned $106,000.

Last November, there were 132 entrants in the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Circuit Championship, meaning that attendance in 2009 was sliced in half. Nevertheless, the $106,000 payday for Keikoan also marked a return home. He told tournament officials after play had concluded, “I live only about three hours away from here. I used to come here all the time on vacation when I was a kid. I really love it here at Lake Tahoe.” Keikoan captured his bracelet during the 2008 WSOP in a $2,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, defeating online poker whiz Shannon Shorr heads-up in a final table that also included J.C. Tran, Alex Bolotin, Chris Bjorin, and Theo Tran.

Keikoan was sixth in chips entering the final table, with the remaining field looking up at bracelet winner David Woo. However, Keikoan battled through an eight-hour session that saw the field trimmed from nine to two and found himself as a 5:1 chip leader against Justin Hallstrom heads-up. In the final hand of the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Circuit Event Championship, Keikoan called Hallstrom’s all-in with A-K; Hallstrom held just A-3. The flop came king-high, keeping Keikoan in the lead for good in the hand and shipping him the $106,000 first place prize. All was not lost for Hallstrom, however, who earned $56,000 for second place. Here’s how the field shook out in the Nevada casino:

1. Matt Keikoan (San Rafael, California) – $106,435
2. Justin Hallstrom (Lodi, California) – $56,886
3. John Goodger (Montreal, Quebec) – $39,820
4. Ari Engel (Las Vegas, Nevada) – $28,144
5. Tommy Vedes (Las Vegas, Nevada)- $21,557
6. Roger Sippl (Woodside, California) – $17,066
7. David Woo (Atlanta, Georgia) – $13,174
8. Tim Davey (Morgan Hill, California) – $9,581
9. John McNeilly (San Francisco, California) – $6,737

Tommy Vedes is fresh off a win in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Festa al Lago Main Event, which saw him bank $1.2 million. The seven-figure payday came on the heels of a $352,000 take for placing 19th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, which wrapped up two weeks ago with 21 year-old Joe Cada earning $8.5 million. “Bodog” Ari Engel scooped a WSOP Circuit gold ring in 2007 after winning a $300 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event at Caesars Atlantic City for $63,000. He claimed his second ring by winning a $1,060 buy-in Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em event for $22,000 in April, besting Adam White.

Due to the small field size in Lake Tahoe, only the top nine finishers (the final table) made the money. The distinction of bubble boy went to Steve Kujubu of Sacramento, California, who landed in 10th place and walked away empty-handed. A total of 18 events played out during the WSOP’s Circuit stop at Harvey’s, which generated 2,664 total entries and a healthy $1.1 million in prize money. Last year, 2,163 players threw their hats into the ring, although only 13 events were held.

The WSOP Circuit staff will now take a well-deserved break for Thanksgiving before heading to Harrah’s Atlantic City. The poker tournaments in the East Coast casino kick off on December 4th with a $340 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event. The Championship tournament comes with a buy-in of $5,150 and begins on December 13th, the 10th of 17 events on the docket. Last year, Brent “Astrolux85” Roberts defeated Phillip Reed in the finale of the WSOP Circuit stop at Harrah’s Atlantic City.

Yang says Cada got lucky to win WSOP Main Event

Jerry Yang, who won the 2007 WSOP Main Event, is certainly one.

Yang watched it all go down on ESPN the very next night from his newly opened Pocket 8's Sushi & Grill restaurant in Merced, California and enjoyed every minute of it.

"It was very interesting," Yang told PokerListings from Harvey's Lake Tahoe, where he had come to play in the WSOP Circuit event this weekend. "Overall I think it was a great tournament. It was very exciting."

Yang has always admitted his path to the 2007 title and its $8.25 million prize was paved with a lot of luck.

What he saw on this year's ESPN broadcast appeared no different to him.

"I think all the guys played really well and obviously two of them got really lucky," he said.

"Joe Cada is a good player, but he got incredibly lucky. Especially with the pocket threes (all in pre-flop against Jeff Shulman's pocket jacks) and the pocket deuces (all in pre-flop against Antoine Saout's pocket queens). I'm happy it worked out for him.

"Moon had a good shot, but I think he made a couple of mistakes and I'm sure he's thinking about them right now."

Yang was criticized by some in the poker media for not playing as many major tournaments as they would have liked in the year following his win.

However, the father of six children, who escaped war-torn Laos as a child and spent four-and-a-half years in a Thai refugee camp before immigrating to the United States, makes no apologies for following a different path.

"Since winning I have personally helped raised more than $700,000 for charity, namely the Make-A-Wish foundation, the Ronald McDonald House and Feed the Children, so that took a lot of my time away," he said.

"I made a promise that I would donate a lot of my time and money to charity. That's what I'm passionate about; giving back to the community, especially underprivileged kids."

If he has any advice for the new World Champion, it's that he follow his heart as well.

"Just follow your passion," Yang said. "If poker is your passion, then hey, you know what, be a good ambassador. Do whatever you can to promote poker and carry the game to the next level.

"I know a lot of young players today look up to somebody like me or Joe Hachem, or whoever the champion is and they want to follow in our footsteps. So do whatever you can to really help that community."

Yang's victory came in the final year before the WSOP began delaying the final table four months, creating what is now known as the November Nine.

The 2007 World Champion says he loves the idea and the boxing-style hype that is created during the four-month break.

"I wish they had done it a couple of years before I won, although it may have changed my results," he laughed. "I think it will only help poker grow, survive and thrive even more."

These days, Yang spends the majority of his time at his restaurant, with his family, playing poker for charity and putting the finishing touches on his biography, All In: The Jerry Yang Story, expected to be published sometime in early 2010.

But a passion for the game still got him out of bed at 4 a.m. Sunday to make the drive to Lake Tahoe from his Fresno home to play a little poker on the World Series Circuit.

"The bottom line is I love poker," he said.

To follow Yang and all the action from the Lake Tahoe World Series of Poker Circuit championship event, click through to PokerListings' Live Coverage.

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Greg Sessler Wins Ladies Championship at Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Stop

The latter part of the 2009 calendar year has seen at least two Ladies events won by males during major tournament series. During September’s Borgata Poker Open, Abraham Korotki emerged victorious in a $300 buy-in Ladies No Limit Hold’em event. This weekend, Greg Sessler took down the Ladies Championship during the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit stop at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe.

According to a press release distributed by WSOP officials on Sunday, the Circuit’s Lake Tahoe stop has seen more females take down tournaments (six) than any other venue. Over the weekend, the Nevada city saw a male earn the “W” in a Ladies event. How could this happen, you ask? Tournament officials explained, “The WSOP isn’t a political organization and can’t be expected to get involved in debates about sexism, discrimination, or other polarizing issues which may be applicable to poker tournaments.” If males wish to enter a ladies tournament, it is technically within their right to do so. Sessler is a 22 year-old student at the University of California at Davis.

A total of four men entered the Lake Tahoe Ladies Championship, which boasted a $340 buy-in, and Sessler’s victory was worth $9,900. Ninety-six players turned out in total and Sessler told tournament staff that he entered because he had a day off and wanted to play some cards. The one-day event saw the assembled field erupt into a chorus of clapping when each male was eliminated. Sessler explained after the fact, “I came here because I only had one day and I really like the structures and the payout. This was the only tournament I could play.”

Sessler defeated Mimi Kalem heads-up after Kalem shoved at an inopportune time with Q-6, as Sessler peeked down at pocket queens. Kalem hit a six on the flop for a glimmer of hope, but the board bricked out and gave Sessler the upset victory over the mostly female field. Kalem earned $5,300 for her runner-up showing, about $1,600 more than Corinn “Princess” Ignatieff received for third. Here were the final paydays from the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Ladies Championship:

1. Greg Sessler (Danville, California) – $9,932
2. Mimi Kalem (Cameron Park, California) – $5,308
3. Corinn Ignatieff (Templeton, California) – $3,715
4. Candy Alexander (Cameron Park, California) – $2,626
5. Linda Peverini (Clovis, California) – $2,100
6. Tera Brown (Austin, Texas) – $1,592
7. Persia Bonella (Castro Valley, California) – $1,229
8. Rebecca Burnside (San Francisco, California) – $894
9. Rose Erhart (Ione, California) – $629

Expanding on the tournament series’ stance towards male entrants in female events, the same WSOP press release remarked, “While the WSOP… offers quasi-exclusive tournaments designed to increase female participation in the game, officials generally do not turn away those who want to play in the event based solely on gender.”

The $5,150 buy-in Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Main Event kicks off on November 15th and will crown a winner two days later. Over $1.3 million in prize money has been awarded in the series’ 17 events held so far, with more than 2,600 entries recorded. Last November, Ultimate Bet sponsored pro Michael Binger tasted victory in the Lake Tahoe Championship event, earning $181,000 after outlasting Ty Stewart heads-up. A total of 132 players showed up.

Two months ago, Korotki defeated breast cancer patient Nicole Rowe heads-up at the Borgata. Rowe, who could have used the extra cash for mounting medical bills, fell short of the $20,000 first place payday and 269 players entered. In response, Korotki stated that he would donate a portion of his winnings to a charity involving breast cancer.

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.

All eyes on Ivey: The legend speaks

They call this the November Nine, but as ESPN's George McNeilly suggested last week, in the minds of many, it's just Phil Ivey and eight other guys.

Consensus is Ivey is the greatest player in the world and this coming Saturday he will have a legitimate shot at poker's most prestigious title.

In an exclusive interview with PokerListings, Ivey himself said no one wants it more.

"It would be a dream come true to win it," the Team Full Tilt Pro said. "Making it to the final table is great, yes, but I really, really want to win it.

"It's very important to me. I remember the first time I watched poker on TV I saw Scotty Nguyen win the Main Event. That was the very first time I watched, I thought then that it would be cool to win that tournament and now I have a chance."

While Nguyen's 1998 win was the first time Ivey watched poker on TV, it certainly wasn't his first introduction to the game.

"I just always loved to play cards," he said. "I started playing I Declare War when I was four or five years old and then my grandfather taught me how to play poker, he kind of like taught me the rules and everything. We used to play with pennies. I loved to play every chance I got."

The California born and New Jersey raised Ivey started playing small cash games in High School, got himself a fake ID and soon hit the casinos in Atlantic City.

When he turned 21, he started flashing his real ID and began to take the game a little more seriously.

"I was playing in casinos before that, but I wasn't really trying to make a living at it," he said. "I just liked to play. It was something I would just do as a hobby. I would sneak down there and play because I loved it. I just thought it was a fascinating game. I didn't really think too much about making a living at it.

 

 

"But then when I started making money and I started looking at the other players that were playing, I just said 'wait a second, I could beat these guys,' and that's when I said 'let me put everything I have into this and see where it goes.'"

Success came relatively quickly, as Ivey won his first WSOP bracelet in 2000 at age 24, final tabled another event and narrowly missed a third.

He made a another final table at the WSOP in 2001, but 2002 was truly his breakout year. Ivey won three bracelets, tying the record for the most wins in a single series.

Another WSOP win and more final tables, million dollar scores in Europe, and a win after an amazing eight WPT final tables would soon follow as Ivey developed into one of the most feared tournament players on the planet, while also taking on all comers in the biggest cash games in the world.

This past summer, he added two more WSOP bracelets to his wrist, becoming the youngest in history to hold seven at age 33.

He also became poker's third leading money winner all-time with more than $12 million in career tournament earnings.

But despite the fact he's done almost as much as anyone in the game's history, Ivey seems to have a keen understanding that poker is more about losing than winning.

"I don't like to lose, but poker, it humbles you, because you realize that no matter how good you are, you are going to have losing days, you are going to have losing weeks and you are even going to have some losing months," he said. "I haven't had a losing year yet, thank God. But you are going to have to learn how to deal with losing in order to become a better winner.

"That's why I think poker is such a wonderful game. There are guys that play certain sports that hardly ever lose, but in poker, you are just going to have to lose."

Through both the winning and losing, Ivey says he's learned some valuable lessons.

 

 

"You learn about yourself," he said. "You teach yourself how to deal with the ups and downs, and also how to control your thoughts, your negative thoughts, how to control what you're thinking and realize why you think what you're thinking. You really realize a lot about yourself if you get deep into poker.

"You have to learn a lot about yourself in order to become one of the best players in the world."

Ivey's road to Main Event glory is actually littered with missed opportunities.

He finished 23rd in 2002, a heartbreaking 10th in 2003 and 20th in 2005.

Although he's a little short on chips coming into Saturday's final, he truly believes this is his time.

"Now I have a shot," he said. "I'm seventh in chips, but you know what, I feel pretty comfortable with the close to ten million that I have. I don't feel like I'm in a rush. I can just take my time and get a hold of some chips. If I have to go all in I will. But whatever comes to me, I'm just going to take it."

While the rest of the November Nine is a good mix of seasoned pros and surprisingly savvy amateurs, Ivey is the only one who really puts fear into the hearts of his competitors.

In fact, chip leader Darvin Moon told PokerListings if Ivey even looks at him the wrong way, he's likely to muck his hand.

Part of what creates that fear is that Ivey is a bit of mystery to the poker world.

He doesn't do a lot of interviews, but says that's more of a personal choice than an attempt to help cultivate an imposing image at the table.

 

 

"It's not like I'm against interviews," he said. "I'm not. I don't mind doing interviews. I don't mind sitting down and talking to you about poker and other things. But there are things I'd rather be doing besides talking about poker when I'm playing poker 15 to 16 hours a day."

Ivey says the average player just simply isn't logging the hours that he is.

"These guys that do all these interviews, they're able to do all these interviews because they don't play as much poker as I do." He said. "When I get knocked out of a tournament, I'm rushing to the Bellagio to play poker. I'm rushing to the Internet to play poker, or going to the golf course, or going to play blackjack or whatever, because that's what I'd rather be doing."

Regardless, the fear his opponent's feel works to his advantage, although Ivey claims he hasn't made any deliberate attempt to create it.

"When I sit down and play with someone, it's not like they say 'Hey, Phil, I fear you,'" he said. "Maybe some people do, but it's not like they say it. So you've got to kind of figure it out, and you figure it out by how they're playing hands against you and everything else.

"The thing is, people try to create these table images, but that hurts them because you can't really create a table image. It has to be based on your results and how you do. People try, some people want to talk, they want to do this, they want to that, I just think people more or less know that my image is, if you mess with me, and you play a certain way against me, I'm going to get your money."

Ivey hasn't written any how-to books. He doesn't make the training videos that have become so popular with so many other professional players.

But again, he says it's not an attempt to conceal his strategy or perpetuate his dominating table image.

He's just too busy playing poker.

"I play poker all the time and I think that's what gives me my edge and what keeps me as sharp as I am when I'm playing," he said. "I love to play poker, I still do. I think a lot of these guys, they wonder why their games are suffering and everything else. It's because they don't work as hard as I do."

 

 

But despite the fact he has deliberately avoided the spotlight in the past, finally winning the WSOP Main Event title this weekend might change all that, as he learns to embrace a role as an ambassador for the game.

"As far as me being an ambassador for poker, I don't know; maybe if I win the Main Event it'll be something that is forced upon me and I don't really mind that," he said. "As I'm getting older I'm starting to understand how important my place in history, in poker and doing the right things by everyone, is.

"But at the end of the day, you have to make yourself happy too. I have to be a happy person. I'll take the interviews and I'll do the things to help grow poker as a sport, I have no problem doing that, but I'm also not going to give up my life to do that.

"I want to keep some type of balance and I think that's important."

To follow Ivey and the entire November Nine, tune into PokerListings 2009 WSOP Main Event Live Coverage beginning at 12 p.m. PT Saturday, Nov. 7.

If you want to hear everything Ivey had to say check out the full video interview in the blog section.

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Isaac Baron wins at Caesars

Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron took down the Caesars Palace Classic main event and its $246,928 first-place prize beating a final table full of poker's best.

Baron took control of the tournament with seven players remaining, knocking out Theo Tran and crippling 2008 PokerStars EPT Grand Final champ Glen Chorny, rivering a straight with a pair of nines against Chorny's tens and Tran's big slick.

Baron never relinquished the chip lead taking a better than 5:1 advantage into heads-up play.

Veteran pros Kathy Liebert (8th) and Jimmy Tran (5th) also made the final table.

Chorny finished third and Baron, who finished fourth at the final table in Monte Carlo when Chorny booked his win, defeated Michael Benvenuti heads-up to take the title.

The $5k buy-in event drew 162 players creating a $762,129 prize pool.

Baron, from West Menlo Park, California, has amassed more than $3 million in tournament winnings, both online and live.

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Alex Outhred Discusses Deepstacks University

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

California casino offers chance to play Nguyen

Poker is definitely one and California residents and visitors will have that chance this weekend as 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Scotty Nguyen is headed to the All-Star Poker Challenge at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella.

"Scotty Nguyen is one of the biggest names in poker, so we are obviously thrilled to have him in our Poker Challenge," said Robert Paull, General Manager of Spotlight 29.

"For our poker players to go up against a World Series of Poker Champion, is exciting."

The $560 buy-in Texas Hold'em event, set for Oct. 24-25, will feature 10k starting stacks, 30-minute levels and over $50,000 in prize money.

Players can also win a free entry by getting 10 full houses playing in the Spotlight Poker Room in advance of the event.

Dubbed "The Prince of Poker", Nguyen has more than $10 million in career earnings and five WSOP bracelets. In addition to his world title, Nguyen also won the prestigious $50k H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2008 WSOP.

The tournament will be capped at 120 players.

For more information on Spotlight 29 head to the casino's website.

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Full Tilt Responds to Poker Bot Lawsuit

Online poker room Full Tilt Poker is known for keeping mum when it comes to its legal and business matters, but the company broke its silence to comment on a recent lawsuit by former customers Lary Kennedy and Greg Omotov.  Full Tilt issued a statement to the media regarding the case in which the company asserts that the plaintiffs’ accusations are false and there was just cause behind the closure of the two players’ accounts.

News of Kennedy and Omotov’s suit broke earlier this month when their lawyer, Cyrus Sanai, filed in a California court.  Within the claim, the two individuals allege that Full Tilt Poker unjustly confiscated their accounts following false accusations that they were using poker bots to play on the site’s cash game tables.  They then went on to suggest that Full Tilt used bots of its own and also leveled several other claims ranging from fraud to violations of the Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act.

Full Tilt addressed some, but not all, of Kennedy and Omotov’s accusations in a statement which refers to the suit as “baseless” and “frivolous.”  The statement, which was posted in full on Gambling911, went on to explain, “Both of these player accounts were appropriately terminated for multiple violations of the express terms and conditions governing fair and lawful play in the Full Tilt Poker online virtual cardroom, including their own admissions of using multiple accounts.”

Kennedy admitted to multi-accounting in a lengthy thread on the TwoPlusTwo online poker forum.  She said she sometimes used Omotov’s idle Full Tilt account to get action at the heads-up cash game tables after many regulars stopped playing with her when she was logged in on her personal account under her own username.

The statement from Full Tilt also addressed the claims that the site operates its own bots on the cash game tables: “Full Tilt Poker has never knowingly allowed ‘bots’ to play on its site… When fraud, collusion, and cheating of any kind is uncovered, Full Tilt Poker investigates extensively and then acts accordingly and appropriately, as was the case involving these claimants.”  Full Tilt not only affirmed its belief that the two players were cheating, but the company also suggested the two individuals will “be obliged to compensate the aggrieved defendants for any harm that may arise out of their false allegations and for the wrongful institution of these bad faith legal proceedings.”

While Full Tilt’s statement addressed the issue of bot use, the site did not comment on some of the suit’s claims about racketeering, unfair competition, and operating an illegal online casino in the state of California.  The statement also failed to confirm or deny any assertions about Howard Lederer, Raymond Bitar, and Chris Ferguson’s role within the company.  The lawsuit suggests that these three individuals serve as top executives for both Tiltware and Vert Enterprises.  These two companies are supposedly different entities run out of California and St. Kitts and Nevis, respectively, but the suit claims they are one in the same and controlled by Bitar, Lederer, and Ferguson.

The company has yet to issue a statement on its pending lawsuits involving former sponsored pro Clonie Gowen and former employee Jason “JDN” Newitt.

Camryn Manheim hosting celebrity tournament

Taking place at the Commerce Casino in California this Saturday, Oct. 17, the event has already garnered the attention of celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Maria Bello, Dean Cain, Jamie Kennedy, Kevin Nealon, Mekhi Phifer, JK Simmons, Cheryl Hines and many more.

Proceeds will go towards the Children's Institute, which provides assistance to more than 17,000 traumatized children in the Los Angeles area.

Former World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jamie Gold will act as the emcee.

The public is welcome to buy in to the event and rub shoulders with celebrities while getting a crack at a variety of prizes.

The buy-in is $250 with rebuys of $100 available throughout the first three levels and one final $100 add-on. Spectator seats are also available for $75.

There will be prizes for the top 10 finishers, including $5,000 cash, a 2010 WPT Celebrity Invitational Seat, a business-class computing system and more.

For more information or to register for the event click here.

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