Poker News

Industry Reacts to Phil Hellmuth WSOP Main Event Tirade

It took all of three episodes of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on ESPN for 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth to get the industry buzzing. Hellmuth used a parade of words not fit for television during ESPN’s Day 1C recap. This article contains language that is not suitable for all audiences.

Known for his short fuse, Hellmuth was seated at Table Two on Tuesday night during Day 1C coverage. After a player holding K-8 bested his pocket jacks, Hellmuth went off the deep end. He commented, “What the fuck? Calling a fricking raise with K-8?” Hellmuth then strung together four expletives in a row followed by the word “man.” The Ultimate Bet pro returned to the table and, while taking his seat, muttered, “Fucking moron players.” No penalty was handed down.

In a separate hand, an opponent rivered a flush against Hellmuth, which once again sent the “Poker Brat” away from the table steaming: “Is this some kind of fucking joke? I can’t even fucking believe what I’m seeing.” Again, no penalty was assessed. WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky told Poker News Daily, “Our player conduct rule is about abusing tablemates and dealers. That’s what we’re trying to avoid so a person’s playing experience is not unpleasant. There is no anti-cursing rule. If it’s mean-spirited, then it’s a penalty, but it’s up to the discretion of the dealers and supervisors who are there to hear it.”

There were a total of 185 penalties and warnings assessed throughout the 2009 WSOP festivities at the Rio using a new database system to log infractions. Among them were players throwing cards at dealers, celebrating wildly, taunting opponents, loudly waving in order to attract the attention of ESPN cameras, and, in one instance, banging a set of cymbals. Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and Tournament Directors’ Association (TDA) co-founder Linda Johnson explained, “Hellmuth didn’t do anything terribly egregious. I possibly would have given a warning when he started talking about ‘morons.’ He’d better be talking about himself, which he wasn’t. I don’t have a problem with the ‘f’ word, although you should get a warning at some point.”

Given her association with the TDA, Johnson is typically by the book. The “First Lady of Poker” was outraged at antics by Hellmuth and Scotty Nguyen in 2008, but noted that the atmosphere at this year’s WSOP was much-improved: “I’m glad the WSOP cleaned up their act. It was a much more pleasant atmosphere this year. Kudos to their tournament officials for not allowing abuse.” In fact, the only actions that have raised Johnson’s eyebrows during telecasts of the 2009 WSOP on ESPN have involved players discussing the contents of their hands. She told Poker News Daily, “You have to be careful. There’s a rule that says you won’t tell someone what you have in your hand.”

PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Court Harrington, who has traveled the WSOP and World Poker Tour (WPT) circuits for the popular live coverage site, shared his take on Hellmuth’s antics: “For all of the publicity Hellmuth brings to the game, his antics surely cause passive players that might pull up a chair to stay away instead of putting themselves in an awkward situation with a top pro berating them.” On Tuesday night, ESPN announcer Norman Chad continuously reiterated Hellmuth’s now-famous “idiots from Northern Europe” quote from last year’s WSOP Main Event.

Harrington has seen novices and pros battle it out on the felts of the world’s most prestigious tournaments. He even broadcasts his opinions on PokerRoad, where he sits alongside industry staples like Joe Sebok, Gavin Smith, and Joe Stapleton. Harrington explained the dilemma that tournament officials often face: “Player conduct rules should be very situation-specific. In poker, keeping novice and amateur players comfortable is important. At the same time, pros have a responsibility to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner for the same reason - to make amateur players feel comfortable at the tables and more likely to return.”

Thanks from all of us here at Poker News Daily to Palansky, Johnson, and Harrington for their insight into the issue. Tell us what you think! Was Hellmuth out of line? Where should the line be drawn? Leave a comment and voice your choice.

Daniel Negreanu, Erick Lindgren Struggle on ESPN WSOP Coverage

In Tuesday night’s broadcast of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on ESPN, Daniel Negreanu and Erick Lindgren struggled in front of a national viewing audience as Days 1C and 1D of the Main Event unfolded. This article contains language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Daniel Negreanu and Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth were featured during the first hour of coverage on ESPN, which tracked Day 1C of the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Negreanu, plagued by sinus problems, was seated at the feature table, while Hellmuth found himself at Table Two. Hellmuth arrived in typical grand fashion, dressed as Emperor Hellmuth and flanked by scantily-clad women, drummers, and a throng of poker fans armed with cameras. ESPN announcer Norman Chad quipped, “If Tom Brady came to the Super Bowl like this, the NFL would shut down, but we embrace this.”

Even Negreanu took notice of Hellmuth’s entrance, telling his tablemates, “[Hellmuth] loves to show us his nipples. If you watch ESPN, you’ll notice that there are a lot of nipple shots. He’s either meditating with his tiny nipples or doing something.” ESPN recapped Lindgren and Negreanu’s Player of the Year competition, where poker pros could pick any partner except for Phil Ivey and compete based on Player of the Year Points. Barry Greenstein selected Jeffrey Lisandro, who promptly won three bracelets during the 2009 festivities. Negreanu and Lindgren noted that they stood to lose around $1 million as a result of the bets.

Chad and fellow ESPN commentator Lon McEachern dubbed Hellmuth “Pokerus Bratus” and “Hellmuthicus.” The 11-time bracelet winner lived up to his reputation after teeing off on tablemates early on. An opponent who made three kings after calling a raise with K-8 when Hellmuth had jacks received the brunt of the anger. Hellmuth lamented, “What the fuck? Calling a fricking raise with K-8?” Hellmuth then spouted four expletives in a row followed by the word “man.” He sat back down and vented, “Fucking moron players.” No penalty was shown despite a stricter player conduct rule.

2008 WSOP November Nine member Dennis Phillips brought an entourage of look-a-likes with him, including David Tucker, who was charged with blowing a portable truck horn every time Phillips scooped a pot. Also in the field was “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, who was sent to the rails early on. Chad exclaimed, “Annie, you’re fired” when the Ultimate Bet face was ousted from the $10,000 buy-in tournament.

The “Straight from the Pros” segment featured Team PokerStars Pro member Joe Hachem squaring off against Steve Dannenmann on Day 5 of the 2005 Main Event. Dannenmann flopped a set in the hand, while Hachem flopped the nut flush draw. After Dannenmann put in a check-raise, Hachem folded, which he called “the biggest laydown of my life.” ESPN viewers then watched Negreanu get trumped during the Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Wild Card Hand, in which the hole cards of one player are unknown.

Meanwhile, Hellmuth and an opponent each bet $20 that they had the best hand. In the end, Hellmuth showed A-Q, while his opponent flipped over pocket fours. The money was given to a friend on the rail to “buy drinks,” an activity Hellmuth deemed worthy of another $40 contribution. Then, Hellmuth learned the crew was from Aruba, the site of the annual Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic, and tossed another $100 their way. The situation quickly turned dark. Hellmuth ran into a rivered flush, which caused him to lament, “Is this some kind of fucking joke? I can’t even fucking believe what I’m seeing.” Again, no penalty was assessed.

Day 1D of the 2009 WSOP Main Event featured 2008 Player of the Year Erick Lindgren. Joining Lindgren at the feature table was Joe Hardie, the former owner of the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. Also in the field on Day 1D, which saw more than 500 players turned away, were “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” winner Lou Diamond Phillips and third place finisher John Salley. Others playing included Ray Romano, Ivan Demidov, J.C. Tran, Jennifer Harman, Marco Traniello, Chad Brown, Vanessa Rousso, Jordan Farmar, Phil Ivey, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, and 2006 Player of the Year Jeff Madsen.

Lindgren’s tentative play at the feature table was the theme of the second episode. Chad explained, “I hope the tape of this telecast is destroyed before Lindgren sees it. It’ll set him back 15 years.” The Wild Card Hand featured four-way action to the turn on an A-J-7-8 board with two diamonds. Serge Pouliott bet out 450 and the action folded around to Lindgren, who made the call. The river was the four of hearts. Lindgren checked, Pouliott bet 825, and Lindgren called. Pouliott turned over A-Q, out-kicking Lindgren’s A-6 of diamonds. The Full Tilt-sponsored “Deal Me In” featured Lindgren breaking down a hand that transpired during Day 1 of the 2008 WSOP Main Event.

Day 2 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event will air next Tuesday on ESPN at 8:00pm ET and runs for two hours.

ESPN Inside Deal Features WSOP November Niner Eric Buchman

This week, “Inside Deal,” which airs on ESPN.com, welcomed World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Eric Buchman, who will hold the second largest chip stack when play resumes in November.

Talk of recent additions to the Caesars Cup teams opened the show, which is sponsored by PokerStars. Phil Hellmuth and John Juanda will join Team Americas, while Dario Minieri and Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier will become part of Team Europe. “Inside Deal” host and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee gave his take on the selections: “Daniel Negreanu was going to mold his team around team chemistry, solid heads-up play, and high-profile players.” Negreanu and Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad serve as team captains.

Discussion on “Inside Deal” then turned to Doyle Brunson’s Hall of Shame, which features Puggy Pearson, John “Doc” Holiday, Nick “Shoestring” Simpson, Nick Lanette, Stu Ungar, and Nick Vacchiano. Brunson unveiled his Hall of Shame in a recent blog post, with the only criteria for entry being that the person had to be deceased. Lanette earned his induction after biting a dealer’s ear off at the Stardust. “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee was asked who he would add to the Hall of Shame, dead or alive. His nominee was Tony G, who berated Ralph Perry after eliminating him from the 2006 Intercontinental Poker Championship, among other incidents.

Results from the PokerStars Sunday Million, Asian Poker Tour (APT) Macau, European Poker Tour (EPT) Kiev, and Foxwoods Mega Stack Challenge were displayed before Howard Lederer joined the show via satellite. On the young guns of poker, Lederer told “Inside Deal” hosts, “I feel like 2009 was really the true arrival of the internet player, the player who got started in 2004 and finally got enough live play under their feet.”

Lederer and sister Annie Duke were an integral part of the National Poker Week Fly-In, which took place last month in Washington, DC. On the future of legalized and regulated online poker in the United States, Lederer remarked, “A bit of it is timing and a bit of it is politics. The practical effect of [Congressman Barney Frank’s] bill is that there wouldn’t be any sports betting on the internet, but that doesn’t mean the professional leagues aren’t scared of it.” Lederer was one of a half-dozen high-profile players to turn out to the nation’s capital in an effort coordinated by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) to lobby for Frank’s bill.

Attention then turned to Buchman, who was asked how he was turned onto poker. The WSOP November Nine member responded, “My brother got me interested in it. We’d play in clubs in New York and go to Atlantic City.” He has a pair of runner-up showings in WSOP and WSOP Circuit tournaments, experience that he hopes to parlay into a bracelet in the 2009 Main Event: “Final table experience is invaluable when it comes to improving your game and performing under pressure.” Buchman will have three short-stacks to his left when play resumes in November.

ESPN Poker Editor Andrew Feldman, returning from a one-week vacation, asked Lee, “Inside Deal” host Laura Lane, and Buchman who they would add to the American and European Caesars Cup squads. Buchman noted that he’d add reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Huck Seed and Carlos Mortensen. Lee suggested Chris Ferguson and Gus Hansen. Lane threw out Erik Seidel and Vitaly Lunkin. Feldman told the cast that he’d add Lindgren to the U.S. team and Patrik Antonius to the European roster.

Viewer questions included whether Buchman would treat the final table as a continuation of play in July or as a new tournament. He responded, “The experience I have playing against these players and the footage I’ve seen on ESPN will help me get reads on players.” Many in the poker industry have questioned chip leader Darvin Moon’s experience. Buchman noted that, despite Moon’s lack of background on the felts, he is a formidable force: “He’s definitely a threat to win. He doesn’t have as much experience as everyone else, but he definitely can play.” In the end, Buchman predicted that he would be heads-up against Moon for the Main Event title.

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

Annie Duke Recalls Her Memories Of Late President Of Refugees International

In her most recent blog on her home site Ultimate Bet, poker professional Annie Duke remembers the contributions and life of Ken Bacon, the president of Refugees International, who passed away from an aggressive melanoma that spread into his brain
on August 15th.

As many may remember, Annie – a guest columnist here at Poker News Daily – played for Refugees International during her appearance on “Celebrity Apprentice” earlier this year. Through her efforts on the show, Refugees International, which assists refugee situations around the globe (much like Duke’s main charitable effort, Ante Up For Africa, focuses on refugee relief efforts in Darfur) was the receiver of the $700,000 that Annie raised through “Celebrity Apprentice” and further fundraising following her runner-up finish. In her blog on Ultimate Bet, Duke remembered the man who had a profound effect on her charitable efforts.

“This week is a sad one for me”, Annie admits in the Ultimate Bet blog before telling readers of Bacon’s passing. “I met Ken Bacon in October (2008) during the filming of “Celebrity Apprentice.” Because Ante Up for Africa was in the process of becoming a 501(c)3 while “Apprentice” was filming, I couldn’t play directly for my own charity. So I played for RI, which is aligned in its mission with the mission of AUFA. At my first meeting with Ken, I presented him with a $245K check from winning a task on Celebrity Apprentice… to say his reaction was reserved would be a drastic understatement. I was a little taken aback until I figured out the he was just an incredible sincere individual. We ended up chatting for a very long time about the issues in Sudan and Darfur and I could see the passion and real commitment to the issue that this man had.”

“Ken brought a passion to the cause that I hope to emulate”, Annie finishes in her blog post. “We should all be so lucky to have someone like Ken Bacon fighting for us and the things we believe in. I am truly lucky to have known him, if even for such a brief time. I am certainly a better person for the time I got with him.”

“Ken’s death is an enormous loss to his family, his friends, and Refugees International. All of us here will miss his leadership, his kindness, and his quiet passion”, said Joel Charny, who was named acting president of Refugees International following Bacon’s passing. “He never stopped looking for new ways to bring attention to the millions of people who have been uprooted by violence and conflict. The world’s most vulnerable people have lost one of their most tireless advocates.” Megan Fowler, the director of communications at Refugees International, commented that the members of the organization “were committed to honoring Ken’s legacy through continuing his work around the world.”

Ken Bacon was named president of Refugees International in 2001 and he was a tireless worker in the continuing battle against refugee crises. Under Mr. Bacon’s leadership, Refugees International doubled in size and grew from an organization that largely sounded the alarm on the latest refugee crisis to a program built on sustained advocacy to transform unwieldy and often ineffective international systems. During his tenure, the organization successfully advocated for increased protection and assistance for displaced people in places like Darfur and Iraq, where he focused much of his own work, as well as in Afghanistan, Burma, the DR Congo, Colombia, and Thailand. Mr. Bacon also launched new advocacy programs on peacekeeping and statelessness.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family has designated Refugees International for memorial contributions in honor of Ken Bacon. Refugees International has also created a memorial page, featuring comments and photos of Mr. Bacon’s efforts on behalf of Refugees International, in honor of the work performed by Mr. Bacon during his tenure as president of the organization. Poker News Daily wishes to pass along their condolences to Mr. Bacon’s family, friends and Refugees International at this trying time.

Tournament Director Matt Savage Returns to Aruba Poker Classic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ESPN Inside Deal Welcomes Barry Greenstein

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Billy Kopp (Patrolman35) Signs with Ultimate Bet

Ultimate Bet, one of the top online poker rooms in the business today, has an impressive roster of players. Monday brought the announcement that it had landed one of the rising young professionals in the game to a sponsorship deal.

Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp, who has an impressive track record of success, signed on for an exclusive deal with the site and will immediately begin representing Ultimate Bet at tournaments around the world. In addition to Kopp’s duties to “patrol” the virtual felts at Ultimate Bet, he will also be an integral part of its live poker team at UB’s signature event, the Aruba Poker Classic. Kopp earned his sponsorship through his play in some of the most difficult tournaments in the world today.

Known for his hyperactive, loose-aggressive style at the tables, Kopp was a juggernaut at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He was able to conquer two of the top players in the game today, 2008 World Champion Peter Eastgate and 2005 World Champion Joe Hachem, when all three were at the feature table. Kopp was also a part of one of the toughest beats at this year’s WSOP Main Event on the final day of action.

In what was a stunning turn of events, “Patrolman35” was one of the chip leaders on the final day of action and seemed to be a shoo-in for the 2009 November Nine before he cracked heads with Darvin Moon late in the action. On an all-diamond flop, Kopp bet out 750,000 and was called by Moon. The turn brought a deuce, pairing the board, and Kopp fired out a two million chip bet. Moon responded with a raise to six million and Kopp moved all-in for his remaining 20 million in chips. To “Patrolman35’s” surprise, Moon called the all-in and tabled his Q-J of diamonds to crush Kopp’s 5-3 of diamonds and eliminate the youngster from the World Series. The University of Kentucky business major finished in 12th place and earning $896,730 for his efforts.

Kopp’s success isn’t limited to this year’s WSOP Main Event alone. “Patrolman35” also garnered an eighth place finish during the WSOP in Event #15, a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament, for a payout of $71,115 and also picked up a second place finish in the WSOP Circuit stop at Harrah’s New Orleans for $127,832. Kopp has also been active in the online world, amassing nine Top 10 finishes in a variety of online poker tournaments this year at Ultimate Bet, Absolute Poker, and other popular sites. He recently took down an event held as part of the quarterly Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS).

Unfortunately, Kopp will have to drop the “Patrolman35” moniker on Ultimate Bet in favor of “billy_kopp.” Kopp is now a part of Team UB alongside such players as 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, top female player and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, recent UB Army enlistee Liv Boeree, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Brandon Cantu, “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Matt “mattg1983” Graham, Michael Binger, “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle, and Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian.

Pulitzer-Winning Columnist , George Will, Defends Poker

George Will, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post, the US capital’s best-selling newspaper, has taken his pen to paper in defence of poker. On Sunday he took the opportunity to speak out against the UIGEA and theorise that the bill was passed to block the competition from the state governments and their state-run lotteries.

Laura Lane Gives the Inside Scoop on Inside Deal

Released every Tuesday on ESPN.com are new 30 minute editions of the hit poker show “Inside Deal.” Hosted by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN: The Magazine’s Laura Lane, “Inside Deal” has quickly acquired a loyal audience after debuting on August 4th. We sat down with Lane to discuss its success.

Poker News Daily: Tell us how you became involved with ESPN’s “Inside Deal.”

Lane: I write for ESPN: The Magazine and ESPN.com. I also did a lot of sports and entertainment television when I was in college. ESPN knew I liked poker, they approached me, and it went from there.

PND: Can you give us your poker background?

Lane: I first learned about poker from my little brother. We watched it on television and any time I hung out with him, I had to play. Then, I started playing against sports reporters in a weekly game. I got pretty good really fast. I would play every week in college, read books, watch it on television, and ended up playing in a charity tournament during the Sundance Film Festival. Jamie Gold was there giving lessons, so I sat down and got a lesson from him. Paul Wasicka and Todd Brunson were also there. I made it to the final table and finished fifth.

PND: Did you get any advice from Gold?

Lane: I didn’t know much at the time. There were three tables left and he told me to go all-in with the next best hand I got. I picked up K-K and Jamie was sitting at my table. I pushed all-in, Jamie looked at me, and said he’d fold. After that, everyone at the table gave me respect.

PND: How is “Inside Deal” compiled before it debuts on ESPN.com? What work goes into it?

Lane: Andrew Feldman, the Poker Editor for ESPN.com, has good judgment when it comes to news stories. Bernard is the poker pro and has interviewed a lot of the players before. We talk about what stories are good for the week and, ultimately, our producer makes the call on what airs.

PND: The chemistry between Bernard Lee and you seems to be pretty strong. Tell us about working with one of poker’s top minds.

Lane: He’s one of the nicest guys ever. We had a phone conversation before we ever met while he was in Hawaii. I read his blog back in 2005 when he had a deep run in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and had a lot of questions for him about that. We’re both passionate and it’s nice working with someone who cares so much about the show. We keep talking about how we need a Sunday night game together because we shoot the show on Mondays. We had a barbeque after last week’s show and like hanging out with other.

PND: Has working on “Inside Deal” improved your own game?

Lane: I haven’t tested it out since we started filming the show. However, I’ve been learning so many tips that I probably should have known before, which will help undoubtedly me.

PND: Is it intimidating interviewing poker’s elite like Barry Greenstein, Chris Moneymaker, and Dennis Phillips?

Lane: Bernard has played with everyone, so he doesn’t get intimidated. Andrew has interviewed all of the top players. I’ve interviewed Jamie Gold and wrote articles for All In Magazine when it existed. I interviewed Greg Raymer when I was in college. I’ve interview A-list celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Kanye West, so I’m pretty comfortable.

PND: What feedback have you received from the show from friends, family, and co-workers who have watched it?

Lane: My little sister is honest. She’ll say, “Your hair looks better when it’s half up” and comment on my looks more than anything. Other people give me constructive tips. My mom says she doesn’t understand what we’re talking about. I went over to a friend’s house and they hadn’t seen it yet, so we watched it. They all wanted to know how I did it. Some of my friends are baffled by it.

PND: “Inside Deal” is slated to run weekly until the WSOP Main Event final table in November. What do you foresee beyond that?

Lane: The Main Event is the Super Bowl of poker, but there are so many different tournaments throughout the year. A show like ours could go year-round, but we’ll have to wait and see.

PND: Is there a market for a poker show like “Inside Deal” on television?

Lane: I really hope so. Poker is constantly growing and there are more people interested in it than ever before. People watch repeats of it over and over on networks like ESPN. The market is definitely strong. I would hope that in the next year or so, a show like ours is on television.

Laura Lane Gives the Inside Scoop on Inside Deal

Released every Tuesday on ESPN.com are new 30 minute editions of the hit poker show “Inside Deal.” Hosted by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN: The Magazine’s Laura Lane, “Inside Deal” has quickly acquired a loyal audience after debuting on August 4th. We sat down with Lane to discuss its success.

Poker News Daily: Tell us how you became involved with ESPN’s “Inside Deal.”

Lane: I write for ESPN: The Magazine and ESPN.com. I also did a lot of sports and entertainment television when I was in college. ESPN knew I liked poker, they approached me, and it went from there.

PND: Can you give us your poker background?

Lane: I first learned about poker from my little brother. We watched it on television and any time I hung out with him, I had to play. Then, I started playing against sports reporters in a weekly game. I got pretty good really fast. I would play every week in college, read books, watch it on television, and ended up playing in a charity tournament during the Sundance Film Festival. Jamie Gold was there giving lessons, so I sat down and got a lesson from him. Paul Wasicka and Todd Brunson were also there. I made it to the final table and finished fifth.

PND: Did you get any advice from Gold?

Lane: I didn’t know much at the time. There were three tables left and he told me to go all-in with the next best hand I got. I picked up K-K and Jamie was sitting at my table. I pushed all-in, Jamie looked at me, and said he’d fold. After that, everyone at the table gave me respect.

PND: How is “Inside Deal” compiled before it debuts on ESPN.com? What work goes into it?

Lane: Andrew Feldman, the Poker Editor for ESPN.com, has good judgment when it comes to news stories. Bernard is the poker pro and has interviewed a lot of the players before. We talk about what stories are good for the week and, ultimately, our producer makes the call on what airs.

PND: The chemistry between Bernard Lee and you seems to be pretty strong. Tell us about working with one of poker’s top minds.

Lane: He’s one of the nicest guys ever. We had a phone conversation before we ever met while he was in Hawaii. I read his blog back in 2005 when he had a deep run in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and had a lot of questions for him about that. We’re both passionate and it’s nice working with someone who cares so much about the show. We keep talking about how we need a Sunday night game together because we shoot the show on Mondays. We had a barbeque after last week’s show and like hanging out with other.

PND: Has working on “Inside Deal” improved your own game?

Lane: I haven’t tested it out since we started filming the show. However, I’ve been learning so many tips that I probably should have known before, which will help undoubtedly me.

PND: Is it intimidating interviewing poker’s elite like Barry Greenstein, Chris Moneymaker, and Dennis Phillips?

Lane: Bernard has played with everyone, so he doesn’t get intimidated. Andrew has interviewed all of the top players. I’ve interviewed Jamie Gold and wrote articles for All In Magazine when it existed. I interviewed Greg Raymer when I was in college. I’ve interview A-list celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Kanye West, so I’m pretty comfortable.

PND: What feedback have you received from the show from friends, family, and co-workers who have watched it?

Lane: My little sister is honest. She’ll say, “Your hair looks better when it’s half up” and comment on my looks more than anything. Other people give me constructive tips. My mom says she doesn’t understand what we’re talking about. I went over to a friend’s house and they hadn’t seen it yet, so we watched it. They all wanted to know how I did it. Some of my friends are baffled by it.

PND: “Inside Deal” is slated to run weekly until the WSOP Main Event final table in November. What do you foresee beyond that?

Lane: The Main Event is the Super Bowl of poker, but there are so many different tournaments throughout the year. A show like ours could go year-round, but we’ll have to wait and see.

PND: Is there a market for a poker show like “Inside Deal” on television?

Lane: I really hope so. Poker is constantly growing and there are more people interested in it than ever before. People watch repeats of it over and over on networks like ESPN. The market is definitely strong. I would hope that in the next year or so, a show like ours is on television.

Lock Poker Signs Nine Players, Promotes Eric Lynch to VP

Officials at the Cake Poker Network room Lock Poker have made a splash in the last week, signing nine of the game’s top players. In addition, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Eric Lynch (Rizen) has become the site’s Vice President of Product Development.

Among the new additions to Lock Poker is World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Jason Young, who earned his coveted piece of hardware by taking down the $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Shootout last year. Joining him will be Mike “goleafsgoeh” Leah, who sits at #6 on CardPlayer’s 2009 Player of the Year standings. Last month, Leah won a $1,000 buy-in tournament held during the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza for $119,000. In March, Leah won the challenging $100 rebuy on Full Tilt Poker for $42,000.

Matt “All In At 420” Stout joins the roster of Lock Poker. Stout is one of the world’s top online poker players and won the PokerStars Sunday 500 in December for $105,000. Stout owns a WSOP Circuit Event gold ring, having taken down a $500 buy-in tournament held at Caesars Atlantic City in early 2008 for $59,000. Joseph “JOEYTHEB” Brooks and Kyle “kwob20” Bowker will also sign with Lock Poker. In 2006, Bowker became the first player ever to win two PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) titles in the same year. Incidentally, neither win came in a Hold’em tournament; Bowker won a $530 buy-in Seven Card Stud High-Low event and a $530 buy-in Omaha High-Low contest.

Also making their way to the popular online poker site are Lee Childs and Jonathan Jaffe. The latter finished as the runner-up in the 2008 World Poker Finals, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT), for $670,000 in an event won by Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little. Childs took seventh in the 2007 WSOP Main Event. Over the weekend, Poker News Daily learned that David Zeitlin and Vinny Pahuja will sign with Lock Poker. Pahuja finished 10th in the 2008 CardPlayer Player of the Year race.

On becoming Lock Poker’s Vice President of Product Development, Lynch told Poker News Daily, “It was something we had been talking about for a long time. We had been talking about it from the beginning and I’m excited that it’s a reality.” For Lynch, the sense of responsibility harkens back to his profession prior to becoming a full-time poker player. He explained, “I had an opportunity to do some similar things back before I was a poker player in the corporate IT world, but never with something that I was this passionate about.”

Lynch is looking forward to working with the star-studded group of players that includes WSOP bracelet and ring winners, Sunday Major champions, and some of the top minds the game has to offer. He remarked, “They’re all amazing players with different strengths and talents, ranging from bracelet winners to younger guys with a bright future. It’s going to be a great mix of skills and personalities to utilize moving forward.” Lynch added that Lock Poker officials are dedicated to tailoring the room to its players.

No specific promotions were announced to coincide with the signings. However, Lynch forecasted, “We’re trying to do some things that are truly unique in the poker industry with our promotions.” The Cake Poker Network is the 10th largest worldwide in terms of real money ring game traffic, according to PokerScout.com. It boasts a seven-day running average of 1,500 cash game players and a 24-hour peak of 2,230. On the Network, players from Lock Poker battle against customers from sites like Cake Poker, DoylesRoom, Players Only, and Poker Host.

Inside Deal Debuts on ESPN.com, Features Chris Moneymaker

On Tuesday, the first installment of Inside Deal premiered on ESPN.com, hosted by Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN The Magazine contributor Laura Lane. The first 30 minute episode to air featured an appearance by 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker.

Inside Deal is presented by PokerStars.net, whose logo appears on virtually all on-screen graphics. In addition, the site aired two Americas Cup of Poker commercials and one traditional television ad. The opening segment of ESPN.com’s Inside Deal began with Lane asking Lee what Moneymaker’s real last name is. Moneymaker joined the duo and responded, “You don’t know that I changed it in 2003? It’s Berman.” Chris Berman is known to many ESPN fans as one of the original anchors of the SportsCenter franchise.

The set of Inside Deal is similar in feel to SportsCenter and makes its home at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. Poker news took center stage to open the show and featured a preview of 2009 WSOP Main Event final table. On November Nine member Phil Ivey’s legacy, Lee commented, “I think this will cement his legacy that started back in his days in Atlantic City.” Then, attention turned to CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman’s comments that he’d trash the Main Event bracelet should he win. Lee retorted, “He has the right to say whatever he wants, but he should be acting more like a poker ambassador.”

Other news focused on the sellout of Day 1D of the 2009 WSOP Main Event and over 500 players being unable to enter poker’s most prestigious tournament. Lee explained, “Poker players are known procrastinators,” and offered up several solutions to prevent the problem from occurring in 2010. Talk of a Rounders sequel also permeated the Inside Deal news segment, as did the results of the PokerStars Sunday Million, complete with an on-screen graphic showing paydays from a three-way chop.

Moneymaker then joined Lee and Lane and discussed his recent success in Omaha. Moneymaker explained, “It’s hard to find myself playing Hold’em anymore.” He was then asked whether it’d be better for the game if an amateur or pro won the 2009 Main Event. Moneymaker commented, “To have Ivey come back and win it would be great for poker.” Moneymaker recalled his Main Event satellite win on PokerStars. Curiously, he was actually trying to finish fourth in the qualifier to take home $8,000 in cash. The top three spots paid Main Event seats, but Moneymaker was about $8,000 in debt. Nevertheless, he wound up winning the Main Event and igniting the modern poker boom.

Moneymaker also discussed how the play of amateurs has evolved since 2003. The champion explained that the game has become considerably more aggressive: “There was no such thing as a 4bet in 2003. If you were 4bet, it was aces or kings.” He also fielded a question from a viewer in Hershey, Pennsylvania about how to play suited connectors. Moneymaker explained, “Keep the pots small pre-flop” and “Don’t commit more than 5% of your stack pre-flop.”

ESPN Poker Editor Andrew Feldman joined the show to discuss who would appear on the Mount Rushmore of Poker. Moneymaker offered up the quartet of Jack Binion, Doyle Brunson, hole card camera inventor Henry Orenstein, and either Stu Ungar or Chip Reese. Lee made cases for Binion, Brunson, Ungar, and Moneymaker, while Feldman argued that Reese, Johnny Chan, and Phil Hellmuth should also be in the conversation.

An unaired hand from the WSOP Champions Invitational was reviewed. In it, 1983 Main Event Champion Tom McEvoy raised to 6,000 pre-flop with K-10 of clubs. 2002 winner Robert Varkonyi re-raised to 18,000 with pocket fives. McEvoy made the call to see the flop come 6-7-J. Varkonyi shoved all-in and McEvoy quickly mucked, leaving Feldman to comment that Vakonyi’s actions represented “a bold move on a scary flop.” Lee and Moneymaker gave analysis of the hand, which did not air as part of Tuesday night’s ESPN telecast of the Champions Invitational. McEvoy ultimately won the tournament, taking home a vintage Corvette and the Binion Cup.

Finally, Moneymaker was “under the gun” as part of a rapid-fire question and answer segment. Moneymaker revealed that he made $250 online during the car ride up to Bristol and his favorite tournament is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas. He noted that, while moving from Nashville to Memphis, he lost his Main Event bracelet for two years, but it now sits in a box in his closet. He also discussed his craziest fan experience, his best chip trick, and the starting hand that gives him the most trouble (pocket jacks).

Inside Deal is posted every Tuesday on ESPN.com.

ESPN.com Poker Show Inside Deal to Debut Tuesday

The web-only poker show “Inside Deal” will make its debut on ESPN.com on Tuesday. Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee hosts “Inside Deal” and its premiere features 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker.

ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman and ESPN The Magazine Columnist Laura Lane will flank Lee, who told Poker News Daily that he is looking forward to “Inside Deal” premiering on Tuesday: “This is a show that is needed in the industry and it’s unique in its time. It’s going to be a solid show with ESPN production value. It’s really going to start setting the standard for poker shows.” “Inside Deal” will be rolled out weekly on Tuesdays for three months, culminating with the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in November.

Poker fans will be able to submit questions to “Inside Deal’s” hosts and guests through mediums like e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. A press release distributed by Lee’s publicist notes, “Fans will also be given an exclusive chance to participate in a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will experience the November Nine in a unique way.” Lee plans to interview as many of the final nine in the WSOP Main Event as possible and told Poker News Daily, “Moneymaker is going to be our first guest, which is always a draw. Our host, Laura Lane, is an up-and-coming journalist. She’s really good and people will be very surprised.” Moneymaker’s monumental win in the 2003 Main Event over poker veteran Sammy Farha helped propel the game into the global phenomenon that it is today.

“Inside Deal” is sponsored by PokerStars.net and will focus on the lifestyle of poker players in addition to in-depth interviews, breaking news, and the latest tournament recaps. Despite “Inside Deal” debuting in an online-only format on ESPN.com, Lee believes that the table is set for a recurring televised poker show on the cable network: “With everything that goes on in poker, there is news every week. During the WSOP and leading up to the November Nine, there’s absolutely a market for this to be on television. There is an audience out there. Look at how many people watched last year’s Main Event. A live poker series would be a good lead-in to future ESPN shows.”

Lee hosts the “Bernard Lee Poker Show” weekly on RoundersRadio.com and 1510 AM The Zone in his native Boston. He is a poker columnist for ESPN.com and the Boston Herald whose book “The Final Table” can be found on the shelves of industry enthusiasts around the world. Lee stormed onto the poker scene in 2005, when he finished 13th in the Main Event for $400,000. He recorded two final tables in WSOP Circuit Events in early 2008, including a fourth place effort in the Horseshoe Council Bluffs Championship for $37,000. He also finished as the runner-up to Dale Robinson in a $1,060 buy-in preliminary tournament at Caesars Indiana for $40,000. He is currently an instructor for the WSOP Academy.

In the eyes of many, Lee’s most impressive feat was winning tournaments held during the Foxwoods World Poker Finals three straight years between 2006 and 2008. He won a $4,800 buy-in event in 2006 for $368,000, a $1,850 buy-in event in 2007 for $239,000, and a $530 buy-in event in 2008 for $22,000. Lee is a staple at live poker tournaments across the East Coast. “The Final Table Volume 2” debuted in December in time for the holiday season amid resounding fanfare. The book chronicles hands from his Boston Herald newspaper column of the same name from 2007 to mid-2008.

We’ll have full coverage of the debut episode of “Inside Deal” right here on Poker News Daily.

Barney Frank’s Internet Gambling Bill Breaks 50 Co-Sponsors

This week saw Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, officially break 50 co-sponsors. The bill establishes a complete licensing and regulatory framework for internet gambling outfits to solicit U.S. customers.

The addition of two Congressmen officially pushed the support to over 50 co-sponsors. On July 27th, just a few days removed from the conclusion of National Poker Week, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) lent his name to the bill to become co-sponsor #50. One day later, Congressman Dan Maffei (D-NY) joined on. Flanking Thompson and Maffei are Congressmen from both sides of the aisle. Each has come out to support legalizing the internet gambling industry in the United States and reaping tax revenue in return. Here is a full list of HR 2267’s co-sponsors, as given by the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI), along with the political party each belongs to (Democrat or Republican):

Alaska
Don Young (R)

Arizona
Raul Grijalva (D)

California
Michael Thompson (D)
George Miller (D)
Michael Honda (D)
Linda Sanchez (D)
Bob Filner (D)

Colorado
Jared Polis (D)
Ed Perlmutter (D)

Connecticut
Joe Courtney (D)

Florida
Robert Wexler  (D)
Alcee Hastings (D)

Hawaii
Neil Abercrombie (D)

Idaho
Walt Minnick (D)

Illinois
Luis Gutierrez (D)
Bill Foster (D)

Indiana
Andre Carson (D)

Massachusetts
James McGovern (D)
Barney Frank (D)
Michael Capuano (D)
William Delahunt (D)

Michigan
John Conyers (D)

Nevada
Shelley Berkley (D)

New Hampshire
Paul Hodes (D)

New Jersey
Robert Andrews (D)
Frank LoBiondo (R)
John Adler (D)
Steven Rothman (D)

New York
Tim Bishop (D)
Steve Israel (D)
Peter King (R)
Carolyn McCarthy (D)
Gary Ackerman (D)
Joseph Crowley (D)
Jerrold Nadler (D)
Edolphus Towns (D)
Mike McMahon (D)
Charles Rangel (D)
Paul Tonko (D)

North Carolina
Melvin Watt (D)

Ohio
Steve Driehaus (D)
Tim Ryan (D)

Oregon
Earl Blumenauer (D)

Tennessee
Steve Cohen (D)

Texas
Ron Paul (R)
Ciro Rodriguez (D)

Virginia
Bobby Scott (D)
Tom Perriello (D)
James Moran (D)

Washington
Jim McDermott (D)

HR 2046, introduced during the last Congressional session and labeled the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, garnered 48 co-sponsors. Frank unveiled it to the world in April of 2007, but it was not acted upon. The new version forbids gambling on any event that would violate the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. However, Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas noted during National Poker Week that sports leagues are seeking clearer language in the bill. He explained, “Changes need to be made to explicitly outlaw sports betting.”

HR 2266 was introduced on May 6th, the same day as HR 2267, and calls for industry compliance with the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to be delayed by one year to December 1st, 2010. The measure is dubbed the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act and is up to 32 co-sponsors. On its sister bill reaching the milestone 50th co-sponsor, SSIGI spokesperson Jeff Sandman commented in a press release, “Reaching this milestone illustrates that momentum is growing for a shift in U.S. policy and a rewrite of U.S. internet gambling laws. We also expect an increased spotlight on internet gambling as a way to augment federal revenues and help cover the cost of necessary policy initiatives.”

During a Fly-In orchestrated by the PPA as part of National Poker Week, over 100 meetings were held with Congressmen and their staffs from around the United States. Attendees included 33 PPA State Directors and a handful of poker’s elite, including Poker News Daily Guest Columnists Annie Duke and Linda Johnson, PokerStars pros Dennis Phillips and Greg Raymer, Full Tilt Poker pros Andy Bloch and Howard Lederer, and online poker sensations Chris “Fox” Wallace and Jordan “iMsoLucky0” Morgan.

Over 375,000 concerned players signed an online poker petition, which was presented to U.S. President Barack Obama last week. In addition, nearly 200,000 letters and e-mails were sent to Representatives and Senators during National Poker Week. The PPA’s Randy Law admitted that just 80,000 were sent during the entire 2008 calendar year. The organization currently has over 1.2 million members after boasting only 50,000 in mid-2006.

ESPN to launch a new Poker show

ESPN will be offering more poker coverage than just the $40.000 No-Limit Hold’em, Ante up for Africa and the Main Event this year as they will broadcast totally new web-only poker show called the ESPN Inside Deal. The show is presented by PokerStars and will have its debut on August 4 on espn.com.

-Moneymaker on the move

Chris Moneymaker will be the first guest on the show which will give the poker fans a behind the scenes look at poker lifestyle and the whole poker scene. Other confirmed guests will include Daniel Negreanu and Joe Hachem.

The show is hosted by ESPN The Magazine’s Laura Lane, professional player and ESPN.com columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN.com poker editor Andrew Feldman.

During the three months of the series, fans will be able to see the completion of the WSOP Main Event final table. There will be interviews and analyzes of each member of the November Nine as well. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in the show by submitting questions to their favorite pro players. Fans will also have an exclusive chance to participate in a sweepstakes where one winner will experience the November Nine in a unique way.

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

ESPN to launch a new Poker show

ESPN confirms online poker show

On Wednesday ESPN confirmed they will be airing a new web-only poker show called the
ESPN Inside Deal.

The show, which is presented by PokerStars.net, will debut on Aug. 4 on ESPN.com. It will give poker fans a behind the scenes look at poker lifestyle.

Inside Deal will be hosted by ESPN the Magazine contributor Laura Lane, pro player and ESPN.com columnist Bernard Lee and ESPN.com poker editor Andrew Feldman.

The three month series will conclude with the completion of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table and along the way they will interview and analyze each member of the November Nine. Poker fans will also get to watch never-before seen hands and features from the WSOP broadcasts.

Throughout the series fans will have the opportunity to submit questions to their favorite professional poker players through email, Twitter and Facebook. Fans will also be given an exclusive chance to participate in a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will experience the November Nine in a unique way.

2003 WSOP Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker will be the first featured guest for the show. One of the most well-known figures in poker Moneymaker parlayed a $39 satellite win on PokerStars into a $10,000 Main Event seat and eventually the $2.5 million for first place. Many poker pundits speculate that Moneymaker was responsible for the poker boom and this has since been termed the "Moneymaker effect."

Other featured players for Inside Deal will include Daniel Negreanu and Joseph Hachem.

Visit PokerListings.com

PPA Files Amicus Brief Motion in Online Poker Funds Seizure

Just before heading to the nation’s capital for National Poker Week, representatives of the 1.2 million member strong Poker Players Alliance (PPA) were hard at work drafting a motion to file an amicus brief for the lawsuit by Account Services to recoup $13 million in online poker player funds.

The money was seized at the beginning of June under direction of the Southern District of New York. As the primary representative of players, the PPA filed a motion to submit an amicus brief in the case in order to prove that poker is a game of skill and, therefore, should be treated separately under the law. PPA Executive Director John Pappas, who served as the master of ceremonies at a charity poker tournament benefiting the USO of Metropolitan Washington on Tuesday night, commented in a press release, “As the voice of online poker players, PPA should be granted the opportunity to provide evidence and legal briefings on why online poker is a game of predominant skill and not considered illegal gambling under the law.”

The PPA’s motion to file an amicus brief reads, “If the Government is successful in seizing the funds at issue here… PPA members’ ability to continue to play online poker without fear that the funds they use to play poker will be unlawfully seized will be greatly impacted.” The document asserts that Account Services, which allegedly processed funds destined for online poker players, “is not in the best position to present arguments and evidence as to why poker is a game of skill and thus not prohibited under federal or state law.”

The motion for return of property by Account Services was filed on July 10th. It declares that “the majority” of funds seized belonged to law-abiding online poker players, that online poker is not illegal gambling, that the company will suffer “irreparable harm” if the $13 million is not returned, and that its Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights were violated. The funds in question were held in a Wells Fargo branch in Escondido, California and a Union Bank branch in San Diego. The Union Bank funds were seized without a warrant, which was ultimately filed 12 days later.

The PPA has been involved in several court cases at the state level arguing that poker is a game of skill. Rulings in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and South Carolina have overwhelmingly declared that poker is predominated by skill, a sentiment that PPA State Directors from around the country took to Capitol Hill as part of National Poker Week. Their efforts were effective, as Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) told online poker forum PocketFives.com in an exclusive interview, “Poker is a sport of skill. If you don’t believe that, you need to watch some of the tournaments on television and understand that these are very talented people. They can win a hand with a lot worse cards than anybody else. It is a game of skill and not just what cards fall.”

Among those who participated in poker trials around the United States was World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton. In South Carolina, Sexton came armed with video footage from WPT tournaments showing how the process of betting and bluffing took down pots. University of Denver Statistics Professor Robert Hannum presented the results of a joint study by Cigital and PokerStars revealing that 75% of 103 million hands did not go to showdown. Of the remaining 25% of pots, the player who held the best five card hand only won 50% of the time.

The PPA’s motion was filed in the Southern District Court of California. Its submission notes, “The Department of Justice has informed the PPA that it takes no position on the PPA’s application at this time.” We’ll have updates as they become available right here on Poker News Daily.

Linda Johnson on National Poker Week, Pentagon Visit

As part of National Poker Week, Tournament Directors Association Co-Founder and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson lived the high life in Washington, DC. She received a guided tour of the Pentagon and took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Arlington National Cemetery. Johnson relived her travels with Poker News Daily.

Poker News Daily: Tell us about your Pentagon visit this afternoon.

Johnson: The Pentagon was one of the highlights of my life. I got to have lunch with Brigadier General Sandy Dittig, who is one of the top-ranking females in the military. She invited us to go to the executive dining room at the Pentagon. It was incredible service and a great atmosphere. When we sat down, they had these big plates that said “U.S. Army” on them. It was very fancy and very nice.

After that, she took us on a tour through the halls of the Pentagon and pointed out several department heads and we got to visit some of their offices. Then, we went to the 9/11 memorial and she gave us a tour of Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They actually saluted her when they came out for the changing of the guard. We found out all of the protocols on who has to salute who. Since she’s so high-ranking, they have to salute her. Until she salutes back, they have to continue to salute. You can really mess with someone if you want.

PND: Refresh our memory as to how you met Dittig.

Johnson: We met Sandi last year at a fundraiser for the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Washington, DC. We also met Lt. Colonial Pete Derouin, who gave us a tour of the city at night because our plane left at 3:00am. We saw all of the monuments and it was another incredible evening. We invited them to play in the charity poker tournament this week. Sandi is really not a poker player, but she’s excited. Last night, we played in a private tournament in Washington, DC and they were impressed that we were professional poker players and we were impressed that they were in the military.

PND: Talk about what the pros are doing at the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Fly-In as part of National Poker Week.

Johnson: The pros are at the Fly-In to aid support for the cause of the PPA. We have assignments to meet with some of our legislators and we are going to try to convince them to support HR 2267, which basically is going to regulate online poker. That’s our mission.

PND: Are you looking forward to meeting with Congressmen?

Johnson: I am so excited I can’t stand it. We have actually been role-playing all week. We’ve been practicing our talking points and we’re ready to go.

PND: You’ve probably been practicing with your longtime friend, Jan Fisher. Has she been the Congressman or the pro?

Johnson: She’s been both. My brother, who just learned to play poker a few years ago, is also with us and he’s really excited. He’s a layman who just plays poker part-time. Like we do, he finds it incredible that someone would try to take away our freedom to play online poker. I have friends in Canada who tease me that I’m from the “Land of the Free” and yet we can’t play online poker. That is appalling to me and it’s time to kick some butt on Capitol Hill and get this law overturned.

PND: Has the attendance at National Poker Week been what you thought it would be?

Johnson: I’m pleased to see so many people here. I have met a lot of them at various functions across the country. A lot of the State Directors are friends of mine. It is pretty much what I expected. There’s a lot of buzz and a lot of excitement. Everyone is ready to meet with staffers or Congressmen and let them know what’s on our mind.

Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher Attract Female General to PPA Charity Event

Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson and former World Poker Tour (WPT) statistician Jan Fisher spent Monday during National Poker Week visiting the Pentagon accompanied by Brigadier General, Army National Guard Sandi Dittig. One of the country’s highest-ranking females, Dittig donned civilian attire to play in a charity poker tournament benefiting the USO of Metropolitan Washington.

Playing alongside one of the most influential Army females were around 35 soldiers from nearby Walter Reed Army Medical Center, who, for one night, put their ailments aside for an uplifting game of poker. The electricity was readily apparent in the Ticonderoga Room of the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill when Ivan Neville took to the podium to sing the National Anthem of the United States. The troops in attendance received a 30 second standing ovation from the gathered crowd; many clapped with the masses in salute of their fellow man. It sent shivers up the spines of all who took part in Tuesday’s festivities.

Dittig was one of 150 starters and 30 alternates who took to the felts to raise $35,000 for the USO. She joined brand name players like 2004 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Greg Raymer, “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, former MIT Blackjack Team member Andy Bloch, and talk show host Montel Williams. Right before the “Shuffle up and deal” command was issued, Poker News Daily caught up with Dittig, who, very much like Johnson and Fisher, is a female on top of a male-dominated industry.

Poker News Daily: Tell us about why you came to the PPA charity poker tournament tonight.

Dittig: I’m very happy that the PPA is supporting the USO and paralyzed veterans of America. That’s where my heart and soul is: soldiers who have given so much and have allowed us to come here and play poker in peace and security.

PND: What’s it like being a top female General in today’s Army?

Dittig: It is a great honor. I will tell you that when I was promoted, all I could think about was that there are millions of women across the world who will never have an opportunity for anything in their lives, not in their families, not in their communities, and not within their governments. For me not to seize this opportunity that my government offered me would have been wrong, so I took this star for all of my girlfriends around the world.

PND: Has the reception been positive from your male counterparts?

Dittig: It’s been nothing but supportive. In fact, I have never had an issue in my 24 years of service. I have always been treated with respect. I have had every opportunity to do anything I have ever wanted. Granted, you have to have some thick skin, but I think you need thick skin regardless of what you do in life. Things will evolve with time and I think always for the better. I have no gripes or complaints. The Army has always been very good to me and I’m always happy to serve.

PPA Charity Poker Tournament Raises $35,000 for USO

On Tuesday night as part of National Poker Week, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) held a charity tournament to raise money for the USO of Metropolitan Washington. In the end, the event generated $35,000, including a generous $25,000 donation by the PPA.

The cards were in the air on Tuesday night at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill at 7:00pm ET for a special charity poker tournament sponsored by the PPA benefiting the USO of Metropolitan Washington. A capacity crowd of 150 players turned out as well as 30 alternates who eventually found their way onto the tournament’s tables. Poker pros in attendance included Jan Fisher, Poker News Daily Guest Columnists Linda Johnson and Annie Duke, Full Tilt Poker pros Howard Lederer and Andy Bloch, and PokerStars pros Greg Raymer and Dennis Phillips. Talk show host and 20 year poker veteran Montel Williams also lent his name to the tournament, which was free to enter and featured $100 rebuys.

Ivan Neville kicked off the festivities by signing the National Anthem, while a representative from the USO issued the traditional “Shuffle up and deal” command to begin play. Two tables called for rebuys in the first four minutes of action, while Lederer was responsible for rebuying four times in the first 20 minutes. Many of the pros in attendance financed rebuys for the 35 veterans from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center who played. Each person was issued a starting stack of 10,000 and blinds began at 50-100, escalating every 15 minutes. The price of poker ultimately went up every 10 minutes towards the end of play.

The grand prizes at stake were two round trip tickets to Las Vegas plus a three night stay at Caesars Palace as well as a $1,900 gift certificate to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Academy. Other parting gifts included two autographed Daniel Negreanu poker books, a copy of Microsoft Office, VISA gift cards, Nickelback tickets, a copy of HALO 3, a signed Washington Capitals hockey jersey, a JAQK Cellars package, and two six-inch LCD picture frames. Also awarded to two players were one year subscriptions to the training site PokerXFactor.com. One of its instructors, Chris “Fox” Wallace, played in the event and told Poker News Daily, “We thought it would be a nice thing for the bubble person and the first person eliminated to receive PokerXFactor subscriptions. We wanted to show our appreciation for the people who played and, at the same time, help out the PPA and USO.”

Credit cards and cash were accepted for rebuys. In addition to the poker pros in the Ticonderoga Room, a bevy of Congressmen also turned out. They included Shelley Berkley (D-CA), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), and Xavier Becerra (D-CA). In one pot, Raymer explained the concept of a string bet to tablemates, but folded in the hand when his opponent showed A-J on a rag board. Duke came armed to her table with a stack of $100 bills and told Poker News Daily that she contributed around $1,500 to the cause. Duke and PPA Executive Director John Pappas were seated together, as were PPA Kentucky State Director Rich Muny and Bloch. Phillips and his agent also met as foes at the same table.

Several players had bounties on their heads, including former PokerStars Marketing Director Dan Goldman and tournament emcee Bryan Spadaro, who also serves as the PPA’s Memebrship Director. The Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) funded rebuys for the first 10 players who busted out, while a flurry of exciting hands took place. When five tables remained, Goldman’s pocket kings defeated pocket queens and another player with pocket kings after four diamonds hit the board. Wallace lost a $50 last longer bet with online poker pro Jordan “iMsoLucky0” Morgan after his K-9 suited lost to A-10. The final board included two aces and Wallace was sent to the rails.

All in all, the tournament marked a successful fundraiser for the USO of Metropolitan Washington. For those involved, it represented a unique opportunity to play alongside 35 wounded veterans. After the tournament, Johnson told Poker News Daily that those in uniform hold a “special place in my heart.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from National Poker Week.

Poker News Daily Heads to National Poker Week

Sunday marks the official start of National Poker Week. The seven day affair features a concerted effort calling for the legalization and regulation of online poker in the United States. Poker News Daily will head to the nation’s capital as part of the Week’s Fly-In organized by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

Thirty of the PPA’s State Directors and at least a half-dozen poker pros will be in attendance, meeting with Congressmen and Senators on Capitol Hill. The PPA is targeting both poker-friendly lawmakers and those still on the fence in an effort to drum up support for HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, and HR 2266, the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act. The former establishes a comprehensive licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States, while the latter delays compliance with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by one year.

A message posted on the official website of National Poker Week states, “Join the thousands of poker players from across the country who will raise their voices to help keep America’s most popular game legal during National Poker Week.” State Directors, poker pros, and media from around the United States will check in during the day on Monday to the Fly-In’s official hotel, the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. A panel discussion will be held in the afternoon in Room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The group will be discuss how the industry can be properly regulated and features Wired Safety Executive Director Dr. Parry Aftab, Cigital Vice President Stuart Dross, and a former executive with International Gaming Technology, Paul Matthews.

At 6:00pm on Monday at the Hyatt, a working dinner will be held featuring comments by Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL). A reception precedes dinner. The gala will focus on appropriate talking points for attendees meeting with Congressmen on Tuesday and Wednesday. Poker News Daily will likely have media access to several meetings on Capitol Hill to give our readers an in-depth look at common talking points for conversing with lawmakers. State Directors were given literature outlining discussion points as well as a comprehensive overview of HR 2267, which was introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) in May and boasts 47 co-sponsors.

On Tuesday night, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson, Howard Lederer, and 2008 November Nine member Dennis Phillips will host a charity poker tournament benefiting the USO of Metropolitan Washington. The invitation-only event is free to enter and features $100 rebuys. The PPA is fronting the entire cost of the event and will be making its own donation to the tournament’s benefactor. Prizes for the winners include travel packages and poker tutorials. Poker News Daily will be on-site during the event, which will be held in the Ticonderoga Room of the Hyatt at 7:00pm. Congressional representatives, soldiers, and poker players alike will take to the felts in this unique event.

On Wednesday, continental breakfast will precede meetings with Congressmen. State Directors are encouraged to check out after 5:00pm and then enjoy the city of Washington, DC. The PPA reserved a block of rooms at the Hyatt for the event and, around July 1st, all but a handful were booked in what is expected to be a widely-attended Fly-In. National Poker Week was announced in June as part of a press conference held at the Rio during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

An online poker petition will be presented to President Barack Obama on Wednesday. How it will be given to the Commander in Chief is not yet known, but the petition has attracted 345,000 signatures after clipping the 300,000 mark on July 14th. PPA officials were aiming to eclipse 500,000 signatures by Monday.

Look for updates from National Poker Week in the next few days right here on Poker News Daily.

Kenna James Wins Dream Team Poker WSOP Event

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

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

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

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

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

The top individual finishers at the Rio were as follows:

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

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

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

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

Nominees Announced for Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009

Public nominations for the 2009 Poker Hall of Fame class closed on July 2nd. One week later during the off-day of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, the Top 10 nominees were announced.

The criteria for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame are as follows: “A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition, played for high stakes, played consistently well, gained the respect of peers, [and] stood the test of time. For non-players, [they must] contribute to the overall growth and success of the game of poker with indelible positive and lasting results.” The 2008 class included three-time WSOP bracelet winner Dewey Tomko, who first recorded a cash in poker’s most prestigious tournament series 30 years ago. Inducted along with Tomko was hole card camera inventor and WSOP bracelet winner Henry Orenstein.

Two players that online poker sites fiercely lobbied for lead this year’s nominating class: Mike Sexton and Tom McEvoy. Sexton earned a WSOP bracelet 20 years ago by virtue of taking down a $1,500 buy-in Limit Seven Card Stud High-Low event for $104,000. He is going on his eighth season as voice of the World Poker Tour (WPT) alongside Vince Van Patten. Sexton’s easy-to-understand analysis of the game led many of today’s top players to try their hand.

The Poker News Daily Guest Columnist is an ambassador and Card Room Manager for PartyPoker. Site spokesman Warren Lush told Poker News Daily, “I’m absolutely delighted to see Sexton on the list. He showed he’s the ambassador of poker by helping rectify the problems on Day 1D of the Main Event. Sometimes when you have public votes, they can go any way.”

PokerStars lobbied for McEvoy to be inducted. The four-time WSOP bracelet winner recently took down the Champions Invitational, a tournament that will be beamed into households across the United States on ESPN. McEvoy won the 1983 WSOP Main Event, defeating a challenging final table that included Doyle Brunson and Rod Peate. He has over 20 Top 10 finishes in WSOP tournaments and authored a bevy of poker literature including “How to Win No Limit Hold’em Tournaments” and “Championship Hold’em.”

Others who will be considered for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame include Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Barry Greenstein, “Action” Dan Harrington, Phil Ivey, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, and Erik Seidel. Of that esteemed group, Seidel leads the way with eight WSOP bracelets and Scotty Nguyen owns the most career WSOP earnings at $4.7 million. Now, the fate of the Top 10 nominees lies in the hands of 15 media personnel and 15 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame. I am proud to be one of the group that will select the 2009 induction class.

A total of 41 players and personalities received nominations and are still eligible to be inducted in future years. Among those receiving votes, but falling outside of the Top 10, were poker authors Mike Caro and David Sklansky. Caro has seven WSOP in the money finishes to his name spread out over a 26 year period. He’s the author of “Mike Caro’s Book of Poker Tells” and “Caro’s Fundamental Secrets of Winning Poker.” Sklansky authored such poker gems as “Theory of Poker,” “Tournament Poker for Advanced Players,” and “No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice.” He also owns three WSOP bracelets.

Others receiving votes included Durrrr Challenge participant Patrik Antonius, ESPN commentator Norman Chad, 2008 WSOP November Nine member Ivan Demidov, “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, European Poker Tour (EPT) Founder John Duthie, 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker, and popular tournament director Matt Savage. In addition, the public also cast votes for Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, and Stu Ungar, who are already enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame.

The Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will be inducted in November during the final table of the WSOP Main Event.

607 Players Survive WSOP Main Event Day 2A

Day 2A of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event began with 1,478 players, compared with the 2,922 prepared to play on Day 2B. However, it ended with only 607 survivors.

Andrew Gaw, from the Philippines, was the overall chip leader at the end of the night with 386,000, while Eric Cloutier is right on his heels with 383,000. Amazingly, Cloutier began play with only 15,000 chips after a clerical error that reported him as being the chip leader after Day 1A. It has been confirmed this time that the former professional hockey player is near the top of the leaderboard after going on an unimaginable rush on Day 2A.

Several big names advanced to Day 3, including former world champions Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, and Carlos Mortensen. Other bracelet winners moving on were Greg “FBT” Mueller, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton, Thor Hansen, Vitaly Lunkin, Burt Boutin, Tom Schneider, Sam Farha, Farzad Rouhani, Erik Seidel, Bill Edler, Ted Lawson, and Roland de Wolfe.

Mueller has the most chips of any former bracelet winner heading into Day 3. He won two bracelets at this year’s WSOP and finished the day with a stack of 287,000. Both of his wins came in Limit Hold’em and combined for more than $650,000. Poker pro Kyle Wilson, a good friend of Mueller’s, ended the day with 306,000.

Notable celebrities who resumed play on Day 2A included actor and comedian Jason Alexander, world famous cricket player Shane Warne, actor and comedian Brad Garrett, and music manager Rene Angelil. Alexander, seated with Greg Raymer on the ESPN featured table for all of Tuesday, joins Warne as the only survivors of that group heading into Day 3.

With more than half of the field disappearing on Tuesday, there were several prominent names sent home. One of the first was Gus Hansen, who was unable to repeat his deep run in the Main Event last year. Hansen got his entire stack in on the turn with the nut straight against an opponent’s set of threes, but the board paired on the river to give the other player a full house and eliminate Hansen.

Others sent home early on Day 1A were former two-time Main Event champion Johnny Chan, Tony G, Barry Greenstein, Todd Brunson, John “World” Hennigan, Mike Matusow, and Amarillo Slim.

A horde of cameras and media members made their way over to Phil Laak’s table when his tournament was on the line during the second level of the day. A short-stacked Laak moved all-in with Q-9 and was called by a player with pocket eights. After Laak spiked a Queen on the flop, his opponent made a flush on the river to send him to the rail. Laak’s girlfriend, actress Jennifer Tilly, also made her exit on Day 1A.

Here’s a look at some notables who advanced to Day 3 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event:

Greg ‘FBT’ Mueller - 287,300
Andy Black - 215,700
Mike Sexton - 169,000
Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi - 166,400
Vitaly Lunkin - 135,900
Tom Schneider - 123,700
Joe Sebok - 122,800
Greg Raymer - 95,900
Jason Alexander - 73,700
Farzad Rouhani - 70,000
Sam Farha - 67,500
Carlos Mortensen - 57,900
Bill Edler - 57,300
Erik Seidel - 55,600
Roland de Wolfe - 21,200

Day 2B will get underway at Noon Pacific Time on Wednesday. Troy Weber holds an overwhelming lead over the rest of the field with 353,000 chips; no other player has hit the 200,000 mark. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for updates on all of today’s happenings at the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

iPhone 3G S Brings High-Powered Poker Applications

With the release of the new iPhone 3G S, poker players are more excited than ever about the robust hardware and internet features of this amazing device.  There are many poker resources available with the iPhone, including podcasts, training videos, and other applications.

Accessing the iTunes Store will reveal a ton of programs that mainly focus on playing poker against the computer or other players in a play money format.  For many, this is a fun way of satisfying their poker craving on the road or at home, as the application is available for those on the 3G network or connected to the internet via Wifi.  Zynga’s Live Poker 40k is one of the most popular iPhone applications and, at $2.99, the price is easy to swallow.  In terms of games like this that allow you to play live opponents or a friend in the same room, there are literally too many to mention.

For those of you who like to play at home, a fun application might be Poker Tournament Manager, which will turn your iPhone into a command center for your home game. It organizes buy-ins, blind levels, and even monitors performances from tournament to tournament.  This handy application is only $4.99.  You can also find a familiar-sounding application called Poker Tracker (not related to the online tracking tool) that allows you to enter in your progress in live games and save it to your phone.

Also, check out three applications from PokerCruncher: Hold’em Odds Quizzer ($1.99), PokerCruncher ($4.99), and Poker Odds Teacher ($0.99).  The first application is a slick quiz program that helps test players judge equity ranges in a wide variety of Hold’em situations, both pre- and post-flop.  PokerCruncher is basically PokerStove for the iPhone and the Poker Odds Teacher is a great refresher (or introductory) program for learning poker odds.

Podcasts have been all the rage the last few years in getting quality content out to users in a cheap and easy method.  Simply record your podcast (either video or audio), submit it free to iTunes, and people will be able to hear your message.  Full Tilt Poker offers podcasts that center on tips from the pros.  ESPN might have the best podcast around with Phil Gordon and acclaimed columnist Andrew Feldman.  The show constantly has A-list guests for insightful and interesting discussion.  Sites like PocketFives.com also offer up podcasts related to online poker every week.  Since podcasts are almost universally free, they are highly accessible for users.

Many poker training sites including Stox Poker and Deuces Cracked now offer iPhone editions of their popular training videos.  Instead of watching the best training money can buy while at your computer, you can load up the video onto your iPhone and watch it on your lunch break at work.

Given that podcasts, training videos, and applications are available, the technology suggests that the iPhone is ready for poker rooms.  Any site is free to develop an iPhone application.  Cake Poker already has a platform available for the Windows Mobile operating system that lets players play for real money.  Since the iPhone 3G (now $99) and the new iPhone 3G S ($199 and $299) both access the speedy 3G internet network for low-end DSL speeds, there’s no doubt that the hardware and internet capabilities can handle an application to allow people to play poker.

The holdup, as evidenced by feedback from Cake Poker software developers on their feedback forums, are the restrictions that Apple places on applications submitted to their store.  At this point in time, poker rooms believe that Apple would not approve such an application and, therefore, it isn’t worth the time and resources to build.  Once the legal climate is cleared up in the United States, there’s little doubt that all of the major poker rooms would immediately begin production on free iPhone applications to let players battle for real money.  In the meantime, we have plenty of wonderful goodies in the iTunes App Store along with videos and podcasts to satisfy our poker bug.

Alex Bolotin Wins WSOP Ante Up for Africa; Mike Tyson Enters

The 2009 installment of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa charity tournament brought out Hollywood’s elite and poker’s biggest names. In the end, Alex “Diesel” Boloton emerged victorious, winning $176,000 and donating half of his earnings to the ENOUGH Project and International Rescue Committee.

A total of 137 players took to the felts inside the Amazon Room for the Ante Up for Africa event, one of four tournaments that will be televised as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP. In 2007, the charity gala attracted 167 runners, while just 88 turned out last year. Prior to the festivities kicking off on Thursday, Ante Up for Africa Co-Founder and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke told reporters, “I knew how effective poker was as a fundraising tool. However, you can throw as much money at a problem as you want, but ESPN will help get awareness of things going on.” The Celebrity Apprentice runner-up added, “Poker players know how fortunate they are. We have a different view of money and what money is for. A lot of poker players are very socially responsible.”

A red carpet entrance preceded the festivities, with a bevy of stars lending their names to the $5,000 buy-in charity event. Among the first entrants down the red carpet was “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Brad Garrett, who told reporters that he’d want his tombstone to read, “I could smell it from here.” Following Garrett was former professional basketball star and current NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who explained that he was frustrated after poor performances in the Ante Up for Africa event over the past two years. He told People Magazine that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring Shaquille O’Neal was “a really good pickup.”

WSOP bracelet winner Jason Mercier, fresh off inking a sponsorship agreement with PokerStars, explained, “This feels really weird. I’m here with celebrities and stars of the poker world.” When asked what celebrity he ogled the most, Mercier responded, “Charles Barkley – I watched him play basketball since I was a little kid.” Mercier then joked, “Watch me take this down.” Others who followed Mercier down the red carpet included comedian Sarah Silverman, NBA on TNT analyst Kenny Smith, actor Dean Cain, “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander, Ben Affleck, “Rounders” star Matt Damon, and rapper Nelly.

One of the surprise turnouts to the 2009 WSOP Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament was legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who has recently gained a cult following as a result of his cameo in the box office blockbuster “The Hangover.” Tyson told Poker News Daily that he does not regularly play poker, but was looking forward to competing. A tiger did not accompany him down the red carpet. Media outlets in attendance included US Weekly, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the L.A. Times, ABC Radio, the Hollywood Reporter, the Associated Press, and a variety of local television stations and Hollywood photo services.

Poker’s elite dominated the final standings, with Rafe Furst, Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, Steve Zolotow, and Ultimate Bet pro Matt “mattg1983” Graham all making the money. Other poker stars that turned out included 2008 WSOP Main Event Last Woman Standing Tiffany Michelle, Andy Bloch, Brandon Cantu, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Barry Greenstein, Greg Raymer, Robert Williamson III, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Peter Eastgate, and Victor Ramdin.

The tournament ran for 10 hours, about twice as long as WSOP officials had estimated prior to the event. At the end of the day, $362,000 was raised for charity. The top 10 finishers were as follows:

1. Alex Bolotin - $176,449
2. Adam Richardson - $109,194
3. Rafe Furst - $72,308
4. Erik Seidel - $51,601
5. Chris Ferguson - $38,550
6. Phil Gordon - $30,760
7. John Hennigan - $25,900
8. Matt Kay - $22,970
9. Jennifer Harman - $21,439
10. Phillip Tom - $15,713

Poker Players Alliance Announces National Poker Week

Mark your calendars now for the first ever National Poker Week, which kicks off on July 19th and runs through the 25th. The grassroots initiative is the brainchild of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the industry’s one million member strong lobbying force.

The PPA unveiled National Poker Week at a press conference on Monday inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The gala featured Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV), whose Internet Gambling Study Bill was introduced during the 110th Congress, but failed to be marked up by the House Judiciary Committee. Also in attendance were PPA Chairman and former three-term Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and Tournament Directors Association Co-Founder Linda Johnson, and 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer. Following the press conference, Berkley issued the “Shuffle Up and Deal” command to start play in the Amazon Room.

PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily about Monday’s press conference announcing the initiative: “I thought it went very well. Shelley Berkley was magnificent with her command for the issue and stated why it’s important for poker players to get involved in a meaningful way. She explained that the poker community should rally around the initiatives that the PPA is putting forth in order to make sure that legislation like Barney Frank’s bill will get passed.” Frank has two measures in Congress: HR 2267 establishes a licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. HR 2266 delays the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) from being implemented for one year to December 1st, 2010.

The PPA will fly in of over 30 of its State Directors to Washington, D.C. as part of National Poker Week. While in the nation’s capital, the State Directors will meet with their elected officials to pitch support for legislation like HR 2266 and HR 2267. In addition, the crew will deliver a petition to U.S. President Barack Obama calling for exemption of poker from the UIGEA. Over 10,000 concerned players have signed the virtual poker petition, which will be delivered on July 22nd. It opens with a simple statement regarding the rights of poker players: “I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the Internet.” In order to sign the petition, a person’s first name, last name, e-mail address, and mailing address are required. As I wrote this paragraph, 20 players have lent their names.

Professional poker players slated to be part of the event include Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson, and 2008 November Nine member Dennis Phillips. On July 21st, a charity poker tournament benefiting the United Service Organizations (USO) and the Malone House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center will take place. The PPA is fronting the costs for the event in order to ensure that all of the money raised goes directly to the beneficiary organizations. The prizes and buy-in for the tournament were not available at the time of writing.

A key element leading up to National Poker Week is the launch of MyPokerStory.com, which invites poker players from around the country to submit a video of why the game is important to them and why the U.S. Government should legalize the Great American Pastime. All videos will be entered into a drawing for a two night Las Vegas package complete with airfare for two people. A total of 16 amateur videos are currently posted, including a clip from Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX). In addition, World Poker Tour Host Mike Sexton, “Cowboy” Kenna James, and Lederer have all submitted recordings. Interested WSOP spectators and players can produce their own videos at the PPA’s booth outside the Amazon Room.

Media present at the 45 minute long event on Monday received a tutorial on the PPA’s new National Poker Week web tools. In addition, it was revealed that a variety of telephone and e-mail campaigns will take place.

WSOP To Offer Players Ability To Help Charities

Over the past five years, poker players have stepped to the forefront for a variety of charitable causes. Online tournaments have raised funds to assist the victims of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other deserving organizations. The Heartland Poker Tour makes contributions to the Disabled American Veterans. There is even an organization – founded by Poker News Daily guest columnist Mike Sexton, tournament directors Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher and philanthropist Lisa Tenner – called Poker Gives, that focuses on using poker to assist in fundraising for charities. Now the World Series of Poker will step up and take poker philanthropy to the next level.

For the first time in its forty year history, the WSOP will offer players who cash during each event on this summer’s schedule the opportunity to donate part of their winnings to an organization that the WSOP has aligned itself with. All that a winning player has to do is to ask the payout clerk to leave one percent of their winnings to the Nevada Cancer Institute and the WSOP will arrange to transfer the funds to the Institute. As with many charitable donations, they are tax-deductible and contributors will receive a letter from NVCI for accounting purposes.

During the run of the tournament schedule, a special VIP lounge will be set up for players who pay a membership fee to be able to use the room. The “Aces Club” will be donating a large portion of each membership taken for access to the room to the Nevada Cancer Institute. As of press time, there are still memberships available and anyone who wishes to access the “Aces Club” should visit the area during the first few days of the WSOP.

One of the most popular fundraisers during the last few years at the World Series has been the “Queens of Heart” that play during the Ladies’ Championship Event. Featuring such players as former WSOP Ladies’ Champion Jennifer Tilly, poker professional Kristy Gazes and actresses Mimi Rogers and Cheryl Hines, the team has raised large amounts of money for women’s causes over the past few years. This year, the WSOP has created a special line of poker clothing for women, available at the Rio and on their website, WSOP Shop. The proceeds from sales of the “Queens of Heart” merchandise will go to the Nevada Cancer Institute, continuing the tradition the team has driven while playing on the felt.

There will be two special charitable tournaments during the run of the WSOP. “Ante Up For Africa” – the cause promoted by actor Don Cheadle and poker professional Annie Duke – will be back for their third annual event. The $5,000 buy in No Limit Hold’em tournament is open to anyone 21 years or older and this year, for the first time, will be a part of the ESPN broadcasts of the WSOP. For the Media Charity Event this year, the players who reach the final table will have donations made in their name to the Nevada Cancer Institute.

Finally, the Championship Event of the World Series will also have a way for players to make their mark in a charitable way. Poker pro Phil Gordon’s charitable cause “Bad Beat On Cancer” and the Nevada Cancer Institute will both benefit from players who donate, much like earlier in the tournament schedule, one percent of their winnings to charity. All contributions are tax deductible and will benefit research into the cure for one of mankind’s worst diseases.

With the WSOP adding in this charitable aspect to their poker schedule, the poker world is once again proving that, while there may be no charity at the poker table, there is a charitable heart inside all who play the game.

“The Bernard Lee Poker Show” Celebrates Second Anniversary

May marks many special occasions in the world of poker. It originally marked the end of the World Series of Poker for several years, and for the past couple of years, it has marked the start of the WSOP, for which thousands of players will make a pilgrimage. This year, in addition to the start of the WSOP, poker fans can also celebrate the continuation of one of the most popular pieces of poker programming in any form of media today.

May marks the second anniversary of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” on 1510AM The Zone in Boston. Hosted by poker professional and Poker News Daily guest columnist Bernard Lee, the show has entertained many in the Massachusetts area as well as those who listen over the internet. Featuring the latest poker news, poker strategy discussions, tournament reports and interviews with the movers and shakers of the poker industry, Lee’s show airs on The Zone from 7-8PM (Eastern Time) on Tuesdays, is simulcast on Rounders Radio (where it is one of the most downloaded podcasts in its first year on the station) and rebroadcast on both outlets throughout the week.

“At the time when we started the show on The Zone, there were no poker broadcasts on radio in the local area”, Lee stated during a phone conversation with Poker News Daily. “Even today, there aren’t that many around. With Foxwoods Resort Casino in the area and its recognition as THE poker destination due to its excellent tournaments and ties with the World Poker Tour, I felt that there would be a tremendous interest from poker fans in the area for such a program on the radio.”

Lee, who earned his poker notoriety with his thirteenth place finish at the 2005 WSOP and has earned over $1 million in tournament winnings in his career, was able to parlay that success into other areas including his show with The Zone. “I have become a part of the poker media and not just a poker player”, Bernard laughed. “With my column in the Boston Herald, my work on ESPN and Poker News Daily and the radio show, I have achieved what I wanted…a life with poker involved in it. I don’t see myself ever stopping!”

Celebrating the second anniversary along with Bernard earlier this month have been former World Champion Greg Raymer and Gavin Griffin, who is the only man to have captured poker’s mythical Triple Crown (EPT, WPT and WSOP championships). Tonight on the program, WPT announcer and WSOP bracelet holder Mike Sexton will be a part of the festivities and – as players prepare for the trek to Las Vegas – next Tuesday’s broadcast will feature the Commissioner of the World Series of Poker, Jeffrey Pollack.

To further engage the listeners in the second anniversary celebration, Lee will be holding two freeroll tournaments at the end of May. One will be a live event at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H. and the other will be an online tournament. People who would like to partake of either or both tournaments can learn further details through listening to “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” throughout this month.

Lee will continue to broadcast his show during the WSOP and is planning to step to the felt for several events. “I am looking at playing 9-12 events and, if I go deep in some of them, as few as six”, Bernard said. “I may be playing, but I am a part of the media and it will be part of my future shows.” Congratulations to Bernard for the second anniversary of his poker show and may there be many more celebrations in the future, both for the show and for his success on the tables.

South Carolina Poker Bills Pass Senate Judiciary Committee

Live and online poker players in South Carolina have been jumping for joy at the news that Senate Bills 535 and 628 have cleared the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee. Both bills explicitly legalize social games of poker.

Senators McConnell, Mulvaney, Ford, Land, Knotts, and Davis introduced senate Bill 535. It outlines what forms of gambling are legal in the state, noting, “Gambling in a private home where no house player, house bank, or house odds exist and where the house receives no part of any of the money or other thing of value that is risked or wagered in the gambling in the private home is social gambling and is not unlawful.” Senate Bill 535 also outlines the process for a non-profit organization to obtain a gaming license, although 90% of the money raised in an event must go directly to the charity. The measure was approved in Committee by a 12-8 vote after being introduced back in March.

Senate Bill 628 and Senate Bill 535 were both amended to include what the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the major lobbying force for the poker industry, calls a “predominance test.” The move follows a decision by Judge Larry Duffy in February that five poker players caught during a raid of a home game were guilty despite “overwhelming” evidence that poker is a game of skill. Judge Duffy noted that no clear direction existed from the South Carolina Legislature as to whether games predominantly determined by skill were considered gambling. The amendment, which was implemented with the help of the PPA, may clarify South Carolina’s position.

On Wednesday of last week, the Associated Press noted that the two bills had “virtually no chance of passing this year” because the legislative session had just five days remaining. PPA Executive Director John Pappas alluded to the time crunch at hand, noting in a press release distributed by the one million member strong organization, “We urge the South Carolina Senate to quickly bring these pieces of legislation to the floor for a vote before the end of the session.” Senate Bill 628 allows players to utilize a defense of social gambling against a charge of “unlawful gambling.” More importantly, it notes that games deemed predominated by skill are “not unlawful.”

The PPA has 10,000 members in South Carolina. In 2006, Bob Chimento, Jeremy Brestel, Scott Richards, Michael Williamson, and John T. Willis were arrested as part of an allegedly friendly home game in Mount Pleasant. Appearing at the trial of the five defendants was World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton, who came armed with videos showing how hands were won via a player’s skill. Also appearing was University of Denver Statistics Professor Robert Hannum, who outlined the results of a study conducted by Cigital and PokerStars which found that, out of 103 million cash game hands on the popular online poker site, three-quarters did not go to showdown. Instead, a player’s skill in betting earned them a win in the hand.

PPA South Carolina State Director John Ridgeway commented, “The thousands of poker players in the state are now one step closer to being allowed to enjoy a game of poker online or with their friends around the kitchen table without the fear of being accused of a crime under outdated state laws.” The gambling law currently on the books is over 200 years old. The PPA notes that the effect of the two bills extends well beyond just poker. Games like Bunko and Bridge would also become explicitly legal.

The two bills’ approval by the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee comes the same week as Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced comprehensive legislation to legalize and regulate the internet gambling industry in the United States. A separate measure introduced by Frank calls for the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to be delayed for one year.