Poker News

Phil Hellmuth’s Hold’em with HospiceCare

Phil Hellmuth hosted a charity event last month in Wisconsin, and our own Chad Holloway was there to check it out.

Prahlad Friedman Discusses Signing with UB.com

Brand new to Team UB.com is bracelet winner Prahlad Friedman, who joined the site following the departures of Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth. Friedman sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss joining the USA-friendly CEREUS Network site.

Poker News Daily: Tell us why you signed with UB.com following your now-famous Tweet in November saying you’d be “selling out” by joining an online poker site. Did you have a change of heart?

Prahlad Friedman: I had a change of heart. It was all because of friends and family. They all convinced me that I could do greater good by signing and having more exposure and influence. We live in a society where the people who are the most well known have the greatest influence. I felt this could get me out there a little more. There’s also a charity component to my deal.

PND: What can you tell us about the charity portion of your agreement with UB.com?

Prahlad Friedman: There’s a good chunk of money that I’ll be giving to charity every year. I’ll be posting on Facebook and Twitter for any charities people think are awesome and I have a few ideas of my own. There are many options out there.

PND: What sparked your original stance against signing with an online poker site?

Prahlad Friedman: I’m just super liberal. I was raised vegetarian and I meditate. I’ve always liked underground hip-hop. I’ve always been on the outside. Now, I’m trying to mix it up and work from the inside out. I can turn a lot of heads, make people healthier, and help with charity. I don’t view it as selling out.

PND: You were affected by the cheating scandal on UB.com. What does Prahlad Friedman signing with UB.com say about the site moving forward?

Prahlad Friedman: People should know I’m not a donkey. I’m not going to sign if I thought there was anything going on. I obviously feel like the site is different and new now. Anybody who had to do with that scandal is gone.

PND: With Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth now gone from Team UB.com, can you be the main face of an online poker site?

Prahlad Friedman: I’ve always been a leader. I’ve always been outspoken. For quite a few years now, I haven’t been afraid to do interviews and be in front of cameras. I’m comfortable and have always been a point guard.

PND: What were your thoughts when you found out that Duke and Hellmuth were leaving?

Prahlad Friedman: They’re going to make the decision that’s best for them; it didn’t raise any concerns for me. They’ve been there a while and wanted a change of pace or had a change of heart just like I did. People change and the fact that they’re out is hopefully good for them and I know they’ll do well in the future. It also gives me an opportunity to be at the forefront. One of the things that most attracted me to this deal was the creative control I’ll have in commercials, clothing lines, and charitable things.

PND: What details can you share about the interactions you had with UB.com following the cheating scandal? Were you reimbursed?

Prahlad Friedman: It’s one of the greatest experiences I’ve had. I’m sure a lot of people feel differently, but I was pumped to get money back and it was a large sum. They took care of me and it reinforced to me that I was one of the best poker players in the world. Any money I had lost was because I was cheated off of it. Every site has had its problems with weird things happening and you have to improve and move on.

PND: What were your thoughts about Daniel Negreanu calling you out for signing with UB.com?

Prahlad Friedman: At first, people were recommending that I not read TwoPlusTwo and Twitter because if there’s anything negative, it can get to you, but I couldn’t help myself. I read Daniel Negreanu’s comments and I’m not hating on him. We’re friends and fellow vegans, but he feels strongly about UB. I don’t have problems with the things he said. I just feel a lot differently than he does.

PND: Were you surprised at some of Negreanu’s comments?

Prahlad Friedman: I knew from the past that people are going to bring up tough questions and criticize me. People have been criticizing me since I was on the scene. You can’t let those things affect you. People have different ideas. That’s what makes the world interesting.

PND: You broke Steve Nash’s consecutive free throw record on an episode of “Poker2Nite,” which was quite impressive. Tell us about your preparation for that attempt.

Prahlad Friedman: I’ve always been intense about things I do. Playing basketball competitively has been my main goal since I could hold a ball. All I did was shoot 500 or 1,000 shots a day for years and years. I’d sneak my way into gyms as a youth and I was obsessed with basketball.

Usually, when I go out and shoot, I’ll make 40 or 50 in a row, and my best is 118. The world record is 5,200 shots in a row, which would be awesome to break, but could be out of reach. I thought Nash’s record was within reach and broke it on the third try. I’d like to do it again, improve upon it, and make it so people will have a tough time beating it.

PND: We’d wager that many poker players know you best for your World Series of Poker Main Event run-ins with Ted Bort and Jeffrey Lisandro.

Prahlad Friedman: It seems silly that I’m known for those. I can’t blame people because ESPN is one of the biggest outlets and millions of people watch it. In the future, they can hopefully remember me for other things. I don’t like to be remembered for drama, so it is a little funny that these controversies come up. I’m looking to get past them.

PND: Are you focused on winning a second WSOP bracelet?

Prahlad Friedman: I haven’t played enough tournaments recently to have a really good chance. I’d love to win two, though, and with this signing with UB, I think I’ll play more. I’ll put myself in a good position to win another one.

2010 Poker Memories by Linda Johnson

Time is passing too quickly. We just said goodbye to 2010, but memories of my favorite (and not so favorite) poker moments from the year are still vivid in my mind. I’d like to share a few of my personal 2010 poker memories with you.

Proudest 2010 Poker Memory

Without a doubt, being nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame is the answer to this category. What a thrill it was to learn that I had been nominated along with such a prestigious group as Erik Seidel, Dan Harrington, Tom McEvoy, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, and Barry Greenstein. Congratulations to the 2010 inductees Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington.

Favorite Poker News Story

I loved the coverage given to the Mizrachi family during the WSOP. It seemed like every poker magazine had Michael Mizrachi on the cover. Even mainstream Las Vegas entertainment magazines featured Michael and his family.

Favorite Poker Vacation

The 12-night Card Player Cruises poker trip to the Mediterranean wins in this category. The poker room was a lot of fun as usual, but the highlight was seeing all of the magnificent European ports. We stopped at Cannes/Monte Carlo, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Corfu, Dubrovnik, and Barcelona and had great weather in each.

Favorite Charity Event

Of all of the charity events I was fortunate to participate in during 2010, the fundraiser for MickeysCamp.org was my favorite. Mickey’s Camp was started by Mickey Maurer and is held in Indianapolis, Indiana every August. There is a three-day camp for men and a three-day camp for women. The participants sleep in the same cabins the kids stay at during summer and participate in a variety of activities including fishing, camping, wine tasting, cooking, self-defense, magic, and swimming.

I had the honor of teaching the poker sessions and running the poker tournaments for both camps. Mickey’s Camp has raised more than $1 million dollars for charity since its inception 10 years ago. Honorable mention in this category goes to fundraising events for Poker Gives and Child Rescue.

Most Disappointing Poker News

I am still angry and annoyed that we haven’t been able to overturn the UIGEA, although I think we are getting close. The news that the Washington State courts upheld the ruling making online poker illegal is just plain gross! After the ruling, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars shut down service to Washington residents, a move that should have been met with much more fury and protest from the state’s players.

Favorite Whirlwind Trip

My quick trip to Golden, Colorado for a Poker Players Alliance event qualifies in this category. In less than 24 hours, I flew in and out of Denver and participated in a poker tournament to help Senator Michael Bennett’s campaign. Bennett was elected by a very small margin and I believe he was the victor due to the support of Colorado poker players.

Most Prestigious Poker Event

The winner in this category was easily the Women in Poker Hall of Fame banquet held at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. The Grand Ballroom, decorated by a group of volunteers headed by Lupe Soto and her Board of Directors, took on the look of an elegant bistro/nightclub. Jan Fisher did a great job as the emcee and Jeffrey Pollack and Nolan Dalla delivered passionate speeches. After a delicious dinner, awards were presented, followed by a dance. Congratulations to the 2010 inductees Jennifer Harman, Kathy Liebert, and Billie Brown.

Favorite New Poker Procedure

I love the new rule established at the Commerce Casino that penalizes players who are gone too long from the table. Players who miss several rounds in $20-$40 and higher Hold’em games have $5 taken from their stacks and put into the pot.  Note that this rule was just about to go into effect the last time I played there and so may have been refined since.

Favorite New Poker Social Media Source

I admit it… I am a Twitter addict! I read it as often as I can and follow many of the top poker celebrities’ Tweets. I hate that it takes up so much of my time and makes me feel like a voyeur, but I can’t seem to give it up. Perhaps they will start a Twitters Anonymous in 2011 and I will be a charter member.

Favorite Tournament Series

Few would argue that the World Series of Poker wins in this category. The series expanded into even more square footage at the Rio and saw an increase in total participants. I had three deep runs (16th, 29th, and 31st) out of the five tournaments I entered, yet am not sporting a new bracelet. Congratulations to all of the bracelet winners, but especially to Gavin Smith, who won his first bracelet after many close efforts.

The runner-up award in this category goes to Wild Horse Casino in Pendleton, Oregon. Roland Waters directs a great tournament series with huge player fields. Entrants get rewarded with $75,000 in added money and free dinner buffets every night.

Other favorite poker memories from 2010 include delivering the “Shuffle Up and Deal” opening speech for the WSOP Ladies Event, teaching WPT Boot Camp at many locations around the country, playing in the WPT Celebrity Invitational at the Commerce, and hosting tournaments at the Eureka Open in Mesquite, Nevada, the Rainbow Spectrum of Poker at the Rainbow Hotel in Wendover, Nevada, and the Wild Horse Resort Casino Poker Roundup in Pendleton, Oregon.

I am extremely blessed to be part of this wonderful poker world and am grateful for the opportunities it has provided me. In 2010, I met many wonderful people who share my passion for poker and was thrilled to have so many chances to give back to our community.

Our country is facing tough economic times ahead. I hope 2011 is a prosperous and happy year for Poker News Daily readers.  In closing, I am happy to offer our readers a discount on any 2011 Card Player Cruises trip. Mention Poker News Daily when you book your cabin by January 15th and you will get a $50 per person discount. For more information, go to CardPlayerCruises.com.

Editor’s Note: Linda Johnson is available for poker functions, seminars, corporate events, and charity fundraisers. You can contact her through her website at CardPlayerCruises.com.

Biggest Poker Surprises of 2010

Last week, Poker News Daily ran an article recapping the top poker news stories of 2010.  This, we were charged with the task of coming up with the top ten surprises of the past year.  As fate would have it, the biggest shocker of 2010 came on December 30th, making the top surprise a no-brainer.  Read on to find out.

10) Hip-Hop Hellmuth – Normally, I wouldn’t put an attention grab by Phil Hellmuth on a list of the year’s biggest surprises, but this one was phenomenal.  The “Poker Brat” made a cameo appearance in a hip-hop music video by Ludacris donned in UB.net garb and raking in UB.net chips.  Filmed at the Palms in Las Vegas, the video’s plot was supposed to be similar to that of the hit movie “The Hangover.”  The song is called “Sex Room.”  I’ll just leave it at that.

9) No Rest for the Weary – A crazy record not many people knew about before this year was broken not once, but twice.  In June, Phil Laak set the poker endurance record by playing $10/$20 Hold’em at the Bellagio for a staggering 115 consecutive hours, breaking Paul Zimbler’s 72-hour mark from late 2009.  Nobody would ever be silly enough to try to top Laak, would they?  Of course they would.  In November, Christie Teki-Reu and man who goes by the nickname “Chopper” played for 117 hours in the casino at the Grand Hotel in New Zealand as part of an organized effort to set the record in a special charity tournament.  Afterwards, Teki-Reu slept for five hours, was up for two hours, then slept for another ten hours.  Well deserved.

Kessler Max-Cashes – Well, almost.  Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler is a very good poker player, but he is known to play to make the money in tournaments.  He has definitely gone deep in tournaments and made a couple of WPT televised final tables, but for the most part, the poker community jokes about Kessler taking the conservative route and always looking to “min-cash.”

At the 2010 WSOP, poker players and fans lived vicariously through “Chainsaw” as he not only made the money in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event, but also continued to move up in the standings, making the final table and then finally reaching heads-up.  He eventually lost, but the $276,485 payday was far from a min-cash.  He finished with eight cashes, tied for most at this year’s WSOP.  Sure, some were min-cashes, but his second place run was one of the most memorable and surprising moments of the 2010 WSOP.

7) Security Fail – In May, it was discovered that the CEREUS Network had a major security hole.  The network did not have SSL encryption implemented, resulting in a vulnerability that made it possible to intercept network traffic and see an opponent’s hole cards.  In July, the same flaw was found on the Cake Poker Network.  It is unbelievable enough that one poker network could fail so miserably at something that should be so basic, but two networks dropping the ball?  Sad.

6) WSOP is Healthy – With the down economy and the struggles of online poker in the United States, it would have been reasonable to expect WSOP attendance figures to decline.  Not so.  2010 saw 72,966 players participate, the most in WSOP history by a wide margin and besting last year’s record by 20%.  The total prize money was the highest of all-time as well, reaching $187,109,850 and beating 2008′s high mark by 3.5%.  The Main Event was the second largest of all-time with 7,319 players, second only to 2006, which was the last WSOP Main Event before the UIGEA was passed.

5) Isildur1 is a Star – Isildur1, the nameless online nosebleed-stakes phenom, signed with PokerStars in December.  His signing with an online poker room isn’t all that surprising, considering that whenever he plays, he attracts scores of railbirds who love watching his million-dollar swings.  The shocker is that all of his high-stakes play has been at Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars’ closest rival.  Stars must have given him a sweet deal.

4) Resurgence of “The Grinder“ – While Michael Mizrachi had a few strong performances on the live tournament circuit in 2008 and 2009, his cachet had appeared to have worn off since he made his mark on the WPT in 2005 and 2006.  He also ran into major financial troubles this year.  But then the 2010 WSOP came along and he exploded back onto the poker map.

“The Grinder” won the $50,000 Player’s Championship for over $1.5 million, placed fifth in the Main Event for more than $2.3 million, and along the way became one of the biggest rooting interests of the summer.  To top it off, his three brothers – Daniel, Robert, and Eric – all cashed in the Main Event.  Robert also placed fifth in the Player’s Championship and made two other final tables.

3) Partying Has its Limits – In February, PartyPoker suddenly placed a cap on the number of play money chips members could have in their accounts.  Overnight, players with millions of chips had their accounts reset to the 250,000-chip maximum.  Party cited the sale of play chips as the main reason for the decision as well as instances of players with overwhelming numbers of chips making enormous bets and disrupting games.  The reaction was one of almost unanimous outrage by play money customers, many of whom had taken great pride in building up their accounts over several years.

2) Peter Eastgate Takes a Break – Nowadays, we have come to expect WSOP champions to serve as faces of the game and continue playing live tournaments around the world.  Not so with the 2008 champ Peter Eastgate.  Eastgate, who just turned 25, announced this year that he was taking an indefinite break from live tournament poker.  So far, it appears that it has been a break from poker in general.  His WSOP win set him up financially, which was enough for him.  To top it off, he auctioned off his WSOP bracelet in November and donated the proceeds to charity.

1) Duke and Hellmuth Leave UB – Annie Duke leaving UB, to me, was easily the most surprising moment in poker this year… until Phil Hellmuth did the same a few hours later.  Two of the biggest names in poker, the faces of UB since it was founded in 2001, left their online home on the same day.  Through all of UB’s controversy over the last few years, Duke and Hellmuth stood by the poker room and took tons of heat within the online poker community.  For better or for worse, they seemed like they were going to be with UB for life.

Annie Duke Leaves UB.com

In breaking news, former “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke has parted ways with UB.com. A blog revealing that she had left the online poker site appeared around 1:30pm ET on Thursday. Duke had been with UB.com for nine years, including both the pre- and post-Chris Moneymaker era.

Duke told Poker News Daily, “After some thought, I made a decision to leave UB.com because I would like to explore other avenues of business and personal growth. I realized I needed to spend my time on other things.” Duke, the sister of Full Tilt Poker front man Howard Lederer, has over $1.1 million in career World Series of Poker (WSOP) earnings and scooped a bracelet in 2004 in a $2,000 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better tournament that featured Erik Seidel and Todd Brunson at the final table.

Also in 2004, Duke was the last person standing in the inaugural WSOP Tournament of Champions, an invite-only, winner-take-all tournament that featured 10 players. Duke banked $2 million for the win and received nearly instant poker fame. Her company at the Tournament of Champions table included Chip Reese, Main Event champ Greg Raymer, Doyle Brunson, Lederer, and former UB.com colleague Phil Hellmuth, who was the runner-up. This year, Duke bested Seidel in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which aired on NBC.

Duke wished the crew at UB.com nothing but the best going forward, telling Poker News Daily, “I wish them all the best and wish nothing but good things for the brand. I think that UB.com started some of my development as a businessperson. That was very much the most enjoyable part of it. I wanted to do more of that. I wanted to do much more of that than I had an opportunity to.” Among Duke’s other endeavors are MyMixedNuts.com – a custom trail mix outfit – and Ante Up for Africa, a charity that brings money and attention to the victims of the crisis in Darfur.

Duke explained to Poker News Daily that she does not plan to sign with another online poker site in the future.

Duke made a name for herself last year by competing in the hit NBC reality series “Celebrity Apprentice.” The Donald Trump-led show, which raises funds for various charities, saw Duke finish as the runner-up to comedian Joan Rivers, who at one point compared the former UB.com pro to a Nazi and called the poker playing community “trash.” Rivers and her daughter, Melissa, were both contestants on the series.

Duke was one of the main faces of UB.com, a site that now features players like former “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok and former “Amazing Race” contestants Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho as its primary pros. Duke and Hellmuth had served as the central figures of UB.com since the site’s inception nine years ago, long before anyone knew the name Moneymaker.

According to PokerScout.com, which logs online poker room traffic, the CEREUS Network, which includes UB.com and Absolute Poker, is the seventh largest worldwide, with a seven-day running average of 2,100 real money ring game players. At its peak, around 3,000 cash game players call the Network home. CEREUS is the third largest family of sites to accept action from the United States, trailing only PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker in that department. The Network was created in 2008 after the player bases of UB.com and Absolute Poker were merged.

We’ll have more for you on this story as it develops right here on Poker News Daily.

Atlantic City WSOP Circuit Regional Championship Final Table Set

It’s about to be a very merry Christmas for one of the nine players remaining in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Northeast Regional Championship, which is playing out in Atlantic City. A top prize of $358,000 is on the line and every player remaining is assured at least $32,000, or about three times the $10,000 buy-in.

Matt Waxman, who won the WSOP Circuit Championship in Atlantic City a few days ago for his first gold ring, was the Final Table Bubble Boy in the Regional Championship. Waxman check-raised all-in on a flop of J-3-4 and WSOP bracelet winner Chris Bell looked him up with pocket queens. Waxman tabled pocket nines and neither of his two outs hit on the turn or river. The recent gold ring winner picked up $26,000 for his three-day run.

Eleventh place went to fundraiser extraordinaire Beth Shak, who called all-in pre-flop with A-9 of diamonds and was up against the pocket jacks of former World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker final table member Todd Terry. Shak picked up wheel and flush draws on the turn, but the river was a blank and she was relegated to the rails. Shak, who was the runner-up in a $3,000 No Limit Hold’em event during the 2007 WSOP, banked $26,000 in Atlantic City.

PokerStars pro Victor Ramdin, who has also made charity a top priority in life, took 12th in the WSOP Circuit Regional Championship. Ramdin was all-in before the flop in a race with A-10 against Andy Frankenberger’s pocket eights. Frankenberger, who won this year’s WPT Legends of Poker for $750,000, watched as the five community cards missed Ramdin to all but solidify his final table appearance.

Brett Richey, who has become a household name to many poker players thanks to his North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Venetian Bounty Shootout final table appearance and deep runs in the 2008 and 2010 WSOP Main Events, departed in 13th place for $21,000. Richey committed his final chips on a board reading K-7-J-2-5 with three diamonds, but mucked when Jason Burt tabled Q-6 of diamonds for a flush.

Online poker pro Frank Calo and former WPT champ Eugene Katchalov round out the 15 in the money finishers in Atlantic City. Calo got his money in ahead, holding A-K against Chris “SLOPPYKLOD” Klodnicki’s A-5 of clubs, but watched in agony as a five hit on the flop. A running 2-Q solidified his fate and Calo headed to the cage to collect his $21,000 prize for 14th place.

Katchalov 3bet all-in before the flop with 10-8 of diamonds and ran into Michael Raskin’s A-J. Katchalov spiked a 10 on the flop to take a commanding lead in the hand, but an ace on the river gave Raskin the win in dramatic fashion. The top 15 players received a payday after the field numbered 136. By comparison, the first Circuit Regional Championship, which emanated from Chicago at the end of October, drew a field of 226 and offered a top prize of $525,000.

Here’s how the final table stacks up in the WSOP Circuit Regional Championship in Atlantic City. The action kicks off this afternoon and will be filmed for television:

1. Chris “SLOPPYKLOD” Klodnicki – 759,000
2. Chris Bell – 706,000
3. Micah Raskin – 594,000
4. Jason Burt – 579,000
5. Ketan Pandya – 377,000
6. Nick “agriffrod” Mitchell – 332,000
7. Todd Terry – 307,000
8. Andy Frankenberger – 230,000
9. Seth Fischer – 219,000

The blinds sit at 3,000-6,000 with an ante of 1,000. Here are the payouts up for grabs:

1st Place: $358,295
2nd Place: $221,452
3rd Place: $159,851
4th Place: $117,457
5th Place: $87,808
6th Place: $66,758
7th Place: $51,607
8th Place: $40,538
9th Place: $32,362

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for full results on Thursday.

Howard Lederer Busts on Poker After Dark: Charity in Mind

This week, players with a love for charity are being featured on the NBC series “Poker After Dark.” Dubbed “Charity in Mind,” the six-man sit and go’s opening session on Monday featured plenty of discussion centered on fundraising. The table was stacked with 10 World Series of Poker bracelets and each player was given 20,000 in chips.

Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer was the first casualty of the week. Jennifer Harman raised to 500 before the flop with A-4 of spades and Lederer 3bet to 1,800 with A-K, including the king of clubs. Former MIT Blackjack Team member Andy Bloch made it 5,600 with pocket kings and Harman got out of the way.

Lederer tanked before moving all-in and Bloch thought for about three minutes before making the call with cowboys. The table was surprised that it had taken Bloch that long to call with the premium pocket pair and the flop came 4-4-8 with two clubs, no help to Lederer. A third club on the turn gave “The Professor” a flush draw, but a red five on the river sealed his exit from the $20,000 buy-in sit and go.

Bloch continued to roll. After Harman raised before the flop to 850 with J-5 of clubs, Bloch came along with 7-6 and the flop and came 7-Q-9. Harman led out for 1,250 with air and Bloch called with a pair of sevens to see a deuce on the turn. Both players knocked the table and the river was a nine. Once again, the action went check-check and Bloch scooped the 4,200-chip pot. He was at 45,000, or more than double the starting stack.

Harman bleeding chips was a theme throughout Monday’s kickoff episode. She raised to 800 with pocket tens and Chris Ferguson made the call with pocket aces. The flop came A-2-4, giving Ferguson top set, and “Jesus” checked. Harman put in a continuation bet of 1,100 and Ferguson obliged. Both players checked a deuce on the turn and the river was a 10. Ferguson once again checked, Harman bet 2,600 with a boat, and Ferguson check-raised to a healthy 7,000 with a higher full house. Harman made the call, shipping the pot worth 17,950 to Ferguson in a cooler.

In the last major pot of the night, UB.com pro Annie Duke, whose main charitable work involves Ante Up for Africa, raised to 1,050 before the flop with A-3 and Ferguson made the call with A-Q. The action flop came A-A-7, giving both players trips, but Ferguson held the lead with a queen kicker. Ferguson checked, Duke bet 1,325, and Ferguson came over the top to 3,500. Duke called and the turn was a jack.

Ferguson led out for 6,000 when the hook hit and Duke came along to a three on the river, giving Duke a full house. Now behind in the hand after the three-outer, Ferguson bet 10,575 and Duke called all-in for her “Poker After Dark” tournament life. She raked in a pot worth over 42,000 and the credits rolled for the night. Also at the table, but quiet during Monday’s episode, was Phil Gordon.

“Charity in Mind” marks the final new “Poker After Dark” week of 2010. Catch one-hour episodes all this week at 2:05am ET on NBC. Leeann Tweeden serves as the host of the poker franchise, while Ali Nejad provides commentary.

In the new year, John Juanda, Erick Lindgren, Phil Galfond, Huck Seed, Tom Dwan, and Phil Ivey will participate in a week-long $100,000 sit and go starting on January 3rd. Check your local listings for more information.

Daniel Negreanu Prevails in PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge Finals

The finals of the PokerStars sponsored “Million Dollar Challenge” aired on Sunday afternoon on Fox and featured 21 year old mother of one Jessica Cupini taking on show front man Daniel Negreanu. At stake was a $1 million grand prize.

A four-man sit and go to play Negreanu heads-up was held featuring four previous “Million Dollar Challenge” contestants. Cupini, the first challenger to appear on Season 2 of “Million Dollar Challenge,” squared off against lovable Texan Johnny Whitt; Ray Reid, the son of a preacher; and Carmenlita Cothron, the season’s only $100,000 winner.

Cothron was the first player eliminated. The sign language interpreter crippled her stack after doubling Cupini up with 8-5 of hearts against 6-3 of diamonds on a board of 9-6-8-3 with two hearts. Cothron had a bundle of outs on the river, but a queen of diamonds hit to send her stack plummeting to one small blind. Reid eliminated her on the next hand shown with A-8 against 8-5.

Whitt hit the deck in third place after Cupini flopped a set of jacks on a board of 5-8-J. Whitt moved all-in by the river after pairing his ace, but Cupini had him beat with a set. Whitt, who promised to build a deluxe chicken coop if he won the $1 million grand prize, settled for a trip to the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. He sought comfort in the arms of his wife and son, who were in the audience.

On the final hand of the Challenge of Champions, Cupini once again flopped a set of jacks. This time, the board came A-J-3-A and Reid checked with A-8 for trips. Cupini shoved with pocket jacks for a boat and Reid called all-in for his tournament life after a few seconds of deliberation. Cupini earned $100,000 and received a chance to play Negreanu for seven-figures.

Negreanu played for Make-A-Wish foundation and would receive $100,000 for the global charity if he outlasted the challenger. Each player was stacked with 40,000 in chips and the price of poker kicked off at a hefty 500/1,000.

Two notable hands from the final match were shown. In the first, Negreanu bet 4,000 on a flop of 10-2-J with two diamonds holding A-7 of the suit for the nut flush draw. Cupini raised to 11,000 with 10-7 for middle pair and Negreanu moved all-in over the top. Cupini tanked before releasing her hand and Negreanu quickly gained a 2:1 lead in chips.

Then, Negreanu called pre-flop with 10-2 and Cupini knocked the table with K-4 of hearts. The flop came K-Q-J, giving Negreanu a straight draw and Cupini top pair. The challenger led out for 4,000 and “Kid Poker” obliged. The turn was an ace, filling Negreanu’s straight, and Cupini open-shoved all-in. Negreanu swiftly called and the final card was a three, giving the PokerStars pro the win in the Season 2 finale of “Million Dollar Challenge.”

All was not lost for Cupini, who walked away with $100,000 in cash plus a trip to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Cupini told Negreanu, her coach throughout much of the show, “I got to play the best poker player in the world twice” and the credits rolled. Negreanu also defeated Cupini in a $100,000 match in the season opener on September 19th.

PokerStars has not officially announced whether “Million Dollar Challenge” will return for a third season sometime in 2011. However, the show’s promotions page still appears on the PokerStars website. PokerStars is the world’s largest online poker site and happily accepts players from the United States.

Maria Ho to Host UB.com Charity Tournament Benefiting North Wales Library

We’re already into the second week of December and, as such, the online poker room UB.com is set to host its monthly Second Sundays charity tournament.  This month, the beneficiary of the fundraiser is the North Wales Library in Pennsylvania.

The tournament will begin at 2:45pm ET today and requires a $10 buy-in, with no additional fee going to the house.  The entire prize pool will be given to the North Wales Library, along with a 100% match by UB.com.

The top ten finishers in the tournament will receive a free entry into Sunday’s $200,000 Guaranteed, a $215 value.  The winner will also be awarded a Wireless Poker Controller.  Additionally, whoever knocks out tournament host Maria Ho, the newest member of Team UB.com, will win a $66 entry into that day’s $7,000 Guaranteed, which kicks off at 9:30pm ET.

Those who wish to donate, but are unable to participate in the tournament can do so via a player-to-player transfer to the account “CHARITIES.”  The first name “Charity” will be needed to complete the transfer.

The North Wales Library dates back all the way to 1927, when it was founded in the basement of the North Wales Elementary School.  As one might expect, the library outgrew the small space and that, combined with its administrators’ desire for additional facilities for activities, resulted in the purchase of a new building in 2008.  It took two years to renovate the building to suit the library’s needs and it re-opened at the beginning of this year.

Despite housing over 30,000 volumes and containing a space for community functions, there is a continual need for funds to support the facility.  It is more than just a local library today, serving many more people than just the North Wales locals.  In addition to North Wales, people come from Lansdale, Hatfield, Upper Gwynedd, as well as the Montgomery and Towamencin Townships to use the facilities and take advantage of its programs. North Wales is approximately 20 miles north of Philadelphia.

Ho, the last woman standing in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and a competitor on the CBS reality series ” Amazing Race,” was introduced as a member of Team UB.com last month.  She is particularly excited to be involved with this charity event:

“Second Sundays is truly a way for people to play a game that they love, all the while helping a great cause, and I am proud to be a part of such a philanthropic gesture on behalf of UB.com,” she said in a statement released this week. “Growing up, I frequented my local library and had my nose buried in books any chance I got, so helping to raise money for the North Wales Library is something very close to my heart. We should all be in support of improving the quality of learning and educational tools for Americans of all ages.”

As might be apparent from the name, “Second Sundays” tournaments are held on the second Sunday of each month on UB.com.  Players on Absolute Poker, UB.com’s sister site on the CEREUS Network, may also participate in the event.

Last month, Second Sundays was hosted by Team UB.com member Joe Sebok and raised $4,172.50 for the Justin Shronk Memorial Scholarship Fund.  Shronk was a beloved member of the poker media, having worked at PokerNews, Bluff, CardPlayer, and Sebok’s PokerRoad Radio.  Shronk passed away in April 2009.  To honor his life, the Fund was established at the Temple University School of Communications and Theater to provide scholarships to Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media students with financial needs.

Other organizations that have been beneficiaries of Second Sundays include the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.  To date, UB.com and Absolute Poker have raised over $32,000 for their causes.

December 19th – Weekly Update

Welcome back to the Poker News Daily Weekly update where we highlight the biggest stories in the world of poker. I’m your host, Sean Gibson, and let’s get to the news.

Well, It’s shaping up to be an interesting last few days of the current Congressional session for members of the online poker community. On Tuesday, Politico published an article revealing that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was attempting to add a bill legalizing online poker to the measure extending tax cuts.

Politico confirmed Reid’s desires with Senator Orrin Hatch. Senator Jon Kyl, one of the masterminds of the original UIGEA, would not allow the plan to come to fruition. Kyl told Politico,

“[There is] zero chance – no chance whatsoever that would be part of the tax deal. I don’t think it would be the right thing to do.”

We’ll keep you posted on this constantly changing story.

Nearly leading the tournament wire-to-wire, Antonio Esfandiari took down the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, a stop on the World Poker Tour. Esfandiari, a Victory Poker pro, banked eight hundred seventy thousand dollars for his efforts. The tournament can be seen as part of Season Nine of the WPT on Fox Sports Net next year.

Esfandiari edged out fellow Victory Poker pro Andrew Robl heads-up when “The Magician’s” King Jack held against Robl’s Queen Ten on the final hand. Here’s how the final group of six cashed out in the ten thousand dollar buy-in tournament:

1. Antonio Esfandiari – $870,124
2. Andrew “good2cu” Robl – $549,003
3. Vanessa Rousso – $358,964
4. John Racener – $232,271
5. Kirk Morrison – $168,924
6. Ted Lawson – $126,693

Earlier this week, PokerStars took the unexpected step of signing Isildur1. The Swede gained fame by multi-tabling against the world’s best players including Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and Tom Dwan. The signing is atypical for PokerStars, which usually aims to ink established pros who have had a ton of television face time. This time around, they’ve gone with a player without an identity who has yet to play on TV.

As part of his sponsorship deal, Isildur1 will be taking part in high-stakes heads-up SuperStar Showdown matches exclusively played at PokerStars. These matches are feature a format of twenty five hundred hands at stakes no lower than fifty, one hundred. The official word from PokerStars is that these SuperStar Showdown matches will be played either as No Limit Hold’em or Pot Limit Omaha.

Poker News Daily polled the online poker industry to see what reaction several pros had to Isildur1’s signing. CardRunners founder Taylor Caby had this to say:

“I’m definitely excited to see Isildur1 back in the spotlight. As a poker fan, I’ve enjoyed watching him play and I’ll be on the rail when he starts playing again.”

Jay Rosenkrantz, founder of DeucesCracked said:

“Seems like a good move for PokerStars, creating a bit of a distraction too amidst all these legislative happenings. Watching Isildur1 play nosebleeds was better entertainment than anything on television and if they can create that kind of spectacle again, I’m sure it will be a good thing for their business and for poker.”

Unleashed Poker is handing out presents to all of its players this holiday season. Players on the site will have the opportunity to earn numerous prizes as part of Unleashed Poker’s Christmas Giveaways. From now until December Twenty-First, players can pick up exclusive Unleashed Poker swag along with high-end electronics. For those partial to Apple products, iPod Shuffles, iPod Touches, and iPads will be given away.

Players on the virtual felts at Unleashed Poker will earn Frequent Player Points, which can be used for the Christmas Giveaway prizes. Unleashed Poker will give out one FPP for each dollar raked at the tables and every prize has an associated FPP level. Unleashed Poker makes its home on the USA-friendly Cake Poker Network.

Actress Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and former World Series of Poker Main Event champ Joe Cada will host the third annual All In For Cerebral Palsy celebrity charity poker tournament at the Venetian’s poker room on Saturday. Proceeds from the event will benefit the One Step Closer Foundation, a non-profit organization whose main goal is to ease the lives of those who suffer from cerebral palsy through financial freedom and social acceptance.

The No Limit Hold’em charity tournament will have a five hundred forty dollar buy-in with unlimited two hundred dollar rebuys for ninety minutes. Half of the prize pool will go for the tournament’s payouts, with the other half going to the foundation. There will also be sports and Hollywood memorabilia available through auctions and an after-party with free drinks courtesy of the One Step Closer Foundation. Players can register at the Venetian Poker Room cage until the end of the rebuy period.

Finally, Full Tilt Poker released a software update on Monday that addressed many of its customers’ requests. Among the new features to the software were an “Auto Add-On” button for rebuys and a “Quick Fold to Any Bet” option for Rush Poker players.

The “Auto Add-On” button was probably the most asked-for feature that Full Tilt’s software was missing up until this latest upgrade. After PokerStars inserted a clickable “Auto Add-On” box for its rebuy tournaments in June of last year, Full Tilt players requested the same. It took well over a year, but the site came through for its multi-tablers who were frustrated about forgetting to add on after the rebuy hour. Full Tilt happily accepts players from the United States.

Well, that does it for a very busy and exciting week in the world of poker. Be sure to stay tuned in to Poker News Daily for the absolute latest in poker news and be sure to follow us at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanking you for watching and wishing you a sick run this weekend at the tables!

Venetian to Host All In For CP Charity Poker Tournament

Actress Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Joe Cada will host the third annual All In For Cerebral Palsy celebrity charity poker tournament at the Venetian’s poker room on Saturday, December 11th. Proceeds from the event will benefit the One Step Closer Foundation, a non-profit organization whose main goal is to ease the lives of those who suffer from cerebral palsy through financial freedom and social acceptance.

The No Limit Hold’em charity tournament will be a $540 buy-in with unlimited $200 rebuys for 90 minutes. Half of the pool will go for the tournament’s payouts, with the other half going to the foundation. There will also be sports and Hollywood memorabilia available through auctions and an after-party with free drinks courtesy of the One Step Closer Foundation. Players can register online or at the Venetian Poker Room cage until the end of the rebuy period on December 11th.

Jacob Zalewski, who copes with cerebral palsy and serves as President and CEO of the One Step Closer Foundation, started the All In For Cerebral Palsy event in 2008. Zalewski is a huge poker fan can regularly be found at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the annual WSOP in Las Vegas. He has made friends with many of poker’s biggest stars throughout the years, many of which support his foundation by playing in the event.

“We hope to see a future where cerebral palsy is a thing of the past,” said Zalewski, who made a final table at the WSOP in 2005. “We know are getting one step closer to that vision every day.”

Mekhi Phifer, star of FOX’s “Lie to Me” and films such as “8 Mile” and “O,” bested 97 players last year to win the All In For Cerebral Palsy tournament. The event raised more than $80,000, as attendance doubled at the Hard Rock Casino from the previous year.

Phifer is expected to return to defend his title this year, along with fellow celebrities Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”), Sam Simon (creator of “The Simpsons”), Montel Williams (TV talk show host), Donnie Wahlberg (“Blue Bloods”), Gina Hecht (“Hung”), and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. Playboy playmates Lauren Anderson, Stacy Fuson, Alison Waite, and Brande Roderick have also committed to the event.

Poker pros that have given support to the cause and will likely play again this year include Dennis Phillips, Victor Ramdin, Scotty Nguyen, Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra, Freddy Deeb, Darvin Moon, Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Andy Block, David “Chino” Rheem, Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Robert Williamson III, and Jamie Gold.

Cerebral palsy refers to motor conditions that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination. Effects of the disorder don’t worsen over time, but they can’t be cured. However, treatment will often improve a child’s capabilities, allowing them to enjoy near-normal adult lives if their disabilities are properly managed.

For more information about the disorder and the “All In For Cerebral Palsy” tournament, visit AllInForCP.com.

Eskimo Clark’s 1999 Razz bracelet sells for $4,050 on eBay

The hubbub around Peter Eastgate’s six-figure auction for the charity UNICEF, fetching $147,500 for his 2008 Main Event winner’s bracelet, has taken the lustre off the Eskimo Clark Razz bracelet bid which closed on Wednesday with a winner paying $4,050 for the jewellery.

New Zealanders Break Poker Endurance Record

A little over a year ago, on one of the world’s largest stages, Paul Zimbler played poker for over 72 consecutive hours, getting his name into the Guinness Book of World Records. This June, Phil “The Unabomber” Laak played $10/$20 Hold’em at the Bellagio for an amazing 115 straight hours, streaming his insanity online for the world to see. Hopefully, his name was written in pencil, as there is now a new poker endurance record holder.

Make that two record holders.

At Noon on Saturday, Christie Teki-Reu and a man who goes by the nickname Chopper eclipsed Laak’s mark together at the Grand Hotel in Wanganui, New Zealand. For good measure, they played another two hours, just to make sure that their title was undisputed.

The world record run was put together by NZ Poker Tours, which organized a charity tournament in an effort to get at least two players across the finish line. The previous records, on the other hand, were achieved in cash games. The organization wanted to get 80 players registered for the tournament, but only eight players began the journey last Monday at 5:00pm. It was not expected, however, that more than two players would make it all the way to the end. It was a tournament, after all, which means that players could be eliminated. To keep people in the game, unlimited rebuys were allowed for a $20 donation and each stack contained a special chip to remind players when they were getting low. Blinds did not increase until the record was attained.

In addition to raising money for charity, it appeared that the idea of attempting to break the record in a tournament could keep morale high. The more people who were at the table, all working towards the same goal, the easier it would be for at least a couple of them to make it the full 115-plus hours.

In order to make the record attempt a bit more humane, a few concessions were made. Every player was allowed a five-minute break each hour. These breaks were not mandatory, so the minutes could be banked to create a larger break later. Food and drink were allowed at the table as long as they didn’t interfere with the game. Drinking alcohol in excess was not permitted, nor were stimulants and illegal drugs.

With only eight players in the tournament, they either had to avoid eliminations or continually rebuy to have a shot at the record. The first knockout came four-and-a-half hours into the marathon, while another player quit early the first morning.

According to Rhoda MacKenzie‘s recounting of the event, it was when Thursday rolled around that things got very difficult for the remaining competitors. MacKenzie, one of the Tournament Directors, said that she and her fellow staff required some of the players to take a break to try to regain their composure. The situation had gotten so bad that she had this to say about Wendy Coley‘s elimination after 75 hours: “Wendy stated later that she thought it was raining inside from the table to the roof! That’s what sleep deprivation will do.”

On Friday, one delirious player said, “I dont know what I’m doing here, and what game are we are playing? Poker? I don’t know how to play that!” He was examined by medics and required to withdraw from the tournament for the protection of his health.

Finally, at Noon on Saturday, the two surviving players, Teki-Reu and Chopper, crossed the 115-hour line together and continued to play for two more hours for good measure. On their final hand, they both folded, stood up, and stepped back from the table, officially ending the ordeal. Teki-Reu was named the official winner of the tournament by virtue of having more chips, but that was a secondary achievement to the world record.

To celebrate, Teki-Reu went home, slept from 3:00pm to 8:00pm, and slept again from 10:00pm until 8:00am. Read more.

Poker Community Reacts to Recent WSOP Bracelet Auctions

This year has featured something that many in the poker world would seemingly find unbelievable, the auctioning of World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets on sites like eBay.

In January, one of T.J. Cloutier’s bracelets was put up for sale by a Plano pawn shop and sold for $4,006 to the online site Cake Poker, which then returned the bracelet to Cloutier.

This week, the 2008 WSOP Main Event bracelet of the now retired Peter Eastgate was auctioned for UNICEF, fetching an astounding $147,500 from an anonymous bidder on Thanksgiving Day.

Currently ongoing is an auction on eBay for Paul “Eskimo” Clark’s 1999 WSOP bracelet, which he apparently had sold to a third party. At press time, bidding on Clark’s poker trophy had reached $3,850 with almost four days left to go in the auction.

With the recent wave of WSOP bracelet auctions, people might wonder if the phrase “it’s all about the bracelets” really means anything. “Just because we say it’s all about the bracelet doesn’t mean it’s about the physical bracelet,” three-time WSOP bracelet winner Barry Greenstein responded.

“It’s about winning,” Greenstein continued. “However, I am very aware of how many I have won. And I can’t remember how many finishes I’ve had that resulted in higher payouts than my wins. On the other hand, I know of several instances where people made deals to get extra money and let someone else win the bracelet. In every case I know of, the person who took the extra money regretted it later.”

Antonio Esfandiari, who won a WSOP bracelet in 2004, echoed Greenstein’s sentiments: “The bracelet means a lot. Mine is safely kept in my safe and I will never sell it – that’s for sure. However, each person has a different connection with their bracelet… To some people, it might be just a piece of jewelry and to others it might be the most valuable thing they own.”

Poker Stars pro Chad Brown, who has earned over $3 million in his career, believes that each individual places their own priority on how important a WSOP bracelet is. “(The importance of a bracelet) I feel is an individual thing and personal to each person. I would feel like I didn’t accomplish everything in my career if I didn’t win one. With that said, however, even if I had won a WSOP bracelet, it wouldn’t come close to me winning Player of the Year in 2006. For the rest of my life, I can say that in 2006, I performed better than any other player over a calendar year.”

WSOP Circuit champion Matt “All In At 420” Stout said, “I don’t believe that a few players who are broke enough or have little enough respect for the most coveted prize in poker reflect the way that most of the poker community feels about bracelets accurately. Bracelets are still extremely important to most tournament poker players and acquiring one is one of the life goals of many players, myself included.”

UB.com pro Joe Sebok took a similar viewpoint: “The talk isn’t meaningless, but we live in a society where cash is king. We have seen championship rings sold from time to time, so why not bracelets?” A multiple WSOP bracelet winner who asked to remain anonymous agreed: “If some former champions get in a bind – and I am not one of them – I can understand how tempting it might be to sell one.”

One organization that values its trophies is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which has awarded the top prize in movies, the Academy Award of Merit (otherwise known as the Oscars) since 1927. In 1950, AMPAS introduced a requirement to Oscar winners that, if they wished to sell the statuette they had won, it would first have to be offered back to AMPAS for the price of $1.

If the recipient of the award refuses to agree to this stipulation, then AMPAS keeps the Oscar statuette. In theory, this would prevent the most valued prize in the film industry from being sold on the open market.

When posed with the question of whether Caesars Entertainment, the owners of the WSOP brand, should do something along these lines with bracelets, those polled by Poker News Daily were evenly split. “I suppose it would make sense for Harrah’s to have a program in which they’d buy them back to avoid these public sales,” Stout stated. Sebok agreed: “Sure, why not? Seems like a reasonable thing for the WSOP to do. Protect the brand and the importance of the bracelet.”

Esfandiari, however, thought the idea of Harrah’s maintaining a “buy back” clause was absurd: “Of course not… That is ridiculous. You win your bracelet and you keep it. What you do with it is entirely up to you. You want to sell it, go ahead… It’s your prerogative.”

Nolan Dalla, the Media Director of the WSOP since 2002, agreed with Esfandiari, saying, “The players win the bracelets and they are free to do with them as they please. Out of the approximately 890 gold bracelets that have been awarded over 41 years, the overwhelming majority are cherished possessions.”

Eastgate’s selling of his 2008 Main Event bracelet for the charitable organization UNICEF was generally viewed as acceptable. “Peter Eastgate made a nice charitable gesture and his bracelet is going for a lot more than it would have been sold for if not for the charity,” our anonymous multiple bracelet winner stated.

Stout agreed somewhat: “I do commend Eastgate for donating all of the profits to charity. At least his decision to quit the game and show no respect for the bracelet is going to benefit some people in need.”

Then again, maybe the uproar over three bracelets appearing on an online auction site is much ado about nothing. Dalla succinctly explained, “What’s the total number of gold bracelets sold? Three? Maybe a few more than that? That’s less than 1% of all the WSOP gold bracelets that have been awarded in history. In other words, more than 99% of gold bracelets are in possession of the winners or their families. You ask, ‘Is all the talk about the bracelets meaningless?’ The real question you should be asking is, ‘Why are there not more people selling their gold bracelets?’ The reason is obvious: Because they are such coveted prizes to everyone who plays poker.”

Phil Hellmuth to Host Charity Poker Tournament Benefiting HospiceCare

Eleven-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will be lending his star power to benefit HospiceCare, Inc. when he hosts the Phil Hellmuth Hold’em with HospiceCare charity poker tournament in December.

The tournament will take place in Hellmuth’s hometown of Madison, Wisconsin in the penthouse of the Arbor Gate complex on December 18th from 3:00pm to Midnight. Hellmuth will be playing in the tournament and prizes will be raffled off during the evening to benefit HospiceCare, Inc. These include a seat in the 2011 WSOP Main Event and a two-year lease on a 2011 Honda Accord LX.

For those who want to participate in the festivities, there are several ticket options available. The $500 ticket will allow the buyer to enjoy the day fully, participate in the poker tournament, and have special access to a VIP room where Hellmuth and other celebrities will be mingling. A $300 ticket includes food, drinks, and a seat in the tournament.

Finally, a $100 ticket will allow people to get into the event, albeit not play in the tournament. All of the proceeds will benefit patients and families served by HospiceCare Inc., a nonprofit hospice caring for more than 630 patients a day in Wisconsin.

Over 500 players are expected for the tournament, with many of the competitors coming from all around the Midwest. If the players in the tournament are skilled enough to make the final table, there will be an additional treat waiting for them. The members of the final table of the tournament will have the privilege of having Hellmuth as one of their opponents and will face the arduous task of trying to take down the former World Champion.

Several sponsors have lined up to join Hellmuth at his charity tournament, including UB.com. Others companies that will be a part of the tournament’s festivities include Adams Outdoor Advertising, Bonfyre American Grille, Clear Channel Radio, Coors Light, McDonalds, Miller Lite, and Zimbrick Honda, which is putting up the Accord.

Despite his reputation in the game as the “Poker Brat,” Hellmuth is one of the most ardent supporters of using poker for charitable means. In the past, Hellmuth has been a supporter of several causes and used his poker celebrity status to bring attention to various organizations.

A cause that has been very important to Hellmuth is the law enforcement community. He has hosted several tournaments in Las Vegas that have benefited the TASER Foundation, an organization that helps the families of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Hellmuth has also been involved in charitable events for such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and Heifer International, a charity dedicated to relieving global hunger and poverty.

Peter Eastgate Auctions WSOP Main Event Bracelet for $147,500

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Poker News Daily. Before our readers could get their fill of turkey today, the industry learned that Peter Eastgate’s 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event bracelet, which had been up for auction on eBay, sold for $147,500 after 116 bids. The winning bid went to “7***l,” whose full identity has been preserved per eBay privacy rules.

The winning buyer had no previous history with eBay. Instead, they bid nine times on Eastgate’s bracelet, which nearly doubled in value in the final 24 hours of bidding. The victor has received no feedback and had no bid retractions throughout the course of the sale. The final bid came in at 5:38am PT today and the auction closed about a half hour later.

Eastgate put the heirloom up for auction to benefit UNICEF. Earlier this year, the 2008 WSOP Main Event champ abruptly retired from poker and instead sought refuge watching his home nation of Denmark battle it out in the World Cup. He did not appear at this year’s WSOP.

Earlier this morning, posters on TwoPlusTwo reported a bid of $150,017, which was retracted minutes before the auction came to an end. By the end of the fierce bidding war, one poster tipped his hat to the Danish PokerStars pro for his generosity: “Sold for $147.5K going to UNICEF. Peter Eastgate is one classy individual. My hats off to him.”

The starting price for the bracelet was $16,000 and, eight days after the auction began, the asking price soared into the six-figures. If you missed out on the bracelet, Eastgate is also selling a Corum watch that has a starting bid of $5,000. Like his other piece of hardware, all proceeds will go to charity.

Here is the full description of the watch as given on eBay’s website in case you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas present: “Corum timepiece specially made for the WSOP 2008 and engraved with Peter Eastgate’s name and final table starting chip stack (18,375,000). Swiss made water resistant with black leather strap. Stainless steel case with black Roman numeral. Black pattern designed face with hand painted green circle with a red diamond symbolizing the game of poker.”

The bidding on the watch will end on December 3rd. So far, there has been no action on the item.

According to eBay, $142,915.50 will be donated to UNICEF for Eastgate’s bracelet, while $4,587.50, or 3%, will be given to MissionFish, eBay’s nonprofit beneficiary. Text found on eBay’s website explains, “These deductions enable MissionFish to screen, train, and support nonprofits; process each donation; maintain technology; and handle administrative costs.” MissionFish is “dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations successfully raise funds online.”

Helena Brett wins Betfred Ladies’ Grand Final

Helena Brett has been crowned the queen of Betfred after winning the Betfred Ladies' Poker Tour Grand Final. The Staffordshire based charity chief won a ten-seater STT at the Western Club to scoop the title and more importantly the £20,000 sponsorship package.

Phil Hellmuth to host charity poker tournament for HospiceCare

Say what you will about Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth but he does his bit for charity. On December 18 Hellmuth will be hosting a full-day charity poker event in order to raise money for HospiceCare Inc. in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin.

Poker After Dark Season 7 Premieres January 3rd

Poker PROductions announced this week that its popular poker television program “Poker After Dark” has concluded the taping of its seventh season.  Filmed at the Aria Resort and Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas, the season premiere will air the week of January 3rd on NBC.

Season 7 will tie for the second longest season in the show’s history, spanning 13 weeks.  The fifth season, filmed in 2009, was the longest at 16 weeks, or 96 episodes.  The upcoming season will build on the popularity of cash games, all but phasing out the original six-handed sit and go competitions upon which “Poker After Dark” was built.

That said, the first week of the new season will feature a $100,000 buy-in sit and go dubbed “Big Heat.”  Competing for the winner-take-all prize pool will be popular high-stakes action seekers Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, John Juanda, Erick Lindgren, Phil Ivey, and Huck Seed.

The other two sit and gos will feature the traditional $20,000 buy-in and a richer $50,000 buy-in.  The $20,000 version will be called “Wish List,” with amateur Mike Dappen taking on Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Harman, Erica Schoenberg, and Chris Ferguson.  Dappen won the opportunity to play for the $300,000 first prize by winning the Howard and Suzie Lederer Charity Poker Tournament, which raised money for the Boys and Girls Clubs.

The $50,000 tournament, named “Idol,” will see Doyle Brunson go up against five young pros: Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger, Melanie “Callisto 5″ Weisner, and Dwan.

The rest of the competitions will be cash games, each of which will span two weeks.  Two will have a minimum buy-in of $100,000.  The first of these will include Brandon Adams, Matusow, Ferguson, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Jean-Robert Bellande, Peter Jetten, and Hellmuth.  Hellmuth will return for the second $100,000 cash game, along with Antonio Esfandiari, Obrestad, Andy Bloch, Seed, and Justin “Boosted J” Smith.

A $150,000 buy-in cash game will see Eli Elezra, David “Viffer” Peat, Phil Laak, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Olivier Busquet, and Lederer all try to take each other’s money, while Ivey, Dwan, Patrik Antonius, Peat, Elezra, and David Oppenheim will sit down for another cash game with at least $200,000 at stake per person.

While all of the above cash games will be No Limit Hold’em, there will be one $100,000 cash game that will feature Pot Limit Omaha as the game of choice.  Sitting down at this table will be Ivey, Galfond, Adams, Antonius, Dwan, Brian Hastings, and Jared “harrington25″ Bleznick.

With 10 of the 13 weeks consisting of cash games, Season 7 will be far and away the most cash game heavy of all of the “Poker After Dark” cycles.  It was not until Season 4 in 2008 that cash games were part of the lineup.  The show was exclusively six-handed sit and gos for its first three seasons, serving as a complement to GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” another Poker PROductions program that consisted of only cash games.

In Season 4, which was only seven weeks long, the first and seventh weeks were cash games, while the third was a special four-player “Heads-Up Challenge.”  Of the 16 weeks of Season 5, seven were cash games.  Six more weeks were cash games in the 13-week Season 6.

Poker PROductions also revealed this week that it has extended its deal with NBC Universal to produce “Poker After Dark” through 2014.  Aria will continue to serve as the host casino for the show’s filming through at least 2013.

Peter Eastgate’s WSOP Bracelet Passes $100,000

Hold the phone. Bidding on 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Peter Eastgate’s bracelet has crossed into six-figures. With just less than a day remaining before the witching hour strikes on the bidding, the asking price stands at a balmy $100,100. Buy it now.

This morning, the price of Eastgate’s bracelet ballooned from $82,000 all the way to over $100,000. The bidding could escalate considerably further from here and whoever strikes gold may receive their bracelet just in time for the holidays, as the estimated delivery date is between December 24th and January 6th.

On TwoPlusTwo, posters were trying to rationalize the astronomically high asking price for Eastgate’s heirloom. One poster recalled an Olympic swimmer who took the same approach as Eastgate, who is donating all proceeds to UNICEF: “In a similar move to Eastgate’s, back in 2005 swimmer Anthony Ervin auctioned off his Olympic gold medal for charity. Obviously his medal’s not as valuable as one from Michael Phelps or Marc Spitz, but it still brought $17K. Any true Olympic medal would bring a decent amount at auction. I think a WSOP ME bracelet, the most valuable piece of poker memorabilia ever on the market, would certainly fall into that category.”

Meanwhile, posters were guessing how much Eastgate’s bracelet would ultimately sell for. Estimates from $102,000 to nearly $150,000 were tossed out, which seem like strong possibilities now. One poster explained, “There have been only 41 WSOP ME bracelets won. 41 in the whole world. Yes, a lot of collectors would love to have this bracelet to put beside their other collectibles from baseball, boxing, tennis, golf, football, and auto racing… Good for you, Peter.”

Then there’s Tony G. The PartyPoker pro told the world that he was entering the frenzy for Eastgate’s bracelet in order to give his dog a shiny new collar. Interestingly, Tony G seemed to have predicted the going rate for a 2008 WSOP Main Event bracelet in a blog when bidding first opened: “Carry on bidding, this bracelet is going to go for six-figures. I respect Zasko too much to not pay what it takes, but I do have limits. For $2 million, I could buy him his own private jet!”

As to who could land the bracelet in the end, an online poker site like PokerStars or Full Tilt would make sense. Each could put the bracelet in their respective points stores or give it away through a tournament. When T.J. Cloutier‘s bracelet was put up on eBay in January, Cake Poker came away with the hardware and promptly returned it to its rightful owner. Word also broke this week that Eskimo Clark is selling his 1999 WSOP bracelet.

In case you’re still in the running, here’s the full description as given on eBay’s auction site: “Stamped 18 k, white gold ‘World Series of Poker 2008’ Main Event winner’s medal bracelet. Consisting of 291 small ‘Brilliant’ cut diamonds set on a center medal, which is held on an 18k white gold wristwatch style bracelet. Carat: Total Diamond. Weight: 2.81ct. Clarity: VS. Color: Colorless. Total gold weight: 168 grams. Manufactured by Corum.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the results.

Hellmuth to Hold Charity Event to Benefit HospiceCare

Phil Hellmuth is set to host a charity poker tournament in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin to benefit HospiceCare Inc.

Bidding for Peter Eastgate’s WSOP Main Event Bracelet Passes $50,000

Let the bidding war begin! At the time of writing, the auction price for the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event bracelet belonging to Peter Eastgate has passed the $50,000 mark after starting at $16,000. The bidding war on eBay escalated in part when PartyPoker pro Tony G entered the fray earlier this week.

Tony G commented in a blog entry posted on Friday, “Carry on bidding, this bracelet is going to go for six-figures. I respect Zasko too much to not pay what it takes, but I do have limits. For $2 million, I could buy him his own private jet!” Zasko is Tony G’s German Shepard, who stands to rock out a WSOP bracelet dog collar when the bidding wraps up on November 25th.

The flamboyant pro added, “I have had a number of comments about whether this demeans the value of a WSOP bracelet. You’ve got to have a laugh in life and this is what this is – a bit of fun for a good cause. And yes… I haven’t yet won a bracelet, but it is only a matter of time.” The proceeds from the auction for Eastgate’s Main Event bracelet will benefit UNICEF.

Several months ago, Eastgate, a PokerStars pro, took an indefinite leave of absence from the game, telling his followers that his goal in poker was to achieve financial independence, a mission he accomplished after defeating Ivan Demidov for $9.1 million two years ago. Eastgate was nowhere to be found at this year’s WSOP in Las Vegas and instead opted to watch the World Cup unfold from South Africa.

There have been 57 bids placed on the collectible, which has a current asking price of $54,300. A variety of eBay members have gone after on the item and a dozen bids were entered on Friday alone.

A brand new Q&A has been posted on the auction’s home page that gives a clear description of the bracelet’s makeup: “Stamped 18k, white gold ‘World Series of Poker 2008’ Main Event Winners’ medal bracelet. Consisting of 291 small ‘brilliant’ cut diamonds set on a center medal, which is held on an 18k white gold wristwatch style bracelet. Carat: Total Diamond weight 2.81ct. Clarity: VS Color: Colorless. Total gold weight: 168 grams. Manufactured by Corum.”

A total of 57 bracelets were dished out during the 2010 WSOP in Las Vegas. However, the Main Event has only run 41 times, pushing the value of one of its bracelets up dramatically. In a thread on TwoPlusTwo, one poster put the $54,000 bid in perspective: “‘Pawn Stars’ bought a Miami Heat championship ring for $9,000, and it wasn’t even a specific player’s ring; it was actually from one of the trainers. These types of things are highly collectible and people will often pay a lot to get them.”

Another poster noted that Eastgate’s charitable deed may ultimately lead to a tax write-off for the Dane: “Dunno about the tax law from his native country, but in the States, you get tax breaks for your charity donations. Clearly, he doesn’t care about or wear the bracelet. This auction might be a way for him to cut his giant tax bill while cleaning out his closet.”

Check out the eBay bidding page to buy Peter Eastgate’s bracelet.

Peter Eastgate’s Bracelet on eBay and NAPT Los Angeles from Poker in Twitter

While the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) stop at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles is winding down to its final table, it was announced yesterday that the final day of the tournament – as well as the Bounty Shootout – will be held at the Crystal Casino. All one needed to do was to peruse the world of poker through Twitter to learn the reason why.

In a Twitter discussion, noted poker journalists B.J. Nemeth and Kevin “Kevmath” Mathers detailed the reason for the move. Nemeth explained in a Tweet, “The Bike’s contract w/ the WPT doesn’t allow them to run any other televised poker tournaments.” Mathers replied, “Maybe that’s why it (the Bounty Shootout) wasn’t originally scheduled to be filmed for TV.”

As for the players at the Main Event of the NAPT, the final two tables are shaping up to be quite a battle. “2.15 million to end the night!,” Tweeted Jason Mercier on Monday evening. “2nd or 3rd in chips. 19 left. Avg is 1.1 mill.” Joining him for the festivities on Tuesday will be Matt Affleck, who chirped to his followers, “Bagged 447000 blinds going to 12/24000. 19 left. lot of work to do tomorrow.”

A player who won’t be heading on to action on Tuesday will be Victor Ramdin. The PokerStars sponsored pro Tweeted his demise:  “Very sick way to exit napt main event at the bike. A blind spec… flop aa10 check around… turn 8 I have a8 all in… I was drawing  almost dead… my op had a10.”

On Monday, 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Peter Eastgate decided to auction his bracelet. According to the auction on eBay, the WSOP Main Event bracelet is being sold to raise money for UNICEF, the worldwide charity benefiting children’s causes around the world. The buzz through the Twitterverse has been mixed, though.

“So sick that Peter Eastgate is selling his WSOP ME bracelet,” Rob Perelman Tweeted to his followers early Tuesday morning. “Quit poker, sure, but don’t sell the bracelet, man. LAME!” Canadian poker pro Terrence “Unassigned” Chan, however, took a difference approach, Tweeting, “Peter Eastgate to auction WSOP bracelet for UNICEF… This man just might be the most ego-free person to ever play poker.” The auction has been dividing for others in the poker world, including Eric Mizrachi (“That’s sick, wtf?”) and Ari Engel (“I think it’s awesome that former WSOP world Champion Peter Eastgate is selling his bracelet for UNICEF.”)

The NFL’s latest Monday Night Football game, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, drew attention from some of poker’s top names because of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick’s historic night. Pleased about his fantasy football team, Scott Huff Tweeted, “And that completes the greatest comeback in fantasy history.” Yuval Bronshtein Tweeted, “Best overall performance by a quarterback in NFL history tonight from Michael Vick? Pretty sure I just witnessed MNF history.”

Other sporting events also drew the attention of poker players. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns drew out Jean-Robert Bellande, who Tweeted, “Usher concert was cool but Lakers/Suns game w @Efropoker and Nacho was amazing. Wish the Lakers won.” Eric “EFro” Froehlich was a little more irritated by the Lakers’ loss, Tweeting to his followers, “First time I’ve ever gotten to see a ref attempt to fix a game live (whoever #63 is, 8 phantom calls). at staples courtesy of @BrokeLivingJRB.”

For the best Tweets of the past few days, we’ll start with Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul, who Tweeted on Sunday during NAPT Los Angeles, “Just called clock on John Phan for 1st time today, if he folds it prolly won’t be the last time I call it.” Linda Johnson showed her patriotism and Tweeted, “Worked my first volunteer shift at the USO Lounge at McCarren tonight. Met lots of awesome young military men. Heard ‘Yes mam’ a lot.”

There were thoughts on being a professional poker player from Jonathan Little, who Tweeted, “Every time I get the least bit sad, I take a look around and realize my life is the absolute nuts. Playing $5,000 bounty shootout tomorrow.” Alec Torelli, on the other hand, took a different look: “Being a poker player is so tilting because you forget what day it is and end up wasting hours going to appointments u don’t have.” Leave it to PartyPoker‘s Kara Scott, however, to see the conspiracy in life: “Is it weird that every time a massive corporation/government agency schedules a big announcement, I immediately think it’ll be aliens?”

Peter Eastgate Auctioning Off 2008 WSOP Main Event Bracelet

If you have ever wanted to own a piece of poker history, now is your chance.  This week, 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate put his gold bracelet up for auction on eBay.  But before you wonder if he is “busto,” it should be noted that the sale is an eBay Giving Works charitable listing and the proceeds from the auction will benefit the United States Fund for UNICEF.  Buy it now.

In a translated press release, the young Dane said, “Of course, I still have great pride in my title, but I will never use the bracelet.  I thought they (UNICEF) could better benefit from the bracelet.  Hopefully it will do a lot of people good.”

Swiss luxury watchmaker Corum manufactured Eastgate’s bracelet.  It is made from 168 grams of 18-karat white gold and set with 291 diamonds.  According to pokernyhederne.com, an independent jeweler valued the bracelet at £10,000, or $15,990.  As such, Eastgate set the minimum bid on eBay at $16,000.  As of the time of writing, there has been one bid placed on the collectable for the minimum and the next valid bid must be $16,100 or higher.  The current high bidder appears to be new to eBay, as he or she has no past bid history.  The auction will end at 9:04am ET on November 25th.

While the sale of a WSOP Main Event bracelet may come as a shock to most people, it is not completely out of character for the 2008 champ.  In July, Eastgate announced that he was taking an indefinite leave from live tournament poker.  In a statement, he said in part, “When I started playing poker for a living, it was never my goal to spend the rest of my life as a professional poker player. My goal was to become financially independent. I achieved that by winning the WSOP Main Event in 2008.”

He continued, “In the 20 months following my WSOP win, I feel that I have lost my motivation for playing high level poker along the way and I have decided that now is the time to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

Eastgate had originally planned to compete in the 2010 WSOP Main Event, but changed his mind, opting to attend the World Cup in South Africa instead.  He had already made the decision to not participate in any preliminary events, as he did not care about winning another bracelet.  He felt the only motivation to win more events was if he had side bets with other pros, but he opted against that because he is really only a Hold’em player, something that would put him at a disadvantage in any sort of bracelet competition.

The sale of a WSOP bracelet from any event is rare, but not unprecedented.  In January, T.J. Cloutier pawned his bracelet from the 2005 $5,000 Limit Hold’em event at the Plano Pawn Shop in Texas.  The store turned around and auctioned it off on eBay, with online poker room Cake Poker buying it for just over $4,000.  Cake Poker eventually returned the hardware to Cloutier.

UNICEF, the organization that will receive the proceeds from Eastgate’s auction, was formed in December 1946 by the United Nations to provide aid to children in war-torn China and Europe.  The organization now works to provide basic needs and protect the rights of children in developing countries around the world.  CharityNavigator.org rates it as a four-star charity, which is the highest mark the site offers.  According to the watchdog site, over 91% of UNICEF’s revenue goes to its aid programs.

Peter Eastgate auctioning his WSOP Bracelet on eBay

WSOP Main Event winner Peter Eastgate is auctioning his 2008 Bracelet on eBay. All possible income will go straight to help children via the charity UNICEF.

The starting bid for the Bracelet is $16,000 and there are no bids at the moment. So if you’ve always wanted a WSOP Championship Bracelet, place your bid HERE.

Eastgate has announced that he is quitting poker. He won a bit over 9 million dollars in 2008 from the Main Event victory.

Eastgate’s Bracelet is not the first one to be auctioned as T.J. Cloutier sold his own Bracelet this January.

T.J.’s Bracelet was bought by Cake Poke, but they returned the Bracelet to its owner later on. Cloutier didn’t raise money to charity, but kept the income by himself.

Source: Pokerista.net, Card Player

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Peter Eastgate auctioning his WSOP Bracelet on eBay

Spotted: Phil Hellmuth, sans UB patch – what gives?

Victory Poker CEO and WSOPE final tabler Dan Fleyshman had the poker world a little abuzz on Twitter with the revelation that Phil Hellmuth has not been seen with his Ultimate Bet sponsorship patches for a while. According to the Victory boss, Hellmuth has appeared at charity events and Poker After Dark without the sponsorship logos.

Daniel Negreanu Trumps Johnny Whitt on PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge

On Sunday flanking NFL coverage on FOX, a new episode of the PokerStars “Million Dollar Challenge” aired. The Chris Rose-hosted show has become one of the industry’s staple television series and last week, Johnny Whitt from Houston, Texas challenged a stable of PokerStars pros and celebrities. On the line was a $100,000 match against Daniel Negreanu and a shot at $1 million.

Whitt faced off against a half-dressed Sara Underwood in the first round. Negreanu sat beside Whitt throughout the match, which saw Underwood take an early lead after Whitt’s open-ended straight draw failed to come through. Underwood opened up a 2:1 chip advantage as a result, but could not hold up. The Victory Poker pro moved all-in with 10-8 on a board reading Q-8-5-6 for a pair of eights. However, Whitt had her dominated with Q-8 for top two pair and Underwood was drawing dead to the river. Whitt received a $5,000 trip to the Bahamas for the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

After getting through the former Playboy Playmate of the Year, Whitt squared off against PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein. This time, Negreanu moved to an isolation booth where he could communicate with Whitt through an earpiece. In turn, Greenstein could suspend all communication between the two by invoking the Dome of Silence twice during the match. Greenstein scooped two pots worth a combined 20,000 in chips early, leaving Whitt treading on thin ice.

Greenstein used his Dome of Silence twice pre-flop; both times he peeked down at 7-2 and gave Whitt a walk. Ultimately, the challenger was all-in pre-flop with 4-3 and up against the pocket sixes of Greenstein, but flopped the nuts when the first three cards came 5-2-A. The pot resulted in a 2:1 chip lead for the amateur and, in the match’s final hand, Whitt’s A-7 held against Greenstein’s Q-5 when the Texan made a flush on the turn. He picked up $25,000 to go along with the trip to the Bahamas.

Rose asked Whitt if he wanted to risk his $25,000 payday to face Negreanu heads-up for $100,000 and a chance at $1 million or take the money and run. Whitt’s family encouraged him to take the plunge and Whitt obliged, setting up a “Star Wars”-esque master versus apprentice showdown on the “Million Dollar Challenge.” After Whitt took the chip lead, Negreanu raised to 4,000 before the flop with A-10 and Whitt 3bet to 8,000 with Q-J. Negreanu called to set up the game-changing pot.

The flop came 4-5-8 with two clubs and Whitt open-shoved all-in. Negreanu, remarking that there were too many chips in the middle to fold, called all-in as a 70% favorite. Another club on the turn gave Whitt a flush draw, but a red nine on the river gave Negreanu a pot of 37,000, or 93% of the chips in play. Whitt, whose stack totaled less than one big blind, then staked his tournament life on 6-5, but could not draw out on Negreanu’s 8-5. “Kid Poker” scooped $10,000 for charity.

The PokerStars-backed “Million Dollar Challenge” will next hit airwaves on November 21st flanking NFL coverage on FOX. Then, on December 12th, one contestant will battle Negreanu for a $1 million top prize. Last season, 9/11 first responder Mike Kosowski earned the seven-figure jackpot after spiking a four-outer on the final hand. You can catch Season 1 of the “Million Dollar Challenge” on GSN.

PokerStars is holding qualifiers for the poker game show online until December 8th. Check out a brand new episode in two weeks on FOX.

Jonathan Duhamel Speaks Out on WSOP Main Event Win

Just minutes after Jonathan Duhamel took down the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Monday night, the Canadian shared his jubilation with the media, who crowded around him in the lobby of the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio. Poker News Daily was on-hand for the three-ring circus; you can view our WSOP press conference video.

Duhamel began the interview process by speaking in French to a Rogers Sportsnet reporter. Then, he reverted to English and told the press, “It means so much to me. It’s a dream come true for me. All my life, I’ve dreamed of it and to have the chance to be called the champion is amazing… I’m the happiest guy on Earth right now.” Duhamel banked nearly $9 million after besting John Racener heads-up.

The final table of the Main Event began on Saturday, when the November Nine converged at the Rio following a four-month break. Duhamel admitted, “It was a very tough table, so I knew if I made any mistakes, I was going to pay the price. I had good spots and won my flips, which you have to do to win tournaments. I played the best I could. I have to give credit to all of the other guys and especially to John Racener.” Each November Nine member earned at least $811,000, but there was an $8 million difference between ninth place and first.

Duhamel will now follow in the footsteps of players like Joe Cada, who last year appeared on mainstream shows like “The Late Show with David Letterman” and ESPN’s “SportsCenter” following his Main Event victory. Duhamel explained, “I’m going to do my best to try to be the best poker ambassador. It’s a dream come true for me, so I’ll do my best. I’m up for the challenge. I’ll do all of the biggest tournaments and will be back next year for the World Series. I’m going to play a lot of poker.” Duhamel became the first Canadian WSOP Main Event champ in history.

One reporter asked Duhamel about his poker-playing friends back in Quebec. Duhamel responded, “There are a lot of young poker players and especially a lot of young guns who play a lot online. They were all there to give me some tips when I needed them, cheered for me, and helped me a little bit. I have to give them a lot of credit for the victory I have.” Duhamel’s supporters wore bright red Montreal Canadiens hockey jerseys throughout the final table weekend.

What is a young gun to do with $8.9 million? Duhamel told the media that he had not yet decided because he has been busy preparing for November Nine play. He added, “Now that it’s over, I have no idea. Maybe I’ll travel a lot and go to a lot of countries whenever there are big tournaments.” Many PokerStars pros will now travel down Interstate 15 to Los Angeles, the site of the next North American Poker Tour (NAPT) stop. NAPT L.A.’s Main Event starts on Friday from the Bicycle Casino.

In the hours leading up to heads-up play, the media debated how many hands we would see. Would Duhamel call an all-in from Racener on the first hand or would Racener grind out his short stack for a double up? Duhamel revealed his strategy entering Monday’s finale: “I wanted to mix it up a little bit and not to be too obvious with my game, so I limped a little bit to try to confuse him. I was raising a lot also, but just tried to balance and do the best I could.” In the end, 40 hands were needed to determine a winner.

Duhamel plans to donate $100,000 to a charity benefiting children in his hometown of Montreal and will likely be spending more time at Canadiens games. The hand that propelled him to the top of the pack late was a double up with pocket queens at the expense of Joseph Cheong, who 6bet all-in pre-flop with A-7. “I wasn’t folding those queens, but I was unhappy he decided to play it,” Duhamel reminisced. “Because John Racener was a little short, my goal was to wait until he busted or doubled up, but Joseph Cheong wanted to play a lot of poker.” Cheong went out in third place.

Check out Poker News Daily’s 2010 WSOP Main Event coverage.

Jonathan Duhamel Main Event Champion Interview

Jonathan Duhamel won the WSOP Main Event and the $8.9 million prize to go along with the coveted bracelet. Our cameras were on Duhamel as he addressed the media about twenty minutes after winning the top poker tournament of the year against John Racener.

Duhamel became the first chip leader to go on to win the Main Event since the November Nine was instituted two years ago. Originally, Dennis Phillips was the chip leader and went on to finish in third place. Last year the chip leader was Darvin Moon, who went on to finish second. It seemed appropriate that Duhamel would be this year’s chip leader and go on to win to complete the trend.

During the press conference, Duhamel addressed many of the media questions. He talked about the experience of winning the main event and how much the event title would mean to his home country of Canada. He also mentioned that he would be giving $100,000 to a local children’s related charity in his home city of Montreal. When asked if he plans to represent the poker industry, he discussed at length how he will become an ambassador for the game and full embraces the role that typically goes along with being a Main Event champion, contrary to players like Jamie Gold and Jerry Yang.

Duhamel said that he was inspired before play began that evening by the Poker Hall of Fame ceremony, which saw the inductions of legends Dan Harrington and Erik Seidel. When asked if we might one day be seeing a Duhamel run to the Hall of Fame, Duhamel laughed but said that he was inspired and it was something he would be aiming to get one day in the future.

Now that all is said and done, Jonathan Duhamel now ranks as one of the highest money earners in the history of tournament poker.

Betfair to host charity tournament in aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust

Online poker players will get to show their charitable side in a special tournament in aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust at Betfair Poker on Monday 1st November.