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Tiffany Michelle Talks Politics on Fox Business Network

If someone would have asked you who you thought would be a good person to appear on a national news program to discuss politics, we're guessing that UB.com's Tiffany Michelle would have been way down your list.  Sure enough, however, Michelle was Neil Cavuto's guest Tuesday on his Fox Business Network show, "Cavuto," comparing President Barack Obama's persistence with his health care plan to a poker player playing bad cards.

In the five-minute conversation, titled "Obama Making a Bad Bet?" on the Fox Business website, there was no debate on whether the proposed health care reform plan was good; it was simply assumed it was bad and that the majority of Americans are against it.  Cavuto's interview consisted of repeatedly asking Michelle to compare the President's health care efforts to playing poor hands.  For her part, Michelle came off fairly well, indulging Cavuto by using poker metaphor after poker metaphor to describe Obama's health care reform strategy.

Some tidbits:

Neil Cavuto: Taking a look at what the President's doing… a good gambler, I understand, or someone who bets a lot, understands, or thinks, that he or she has a good hand.  Am I right?
Tiffany Michelle: Yeah, generally you have a good hand, or you know if you have a bad hand, how to maneuver with that hand and take advantage of your opponent's weaknesses.

Cavuto: Now, the President, fairly or not Tiffany, is viewed to have a bad hand right now because prior cards he's dealt have turned out to be, you know, threes and fours.  They haven't really worked out.  Yet he continues playing the same hand.  What is the strategy behind that?
Michelle: [Preceding portion of answer snipped] What often happens for some players is you continue to push the issues, you continue to play the bad hands, you continue to get in sticky situations, and what really needs to happen is you need to step away from the table, you need to clear your head.

Tiffany Michelle laid it on thick, inserting poker comparisons at every turn.  Some of her best lines included:

"Here we are, let's say we're deep in the World Series, we're coming close to the bubble, you can taste that final table and the money and it's not looking like it's going to happen."

"Not only did Barack Obama in his first year in office decide to tackle one of the toughest issues in U.S. politics… it would be like me approaching Phil Hellmuth on my first day of my poker game and saying, 'Hey, Phil Hellmuth, you have 11 bracelets.  I want to challenge you heads-up.'"

"Talk about Scott Brown, that was a really bad beat for Barack Obama and the Democrats, who really thought they had a good chip lead there.  You know, they thought they had a lock on this tournament."

Members of the poker community universally panned the interview.  The reactions, however, were split between those who detested the fact that Michelle was chosen as the poker representative and those who simply thought that the interview itself was horrible.

He added, "I thought it was evenly presented, the gambling expert knew as much about gambling as the politics expert new abt politics," as well as, "I think it was more shady that TM passed herself off as a gambling expert with a clue abt politics to promote herself."

"Hollywood" Dave Stann, one of Tiffany Michelle's fellow UB.com pros, was more disgusted with Fox Business, Cavuto, and the interview itself, Tweeting, "WTF FoxNews? Generic gambling terms dissing Obama, then using pro gamblers as pawns 2 back it up? I dodged their invite 2day, thank fuck!"

Summing it up for someone who asked what the interview was all about, Stann tweeted, "fucking Fox presenting right-wing editorial talking points as 'news' then interviewing pros as 'evidence' of Obama ineptitude."

Some of the more entertaining comments on the interview came from the Two Plus Two forums.  Forum poster "TheTruthSpeaks" wrote, "While I was watching it I kept waiting to wake up as this certainly must be a dream or something. I mean surely I didn't really just see Tiffany Michelle on a news channel talking about politics while using horrible poker analogies to do it.  This has got to be the first sign of the Apocalypse."

"Randomness28" may have had two of the best quotes on how ridiculous the interview concept was, first saying, "Funny that the Q is 'How is Obama playing his hand?' .... so they decide to bring in a poker player for analysis. Someone should tell the staff of Cavuto's that 'playing his hand' is just a figure of speech.  Next on Cavuto: 'Are Republicans a move ahead of Democrats in setting up for 2012? We bring in chess GM to discuss this.'"

He later added, "Equivalent of this would be for Fox to pose the Q: How is the Obama administration going to kick off its second term in office? And to bring in a third string kicker of a Junior College to answer the Q."

Judge the Tiffany Michelle Fox Business interview for yourself.

Tiffany Michelle got her start in the poker world in 2006, when she served as an on-air host for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) coverage on Sirius Satellite Radio.  In 2007, she appeared on-camera, hosting various segments and conducting interviews for PokerNews.com.  Michelle officially turned heads the following year when she was the last woman remaining in the WSOP Main Event, eventually bowing out in 17th place and earning $334,534.  She was exposed to a nationwide audience in 2009 when she and fellow poker pro, Maria Ho, competed on the hit CBS show, "The Amazing Race."

Tiffany Michelle Comments on New Amazing Race Cast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazing Race 16 Cast Does Not Feature Poker Players

The cast for the 16th cycle of the Emmy Award winning CBS reality series “Amazing Race” does not include any poker players. In its last season, the show featured Maria Ho and UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle.

Ho and Michelle represented the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively. The duo finished sixth in the around-the-world competition after their journey abruptly ended in the Netherlands, where a series of intense physical challenges proved to be too much for Ho and Michelle. A high striker, a common carnival game, proved fatal on one-half of the leg’s Detour, while windy conditions made a unique game of golf using wooden shoes unbearable on the other half.

A total of 11 teams will set out on the “Amazing Race” course for Season 16. Headlining the group are two “Big Brother” cast members from Season 11, Jordan Lloyd and Jeff Schroeder. The couple is “newly dating” according to CBS and will mark the latest pair to join “Amazing Race” after appearing on another CBS reality franchise. Schroeder is 31 years-old and from Norridge, Illinois, while Lloyd is nine years younger and hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. Lloyd lists her lifetime goals as, “to be a dental hygienist, and to get married and have kids.”

Also appearing on the 16th running of “Amazing Race” is Caitlin Upton, who will travel to the four corners of the Earth with her boyfriend, Brent Home. Upton was Miss Teen South Carolina USA 2007 and famously uttered the following response to a question about people being unable to locate the United States on a map: "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children."

Upton’s phrases “the Iraq,” “U.S. Americans.” and “like such as” have become staples of modern lingo, although the beauty queen is now three years removed from her escapade. In a video posted on CBS.com, Upton commented, “I’m stubborn and I hate losing, probably more than he does, and I have a very short fuse, so if somebody gets in my way, there’s going to be some trouble and I’m going to need somebody there to calm me down.” The couple may soon be engaged; both are models.

Cleveland Indians third base coach Steve Smith, 57 years of age, will run the “Amazing Race” with his daughter, Allie Smith, who is 23 and works in marketing. Smith was a coach on the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team that won it all in 2008 and also worked with the Florida Marlins and Texas Rangers. The elder Smith lists his biggest challenge as “not getting lost because we tend to get lost in our own neighborhood.” “Amazing Race” requires a keen sense of direction, as racers travel to countries where English is not the primary language, so road signs and other markers can often be confusing.

Rumored locations that teams will travel to this season include Bariloche, Argentina; Puerto Varas, Chile; and Singapore. The rumored departure city is Los Angeles. The show premieres on Sunday, February 14th at 8:00pm ET on CBS, the same time slot as it held last season.

Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne took down the 15th installment of “Amazing Race,” whose finish line was ironically in Las Vegas. Besides Ho and Michelle, notable cast members vying for the $1 million top prize last time out included Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time and Big Easy and Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, who ran the race with her husband, Brian.

Tiffany Michelle Breaks Down Survivor After-Party

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CNBC Investigates Illegal Gambling, Online Poker

A one-hour CNBC program entitled “The Big Business of Illegal Gambling” aired on Wednesday night, featuring discussion of “illegal” land- and internet-based operations. “The Call” anchor Melissa Francis hosted.

The show began with Francis telling viewers, “The same computer used to connect with work or friends can be used to wager outside the law.” In 2005, when the Chicago White Sox won baseball’s World Series, a man simply named “Vegas Runner” bet $4,000 on 50:1 odds that the team would take down the sport’s most coveted title. He told CNBC cameras, “It’s a gray line. Sports betting is the one topic no one wants to talk about, but everybody does it.”

R.J. Bell, founder of PreGame.com, told CNBC that just 1% of wagering on sports comes from Las Vegas, meaning that the other 99% is purportedly illegal. Meanwhile, a man known solely as “Paul,” whose face was not shown on camera, runs his own online sports betting website in Nevada as part of a conglomerate based in Costa Rica. He revealed that he makes between $80,000 and $100,000 per year and that collecting on bets is the most difficult part of the job.

CNBC’s attention then turned to the Chicago Mob, including Nick Sarillo, whose van was blown up because of illegal gambling, but he survived. Francis narrated, “Illegal gambling is the Mob’s number one moneymaker, the grease that keeps the wheels turning.” Meanwhile, Scott Damiani, the Executive Director of the Outreach Foundation, relayed his tale of excessive gambling, eventually losing his house and business. Upon owing members of a football league $50,000 at the end of 1994, Damiani attempted to drive his car off of a bridge, but hit a guardrail and was unsuccessful.

Attention then turned to Jay Cohen, the first American prosecuted for running an online bookmaking operation under the Wire Act of 1961. From his home in Antigua, Cohen told CNBC cameras, “We didn’t feel we were doing anything illegal. We were not hiding from anyone. We were using our real names and operating in plain daylight.” The site in question, World Sports Exchange, booked more than $200 million in wagers at its peak and received favorable press in publications like the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

In 1998, the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted Cohen, who faced up to five years in prison. Cohen voluntarily traveled to the United States to fight his case, claiming that the Wire Act did not apply to the internet. However, a jury disagreed and he found himself behind bars for 21 months.

Upon passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, Antigua lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) alleging unfair gaming practices by the United States. The tiny island nation was successful, but the U.S. ignored the decision. Cohen remarked, “The last administration was so intellectually dishonest about all of this that even when Antigua won, they put out press releases claiming victory.”

Attention then turned to the cheating scandals at the online poker sites Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. Todd “Dan Druff” Witteles, who appeared on the CBS news program “60 Minutes” in November of 2008, discussed his encounter with “Graycat” on Absolute Poker: “This was someone who seemed that he had no clue what he was doing. He was playing all the wrong strategy to be able to win.” Then, David Paredes battled “NioNio” on the virtual felts of Ultimate Bet, telling CNBC, “This player was playing a wide variety of hands. It’s so hard to play profitably playing so many hands.”

CNBC claimed that UB.com was “operating in violation of U.S. law” and then the COO of the site’s parent company, Paul Leggett, explained who Russ Hamilton was. Hamilton declined to talk to CNBC despite being fingered as the main person responsible for the multi-million dollar cheating scandal on Ultimate Bet. The now-infamous RawVegas.tv footage of Hamilton leaving a Las Vegas golf course also aired. To date, no one has been prosecuted in either cheating incident.

Finally, two Congressmen took to the airwaves, Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). McDermott candidly explained, “Usually, when we talk about putting a tax on people, we get all kinds of [pushback]. They’re saying, ‘Legalize it, please, and tax it.’” Goodlatte, one of the brains behind the UIGEA, evaluated the law: “It certainly hasn’t eliminated all internet gambling by any means, but surveys that I’ve seen indicate that fewer than half as many online gambling operators are offering their services in the U.S. than before this law was passed.”

Recognized in the credits were a variety of industry veterans, including World Series of Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla, Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas, Sue Schneider, and iGamingNews.com.

CNBC Illegal Gambling Feature to Air on Wednesday

On Wednesday night at 9:00pm ET, CNBC will air a one-hour exposé entitled, “The Big Business of Illegal Gambling.” The report from CNBC’s Melissa Francis will put the multi-billion dollar industry into focus and include a segment on internet gambling.

Wednesday’s show marks one of the most high-profile television programs about internet gambling since “60 Minutes” aired a feature on the cheating scandals at the online poker rooms Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker one year ago. According to a preview found on CNBC’s website, the show will “take viewers inside this high-stakes business that brings some people immense wealth, while others pay the ultimate price.” Francis is co-anchor of the CNBC show “The Call,” which airs for one hour beginning at 11:00am ET during the week.

The CNBC description begins, “The one-hour program delivers an in-depth look at just how mainstream illegal gambling has become.” Francis will speak with a bevy of industry representatives, including a bookmaker simply named “Paul” and a professional gambler named "Vegas Runner." Among those CNBC will speak to with a first and last name is Nick Sarillo, whom the show describes as “a restaurant owner who freelances as a bookie [and] crosses the Mob and pays a heavy price.” These three will likely be offline gamblers.

Then, Francis and company will explore the world of internet gambling. The preview of the CNBC special explains, “Technology has made illegal gambling much more accessible and the same computer used for work or to connect with family and friends can also be used to wager outside the law.” Among those to be interviewed is Jay Cohen, the co-founder of the World Sports Exchange who was found guilty of violating the Wire Act of 1961. He was sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined $5,000; World Sports Exchange boasted revenues of $200 million and he was freed in 2004.

Also featured is Scott Damiani, the Executive Director of the Outreach Foundation. The show’s website explains, “Illegal gambling costs Scott Damiani is home, business family... and almost cost him his life. After hitting rock bottom, he picked his life back up and now devotes his time to helping other gambling addicts as the Executive Director of the Outreach Foundation.”

Poker News Daily has also learned that Tokwiro Chief Operating Officer Paul Leggett filmed an interview for the CNBC program. The two Tokwiro-owned online poker rooms, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, were at the heart of a ten-minute feature by the CBS news program “60 Minutes” over Thanksgiving weekend in 2008. The report questioned why no one had been prosecuted in the case and ended with segment reporter Steve Kroft calling Russ Hamilton’s home in Las Vegas. Hamilton, who won the 1994 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, was fingered as the main man responsible in the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal. To date, no one has been convicted.

Finally, Francis will dive into a high-spirited internet gambling debate featuring Congressmen Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). Online poker players can thank the latter for helping to bring the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to life back in 2006. McDermott, meanwhile, has authored legislation seeking to extract 2% of deposits from licensed internet gambling companies in the United States under legislation proposed by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). Curiously, Frank’s name does not appear on the preview for the CNBC program despite being legalized internet gambling’s number one proponent on Capitol Hill. Also absent is the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the industry’s main lobbying group.

Poker News Daily will have a recap of the show after it airs on Wednesday night. Video clips, slideshows, and even an illegal gambling quiz can be found on CNBC’s website.

Poker Featured in Season Finale of Amazing Race

Sunday night marked the season finale of the 15th cycle of the CBS Emmy Award winning reality series “Amazing Race.” Eliminated contestants Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle were featured, as was a crazy game of poker.

After departing from Prague in the Czech Republic, the final three “Amazing Race” teams headed to Las Vegas, Nevada, the Mecca for poker players around the world. After completing tasks at the Mandalay Bay and Mirage resorts, teams were told to find “the most famous casino in Monaco,” which any poker player could tell you is the Monte Carlo. The home of the annual end-of-season European Poker Tour Grand Final, the Monte Carlo’s U.S. version played host to the final challenge in this cycle of the top-tier reality franchise.

Team has to stack $1 million in poker chips from a table of 8,400 assorted denominations. Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne arrived at the Monte Carlo after inadvertently heading to the Venetian and began furiously stacking the table’s red chips, representing the largest denomination on the table at $1,000. The duo stacked groups of 25, while at the same time, married couple Brian and Ericka and brothers Sam and Dan took a similar approach. After tackling the red poker chips, the squads then piled up the black chips, worth $500 each.

Meghan and Cheyne were the first to complete the task and received their next clue, instructing them to head to the MGM Grand High Roller suite, where “Mr. Las Vegas” would great them. Not knowing who that moniker referred to, the couple asked players in the poker room which personality they could expect to meet. The answer: Wayne Newton. There, Newton revealed that the finish line for the “Amazing Race” was at his ranch, Casa de Shenandoah.

At the finish line were none other than Michelle and Ho, who took sixth this season after being eliminated in the Netherlands. The duo were close with Sam and Dan throughout much of the race and their heroes ultimately took second, with Meghan and Cheyne crossing the finish line first and winning the $1 million grand prize. Michelle appeared teary-eyed after watching Sam and Dan cross the finish time and both women came clad in purple. Michelle and Ho represent the runners-up in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively.

Michelle was an active person on Twitter this evening as the “Amazing Race” season finale unfolded. Upon seeing that the final task was to stack poker chips, she commented, “Amazig Race season finale: Vegas… Poker chips… Ugg, I hate my life!” Echoing her emotions at the end of the season, Michelle noted via Twitter, “I don’t want to give anything away about Amazing Race for the West Coast… But I’m sobbing, in tears right now at the end of the episode!” Michelle then added that she was off to the “Amazing Race” after party.

No poker players have been spotted on the 16th season of “Amazing Race,” whose filming is currently underway. Rumored contestants include Jordan Lloyd and Jeff Schroeder from “Big Brother” season 11 and 2007 Miss Teen South Carolina Caitlin Upton and her boyfriend. Upton provided one of the most memorable quotes of 2007 when she referred to “the Iraq” and “U.S. Americans” during the Miss Teen USA pageant. No airdate for the 16th season of “Amazing Race” has been announced.

Michelle is a card-carrying member of Team UB.com, whose stable of pros also includes “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, and “Poker2Nite” Host Joe Sebok. The show airs on CBS and held the 8:00pm ET Sunday night time slot.

Joe Cada Recaps WSOP, David Letterman on PocketFives Podcast

This week, the online poker forum PocketFives.com welcomed 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event winner Joe Cada, who signed up for a PocketFives.com account using the moniker “jcada99.”

Check out the audio:

Cada appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman” on Tuesday night in a four-minute segment following actress Penelope Cruz. On his interview with the longtime CBS host, Cada told the PocketFives.com Podcast, “It was very exciting. I was probably more nervous to do that than the final table. It was cool to meet Dave. He’s a funny guy.” Letterman and Cada covered a substantial amount of ground during the terse interview, with topics ranging from Cada’s backers to his beginnings in the game.

Preparing for November’s resumption of the $10,000 buy-in tournament meant over 100 days of waiting for play to kick off. While several at the table sought coaching and some escaped on vacation, Cada relayed how he spent the downtime: “I just tried to remain focused and not think about the money. I wanted to play the best poker that I could and not play scared either.” As a result of his win, Cada will parlay his fame into continued involvement with the poker world. He noted, “I’ll continue to play poker and I’ll always play poker. We have a few big tournaments coming up, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas and the Five Diamond at the Bellagio. I’m going to continue to play big tournaments and play online.”

His parents, though initially gun shy about his poker endeavors, have ultimately come around to support the new millionaire. Cada revealed, “My family has been very supportive and my friends have been very supportive too. There have been a lot of people helping me through this and I’m very appreciative of all of that. I’ve been really busy, so I haven’t had too much time to talk to them yet.” His girlfriend served as his ambassador at the Rio during the Main Event final table, answering Cada’s phone and keeping him company throughout the off-day before heads-up play.

Cada is a heads-up online poker specialist and, holding better than a 2:1 chip lead when play was down to two against Maryland logger Darvin Moon, was considered to be favored by most. However, Moon put up a fight, leaving Cada to admit, “Darvin Moon did impress me with his heads-up play. He played really well and put me to a lot of tough decisions. He wanted to play very aggressively, which he did, and put me in a lot of tough spots. Darvin played excellent heads-up poker and took it to me for the beginning part of the match.”

Moon showed down monsters leading up to the nine-handed final table, developing an image as a rock in a table full of experienced poker players. Cada picked up on the same image, telling PocketFives.com Podcast Host David Huber, “Darvin came to the final table with an image that he didn’t bluff too much, barely at all. He always had a monster and tried to use that image to his advantage at the final table. He put in a lot of big raises and tried to put people in a lot of tough spots.”

While Moon turned up the tempo at the final table, poker pros Jeff Shulman and Team Full Tilt member Phil Ivey clamped down, playing mostly ABC poker. On the tightness of the two pros, Cada commented, “I was very surprised, especially when I saw the video. I was surprised that Shulman folded nines on the button when Ivey shipped. I was also surprised to see Ivey fold jacks when he got 3bet. Those hands surprised me and they were playing really tight throughout the 17 hours. Shulman opened up more as we got shorter-handed and I had 18 big blinds, which was my reason to ship with threes.”

Finally, after watching the WSOP Main Event unfold on ESPN, Cada relayed his thoughts on the network’s coverage, which will continue until at least April of 2018: “I wish they would have shown more hands that I was involved with, but they did a good job. There was a ton of footage, so it was hard to see a lot of the interesting hands. They didn’t show a few of my 4bets and there was a crucial hand against Darvin heads-up that I thought they were going to show where he 3bet and I 4bet with 10-3 and he ended up folding fours.”

Cada has looked and sounded professional throughout his various media appearances, coached in interviewing by PokerRoad’s Joe Stapleton and Top Set Management. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest Joe Cada interviews.

2009 WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada Appears on Late Show with David Letterman

On Tuesday night, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Joe Cada appeared in an abbreviated segment of the “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS. Also taking to the stage were actress Penelope Cruz and musical guests The Script.

Cada appeared after Cruz as Letterman’s second guest around 12:25am ET for a four-minute stint. The 2009 WSOP Main Event winner came out to a rendition of Lady Gaga’s hit song “Poker Face” donning a black collared shirt and a pair of blue jeans. No PokerStars logo was visible and Cada wore his bracelet on his left hand. Letterman asked the 21 year-old to show it to the camera and called it a “watch.”

Letterman began the informal interview by noting that he remembered the WSOP being at Binion’s, where it was housed until 2005, when the festivities picked up and moved across town to the Rio. Cada plugged PokerStars, where he is a sponsored pro, when Letterman asked how he got started in the game and the “Late Show” host then candidly asked what the largest sum of money that Cada had lost in a day was. His response was $100,000, which made Letterman cringe “Oh my God.”

Letterman called Cada a “professional gambler” multiple times, but Cada responded, “It’s not like I’m in over my head. It sucks losing that money, but you don’t want to play anything really big.” Letterman then joked that Cada should “get a real job” and the $8.5 million winner retorted, “That sounds like my mother.” Cada lamented that several players fell ill during the 2009 WSOP and that play at the Rio was exhausting.

The CBS talk show host recalled how poker players used to be treated: “In my mind, the winner of a big pot, they found dead in a rental car.” Cada, however, explained that poker exploded after Chris Moneymaker took down the 2003 WSOP Main Event: “It’s a fun thing to do socially. I grew up playing with my friends at the table.” Letterman inquired about the camaraderie at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio for the final table of this year’s feature tournament. On the mood at the marathon final table, Cada noted, “It was very friendly.”

Curiously, Letterman brought up Cada’s backing arrangement, asking if other professional players bought him into the $10,000 tournament. With a smile across his face, Cada explained, “Something along those lines.” He did not mention Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy or Eric “sheets” Haber by name, but Letterman asked, “So you have to split [the $8.5 million prize] up with those guys?” Cada responded, “Yeah.” Letterman then quipped, “Or that’s where the rental car comes in.” It appeared to be a fairly uncomfortable exchange given that the interview only lasted four minutes overall.

On Cada’s motivation to repeat as champion when the 2010 WSOP Main Event plays out, Letterman explained, “It’s like an Academy Award. Once you’ve won it, what do you care? You’re the World Champion of Poker.”

Some in the online poker community speculated that Cada would plug the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the 1.2 million member strong lobbying organization that he is a proponent of, but that failed to materialize. In addition, none of the other eight November Nine members was mentioned by name and a short clip of the moment Cada won aired prior to his appearance.

The “Late Show with David Letterman” airs Monday through Friday at 11:35pm ET.

Poker Pros Rally Behind Former WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack

Late last week, World Series of Poker (WSOP) Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack stepped down from his post and removed himself from Harrah’s entirely. The move caught much of the poker world off-guard and Poker News Daily solicited the reaction from a few of the game’s top names.

“Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up and marquee female pro Annie Duke told Poker News Daily that Pollack’s ascension to the role of WSOP Commissioner in 2006 marked a player-friendly movement for the tournament series. She explained, “The first thing he did was meet with top players and I was fortunate enough to be among them. He really listened to us. There was only so much he could do because in the end he didn’t own it, but he was committed to working with the players and making sure they had a strong voice.” Pollack formed the Players Advisory Council, of which Duke was a member.

On the future of the tournament series without Pollack’s involvement, Duke admitted, “I know that Jeffrey stood as a partner with the players and fought with management over some of the issues. I feel like he was the players’ protector and it does concern me that he’s gone. I hope people at the WSOP take a lesson from what he did and partner with the players because that’s how you grow the brand.” Two years prior to Pollack’s Commissioner nod, Duke won the WSOP Tournament of Champions event for $2 million.

Among those lamenting Pollack’s departure was PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok, who made a deep run in the 2009 WSOP Main Event and finished in 56th place. Sebok told Poker News Daily, “I think it’s a bummer. The biggest thing is that the players are losing out. Jeffrey did a good job and people don’t understand how much he fought for different things. He really was an advocate for us, so it’s a sad day. He was a great Commissioner and I think he did a great job of fighting for the WSOP and fighting for the players.” PokerRoad will take to the television airwaves this Wednesday with the debut of “Poker 2Nite,” a poker news show that airs on Fox Sports Net.

Two Poker News Daily Guest Columnists also weighed in on Pollack’s resignation from the WSOP and Harrah’s. Linda Johnson, co-owner of Card Player Cruises, explained, “This is not necessarily the best thing for poker players. He was a great communicator. If you sent him an e-mail, he responded immediately and he listened to us.” ESPN “Inside Deal” host and noted poker author Bernard Lee added, “I’m surprised. I think he did a great job of bringing the WSOP to another level with not only the commercial success, but also the growth in the number entrants. I thought he was doing a great job.”

Last night, the CBS reality series “Amazing Race” aired, one of the first episodes since the elimination of poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, who were sent packing in the Netherlands. Michelle gave her take on Pollack’s exit from the WSOP: “I’m very sad to see Jeffrey Pollack resigning. He has been so instrumental in the excellent changes and adaptations we’ve seen over the last four years. Jeffrey was professional, yet personal, which is why I think he held the respect of the entire poker community.” Michelle was the last woman standing in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, while Ho held that honor one year earlier. In 2009, the designation went to Leo Margets, who finished in 27th place.

According to WSOP officials, there are no immediate plans to fill the Commissioner’s role, leading many to wonder who will become the next face of the annual festivities in Las Vegas. Pollack was slated to become the President of Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment, the casino giant’s Canadian-based online arm. Former Party Gaming CEO Mitch Garber remains the head of the new outfit.

Jean-Robert Bellande Out as Bodog Sponsored Pro

Former “Survivor: China” contestant Jean-Robert Bellande is no longer a sponsored pro of Bodog, according to a representative from the online poker room. His current agreement expired at the end of October and was not renewed.

Only three sponsored pros currently appear on Bodog’s website: Evelyn Ng, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and David Williams. The runner-up in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Ladies Night Event in 2003, Ng also took 11th in the Season IV Borgata Poker Open for $64,000. That same season, Ng grabbed 39th in the WPT Championship for $73,000.

Bonomo is one of the industry’s top online poker players, but has also dominated on the brick-and-mortar felts. Bonomo won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Event Championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in April for $227,000. One month later, he final tabled the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP for a colossal $413,000.

Rounding out the shrunken crop of Bodog pros is Williams, who boasts the only bracelet of the trio. Williams captured his piece of hardware in 2006 by virtue of taking down a $1,500 buy-in Seven Card Stud tournament for $163,000, defeating a talented final table that also included “Miami” John Cernuto and 10-time bracelet winner Johnny Chan. Text found on Bodog’s website still refers to “four pros,” but only three profiles appear.

“Jean-Robert Bellande’s deal with Bodog Poker expired at the end of October and the decision was made not to renew the deal. It has been an absolute pleasure having Jean-Robert as one of Bodog.com’s Poker pros and we wish him all the best,” the room’s Poker Manager told Poker News Daily. In February, Poker Royalty, which represents Bellande, boasted that the pro had renewed his sponsorship agreement with the USA-facing site. At the time, Bellande commented, “I am thrilled to continue my relationship with Team Bodog. Bodog is a fantastic organization and I am excited to continue with such a select team of world-class poker players.”

During the 2008 WSOP, Bellande finished as the runner-up to Matt “mattg1983” Graham in a $1,500 buy-in Limit Hold’em Shootout for $173,000. The final table of the marathon tournament wrapped up after 7:00am at the Rio in Las Vegas. In 2005, Bellande grabbed third in the Rio’s WSOP Circuit Event Championship for $210,000 in a contest that saw Doug Lee and Full Tilt Poker pro Jennifer Harman battle heads-up.

Bellande was one of 16 contestants to head to China for the 15th cycle of the CBS reality series “Survivor.” Bellande was the eighth player voted out of the popular program and became the second member of its jury, the group of seven castaways who selected flight attendant Todd Herzog as the show’s $1 million winner. Bellande was on the Fei Long tribe both before and after a tribal switch-up; the group then merged to become Hae Da Fung.

In 2006, Bellande made waves by competing in the WPT’s Bad Boys of Poker against the likes of Tony G, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Gus Hansen. In the end, Tony G triumphed over the invite-only six-handed table and earned $25,000. All told, Bellande owns over $75,000 from WPT felts.

According to the tracking site PokerScout.com, Bodog is the 14th largest site or network worldwide with a seven-day running average of 930 real money ring game players. It features a 24-hour peak of 1,411 cash game players and, at the time of writing, which is around 8:30pm ET on a Sunday night, 1,359 combatants have taken to its ring game felts. Bodog is the fifth largest site or network that accepts U.S. action, trailing PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, CEREUS, and the Cake Poker Network.

Detroit Media Debates Joe Cada 2009 WSOP Main Event Victory

While many in the industry have been celebrating Michigan native Joe Cada becoming the youngest World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event winner ever, Cada’s local media in Detroit have debated the impact of his feat on society.

Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press weighed in on the issue in an editorial piece appropriately titled, “Joe Cada’s poker win won’t corrupt our society.” Addressing readers in a state where the unemployment rate has soared to above 15%, Samuelsen cautioned critics, “I’m not simply encouraging your sons and daughters to follow in his footsteps. I’m just saying that it’s not quite as bad as others will make it out to be. As long as you’re not losing money, there’s nothing wrong with sharpening your mind.” Cada shattered Peter Eastgate’s record as youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever at age 21. In fact, his 22nd birthday is next week.

In a separate Free Press article, Cada gave his disclaimer for area youth looking to turn to poker in order to make a living. He told the paper, “You have to be very careful when you decide to make it a living. More people lose than win.”

Ron Dzwonkowski, also of the Free Press, gave his frank opinion on the impact that Cada may have on the local market: “I hope Cada doesn’t become an inspiration. He’s an exception. Most gamblers lose. If they didn’t, Las Vegas wouldn’t exist and the three casinos in Detroit wouldn’t be holding up as well as they are in the nation’s worst economy.” Many in the poker industry would counter that Cada wasn’t “gambling;” instead, he was excelling at a game of skill like bridge, chess, or mahjong.

Dzwonkowski’s Free Press article cited a study from Michigan State University that surveyed students asking whether internet gaming is affecting their studies. A total of 18.5% answered yes, although the results included computer games in addition to gambling. He concluded, “So congratulations to Joe Cada, whose card-playing acumen — and luck — made him a multimillionaire at 21. I hope he spends most of it in Michigan. But most 21-year-olds — heck, most people — are not going to have the ride that Joe Cada did. He’s a winner all right. But he shouldn’t become an inspiration.”

Meanwhile, Cada’s friends and family have rallied behind the champion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. His uncle told the same Detroit newspaper, “He’s pretty level-headed. He’s a cool-headed kid. He’s always been a wonderful kid – quiet and polite – and just a good person. So he deserves it.”

Cada appeared on the CBS morning franchise “The Early Show” and candidly recalled his mother’s reaction to his poker playing aspirations: “She’d always see people gambling and you know, lose money, so she was always kind of nervous about me playing poker for a living. It brought her to tears when I won the thing. She said she was really proud of me.”

Play concluded at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino late Monday night and saw Cada best Maryland logger Darvin Moon heads-up. Cada entered heads-up play as a 2:1 chip leader before relinquishing his edge to Moon, who took a 3:1 margin of his own. Cada’s win was worth $8.5 million, although a chunk of his funds went to backers who fronted his $10,000 Main Event entry fee. Cada became the fifth PokerStars pro since 2003 to take down the title, joining Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Raymer (2004), Joe Hachem (2005), and Peter Eastgate (2008).

High Stakes Poker, GSN Officials Preview Season 6

Making waves in the poker world this week has been the announcement of the “High Stakes Poker” Season 6 cast. Set to debut in February on the cable station, “High Stakes Poker” will feature Gabe Kaplan alongside new co-host Kara Scott.

During the first five seasons of the high-dollar cash game show, A.J. Benza provided color commentary with Kaplan. Now, Scott, a television veteran, will furnish insight and interviews from the poker room floor. On the change from Benza to Scott, GSN Vice President of Programming and Development David Schiff told Poker News Daily, “We’re into the sixth season and we felt like it was time to freshen it up. Our feeling was that we wanted viewers to be in the room with the players. Gabe and A.J. did a good job, but they were disconnected from the action.”

Scott is one of only two women to cash in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in back-to-back years and, as such, provides a unique level of insight. She’s fresh off bringing the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa charity tournament to life on CBS in the United States and serves as eye candy for ESPN announcer Norman Chad. Schiff explained the allure of hiring Scott, as opposed to other rumored co-hosts like Shana Hiatt and Vanessa Rousso: “Kara is really the full package. She’s a great player and has had deep runs in the Main Event the last two years. We think she can add a lot of insight to the broadcast.”

Seventeen players have been announced as part of the “High Stakes Poker” Season 6 cast, including newcomers Dennis Phillips, Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko, Lex Veldhuis, Andreas Hoivold, and Sammy “Any Two” George. On the stable of pros lined up for Season 6, “High Stakes Poker” Executive Producer Mori Eskandani told Poker News Daily, We are going to have possibly the most colorful and strongest cast we’ve had to date.” The newcomers will take to the felts alongside regulars like Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson, and Antonio Esfandiari.

Also in the mix for Season 6 is WSOP November Nine member Phil Ivey, who has only appeared once in the show’s five previous seasons. Schiff examined the addition of Ivey to the impressive lineup of poker pros and recreational players: “Arguably, this is the best cast of players we have ever had. To have Phil Ivey off the November Nine and all of the other great players, I think it’ll be great poker action.” The series premieres on Sunday, February 14th at 8:00pm ET and replays twice each night.

“High Stakes Poker” features a $200,000 buy-in and, as such, includes a bevy of well-known tournament players battling it out in a cash game. Eskandani explained, “We’ve never seen Dennis Phillips in cash games, yet he’s done super in tournaments. Now, he’s coming out to the cash game world to throw punches with the best of them.” Last season’s broadcast featured recent WSOP Main Event winners Peter Eastgate and Joe Hachem; neither will take to the felts this time around.

Music mogul Allan Meltzer, who is among the regulars at Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, will likely be one of the only so-called “recreational” players on the sixth season of “High Stakes Poker.” During Season 5, “The Notebook” Director Nick Cassavettes and “The Simpsons” Co-Creator Sam Simon were among those who challenged poker superstars like Tom Dwan and Patrik Antonius. Eskandani explained the dearth of recreational players this season: “This year, Meltzer will be playing, but we didn’t want to go to the same recreational players we always went to. Several that we went to ended up having cold feet.”

“High Stakes Poker” will film from November 11th to 13th at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas.

Amazing Race: Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle Speak on Elimination

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PND: Are you changed after this experience?

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

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

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

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

Michelle, Ho bust out of <i>The Amazing Race</i>

Despite their elimination the pair was upbeat when they talked to PokerListings this week.

"I'm incredibly pleased with how we did," said Ho. "We aren't the most physical people and we were totally out of our element."

"Amazing is the perfect way to describe our experience," said Michelle. "It was the most challenging thing I have done and it was perspective and life changing."

Despite their deep run on the show, the pair might be best remembered for a controversial move in the very first episode. Michelle and Ho decided to inform the teams they were competing against that they were non-profit workers instead of poker players.

The ruse didn't work as they were quickly identified by a poker fan at an airport later in the first episode. Several teams were miffed at the misrepresentation.

Both Michelle and Ho insisted they weren't doing it for sympathy, but were instead trying to hide the fact they were successful poker players.

"We were coming from a strategic point of view and we just wanted to highlight another part of our lives," said Michelle. "It wasn't anything that wasn't truthful."

"Nobody wants to help people that do alright for themselves," added Ho.

Michelle mentioned she does work with the L.A. Youth Network and both have played numerous charity tournaments including Ante Up for Africa.

Ho and Michelle were the only all-female team competing in this season of The Amazing Race and it proved to be a serious challenge.

"It was 10 million times harder than I thought it would be," said Michelle. "Just from a muscle point of view we were at a disadvantage."

No female team has ever won the race.

In their final episode, Michelle and Ho couldn't perform either one of the detour challenges they attempted and were forced to eventually take a 24-hour penalty, thus eliminating them from the show. Both challenges were physical in nature.

"I have no regrets about how we went out," said Ho. "We gave it all we had, but at a certain point you just have to accept there are things you just can't do."

With the show behind them both, Ho and Michelle have plans to return to the poker circuit at the British Columbia Poker Championship in Vancouver and then the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond at Bellagio in Las Vegas.

"I think for the first time we just want to go play poker," said Michelle. "It will be exciting to get back out there and see all the faces."

The mainstream exposure they received on The Amazing Race seems here to stay and Ho appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 this week in a panel on women breaking into the male-dominated world of business.

Meanwhile, Michelle recently launched a clothing line and plans on continuing her acting career by auditioning for roles in both television and film.

Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Eliminated in the Netherlands

Sunday night marked the end of the road for professional poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho on the Emmy Award-winning CBS reality series “Amazing Race.” The duo quit the race after encountering two insurmountable Detours in Groningen, the Netherlands.

The episode began in Dubai with all six teams traveling on the same flight to Amsterdam. There, teams made their way to a causeway and located a statue to find their next clue. On departing in second place, Michelle told “Amazing Race” cameras, “Second place is awesome, but we’ve learned from poker that it’s really, really easy to get comfortable and get involved in pots that you shouldn’t.”

After landing in Amsterdam, Michelle and Ho arrived in fifth place at the statue, where their clue instructed them to head to Martintoren, the town’s church. There, the leg’s Roadblock tasked team members with counting the number of bells inside its massive tower. Michelle breezed through the task after Sam, one-half of brothers Sam and Dan, told her the correct number when they passed each other on the stairs of the structure. Sam explained, “It was a smart move, in my opinion, because they’re a team we can beat.”

Meanwhile, former Miss America Ericka Dunlap struggled to count accurately, ultimately causing her husband and her to fall considerably behind. Meanwhile, teams arrived at Vierhuizen de Marne, where the town’s windmill served as the route marker. There, they encountered the leg’s Detour, a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons.

The options this time around were Farmer’s Game or Farmer’s Dance. In the former, teams had to strip down to their underwear and swim across a creek. Then, they had to use modified golf clubs with wooden shoes affixed on the ends to play three holes of golf. Team members had to alternate shots and complete each hole in eight or fewer strokes.

In Farmer’s Dance, teams had to ring a high striker (a carnival game requiring hitting a mallet to ring a bell, usually dubbed a test of strength). Then, they had to learn a traditional Dutch folk dance, perform it up to snuff, and eat a salted herring. Michelle and Ho elected to dance, but after 30 failed attempts at ringing the high striker, switched tasks and hit the links. Meanwhile, Dunlap finally completed the Roadblock. However, her team neglected to travel by bike around the Detour as instructed in the clue.

Upon arriving at the golf course, the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events realized that completing each hole in eight strokes or fewer was challenging given the oversized ball in play and a stiff wind. Consequently, they elected to head back to the high striker and try again. After 50 failed attempts at the carnival game, the pair “hugged it out” and tried to rally.

At the end of 72 unsuccessful rounds at the high striker, Michelle and Ho headed back to the links. Michelle commented, “We were back at the golf course weaker than we were before and more freezing than we were before.” Meanwhile, Brian and Ericka were penalized 30 minutes upon arriving at the Pit Stop in fifth place due to not riding bikes as instructed, setting up a dramatic finish to this week’s installment of “Amazing Race.”

However, Michelle and Ho could not overcome the elements or muster up the strength to bash the high striker. Instead of checking in at the Pit Stop as is customary, Michelle and Ho were met by host Phil Keoghan at the golf course, where they announced that they were quitting the race. The duo finished in sixth place in the show’s 15th installment (out of 12 teams) and represented the only all-female team to compete.

“Amazing Race” airs at 8:00pm ET on Sunday nights on CBS.

Shana Hiatt Will Not Be Next High Stakes Poker Host

Poker News Daily can independently confirm that former World Poker Tour (WPT) and “Poker After Dark” hostess Shana Hiatt will not reprise her role on GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” Instead, it appears that Kara Scott will be signed.

According to Hiatt’s publicist, Creative Management Entertainment Group, the former WPT hostess will not join the cast of “High Stakes Poker.” Hiatt has been taking care of her one year-old child and traveling the world with her husband, Todd Garner. Hiatt was one of the original voices of the game for much of today’s poker playing population, joining Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten on Travel Channel broadcasts. Hiatt departed the WPT scene in 2005.

Hiatt formerly appeared on NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and “National Heads-Up Poker Championship.” Both are franchises of Poker PROductions, the Mori Eskandani-led outfit that also produces “High Stakes Poker.” Consequently, many in the industry believed that Hiatt would sit alongside former “Welcome Back, Kotter” star Gabe Kaplan in the Season 6 “High Stakes Poker” broadcast booth. Poker PROductions is in the midst of preparing the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event for airing on cable station ESPN in early 2010.

Former host A.J. Benza, whose dismissal by GSN executives sparked a considerable amount of controversy, noted in a blog post that the next “High Stakes Poker” host would actually be a hostess. In a post authored by Kaplan on Friday, the ousted host explained, “I hope the chick they get to do some table interviews during the three-days of play at the Golden Nugget really, truly compliments and adds a great dose of comedy that was apparently lacking up in the booth manned by Gabe Kaplan. Does GSN realize they have apparently copied ‘Poker After Dark,’ the show that feels like a marriage between a Xanax and a Valium?”

On a Mediocre Poker Show podcast, Benza fingered Scott as his replacement. Scott is a sponsored PokerStars player and has taken on commentary duties for European Poker Tour (EPT) events. She finished in the top 250 in both the 2008 and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events and won the PartyPoker Sports Stars Challenge in early 2008 for £26,000. She is fresh off hosting the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa tournament that aired on CBS and was filmed during April’s EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final in Monaco.

Poker PROductions and GSN officials could not comment on who would be the next host of “High Stakes Poker” because contract negotiations are ongoing. A GSN representative told Poker News Daily, “We can’t announce the new co-host until his/her deal has been signed and finalized, which hasn’t happened yet.”

In threads on Full Contact Poker, site front man Daniel Negreanu, a member of Team PokerStars Pro, commented, “I like how a guy says he’s 99% sure it’s Vanessa [Rousso] when I’m actually 100% sure it’s not! It’s not Amanda [Leatherman] or Lacey [Jones] or Tiffany [Michelle] either. It’s not an actress either. I can tell you who it isn’t but can’t tell you who it is. Fun game for me!” Negreanu also reinforced that the next hostess is not Hiatt, Sabina Gadecki, Kimberly Lansing, or Jennifer Harman. Poker News Daily can also independently confirm that Leatherman will not be the considered, although she told us she’s love the opportunity.  PokerStars will sponsor “High Stakes Poker” for Season 6.

The show is set to begin filming its next cycle in November from Las Vegas. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on the search for the next “High Stakes Poker” host.

Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho Finish Second at Atlantis Dubai

Poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho posted their highest finish to date in the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.” The duo arrived at the Pit Stop in second place at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne set out on the leg in first place, leaving at 8:17am, well ahead of the other teams as a result of completing the Fast Forward last week. Their clue instructed them to grab a briefcase and travel to the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, where they had to search the marina’s boardwalk for their next clue. There, teams encountered the leg’s Roadblock, a task that only one person can perform. In it, racers had to row inflatable boats to a yacht anchored offshore and find a sheik, who would present them with a watch. Then, they had to return to the dock and unlock their briefcase by cracking its three-digit code. What teams had to discern for themselves was that the time frozen on the watch, 8:35, represented the three-digit code to their briefcase.

Michelle and Ho departed in sixth place out of seven teams remaining at 11:47am and did not appear on “Amazing Race” until 15 minutes into the episode. Ho told Michelle at the Roadblock, “It might be physical. You’re faster.” Tiffany powered out to the parked boat and back, telling “Amazing Race” cameras, “Every time I accomplish something all of the other guys did, it’s definitely very rewarding.” Ho and Michelle are the only all-female team this season and Michelle was the only woman to perform the Roadblock.

Michelle quickly figured out the code to the briefcase and lapped Flight Time and Big Easy, members of the Harlem Globetrotters, who struggled with the lock after leaving the Pit Stop in third place. The next clue prompted teams to head to the Abra water taxi station, where the leg’s Detour awaited. The Detour, which is a choice between two tasks, asked teams to complete Gold or Glass. In Gold, teams had to find a jewelry store and use a precision scale to weigh out $500,000 worth of the commodity. The exchange rate to use changed every minute, making the task complicated. In Glass, teams had to visit to a local spice market and assemble a dozen hookahs.

Ho and Michelle elected to put their thinking caps on to complete Gold, with the latter noting, “Maria and I know how handle money, so this should be good for us.” Brothers Sam and Dan, who had been in a loose alliance with the poker pros, also elected to do Gold and told “Amazing Race” cameras that they purchased a $2 calculator at Wal-Mart before leaving to film the show. Ho and Michelle borrowed the device and shouted out the correct weight in gold to put on the scale before the exchange rate changed. The quartet appeared to breeze through the task as a result of the teamwork, while racers performing Glass struggled with the intricacies of the hookahs.

The next clue instructed teams to head to the Atlantis water park, similar to its sister site in the Bahamas that plays host to the annual PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and look for the Leap of Faith, a six-story speed slide that takes riders through a shark tank. At the bottom, teams were told to look for Dolphin Bay Beach, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. Ho and Michelle quickly completed the plunge and checked in second, their highest finish so far. Sam and Dan arrived right behind them and upon seeing the siblings run down the beach in their swimsuits, Michelle commented, “Sam and Dan had a ‘Baywatch’ moment today. They were looking kind of cute in their matching red shorts.”

Meanwhile, at the top of the slide, Mika and Canaan raged war over Mika’s fear of heights. In the end, she could not bring herself to complete the task, walked down the steps to the bottom, and the Globetrotters checked in sixth. Mika and Canaan were eliminated and the former commented, “I feel like I let [Canaan] down.”

Next week, the six teams remaining in the hunt for the $1 million first place prize head to the Netherlands. “Amazing Race” airs at 8:00pm ET on Sundays on CBS.

Celebrity Apprentice 3 Cast May Not Feature Poker Players

In 2010, the third installment of the NBC reality franchise “Celebrity Apprentice” will hit television airwaves. The show, which featured comedian Joan Rivers best poker pro Annie Duke in the finale last time out, will likely not include a poker player this time around.

Ever since Duke finished as the runner-up to Rivers in May, the poker community has been abuzz that one of its own may appear in the third edition of the popular series. However, according to Huliq.com and the New York Post, the ensemble cast, which will likely once again pit men against women, does not appear to include a poker player. No official cast list has been released by NBC. The show is hosted by real estate mogul Donald Trump and raises money for charity.

Last season, Duke played for Refugees International, an organization that she worked closely with as part of her own charity, Ante Up for Africa. In the process, the poker community was instrumental in raising $730,000 for the charity. Poker players who made cameos throughout the season included Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, 2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Erik Seidel, and Perry Friedman.

Embattled politician Rod Blagojevich headlines the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast in Season 3. His wife, Patty Blagojevich, appeared on NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” when Rod was unable to attend due to ongoing legal action. Blagojevich is the former Governor of Illinois and was impeached in January for, among other misgivings, allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by current U.S. President Barack Obama.

Joining Blagojevich on the men’s team will be another controversial celebrity, former baseball great Darryl Strawberry, a member of the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees. Strawberry exited the league in 1999 and was the National League Rookie of the Year 16 years earlier. Chef Curtis Stone will join the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast, as will popular comedian Sinbad, whose credits include “A Different World” and “The Sinbad Show.” He has also appeared in movies such as “First Kid” and “Jingle All the Way.”

Former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg, who stormed onto World Championship Wrestling (WCW) scene with an undefeated streak in the late 1990s, will be a part of the new “Celebrity Apprentice” cast. Rounding out the men’s team is “Rock of Love” star Bret Michaels, who is also known for his work with the band Poison.

The women’s team features “America’s Got Talent” judge Sharon Osborne, whose fellow judge on the show, Piers Morgan, was the winner of Season 1 of “Celebrity Apprentice.” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time” signer Cyndi Lauper will join the squad. Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders, who took down hardware in swimming in 1992, will also make her way to New York City to film “Celebrity Apprentice.” There, actress Holly Robinson Peete, wife of former NFL great Rodney Peete, will join her.

World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Maria Kanellis will also be a part of “Celebrity Apprentice,” as will comedian Carol Leifer, who has written scripts for hits like “Seinfeld” and “The Larry Sanders Show.” Finally, Selita Ebanks, a model, will round out the new cast.

The names of more cast members may be released, but for the meantime, it appears that the poker community will not be a part of the upcoming season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” Over on CBS, Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively, are competing as part of the Emmy Award winning reality series “Amazing Race.” The show airs at 8:00pm ET on Sundays and viewers will see the poker playing duo race around Dubai, United Arab Emirates on this week’s edition.

The Post reported that the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast was seen recording the opening credits in the Meatpacking District of New York City and that the show would begin airing in March.

Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Finish Sixth in Dubai

Fresh off being spared elimination last week in Cambodia after a rival team lost their passports, poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho finished sixth in the Dubai leg of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.”

Teams began in Cambodia, where brothers Sam and Dan departed at 12:25pm. The clue instructed the “Amazing Race” competitors to fly to the Persian Gulf to find the world’s tallest building. Teams had to figure out on their own that the clue meant traveling to Dubai, United Arab Emirates to find the Burj Dubai, a building that is twice the height of New York City’s Empire State Building. Once there, they had to sign up for one of two elevator rides to the top. Michelle and Ho were the final squad to leave the Cambodia Pit Stop, departing at 12:55pm.

On the fate of the racers who misplaced their passports last week, Michelle noted, “It’s unfortunate what happened to Zev and Justin, but the rules are the rules. We’re appreciative for the lucky chances and we think we can be contenders.” All teams traveled to Dubai on the same flight and, once there, Michelle and Ho quickly righted the ship and left the airport in second place. They were the first team to arrive at the Burj Dubai and signed up for the 5:30am elevator ride, which carried four teams. The second lift departed at 5:45am.

Once at the top, the clue instructed teams to go to a parking structure at the nearby Dubai Mall, find a marked car, drive to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, and ride 4×4s to their next clue. They also received information about the only Fast Forward on this installment of “Amazing Race.” The first team that completed the Fast Forward would be able to skip all tasks on the leg and head straight for the Pit Stop. However, dating couple Meghan and Cheyne were the only team to attempt the task, which was to head to the Dubai Autodrome and drive an F3 racecar through a course in less than 45 seconds.

Michelle and Ho elected not to go for the Fast Forward and instead headed for the Conservation Center. On the way, Ho remarked, “Lots of sand in Dubai. Aside from the heat, this is an amazing place.” Once they arrived, a Roadblock, which is a task that only one team member can perform, was waiting for them. The challenge featured teams grabbing a traditional water bag and searching for water than had been placed in urns and buried in the sand. Several dry urns were also scattered, making the challenge tougher. Upon finding water, the team member had to fill their bag. Michelle performed the Roadblock, but came up dry on her first attempts.

Meanwhile, Cheyne registered 40 seconds on his F3 lap and received a clue to head to the Pit Stop, the amphitheater at Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Back in the desert, Brian, one-half of married couple Brian and Ericka, told Michelle where to find water, which allowed the last woman standing in the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event to complete the task. Upon leaving the Roadblock, Ho ran over a stake in the ground, which punctured her car’s radiator. A replacement car was provided and Ho remarked, “I have an excuse because I’m an Asian female driver.”

Teams then made their way to Ski Dubai, a massive indoor ski resort in the middle of the urban metropolis. There, they encountered the leg’s Detour, a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. The first option was “Build a Snowman,” in which teams had to carry snow from the wintry inside of Ski Dubai to the 120 degree heat outside and build a traditional snowman before Mother Nature melted their creation. Teams could also select “Find a Snowman,” in which they took a chairlift to the top of the massive Ski Dubai slope and then sledded down to the bottom, where they had to search through a giant pile of snow for a tiny snowman.

Michelle and Ho elected to find a snowman; however, the duo quickly grew frustrated and switched. Meanwhile, after not being able to find their way out of Dubai to the Conservation Reserve, engaged couple Lance and Keri were the last to leave the Roadblock, could not catch up, and were eliminated this week. After building their snowman, Michelle and Ho checked into the Pit Stop on Dubai in sixth place, ensuring another week on “Amazing Race.”

Next week, the seven teams still in contention for the $1 million first place prize remain in Dubai and head to the Atlantis Resort, which is similar to its counterpart in the Bahamas that hosts the annual Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic. “Amazing Race” airs at 8:00pm ET on CBS on Sunday nights.

Poker Community Speculates on High Stakes Poker’s Next Host

With the news that A.J. Benza will not be returning for Season 6 of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” gossip waves have hit the poker community about who the next host of the highly popular cash game program will be.

Benza, who hosted “High Stakes Poker” for the show’s first five seasons, made an appearance on the “Miserable Men” show on Sirius Satellite Radio last month and claimed that he was being replaced by a female to join Gabe Kaplan in the commentary booth. He later confirmed in his blog that he was being dropped for a “chick” in the upcoming season.

“I hope you like the female they toss in front of you,” said Benza. “And I hope the repartee between she and Gabe works likes ours did.”

Several members of the TwoPlusTwo online poker forum were infuriated by the decision and put together a petition to bring Benza back to the show. At the same time, rumors involving the next host have been circling the discussion boards and several names are being thrown around.

PokerStars will be the new sponsor of the show for Season 6, so early rumors of the new host included PokerStars Team Pro members Vanessa Rousso and Vicky Coren. Rousso, however, denied any likelihood of that happening, telling Poker News Daily, “I’m not sure where the rumor started, but I’m not the new co-host of HSP.”

Fellow PokerStars Team Pro member Daniel Negreanu commented on the subject yesterday at FullContactPoker: “Guess who KNOWS the answer to this? YES ME!!!! LOL. Relax people, Gabe will be doing the commentary alone, but there will be a female addition to the crew, not for strategy discussion, and you all know her and everyone likes her.”

Several poker buffs feel that former World Poker Tour (WPT) host Shana Hiatt is the favorite for the job. Hiatt worked for three seasons on the WPT and also hosted NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and “National Heads Up Poker Championship.” An avid poker enthusiast, Hiatt left the show in 2008 due to pregnancy.

One particular poster on TwoPlusTwo went into depth in their logic behind GSN’s potential decision to hire Hiatt: “From Negreanu’s comments it looks like they’re bringing in the PAD format, a hostess on the floor with only Gabe in the commentary booth. This sounds like an improvement to me. Gabe’s been the voice of the show all along, he’s funny by himself and he can explain things in layman terms for the novices… I’m going to guess that the host is Shana. She’s had the baby, Leeann (Tweeden) has settled on Poker After Dark, so (producer Mori Eskandani) is giving her HSP.

Poster “blink20″ agreed with his assessment: “If they booted (Benza) and somehow get Shana Hiatt on this show, then it would be the greatest move ever! SHANA FTW one time!”

Another female being mentioned as a possible replacement is television personality, journalist, and poker pro Kara Scott. Her selection would make sense on multiple levels, as Scott worked with PokerStars as a host for the European Poker Tour (EPT) in 2007 and 2008. More recently, Scott hosted the PokerStars Ante Up for Africa event, which aired on CBS earlier this month. She is also an accomplished professional at the tables. She was the only woman who cashed in both the 2008 and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, taking 104th in 2008 and 238th in 2009. She also finished second at the 2009 Irish Open, winning €312,600.

Many in the online poker community feel as though Scott would be perfect for the position, filling both the “eye candy” and poker knowledge requirements that regular viewers are looking for.

Other potential fill-ins being mentioned include WPT host Amanda Leatherman, model and Absolute Poker spokesperson Lacey Jones, and actress and poker player Shannon Elizabeth.

GSN is expected to make an official announcement by Friday. Season 6 of “High Stakes Poker” is scheduled to begin filming in November and will air in February.

Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Finish Last in Cambodia

Poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho finished in last place for the second time on this season of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.” This time, however, a team losing their passports saved the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events from elimination.

This week’s episode, which aired around 8:30pm EST due to an overrun of the NFL on CBS, began in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where nine teams departed from Reunification Palace. Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time and Big Easy left at 6:53pm in first place, while Michelle and Ho departed the Pit Stop in sixth place at 7:16pm. Teams were instructed to fly to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The first flight took off the next day at 12:15pm, with all nine teams making the journey together on a small propeller plane after spending the night in the airport.

Upon landing in Cambodia, Michelle and Ho left the airport in seventh place and headed to the Foreign Correspondence Club, where they were instructed to ask an editor for their next assignment. The clue, which appeared in a newspaper, was captioned, “The woman in this picture has a hotel suite named after her.” The “woman” in question was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who once stayed at the Hotel Le Royal. Teams headed to the hotel and searched for the real-life photo of Onassis to receive their next clue.

Michelle and Ho headed to the hotel and received information outlining the leg’s Detour, which is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. This week, teams could select between Cover and Wrap. In Cover, teams had to head to a motorcycle stand, select four helmets, and then sell them for $10 to a family of four. In Wrap, teams headed to the Russian Market, where they were given a colored scarf. Then, they had to comb through the massive market to find a woman wearing a matching scarf. Michelle and Ho chose the latter along with seven other teams, with engaged couple Lance and Keri being the only team to select Cover.

After finishing the Detour, teams traveled to Wat Toul Tom Pong on foot to search for their next clue. There, the Cambodian leg’s Roadblock, which is a task that only one team member can perform, asked racers to work with a Monkey Master to complete three maneuvers. While teams were breezing through the Roadblock, Ho and Michelle became stuck in traffic, losing valuable time. Upon finally arriving at the Russian Market to perform the Detour, Ho and Michelle received a green scarf and departed in eighth place out of nine teams remaining.

Friends Zev and Justin checked into the Pit Stop in first place, while brothers Sam and Dan took second. However, upon checking in, Zev and Justin realized that they had misplaced one of their passports. Host Phil Keoghan informed the team that it needed the travel document in order to continue the race. If they failed to re-check into the Pit Stop with passport in tow before the last team arrived, they would be eliminated. This opened the door for Michelle and Ho, who were among the teams in last place, to survive the leg of “Amazing Race.”

Meanwhile, Ho performed the Roadblock, with Michelle standing by and commenting, “She’s not the most athletic, dancer-y one of the bunch.” On her way to the Pit Stop, Ho remarked, “I’m very proud of how we’ve done, but I wish I could have been a better monkey for my teammate.” For the second time on this season of “Amazing Race,” Michelle and Ho arrived at the Pit Stop in last place, but were spared elimination because Zev and Justin had not yet produced the lost passport. Michelle exclaimed, “I wish we had this much luck. We’d be bazillionaires.”

Next week, teams head to Dubai, where they experience extreme heights, extreme speed, extreme heat, and a winter wonderland, according to the show’s preview. “Amazing Race” airs on Sunday nights at 8:00pm ET on CBS.

Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho Finish Sixth in Vietnam Leg

Sunday night marked the second installment of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race,” which is in its 15th season. After starting the leg in seventh place, professional poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho finished in sixth. Nine teams remain.

After arriving at Cai Be, Vietnam for the Pit Stop, teams were transported by boat downriver to M? Tho. There, father and son team Gary and Matt were to first to depart the Bassac III riverboat at 5:45am. The clue instructed the teams, who had no idea where they were, to head to the Ho Chi Minh City Water Puppet Theater, a two hour taxi ride away. At the theater, they had to pluck a clue out of the mouth of a twisting, spitting water dragon. Michelle and Ho were the seventh team to depart, doing so at 6:11am. The last team to leave the Pit Stop, married couple Brian and Ericka, left just 18 minutes later.

The team of poker players exited the Water Puppet Theater in sixth place and were given a stamp with an image of a building on it, which they ultimately discerned to be the Main Post Office. There, teams were given their first Detour, a choice between two tasks, on this season of “Amazing Race.” The first option, “Child’s Play,” challenged teams to head to a local park, pick up a heavy concrete animal statue, and transport it along a course while collecting five colored balloons. In the second Detour option, “Word Play,” teams headed to the observation deck of a local hotel overlooking a busy traffic circle and had to spot six Vietnamese letters. Then, they had to leave the hotel and unscramble the letters to spell a common word.

Michelle and Ho elected to complete “Child’s Play” and selected a large wolf, transporting the statue on a cart, which quickly broke after leaving the start of the Detour. Fortunately, they were easily able to run back and grab a second cart to continue the challenge. With Michelle dragging the wolf through the Detour, Ho rolled the team’s luggage. Consequently, Michelle was exhausted. She told “Amazing Race” cameras, “The Detour was so incredibly tough. I was gasping for breath like I’ve never had to gasp before. Every other team has a man to lean on and we don’t.” Michelle and Ho are the only all-female team on this edition of “Amazing Race.”

Upon completing the Detour, teams received a clue outlining the leg’s Roadblock, a task that only one team member can perform. In the Vietnam leg’s Roadblock, dubbed “Who’s ready for a complete breakdown,” teams had to break down two VCRs, sorting their parts into separate piles. A man performed a demonstration on-site in a local market stall, Dien Co 008.

While teams were busy pushing and pulling their animals through the park, dating couple Marcy and Ron chose to complete “Word Play.” Upon figuring out what the six letters were, they failed to consult locals to unscramble the word for quite some time, a costly mistake that sent them into last place. Meanwhile, Michelle and Ho arrived at the Roadblock in sixth place, where the former disassembled two VCRs. The Ultimate Bet pro quipped, “I like these power tools. They are bad ass.”

Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time and Big Easy were the first to arrive at the Pit Stop, Reunification Palace, outrunning dating couple Meghan and Cheyne. For winning the leg, the Globetrotters earned a trip for two to Aruba courtesy of Travelocity. The island nation is currently playing host to the annual Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic, whose $5,500 buy-in Main Event begins on Monday.

Brian and Ericka, who finished last in the first leg of “Amazing Race,” righted the ship to take fourth place this time around. Michelle and Ho checked in sixth, up one spot from last week. Marcy and Ron, after taking too much time to perform the Detour, checked into the Pit Stop in last place and were eliminated. For Marcy, it was bittersweet, as her father was shot down during the Vietnam War and rescued by American forces.

Next week, teams dress up like monkeys as the “Amazing Race” crew travels to Cambodia. In addition, “one team breaks the cardinal rule” and loses their passports. “Amazing Race” airs weekly on Sundays at 8:00pm ET on CBS.

Annie Duke Comments on Ultimate Bet Scandal Findings

In an exclusive interview with Poker News Daily, “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up and Ultimate Bet pro Annie Duke discusses the findings of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), the Aruba Poker Classic, and Tiffany Michelle’s appearance on the CBS reality program “Amazing Race.”

Poker News Daily: Talk about the release of the screen names associated with the Ultimate Bet investigation.

Duke: I think that the release of the user names is nice. One of the main things was naming Russ Hamilton. That was probably the most gratifying part of the report. It’s good to come out and say who it was. It puts to rest any questions people might have. If the KGC is going to put that name out there, then he’s the one who masterminded it. That puts the nail in the coffin, which is a good nail to have. Someone who perpetrated something like that should be identified.

PND: Has there been any fallout from not naming the other 31 individuals who were potentially involved?

Duke: I know that in terms of the way it was executed, Russ had access to opening accounts. I think they’re not revealing the 31 names because the level of involvement is unclear. It looks like Russ was using other names to open accounts for cheating. Russ had so much access that it’s hard to say whether the other people were involved.

PND: What has been the reaction you’ve received to the KGC’s report?

Duke: I got some feedback on Twitter of people saying that the report’s release was great. I also had some people calling for the other 31 names. That was the main comment and it’s a tough call. Russ had complete access.

This summer at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), everyone was happy with how things had proceeded. There was a lot of money refunded and Ultimate Bet wasn’t trying to hide anything. People were asking me about the superuser list and my response was that they should write the KGC. It’s a big relief because that was the last piece of the puzzle and Ultimate Bet had to wait for the KGC. Everyone can see that Ultimate Bet wasn’t trying to hide or cover up anything. The present management wasn’t implicated and that’s important. Everyone understands that this management was a victim just like everyone else. This management refunded $22 million and they didn’t have to.

PND: What are you looking forward to the most in Aruba this year?

Duke: Being there the whole time. Last year, I was only there three days and it was all meetings because I had to pack it all in. I didn’t even get to enjoy anything. I can have some time this year to hang out with players, do water activities like tubing, and hang out at the pool. I’m bringing one of my kids and it’ll also be productive in terms of work. It’s funny because there’s also a poker tournament, but it seems like an afterthought.

PND: Does the Aruba Poker Classic lose any luster not being a part of an organized tournament series?

Duke: I don’t think so. In some ways, it gains something from that. I’m not sure right now that the World Poker Tour (WPT) seems to be that huge of a draw anyway. Aruba gets the same attendance as WPT tournaments. The difference is that the people are there because they want to be there, not because they’re just trying to get television coverage. I think it enhances the communal feel of it. That’s in some sense why Aruba feels like a more intimate experience than the Bahamas.

PND: Has there ever been any talk of the Aruba event becoming part of an organized series?

Duke: There’s no reason to worry about it because the attendance has been good. They have television opportunities if they wanted to air it. I sort of feel like if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s a beautifully run tournament and Matt Savage always does an amazing job. We’ll get between 400 and 600 players.

PND: Have you had a chance to check out “Face the Ace” on NBC? What are your thoughts on the show?

Duke: I watched the first episode and I don’t like it, but I think it could be fixed. My understanding is that they’ve changed things in the new episodes they’ve filmed. I’m not a huge fan of the host and I wish they used Ali Nejad in that role. It’s important to cast contestants and I understand why they can’t because they’re using online qualifiers, so there isn’t much you can do. Instead, you need to have a host that brings the contestants out. With the pros they’re using, some are good at getting players to talk and some aren’t. That’s another issue. When you get a contestant who isn’t gregarious and they’re paired with a pro who isn’t gregarious, it’s dead air. It’s all a learning experience, though. Full Tilt does some of the best poker programming in the industry.

PND: Will we see an Ultimate Bet version of “Face the Ace” anytime soon?

Duke: Phil Hellmuth would be very good television in those heads-up matches. I think moving out of their circle of pros might help Full Tilt and it wouldn’t hurt them. “Poker After Dark” has been a successful property for them and it features lots of people who aren’t Full Tilt pros. Phil Laak would be really good and there are others who are very big television people. It would help when you have an introverted contestant.

PND: Are you heading to WSOP Europe this year?

Duke: No. I am speaking at an ideas conference. It’s all about nurturing my intellectual pursuits. I’m talking about decision-making and ultimatums. I’m really excited about that and trying to get back to my economic roots. Ideas conferences are cool and feature some of the smartest people in the world.

PND: Are you looking forward to watching Tiffany Michelle on the new season of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race”?

Duke: She’s a fellow pro at Ultimate Bet and I want to support her. I’ll set my Tivo and will be rooting for her. It’s an exciting opportunity for her and for poker.

PND: Does it feel good to re-sign Michelle?

Duke: Tiffany is a very enthusiastic pro. She interacts well with customers and is a good team member. She also blogs a lot, shows up, and does everything we ask her to.

Poker Community Responds to Amazing Race Premiere

Professional poker players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle are quickly becoming the talk of reality television fans and poker enthusiasts alike after just one episode of the new season of the CBS series “Amazing Race.”  These two racers, who each made their claim to fame by being the last women remaining in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, are quickly gaining fans and critics after the two-hour premiere, during which they went from first to last place, impressing and irritating their competitors along the way.

Poker News Daily sought the opinions of those on both sides of the issue in order to gain more insight into why the Ho/Michelle team has such a polarizing effect on people.  In addition to discussing some of the pros and cons of their appearance, we also picked up behind the scenes information that sheds more light on how the two young women are being portrayed.

The Skeptic

It didn’t take long for occasional poker journalist and online poker regular Jon Wein to decide that he did not enjoy the duo of poker ladies participating in the show.  He tuned in to watch the show, but Wein claims he “had to turn it off after [Tiffany Michelle] and Maria Ho implied they were rich for the like eighteenth time.”

His biggest issue with the two women appearing on the show is that it deprives other, ostensibly more deserving, poker players from time in the limelight.  “It literally makes me sick that Tiffany Michelle gets this much coverage and publicity for one Main Event run. She’s done nothing else,” he explained.  “Ultimate Bet has all of these talented pros like Matt ‘mattg1983’ Graham and Adam ‘Roothlus’ Levy and then they have her… It’s a complete slap in the face to them.”  Wein even took a playful jab at Michelle’s former Poker News employer Tony “Tony G” Guoga.  “I literally curse Tony G’s name to this day because he put her in the Main Event,” he joked.

While Wein has a very clear opinion on Michelle, he has less to say about her partner.  “I don’t know Maria and have never spoken to her.  I only know what the media portrays her as,” he said.

Considering poker players do not get too many opportunities at mainstream media exposure, an appearance on a reality show can have a major influence on how the game is perceived by those who are not fans of it.  Wein is skeptical that the team, Michelle in particular, will grow poker’s popularity.  “Even if [Michelle] is the sickest ‘Amazing Race’ contestant ever, I just don’t understand how anyone can be like, ‘Wow, what a great ambassador for the game. What a humble person about their successes’…I think she is a poor example of what a poker player should be.”  His opinion is based not only on the first episode of “Amazing Race”, but also last year’s Main Event coverage and his own personal experiences over the course of several summers in Las Vegas.

He may just be one viewer, but the presence of Michelle and Ho on the show has actually convinced the longtime “Amazing Race” fan to take some time off from tuning in, as Wein said he had no plans to watch future episodes this season.

The Supporter

Like Wein, longtime tournament reporter B.J. Nemeth knew Ho and Michelle long before their appearance on “Amazing Race.”  In fact, it is only because of their presence on the show that he tuned in this season.  “I have never watched ‘Amazing Race’ before this season and I am watching primarily because I am friends with Maria and Tiffany,” Nemeth explained.  “I am also watching (to a lesser extent) because of my weekly appearances on PokerRoad’s ‘The Poker Beat,’ where I am sure we will discuss and analyze the show at some point, just as we did with Annie Duke on ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’”  He is a fan so far and even suggested that he might tune into the show for future seasons.

The show has made a fan of Nemeth, but he thinks it will have little impact on bringing new fans to poker.  He explained, comparing their appearance to Duke’s memorable run on “Celebrity Apprentice”:

“Amazing Race” is a unique game and the specific job skills that people bring with them will have little impact, whether they are a doctor, a lawyer, or a poker player.  “If [Michelle and Ho] perform well or win, it won’t be because they are poker players. If they embarrass themselves and lose, it won’t be because they are poker players. And I don’t think mainstream fans will judge the poker industry by how they finish… The impact on poker is very different from Annie Duke’s presence on ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ where she was only on the show because she was a famous poker player, and it was brought up repeatedly from a strategy standpoint and in the boardroom with Donald Trump.”

Nemeth also conceded that any publicity was good publicity though and, unlike Wein, believed that the appearance of the young female poker players would more than likely help rather than hurt the poker cause.  When it comes to Wein’s concerns that their behavior will come off as indicative of the poker industry as a whole, Nemeth disagreed.  “Even though ‘Amazing Race’ fans identify Maria and Tiffany as the ‘poker players’ or the ‘poker girls,’ that’s just an identifier because it’s tough to learn names of 10 to 12 two-person teams,” he pointed out.  “They refer to the other teams in similar ways – ‘the asshole lawyer,’ ‘the interracial couple,’ ‘the father-son team,’ and ‘the gay brothers.’ Reality TV fans are smart enough to know that personality traits are unique to individuals and not to entire professions or sexual preferences.”

The Scoop

Ho and Nemeth had a lengthy chat after the show’s Sunday premiere and Nemeth shared behind-the-scenes details of the first episode with Poker News Daily.  “Maria and Tiffany have agreed that they won’t be answering their critics or talking about specific things until the show is complete. It’s not easy, because they’ve seen a lot of the criticism and want to respond, but they know it would be counterproductive at this point,” Nemeth explained.  However, he did clear up a couple of early points of criticism on behalf of his friends.

He immediately addressed a major issue that both reality television fans and poker enthusiasts were quick to criticize the girls for - their rolling luggage.  Historically, backpacks have proven to be the most popular way to travel on the show and avid fans suggest that rolling luggage slows players down too much during crucial periods of the race where they may have to run.  Nemeth explained that their bags convert into backpacks and the clip showing Ho rolling it down the street was during a three mile walk from one location to the next.

Nemeth also filled us in on the controversial decision by the pair to conceal their occupation from their opponents.  According to Nemeth, the producers encouraged them to keep their status as poker pros under wraps since previous contestants like former “Survivor” winners Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich were highly criticized by their fellow racers for already being rich and famous.

As for their false claim that they worked with a non-profit group?  This is not entirely a lie.  Both women have done a lot of charity work, so there was more truth to their statements than the show depicted.  “The homeless charity that Tiffany mentioned on the show is a real charity that she has worked with and its director called her on Monday to support her,” said Nemeth.  He also said that the girls received less flack from their competitors about their tiny fib than the show implied and that they are still in touch with over half of the teams from the season.

These are just two of several opinions on a show that still has a long way to go to reach the finish line.  In every season of reality television, there will inevitably be heroes and villains.  So far, Ho and Michelle are netting their fair share of criticism compared to the other participants, but picking up a few new fans as well, so it will take a little more airtime to get a better idea of how they will be remembered on “Amazing Race” and whether or not it will have any bearing on the world of poker.

Poker Pros make slow showing in Amazing Race

Sunday Night Football Dominates Amazing Race Premiere in Ratings

The National Football League (NFL) game between the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals garnered an 8.2 rating on Sunday night during the 8:00pm ET hour to lead all programs. The CBS reality series Amazing Race, which features poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, premiered at 7.1.

Amazing Race began around 8:15pm ET as a result of a late finish of a football game that aired on CBS. During the 8:00pm ET hour, Sunday Night Football generated an 8.2 rating according to HitFix, Amazing Race came in at 7.1, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition mustered a 6.4 rating, and Fox’s The Simpsons came in at 4.5. Another show that aired during the first of two hours for Amazing Race was The Cleveland Show (5.3 rating), which premiered on Sunday night at 8:30pm ET on Fox.

Amazing Race’s 15th season premiere featured a two-hour episode, seeing a 5.8 rating during its second hour, a sharp drop-off. Sunday Night Football, which was approaching halftime at 9:00pm ET, attracted a solid 9.7 rating during its second of three hours. Fox again ran two half-hour programs, with Family Guy grabbing a 5.7 rating and American Dad chiming in with a 4.1. Meanwhile, Desperate Housewives returned to score an 8.4 rating. The hour-long program airs on ABC and bumped Amazing Race to third in the ratings during the time slot.

The number of viewers of Sunday Night Football dwindled during the 10:00pm ET hour, when the game became a blowout, generating an 8.7 rating. Indianapolis won 31-10, with quarterback Peyton Manning tossing four touchdowns in primetime; the Colts led 21-3 at the intermission. The game generated additional interest given that Arizona is the defending National Football Conference (NFC) champions and narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in January’s Super Bowl.

HitFix noted that NBC averaged 12.7 million viewers during the three-hour time period and mustered an 8.0 rating. CBS, which carries Amazing Race, was in second place with a 7.3 rating and 11.7 million viewers. Amazing Race is regularly one hour in length, but aired for 120 minutes over the weekend for its debut episode. Next week, Pittsburgh will host the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football, which will surely lead to another ratings-rich affair for NBC.

Previously, ESPN held the rights to Sunday Night Football before the honor went to NBC in time for the 2006 season. The NBC version originally featured Al Michaels and John Madden in the broadcast booth. Madden retired before the start of the 2009 campaign and was replaced by Cris Collinsworth. Amazing Race has aired on Sunday nights since Season 10 in the 8:00pm ET hour. Previous versions have aired on Thursday night, Wednesday night, and Tuesday night. The latter has been the traditional evening for new episodes of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on ESPN.

Amazing Race once again won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program in 2009. In fact, Amazing Race has won the honor every year the award has been given out and, this time around, it bested American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, and Top Chef. Amazing Race features Executive Producers Bertram van Munster, Jonathan Littman, and Jerry Bruckheimer, who has been behind movie blockbusters like Top Gun, The Rock, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Michelle and Ho were nearly sent home from Tokyo on the season premiere of Amazing Race, but finished last in a non-elimination leg. Despite having to complete a Speed Bump, an extra task only they had to perform, Michelle and Ho rallied to finish seventh out of 11 teams. Now, 10 remain as the cast heads to Cambodia. Check out Amazing Race at 8:00pm ET on CBS every Sunday.

Amazing Race: Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho Escape Elimination in Premiere

Poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were spared elimination on the premiere of the CBS reality show Amazing Race, which is entering its 15th season. Michelle and Ho arrived at the first pit stop in last place.

The 15th installment of the CBS franchise began in the L.A. River, the site of movies like “Grease.” Twelve teams arrived by bus, including Michelle and Ho, who told other teams that they worked for a non-profit instead of admitting they were wealthy poker players and the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events.

In a new twist, the first challenge took place immediately, with the last team to complete it eliminated at the starting mat. In it, teams had to sort through 1,000 license plates for one of 11 from Shinagawa, Tokyo, their first destination. Despite confusing license plates, some with misleading Japanese symbols on them, Michelle and Ho finished the task first and headed to the airport to fly to Tokyo. On completing the task first, Michelle quipped, “We have our Asian lucky charm right here,” referring to Ho. In the end, married yoga teachers Eric and Lisa were eliminated in Los Angeles.

All teams flew to Japan, where they were told to head to the Tokyo Tower Television Studio. There, a live audience awaited a game of “Sushi Roulette,” which capitalized on the popularity of Japanese game shows. The Roadblock, which is a task that only one team member can perform, asked contestants to stand in front of a giant roulette wheel and eat the food that landed in front of them. The two players who received scorching hot wasabi bombs had to consume it in less than two minutes in order to receive their next clue. Play continued until each team had eaten a wasabi bomb.

On-screen graphics like an alligator breathing fire added flair to this task, which saw the wasabi land on Ho’s space on the third spin. However, she was unable to eat it within the two-minute time frame and had to play again. As luck would have it, the wasabi once again landed on her space on the fourth spin. Ho told Amazing Race cameras, “My hands were shaking. I was tearing up. It was just like one of those moments where people say it’s mind over matter.” Ho finished her wasabi with two seconds left on the clock.

After completing “Sushi Roulette,” the teams received a colored flag, which corresponded to the visors of 20 audience members. They had to lead their group to the Konno Hachimangu Shrine across town on foot navigating Tokyo’s congested streets. Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne arrived at the Shrine, the Pit Stop for the leg of the race, first and received trips to Aspen and Vail.

Michelle and Ho stopped at a hotel to get a map to the Shrine, sharing its location with brothers Sam and Dan. Michelle explained, “They’re both young, hot, 20-something guys who have become our friends.” Meanwhile, two members of Michelle and Ho’s group became separated in Tokyo’s maze of crowded streets. After hunting around, the poker players were unable to locate their lost crowd members and checked in at the first Amazing Race Pit Stop in last place. Michelle and Ho were assessed a two-hour time penalty for not completing the task, but were spared being sent home in a non-elimination leg. As punishment, they would be forced to complete a Speed Bump, which is a task that only Michelle and Ho would perform, in the upcoming leg.

The teams were then dispatched to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where they were taken by bus to Cai Be. Despite departing three hours behind other teams at 3:22am from the Pit Stop, Michelle and Ho were quickly able to catch up, as the first flight to Vietnam did not leave until 10:30am. Meanwhile, Lance Layne, an engaged lawyer from Massachusetts, lashed out at Michelle and Ho for not being eliminated on the previous leg: “I can’t believe they gave those two chicks a Speed Bump. Bastards should have been sent home.”

A person at the airport recognized Michelle and asked, “Did you get into the Top 15?” This generated doubt in Michelle and Ho’s stated profession as non-profit workers, eventually leading to other teams figuring out that they were actually poker players. Teams arrived at the Cai Be docks just before nightfall only to see that it did not open until 7:00am. In the morning, they proceeded to mud pits across the Mekong Delta and were tasked with scooping enough mud to fertilize a fruit tree by filling up its base to a designated red line.

Before completing the fruit tree task, Michelle and Ho served the Cai Be dock master soup for their Speed Bump. The poker-playing duo completed the extra challenge with ease before heading to the mud pits. Michelle and Ho were in last place leaving the pits due to the time lost while completing the Speed Bump, but gained ground in the leg’s Road Block, which consisted of herding 150 ducks across a bridge and back again in a fenced enclosure.

Michelle claimed that she had ducks growing up and “flew” through the task, leading to the team being in sixth place after finishing the Roadblock. The Pit Stop on the Vietnam leg was a boat, the Bassac III, and Michelle and Ho arrived in seventh place, surviving a chaotic two-hour episode. Father and son Gary and Matt came in first place and won kayaks.

Amazing Race airs every Sunday on CBS at 8:00pm ET. Next week will see Michelle, Ho, and the rest of the CBS reality show’s cast travel to Cambodia.

PokerStars Ante Up for Africa Airs on CBS Sports

On Saturday afternoon, CBS Sports aired the second of two episodes of the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa tournament that played out during the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo festivities.

Kara Scott served as the host of the event as it played out on the CBS Sports Spectacular broadcast. The nine-handed final table began with Daniel Negreanu holding a commanding chip lead with 151,100, well ahead of the 49,000 stack of EPT founder John Duthie. Alexander Armstrong and David Tuckman had the call of the event, which featured on-screen card backs with Ante Up for Africa logos and player names shown alongside their native country’s flag.

In the night’s first elimination, Teddy Sheringham raised with K-Q of clubs and rugby player Sebastien Chabal shoved with A-9. Team PokerStars Pro member Luca Pagano pushed over the top and Sheringham quickly folded. The flop came 4-J-2 and a running 10-8 gave Pagano a flush in the hand. Chabal was out in ninth and told Scott, “I’m disappointed because I wanted to win the whole thing. I’m happy, had a great time, and made some great friends.”

Meanwhile, Duthie hit the rails in eighth place after shoving pre-flop with A-K. Poker pro Tony G made the call with pocket jacks and turned a third jack. Duthie was drawing dead to the river and hit the exits. French journalist, writer, and presenter Patrick Chene was eliminated in seventh place at the hands of Dario Minieri’s A-J. Despite having a new arsenal of chips, Minieri folded to a re-raise by new Betclick pro Isabelle Mercier holding pocket eights. Minieri was getting 2:1 to call and Mercier held A-J for what would have been a coin flip situation.

Pagano was ousted after pushing pre-flop for 23,000 chips. Minieri called from the big blind at a discount holding J-3. The board ran out 2-A-3-J-J, giving Minieri a boat. The hand moved Minieri to second on the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa leaderboard, with Negreanu now the tournament’s short stack. Negreanu was sent to the rails at the hands of Mercier, who won a coin flip with pocket eights against K-Q. Negreanu told CBS cameras, “I was the chip leader and I seemed to be dominating and all of a sudden, the blinds went up and I folded and folded like a little wimp.”

Tony G was ousted in fourth place holding Q-6 against A-8 after an eight-high flop. Observing the action was “Heroes” star James Kyson Lee, who told Scott, “There are a lot of people here from all different fields. It’s great that we’re able to come together, do something fun, and raise awareness for Ante Up for Africa.” Norman Epstein, Full Tilt Poker pro Don Cheadle, and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke founded the charity in 2006. It is the centerpiece of an annual $5,000 buy-in gala during the World Series of Poker (WSOP), which aired in 2009 on ESPN.

Mercier and Sheringham both doubled up at the expense of Minieri, who was ultimately eliminated after running pocket tens into Mercier’s pocket queens. Mercier promptly doubled up with K-4 against Sheringham’s A-5 after the flop came 4-J-J. Then, the former member of Team PokerStars Pro called Sheringham’s all-in with A-2. Sheringham turned over 10-4 and the board ran out 6-8-Q-J-10 with four diamonds. Mercier’s deuce of diamonds was the only card of the suit held by either player and Mercier took down the inaugural Ante Up for Africa event in Monte Carlo.

Over €250,000 was raised for the Ante Up for Africa charity in Monte Carlo and no prize money was doled out to players. Instead, Mercier, who battled through a field of 43 runners, claimed a crystal trophy in the shape of a PokerStars logo.

Ante Up for Africa Monte Carlo Event to Air on CBS Sports

For the next two weekends, CBS will air the PokerStars Ante Up for Africa Monte Carlo tournament. The show will air on Saturday, September 19th from 1:30pm to 2:30pm ET and on Saturday, September 26th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm ET.

Both shows will air prior to college football. Vanessa Rousso, a member of Team PokerStars Pro, commented in a press release distributed by the online poker site on Friday, “Each year at the World Series of Poker, I make it a point to play in Ante Up for Africa. It’s amazing that PokerStars hosted the event in Monte Carlo to help a worthy cause and bring some fun to the table during one of their biggest events of the year.” In this author’s home market, the show does not air on September 19th, but rather only the 26th. Viewers are encouraged to check their local listings for details, as college football dates, times, and channels vary by market.

The tournament took place in April in the storied European principality during the Monte Carlo Grand Final festivities. The casino is the host venue for the end-of-season European Poker Tour (EPT) event and attracted a star-studded lineup of celebrities and poker players for the Ante Up for Africa contest. Among those in attendance were St. Louis rapper Nelly, singer Christina Milian, The Dream, “Heroes” actor James Kyson Lee, “Sex in the City” actor Jason Lewis, Good Charlotte band member Joel Madden, U.K. presenter Kirsty Gallacher, rapper Bruno “Kool Shen” Lopes, F1 racer Nico Rosberg, Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, and rugby players Sebastien Chabal and Mike Tindall.

Representing Team PokerStars Pro were Rousso, 2004 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Greg Raymer, 2005 Champion Joe Hachem, 2008 Champion Peter Eastgate, Italian poker pro Dario Minieri, Victor Ramdin, and Caesars Cup Captain Daniel Negreanu. The €4,000 buy-in tournament generated more than €260,000 for the Ante Up for Africa charity, which raises money and awareness for victims of the crisis in Darfur. A total of €160,000 was raised through tournament buy-ins, while PokerStars generously kicked in an additional €100,000.

Among those prizes awarded were a trip to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in 2010. The tournament, which is held annually in the Bahamas, serves as the lone Western Hemisphere stop on the EPT circuit. A tournament summary distributed by the world’s largest online poker site offered the following insight into the ongoing Darfur crisis: “More than 400,000 people have died and more than four million have lost their homes in Darfur since the conflict began. To date, Ante Up For Africa has raised close to $2 million for the cause.”

Ante Up for Africa was founded in 2006 by “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, Full Tilt Poker pro Don Cheadle, and Norman Epstein. An annual $5,000 buy-in tournament is held to benefit the charity during the WSOP in Las Vegas. This year, the spectacle came to life on cable station ESPN and featured Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Sarah Silverman, Charles Barkley, and Jason Alexander. Representing the poker world were the likes of Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Phil Hellmuth, who served as the event’s emcee. This year’s gala raised more than $600,000.

In August, the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) featured a fundraiser for Ante Up for Africa in the form of a $120 buy-in tournament. A total of 2,367 players bought into the event, which was won by “warren_ace1.” Full Tilt donated the entire $20 entry fee to Ante Up for Africa.