Poker News

Sammy George to Play Tom Dwan in London Durrrr Challenge

Sammy “Any Two” George will square off against online poker sensation Tom “durrrr” Dwan in the Million Dollar Challenge that will take place in London next month. George is the first player to take Dwan up on his unique proposition bet. Three more will be announced.

A total of 500 hands will be played between George and Dwan heads-up. The buy-in is a scant $500,000 and blinds will be set at $500/$1,000. According to Matchroom Sport, which is promoting and organizing the festivities, “No player can leave the contest until either the 500 hands are up or the player has bust.” Dwan is currently battling against Full Tilt Poker pro Patrik Antonius in the online version of the Million Dollar Challenge. However, there has been no action in the high-stakes contest since June, leaving many to wonder if the Durrrr Challenge will see an ending.

George hails from London and told Matchroom Sport, “I’m buzzing – what could be sweeter than playing in the world’s biggest heads-up match against Durrrr? I’m stepping up to the plate and putting my money where my mouth is and it will be an honor to represent my country against the best the U.S. has to offer.” George has appeared on “Poker Million,” finishing sixth in its semi-final last December for $20,000 after battling against a talented table that included David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Marty Smyth, Roy Brindley, and Tony G. George finished 21st in the 2009 World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup for $23,000. Alexandre Gomes, a member of Team PokerStars Pro and one of the finest Brazilian poker players in the world, won the $15,000 buy-in tournament.

The Durrrr Challenge between Dwan and Antonius kicked off in February on the virtual felts of Full Tilt Poker. The duo has logged 20,647 hands of $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha and need 50,000 to finish. When the requisite number of hands has been completed, if Dwan is ahead by at least $1, Antonius must pay up $500,000. If Antonius is up by at least $1, Dwan will shell out $1.5 million. In addition, bragging rights for years to come are on the line, as are the spoils of the 50,000 hands. However, mid-June marked the last action in the Million Dollar Challenge, leaving many to doubt its future.

In July, Dwan announced that a live version of the Million Dollar Challenge would be held in London this September. Four players will take him on in the European city in what will surely be one of the most unique live poker promotions ever held. In George, Dwan will battle against a top-tier cash game player who regularly hits the felts in high-stakes games venues around London. No date or location for the spectacle has been announced.

On September 18th, the WSOP Europe tournament series will kick off at the Casino at the Empire in London. The £10,000 buy-in Main Event begins on September 26th. It’s a five day tournament that will feature two starting days. In 2007, Team Betfair pro Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad brought home the gold in London, while John Juanda claimed victory last year.

Antonius was one of 500 players shut out of the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas after Day 1D sold out in July. Also left out in the cold were five-time bracelet winner Ted Forrest, Poker Hall of Fame member T.J. Cloutier, and “Captain” Tom Franklin, the Chairman of the World Poker Association.

Three more challengers are waiting in the wings for Dwan in London. We’ll have breaking news on the Tom Dwan Million Dollar Challenge as it becomes available right here on Poker News Daily.

Sammy George to Play Tom Dwan in London Durrrr Challenge

Sammy “Any Two” George will square off against online poker sensation Tom “durrrr” Dwan in the Million Dollar Challenge that will take place in London next month. George is the first player to take Dwan up on his unique proposition bet. Three more will be announced.

A total of 500 hands will be played between George and Dwan heads-up. The buy-in is a scant $500,000 and blinds will be set at $500/$1,000. According to Matchroom Sport, which is promoting and organizing the festivities, “No player can leave the contest until either the 500 hands are up or the player has bust.” Dwan is currently battling against Full Tilt Poker pro Patrik Antonius in the online version of the Million Dollar Challenge. However, there has been no action in the high-stakes contest since June, leaving many to wonder if the Durrrr Challenge will see an ending.

George hails from London and told Matchroom Sport, “I’m buzzing – what could be sweeter than playing in the world’s biggest heads-up match against Durrrr? I’m stepping up to the plate and putting my money where my mouth is and it will be an honor to represent my country against the best the U.S. has to offer.” George has appeared on “Poker Million,” finishing sixth in its semi-final last December for $20,000 after battling against a talented table that included David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Marty Smyth, Roy Brindley, and Tony G. George finished 21st in the 2009 World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup for $23,000. Alexandre Gomes, a member of Team PokerStars Pro and one of the finest Brazilian poker players in the world, won the $15,000 buy-in tournament.

The Durrrr Challenge between Dwan and Antonius kicked off in February on the virtual felts of Full Tilt Poker. The duo has logged 20,647 hands of $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha and need 50,000 to finish. When the requisite number of hands has been completed, if Dwan is ahead by at least $1, Antonius must pay up $500,000. If Antonius is up by at least $1, Dwan will shell out $1.5 million. In addition, bragging rights for years to come are on the line, as are the spoils of the 50,000 hands. However, mid-June marked the last action in the Million Dollar Challenge, leaving many to doubt its future.

In July, Dwan announced that a live version of the Million Dollar Challenge would be held in London this September. Four players will take him on in the European city in what will surely be one of the most unique live poker promotions ever held. In George, Dwan will battle against a top-tier cash game player who regularly hits the felts in high-stakes games venues around London. No date or location for the spectacle has been announced.

On September 18th, the WSOP Europe tournament series will kick off at the Casino at the Empire in London. The £10,000 buy-in Main Event begins on September 26th. It’s a five day tournament that will feature two starting days. In 2007, Team Betfair pro Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad brought home the gold in London, while John Juanda claimed victory last year.

Antonius was one of 500 players shut out of the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas after Day 1D sold out in July. Also left out in the cold were five-time bracelet winner Ted Forrest, Poker Hall of Fame member T.J. Cloutier, and “Captain” Tom Franklin, the Chairman of the World Poker Association.

Three more challengers are waiting in the wings for Dwan in London. We’ll have breaking news on the Tom Dwan Million Dollar Challenge as it becomes available right here on Poker News Daily.

World Team Poker set for take off

"This is the first time the poker world has seen anything like this," World Team Poker Director of Communications Gideon Cross told PokerListings. "It's really exciting."

Although the structure of the league is still in the works, Cross said it will include 32 teams of five players representing countries from all over the globe in heads-up challenge matches.

Team captains are being chosen by World Team Poker and the captains are expected to pick their teammates.

Eleven-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will captain Team USA, which will take on Men "The Master" Nguyen's Team Vietnam in World Team Poker's first event, planned for Las Vegas this November.

Although no dates have been confirmed, Cross said the second event on the schedule will see Team USA take on back-to-back WSOP Main Event Champ Johnny Chan and Team China in Macau.

World Team Poker plans to broadcast its events live on the Internet with interactive features allowing viewers to chat with team captains and wager on the outcome.

The actual matches are expected to feature several different poker variants and allow the players involved to set the stakes and raise them during play.

"This is going to be like the World Championships or the Olympics of poker," Cross said.

More information can be found at the World Team Poker website.

Visit PokerListings.com

Tom Dwan Announces Live Million Dollar Durrrr Challenge

Play in the Million Dollar Challenge between Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Patrik Antonius has come to a screeching halt. No action has occurred since June 19th, but Dwan has announced a live version of the Challenge in London this September.

According to an article on Matchroom Sport, Dwan will ante up against four players in the historic European city two months from now. Dwan told Matchroom, “I am looking forward to sitting down and playing some of the world’s best players live in London. There looks to be lots of interest in people wanting to play me, but they never seem to appear online. It will be interesting to see the response [we get] and just who is willing to get it on.” The heads-up matches may take place in conjunction with the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe, which runs from September 19th to October 2nd at the London Clubs International.

Each of Dwan’s four live opponents will battle against the young internet superstar for 500 hands. The buy-in will be $500,000 and blinds are $500-$1,000. Each opponent will take on Dwan mano-a-mano in Pot Limit Omaha or No Limit Hold’em. Matchroom added, “No player can leave the contest until either the 500 hands are up or the player has bust.” Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport, noted, “[Dwan] is totally fearless and ready to take on any player that is willing to face off in the Million Dollar match-up. This will be the most hotly anticipated match-up in modern day poker.”

Dwan’s battle against Antonius on the felts of Full Tilt Poker has largely stalled during the 2009 WSOP. As the Million Dollar Challenge currently stands, Dwan owns a $726,000 lead after 20,647 hands over 25 days of play. One month ago during a session on June 11th, Dwan stormed back from a sizable deficit, making up $376,000 in just 786 hands. Antonius led by $34,000 after play had concluded, but has since relinquished his lead to the aggressive internet star.

Antonius was one of 500 players locked out of 2009 WSOP Main Event when the fourth of four starting days reached its maximum capacity. Others who watched their Main Event title hopes evaporate before the tournament even began included Ted Forrest, T.J. Cloutier, and “Captain” Tom Franklin, who joined World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton to speak to Harrah’s officials on behalf of the shut out players. Solutions included ten-handed tables and a special Day 1E, although in the end no action was taken. Dwan played in the Main Event, but did not finish in the money. He recorded two final tables last year for a grand total of $112,000.

The Durrrr Challenge kicked off on February 18th with a 1,535 hand session. Dwan jumped out at a $134,000 lead, including a hand in which he made runner-runner quad fives. A total of 50,000 hands are required for the contest to reach completion. Dwan and Antonius four-table $200-$400 Pot Limit Omaha and attract a throng of onlookers to the virtual felts of Full Tilt Poker. To date, Dwan has faced off against Antonius, with November Nine member Phil Ivey and poker pro David Benyamine scheduled to follow.

Matchroom notes that Dwan has earned over $10 million online. The internet superstar was one of the top 10 vote-getters for the 2009 class of the Poker Hall of Fame, joining Mike Sexton, Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Ivey, Tom McEvoy, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, and Erik Seidel. Now, 15 members of the Poker Hall of Fame and 15 members of the media will determine who will be inducted during the final table of the WSOP Main Event in November.

Check out the latest from the Durrrr Challenge.

Kenna James Wins Dream Team Poker WSOP Event

“Cowboy” Kenna James won the third Dream Team Poker event, held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas down the hall from the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Tao of Pokerati emerged victorious in the team competition.

Tao of Pokerati was the lone team to boast two members in the final 27 players. Dr. Pauly McGuire recorded a 13th place finish, while Dan Michalski earned 17th. Michalski showed prowess of the Dream Team Poker concept after folding pocket kings face up to assure moving on when his team had a chance to secure the first place prize. In the end, Tao of Pokerati earned $33,000 for the win. In Dream Team Poker, each squad’s two best finishes are recorded and the lowest score wins. For Tao of Pokerati, a score of 30 (the sum of 13th place and 17th place) was good enough to take home the title.

Here’s how the team competition stacked up. The buy-in for the third Dream Team Poker tournament was $560 per player, or $1,680 per team:

1. Tao of Pokerati - $33,017
2. Team Simpletrak - $18,106
3. Diaboloco’s - $10,651
4. Machine Team - $7,988
5. Team Puerto Rico - $7,455
6. 7 Kings - $6,923
7. 2 Kings - $6,390
8. The Maven VT 4 - $5,858
9. The Maven VT 3 - $5,325
10. Min Cash Masters - $4,793

In an interview after the tournament with Dream Team Poker emcee Alex Outhred, James explained, “I have to hand it to the Dream Team Poker team, they really run a class event. From all the information they provide, to having them out there, to having the music in the background, they really know how to generate the feeling that this event is all about. It was really special.” In the end, it was a gender versus gender clash, with James defeating Judy Tejwani of SOCRR heads-up. James, who played as part of Poker Host, banked $16,000 for the win, while Tejwani earned $7,800 for her runner-up showing.

The top individual finishers at the Rio were as follows:

1. Kenna James (Poker Host) - $16,473
2. Judy Tejwani (SOCRR) - $7,810
3. Stephen Nelson (I Love it When a Plan Comes Together) - $5,680
4. Peter Mavro (Min Cash Masters) - $4,260
5. Ricardo Felix Matos (Machine Team) - $3,621
6. Bojan Miljkovic (Juzni Vetar) - $3,160
7. Terresa Gallagher (Wicked Chops Poker II) - $2,485
8. David Hornsby (The Hangover) - $1,775
9. James Page (The Maven VT 3) - $1,598
10. Adam Wege (NLP FREE) - $1,598

The event brought out some of poker’s brightest stars. David Williams, Evelyn Ng, and Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo competed as part of Team Bodog. Barry Greenstein and Joe Stapleton joined forces on Team PokerRoad.com. Jerry Yang, Christina Lindley, and Eric Aude formed Team Six Hands, Four Nutz, and a Rack on Tilt. Marsha Waggoner, James Worth, and Young Phan made up Team True Poker and Barbara Enright, Paul Darden, and David Levi brought Team Bookmaker Poker to life. “Captain” Tom Franklin and Poker Hall of Fame member T.J. Cloutier competed under the Captain Krunch banner, while Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Rick Fuller battled as part of Bike.com.

A total of 122 teams and 366 players entered the Rio event, down sharply from the 148 teams and 444 runners who turned out for Dream Team Poker’s last competition, held at Caesars Palace in March. Among those in attendance was newly-minted Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones, whose team took down the WSOP media event held last week. Jones commented in a press release, “This is my third time playing a Dream Team Poker event and I have had the most fun playing these events than any other poker tournament. I can’t think of any better way to enjoy the game of poker than to play with your friends and have them cheer you on!”

Visit the official website of Dream Team Poker for more information.

Dream Team Poker WSOP Event Attracts 366 Players

The third Dream Team Poker event, held down the hall from the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), attracted 366 runners for a total prize pool of $177,000. Roberto Diaz from Team Reckless leads the way entering Day 2, when 27 players will take to the felts.

The field that turned out for the Dream Team Poker’s second open event was actually smaller than its last outing, which took place at Caesars Palace in March. Across Interstate 15, a total of 148 teams and 444 players turned out four months ago. This time around, 122 teams and 366 players entered, a drop of 17%. Nevertheless, play was fast and furious, as 27 players representing 26 teams survived the first day and will return on Monday to determine a champion. Tao of Pokerati is the lone squad to boast two players remaining.

The top overall team will earn $33,017. The runner-ups will take home $18,106, third place will pocket $10,651, fourth place will earn $7,988, fifth place will bank $7,455, sixth place will receive $6,923, the seventh place team will see their bank accounts grow by $6,390, eighth place will pocket $5,858, ninth place will earn $5,325, and tenth place leaves the Rio with $4,793 from the $560 per person buy-in event. The field of 366 players included 59 women and three all-female teams: Kegslist.info (lead by Lacey Jones), Tush Pushers (lead by Pam Brunson), and Wicked Chops Poker II (Lead by London Gallagher).

Here’s how the field stacks up entering Day 2 of the Dream Team Poker tournament:

1. Roberto Diaz (Team Reckless) - 332,000
2. Jordan Hill (Team Winner Winner Chicken Dinner) - 252,000
3. Ricardo Felix Matos (Machine Team) - 235,000
4. Matthew Woodward (Team 2 Kings) - 220,000
5. Peter Marvo (Team Min Cash Masters) - 193,000
6. Adam Wege (Team NLP FREE) - 177,000
7. Peter Lubrano (Team The Maven VT 2) - 165,000
8. Paul McGuire (Team Tao of Pokerati) - 158,000
9. Kenna James (Team Poker Host) - 140,000
10. Bryan Kessler (Team Those Guys) - 133,000
11. Terresa Gallagher (Team Wicked Chops Poker II) - 125,000
12. James Page (Team The Maven VT 3) - 124,000
13. Daniel Michalski (Team Tao of Pokerati) - 113,000
14. Bojan Miljkovic (Team Juzni Vetar) - 100,000
15. Glyn Ottofy (Team Poker) - 95,000
16. Brad Tolliver (Team Donkey Show) - 87,000
17. Andrew Colas (Team Poker Blazers) - 82,000
18. Maximilian Gsottschneider (Team Puerto Rico) - 81,000
19. Michael Shackelford (Team Sinistrals) - 79,000
20. Mary Jo Zogman (Team Team HTP) - 60,000
21. Omar Vachhani (Team Diabolocos) - 46,000
22. John Sayre (Team Home Gamers) - 40,000
23. Michelle Richey (Team Simpletrak) - 37,000
24. Antonio Ferreira (Team BOSS) - 37,000
25. David Hornsby (Team The Hangover) - Unknown
26. Judy Tejwani (Team SOCRR) - Unknown
27. Stephen Nelson (Team I Love it When a Plan Comes Together) – Unknown

Notable poker pros who entered the event, but did not survive to see Day 2, included Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Evelyn Ng, David Williams, Barry Greenstein, Gavin Smith, Liz Lieu, Jerry Yang, Marsha Waggoner, David “The Maven” Chicotsky, Susie Isaacs, Tom McEvoy, “Captain” Tom Franklin, T.J. Cloutier, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Amir Vahedi. Also taking to the felts was former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco, whose book “Juiced” ignited the crackdown on steroids in the game.

The tournament’s individual winner will earn $16,473 and the top 19 spots pay out. In order to curb collusion, Dream Team Poker events award prize money to the top players and teams. In addition, no team members are seated at the same table until 14 to 16 runners remain. No indication has been given as to when Dream Team Poker will hold its fourth event.

Caesars Cup skippers make their first selections

Team captains Annette Obrestad and Daniel Negreanu have made their opening picks for the inaugural Caesars Cup. 2008 World Series Main Event champion Peter Eastgate is the first name on the European team sheet with multiple bracelet winner Phil Ivey joining the Americas.

Ivey, Eastgate first picks for Caesars Cup

The event, modeled after golf's Ryder Cup, will take place Sept. 25 during the 2009 WSOP Europe and will pit the best of Europe's poker players against the best of North America's pros in a battle for international bragging rights.

The format will feature both heads-up and team contests and include alternate betting and other non-traditional elements as players aim to win points for their respective teams.

Negreanu, heading the Americas Team, and Obrestad, heading the Euro Team, announced their picks at a WSOP ceremony this week and will fill out their rosters with six team members in total over the weeks leading up to the WSOP Europe kickoff Sept. 17.

Obrestad's team will also have one member qualify through a leaderboard race on Betfair Poker, the presenting sponsor of the WSOP Europe.

The top 200 players on the monthly low-stakes leaderboard (tracking sit-and-gos and MTTs with less than a $22 buy-in) will be entered into a "Heat Low" freeroll.

The top 100 players on the monthly high-stakes leaderboard will be entered into a "Heat High" freeroll. The top 18 finishers in each move on to a $5,000 Guaranteed Monthly Final that awards Caesars Cup points to the top finishers.

In August, the top nine players on the Caesars Cup Leaderboard will then battle it out for a spot on the team. Positions 2-9 will share a $25,000 prize pool while the winner heads to London to join the European Team.

"The lineup for this year's WSOPE Caesars looks like a who's who of poker." said Obrestad in a press release.

"The fact that a member of the public can qualify to sit alongside some of the best players in the game will be a massive attraction to players on Betfair Poker. I look forward to captaining our team to glory."

Visit PokerListings.com

Pollack speaks out on WSOP sellout

Poker pros and amateurs alike were frustrated by their inability to take part in the World's Biggest Poker Tournament. For many players it was their first chance to take part in the Main Event and instead they will have to wait another year.

It was a day that the people behind the WSOP brand are not soon to forget either.

"I'll say that it was the most difficult decision I've had to make in my four years with Harrah's," said WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack today.

When every last player was counted the 2009 Main Event field was made up of 6,494 entrants, which was down 300 players from last year's event.

Pollack said it was in the WSOP's best interest to have as many customers in the Main Event as possible.

"The last thing we want to do is deny people entry into our events," he said. "We simply hit our operational capacity. It was unfortunate, but it was a reality.

"People who think we would gladly turn away hundreds of players and potentially break last year's prize pool aren't giving us credit as businessmen."

According to Pollack, the WSOP is already looking at methods to avoid the situation that arose Monday.

"I'm not going to apologize for what we did," he said. "We had four start days with plenty room in all of them. Preregistration has been available since March. You've been able to register at the Rio since the last of March. Many of the players that got turned down had plenty of opportunity to register weeks ago."

Although there were several options for WSOP organizers to try and fit everyone in, including playing 10-handed, none were deemed fair to the rest of the field.

"We went through a wide range of very creative solutions, but couldn't find any that didn't affect fairness or integrity," Pollack said.

Management has already started to plan next year's WSOP and have promised to figure out a way that players won't be turned away from the Main Event again.

"We will do a number of things differently in terms of our messaging around registration," said Pollack. "We're already looking at having a bigger footprint in the Rio for more capacity and we're going to re-do some of our contingency planning.

"We need to anticipate these situations weeks in advance not just hours."

When asked if he thought players had learned their lesson, Pollack responded that it wasn't the WSOP's duty to teach players anything.

Pollack also quashed rumors that big-name players like Patrik Antonius were able to get into this year's Main Event while the average Joe was left out in the cold.

"Patrik Antonius, T.J. Cloutier, Captain Tom and many other notable players were left out," said Pollack. "Has there been a system of VIP customer management at the WSOP? Absolutely. Did somebody get in after we announced a sellout yesterday? Not to my knowledge."

Finally Pollack mentioned that despite the fallout from the Main Event sellout, he still thought the 2009 WSOP was the best that he'd been a part of.

"I think people are going to remember the 2009 WSOP for having more entrants than ever before," said Pollack. "Every member of the November Nine will walk away with at least $1 million and we had some great bracelet stories this year with Phil Ivey winning two and Jeffrey Lisandro winning three.

"Demand for the Main Event was so high that we had to sell out. That isn't a bad thing because it says that poker is alive and well."

Visit PokerListings.com

Mike Sexton on Turning Players Away From the WSOP Main Event

For the first time in the history of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), players were turned away from entering the Main Event.  It was unfortunate for those players, the WSOP, and the people at Harrah’s.  Here’s what happened.

Four starting days (1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D) from July 3rd to 6th were provided for players to enter the WSOP championship event.  Players could choose their starting day and registration to enter was opened in March.  The first three days, the number of entries was lower than expected (1,100, 800, and 1,700), but on Day 4 (1D), it was a sellout.  Every seat of the 295 tables was sold hours before registration for the event was supposed to be closed.  And all of the players (500 or so) who tried to sign up afterwards were told the event was a sellout and, unfortunately, they couldn’t play.

Naturally, players who were shut out were upset.  I happened to be down the hallway in the “Mike Sexton Suite” (a room available for the PartyPoker qualifiers) when the ruckus in the hallway was taking place.  Although I had played on Day 1A (and got through with average chips), I wandered down there to check things out.  As I got close to the registration area, numerous players suddenly came running up to me and said, “Mike, they’ve shut us out of the Main Event.  They won’t listen to us.  You’ve got to do something!”  I told them that I’m not affiliated with Harrah’s or the WSOP - I’m just a player, but that I did feel their pain and sincerely wished there was a way they could play.  A larger group now surrounded me pleading for me to try and help them.

“Captain” Tom Franklin was one of the players shut out on Day 1D and said he would be a spokesperson for the group as well.  They agreed.  We both told the group (which was now growing rapidly) that the only possible way anything might get accomplished was by taking a calm, reasonable approach to solve the problem.  If players were going to holler or create a mob scene, everyone understood that was not going to do anything but bring on security to escort everyone off the property.  And to everyone’s credit, calm was restored.  We discussed some possibilities as to what we felt the WSOP might do to accommodate those players who were shut out.  There were three options: play ten-handed (all tables were currently nine-handed), take alternates, or create a Day 1E and figure out how that could logistically take place.

We were told that Jack Eiffel (the WSOP’s Tournament Director) was going to come out and address the players.  A short while later, Jack sent word out that he was not coming out, but that Tom and I could come in and see him.  Everyone was pretty happy that the staff was at least willing to discuss things with us.

Tom and I were escorted into the area where the feature TV table was located and we started talking with Jack.  He told us all options were considered early that morning, but to maintain the integrity of the event, they had decided not to go to ten-handed tables and that they were sorry, but registration was closed.  After a short while with Jack, his phone rang and he told us to go with him to meet Jeffrey Pollack (WSOP Commissioner) about this.  We then went out to the back hallway and met with Pollack and at least four other “suits” from the Rio (all Vice Presidents and above).  Nolan Dalla was there as well.  And all of them were distressed and upset that they had to turn away players.

We presented our case: players had never been shut out of the Main Event, no one (including the WSOP staff) had thought they couldn’t register Monday morning for Day 1D, people had flown in from around the world to play and now couldn’t, and we had several options that could accommodate players.  They said they had explored all of the options and to preserve the integrity of the event, they decided to close registration after all seats had been sold.  And their reasons were logical.

They felt it wouldn’t be fair to those who pre-registered in advance for Day 1D to play ten-handed, as the players who entered the first three days played nine-handed.  They hadn’t taken any alternates for any event the entire month (and seven events were sold out) and couldn’t do it now because there wouldn’t be seats available for players on Day 2B.  The only possibility then was to create a Day 1E, which would start later that night (say 6:00pm), play four levels (like players did on Days 1A and 1B), and allow the players that got through to join Day 2A.  This was the only option they felt was a possible solution.  Their biggest concern was that because they had sent players home in the morning telling them it was a sellout, they thought it would create a bigger black eye for them to re-open registration and create a Day 1E (to start later that night).  This was perhaps the most serious issue for them.  They appreciated our input and, to his credit, Pollack said he would be out in a short while to address the players with their decision.

And as you know by now, Pollack came out and addressed the players and Harrah’s decision was to stand pat with their original choice: the event was a sellout and registration was closed.

Both parties have to absorb some blame.  If it was at all possible for them, players should have registered sooner.  But I do think the WSOP staff should have recognized the possibility of a Day 1D sellout, especially since it was 4th of July weekend.  They should have been saying for a week or so prior to the Main Event, “We are only taking 2,800 players on Day 1D, so if you don’t want to get shut out, you should register as soon as possible.”  This would have solved much of the problem.  They should have also recognized that many players would want to spend the 4th of July weekend with their families and would choose Day 1D to play.  And finally, they should have known that starting players with 30,000 in chips would mean more would get through on Days 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D - thus creating larger fields for Days 2A and 2B.  And just to be safe, why not create an “Open Day” after Days 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D where you can create a Day 1E just in case you have an overflow of players.

Players must realize that Harrah’s and the WSOP did not want to shut anyone out.  I was with them and I know they didn’t want to shut players out of their championship event.  Had they re-opened registration, they would have surpassed last year’s attendance and added another $4 million to $5 million to the prize pool.  Why wouldn’t they want that?  Why would they want players who dream all year about playing in the WSOP championship event to go home with a bad taste in their mouth?  Their problems were logistical and they simply wanted to protect the integrity of the event.  One thing’s for sure: in the long run, this might be a good thing for the WSOP.  I guarantee you they will never have problems with late registration again - ever!

Debate Over WSOP Main Event Shutout Rages On

Note: This article reflects the views of the author and not those of Poker News Daily.

The 40th Anniversary World Series of Poker (WSOP) has brought us some fantastic moments to this point. The triple bracelet assault of Jeffery Lisandro, the double bracelet wins of Phil Ivey, Brock “t soprano” Parker, and Greg “FBT” Mueller have made it a truly exceptional tournament series. However, events that unfolded yesterday have potentially tarnished the good time.

For the first time ever in the Main Event, WSOP officials closed off registration for players once the field size for Day 1D reached an incredible 2,809 players. The resulting shutout meant that such veteran players as T.J. Cloutier, and “Captain” Tom Franklin would not be seated for the $10,000 buy-in tournament. Professional Mickey Appleman commented that he had played the past 30 Main Events, but he was shut out as well.

Harrah’s and WSOP officials scrambled to try to find a way to accommodate players and get them into the tournament. After the announcement that the final Day One was sold out, approximately 500 players were asked to meet with WSOP officials in a conference room. Once gathered, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack apologized profusely to the players who were denied entrance and tossed out several ideas for admitting them, including playing a Midnight to Noon session as Day 1E.

While Harrah’s and the latest incarnation of the WSOP management have made mistakes before in the running of the greatest poker tournament on Earth, the company made the correct move on Monday. WSOP registration opened in March. This allowed players that wanted to play in the Championship Event a full three months to get their names on the list and send money to Harrah’s in order to ensure their position. Admittedly, poker players are not the most time-conscious beings that inhabit the planet, but three months to do anything is a pretty good leeway.

Secondly, for those who had actual plans to play in the Main Event, yet were seeking a strategic edge from observing the prior action, the procrastination cost them. The first two days had player numbers of 1,116 and 873. The players should have figured that there would be a stampede on the final day.

Finally, why should Harrah’s change the rules for a few versus the masses? One of the potential resolutions Harrah’s considered was ten-handed tables. Harrah’s rejected this, however, because the other three Day Ones had not played under that handicap. Allowing alternatives after eliminations was discussed, but Harrah’s, once again standing its ground, rejected this idea. Adding a day or allowing a special session would be awarding the few versus the many.

This isn’t to say that Harrah’s and WSOP officials got away scot-free. In the history of the WSOP Main Event, no player who could put up $10,000 has ever been denied entry. Additionally, the WSOP ceded some of the power to the players by allowing them to pick which day they wanted to play, causing the mob that descended on the Rio on Monday.

With all of the hubbub dying down, Harrah‘s can correct the problem fairly easily. It is a great power that the WSOP conveyed to the players to allow them to choose which Day One they wanted to play in. Because of a multitude of things - player indifference, strategy, etc. - the hordes wanted to see the first few days and then join in a mad rush to get the final seats. By taking the seating power back from the players and assigning them to one of the four first days of play, Harrah’s and the WSOP could have avoided this situation.

It would have helped this year. Adding in the estimated 500 players who were denied entry to the WSOP Main Event, the field would have broken the 7,000 mark. This would have demonstrated that the effects of a recession, which have plagued Las Vegas, would have no effect on the marquee event in poker.

Phil Ivey, Peter Eastgate Selected for WSOP Europe Caesars Cup

The inaugural Caesars Cup will play out at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe and pit top pros from the United States against Europe’s best. The Ryder Cup-esque event will take place on September 25th and air on ESPN.

The American squad is captained by Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, who reached out across party lines to select Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey with his first pick. Ivey recorded five in the money finishes during the 2009 WSOP, including three final tables and two bracelets. His pieces of hardware were the sixth and seventh of his career and came in Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball and Omaha/Seven Card Stud High-Low Eight or Better. Ivey was the youngest player ever to earn five WSOP bracelets and, to date, none have come in a Hold’em event. In 2002, he recorded three gold bracelets and forever cemented his name as among the best in the industry.

The European Caesars Cup team is captained by Team Betfair Pro Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, who selected 2008 WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate with her first pick. The youngsters will be a formidable force. Obrestad took down the inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event in 2007 for £1 million, while Eastgate pocketed over $9 million for his win in the Las Vegas feature tournament. Eastgate, a Danish poker pro, ranks second on the all-time WSOP money list by virtue of his win last year, trailing only Jamie Gold, who earned $12 million for emerging victorious in the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

Negreanu and Obrestad will select six team members in total; Obrestad’s will have one member from Betfair. The European champion commented in a press release, “The lineup for this year’s WSOPE Caesars Cup is already starting to look impressive and looks like a who’s who of poker. The fact that a member of the public can qualify to sit alongside some of the best players in the game will be a massive attraction to players on Betfair Poker. I look forward to captaining our team to glory on September 25th this year in London.” The roster for each team will be filled out over the coming weeks prior to the WSOP Europe festivities kicking off on September 17th.

Betfair serves as the presenting sponsor of WSOP Europe. On September 18th, the first of two starting days in a £1,060 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event will kick off from London. Three days later, a £2,650 buy-in Pot Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha event will issue its “Shuffle up and deal” command from the Casino at the Empire. The final preliminary event is a £5,250 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha tournament that begins on September 23rd and is followed by the £10,350 buy-in Main Event. The feature tournament starts on September 26th and will air on ESPN and ESPN 360.

Betfair players can earn their way onto the European Caesars Cup team through a leaderboard race. The top 200 players in a Monthly Low-Stakes Leaderboard (tracking sit and gos and mult-table tournaments with less than a $22 buy-in) will be entered into a Heat Low freeroll. The top 100 players in a Monthly High-Stakes Leaderboard will be entered into a Heat High freeroll. The top 18 finishers in each move onto a $5,000 Guaranteed Monthly Final that awards Caesars Cup points to the top finishers. In August, the top nine players on the Caesars Cup Leaderboard will battle it out for a spot on the team. The second through ninth place finishers will share a $25,000 prize pool, while the winner heads to London.

The WSOP Main Event hosts the first of two Day 2s today. On Wednesday, Day 2B will play out inside the Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. The tournament plays down to its final table on July 15th and will crown a champion in November.

Hartnell bests Loungo in NHL poker tournament

Supplementing the NHL Awards happening today at the Palms Resort and Casino, the NHL and PokerStars.net teamed up to raise money for Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas and the NHLPA's Goals & Dreams fund.

After the preliminary heats were over, and the final table had played down to two, it was Hartnell going one on one with Vancouver Canucks captain Roberto Luongo.

While Luongo was clearly the more experienced player Hartnell caught a few breaks and managed to score the winning shot on the Canadian goalie.

"I was lucky to get to the final two and I was lucky against Luongo there to win," admitted Hartnell after the win.

A rookie when it comes to tournament poker, Hartnell got back to basics in this televised charity event.

"I just try to make all the right decisions and bear down, just like I do on the ice."

Luongo, on the other hand, is an old hand when it comes to poker.

"I love poker. It's become a passion of mine," said the goalie. "If I had more time on my hands I'd be at the World Series of Poker every year."

As one of the most sought after goalies in professional hockey, it's unlikely Luongo will have much free time for poker in the near future.

"For now it's going to be a hobby but when I retire you'll see a lot more of me at poker tournaments."

Visit PokerListings.com

Second bracelet for Mexico highlights WSOP June 17

Guillen is just the second Mexican bracelet winner in the history of the WSOP and, even more incredibly, he's only been playing live tournaments for six months.

"I always had the dream to become a professional poker player but I never had the opportunity or the chance," Guillen told PokerListings.com moments after the win.

"I will keep trying to improve my game, to become a well-known player and to win more big events in the future."

Guillen's victory shines a spotlight on a country poised to pick up the game.

"In Mexico, poker isn't legal so the growth in our country has been very slow," explained Guillen. "We're trying to develop that with a group of players like my friends here."

"We're trying to create a boom in Mexico."

J.C. Alvarado, a member of Team PokerStars Pro, is one of Guillen's closest poker friends and someone the new bracelet winner has learned from since picking up tournament poker.

"Angel has a great future ahead of him," emphasized Alvarado. "He's going to continue crushing tournaments."

PokerStars.net NHL Charity Shootout

An addendum to the NHL Awards happening tomorrow at the Palms, this Charity event saw professional hockey players and Team PokerStars pros square off to earn money for the Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas and the NHL Players Association's Goals & Dreams fund.

Philadelphia Flyers left winger Scott Hartnell defeated Vancouver Canucks captain Roberto Luongo heads-up to claim the victory.

Click through to hear more about the event from the players themselves.

Event 33 - $10,000 Limit Hold'em World Championship

Today marked Greg Mueller's sixth WSOP final table in the last four years but his first time in the winner's circle with a gold bracelet on his wrist.

The Full Tilt pro defeated a stacked final table including recent bracelet winner Danny Alaei, Chad Brown and Matt "Hoss TBF" Hawrilenko.

Click through to read the full story.

Event 34 - $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

Adding more low buy-in No-Limit Hold'em events was part of the WSOP's plan to increase attendance this year, and so far it's been a big success.

Over 2,000 runners entered this event and when play was suspended tonight, two days into the event, just 21 of them remained.

Denmark's Jonas Klausen is leading the field going into the playdown to a champion but fellow Euro-rounders Roland de Wolfe, Praz Bansi and Bertrand Grospellier aren't far behind.

Action resumes at 2 p.m.

Event 35 - $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha

Higher buy-in PLO events consistently draw pro-heavy fields and this one was no different.

Denmark's Jesper Hougaard held the chip lead for much of the day and managed to finish the night in the number one slot.

Canada's Sorel "Imper1um" Mizzi is just inches behind, followed by Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy, Jeff Lisandro and David "DevilFish" Ulliott.

PokerListings is providing comprehensive live coverage of this event as we continue the playdown to the final table, beginning at 2 p.m.

Visit PokerListings.com

Ovechkin stars at WSOP Charity Shootout

The National Hockey League's reigning MVP joined fellow NHLers and members of Team PokerStars Pro at the PokerStars.net NHL Charity Shootout in the Amazon Room.

The ESPN feature table was transformed into a miniature hockey rink for the event, a 24-player mini-tournament that gave a few lucky online qualifiers the chance to face off against their hockey heroes in a $150,000 charity freeroll.

Among the stars to take part were Vancouver Canucks captain Roberto Luongo, Jeremy Roenick (San Jose Sharks), Mats Sundin (Vancouver Canucks), Scott Hartnell (Philadelphia Flyers) and Sheldon Souray (Edmonton Oilers).

PokerStars pros Vanessa Rousso, Dennis Phillips and Chris Moneymaker represented the professional contingent at the table.

The 24 players were divided into three tables of eight, with the winner at each table coming back later Wednesday night to crown a champion.

The online qualifiers joined six NHL stars and one PokerStars pro in each of the three first-round matches, though Kevin Connolly of HBO's Entourage filled the sixth celebrity seat in the final heat.

The stars of the rink have dominated first two heats, with hockey legends Glenn Anderson and Ed Olczyk both winning their tables outright.

Nashville Predators star Steve Sullivan was the second player eliminated at the third table, taken out by former teammate Hartnell, who shared a big laugh with Sullivan afterward.

"I don't think I did very well," said a smiling Sullivan shortly after his elimination. "I was a little intimidated, a little nervous.

"You're out of your element and that makes it a little difficult. I had fun and it was for a good cause. I had a blast."

"It's a great idea," Sullivan continued. "It takes us away from the ice and puts us in a different venue.

"It's great for the fans to see us in different aspects of our lives and just to have fun with it. I think they did a great job."

Tennessee native Chris Moneymaker shared a table with Sullivan and Hartnell, both of whom made names for themselves with the Predators, the state's only NHL franchise.

"I know some of these players, and it's nice that I got this table," Moneymaker said. "It's been a fun experience and I've really enjoyed it."

"As far as the poker goes I'm just trying to keep the pots small and stay out of trouble, hopefully let them make some mistakes and capitalize on those the best I can."

The 2003 Main Event champ hoped to fare better than his fellow pros, neither of whom managed to win their heat.

"It's great for poker and it's great for the NHL," Moneymaker said. "It's a good marriage and I think going forward it will be fun to watch."

Portions of the proceeds are earmarked for the Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas as well as the NHL Players Association's Goals & Dreams fund, while each participating player will receive $2,000 towards the charity of his choice.

The Shootout will be broadcast on ESPN Classic and ESPN2 in the United States and TSN in Canada, as well as on the NHL Network throughout North America.

Visit PokerListings.com

888.com, Shane Warne announce Poker Ashes 2009

The tournament pits teams from England and Australia against each other in a series of five "test matches" of No Limit Hold'em poker and will be filmed for Sky Sports in England in June.

Legendary bowler Warne will captain the Aussies and Gough, the former Yorkshire captain, will head up the English side.

The winning team will win a $50,000 USD charitable donation to the charity of its choice - either the Shane Warne Foundation (Australia) or the Professional Cricket Association (England).

"Aussies don't like to be beaten by the Poms - whatever the sport," Warne said. "And I can tell you that Darren Gough and his English Poker Ashes team will face a stern test from our boys.

"We are taking this very seriously. I'm getting the best players from the Aussie changing rooms and you Poms are set for an absolute flogging."

While four of each team's six available seats will be filled by professional cricketers, 888.com is offering its players the chance to win one of the two remaining seats via online satellite.

Aussie hopefuls can qualify for their satellite final by winning either the daily freeroll (held Monday to Sunday at 8 p.m. AEST) or the daily $5 USD Poker Ashes satellite (8:45 p.m. AEST).

The Australian satellite final will be held on June 7 at 8 p.m. AEST.

Their counterparts in England can qualify for their satellite final by taking down a weekly freeroll to be held Thursdays at 8 p.m. BST or by winning one a $1 USD satellite to be held Saturday through Wednesday at 8 p.m. BST.

The English satellite final will be held on June 7 at 8 p.m. BST.

Qualifiers will receive entry into the Poker Ashes, travel and accommodation expenses, $1,000 USD spending money and a swag bag of autographed cricket memorabilia.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, get more info at 888.com.

Visit PokerListings.com

Party Poker Releases Dates for Sports Stars Challenge IV

Party Poker has released the dates for its PartyPoker.com Sports Stars Challenge IV, one of the most popular televised poker tournaments in Europe. The event will run from May 29-June 1 and will feature some of the world’s biggest sports stars, both past and present, taking their seats at the table in hopes of becoming a poker champion.

The Sports Stars Challenge IV will include some of the world’s best in motorsports, golf, boxing, rugby and darts. There will also be an online qualifier added to the field for the first time ever. The number of heats will increase from six to seven, with the winner of each of the seven heats advancing to the final table to battle it out until one of them walks away with the title. The overall winner receives £20,000 with second getting £10,000 and third receiving £5,000.

The motorsport table will feature Italian F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella, while the golf heat will include both 2008 European Ryder Cup team member Graeme McDowell and Jean Van Der Velde. European football’s list of legends includes former Holland captain Frank De Boer, French World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf, Germany’s European Championship winner Thomas Helmer, Romania’s Florin Radiciou and Denmark and Liverpool legend Jan Molby.

Germany’s former unbeaten World Champion Sven Ottke will headline the boxing heat. He will be joined by Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth heavyweight and Prizefighter champion Martin Rogan and Poland’s female boxing champ Agnieska Rylik. The rugby heat will feature union’s former France and Wasps captain Raphael Ibanez and Australian league star Brad Drew, while the darts heat will pit legend Phil Taylor against Russia’s ladies champ Anastasia Dobromyslova.

PartyPoker.com players also had the chance to win a seat through a freeroll in the sports heat of their choice. The sports are European football (two heats), rugby (union and league combined), motorsport, boxing, darts and golf. Two online qualifiers will join each heat.

“We offered freerolls to win a seat in the event on the site”, a spokesperson for Party Poker said, “but the places were snapped up so quickly that we were loath to promote it too much to save the disappointment of players. This is a once in a lifetime experience for a select group to take to the felt with their sporting heroes. The overall lineup is the most diverse and international in the event’s history and more star participant names will be released in the near future.”

For the fourth consecutive year the event will be run by Matchroom Sport, a promotions company founded by English entrepreneur Barry Hearn. Matchroom Sport is typically involved in snooker and boxing events for the most part, but Hearn is thrilled to be involved in the Sports Stars challenge again.

“This is the poker event that the sporting world looks forward to and we have some great international names and great poker players competing for the trophy, big prize money and the ultimate bragging rights”, Hearn said. “We’re particularly excited to introduce the online element and the motorsport and golf heats this year.”

Past winners of Sports Stars Challenge are rugby union star Austin Healey, Irish snooker champion Ken Doherty, and television presenter Kara Scott, who won £20,000 last year after defeating Manchester United football legend Norman Whiteside heads-up. There is no presenter heat in the new format this year.

Coverage of the event will be aired in the UK later this year on Sky Sports and then distributed internationally.

Pokerstars All Star Week - March 23rd to 29th

Here we go with another exciting promotion from the best poker site on the Planet – PokerStars present to you the all new and exclusive PokerStars All Star Week.

Team PokerStars Pro is a group of the best poker players in the world with millions of dollars in poker earnings and 17 bracelets between them to prove it. To play these magnificent players would be an honour indeed and it’s an honour that is coming to the All Star Challengers.

The All Star Challengers will be playing the Team PokerStars Pro for cash prizes during the week March 23rd to 29th – each heads up winner will take home $1,000 plus the winning team will share a team pool of $1,000 for every match they’ve won. Any money won by Team PokerStars Pro will be donated to a charity chosen by their Team Captain Victor Ramdin, Victor is a brilliant Ambassador for Poker and is well known for his charity work.

Who are the All Star Challengers? How do I become one? Read on to find out..

The All Star Challengers are a team of players being chosen by PokerStars from amongst their most gifted players so, to receive your invite to be up there playing for the cash prizes and the bragging rights you have to fulfil the following criteria

• Scooped a Sunday Million 1st prize in 2008
• Finished high on the Yearly Tournament Leaderboard
• Made it to SuperNova Elite status
• Played at WCOOP final table

In addition, every player that makes the cut will receive a ticket to a $1,050 SCOOP All Stakes Main Event.

What about the rest of us, how do we get to be one of the 20 All Star Challengers?

For just $11 you can qualify as a wildcard and get your place on the team. The Wild Card Tournament will take place on Sunday March 15th at 9pm UK (4pm New York) and the top two placed will become part of the elite All Star Challengers, how cool is that!

Our No.1 recommended room – PokerStars - is far and away the largest online poker site today! To learn more about the best poker site on the planet start by studying our unbiased review and PokerStars Marketing Code page – use the Stars marketing code DIRPOKER along with Pokerstars bonus code STARS50 to ensure you are entitled to the full first depositor benefits.

Good luck at the tables!