Poker News

United Kingdom Poker Tax Laws Changing

Online gaming operators such as Ladbrokes and William Hill fled to Gibraltar last year in order to escape U.K. government gambling taxes and become more competitive with overseas operators. Now, it appears the relocation could be all for naught.

The U.K. government’s Department of Culture, Media, and Sport this week announced proposed reforms to the regulatory gambling structure that will likely force offshore operators currently licensed outside of the U.K. to apply for a license from the U.K. Gambling Commission if they want to provide services or advertise in the U.K. Until now, operators located in “white listed” offshore tax havens such as Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, and Malta were allowed to advertise in the U.K. while avoiding levies, but this situation will most definitely change with the enforcement of licenses from the Commission.

Other modifications include the enforcement of new regulations that would demand that all offshore operators have active systems through their applications that would share information about suspicious betting patterns with governing authorities in the U.K.

"Online gambling has changed significantly in recent years with many European countries taking new approaches to regulation," said Gerry Sutcliffe, U.K. Sports Minister. "It would be wrong of us to stand still where many things are changing around us – especially where the protection of British consumers is at stake."

Last year, Italy introduced gambling licenses for all online poker and bookmaking sites, setting business tax ranging from 2% to 5%. The Italian government has subsequently seen tax revenues rise across the industry.

Right2bet, a European consumer-led campaign behind the idea that it is a citizen’s right to choose, stated that it hopes the U.K. does not follow suit by blocking operators from the market or burden consumers with extra charges passed on from the high tax regime.

PokerStars Team Pro and The Guardian newspaper columnist Vicky Coren has also recently voiced her opposition to changing tax laws in U.K. card rooms, particularly the Victoria Casino in London. Coren hypothesized that the regular games at the casino will die due to “a stupid, greedy, ill-thought-out change to the tax rules.” The 2009 budget introduced a tax on poker games on top of the conventional hourly fee despite the fact that customers play against each other and not the house.

"This is the same government that wanted super-casinos and unlimited fruit-machine jackpots. So they want to encourage dangerous, mindless gambling but punish a game of skill? It's idiotic," Coren wrote. "All poker-lovers should resolve, next year, to write to their MPs and the chancellor about this punishing tax. It must be removed, for the survival of big casino poker rooms and the future of the live game in this country."

Amir Vahedi Dies After Diabetes Complications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tony G May Stake Isildur1

Poker pro Tony G may soon be funding the bankroll of Swedish online poker player Isildur1. The revelation, which appeared in a blog posted on TonyGPoker.com, comes at the same time as Isildur1 revealed that he may file a complaint concerning data mining on Full Tilt Poker.

Tony G explained in his blog that he had conversations with Isildur1 over the phone. In addition, he noted that the mystery Swedish player had only learned how to play Pot Limit Omaha eight months ago. The brash poker pro noted, “Anyway, it is likely I will stake him in some big cash games in the future, this is what I do after all. I like to give people a chance in life to do well.” Isildur1 stormed onto the high-stakes online poker scene on Full Tilt back in November, racking up as much as $5 million in earnings. However, he later crashed back down to Earth and currently stands with career losses of $2.6 million, according to PokerTableRatings.com.

Tony G had originally fingered Viktor “blom30” Blom as the man behind the Isildur1 moniker. However, to open December, Blom told Bluff Europe Magazine that he was not the man of the hour: “I am not the one you are looking for. Keep searching.” In a chat that appeared on Full Tilt at a high-stakes table, Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies addressed Isildur1 by name as “Viktor” and the statement went uncorrected. Perhaps due to stringent tax laws in Sweden, the real identity of Isildur1 may never be known. It remains a plot reminiscent of an episode of “Murder, She Wrote.”

The potential new backer of the Isildur1 empire gave his take on the poker world finding out the real identity of Isildur1: “I also have to say that earlier I was guessing and I will never reveal who he is from here on out. I think it’s more exciting for everyone, leaving the mystery as a mystery.” Guesses as to who Isildur1 is have ranged from Blom to Robert “Gulkines” Flink to Todd Brunson, even though the latter is American and a sponsored pro of the Cake Poker Network site DoylesRoom.

Isildur1’s career peek, according to PokerTableRatings.com, came on November 15th, when he racked up $5.03 million in earnings. Within a week, that number had been cut by 90% before a nearly $3 million losing day on December 8th sent his bankroll plummeting into the red. He told PokerNews.com that, despite the adversity on the virtual felts of Full Tilt Poker, he would make his triumphant return in 2010.

In mid-December, a $4.2 million win by Brian Hastings, a CardRunners instructor, at the expense of Isildur1 made waves after it was revealed that Hastings used hands compiled on the Swedish pro to his advantage. Fellow CardRunners pro Brian Townsend took the fall in the end and had his Red Pro status suspended for one month.

Hastings gave credit to Townsend for his performance, telling ESPN columnist Gary Wise in a December 14th interview, "Honestly, I give most of the credit to Brian Townsend here. I mean, Brian is honestly the hardest worker I know in poker. He analyzed a database of heads-up hands that Isildur1 had played and constructed ranges of what Isildur1 was doing in certain spots. In a way, I feel bad that it wasn't Brian who got this win instead of me.”

Tony G was the final table bubble boy in the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2009, earning $172,000 for his 10th place finish. His demeanor in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Grand Prix de Paris earned him a spot among the bad boys of poker.

Annie Duke Launches MyMixedNuts.com

Poker players looking for a last-minute present this Christmas season can check out MyMixedNuts.com, a custom, mail order trail mix company brought to life by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke.

MyMixedNuts.com allows customers – poker players and non-poker players alike – to choose from a wide variety of fresh ingredients to create the ultimate bag of trail mix. Ingredients available in the “Seeds and Nuts” section of the site’s store include almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pecans. In the “Dry Goods” department, poker players craving foodstuffs like apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cherries, coconut, cranberries, dates, figs, ginger, goji berries, mango, orange peel, papaya, pineapple, and raisins will go home happy.

When Poker News Daily visited the site, we went straight to the “Goodies” section, where we could add “healthy” items like chocolate covered fruit, chocolate chips, malt balls, jelly beans, licorice, pretzels, M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, and sesame seeds. Each trail mix ingredient varies in price and is measured by the ounce, ranging primarily between about $0.50 and $1.50. An easy-to-use front-end interface allows trail mix aficionados to create their ultimate concoction from the comfort of their couches.

A variety of pre-made mixes can be purchased for those who do not wish to create their own. “Annie’s Mix,” which includes raw cashews, raisins, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and banana chips, runs $12.99 for a 14-ounce bag, with $1 of every purchase going to Ante Up for Africa, a charity she founded along with actor Don Cheadle and Norman Epstein. Gummy fans can purchase a pre-made mix called “Gummy Delicious,” which contains sunny bears, dark chocolate chips, sour cherries, roasted and salted almonds, raw macadamia nuts, and golden raisins. This tasty treat will set you back $14.99. Sunny bears, by the way, are vegetarian and organic versions of the traditional junk food item.

Duke told Poker News Daily that when she used to purchase trail mix from the grocery store, she’d pick through it, tossing out components that did not sit well with her and leading to the idea to launch MyMixedNuts.com. Duke teamed up with “Apprentice” producer Ryan Simpkins and boyfriend Joe Reitman, with Simpkins’ mother handling the day-to-day operations of the site. Text found on MyMixedNuts.com explains, “You would understand that his mom must be supremely qualified to handle nutcases, so Annie and Joe were sold on the idea. Susan would handle each order with care and love.”

Free shipping is available for orders that surpass $40 and the site accepts PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. It became a reality in recent days and will seek to make its mark on the made-to-order food world. Poker players looking for a memorable Christmas gift, New Years’ treat, or Valentine’s Day present can even get their loved ones a Mix of the Month Club subscription or a copy of the latest Land of Fruit and Nuts newsletter.

Duke is a sponsored pro of UB.com, joining top-tier names like 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok, and 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year winner Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, who joined the site on Tuesday. UB.com happily accepts players from the United States and makes its home on the CEREUS Network along with its sister site, Absolute Poker.

Duke finished as the runner-up on “Celebrity Apprentice” to comedian Joan Rivers, who compared the poker pro to Hitler on several occasions. Nevertheless, Duke helped raise well over $700,000 for Refugees International and will now put her business acumen to good use with MyMixedNuts.com.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Poker News Daily.

Eric Baldwin (basebaldy) Signs with UB, Wins Player of the Year

On Tuesday, 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year winner Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin became a sponsored pro of the USA-friendly online poker site UB.com. He defeated Cornel Andrew Cimpan and Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko in the Player of the Year race.

In April, Baldwin came out on top of the field in a $2,500 No Limit Hold’em event held during the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza and earned $198,000. The colossal six-figure score set up a monumental run at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP). Baldwin won his first bracelet by besting Danish pro Jonas Klausen in a $1,500 buy-in Limit Hold’em event to the tune of $521,000. About a week later, he grabbed third in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em, boosting his bankroll by another $259,000.

After the 2009 WSOP, Baldwin’s quest to take down the CardPlayer Player of the Year title hit full stride. He told Poker News Daily, “"At the start of the year at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, my friends and I were talking about how much fun it would be to chase after that award. I like the structure of a competition like that. It’s so much fun to me. It gives me a goal and something to work with. At the end of the WSOP, I thought it could be my year." In October, Baldwin final tabled the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic for $126,000. This month, he padded his resume by winning a $1,000 buy-in preliminary event held during the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $256,000.

He was rewarded for his efforts with a contract from UB.com, where he’ll play under the moniker “eric_baldwin,” abandoning his “basebaldy” nickname for the time being. On the November re-launch of UB.com, Baldwin told Poker News Daily, “I thought everything looked slick. I like the new logo and everything runs smoothly. I like the new website and the new features with videos of the pros. We’re going to get into some strategy things on the site that will help people a lot. Everything looks slick, runs slick, and it’s exciting.” UB.com makes its home on the CEREUS Network along with Absolute Poker. Both online poker rooms are owned by Tokwiro Enterprises.

Baldwin is a former baseball player from Wisconsin and will appear on this week’s installment of the UB.com poker news show “Poker2Nite.” He joins a cast of characters at UB.com that already includes Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp, Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire, Brandon Cantu, PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok, Matt “mattg1983” Graham, Michael Binger, and “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle.

The site’s marquee poker tournament is the $200,000 Guaranteed, a $215 buy-in event that takes place every Sunday at 4:00pm ET. Over the weekend, JohnnyCashGame earned $45,000 for outlasting the 1,014-player field, defeating Bonezee heads-up. All was not lost for Bonezee, however, as the UB.com member received a $27,000 consolation prize. The top 99 players finished in the money and the tournament is also open to customers of Absolute Poker.

In a press release announcing Baldwin’s signing, Duke commented, "Eric Baldwin isn't just a new UB pro, he is UB. Eric loves this game more than anything in the world, he plays to win, and he's respected for his passion at the tables. We really couldn't be more ecstatic to have the Player of the Year on our team." Besides Baldwin, Cimpan, and Timoshenko, others in the top ten on the 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year leaderboard include Vitaly Lunkin, World Poker Tour Five Diamond Champion Daniel Alaei, Jason Mercier, and 2009 WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada.

According to CardPlayer, Baldwin earned nearly 7,000 Player of the Year Points in 2009 and piled up $1.5 million in earnings.

Poker2Nite Welcomes Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton

The UB.net sponsored poker news program “Poker2Nite,” which makes its home on Fox Sports Net, welcomed Mike Sexton this week. The World Poker Tour (WPT) host is also a member of the Poker Hall of Fame after being inducted one month ago.

“Poker2Nite” began with Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones interviewing players at the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas. Among those to appear on-camera was dual World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Jeff Madsen, who told Jones, “What it comes down to is the skill level of the players, the structure is good, and the Bellagio atmosphere is good to players in general.” Jones also spoke with Robert Mizrachi and 2009 WSOP November Nine member Kevin Schaffel. The $15,000 buy-in tournament crowns a champion on Saturday.

Next up was UB.net pro Phil Hellmuth presenting Phil’s Best Blow-Ups. There are a multitude of meltdowns to choose from, but Hellmuth recapped his explosion against Cristian Dragomir during the 2008 WSOP Main Event. Dragomir called Hellmuth’s raise pre-flop with 10-4, only to flop top pair. Hellmuth explained, “Of course, this joker gets rewarded for his donkey play and that just did not sit well with me.” His tirade against Dragomir featured lines such as “He’s the worst player in history and they’re cheering” and “To you, it’s poker. To me, this is my life.”

After recapping Sexton’s Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which took place during the dinner break of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, the bracelet winner joined the “Poker2Nite” crew. On being elected to the Poker Hall of Fame, Sexton told “Poker2Nite” hosts Joe Sebok and Scott Huff, “To me, it’s the ultimate career achievement award. To reach this level, it’s a pretty big honor.” Sexton was the only member of the Class of 2009 and, in order to be elected, had to receive 75% of the vote of a panel of media members and current Hall of Famers.

So-called “Sextonisms” have become a staple of modern poker lingo, but the WPT host noted that one of his favorites is, “You can only slide so far on barbed wire.” This author would have preferred “Bingo, bango, bongo,” but laughed nonetheless. Sexton also discussed PokerGives.org, which he founded along with Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Lisa Tenner. Sexton commented, “It’ll be a way the poker world can give back to worthwhile charities.”

A new segment called Coin Flipping aired, pitting Sebok and Huff against each other to see what option had a slight mathematical edge. First up was who was the better No Limit Hold’em cash game player, Phil Ivey or Patrik Antonius. Sebok remarked, “I’m going with Phil because he looks scarier.” Also discussed was whether winning the $50,000 HORSE Championship or WSOP Main Event was more prestigious, as was whether Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin or Cornel Andrew Cimpan should be the Player of the Year. On the latter, Sebok gave his two cents: “I don’t think this one is really that close” and chose Baldwin, who effectively has already taken down the CardPlayer Player of the Year title for 2009.

Dana Workman dished out the Bluff Magazine sponsored Weekly Misdeal segment, poking fun at WSOP Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon’s conspiracy theory about ESPN crews sharing information, champion Joe Cada taking to Capitol Hill in support of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), Montel Williams facing a lawsuit from the International Team Poker League, and Marcel Luske’s new album.

“Poker2Nite” airs on Wednesdays at 11:00pm in each market on Fox Sports Net. However, the show is often pre-empted for local sporting events, so viewers are advised to check their local listings for airtime and channel information.

Are Team Cardrunners Cheaters or Just Hard Workers?

Brian Hastings had played against Isildur1 only three times before he obliterated him, but he, Cole South and Brian Townsend conglomerated their hand histories, which gave them bigger sample of hands to study how the mystery Swede plays.

In an interview of ESPN.com, Hastings gives most of the credit to Townsend:

“We’ve done quite a bit of studying of his habits,” Hastings reflected. “Honestly, I give most of the credit to Brian Townsend here. I mean, Brian is honestly the hardest worker I know in poker. He analyzed a database of heads-up hands that Isildur1 had played and constructed ranges of what Isildur1 was doing in certain spots.

In a way, I feel bad that it wasn’t Brian who got this win instead of me. Obviously I’m happy and I’ll take it, but Brian did a ton of work. The three of us discussed a ton of hands and the reports that Brian made, so I’m very thankful to him and to Cole as well.”

Brian and Brian, cheaters or not?

The problem is that Full Tilt Poker has explicitly forbidden the use of shared hand histories. You can see it from this quote taken from the terms of Full Tilt Poker concerning programs that are prohibited at the site:

“Shared hand history databases and “data mining” software, including subscription services and the exchange of personal databases: The use of shared hand histories provides detailed information on opponents a player has little or no personal experience playing against, and is deemed to be an unfair advantage. Violating this policy is subject to the maximum penalties for prohibited software use.

Players are not permitted to use the hand histories for hands that they have not personally participated in. Software designed to collect hand history information from games that the player did not participate in is prohibited.”

Some might say “that rule concerns only programs that gather information”, but there is also another point at the site terms where using other players hand histories for your own use is prohibited:

Full Tilt Poker defines an unfair advantage as a user accessing or compiling information on other players beyond that which the user has personally observed through his or her own game play.

There might have been only one player playing against Isildur1, but still there was many players figuring out the moves Hastings made against him. Unfair? Maybe. Will Team Cardrunners walk away without punishment? Probably.

Even though Brian Townsend was suspended 6 months from Team Full Tilt last year after violating the rules, I doubt he or other Brian will be punished about this. After all there is a fine line between “having a conversation about other players between friends” and “sharing an information about other players between friends for getting an unfair advantage against other players”.

Still I somehow feel like Isildur1 got robbed by Cardrunners.

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Are Team Cardrunners Cheaters or Just Hard Workers?

Bernard Lee Recaps the 2009 WSOP Main Event Final Table

It was certainly a memorable World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table.  From Doyle Brunson announcing “Shuffle up and deal” to Joe Cada putting on the coveted bracelet, I was present in the Penn and Teller Theater to cover all of the festivities for ESPN Inside Deal.

Sadly, I could not play in the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Poker Finals Main Event at Foxwoods Resort and Casino.  The event has had significant personal meaning.  Not only did I have consecutive runs in the Main Event dating back to 2004, I also entered the 2009 World Poker Finals with three preliminary titles in the last three years ($5,000 in 2006, $2,000 in 2007, and $600 shootout in 2008).  I gave myself an opportunity to make it four in a row by making the final table of the $1,500 event, but I came up a little short, finishing in eighth place.  Oh well, I guess I will try to start another streak next year.

Nevertheless, the 2009 November Nine definitely had its share of memorable moments.  Right after the final table, I shared my thoughts with my radio show audience during my WSOP final table wrap-up, which lasted about three hours.  Guests included 2009 November Niners Darvin Moon, Steven Begleiter, and Kevin Schaffel, as well as recent Poker Hall of Fame inductee Mike Sexton, PokerNewsDaily.com’s own Dan Cypra, and Heartland Poker Tour announcer Fred Bevill.

The week after, I also produced an audio blog of the WSOP Main Event final table from start to finish.  Some of the interviews even included talks with players during the breaks to hear how they felt they were playing at the time.  If you would like to hear these shows or any past interviews with any member of the November Nine, you can download the podcast of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” via iTunes or visit RoundersRadio.com.

Of course, congratulations to Joe Cada.  A year after Peter Eastgate broke Phil Hellmuth’s 19 year-old record for youngest WSOP Main Event champion, the 21-year old online player from Shelby Township, Michigan rewrote history once again by winning the $8.5 million first prize and the 2009 WSOP Main Event bracelet.  Cada went on a media blitz after his victory that included a ringside seat at a WWE event, appearances on several ESPN shows, and topped off with an interview with David Letterman.  I hope he continues to be a true poker ambassador during his reign.  Congratulations once again to our new WSOP Main Event Champion, Joe Cada.

Looking back, here are some of my additional thoughts about the WSOP final table:

1) Slow Early Play:  Based on the prize structure, I was surprised at how slow the play was at the beginning.  With the money difference between ninth and eighth only being $37,000 and the next jump being only $104,000, many analysts expected the short stacks to push early.  With players needing to finish in fourth place or better to at least double their guaranteed $1.26 million, I was even amazed that it took 59 hands to eliminate our first player.  However, after James Akenhead (ninth) and Kevin Schaffel (eighth) were eliminated, it took over 100 hands to dismiss Ivey from the final table in seventh place.

2) Atmosphere:  Unable to attend the inaugural November Nine last year, I previously heard all of the stories about the crowd excitement and noise.  This year, I got to experience it first-hand and it definitely did not disappoint.  Inside the Rio’s Penn and Teller Theater, the packed house was truly deafening and involved from hand one.

3) The Best Fans:  Many of the players brought their own cheering sections:

a. Schaffel: His fans wore white shirts that read “Schaffel up and Deal”
b. Moon: His family and friends had cut out faces of Darvin and shirts that read “Bad Moon Rising”
c. Saout: His cheering section wore France’s home team colors and chanted like soccer (or football as they say in Europe) fans
d. Ivey: The entire audience was cheering for him

However, the best fans were, without a question, Joe Cada’s gang.  Although there was a fight among their group, the majority of Cada’s group never let their guy down.  They cheered with every hand, sometimes even when he lost a hand.  One time, his group reacted so loudly that I was confused, thinking that he might have actually won the hand.  They really kept his spirits up and never let him give up.

4) Worst Bad Beat:  This year’s final table may be known as the Year of the Bad Beat.  Amazingly, every player eliminated from eighth place to third had the lead pre-flop and lost.  Here are a couple of the worst ones:

a. Schaffel versus Buchman:  Schaffel’s Ah-Ac got cracked by Buchman’s Kh-Kc when Buchman flopped a king and turned quads to eliminate Schaffel in eighth place.

b. Ivey versus Moon:  Pre-flop Ivey (Ac-Ks) had Moon (Ad-Qs) dominated, but Moon flopped a Qd.  Ivey could not catch up and was eliminated in seventh place, deflating his fans and the room in general.

However, the worst beat had to be when Cada shoved all-in versus Antoine Saout on the very first hand of three-handed play.  Saout’s Qs-Qh was poised to eliminate Cada’s 2s-2c; however, a 9s-7s-2d flop destroyed Saout’s hopes of the WSOP Main Event title.

5) Emerging Poker Star: Besides Cada, the one player that surprised many people was Antoine Saout.  An unknown player before the 2009 WSOP, this online qualifier final tabled the WSOP Europe Main Event final table prior to the November Nine.  Then, the second short stack ended up finishing in third place and could have been playing heads-up versus Moon.  Had Cada not flopped a set (see #4 above), the Frenchman would have brought a 110:70 million chip lead to the mono-a-mono battle.

For a limited time only (until December 25th), all PokerNewsDaily.com readers are invited to a special pre-holiday sale.  Click Here to receive a 20% discount for ordering my books, The Final Table, Volume I and II.  Both books make perfect holiday gifts for all poker fans.

Finally, in the coming weeks, “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” will interview two champions: 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event champion Barry Shulman and the Godfather of Poker himself, two-time WSOP Main Event champion Doyle Brunson.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

Since finishing 13th in the 2005 WSOP Main Event, Bernard Lee has cashed in numerous tournaments, capturing three titles and earning over $1.35 million.  He is the host of ESPN’s poker show, ESPN Inside Deal.  He is a columnist for the Boston Herald and ESPN.com and the radio host of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show.”  Listen every Tuesday night from 7:00pm ET to 8:00pm ET on 1510 AM in Massachusetts and also on 1510thezone.com and RoundersRadio.com.  The show is replayed several times during the week and also available on podcast. Visit BernardLeePoker.com for the latest news regarding Lee.

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.

WSOP Main Event Festivities in Full Swing

If you think the conclusion World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is just about the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament, you couldn’t be further from the truth. A variety of side events and a cavalcade of media will make this weekend one for the ages.

On Saturday at 10:00am, credentialed media can begin accessing the behemoth facility that is the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas. Media will be seated on stage, in the first row of the auditorium, and in a press box overlooking the festivities. Players will be nearly on top of the audience as part of a revamped stage layout and only a handful of poker fans will likely be let in due to an overwhelming number of supporters brought by each player.

Harrah’s officials placed the $15.8 million up for grabs into a money market account back in July. It has since accrued $1,321 in interest, which will be divided among the top finishers based on their original payday. Ninth place will see no change to their payout, while the first place bounty of $8.5 million will be boosted by $607 in interest. Players who have busted out of the Main Event will be herded to a special interview area 10 minutes following their exit. Play kicks off at Noon PT on Saturday.

During the dinner break of the Main Event, World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame as the lone representative of the Class of 2009. Sexton’s induction ceremony takes place in the Brasilia Ballroom in a $150 per plate affair sponsored by JAQK Cellars. Sexton was one of nine players up for nomination and received 75% of the vote of a panel of media members and living Hall of Fame players.

Sexton told ESPN “Inside Deal” hosts Laura Lane and Bernard Lee about his plans for the induction speech: “I’m getting my thoughts together now on what I’m going to say. Certainly, I’m going to acknowledge the other nominees and thank people who have been very important to me in my poker career and life as well.”

Play is expected to last between 12 and 24 hours on Saturday and will continue well into the night until two remain. On Sunday, a meatball eating contest featuring some of the world’s top professional eaters will take place at Cafe Martarano’s at the Rio. Among those vying for the title will be Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 WSOP bracelets. Hellmuth will square off against the likes of Joey Chestnut, who has won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest three years running.

At 3:00pm PT on Sunday, DoylesRoom is announcing the fifth member of its Brunson 10. The stable of young online poker pros hand-picked by site namesake Doyle Brunson already includes Chris “moorman1” Moorman, Amit “amak316” Makhija, Alec “traheho” Torelli, and Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark. The festivities are being held in conjunction with the release of Brunson’s autobiography, “The Godfather of Poker.” Brunson will be on-hand distributing signed copies of his book for those in attendance at the Blush Nightclub at the Wynn. Members of the media were distributed invitations to the exclusive event this week.

Also taking place on Sunday is Vince Neil’s Fifth Annual Off The Strip Poker Tournament. The event, run by Matt Savage and organized by the Mötley Crüe front man, emanates from Buzio’s at the Rio at 7:00pm. The gala boasts a $550 buy-in and a $50,000 prize pool will be up for grabs. Proceeds benefit the Skylar Neil Foundation, named in honor of Neil’s daughter, who died of cancer 14 years ago. Las Vegas comedian Vinny Favorito, All-In Magazine owner Casey Thompson, and Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande are just a few players confirmed for the event.

Monday at 10:00pm PT will see the two survivors of the Main Event play down to a champion. The tournament’s conclusion will air on Tuesday at 9:00pm ET on ESPN. Poker News Daily will be on site in Las Vegas for the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Check back for complete coverage from Sin City.

WSOP Main Event Festivities in Full Swing

If you think the conclusion World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is just about the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament, you couldn’t be further from the truth. A variety of side events and a cavalcade of media will make this weekend one for the ages.

On Saturday at 10:00am, credentialed media can begin accessing the behemoth facility that is the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas. Media will be seated on stage, in the first row of the auditorium, and in a press box overlooking the festivities. Players will be nearly on top of the audience as part of a revamped stage layout and only a handful of poker fans will likely be let in due to an overwhelming number of supporters brought by each player.

Harrah’s officials placed the $15.8 million up for grabs into a money market account back in July. It has since accrued $1,321 in interest, which will be divided among the top finishers based on their original payday. Ninth place will see no change to their payout, while the first place bounty of $8.5 million will be boosted by $607 in interest. Players who have busted out of the Main Event will be herded to a special interview area 10 minutes following their exit. Play kicks off at Noon PT on Saturday.

During the dinner break of the Main Event, World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame as the lone representative of the Class of 2009. Sexton’s induction ceremony takes place in the Brasilia Ballroom in a $150 per plate affair sponsored by JAQK Cellars. Sexton was one of nine players up for nomination and received 75% of the vote of a panel of media members and living Hall of Fame players.

Sexton told ESPN “Inside Deal” hosts Laura Lane and Bernard Lee about his plans for the induction speech: “I’m getting my thoughts together now on what I’m going to say. Certainly, I’m going to acknowledge the other nominees and thank people who have been very important to me in my poker career and life as well.”

Play is expected to last between 12 and 24 hours on Saturday and will continue well into the night until two remain. On Sunday, a meatball eating contest featuring some of the world’s top professional eaters will take place at Cafe Martarano’s at the Rio. Among those vying for the title will be Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 WSOP bracelets. Hellmuth will square off against the likes of Joey Chestnut, who has won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest three years running.

At 3:00pm PT on Sunday, DoylesRoom is announcing the fifth member of its Brunson 10. The stable of young online poker pros hand-picked by site namesake Doyle Brunson already includes Chris “moorman1” Moorman, Amit “amak316” Makhija, Alec “traheho” Torelli, and Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark. The festivities are being held in conjunction with the release of Brunson’s autobiography, “The Godfather of Poker.” Brunson will be on-hand distributing signed copies of his book for those in attendance at the Blush Nightclub at the Wynn. Members of the media were distributed invitations to the exclusive event this week.

Also taking place on Sunday is Vince Neil’s Fifth Annual Off The Strip Poker Tournament. The event, run by Matt Savage and organized by the Mötley Crüe front man, emanates from Buzio’s at the Rio at 7:00pm. The gala boasts a $550 buy-in and a $50,000 prize pool will be up for grabs. Proceeds benefit the Skylar Neil Foundation, named in honor of Neil’s daughter, who died of cancer 14 years ago. Las Vegas comedian Vinny Favorito, All-In Magazine owner Casey Thompson, and Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande are just a few players confirmed for the event.

Monday at 10:00pm PT will see the two survivors of the Main Event play down to a champion. The tournament’s conclusion will air on Tuesday at 9:00pm ET on ESPN. Poker News Daily will be on site in Las Vegas for the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Check back for complete coverage from Sin City.

WSOP Main Event Festivities in Full Swing

If you think the conclusion World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is just about the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament, you couldn’t be further from the truth. A variety of side events and a cavalcade of media will make this weekend one for the ages.

On Saturday at 10:00am, credentialed media can begin accessing the behemoth facility that is the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio in Las Vegas. Media will be seated on stage, in the first row of the auditorium, and in a press box overlooking the festivities. Players will be nearly on top of the audience as part of a revamped stage layout and only a handful of poker fans will likely be let in due to an overwhelming number of supporters brought by each player.

Harrah’s officials placed the $15.8 million up for grabs into a money market account back in July. It has since accrued $1,321 in interest, which will be divided among the top finishers based on their original payday. Ninth place will see no change to their payout, while the first place bounty of $8.5 million will be boosted by $607 in interest. Players who have busted out of the Main Event will be herded to a special interview area 10 minutes following their exit. Play kicks off at Noon PT on Saturday.

During the dinner break of the Main Event, World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame as the lone representative of the Class of 2009. Sexton’s induction ceremony takes place in the Brasilia Ballroom in a $150 per plate affair sponsored by JAQK Cellars. Sexton was one of nine players up for nomination and received 75% of the vote of a panel of media members and living Hall of Fame players.

Sexton told ESPN “Inside Deal” hosts Laura Lane and Bernard Lee about his plans for the induction speech: “I’m getting my thoughts together now on what I’m going to say. Certainly, I’m going to acknowledge the other nominees and thank people who have been very important to me in my poker career and life as well.”

Play is expected to last between 12 and 24 hours on Saturday and will continue well into the night until two remain. On Sunday, a meatball eating contest featuring some of the world’s top professional eaters will take place at Cafe Martarano’s at the Rio. Among those vying for the title will be Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 WSOP bracelets. Hellmuth will square off against the likes of Joey Chestnut, who has won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest three years running.

At 3:00pm PT on Sunday, DoylesRoom is announcing the fifth member of its Brunson 10. The stable of young online poker pros hand-picked by site namesake Doyle Brunson already includes Chris “moorman1” Moorman, Amit “amak316” Makhija, Alec “traheho” Torelli, and Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark. The festivities are being held in conjunction with the release of Brunson’s autobiography, “The Godfather of Poker.” Brunson will be on-hand distributing signed copies of his book for those in attendance at the Blush Nightclub at the Wynn. Members of the media were distributed invitations to the exclusive event this week.

Also taking place on Sunday is Vince Neil’s Fifth Annual Off The Strip Poker Tournament. The event, run by Matt Savage and organized by the Mötley Crüe front man, emanates from Buzio’s at the Rio at 7:00pm. The gala boasts a $550 buy-in and a $50,000 prize pool will be up for grabs. Proceeds benefit the Skylar Neil Foundation, named in honor of Neil’s daughter, who died of cancer 14 years ago. Las Vegas comedian Vinny Favorito, All-In Magazine owner Casey Thompson, and Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande are just a few players confirmed for the event.

Monday at 10:00pm PT will see the two survivors of the Main Event play down to a champion. The tournament’s conclusion will air on Tuesday at 9:00pm ET on ESPN. Poker News Daily will be on site in Las Vegas for the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Check back for complete coverage from Sin City.

ESPN Inside Deal Welcomes Joe Cada

This week’s installment of the ESPN.com poker franchise “Inside Deal” featured 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Joe Cada. Laura Lane and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee host the show.

The news segment of ESPN “Inside Deal” began with Lee praising World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton for his election to the Poker Hall of Fame: “I think it’s tremendously well-deserved. Mike has had a phenomenal career. A lot of people think of him from the WPT, but remember, he is a very well-accomplished player.” Sexton is the lone representative of the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009. Others who were up for consideration included Tom McEvoy, Dan Harrington, Daniel Negranu, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Barry Greenstein, Scotty Nguyen, and Men “The Master” Nguyen.

Attention then turned to the letter authored by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner petitioning for the delay of the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by one year to December 1st, 2010. Lee explained what would happen if the current deadline stood: “The impact would be devastating. We’re fearful that the banks will err on the side of caution and ultimately block payments that the online sites would give.”

Making headlines this week was the news that the GSN staple “High Stakes Poker” had dropped host A.J. Benza for Season 6, allegedly replacing him with a female correspondent. Lee explained, “I’m a little surprised. For five years, A.J. and Gabe Kaplan have seemed to have a good rapport, so I’m surprised they’re making this switch.” Poker News Daily broke the news that Vanessa Rousso, the presumed frontrunner for the job, would not be Benza’s replacement. Other possible fill-ins include former WPT hostess Shana Hiatt, Kara Scott, Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones, and Shannon Elizabeth.

Cada, who could become the youngest Main Event winner ever if he takes down the feature tournament next month, then joined the show. He noted how his life has changed as a result of the increased exposure as a member of the November Nine: “I’ve been playing poker my whole life, so the only thing that’s changed for me is the media.” Cada is primarily a cash game player, only hitting up the tournament scene online on Sundays. He purchased a 2,400 square foot house at age 19 as a gift to himself and is a sponsored pro of PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room.

Heading into the 2009 WSOP, Cada found himself on a $150,000 downswing. He sought the aid of two longtime cornerstones of the poker industry, Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy and Eric “sheets” Haber. Cada recalled, “I was lucky enough to have them back me and I’m very grateful for that. I knew I could win before I came in.” Josephy, a former Ultimate Bet pro, and Sheets will receive 50% of Cada’s earnings. The top prize in Las Vegas is $8.5 million.

ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman joined the show to discuss a series of dream teams. News broke last week that Dream Team Poker would return with tournaments at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles coinciding with Monday Night Football. Feldman’s “Dream Team Young Guns” consisted of Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, and 2008 WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate. “Dream Team Lady Luck” was comprised of Shannon Elizabeth, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, and Jones. Finally, Feldman unveiled “Dream Team Old Guard:” Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Mike Matusow. Cada added that his ultimate Dream Team would be Ivey, Patrick Antonius, and Dwan.

Finally, Cada revealed that on Day 8 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, his stack had dropped to 20% of the average before he clawed back. He knocked out between 10 and 15 players en route to the final table and, upon heading to Connecticut to film ESPN “Inside Deal,” dropped some dough at the Foxwoods blackjack tables.

“Inside Deal” is released every Tuesday on ESPN.com.

Mike Sexton Elected to Poker Hall of Fame

The 38th person elected into the Poker Hall of Fame is none other than PartyPoker Ambassador and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton. He will be enshrined as part of ceremonies to be held on November 7th.

2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Poker Hall of Fame. This year, nine finalists were up for nomination to the Hall, with a panel of 15 living Hall of Fame members and 15 media representatives (including this author) determining the fate of the 2009 class. Sexton was the only one that I felt was a shoe-in for election, as 75% of the 30-member vote was required in order to capture one of poker’s most prestigious accolades. A press release distributed by World Series of Poker (WSOP) officials properly labeled Sexton “a true gentleman who has constantly enhanced the game of poker both with his play at the tables and his promotion of the game off of it.”

Ballots were due on October 2nd, with each person able to vote for up to three candidates for the 2009 class. This author selected Sexton, Tom McEvoy, and Dan Harrington, the three elder statesmen on the 2009 ballot. Other nominees included November Nine member Phil Ivey, “The Robin Hood of Poker” Barry Greenstein, “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” lead man Daniel Negreanu, Men “The Master” Nguyen, WSOP Main Event and HORSE Championship winner Scotty Nguyen, and eight-time bracelet holder Erik Seidel.

The list of Poker Hall of Fame members reads like a roll call of poker legends: Doyle Brunson (inducted in 1988), Johnny Chan (2002), Phil Hellmuth (2007), Stu Ungar (2001), Chip Reese (1991), and Barbara Enright (2007), just to name a few. Now, Sexton’s name will be added to this illustrious list. In a press release distributed by PartyPoker, Sexton commented, “I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and it is particularly special because for the first time it was a process that involved the fans, the media, and the living members of the Hall of Fame. To me, the most meaningful aspect of this process was the acceptance by the living Hall of Famers, who welcomed me into their exclusive club.”

One of Sexton’s most impressive feats was taking down the 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions, which saw the new Poker Hall of Fame member best a final table that included Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, Andy Black, and Chris Ferguson. Sexton earned $1 million for the victory and, according to WSOP officials, donated half of his prize money to charity. His lone WSOP bracelet came in 1989, when the World Poker Tour (WPT) host outlasted a field of 174 players to win a $1,500 buy-in Limit Seven Card Stud High-Low event. He has reached the final table in 20 of the 47 WSOP events he’s entered, a 43% success rate.

Sexton is the voice that many in the industry “grew up to” following the poker boom in 2003 and was instrumental in bringing the WPT to life. Sexton sat, and continues to sit, alongside Vince Van Patten on WPT broadcasts, popularizing the notion that Texas Hold’em takes “a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.” He represents one of the few constants in an industry constantly in flux and had the backing of a bevy of influential industry veterans in his push for the Poker Hall of Fame, including Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Steve Lipscomb, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, Padraig Parkinson, Matt Savage, Roland de Wolfe, and an army of public relations staffers at PartyPoker.

To me, one of the most defining acts for Sexton was when he took on a lead role to campaign on behalf of players shut out of the 2009 WSOP Main Event after Day 1D had reached capacity. Sexton joined forces with “Captain” Tom Franklin to present WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack options to accommodate players. Sexton, curiously, had little to gain from taking an active role in the situation, as he had already played on Day 1A and survived with an average chip stack. The situation manifested Sexton’s stature within the industry and is one of the many reasons we will look forward to welcoming him into the Poker Hall of Fame in November.

PlayersOnly Opens its Doors to the World

At a time in the online gaming industry when internet casinos and online poker rooms are shutting their doors to American players, one site has gone the opposite route and started to accept players from around the world.

It was announced recently that PlayersOnly, which in the past had only offered its wares to online poker players in the United States and Canada, would start to accept customers from the remainder of the world. PlayersOnly, part of the Cake Poker Network, apparently found that limiting itself to just the action from North America kept the site from achieving its full potential. With the change to accepting players from the rest of the world, PlayersOnly should be able to improve its market share.

PlayersOnly has been in existence since 2006, or just about the time that the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in the United States. Its move at the time to accept only USA players probably enabled it to garner a great deal of traffic, as players, unable to access sites such as PartyPoker or 888, looked for new places to deposit. It was also a pleasant surprise for many that PlayersOnly accepted credit card transfers, which were virtually shut down after the UIGEA’s signing.

As part of the Cake Poker Network, PlayersOnly offers several of the standard games that you will find online. For No Limit cash games, Texas Hold’em and Omaha High-Low are the two disciplines that can be played. For those who have a penchant for taking to Limit tables, a full slate is featured with Texas Hold’em, Omaha (both High and High-Low), and Seven Card (both Stud and High-Low). When it comes to Pot Limit games, Texas Hold’em and Omaha (both High and High-Low) once again step to the forefront.

Tournaments are plentiful on PlayersOnly.com as, with its association with the Cake Poker Network, there are sizeable paydays at stake. In a previous article on Poker News Daily, changes that multi-table tournaments on the Network will undergo over the next six months were laid out. These changes, according to Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and Cake Poker Room Manager Lee Jones, will encompass more freezeout tournaments and fewer rebuys and also feature better scheduling. Check out the recap of Cake Poker Network tournament changes.

Of the top ten online poker sites or networks in the industry, there are only four that accept action from the United States. The two at the top, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, have long been among the leaders in the industry and those that are arranged behind them will have sizeable problems trying to knock them from that perch. The third place slot belongs to the iPoker Network, which features Titan Poker, Chili Poker, and Mansion Poker, among others. The fourth place site or network worldwide is the former industry leader, PartyPoker.  Both do not accept American players.

The CEREUS Network, the third network that accepts all players, encompasses Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker and has been battling to regain its past momentum after the Russ Hamilton-led scandal and ownership change. The CEREUS Network, according to PokerScout.com, is the ranked sixth in the industry in terms of the number of real money ring game players. The Cake Poker Network, with over 40 rooms, currently sits in tenth place with a 24-hour peak of around 2,700 cash players (versus the 45,173 players in the same 24-hour period for PokerStars).

Ultimate Bet Continues Charity Drives in Aruba and Canada

As the final table of their Aruba Poker Classic plays out today, Ultimate Bet is once again showing its commitment not only to quality poker tournaments, but also to charity through a tournament in Aruba and an upcoming event in Canada.

After Day Three of the Aruba Poker Classic finished for the night on Thursday, players were offered the opportunity to play in a special charity event. The $100 Rebuy No Limit Hold’em tournament was held to benefit a local charity, the Children’s Home Imeldahof. All of the $100 rebuys were donated directly to the Children’s Home Imeldahof and Ultimate Bet matched the money made from the rebuys dollar-for-dollar.

In many ways, it was an opportunity for Ultimate Bet and the poker world to give something back to the community that has hosted one of the top tournament destinations for so many years. “We are proud to support such a worthy cause for local kids in Aruba,” said Annie Duke, the Card Room Consultant for Ultimate Bet and a guest columnist on Poker News Daily. “The donations will directly assist Imeldahof and provide an environment in which their children can relax, have fun, and be safe.”

The Children’s Home Imeldahof offers shelter for 52 children who are unable to remain in their own homes due to mental, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect, and alcohol or drug abuse by their parents. The home provides more than just physical shelter; it also emphasizes emotional well-being.

While the festivities were continuing in Aruba, Ultimate Bet announced that it would continue its charitable efforts with another poker tournament north of the border in Canada. From November 14th to 18th at the historical Windsor Station in the center of Downtown Montreal, Ultimate Bet and the Starlight Children’s Foundation will play host to one of the country’s largest charity poker tournaments ever, the inaugural Ultimate Bet Starlight Poker Challenge.

The tournament, which will be a four day event, will be a tremendous battle, as 1,000 poker players will step to the felts to vie for the largest prize pool awarded in a charity event held in Canada. After the four days of play, the final ten players will earn the right to head to Las Vegas to play out the final table. While the trip to Vegas might be enough for some, the major prize at stake is $100,000.

For those who have difficulties at the tables, Ultimate Bet will be sending its big guns to help with training. Ultimate Bet ambassadors Duke and Phil Hellmuth will offer seminars on how to improve their games and, once the teaching is over, will step up and play in the tournament themselves. With these events, Ultimate Bet continues to demonstrate its commitment to charitable causes and the power of poker to raise awareness and funds for deserving organizations.

Cake Poker Announces New Tournament Schedule, Mobile Option Improvements

One of the top online poker sites in the industry, Cake Poker, has announced that it is making changes in two critical areas of its product.

On Monday, Cake Poker announced the start of a new multi-table tournament schedule. These changes, which will be implemented incrementally, were a direct result of analysis of some of Cake’s competitors’ tournament lineups as well as consultation by Lee Jones (the Card Room Manager of Cake Poker) and noted online players Serge “adanthar” Ravitch and Eric “rizen” Lynch.

“We found the most popular $50 tournament on the Internet and parked our $50 tournament right behind it,” noted Jones, who also is a Guest Columnist for Poker News Daily and detailed some of the changes in a recent article. “Now, our players can play at Cake along with our competitor’s event.” The changes to the multi-table tournaments will be rolled out through the early parts of 2010 and will eventually include a longer late registration period and reduction in the number of rebuy and add-on tournaments. “We are putting much more emphasis on freezeout tournaments rather than on rebuys and add-ons. We believe this is better for most players and they seem to prefer it,” said Jones.

In addition to the ongoing changes in the Cake multi-table tournament lineup, the site is also looking to make changes to its mobile offering. As one of the few online poker rooms that offer the ability to play on your cell phone, Cake Poker is constantly trying to improve the performance of its mobile offering. The changes that have been made make the Cake Poker Mobile a viable option for online poker players who don’t have the ability to get to their computers.

Some of the new features that the Cake Poker Mobile option offers are in the lobby, where the percentage of players seeing the flop has been added. As to the play at the tables, users now have the ability to play with a four-color deck and take advantage of an in-game rebuy option. Future changes to the Cake Poker Mobile option will include Blackberry and Symbian compatibility, a top-down view of the table, and tournament options.

The recent changes have also cured some of the problems that the Cake Poker Mobile option had. Disconnections from the site have been reduced and are handled better than in the past and, if a player is sitting out, the ability to observe the play at the table has been enabled. With these improvements on not only the mobile option, but also on the web site, Cake Poker is looking to offer something for everyone.

ESPN’s Andrew Feldman Reviews Poker Hall of Fame Candidates

On Friday, ballots were due for the 2009 Poker Hall of Fame class. A total of nine players were considered for enshrinement and among those voting alongside this author was ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman, who shared his thoughts on each nominee.

Barry Greenstein owns three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and has established himself as one of the game’s top all-around players. He’s also been actively involved off the felts, raising money for charity with regularity. On Greenstein, Feldman noted, “Barry’s pros are being one of the top cash game payers in the world and having a tournament resume to back it up. On top of that, he does a lot for charity and has been a great ambassador for the poker world.” Whether Greenstein’s accolades are enough to land him in the Poker Hall of Fame in the November 7th ceremonies remains to be seen.

“Action” Dan Harrington quite literally wrote the book on poker. Without Harrington, one wonders whether any of us would be where we are today. Feldman commented, “Without Dan Harrington, the newest crop of poker players would be sitting in the dark. There have been books written by a multitude of authors, but no one could do what Harrington did by creating a poker bible and putting theories into easy-to-understand terms.” Harrington took down the WSOP Main Event in 1995.

Two of the game’s younger players, November Nine member Phil Ivey and Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, have sparked a considerable amount of controversy as to whether they have “stood the test of time,” one factor required for Hall of Fame enshrinement. Feldman remarked, “I believe age is a factor, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Ivey and Negreanu have unbelievable poker resumes and they’re both some of the best players in the game right now, but they need to play out a full career.” Ivey’s first WSOP cash came in 2000, while Negreanu’s was in 1998.

Scotty Nguyen is one of the most recognizable names in the world of poker and took down the $50,000 buy-in HORSE event during the 2008 WSOP. However, he was allegedly inebriated during its final table, telling off competitors and Rio officials on national television. Feldman noted, “Scotty has perhaps the best accomplishment ever by winning the Main Event and $50,000 HORSE Championship. At times he can be disrespectful, but with a player like Scotty who has a great resume, does one misstep offset his entire career?”

Another controversial nominee is Men “The Master” Nguyen. He boasts 65 in the money finishes in WSOP events, good for the second most all-time, and owns six bracelets. Feldman explained what may keep Nguyen out of the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009: “Being second in career cashes all-time means he’s stood the test of time. He’s also certainly played for high-stakes. Whether the industry respects him will determine his fate this time around.”

Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel is also a candidate for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009. Seidel owns eight WSOP bracelets, good for fifth all-time, and owns more than $4 million in earnings from World Series felts alone. Feldman painted a picture of Seidel’s image: “He, single-handedly by being in ‘Rounders,’ has changed the industry. The problem is that you go from bracelets to ‘Rounders’ and a lot of people don’t give him the respect he deserves.” “Rounders,” which starred Edward Norton and Matt Damon, was released in 1998 and turned many on to the world of high-stakes No Limit Texas Hold’em.

Tom McEvoy is fresh off taking down the WSOP Champions Invitational, a tournament that aired on ESPN. Twenty former Main Event winners competed and, at the end of the day, McEvoy reclaimed the poker spotlight. Feldman explained, “McEvoy has changed the game in great ways and has been involved for the last 30 years. He’s authored some great books and has a great resume. For him, along with Dan Harrington and Erik Seidel, they need to get the full respect of the poker community.” McEvoy has received the backing of PokerStars for his Poker Hall of Fame run.

The final candidate for the 2009 Poker Hall of Fame class is World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton. A former bracelet winner and PartyPoker pro, Sexton is one of the game’s top ambassadors and a Guest Columnist on Poker News Daily. Feldman remarked, “Mike Sexton has done everything above and beyond throughout his career. While many would believe he is the ultimate face of poker, they also have to understand that he’s done more on the felt as well. While Sexton is a shoe-in, stranger things have happened.” Sexton led the charge for a group of 500 players shut out of the WSOP Main Event on Day 1D despite having played on Day 1A.

The Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will take place on November 7th during the WSOP Main Event final table. You can catch Feldman on ESPN.com’s “Inside Deal,” which is released every Tuesday.

Poker News in Brief: Sept. 21-27

But despite the focus on London there was even more going in the poker world with Jamie Gold having more legal troubles and Yevgeniy Timoshenko taking down yet another major tournament by winning the WCOOP Main Event.

Of course there's always even more going on behind the scenes that doesn't necessarily make it to the front page of PokerListings.com. Fortunately, as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature we've collected a list of those stories below.

This week we'll take a look at the death of a Las Vegas legend, Phil Hellmuth taking a shot at the WSOP, PokerStars potentially adding an online division to their team and poker in politics.

Wyden pulls online gaming amendment

It didn't take long for Senator Ron Wyden to change his mind about a possible amendment that would have seen legalized online gambling revenues go towards healthcare reform in the U.S.

Barely one week after proposing the amendment, Wyden opted to pull it from the table deciding he didn't want to add another controversial issue to the healthcare debate.

Wyden's bill had already gained support from Rep. Jim McDermott, Rep. Barney Frank and Internet gambling advocacy groups like the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative.

Las Vegas Icon Bob Stupak dies at 67

Bob Stupak, builder of the Stratosphere and a WSOP bracelet winner, died at Desert Springs Hospital on Thursday after a long battle with leukemia.

Stupak was one of the earliest visionaries in Las Vegas and was also responsible for creating Las Vegas world in 1974.

"Bob Stupak was a true visionary and he will be sorely missed," said a statement from the Stratosphere.

Puggy Pearson taught Stupak to play poker and in 1989, Stupak won a WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven event. Stupak also made the final table of the 2003 WPT's L.A. Poker Classic and put in an appearance on the GSN series High Stakes Poker.

Phil Hellmuth takes shot at WSOP

Phil Hellmuth is arguably the WSOP's most successful player with 11 bracelets, but the UltimateBet pro is hinting he might not play the series if Harrah's opens its own online poker room.

In an appearance on the Hardcore Poker Show, Hellmuth mentioned he thought there was a potential battle brewing between Harrah's and established online rooms like UltimateBet, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

Hellmuth went on to say that if Harrah's decided to restrict competing poker room logos from its competitions there was a possibility that all the players from the major sites would form their own WSOP-style event.

PokerStars adding Online Pro division?

It appears that PokerStars will be adding a primarily online section of its Team Pro roster.

The employee that runs the official PokerStars twitter account tweeted the following Friday:

"Team PokerStars Online Pro is a new branch of our team who'll be playing mainly online not live. Anyone will be able to apply in due course."

Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu re-Tweeted the message.

PokerStars already has some very respectable online players with Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Jason "treysfull21" Mercier and Hevad "RaiNKhaN" Khan all in the Team PokerStars Pro fold.

Bobb Barr speaks out on Internet Gambling

Former House Representative Bob Barr is the latest public figure to comment on the state of online gambling in his Atlanta Journal-Constitution column - the Barr Code.

Barr mentioned that the potentially revenue generated from legalizing, regulating and taxing online poker was becoming harder for the government to ignore.

Barr went on to say it was very likely that Barney Frank's pro-online gambling bill would go before a hearing this fall.

Earlier this year, conservative columnist George Will wrote in his Washington Post column that he supported the legalization of online poker.

Harrah's extends contract with IMG Sports & Entertainment

Harrah's Interactive Entertainment and IMG Sports & Entertainment announced a four-year contract extension for global representation of the WSOP property this week.

According to the agreement, IMG will continue to use its international network to help establish the brand in areas beyond Las Vegas and London.

"We are looking to emphasize the 'World' in World Series of Poker as our vision of the brand extends beyond the annual events in Las Vegas and London," said Mitch Garber, CEO of Harrah's Interactive Entertainment.

"By tapping the global reach and expertise of IMG, we are confident that together we can take the brand to new levels on the international stage through new international bracelet events and other WSOP licensed poker events."

IMG has worked with the WSOP since 2005 and helped attract corporate sponsors like Jack Link's, Hershey's and Planters.

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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.

Olivier Busquet Leads WPT Borgata Poker Open Entering Day 3

A total of 167 players remain in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Borgata Poker Open. However, many of the tournament’s big names, including Gavin Smith and 2007 Borgata Poker Open Champion Roy Winston, were sent packing.

The story of the day was Jason “TheMasterJ33″ Dewitt, who was also in the final day of play of the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) and, according to WPT coverage, “took an extended two-level break before dinner and returned to a still-healthy stack that was well above average.” Dewitt was the chip leader late in the day at the Atlantic City Casino and ended play with the 15th largest tally at 357,500.

Dewitt told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman after play had concluded for the evening, “I basically had to build a big stack or bust. I got my big stack, so I could afford to sit out and miss my two hours of blinds. I came back and got the chip lead, although I did lose it at the end. I guess I can’t be too sad about it.” Dewitt battled in the WCOOP Main Event during the two hour period. WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy “atimos” Timoshenko ultimately took down the high-stakes online poker tournament and earned $1.7 million.

Many of poker’s greats were in London for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities. However, among those remaining in the United States for the Borgata Poker Open were Smith and Winston. The former tangoed with Bill Gazes late yesterday, losing his final hand with pocket aces against pocket sixes when a six hit the flop. The hand boosted Gazes to 140,000 in chips and he ended with 298,000, good for 26th place overall. Gazes has made a pair of WPT final tables during his career, including a fourth place effort during the Season II L.A. Poker Classic and a third place showing in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals during Season IV. All told, the poker pro has $1.2 million in career WPT earnings.

Earlier in the day, Ultimate Bet’s Michael Binger boosted his chip stack to 308,000 by flopping a set of deuces. Binger called his opponent’s all-in with A-J on a board of A-9-2-Q, securing the win in the hand. Binger’s stack dwindled from that point and he finished the day with 74,000 chips, good for 146th. Binger has never registered better than 10th place in a WPT event. His claim to fame is taking third in the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event for $4.1 million in a tournament ultimately won by Jamie Gold.

Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee was sent packing on Monday. The host of ESPN.com’s “Inside Deal” also had aces cracked for his tournament life, this time by pocket fives. Lee’s opponent flopped a five and, despite picking up a flush draw on the turn, he was ousted from the WPT Borgata Poker Open. Also hitting the skids yesterday were Theo Tran and 2002 WSOP Main Event Champion Robert Varkonyi. Here’s a look at the Top 10 survivors who will take to the felts today for Day 3:

1. Olivier Busquet - 524,600
2. Tony Moussa - 488,300
3. Danny Illingworth - 480,600
4. Ofir Mor - 452,800
5. Mike Summers - 450,500
6. Bartholomew Mikulski - 441,100
7. Mike Leah - 431,600
8. Barry Tremebetzky - 412,000
9. Allen Bari - 401,500
10. Ben Lin - 385,700

Other notable names remaining in the WPT Borgata Poker Open include:

15. Jason Dewitt – 357,500
26. Bill Gazes – 298,000
36. Kathy Liebert – 260,700
38. Gabriel Aminov – 258,700
50. Jonathan Little – 229,800
58. Steve Brecher – 220,300
72. David Chicotsky – 187,800
75. Chris Reslock – 179,400
146. Michael Binger – 74,000

Gabriel Aminov Leads WPT Borgata Poker Open

A total of 1,018 runners turned out for the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Borgata Poker Open. Now, 555 players remain, led by New York’s Gabriel Aminov. The winner of the $3,500 buy-in tournament will pocket $925,000.

Two starting days played out over the weekend at the Borgata Poker Open, the largest WPT tournament ever held. The top 100 players will take home money from the East Coast event, with the six best convening for the televised final table, which will air as part of Season VIII of the WPT on Fox Sports Net. Among those still in contention is Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and ESPN.com “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee, who will come armed to Day 2 play on Monday with 15,700 chips, good for 524th overall. Lee won a race late in the day holding pocket eights against A-10 when the board ran out 7-7-2-2-3.

On the atmosphere at the Borgata, Lee told Poker News Daily, “This feels just like the old days. We used to get 600, 700, or 800 people all of the time. It feels like it’s during the boom of the WPT. It just shows you the interest people have and that the Borgata runs a first-class operation.” Among those who hit the rails during play on Sunday on Day 1B were Will “The Thrill” Failla, who ran kings into aces, and Matt “All In At 420” Stout, who came out on the short end of a race holding A-K against Roy Winston’s pocket tens.

Many of the game’s top pros are not in Atlantic City for the Borgata Poker Open. Instead, they made the trek to London, site of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe. Lee, however, noted that the running of the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) may have also cut into attendance: “There was also the WCOOP Main Event going on yesterday and a lot of people had to make the decision to play in one or the other. Some people didn’t come here because it was a smaller buy-in event and the WCOOP Main Event will have a $10 million guarantee.” First place in the PokerStars tournament will pay $1.7 million, nearly double the grand prize at the Borgata.

Here’s how the field stacks up at the Borgata Poker Open entering Day 2:

1. GABRIEL AMINOV - 213,700
2. OFIR MOR - 183,450
3. FRANK CHARLES- 169,000
4. ANTHONY GREGG - 160,950
5. JEREMY BROWN - 156,425
6. SUNIL WALIA - 155,625
7. RHETT BUTLER - 153,325
8. ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN - 147,275
9. SOHEIL SHAMSEDDIN - 145,000
10. STEFAN MATTSSON - 143,500

Others who remain in contention include:
13. STEVE BRECHER - 139,150
44. MICHAEL BINGER - 110,325
81. TODD TERRY - 89,925
131. KATHY LIEBERT - 76,450
134. GAVIN SMITH - 75,715
156. DAVID “THE MAVEN” CHICOTSKY - 69,600
416. NANCY TODD TYNER - 29,675
461. ROBERT VARKONYI - 24,700
493. JOHN SPADAVECCHIA - 19,250
524. BERNARD LEE - 15,700

Among the highlights of Day 1B was a four-way all-in featuring three flushes and a set. After a flop of K-10-9, all diamonds, players pushed with J-3 of diamonds, 7-5 of diamonds, pocket tens, and A-8 of diamonds for the nut flush. The turn and river came the jack of hearts and three of clubs, respectively, and Andrew Interdonato scooped the massive pot with the nut flush. He now sits with the 390th largest stack at the Borgata, 33,150.

The action kicks off at 11:00am ET on Monday, with all players’ sights set on reaching the six-handed final table, where the following payouts will be up for grabs:

1st Place: $925,514
2nd Place: $453,519
3rd Place: $251,955
4th Place: $216,681
5th Place: $188,126
6th Place: $156,212

WPT Borgata Poker Open Attracts Over 1,000 Players

A $3,500 buy-in attracted over 1,000 players to the Borgata Poker Open, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT) circuit. As of Noon ET on Sunday, 1,003 players had entered, which included the 326 player field from Day 1A.

Over 675 players had thrown their hats into the ring on Day 1B. The tournament coincides with World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities in London, but still attracted a bevy of poker superstars to the East Coast casino. At the end of Day 1A, Frank Molinari stood tall over the rest of the field with 169,000 chips. Hot on his heels was Jeremy Brown, who will come armed to Day 2 on Monday with 156,425. One of the top pros to survive Day 1A was Steve Brecher, the champion of the Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament during Season VII of the WPT. Brecher also made a final table during Season II of the WPT, taking sixth in the end-of-season Championship event for $232,000.

Among those making waves on Day 1A was 2008 WSOP November Nine member David “Chino” Rheem. A former WPT Champion, Rheem ascended to the top of the chip counts during play on Saturday, but found himself out of the tournament following the dinner break. Rheem ran a rivered flush into quad deuces after an error by Sonny Waila on the turn resulted in a string bet. Rheem bet the river after making a flush, but his opponent’s pocket twos had him dominated. Rheem pushed with a flush draw on the very next hand, but it failed to materialize against an opponent’s pocket aces.

Others who took to the felts on Day 1A were Ultimate Bet pro Michael Binger, Matt Matros, Kathy Liebert, and Nancy Todd Tyner. Holding one of the largest chip stacks after the first of two starting days is Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, a two-time WPT event winner. Little took down the Season VI Mirage Poker Showdown for $1.1 million and promptly emerged victorious from the field in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals last season for another $1.1 million. He is fresh off an eighth place showing in the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic for nearly $40,000.

Action has already kicked off on Day 1B, with WPT officials proudly promoting the presence of several pros at the Borgata. Among them are Bill Gazes, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee, Allen Kessler, Bluff Online Poker Challenge winner Brian “SN8WMAN” Hawkins, and noted poker coach David “The Maven” Chicotsky. Also in the house are Season IV WPT Player of the Year Gavin Smith, Roy Winston, and bracelet winner Brian Lemke.

Players at the Borgata Poker Open start with 30,000 chips and blinds begin at 25-50, meaning each player starts with 600 big blinds. Levels last 75 minutes each, with a dinner break taking place after Level 6. Antes kick in during Level 5, when blinds are 100-200. First place will likely come with a $1 million payday despite the shrunken buy-in of just $3,500. Typical buy-ins for WPT tournaments are at least $10,000.

The four-figure turnout is a welcome sight for WPT officials, who have watched attendance drop steadily at recent tournaments. Attendance for last month’s Legends of Poker stop in Los Angeles was down 25% year over year to just 279 runners. The Bellagio Cup featured 268 players in attendance, down a staggering 40% from the field that took to the felts in 2008. The WPT was recently sold to a subsidiary of Party Gaming, potentially leading to a greater presence of the brand in the online marketplace. WPT Host Mike Sexton serves as the ambassador of PartyPoker, Party Gaming’s online poker arm.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WPT Borgata Poker Open.

Lock Poker Signs 12 Non-US Online Poker Pros

Lock Poker, a site on the popular Cake Poker Network, has inked 12 non-U.S. online poker pros to grow its player base worldwide. Poker Players International’s Randy Kasper orchestrated the signings.

The new fleet of Lock Poker pros includes Stephen “allinstevie” Devlin (Ireland, United Kingdom), Bjorn Andre “bjolla” Hovden (Norway), Dan “danloulou” Smyth (Ireland, United Kingdom), Vincent “Diamond8” Gabel (Belgium), Elmar “EmmiV” Masson (Iceland), Joe “Conno!!y” Connolly (United Kingdom), Francisco Costa (Portugal), Robert Jan Hoogendoorn (Netherlands), Brendon “brendoor” Rubie (Australia), Maximilian Bassil (Norway), Bolivar Palacios (Latin America), and Jose Raul Severino (Latin America). Last month, Lock Poker signed Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Eric “Rizen” Lynch to be its Director of Product Development. Lynch hails from the United States.

On the impetus behind growing the Lock Poker brand around the globe, Kasper told Poker News Daily, “Ever since Lock Poker and I started talking about signing Eric, they’ve picked my brain about what I thought would be our next move. They said that international signings were the next step and I agreed. You see a good cross-section here. Most of those players are pretty good online. There are also a couple of guys who have more business-related contacts.” Lock Poker burst onto the online poker scene in March, when the USA-friendly site hosted the Bluff Online Poker Challenge, a one month-long promotion won by Brian “SNo0oWMAN” Hawkins.

Lock Poker is now charged with utilizing its one-dozen non-U.S. pros to the most profitable extent possible. On what the online poker site has planned, Kasper speculated, “Lock is going to come up with something creative. They have different ideas with what will work in each area. Lock is focused on making sure they can cater to each player’s experience, which means different things in each region. They’re not afraid to strike out boldly and create workable relationships with these fantastic players.”

In addition to its non-U.S. signings, Lock Poker has also brought onboard three more American players, headlined by Brett “gank” Jungblut, a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner. Jungblut was in the winner’s circle in the $5,000 buy-in World Championship of Omaha High-Low Eight or Better during the 2004 WSOP for $187,000, besting a competitive final table that also included “Miami” John Cernuto, Huck Seed, and Erick Lindgren.

Also new to Lock Poker is Vinny Pahuja, who finished as the runner-up in a $2,000 buy-in tournament held during a WSOP Circuit stop in Las Vegas in April. Pahuja banked $41,000 for his efforts in that event, about the same amount as he earned for recording a fifth place finish during last July’s Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza. Pahuja took 28th in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Borgata Poker Open last September for $21,000.

The third and final American to hop onboard the Lock Poker bandwagon is David Zeitlin, who won a deep stack event at Mohegan Sun for $136,000 in July. He also made a deep run in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, earning $32,000 for his 262nd place finish out of 6,494 entrants. In 2007, he was the runner-up to Jason Warner in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event during the WSOP for $269,000. On the trio of Americans, Kasper commented in a press release distributed by Lock Poker, “Lock is fortunate to add such great players of great character to their ranks. These three are truly top-notch, both on and off the felt. These players are also fortunate to find a truly innovative room to partner with.”

The Cake Poker Network is the 10th largest worldwide according to the traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, boasting a seven-day running average of 1,820 real money ring game players. Joining Lock Poker on the Network are sites such as Cake Poker, Doyle’s Room, Players Only, and PokerHost.

Joe Hachem, Jeffrey Lisandro Featured on WSOP on ESPN Coverage

Day 3 of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event hit television airwaves on ESPN on Tuesday night, with two hours of coverage dedicated to the festivities. Seated at the feature table were two Aussies, Joe Hachem and Jeffrey Lisandro.

Lisandro became the fifth player in WSOP history to take home three bracelets in a year and has logged 29 cashes since 2004. Hachem took down the 2005 Main Event and ignited a poker boom of his own in Australia. Joining the duo from Down Under was George Hardie, the former owner of the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. On the first hand, Lisandro raised to 3,600 with pocket eights and, after peeking down at pocket queens, Hachem made it 9,600. Lisandro called to see a flop of 10-4-2. Lisandro checked, Hachem bet 16,000, and Lisandro quickly released his hand, igniting chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!”

ESPN announcer Norman Chad commented that, while Phil Ivey remains his perennial pick to win the WSOP Main Event, Lisandro’s heroics in 2009 make him a close second: “Let’s assume that aliens come down and lure Phil Ivey away to a cash game mother ship, then I must turn to Jeffrey Lisandro.” Ville Wahlbeck was the only player remaining in the field that could catch Lisandro for WSOP Player of the Year honors. However, he’d need a seventh place finish or better in order to do so. Wahlbeck was seated at Table Two during the 8:00pm ET episode alongside Kenny Tran.

Also found in the field were Ivey and Phil Hellmuth. “The Poker Brat” found that one of his tablemates, Lauchlin McKinnon, did not want to shake his hand. Instead, his opponent told Hellmuth, “I don’t respect anything you do. I think you’re a complete prick.” Hellmuth joked, “I think this is going to be a good day.” Elsewhere in the Amazon Room, Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande pushed with A-10 of diamonds for 20 big blinds and rivered a flush to double up. Chad labeled him a “survivor,” a reference to his appearance on the China installment of the CBS reality franchise.

Kent Senter, who is undergoing stem cell treatment for an incurable form of cancer, was all-in with pocket tens against Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier’s pocket jacks. The board ran out K-5-3-3-5, giving Grospellier the win and sending Senter home. He was met with a herd of television cameras upon his departure. Grospellier is a PokerStars pro; his site began sponsoring chip count leaderboard graphics on Tuesday night on ESPN.

The “Straight from the Pros” segment featured Daniel Negreanu battling against Sammy Farha in a hand during the 2005 WSOP Main Event. Negreanu folded a straight after a third spade hit the river to give Farha a flush. Negreanu, the captain of the Team Americas squad that will compete in the Caesars Cup, told ESPN cameras, “He’s either bluffing here or I’m dead.”

Negreanu’s comrade on Team PokerStars Pro, Hachem, was featured in the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, in which the cards of one player are not shown so the audience can play along at home. Hachem raised to 4,100 pre-flop with the Wild Card hand and Claus Nielsen called with pocket threes. The flop came 8-2-5 and Nielsen checked. Hachem fired out a bet of 6,200 and Nielsen made the call. The turn was a deuce and Nielsen put in a check-raise to 32,000, causing Hachem to relinquish K-Q.

Also in the field was former November Nine member Dennis Phillips, who relived tossing out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. However, he wound up throwing the ball directly at the ground. Wahlbeck then hit the skids after running pocket queens into pocket kings, leading to an announcement from WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack that Lisandro had claimed Player of the Year honors. Ivey then moved to Grospellier’s table, leaving Chad to remark, “Poker’s superpowers clash.”

The second episode of Tuesday night kicked off at 9:00pm ET and continued coverage of Day 3 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. David “Devilfish” Ulliott joined the cast at Table Two, while Hellmuth found himself flanking Josh Arieh. Former Main Event winners Peter Eastgate (2008), Greg Raymer (2004), Dan Harrington (1995), Hachem (2005), and Hellmuth (1989) all remained alive to begin the episode, but Raymer quickly found himself on the sidelines after running pocket tens into pocket aces.

Lunkin doubled up after rivering a straight, causing Chad to lament, “I know Lunkin has played good, but I can’t tell you how ridiculously good he’s run. He should be halfway back to Moscow on an Aeroflot flight in coach.” Meanwhile, Nielsen bet out on an ace-high board after raising pre-flop with just 8-4. However, Hachem laid down pocket queens and Lisandro released pocket kings, giving the pot to Nielsen.

The Full Tilt Poker sponsored segment “Deal Me In” featured Howard Lederer taking on Hellmuth in a hand from the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions, which was ultimately won by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke.

Hevad Khan cheerily smiled at ESPN cameras, leading to the following comment from announcer Lon McEachern: “That’s the first real sign of life from him we’ve seen in two years.” Khan finished sixth in the 2007 WSOP Main Event. His lively antics resulted in the “Hevad Khan rule” against excessive player celebrations. Elsewhere in the dwindling field, J.C. Tran and Joe Sebok doubled up, while L.A. Lakers Guard Jordan Farmar was eliminated. Also hitting the exits was “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander, whose opponent made trips on the river.

Finally, “The Nuts” featured Chad and Hellmuth taking turns in a dunk tank. After Chad, a southpaw, finally sent Hellmuth to a watery demise, he commented, “I took more pleasure out of dunking you than anything in my whole life. That was two honeymoons rolled into one.”

New episodes of the 2009 WSOP Main Event on ESPN air on Tuesdays at 8:00pm ET and are repeated throughout the week on ESPN’s family of networks.

Legal Online Poker’s Biggest Obstacle: Nanny Democrats

One might think that when Republicans suffered much-deserved humiliation in the last general election, the notorious Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) would soon be history.  Remember, it was back in 2006 that Senate Republican leadership effectively guillotined the “Moneymaker Effect.”  Whatever one’s views are on other worldly issues, the popular perception within the poker community was that Democratic political gains would be very good for players.

With Democrats now in complete control of all branches of the Federal Government, we can no longer limit our anger and disappointment to those musty old Republicans.  Indeed, trampling on the rights of poker players now appears to cut across party lines.  While Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), and Representative Frank Wolfe (R-VA) continue to merit our universal contempt, the sad fact is that the “out-of-touch brigade” now has plenty of company on the other side of the partisan aisle.

Consider the positions of many powerful Democrats.  The fact is that many national Democratic leaders happen to be women from western states.  Virtually all of these influential Democratic women are opposed to overturning the UIEGA.  In other words, these proud liberals march lock and step with the most repulsive elements of the religious right.  These same Democratic women champion countless progressive causes and wouldn’t agree with the likes of Kyl, Goodlatte, or Wolfe on anything except, peculiarly enough, smothering the freedoms of millions of American citizens who want to play online poker.  These Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans.

For your displeasure, here’s a list of the guilty:

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) – The Speaker of the House has repeatedly stated that she is dead-set against any expansion of gambling.  She remains stubbornly opposed to legalizing poker on the internet because a family member reportedly once had a gambling problem.  Pelosi may be the worst House Speaker in my lifetime (note that this opinion comes from an avowed political liberal), but her powerful influence on introducing bills and the legislative process unquestionably remains the biggest obstacle to overturning the UIEGA.

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) – The senior U.S. Senator from California recently demonstrated her appalling confusion on the issue of internet gambling.  Consider her response to a constituent in a published letter.  She wrote, “Internet gambling has become too easily accessible to minors, subject to fraud and criminal misuse, and too easily used as a tool to evade State gambling laws.” Aren’t these the very reasons we desperately need legalization, licensing, and regulation of online gambling?

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) – It’s unclear precisely why Senator Boxer remains strictly opposed to online poker.  Unlike her contemporaries Pelosi and Feinstein, Boxer has not widely expressed her views on the subject other than making her opposition known.  However, California’s junior Senator has backed major initiatives on behalf of tribal resorts.  Perhaps tribal opposition to legalized online poker (the Pachanga Tribe, for example) has influenced her position.

Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) – Oddly enough, Representative Waters represents a Congressional district in Los Angeles that has reaped enormous financial rewards for various municipal projects directly from casino tax revenues.  Hollywood Park is located within her district.  Waters’ opposition to online poker and internet gambling appears to be based on her view that gambling activities disproportionally harm poor people.  That said, to date there has been no word from Waters’ office as to when she plans to start fighting to dismantle the California State Lottery.

Governor Christine Gregoire (D-WA) – This politician is guilty of supporting and ultimately signing into law the most draconian sanctions against poker in more than a century.  It’s eerily reminiscent of what many Southern states did in the 1830s when gamblers were rounded up and hanged publicly.  Gregoire made Washington the first state in the nation to make gambling on the internet a Class C felony (contrary to the opinion of many courts, poker is considered gambling in Washington state).  A poker player living in Seattle or Tacoma is risking far more than a few dollars when he or she plays online.  Thanks to the Governor, the poker playing vermin could very well receive the same punishment doled out to child molesters and drunk drivers.

For far too long, groups like the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) believe they can win the political debate with simple logic.  Sure, our argument is better than their argument and most rational people would agree after listing to a five-minute exchange, but this isn’t a high school debate class.  It’s a political street fight versus powerful forces camped out on both the right and the left.  Until the PPA rolls up its sleeves and dives into the trenches with an all-out media bombardment aimed directly at the oblivious mainstream voter, nothing is going to change.  Sure, we might sway a few Ivy League professors and political columnists from time to time.  A few poker players might get five minutes of airtime on MSNBC or FOX.  That’s all good, but online poker is not going to be legalized and regulated in the United States until some significant changes in strategy take place.

The first rule of politics is that “right” and “wrong” have little to do with any issue of significance.  The debate you see on C-SPAN is pretty much scripted and irrelevant.  No Congressman or Senator is swayed one way or the other on any legislation without either coercion or compromise.

Indeed, Washington is nothing more than a gigantic power plant fueled by the only lubricant of any real action – money.  Lots of money.  Whatever your political views may be, I strongly advise against poker players donating money to national party organizations.  If you support a political candidate, donate to the person directly and not to the Democratic National Committee or to the Republican National Committee.  If you make a donation to either of these organizations, there’s a good chance some of your money is going to be funneled into the re-election campaigns of Kyl and Pelosi.  Just say no.

WSOP edges closer to online poker with 888 deal

Harrah's Interactive Entertainment and 888 Holdings reached an agreement where 888's Dragonfish division will provide online poker and casino software to Harrah's as it attempts to enter the online gaming market.

"The intent is to be in the online gaming space, wherever it's legal," said WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky. "We've partnered with 888 to develop a platform."

No timeline was given for Harrah's online launch, but it was confirmed that both the WSOP and Caesars Casino brands will have an online presence. In addition, Dragonfish will also provide ePayments, VIP services and Customer Service to help develop both brands.

888 Holdings is a major player in the online gaming market in Europe, but not as well-known in the U.S. after pulling out of the market when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 2006.

Although the 888.com website offers no games, it acts as a portal to popular gaming sites like Pacific Poker, 888sport (sports betting) and Reef Club Casino.

"This is a ground breaking deal for 888.com and demonstrates our ability to provide real value to globally renowned, land-based casinos and their leading brands," said Gigi Levy, CEO of 888.

It remains to be seen if the WSOP having an online presence would be a conflict of interest with live event sponsors like Everest Poker and Betfair Poker.

Palansky didn't see it becoming an issue.

"I really don't think there's anything for anybody to worry about," he said. "The WSOP will remain a premier live poker destination. Our offline events are great opportunities for our sponsors.

"If all this goes through and we do develop an online gaming site then we would be competing in some of the same markets. We would still have relationships with the other sites, however."

Mitch Garber, the CEO of Harrah's Interactive Entertainment, went into more detail about why they decided to go with 888.

"As we develop and roll out our interactive strategy, we have chosen to work with 888, primarily for their world-class technology, scalability and strong commitment to compliance and responsible gaming," said Garber.

The announcement of the joint effort between Harrah's and 888 comes just as the U.S. appears to be warming up to the idea of legalizing and regulating online poker.

An article by conservative columnist George Will appeared in the Washington Post calling for the legalization and Barney Frank's pro-online poker bill HR 2267 is scheduled for a hearing in September.

Palansky said it wasn't a factor in the deal, however.

"Harrah's has been looking into this for years," he said. "We just felt the timing was right for us to start exploring our options.

"Obviously we are hopeful the U.S. government will recognize that - like our brick and mortar gaming establishments - online poker can be regulated, taxed and run with the utmost confidence.

"If that happens, great, if not we'll focus on other markets."

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Ultimate Bet Releases Mac Version

While millions of online poker players take part in the game throughout the world, there is a segment of the market that is frequently overlooked when it comes to online gaming. The portion of the populous that runs an Apple computer or prefers the Mac operating system (OS) is left out of many of the activities to be found online, especially poker. The online poker room Ultimate Bet is looking to change that.

It was announced yesterday that Ultimate Bet, the home of 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, top female poker player and Poker News Daily guest columnist Annie Duke, and online pro Adam “Roothlus” Levy (among others), would be offering a Mac version of its popular site beginning today. Called UB Mac, it is a completely compatible version of the full offerings of Ultimate Bet for the Mac OS, something that has been asked for repeatedly by many poker fans.

“Our company strives to make our poker room accessible to as many people as possible and we recognize that Apple computers have a growing market share in the personal computing industry. In response to this trend, we have developed an all-new download poker application specifically for the Mac Operating System,” said Tokwiro Chief Operating Officer Paul Leggett. “As a Mac user myself, the only real limitation I have found is that a lot of poker applications will not run on the Mac OS. With UB Mac, players will enjoy the same incredible user experience that PC users currently have, and we remain committed to ongoing development of our Mac online poker client to ensure it is the best in the business.”

Another member of Team UB and a Mac user, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, was also elated about the latest news from his site. “A few weeks back, I got the news I’ve been waiting for…UB for Mac is ready for beta testing,” Scott stated during the announcement. “I immediately downloaded the application and I was up and running in no time.”

The new software allows Mac players to have access to the most popular features and functionality that UB users playing on Windows-compatible computers have, including ring games, satellites, single and multi-table Hold’em tournaments, and single player blackjack. In addition to both Mac and Windows options, Ultimate Bet also has a no-download option for players who don’t want to bog down their systems with programs. Its sister site, Absolute Poker, also has Mac option.

Other Mac-compatible online poker sites include PokerStars and Full Tilt, both of which boast fully-functional clients for the Mac which can be downloaded and installed with ease. Bodog features a cash game table Instant Play option, which allows for a maximum of one table to be opened at a time. PartyPoker was one of the original innovators of the Instant Play concept. Unlike Bodog, PokerStars, Full Tilt, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker, however, PartyPoker does not accept customers from the United States.

Annie Duke to Host Charity Tournament in California

Poker professional Annie Duke, who has been at the forefront of the usage of poker for charitable means, will add to her philanthropic outlets when she hosts a charity poker tournament at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles to benefit the Decision Education Foundation in November.

The tournament, which will play out on November 19th at 7:00pm Pacific Time, is a $300+$30 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em event with unlimited $100 rebuys during the first hour and a $100 add-on at the first break. Duke, a Poker News Daily Guest Columnist, will be the host of the tournament that is being held during the schedule of events for the inaugural Open at Commerce from November 6th to 22nd.

With the tournament being held near Hollywood, it is expected that there will be a celebrity-laden field in attendance. “We’ve already had confirmations from several pro players and a couple of celebrities,” Lisa Wheeler, the event organizer, confirmed to Poker News Daily. “Some of Annie’s friends from Ultimate Bet are going to be a part of the tournament. Actress Shannon Elizabeth has already confirmed and so has comedian Brad Garrett. This is only the beginning and there will be more to come!”

The tournament will have all the pomp and circumstance of a major awards show in Hollywood, befitting of its play at the jewel of California poker in the Commerce Casino. Activities will include a red carpet walk, a Commerce Casino hosted cocktail party, and silent and live auctions. The tournament itself will be officiated by one of the top tournament directors around, Matt Savage, and all proceeds raised will benefit the Decision Education Foundation.

The Decision Education Foundation is an organization that has been established to improve the lives of young people by empowering them with effective decision skills. The work of the Foundation crosses the nation from Pennsylvania to California, attempting to provide teachers with the tools to help young people acquire, appreciate, and apply the fundamentals of good decision-making.

The Decision Education Foundation is an important philanthropy for Duke. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the organization in addition to her other charitable and philanthropic work. As many may remember, Annie raised $730,000 through her second place effort on this year’s “Celebrity Apprentice” for Refugees International and continues to attempt to assist with the plight of refugees through Ante Up For Africa, an organization she co-founded along with “Crash” actor Don Cheadle.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily as more information comes available regarding this and other charitable events in the coming months.

Card Player Cruises Releases 2009-2010 Schedule

Starting in November, Card Player Cruises will return to the high seas aboard the 138,000 ton Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Explorer of the Seas. Destinations over the next year for the cruising company include Alaska, the Mediterranean, and Mexico.

The nine-night Canada and New England Fall Foliage cruise will depart from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey in November and steam up the eastern seaboard of the United States. Ports of call include Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, and Boston and the cruise starts at $550 per person. Card Player Cruises partner and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson commented in a press release distributed by the travel company, “This trip will feature some of the most spectacular scenery on the Eastern Seaboard. There’s no better time to visit this region than in the fall, when the foliage stands out in every imaginable color.”

Besides the fall foliage outside of the ship, the other main attraction on the November cruise will be its poker room. $100 to $200 buy-in poker tournaments will abound, with private seminars and free poker lessons also taking place. In addition, the press release notes, “Passengers can play as much or as little as they want during the week.” The Explorer of the Seas also features a rock-climbing wall, ice skating rink, miniature golf course, basketball court, disco, spa, fitness center, pools, Jacuzzis, and shops. In addition, what would a cruise be without a parade of food?

Here is the upcoming schedule for Card Player Cruises:

Canada and New England Fall Foliage nine-night cruise – October 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas
Departs from Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne, New Jersey

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – November 15, 2009
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

Western Caribbean seven-night cruise – March 7, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Voyager
Departs from Galveston, Texas

Mediterranean Venice 12-night cruise – May 15, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance
Departs from Barcelona, Spain

Alaska seven-night cruise – August 27, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody
Departs from Seattle, Washington

Eastern Caribbean seven-night cruise – September 25, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis
Departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Mexican Riviera seven-night cruise – December 5, 2010
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner
Departs from Los Angeles, California

The poker room closes while the ship is parked in port and opens while the vessel is out in the open water. Card Player Cruises customers make up between 25% and 40% of the total number of passengers onboard, so traditional cruising activities still occur day and night. In order to play poker, Card Player Cruises guests must be at least 18 years-old, while some special events, such as the PartyPoker Million, feature a different age requirement.

Besides tournaments, each ship’s poker room hosts a wide variety of cash games, ranging from limits of $1/$2 to $30/$60. Customers with children are more than welcome to participate as well. Card Player Cruises explains, “There are extensive programs for children that provide entertainment for the kids from morning until night. Some of the activities are scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, talent shows, pizza parties, disco parties, trips to the spa/gym, video games, etc. Children are able to sail at reduced rates on most cruise lines.”

Prices for the above schedule vary between $448 per person and $1,719 per person. The cost covers food, cabin, nightly entertainment, and use of the ship’s amenities. According to Johnson, the majority of players who board a Card Player Cruise are recreational and several are celebrating milestones like birthdays and anniversaries. Players can call 888-999-4880 for additional information and to book passage.