Poker News

Norman Chad, Lon McEachern Preview WSOP Main Event Final Table

As part of a conference call held on Thursday, ESPN poker commentators Norman Chad and Lon McEachern previewed the conclusion of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table, set to resume on Saturday, November 7th.

On that day, the live audience at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio will watch as the field is chopped from nine players to two. Then, the action will pause until Monday, November 9th at 10:00pm PT, when the two survivors will battle for the $8.5 million first place prize and poker immortality. The proceedings will air on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, a quick turnaround for the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

Chad and McEachern entertained questions from the media and gave their take on the most recent installment of the November Nine. Chad explained, “The Main Event final table always brings a myriad storylines. When you start with Phil Ivey, you’re in great shape. Beyond that, you have a Main Event final table that’s just terrific.” Ivey is Chad’s perennial pick to take down the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament.

One of the only November Nine members to solicit coaching was CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman. He sought the aid of one of the game’s top names, Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 WSOP bracelets. Chad and McEachern will almost certainly discuss the relationship on air, with the former telling reporters, “It’s either the greatest move in history or the greatest mistake in history. Jeff and Phil have similar styles of play. It’s hard to argue with getting coaching from the guy who has more bracelets than anyone else.” Shulman’s father, Barry, won the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event.

Much of the conversation on Thursday centered on Ivey, who is currently in “exile” in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico preparing for the final table. The poker world watched in horror on Tuesday night as Ivey mucked a winning flush on the most recent installment of the WSOP Main Event on ESPN. After eight days of play, the grind of the tournament seemed to have finally taken its course on the player many consider to be the greatest in the game. Chad gave his thoughts: “I didn’t think that could be happening. When I watched it again, he did something that all of us do routinely: he was unaware that he mucked the winning hand. It was a stunning thing to see. You just don’t expect it to happen, but it does.”

Holding the chip lead when the final table resumes will be Darvin Moon, a logger from Maryland who owns no credit card or e-mail address. His journey to Las Vegas for the Main Event in July marked his first time on an airplane, leading many to speculate as to whether another Moneymaker Boom could be in the works should Moon win the most prestigious title in poker. McEachern forecasted, “It’s going to re-instill the hope of people who are your everyday working players watching these shows. The normal Friday night player at home would love to see it happen.”

Chad gave his take on Moon potentially winning the Main Event: “When it got down to Chris Moneymaker versus Sammy Farha [in 2003], I was rooting for Farha. I didn’t see the effect that Moneymaker winning would have. It’s not quite as drastic here, but if Darvin Moon wins, there’s something about the name alone. I think it’s a microcosm of what the Main Event is. It’s an unbelievable, improbable story.” Moon owns one-third of the chips in play entering the Main Event final table. Ivey, by contrast, has just 5%.

Poker News Daily readers who have watched the Main Event unfold each Tuesday on ESPN know that the chemistry between Chad and McEachern, who have worked together since 2003, seems to be at an all-time high. McEachern candidly explained, “You just grow in the role. I came in as a neophyte to the game and probably still don’t know that much. We’re all just getting better at it, quicker at it, and more efficient.” Chad added, “Poker is a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to be at the table and a lot of fun to watch.”

Poker News Daily will be live in Las Vegas with all of the action from the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

ESPN gears up for Main Event final

"We're really excited about the final table this year and we expect it to be just as good if not better than what we did last year," said Doug White, ESPN's Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions.

"We expect play to be stellar and we expect the drama to be there as well."

When it comes to drama, ESPN WSOP coverage co-host Lon McEachern says it all starts with one of the greatest players in the game having a shot at poker's most coveted title.

"This is one of the most highly anticipated final tables we've seen in a long time, just for the fact Phil Ivey is there," McEachern said. "I'm excited to see the poker community buzzing about this and I'm sure we will live up to and surpass their expectations in terms of the production and play at the final table."

Co-host Norman Chad appears equally excited to see what Ivey can do, but he also said this second edition of the November Nine is rife with compelling story lines.

"When you start with Phil Ivey you are in great shape because it's the greatest player in the game trying to win the greatest event in the game, but beyond that, you do have that usual mix that you have at a Main Event final table and that's just terrific," he said.

"It's just like anything else. If you look for the story, you will find it. If you look at these guys, they are interesting. They are more interesting than they look at first glance."

McEachern believes young but experienced pro Eric Buchman, who will come into the final nine second in chips, has the best shot to win the title.

But, he also said CardPlayer Magazine editor Jeff Shulman is a "solid player" who is "steeped in the game" and should be "a very dangerous force" at the final table.

Chad said he was impressed with 21-year-old Joe Cada's poise and maturity as he looks to surpass 2008 champ Peter Eastgate as the youngest player ever to win the Main Event and although he admitted French Everest Poker qualifier Antoine Saout is the player he knows the least about, Chad would not count him out.

"You have to be at the final table to have a shot, so he can do it," Chad said. "He's obviously a solid player and another one of these young guys that you have to wonder how the heck he could get this good this quickly."

Chad said Steven Begleiter "has lot of gamble in him," and the former Wall Street executive knows how to use the big stack he's bringing to the final table.

And while McEachern said he's been particularly impressed by Kevin Schaffel results since the summer and Chad said James Akenhead has impressed him with his "selectively aggressive" style, both commentators seemed clearly focused on the two biggest story lines coming in - Ivey and chip leading Maryland logger Darvin Moon.

McEachern called Moon "the second best thing to happen to this final table," next to Ivey and believes that as the unknown coming in, Moon could be the scariest player in the field.

"He is the least experienced and probably the worst player at the final table," added Chad. "But he is a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing...I think there's a little shark in him. There's a bit of a pool hustler there."

But of course, Chad is still making Ivey a bit of a favorite.

"He just does all the little things a little better than everybody else," he said.

The final table will play down to heads-up Nov. 7 and a winner will be crowned Nov. 9.

PokerListings will have live coverage throughout and ESPN will broadcast an edited version of the final table Nov. 10.

Visit PokerListings.com

Jason Somerville Leads WPT Festa al Lago Entering Day 3

Two days are in the books at the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Festa al Lago event. A total of 275 players registered, a drop of 25% compared to 2008, and entering Day 3 on Friday, Jason “JCarver” Somerville leads the way with a stack of 557,000.

A total of $1.2 million is up for grabs for the winner of the $15,000 buy-in tournament being held at the Bellagio. One person who won’t have the opportunity to vie for the seven-figure payday is Barry Shulman, the reigning champion of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event and father of November Nine member Jeff Shulman. The elder Shulman, founder of CardPlayer Magazine, was knocked out to close play on Thursday after pushing pre-flop with A-4 and running into the A-10 of Poorya Nazari. The winner of the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Nazari saw his hand hold to knock out Shulman.

Also eliminated late in the day was Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer, who pushed over the top of a raise by Mark Seif for 60 big blinds holding pocket jacks. However, Seif called and turned over pocket kings. The board ran out Q-10-10-6-A to send Lederer home just a few hours after he bought into the tournament during the extended registration period on Day 2.

2008 WSOP Europe Main Event Champion John Juanda was sent packing shortly after registration closed at 5:00pm Pacific Time on Thursday. Juanda called all-in for his tournament life on a board of K-Q-5-9 with three spades holding 6-7 of the suit. His opponent, Somerville, held Q-10 of spades for a higher flush and Juanda was eliminated. The hand pushed Somerville’s stack to 240,000.

2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Erik Seidel, an eight-time WSOP bracelet holder, took a bad beat at the hands of Phil Laak to end his run in the WPT Festa al Lago. Seidel pushed pre-flop with A-K and Laak made the call with K-5 of diamonds. Sure enough, a five hit the turn to give Laak the win in the hand. Laak’s stack grew to 120,000, but he did not survive play on Thursday. Others who were ousted included Beth Shak, Phil Hellmuth, Kenny Tran, Paul Wasicka, Erik Cajelais, David Grey, Carlos Mortensen, Eli Elezra, Jason Mercier, and Mike Sowers.

Here are the top 10 chip stacks remaining in the Festa al Lago entering Day 3 on Friday:

1. Jason “JCarver” Somerville – 557,000
2. Mark Seif – 473,200
3. Dutch Boyd – 453,800
4. Chad “lilholdem954” Batista – 425,000
5. Corwin Cole – 405,600
6. Richard Sciuto – 403,100
7. David “The Dragon” Pham – 365,000
8. Mike “goleafsgoeh” Leah – 348,400
9. Steven McKoy – 325,500
10. Jonas Entin – 317,600

Ninety-eight players remain, with the top 27 spots paying out. Other notable names still in the hunt for the WPT title include:

11. Steve “gboro780” Gross – 301,900
13. Lee Markholt – 273,800
21. David “Chino” Rheem – 233,000
27. Poorya Nazari – 221,600
30. Chau Giang – 210,700
34. Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo – 197,500
38. Mike Matusow – 183,800
48. Freddy Deeb – 144,800
49. Steve Brecher – 137,600
59. Andy Bloch – 112,200
60. Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy – 111,600
61. Glen Chorny – 111,100
63. Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar – 106,200
64. Todd Brunson – 105,900
72. Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little – 88,300
75. Brandon Cantu – 84,000
78. Josh Arieh – 77,800
80. Prahlad Friedman – 75,900
83. Barry Greenstein – 68,900
89. Kathy Liebert – 55,000
92. Phil Ivey – 51,700

When play halted for the evening in Las Vegas, blinds were at 1,000/2,000 with a 200 chip ante. The Festa al Lago will crown a winner on Monday. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the marquee WPT event.

The World Series of Poker November Nine: Jeff Shulman

Although Phil Ivey may be the most well-known player of the November Nine, one player has stolen the spotlight from the Full Tilt Pro thanks to his brash opinions about Harrahs and the WSOP as a whole. CardPlayer Magazine Editor and CardPlayer Media...

Bodog Poker Open IV Dates Announced

In the world of online poker tournament series, there are a few that are “must play” events for online professionals. The annual PokerStars’ World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) and the quarterly Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) normally come to mind first, but Bodog has built its own franchise that has done very well, the Bodog Poker Open. Recently, the dates were announced for the fourth version of Bodog’s preeminent online tournament series and some special prizes have been added for the eventual champion.

The Bodog Poker Open IV is scheduled to start on November 1st and will wrap up one week later on November 8th. The weeklong schedule features several tournaments that will test the skills of the players involved in Limit, Pot Limit, and No Limit Texas Hold’em. It also has been split into two divisions that will enable anyone to get into the game.

The Bodog Championship Series features the seven main tournaments that run from a $50 rebuy to the $500 Championship Event. These tournaments should draw the cream of the internet poker world to battle it out on the virtual felt. The second division, called the Bodog Contender Series, features eight tournaments that cost 10% of the buy-ins of the main schedule, but will still be profitable for their eventual champions.

There are other additions that should make the Bodog Poker Open IV a schedule that will be well-attended. Each tournament in the Championship Series has money added to the prize pool, ranging from $2,500 for Event #6 ($150 Limit Hold’em) to the $25,000 that will be added to the Championship Event’s prize pool. In the Contender Series, two tournaments, the $10 No Limit Hold’em event (#1) and the Contender Championship Event, have money added to them.

Each player who wins one of the preliminary tournaments on the Championship Schedule will also earn a seat into the Championship Event along with a chunk of the prize pool. For those playing on the Contender Schedule, the winners of preliminary events will take home a seat into the Championship Series Main Event, while their final tablemates will earn a seat into the Contender Series Main Event. Finally, the eventual champions of both divisions’ Main Events will be featured in CardPlayer Magazine and Bodog’s online outlets, including the “Bodog Beat.”

For those who don’t want to pony up the full buy-in for either the Championship or the Contender Schedule, there are ways to qualify for the tournaments on the cheap through a very extensive satellite schedule. For as little as $0.50, players can work their way into the mix for playing in any of the Bodog Poker Open scheduled events on either side of the ledger. Players can even use Bodog Poker Points to enter into special satellite tournaments that can get them into a tournament for no monetary outlay.

Back on May 3rd, the Bodog Poker Open III wrapped up its Championship Event by crowning “biffsworld” as the victor. “biffsworld” vanquished the 279-player field, which included Bodog poker professionals Jean-Robert Bellande and Justin Bonomo, and took home the $40,283 first prize. “biffsworld” is expected back to defend his title, joining “scarface0928” (Mid-Main Event champion) and “winjack” (Mini-Main Event champion), who also earned titles during the Bodog Poker Open III. With the Bodog Poker Open IV less than two weeks away, the action should be picking up significantly as players attempt to win their way into the weeklong tournament series.

Mike Sexton Previews the WSOP November Nine

The entire poker world is anxiously awaiting the final table of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, which will be played this November.  The finalists have been dubbed the “November Nine” because of the four-month delay of the final table.  It’s a final table that has created tremendous interest because it has everything – an amateur with a massive chip lead, three guys in their 20s, and great players from around the world.  It’s also got Phil Ivey – and that is huge for the WSOP.

I often get asked, “Who do you think is the best poker player in the world?”  Well, when asked the same question years ago, Doyle Brunson said, “You judge a hunter by the number of furs he brings home”  (I love that phrase).  Well, nobody has brought home more “fur” than Phil Ivey.  I consider Phil Ivey to be the best player in the world.

Ivey is the best in every poker category you can come up with – cash games, tournament poker, and online poker.  I would bet that he’s the most successful cash game player of all-time and he will become the all-time tournament money leader if he finishes in fourth place or better at the WSOP Main Event final table.  If he’s not the most successful online player out there, then he’s certainly one of them.  When it comes to playing poker (and that includes all games), put Ivey at the top of your list.

One thing’s for sure – in addition to most players, Harrah’s, the WSOP, and ESPN are thrilled that Phil Ivey is at the final table. Because he’s there, I look for ratings for the WSOP final table to at least double from last year.  And that’s good for poker.

OK, here are the November Nine and their chip counts:

Darvin Moon – 58,930,000
Eric Buchman – 34,800,000
Steven Begleiter – 29,885,000
Jeff Shulman – 19,580,000
Joe Cada – 13,215,000
Kevin Schaffel – 12,390,000
Phil Ivey – 9,765,000
Antoine Saout – 9,500,000
James Akenhead – 6,800,000

The November Nine chip leader is Darvin Moon.  He’s a 45 year-old amateur poker player from Oakland, Maryland.  Playing in his first-ever big-time tournament, he could become the next Chris Moneymaker.  Moon is an amazing story.  He won his seat in a qualifying tournament in West Virginia and thought about taking the $10,000 first place prize and putting it in the family business.  His brother talked him out of that and encouraged him to go ahead and enter the WSOP (brother knows best).  Experience or not, with nearly 60 million in chips, I can’t imagine anyone being a bigger favorite than him to win.  Will it be a “Full Moon” in November?

Starting in second chip position with nearly 35 million is Eric Buchman.  Eric is a 29 year-old pro from New York.  He’s been a pro for about 10 years and this marks his 23rd cash at the WSOP.  Prior to this tournament, he had nearly $1 million in career tournament cashes.  With his experience and chip count, he could be the man to beat.

In third chip position with nearly 30 million is 47 year-old Steven Begleiter from Chappaqua, New York.  He was a strategist for the investment bank Bear Stearns for nearly 25 years.  He qualified for the WSOP Main Event on the Newcastle Poker Tour and poker league.  He’s really popular there, as he plans to donate 20% of his winnings to his poker league.  Now that is a friendly game!

The only guy who has been to the WSOP Main Event final table before is 34 year-old Jeff Shulman, the editor of CardPlayer Magazine.  He’ll be starting out in fourth chip position with nearly 20 million.  Shulman created a controversy by saying he would “throw the bracelet in the garbage if I win”  (that’s because of his strong opinion of unfair media treatment by the WSOP).  Like most, I’m shocked by that statement considering Shulman is in the business of promoting poker.  Shulman’s experience could bode well for him in November, but hopefully he’ll change his mind about throwing the bracelet in the garbage.

On a side note, that 2000 WSOP Main Event is still vivid in my mind because I felt I had a real shot to win it.  I ended up finishing in 12th place and was knocked out by Shulman (who was the big chip leader at the time and won a race for all of my chips).  It turned out to be a heartbreaking tournament for Shulman as well because, for the first time in WSOP history, only six players made it to the TV table and Shulman was the massive chip leader with seven players left.  He ended up going out seventh.

The youngest player at the table, 21 year-old Joe Cada from Michigan, will be starting out in fifth chip position.  If he wins, he will break Peter Eastgate’s record of being the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever.  Cada plays a lot of heads-up poker and likes his chances if he gets short-handed.  He’s young, confident in his abilities, and believes he’s got a good chance to win.

Kevin Schaffel, 51, has been playing poker for 30 years.  This super nice Floridian claims to be “semi-retired,” but he is a scratch golfer and plays a lot of poker.  Do you think he works much?  Kevin recently finished second in the WPT’s Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino and, I can tell you, he played very well there.  If he doesn’t dub any shots on the green felt in November, he could very well be crowned champion.

Phil Ivey is “the man” at any poker table.  Although he’s starting in seventh chip position with less than 10 million in chips, many are wagering on him to win.  I’m sure he feels pretty good about his chances and why wouldn’t he?  He’s already won two bracelets at the 2009 WSOP and then bet $20,000 on himself to win the Main Event at 100-1 odds when there were still 2,400 players left!  Like many, I would love to see Ivey win.  I think it would be great for the poker world if the greatest player in the game won the biggest event in poker.

Antoine Saout, 25 years-old and from France, will be starting in eighth chip position.  He qualified for this tournament by winning a $50 online satellite.  Word has it that he crushes online tournaments.  I know some French players who really respect his game.   When he told his mom he wanted to become a poker pro, she was not happy.  With this finish and becoming a guaranteed millionaire, mom has changed her mind.  “Bon chance,” Antoine!

James Akenhead, 26, from England, discovered poker a few years ago while he was pursuing his other love, pool.  He practiced pool 10 hours a day and was ranked 15th in the U.K. in nine-ball at one time.  Akenhead has been a poker pro for three years and several top players from England have told me that he’s a very tough player.  Although he’s starting on the short stack, if he can double up early, they really like his chances.  A Hall of Fame poker player once said, “Poker is like pool.  Some days you make every shot and other days you hit nothing but the rail.”  Can this pool player parlay the short stack into the title?

One thing’s for sure:  It’s going to be a great final table in November.  Like all poker players, I can’t wait.

Jeff Shulman Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: It must feel good to be back at the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event after a nine-year hiatus.

Shulman: It definitely feels good, but it’s so much different now. Back then, the tournament was played in one or two days. From making the money to final table was eight hours, so you didn’t have time to think. Now, I’m up at 2:00am every morning thinking about it.

PND: What do you remember specifically about your final table appearance in 2000?

Shulman: I remember what shirt I was wearing because I still have that. Mostly, I remember the players. It seemed like I was there for half an hour even though I had most of the chips to start. The arena also seemed smaller. There were a few fans, but not like there are today. There also weren’t a lot of cameras. I was picking up hands and playing ultra-aggressively. To me, it was a blast. I had never seen $100,000 in cash before.

PND: Talk about your comments about throwing out the WSOP Main Event bracelet should you win. Is that something you wish you could take back or do you stand by it?

Shulman: A guy came up to me and I was misquoted. I don’t want to talk a lot about it. People are blowing it out of proportion. Whatever I decide to do with the bracelet should I win will be my business.

PND: The WSOP Main Event is a unique marketing opportunity for CardPlayer and SpadeClub. Will you be wearing any other logos?

Shulman: I for sure will be wearing CardPlayer and SpadeClub logos. I won’t be wearing a logo for an online poker site because it’s a conflict of interest. If an opportunity were to come up with a company outside of poker, I’d consider it.

PND: You’re in the middle of the pack in chips entering November’s play in the Main Event. What’s the best strategy to overcoming a massive chip leader like Darvin Moon?

Shulman: Wait them out. If you compare my big stack poker game to a boxer, a guy like Floyd Mayweather sits back and throws jabs. He doesn’t go for a knockout punch. I don’t know if Moon will make any mistakes, but I don’t need to push it with anyone. If you watch the Main Event on television leading up to the final table, you’ll see that people just hand me chips. People decided to get it all-in with two tables remaining and we finished early that day.

PND: Talk about the presence of Phil Ivey and two sponsored Full Tilt Poker pros, Steven Begleiter and Kevin Schaffel, at the final table. That’s a pretty talented group.

Shulman: I personally play better when there are better players at the table. It’s not as easy, but it will make my focus at its best. I play better when I’m focused, but it’s certainly harder. Kevin slapped me around for a few days. I was only at Steve’s table when it was 10-handed to nine-handed. It is what it is and I’m obviously thrilled to be here.

PND: How are you preparing for the final table?

Shulman: I’ve done nothing yet. I played the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event and have been working on a game plan in my head. It’s nice to get back to playing poker because November is getting close. I’m panicking that I’m slipping while everyone else is getting better. My game is good, but it needs to be polished up. I’m not pleased with my game now and I’m going to be working with a coach, Phil Hellmuth, to help me with my game.

PND: What has contributed to your success in the Main Event to this point?

Shulman: My success in the first few days came by playing wild. Some of it was a good table draw. Every once in a while, I had more chips or good position on the rest of the table. Then, I got lucky. I didn’t get lucky by getting in with the worst of it and drawing out, but I got big hands. I got aces a few times, kings a few times, and won my races. My A-K never lost to A-Q. If that keeps up, anyone can win. I’ve never been in a spot where this has happened. I also avoided a few hands that would have busted me. The hand that Eric Buchman doubled up with pocket eights, I folded tens and the other guy had kings, so it’s dodging big spots, too. Overall, things have been going well for me.

PND: How has business at CardPlayer fared while you’ve been immersed in the Main Event?

Shulman: I haven’t been put 100% of my focus over the last couple of months into CardPlayer. I have a big event, though, which will be good for the company. It’s obviously good for CardPlayer if I win. That’s why I’m starting to play again. I’m also having my second child on Friday, which will be a big “obstacle.” Hopefully, with a week to go before the Main Event, I can get some sleep!

Barry Shulman Wins WSOP Europe Main Event

After over 16 hours, CardPlayer CEO Barry Shulman defeated Team PokerStars Pro member and crowd favorite Daniel Negreanu to win the Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe. Shulman earned £801,603.

The win marked Shulman’s second WSOP bracelet. The first came in 2001, when the media mogul won a $1,500 buy-in Limit Seven Card Stud High-Low event for $123,000. The London Main Event marked his eighth WSOP final table and 14th in the money finish. His win gave the United States its second WSOP Europe bracelet; both have come by virtue of taking down the Main Event, as John Juanda emerged victorious from the pack in 2008. Other countries that have grabbed WSOP Europe bracelets include Denmark (2), Finland (1), Afghanistan (1), Germany (1), England (1), Canada (1), Italy (1), and Norway (1).

The £10,000 buy-in feature tournament was nearly decided one hour into heads-up play. Negreanu held a 5:3 chip lead and his adversary called all-in after flopping a flush draw with A-5 of hearts. Negreanu turned over pocket aces on the Kd-8h-6h board, but watched as the turn filled Shulman’s flush. The hand propelled the CardPlayer CEO to a 3:1 chip edge.

Later on, Negreanu peeked down at Q-J and Shulman, this time, was dealt aces. The flop came jack-high and Negreanu led out. Shulman pushed all-in over the top and Negreanu tanked, before finally calling once again with a chance to win the tournament. The turn came another jack, giving Negreanu one card to victory in London and his fifth WSOP bracelet. However, Shulman spiked one of two remaining aces on the river to take down the hand with aces full of jacks. In the final hand in London, Negreanu ran his pocket fours into Shulman’s pocket tens. A ten hit the flop and running fours failed to hit, giving Shulman the WSOP Europe Main Event title.

In an interview with WSOP officials, Negreanu discussed playing with Shulman heads-up: “Playing against Barry is dangerous. There is no pressure on him. That makes him very difficult to play against because I can’t be sure where I am at. I’ve played a lot of hours with Barry and think I have him somewhat figured out. But he’s got at least one advantage against me, which is having no pressure.” Shulman’s son, CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, is a member of the WSOP November Nine and will hold the third largest chip stack when play resumes in Las Vegas.

Besides Shulman and Negreanu, four other former bracelet winners took to the felts at the Casino at the Empire for the WSOP Europe Main Event final table. Chris Bjorin, a two-time bracelet winner, was sent packing in sixth place after running A-J into Negreanu’s A-Q. Shulman busted Matt Hawrilenko, who has taken down one WSOP event, in eighth place for £87,074.

Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier, who grabbed his first bracelet during the 2009 WSOP in Las Vegas, was eliminated in fourth place after entering as a dominant chip leader. In his final hand, Mercier’s wired pair of sevens could not draw out on Negreanu’s pocket nines. The last decorated player to take to the WSOP Europe televised table was Praz Bansi, who won a bracelet in a $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event in 2006. Bansi was the hometown hero and was eliminated in third place.

Incredibly, two members of the November Nine reached the WSOP Europe Main Event final table. Everest Poker pro Antoine Saout was ousted in seventh place after coming out on the short end of a coin flip holding pocket fives against Negreanu’s A-Q of spades. Negreanu made a flush on the river to send Saout home in dramatic fashion. Eliminated shortly before Saout was James Akenhead, who hit the skids in ninth place. Negreanu’s pocket kings staved off disaster against Akenhead’s A-Q and the London native was sent home.

Here were the results from the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event:

1. Barry Shulman - £801,603
2. Daniel Negreanu - £495,589
3. Praz Bansi - £360,887
4. Jason Mercier - £267,267
5. Markus Ristola - £200,367
6. Chris Bjorin - £150,267
7. Antoine Saout - £114,228
8. Matt Hawrilenko - £87,074
9. James Akenhead - £66,533

Negreanu defeated; Barry Shulman wins WSOPE Main Event

Some could pin it on tiredness - indeed, feeling the way i do now, i know i would - but Daniel Negreanu was unable to break the 63 year old Cardplayer owner. In a gruelling heads-up encounter, that saw the chip lead pass back and forth between the two players, it was Shulman who finally made the breakthrough.

Shulman ships 2009 WSOPE title

Besting a final table that pundits are labeling one of the best the WSOP has ever seen, it was apparently long overdue.

"When I moved to Vegas, I took up poker to try and prove I could beat the best in the world," said Shulman, who won a Stud 8 bracelet in 2001.

"I got pretty good for a while and I proved it about 10 years ago. I haven't been playing very hard since then. I went back to work and bought CardPlayer Magazine and here we are again and I'm excited to be working hard at poker and now I'm back on the winning trail and feeling very good about it."

The star-studded final started rather slowly, with the only notable action consisting of the once-shortstacked Daniel Negreanu doubling into contention and Jason Mercier slowly bleeding away his massive chip lead.

Although he came in second in chips, November Niner James Akenhead was actually the first out, shoving with ace-queen against a Chris Bjorin raise only to find Negreanu behind him holding pocket kings.

It didn't get much better for fellow 2009 WSOP Main Event finalist Antoine Saout, who bowed out seventh losing a race to Negreanu just a few minutes after Matt Hawrilenko took eighth shoving rags into Shulman's ace-queen.

A legend in Swedish poker, Bjorin exited the stage next when he moved in with ace-jack and got the call from a dominating Negreanu holding ace-queen.

Fifth place was reserved for the relatively unknown Markus Ristola, who became another victim of the Negreanu onslaught when he put his tournament life on the line with K T only to see Kid Poker call with a weak ace and river a winner.

Negreanu took the lead into four-handed play until the sudden emergence of Praz Bansi, who doubled through Negreanu with queens against ace-jack, moving into the top spot on the leader board a short time later.

But it wasn't long before Negreanu took a stranglehold on the proceedings once again, ending what was an absolutely horrible day for one-time massive chip leader Mercier, calling Mercier's push with nines over sevens to send him out fourth.

Before long, Shulman doubled through Bansi, outkicking the Brit when they both flopped a pair of kings. Left short, Bansi soon shoved with a weak queen only to find Negreanu on ace-queen and he was suddenly out third.

Negreanu took control heads-up and appeared destined to win it all before Shulman got it all in with a flush draw against his pocket aces and turned a flush.

Suddenly the lead had swapped hands, with Kid Poker on the ropes and Shulman favored to win the title. Daniel fought back and took the lead again, until the biggest hand of the 2009 WSOPE main event played out.

Negreanu flopped top pair jacks and check-raised Shulman, only to see him push all in.

Negreanu made the call and found he was behind Shulman's aces until a jack fell on the turn sending the crowd at the Empire Casino into a frenzy and giving Negreanu the lead.

However, it was not to be for Kid Poker, as Shulman hit a shocking ace on the river to grab an almost insurmountable lead.

Within a few hands Negreanu ran fours into tens and although he moved up to the top spot on poker's all-time leading money winners list with the £495,589 second-place prize, the title and £801,603 was Shulman's.

"The truth is, because it was on television and we were heads up, I knew that I got in with the best hand and when the jack came, I had frankly pretty much given up," Shulman explained.

"I said to myself at least I'm not going to be embarrassing myself here, I got it in with the best hand. What are you going to do? That's poker."

And then suddenly, the miracle ace fell.

"I about passed out," added Shulman.

Because of some issues he has with the WSOP, before booking his spot in the November Nine, Jeff Shulman was quoted saying he would throw the bracelet in the garbage if he won it.

His father says he has no such plans for the bracelet he won Friday.

"My guess is he won't either if he wins," Shulman said. "I don't really want to get into the whole thing, but he plans on winning that bracelet and he plans on cherishing it."

Now that he's the 2009 WSOPE main event champ, Shulman said it's up to his son to help the pair make history and he can't wait to issue him the challenge personally.

"I know what I'm going to say, 'OK, I've done my part, you started out doing your part, it put some heat on me, it gave me a lot of incentive to play the very best that I could over here in Europe and now you have a lot of additional incentive in November,'" he said.

"Because if by some chance you can win that, we're going to make World Series history that may never be broken."

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Antoine Saout, James Akenhead Reach WSOP Europe Main Event Final Table

Not one, but two members of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine made the final table of the WSOP Europe Main Event. Last year, Ivan Demidov accomplished the feat. This year, Antoine Saout and James Akenhead will battle for the top prize.

Akenhead nearly found his first gold WSOP bracelet in 2008, but took second in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament and cashed for $520,000. In that event, his opponent, Grant Hinkle, was all-in holding just 10-4 against Akenhead’s A-K. However, Hinkle made four tens in the hand and became one-half of only the second set of brothers ever to win WSOP bracelets and the first to do so in the same year. Akenhead is in his backyard for the WSOP Europe festivities, as he makes his home in London. He sits with the second largest chip stack entering final table play with 1.4 million, trailing only Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier’s hefty total of 3.2 million.

Saout owns the sixth largest chip stack in the WSOP Europe Main Event at 701,000. The Frenchmen is also a member of the November Nine and sponsored pro of Everest Poker. Interestingly enough, he won a $50 satellite to claim his WSOP Main Event seat. Last November, he finished sixth in a Spanish Poker Tour event in Marbella for €5,800 and promptly reached another final table in Castellon in June for €780. Saout and Akenhead are the only two non-Americans at the final table of the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas. Saout will take to the felts in Seat 8 on Thursday in London.

The November Nine has another tie to the final table, as CardPlayer Founder Barry Shulman owns the fourth largest chip stack in London at 1.1 million. He is the father of November Nine member and CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, who infamously threatened to throw away the WSOP Main Event bracelet should he win it. The younger Shulman owns the third largest chip stack entering the final table at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio in November.

Daniel Negreanu finished fifth in last year’s WSOP Europe Main Event and scooped £217,200. Now, he’ll seek his first WSOP Europe bracelet in this year’s feature tournament. Incredibly, Negreanu reached the final table in back-to-back WSOP Europe Main Events in London, but is the tournament’s short stack entering today’s finale. Negreanu, a Poker Hall of Fame nominee and four-time bracelet winner, recorded eight cashes during the 2009 WSOP, including a pair of six-figure scores in the World Championship of Omaha High-Low Eight or Better and Six-Handed Limit Hold’em.

Mercier is the chip leader entering the final table in London. The card-carrying member of Team PokerStars Pro hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and won a bracelet this year in a $1,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha event for $237,000. Mercier defeated online poker pro Steven “PiKappRaider” Burkholder in that event, which attracted 809 players. In May, Mercier won a tournament during the quarterly Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) for $86,000. Mercier sent six of the final 15 eliminated players to the rail on Wednesday to build his massive chip lead.

The final table kicks off today at 2:00pm local time. Here’s a look at the remaining players and their chip stacks:

1. Jason Mercier - 3,198,000
2. James Akenhead - 1,398,000
3. Praz Bansi - 1,160,000
4. Barry Shulman - 1,090,000
5. Markus Ristola - 784,000
6. Antoine Saout - 701,000
7. Matt Hawrilenko - 674,000
8. Chris Bjorin - 518,000
9. Daniel Negreanu - 438,000

The prizes up for grabs for the nine WSOP Europe Main Event final table members are as follows:

1st Place: £801,603
2nd Place: £495,589
3rd Place: £360,887
4th Place: £267,267
5th Place: £200,367
6th Place: £150,267
7th Place: £114,228
8th Place: £87,074
9th Place: £66,533

Matt Hawrilenko Leads WSOP Europe Main Event Entering Day 4

Two days of play remain in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event and, perched atop the leaderboard entering Wednesday’s battle is Matt Hawrilenko, a 27 year-old poker pro who goes by “Hoss-TBF” online.

Hawrilenko took down a $1 million first place prize for winning Event #56 of the 2009 WSOP in Las Vegas, a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event. He triumphed over a final table that included Matt Waxman and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and owns 701,500 chips in London, the only player to eclipse the 700,000-chip plateau. Hawrilenko already has three WSOP final tables in 2009 and has quickly become one of the most feared names on the circuit. Hot on his heels is CardPlayer Magazine founder Barry Shulman, father of WSOP November Nine member Jeff Shulman. The latter was featured heavily in last night’s coverage of the 2009 Main Event on ESPN and was seated at the feature table.

Speaking of the November Nine, two of its members remain in the hunt to repeat Ivan Demidov’s miraculous feat last year. In 2008, Demidov made the final table of both the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas and the WSOP Europe Main Event in London. Antoine Saout, who hails from France, sits with the 24th largest chip stack (202,000), while England’s James Akenhead boasts the 30th biggest tally (153,500). The nine final table members in Las Vegas will take to felts on November 7th, when they’ll return to play down to two. Then, the action resumes late in the day on November 9th to determine a winner. The tournament’s finale will air on cable station ESPN on Tuesday, November 10th.

Also still in the hunt is Doyle Brunson, who was sixth in chips entering play on Tuesday. Brunson has trailed off a bit to own the 21st largest stack out of 36 remaining players. He owns 10 WSOP bracelets, tied with Johnny Chan for second most overall; the duo trails Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth’s 11. Brunson has been shut out of the winner’s circle since 2005 and will look to make a run entering the play down day in the WSOP Europe Main Event. Brunson has 246,500 chips and joining him at Table 1 today are Jason Mercier, 2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Shulman, among others.

Here are the Top 10 chip stacks remaining in the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event:

1. Matt Hawrilenko – 701,500
2. Steven Fung – 648,000
3. Praz Bassi – 471,000
4. Arnauld Mattern – 469,500
5. Barry Shulman – 452,500
6. John Kabbaj – 448,500
7. Peter Gould – 409,000
8. Shandoi Demjan – 367,500
9. Keith Hawkins – 330,500
10. Eric Liu – 330,500

The rest of the field is as follows:

11. Ram Vaswarni – 322,000
12. Daniel Negreanu – 314,500
13. Chris Bjorin – 306,500
14. Thomas Bichon – 305,000
15. Yevgeniy Timoshenko – 285,000
16. Saar Wilf – 273,500
17. Teddy Sheringham – 272,500
18. Andre Akkari – 272,000
19. Tommy Pavlicek – 266,500
20. Anthony Cousineau – 257,000
21. Doyle Brunson – 246,500
22. Christian Harder – 243,000
23. Craig Burgess – 232,500
24. Antoine Saout – 202,000
25. Michael Fasco – 200,500
26. Elizabeth Lieu – 193,500
27. Markus Ristola – 157,000
28. Konstantin Buecherl – 156,500
29. Steve Zolotow – 156,500
30. James Akenhead – 153,500
31. Christian Kruel – 140,000
32. Jason Mercier – 125,000
33. Oyvind Riisem – 113,500
34. Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott – 80,000
35. David Docherty – 71,500
36. Men Nguyen – 63,000

The field will be chopped to nine today and the action is already underway from the Casino at the Empire. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WSOP Europe coverage.

Phil Hellmuth Coaching Jeff Shulman for WSOP Main Event Final Table

The conclusion of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is now just six weeks away and an $8.1 million first place prize will be up for grabs. Poker News Daily has learned that CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman is receiving training from Phil Hellmuth.

Hellmuth is an 11-time WSOP bracelet winner, tops in the industry. For 19 years, “The Poker Brat” held the record as the youngest Main Event winner ever at age 24 after taking down the feature tournament in 1989. However, Peter Eastgate shattered that mark last year at the tender age of 22. Hellmuth holds a record 75 in the money finishes on the felts of the WSOP, well ahead of Men “The Master” Nguyen’s second place total of 65. He owns $6.1 million in career WSOP earnings and is a front man for the popular online poker room Ultimate Bet.

Now, Hellmuth will lend his services to Shulman, who holds the fourth largest stack when play resumes at 19.6 million. Shulman told Poker News Daily, “I thought about it for a long time and Phil and I talked about it over the summer. It dawned on me that I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to. Phil and I have a very interesting style of play and we’re somewhat similar. I was looking for someone who could help me without changing my game. That’d be the last thing I’d want to do.” Shulman is making his second appearance at a Main Event final table this decade, as he finished seventh in 2000.

Shulman will don CardPlayer and SpadeClub logos when the feature table resumes on November 7th. The November Nine member shared his take on what aspect of his game needs improvement: “One of the things I’m not good at is short-handed play at final tables. Phil is willing to [help me with] that and I’d like to have him work with me.” The 2009 Main Event is Shulman’s fourth WSOP final table and his first since 2005, when he took seventh in a $5,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em event ultimately won by Dan Schmiech. The tournament’s talented final table also featured Gabe Kaplan, Joe Sebok, Annie Duke, and Greg “FBT” Mueller.

Hellmuth’s poker outbursts have been well-chronicled. His trademark “idiots from Northern Europe” comment has been repeated numerous times during WSOP on ESPN coverage this year. Hellmuth was eliminated when action from Day 4 aired last night and uttered the phrase, “These are some of the worst players in the world over here. It’s just unbelievable.”

Shulman, meanwhile, characterizes himself as quiet at the tables. He told Poker News Daily, “Our demeanors are very different. It makes me laugh watching Phil deal with people, whereas I’m pretty sure I don’t say a word to anyone the whole time. We have totally different personalities, but I need to treat the WSOP Main Event final table like it’s a big deal. If you had Phil as your coach, you’ll get a lot of attention and be successful.”

All but one of the November Nine has signed with an online poker site, as logger Darvin Moon is the lone holdout. The chip leader has been dubbed the tournament’s “wild card,” with many in the industry pulling for Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey to take home the title. Here’s how the field will stack up when play resumes on November 7th:

1. Darvin Moon - 58,930,000
2. Eric Buchman - 34,800,000
3. Steven Begleiter - 29,885,000
4. Jeff Shulman - 19,580,000
5. Joe Cada - 13,215,000
6. Kevin Schaffel - 12,390,000
7. Phil Ivey - 9,765,000
8. Antoine Saout - 9,500,000
9. James Akenhead - 6,800,000

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WSOP Main Event coverage.

WSOP on ESPN Ratings Reach Highest Levels of 2009

With Day 3 of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event set to kick off on Tuesday night on ESPN, network officials have announced that ratings for the September 8th broadcast were the highest of the 2009 season.

The preview for next week’s WSOP Main Event on ESPN broadcast features 11-time bracelet winner and 1989 Main Event champion Phil Hellmuth proclaiming, “Turbulence is coming.” However, it’s been smooth sailing so far for ESPN during the 2009 installment of the world’s most prestigious tournament series. The 8:00pm ET hour of last week’s telecast scored a 0.97 rating, while the second hour came in at 1.13. So far, the network is 11% ahead of last year’s resoundingly successful broadcast.

Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions, told Poker News Daily, “We’re all very pleased with the ratings thus far. We try not to get too high or low on ratings, but it’s nice when things are moving in a positive direction, so we’re extremely pleased with it.” White was instrumental in keeping the WSOP on ESPN until at least April of 2018 under an extension inked one month ago.

The September 8th broadcast logged a 0.93 rating during the first hour and 0.73 rating during the second hour among males age 18 to 34. The telecast turned in a 0.88 average rating among males age 18 to 49 and 1.03 for males age 25 to 54. ESPN’s broadcast on September 8th netted 954,000 household impressions during the first hour and 1.11 million during the second hour.

ESPN’s WSOP ratings have trended upwards in recent weeks and the network will broadcast its 15th hour-long installment on Tuesday night at 8:00pm ET. On the rise in the ratings, White speculated, “I’d like to think it’s because the quality of our shows are great. Our talent has been tremendous and the production quality has been excellent.” Lon McEachern and Norman Chad once again provide commentary for two hours each week, with Chad recently falling to Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer in a chess match during the popular segment “The Nuts.”

Next week’s Day 3 coverage teases the presence of Hellmuth, Jeffrey Lisandro, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, Humberto Brenes, Joe Hachem, Dennis Phillips, and Andy Black. In it, McEachern dramatically narrates, “With the field now united, it means our next Main Event champion is in the building. Amongst the players still in the hunt are some of the biggest names in the game, including one man who is the clear favorite to become Player of the Year.” McEachern alludes to Lisandro, who took home three bracelets in the preliminary tournaments leading up to the $10,000 buy-in Main Event for nearly $750,000 total.

The 2009 WSOP Main Event final table features an assortment of characters, including fan favorite Phil Ivey and CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, who has threatened to throw away the Main Event bracelet should he win. On Shulman and Ivey’s presence at the final table, White commented, “I don’t know if it sways our audience positively or negatively, but it brings about discussion. People are talking about it and that’s a good thing. It means the final table is on people’s minds. It’s a fantastic opportunity for players to showcase their personalities and skills on the biggest stage in poker.”

Here is a look at the remaining first-run episodes of the 2009 WSOP Main Event on ESPN. Replays also hit airwaves throughout the week on ESPN’s family of stations, so check local listings for more information. All times are Eastern:

September 15th to September 29th: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
October 6th to November 3rd: 9:00pm to 11:00pm
November 10th: 9:00pm to 11:30pm: WSOP Main Event Final Table

This Week in Poker — Sept. 5-12

Check out CardPlayer.com every Friday for a weekly wrap-up of the news from the live poker tournament trail. Card Player Player of the Year Update 1: Eric Baldwin — 4,588 …

Deal Me In — Poker Pro Annie Duke

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on one of the most well known female pros in the game, Annie Duke. She talks about how her brother encouraged her to pick up the game in this excerpt: “What was perhaps a defining moment in my life occurred while I was in graduate school. My brother invited me to come visit him in Las Vegas, where he was playing in the World Series of Poker. I was 21 or 22 the first time he flew me out.

This Week in Poker — August 29 - September 4

Check out CardPlayer.com every Friday for a weekly wrap-up of the news from the live poker tournament trail. Card Player Player of the Year Update 1: Eric Baldwin — 4,588 …

This Week in Poker — Aug. 22-28

Check out CardPlayer.com every Friday for a weekly wrap-up of the news from the live poker tournament trail. Card Player Player of the Year Update 1: Eric Baldwin — 4,588 …

Literally Everyone Wins in New $5,000 Online Poker Freeroll

At CardPlayer.com, our readers are always in the money. Starting Aug. 27 at 9 p.m. ET, Card Player and UltimateBet will present the first tournament in the all-new Everyone Wins …

Deal Me In — Poker Pro Jennifer Harman

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on high-stakes cash game pro Jennifer Harman, who talks about her early health trouble and how poker helped keep her mind on something else: “It was between my 17th and 18th birthdays

Tournament Director Matt Savage Returns to Aruba Poker Classic

For the consecutive third year, Tournament Director Matt Savage will supervise the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic, which is slated for October 3rd through 10th from the luxurious island nation.

Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth has the Aruba Poker Classic circled on his calendar each year. The 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner and de facto host in Aruba commented in a press release distributed by the online poker site, “Matt’s natural ability to run a smooth and fair tournament and his talent for making it feel more like a party than a poker room is one of the many reasons why our Aruba event is still one of the most popular on the annual calendar.” The Main Event in Aruba comes with a $5,500 price tag and kicks off on October 5th with the first of two starting days.

In addition to marking Savage’s third straight year overseeing action in the prestigious poker tournament, it also marks Ultimate Bet’s 10th year in operation. Savage commented in the same release, “In celebrating UB’s 10th Anniversary, I am honored to once again be part of the Aruba Poker Classic. With an extended tournament schedule, plus a group of floor staff and dealers that is second to none, 2009 is shaping up to be one for the scrapbook.” Savage will direct the action over the course of the eight-day poker extravaganza, which is expected to draw a total of 500 runners and see a prize pool topping $6 million.

Last year, Matt Brady trumped a 550-player field en route to a $1 million payday. In 2007, Travis “TravestyFund” Rice defeated 548 entrants and earned $800,000. In 2006, Devon Miller went toe-to-toe to former Team UB member Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy to earn $774,000 from the 512-player field. 2005 marked the final year that the Aruba Poker Classic served as a stop on the World Poker Tour. Freddy Deeb outlasted 647 runners that year to earn a $1 million first place prize.

The 2004 WPT Aruba Poker Classic featured one of the toughest final tables ever assembled, as Eric Brenes defeated Layne Flack heads-up. Also reaching the six-handed finale were Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event Champion John Juanda. In 2003, Erick Lindgren beat Daniel Larsson heads-up in Aruba for $500,000 after 436 players entered. Also at that year’s final table was CardPlayer CEO Barry Shulman, whose son, Jeff Shulman, is a member of the 2009 WSOP November Nine. The younger Shulman has threatened to throw out the bracelet should he win. The very first Aruba Poker Classic was held in 2002 and won by Juha Helppi, who bested Phil Gordon heads-up.

Savage has directed a bevy of tournaments held around the world, including the WSOP, WPT, and the Aussie Millions. Along with David Lamb, Jan Fisher, and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson, Savage founded the Tournament Directors’ Association. In 2003, he was inducted into the Poker Room Manager’s Hall of Fame.

On August 30th, Ultimate Bet will hold a 25 seat guaranteed tournament to send its players to Aruba. The event boasts a $530 buy-in and a bevy of qualifiers are available. In addition, direct satellites take place on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and award $8,500 prize packages. Each includes the $5,500 Main Event buy-in plus $3,000 to use for travel and hotel.

The Radisson Aruba Resort and Casino serves as the host venue and Ultimate Bet has rooms available at a rate of $209 plus 20% tax per night, which includes internet. STEP tournaments have been a popular way for players to claim their spot in Aruba.

We’ll have full updates on the 2009 Aruba Poker Classic right here on Poker News Daily.

This Week in Poker — August 15-21

Check out CardPlayer.com every Friday for a weekly wrap-up of the news from the live poker tournament trail. Card Player …

Card Player TV Introduces New Poker Show ‘All Inbox’

Card Player TV has recently revamped its programming, and its newest show, All Inbox, is giving you the viewer, a chance to participate. In each episode, Card Player TV will sit down with poker’s most accomplished pros to answer your questions. All you have to do is email your questions to allinbox@cardplayer.com

ESPN Inside Deal Welcomes Barry Greenstein

This week, “Inside Deal,” which airs on ESPN.com, welcomes Team PokerStars Pro member Barry Greenstein. “Inside Deal” is hosted by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee and “ESPN: The Magazine” contributor Laura Lane.

The show opened with ESPN employees facing Greenstein heads-up for an autographed copy of the poker pro’s book, “Ace on the River.” The irony is that Greenstein signs a copy for players he defeats in major tournaments. Greenstein ran into Lane and Lee in the hall and exclaimed, “Finally, SportsCenter! Booyah!” The lead story was the extension of the agreement between the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and ESPN to broadcast the Las Vegas festivities for at least seven more years. Lee commented, “This is the original reality game show and now it has a guaranteed audience for several more years.”

Discussion then turned to “Face the Ace,” which finished last among major network shows in the ratings for its first two episodes in primetime. Now, the NBC franchise makes a planned move to Saturday afternoons beginning on September 12th. On the failure of “Face the Ace,” Lee explained, “It didn’t capture the general public’s attention. A game show needs to be quick and easy to understand. Heads-up [poker] didn’t lend itself towards that.” Lee indicated that the WSOP Main Event, which began airing last night on ESPN, would make a perfect addition to primetime network television.

Antoine Saout’s signing with Everest Poker then took center stage. This year, WSOP officials will only allow three players to be sponsored by each online poker site at the final table, making for a lively battle among the November Nine. Lee explained, “Truly, someone’s decision can ultimately affect the other players.” Phil Ivey will don logos for Full Tilt as one of the site’s featured pros. Many have speculated that CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, who has threatened to throw out the bracelet should he win, will wear a Spade Club logo. Spade Club is the subscription-based online poker room managed by CardPlayer.

After results were displayed from the PokerStars Sunday Million, Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) Main Event, and Gold Strike World Poker Open, Greenstein joined the “Inside Deal” team in studio. He gave the scoop on Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio and, on his best game, noted, “I’d like to think I’m even at all of the games.” On his stepson, Joe Sebok, making a deep run in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, Greenstein claimed, “When my son’s in there, there’s emotion involved.” Greenstein also broke down his nicknames, including “Bear” and “The Robin Hood of Poker.”

Dani Stern and Jay Rosenkrantz from the G4 online poker reality show “2 Months, $2 Million” joined “Inside Deal.” On his rise through the ranks of the online poker world, Rosenkrantz told Lee and Lane, “You start out really small and build it up as you’re learning. You’re competing with people at your limits. You run well and, three or four years later, you’re playing at some of the highest stakes in the world.” During the first week of “2 Months, $2 Million,” which debuted on Sunday at 9:00pm ET, the Las Vegas foursome earned $35,700.

Following the phone interview with Stern and Rosenkrantz, Greenstein returned to the set to discuss the differences between cash games and tournaments and give his take on who should be represented on Mount Cashmore, the Mount Rushmore of poker. Greenstein suggested Chip Reese and Doyle Brunson, whom he noted have “stood the test of time.” Greenstein also added Jack Binion and Bobby Baldwin, the latter of whom “kept poker strong in Las Vegas when it could have been taken out of casinos.”

Viewer questions for Greenstein included recapping pots against Tom “durrrr” Dwan on GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” and whether the veteran practices tells in the mirror. Greenstein also discussed the members of the TwoPlusTwo forums raising money for charity and what life was like on the set of the 2007 poker movie “Lucky You.” The Team PokerStars Pro member took up around 20 prop bets during the 2009 WSOP, winning most of them, and explained to Lee and Lane why Hillary Duff, NSYNC, and Avril Lavigne appear on his iPod.

“Inside Deal” is released every Tuesday through the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table on ESPN.com.

Deal Me In — Poker Pro Chau Giang

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Chau Giang, who describes his tumultuous attempts as a younger man to flee his native Vietnam for the hope of a better life in the United States: “The war had been over for two years. The communists had attained their goal

Deal Me In — Poker Pro Chau Giang

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Chau Giang, who describes his tumultuous attempts as a younger man to flee his native Vietnam for the hope of a better life in the United States: “The war had been over for two years. The communists had attained their goal

Bodog bettors like Ivey

"To win overall and also on head to head, the early money is on the name recognition of Phil Ivey," Bodog.com Sportsbook Manager Richard Gardner said.

"People really believe he will be able to last longer than Darvin Moon, which has moved the line down on Phil Ivey from +350 to +300."

Bodog sets lines for the November Nine on everything from who will win the tournament to who will be the first player eliminated, head-to-head last longers and the suit of the river card in the final hand.

Gardner said a lot of the money wagered on the November Nine came in the first couple days after the final table was set, and the action has since cooled off.

"Most people are waiting until it gets closer to fight time," Gardner said. "There are a few thousand dollars on most of the head to heads, although as mentioned, we do expect a lot more closer to the event.

"Once the episodes featuring the final-table players air on television and the public can become more accustomed to the players, we expect interest and activity to pick up."

In fact, Gardner is predicting more than six figures will be booked by Bodog by the time the Nov. 7 final table rolls around.

"As it gets closer we expect the majority of the handle to come in especially in the last day before the tournament," he said.

Bodog has hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide and although November Nine betting has come from all over the globe so far, Gardner said with the heavy American final table, most of the bettors have been from the United States.

Last week, Betfair's International Public Relations Manager Richard Bloch told PokerListings most of the money wagered on the November Nine on Betfair has been on Phil Ivey so far, moving the odds of him winning down substantially.

Bodog still lists Moon as the favorite to win at 1.7:1. Young-yet-experienced American Eric Buchman is the second favorite at 3:1 while Full Tilt's Ivey sits in a group at 4:1, including Wall Street banker Steven Begleiter and CardPlayer editor Jeff Shulman.

21-year-old Michigan native Joe Cada currently sits at 10:1 with French Everest Poker qualifier Antoine Saout and 51-year-old Floridian Kevin Schaffel right behind at 12:1.

Brit James Akenhead is the long shot at 22:1.

For an up-to-date look at all the November Nine lines on Bodog, check out the sportsbook's poker props page.

Those looking for more on the future of internet sports betting and sportsbooks in general can find it here and here.

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This Week in Poker — Poker Tournament News Aug. 8-14

Check out CardPlayer.com every Friday for a weekly wrap-up of the news from the live poker tournament trail. Card Player …

Deal Me In — Poker Pro Daniel Negreanu

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Daniel Negreanu, as he talks about his tumultuous, up-and-down journey to his first WSOP bracelet

ESPN Inside Deal Welcomes Dennis Phillips

This week’s edition of the ESPN poker show “Inside Deal,” which airs on ESPN.com, featured 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Dennis Phillips and a revealing phone conversation with WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

The show opened in its usual witty style, with “Inside Deal” Host Laura Lane trying to find Phillips to commence taping. ESPN employees and co-host Bernard Lee were all dressed like the former truck salesman, donning red St. Louis Cardinals hats and white collared shirts complete with logos. “Inside Deal,” which is sponsored by PokerStars.net, began its 40 minute show by discussing new legislation introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to regulate online games of skill like poker in the United States. Poker News Daily was sourced on the story, with Lee commenting, “This is a revised bill that Senator Menendez introduced in 2008. The previous bill focused on just skill games. This specifically focuses on online poker.” The bill is numbered S 1597.

Discussion on “Inside Deal” then turned to the recent sale of the World Poker Tour (WPT) to Gamynia Limited. Lee gave his take on what the sale of the hallmark tournament series means for players: “For the Tour, time will tell. For the 2009-2010 season, there won’t be too many changes.” Lee then noted that legalized and regulated online poker in the United States would mean a dramatic increase in qualifiers for WPT events. “Inside Deal” broke down the results of its sponsor’s weekly online poker major, the Sunday Million, and discussed the death of PokerListings founder Andreas Oscarsson.

Pollack called in for “Inside Deal’s” first telephone interview. He gave a preview of the 2009 WSOP Europe festivities, which kick off on September 19th from London. Pollack explained a potential solution for the sellout of Day 1D of the 2009 WSOP, which left more than 500 players shut out of the game’s most prestigious tournament: “We’re going to continue to have pre-registration open months in advance. I think we’re going to allow players to select their start date for the Main Event until a certain point. After that, we’re going to select their start date so the days are properly balanced.” Among those left out in the cold on Day 1D were Durrrr Challenge participant Patrik Antonius, Poker Hall of Fame member T.J. Cloutier, and five-time WSOP bracelet winner Ted Forrest.

Phillips joined the show to talk about his interactions with members of the 2009 WSOP November Nine and his experience at National Poker Week in Washington, DC. On the latter effort, which was organized by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), Phillips recalled, “I honestly believe there will be a compromise between the two [internet gambling bills in the House and Senate]. They will come together with something. My hope is that in the next 12 to 18 months, this farce of a law they have will be amended.”

Phillips divulged the secrets to his deep runs in the 2008 and 2009 Main Events, where he finished 3rd and 45th, respectively, and relived throwing out the first pitch at a Cardinals baseball game. On November Nine member and CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, who has threatened to throw out the bracelet should he win the Main Event, Phillips commented, “Even if he felt it, to come out and publicly state it is horrible. It’s repulsive to me that he’d consider throwing it away.”

ESPN Poker Editor Andrew Feldman then joined the “Inside Deal” set in Bristol, Connecticut to review Sexy Poker for the Nintendo Wii, which resembles a game of strip poker. Discussion of the game was a segue for forecasting technological breakthroughs in the game, with Lee suggesting that tournament officials mic up every player at a final table and use interactive cameras to divulge tells. Feldman also discussed World Team Poker, whose first match-up pits Phil Hellmuth’s Team USA against Men “The Master” Nguyen’s Team Vietnam. Phillips recalled Danes rooting for Peter Eastgate and Russians cheering for Ivan Demidov during the 2008 WSOP Main Event final table as examples of how team poker may have a bright future.

An unaired exit interview with Dan Harrington following his elimination from the WSOP Champions Invitational aired and Lee broke down Eastgate’s one-outer against Scott Montgomery during last year’s Main Event finale. New episodes of “Inside Deal” are released every Tuesday on ESPN.com.