Posts Tagged ‘Daniel Negreanu’
Daniel Negreanu, Roland de Wolfe alive at APPT Sydney
Stars Shine at APPT Sydney Final
While Reza Vakili grabbed the overnight chip lead, Aussie online superstar Jonathan 'xMONSTERxDONGx' Karamalikis and WSOP, WPT and EPT Triple Crown winner Roland de Wolfe sit right behind him as the only players over the 700k chip mark.
Also still stacked in the the chase for the AUD$459,510 first-place prize is Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu, 2010 Aussie Millions champ Tyron Krost, 2007 APPT Grand Final winner Grant Levy and 2008 APPT Macau champ Eddy Sabat.
A total of 289 players paid the AUD$6,300 entrance fee to create a prizepool of AUD$1.73 million.
The event's third day will go off at 12:30 p.m. Sydney time Saturday and a champion will be crowned Dec. 12.
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Late Pot Gives Joe Hachem $21,700 Profit on PokerStars Big Game
It was a quiet opening session of the week on the PokerStars sponsored “Big Game,” which airs on FOX late night in most markets. 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Joe Hachem booked a $21,700 profit on the night, the best of anyone at the table, and the “Loose Cannon” truly looked like an online qualifier.
Bill Given didn’t give us much to cheer about on Monday. The PokerStars qualifier received $100,000 to play in the $200/$400 game, which is Pot Limit before the flop and No Limit thereafter. This week, $1.1 million was spread across the table and Given, who wants to start his own business, gave up dead money left and right in the opening one-hour episode.
At one point, DoylesRoom namesake Doyle Brunson scooped three straight pots, two after receiving walks and one by showing down a pair of aces to Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond’s pair of eights. Brunson also bluffed Given with his signature 10-2 hand when Given had K-J of diamonds by 3betting to $4,300 pre-flop. Given, the initial raiser in the hand, sent his Broadway cards into the muck.
2010 L.A. Poker Classic High Roller Event winner Scott Seiver then opened up his game. After being the only player at the table not to have seen a flop midway through the night, Seiver proceeded to take down three straight hands. On the third, Seiver fired out a bet of $5,000 on a board of 4-J-5-6 with 8-5 for a pair and Daniel Negreanu laid down A-9 of diamonds.
The “Loose Cannon” continued to put dead money in before the flop. He laid down pocket sevens after getting 3bet by Seiver, which caused “Big Game” host Joe Stapleton to comment, “It’s tough to have Scott Seiver on your left.” Then, Given made quad aces against a hyper-aggressive Seiver, but checked all the way and only raked in a pot of $10,000. On a board of K-A-8-A-3, Given bet $3,000 with pocket aces and Seiver made the call with K-9 for two pair. Stapleton added, “I’m pretty sure quad aces pays more in video poker.”
In the largest pot of Monday’s kickoff “Big Game” episode, Brunson raised to $1,400 pre-flop with A-8 of diamonds, Hachem called with pocket jacks, and Galfond bumped the action to $5,700 with pocket kings. Brunson got out of the way and Hachem called to see a flop of A-6-2.
Neither player wanted to see the ace fall, but Galfond put in a continuation bet of $4,800. Hachem pushed it to $16,500, seemingly representing an ace, and Galfond came along to a nine on the turn. Galfond checked, Hachem bet $26,700, and Galfond tanked for a minute before electing to fold. Hachem scooped the nearly $50,000 pot, the largest of the night, and booked a profit of $21,700 over the first set of hands.
Brunson was up $9,300 when the final cards of Monday’s episode had been dealt and Seiver was $1,900 in the black. Negreanu was down $6,100, Given was down $6,300, and, mostly due to the final hand against Hachem, Galfond was down $20,500.
The PokerStars “Big Game” airs nightly on FOX. Check your local listings for more details.
PokerStars Signs Isildur1
In a surprising move, the terror of the nosebleed stakes, Isildur1, has signed a sponsorship deal to become the latest member of the Team PokerStars Pro stable.
Although he still has not, as of yet, announced his name or released any photos, Isildur1 becomes the top online cash game player that the largest site in the industry has been able to snare. The announcement today also indicates what the future will hold for the Swedish high roller.
“I chose to join PokerStars because it’s the biggest site and it will be an exciting challenge,” Isildur1 stated during the announcement. “It means a great deal to be playing on a team alongside players such as Daniel Negreanu, Dario Minieri, and Johnny Lodden.”
2011 should bring Isildur1 to the live felt under the sponsorship from PokerStars, something that he admits he is preparing himself for. “My goals now are to improve my live game for some upcoming events,” Isildur1 continued in the PokerStars statement. “(I will) continue to focus on Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em, but also try to develop my Pot Limit Omaha game.”
The news of the signing of Isildur1 to a sponsorship deal excited one of the leaders of Team PokerStars Pro, Negreanu. “It’s not every day that a player like Isildur1 comes along,” Negreanu stated during the announcement. “If you look up the definition of the term ‘phenom,’ you’ll see a picture of his face!”
Negreanu observed that, when the Swedish poker pro takes to the virtual felt, it’s an iconic moment in the poker community. “When he is playing, the poker world takes notice,” the Canadian poker pro explained. “Hate to overuse the poker term ‘sick,’ but Isildur1’s No Limit Hold’em game is just that – sick! Few people step up to the plate against him, but the ones who have universally respect his raw talent.”
To celebrate the arrival of the Swedish pro, PokerStars has already built a promotion around him that is sure to draw plenty of action. The Superstar Showdown will allow players to battle Isildur1. At stakes no lower than $50/$100, Isildur1 will take on all comers for a 2,500-hand heads-up match either in No Limit Hold’em or Pot Limit Omaha. The winner of the Superstar Showdown will be the player who shows a profit for the match after the requisite 2,500 hands or takes the other player’s bankroll.
PokerStars is already fielding plenty of challengers for Isildur1 through a special e-mail that has been established. This e-mail address, showdown@pokerstars.com, is reserved for those who have the bankroll to take on the Swedish wunderkind. PokerStars states in the promotion, “Only serious applicants will get a response.”
For those with lesser bankrolls, PokerStars is also offering a chance to earn your way into a heads-up match against Isildur1. SuperStar Showdown qualifiers will start on December 13th and run through April 3rd. These qualifiers will feed players into finals that will be played on February 13th and April 10th. The winners of these two finals will take a $15,000 bankroll heads-up against Isildur1 and, if the winner is able to take the Swedish pro’s bankroll in the heads-up match, they’ll earn a $10,000 bonus. Be warned, however, that Isildur1 has the same motivation to break the winner. If he does, then he receives the $10,000 bonus.
Perhaps because of the mystery surrounding his identity – many have assumed he is noted pro Viktor Blom, among other players – the poker world stops when Isildur1 brings his bankroll to the tables. Over the past year, Isildur1’s bankroll has been in excess of $5.3 million at its peak according to PokerTableRatings.com and he has battled the likes of Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, and Tom “durrrr” Dwan at previously unimaginable stakes.
Isildur1 has been involved in all 10 of the largest pots in online poker history according to PokerTableRatings.com and also has the distinction of losing the first ever pot in excess of $1 million. Even with these swings, Isildur1 continues to battle against the best in the game. Visit PokerStars today.
Isildur1 is now part of Team PokerStars!
Finally we got some news about Isildur1’s sponsorship deal. PokerStars announced today that the mysterious Isildur1 has been signed to their Team.
Isildur1’s identity wasn’t revealed just yet, so it might or might not be Viktor Blom. PokerStars informed that Isildur1’s real name MIGHT come out to public some day. All news are good news as now we can begin to rail Isildur1’s games on PokerStars.
Isildur1 also gave a brief interview to PokerStars:
“I chose to join PokerStars because it’s the biggest site and it will be an exciting challenge,” Isildur1 said. “It means a great deal to be playing in a team alongside players such as Daniel Negreanu, Dario Minieri and Johnny Lodden.”
“My goals now are to improve my live game for some upcoming events, continue to focus on no-limit heads-up Hold’em, but also try to develop my Pot Limit Omaha game.”
PokerStars annonced a new concept on the site as well, it’s quite much like the “Durrrr Challenge”, but not so lengthy. Read more about the Showdown here.
Source: Pokerista.net
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High-Stakes Phenom Isildur1 Signs With PokerStars
The online high-stakes star, who took the poker world by storm last fall playing seven of the ten largest pots in online poker history with the likes of Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and Patrik Antonius, including the first two worth over one million dollars, is now a Team PokerStars Pro.
While widely rumored to be Viktor Blom, he has still yet to publicly reveal his identity. PokerStars now says he will do so in the very near future.
“I chose to join PokerStars because it's the biggest site and it will be an exciting challenge," Isildur1 said. "It means a great deal to be playing in a team alongside players such as Daniel Negreanu, Dario Minieri and Johnny Lodden.
“My goals now are to improve my live game for some upcoming events, continue to focus on Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em, but also try to develop my Pot-Limit Omaha game.”
In an attempt to prove he is the top heads-up cash game player on the planet, Isildur1 will be playing a series of high stakes heads-up matches on PokerStars.
The SuperStar Showdown format consists of a single session of 2,500 hands at no lower than $50/$100.
The first match will begin at 6 p.m. ET Dec. 19 with the opponent to be named in the coming days.
"It’s not every day that a player like Isildur1 comes along," said fellow Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu. "If you look up the definition of the term ‘phenom’ you'll see a picture of his face.
"When he is playing, the poker world takes notice. Hate to overuse the poker term ‘sick’ but Isildur’s No-Limit Hold'em game is just that – sick!
"Few people step up to the plate against him, but the ones who have, universally have respect for his raw talent.”
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Daniel Negreanu’s intimate Tweeting causes a stir
Tags: Daniel Negreanu
WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Begins Friday
The World Poker Tour (WPT) is wrapping up the 2010 calendar year with the annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The $10,000 buy-in event kicks off on Friday.
One of the most prestigious tournaments on the WPT schedule, the Five Diamond will draw some of the biggest names in the game. There will be one change that should draw a larger field for this year’s version of the tournament, however. In the past, the WPT Five Diamond event had a $15,000 buy-in. Perhaps reflecting tighter bankrolls, this year’s Five Diamond event is a $10,000 buy-in tournament.
The Five Diamond started on November 28th with an abbreviated schedule in comparison to past years. This year’s schedule featured 12 tournaments, whereas in 2009 there were 16 on the schedule. Preliminary events completed on this year’s tournament roster have been sparsely attended, even with the buy-ins reduced.
To this point, six events have been completed: three No Limit Hold’em tournaments, a Pot Limit Omaha with rebuys tournament, an Omaha High/Low tournament, and the Seniors’ Event. Of these tournaments, none has cracked 250 players.
“Miami” John Cernuto made the final table of the first $500 No Limit Hold’em tournament, which was won by Zeferino Hernandez. James Van Alstyne and Mark Gregorich made the money in the Omaha High/Low tournament, which was won by poker veteran Ken Lennaard.
Earning more points towards his run at the CardPlayer Player of the Year title was North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Venetian champion Tom Marchese, who won the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em with rebuys tournament. Finally, in a tournament that featured three female combatants at the final table, Karen Munro took the title in the second $500 No Limit Hold’em event.
One of the final preliminary events on the Five Diamond schedule, a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament, will take place today, with the remainder of Thursday dedicated to satellites. Ready to go for today’s $5,000 event is WPT “Raw Deal” host Tony “Bond_18” Dunst, who Tweeted to his followers, “Off to the Bellagio to the play the 5k today, let us go go go!”
The WPT Five Diamond has been a crowning achievement for several of poker’s most notable players. “The Great Dane” Gus Hansen won the first ever cycle back in 2002 and such notable poker pros as Paul Phillips, PokerStars front man Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Eugene Katchalov, and November Niner David “Chino” Rheem have captured the title in the past.
Last year’s tournament was won by Daniel Alaei, who is expected to be on hand at the Bellagio to defend his WPT title. In 2009, Alaei outlasted a field of 329 players who built a prize pool of over $4.7 million. Daniel defeated a stacked final table that included former World Champion Scotty Nguyen, Shawn Buchanan, Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, and eventual runner-up Josh Arieh to take home a $1.4 million first prize.
Poker News Daily will keep you up to date on all of the action at the Bellagio as the WPT wraps up 2010 in style.
Tags: 2009, 2010, bellagio, buy-ins, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, vegas
Champ Phillips, Top Euros Fall as EPT Barcelona Begins
The familiar confines of the Casino de Barcelona were traded in for a more expansive hotel ballroom nearby as 263 players registered for the €5,300 tournament.
A total of 137 players survived the day, including Team PokerStars Pros Alex Gomes, Michael Keiner, Matthias de Meulder, Henrique Pinho, Nuno Coelho, Ruben Visser and Andre Akkari.
French pro Loic Sa grabbed the overnight chip lead with EPT Barcelona Season 2 champ Jan Boubli in the top ten.
2009 EPT Barcelona winner Carter Phillips played, but failed to advance to Day 2.
Joining him on the rail throughout the day were some of the biggest names in European poker, including Arnaud Mattern, Ville Wahlbeck, Ludovic Lacay, Jan Skampa, Lex Veldhuis, Antony Lellouche, and Nicolas Levi.
As many as 500 players are expected on the second Day 1 flight Tuesday, including Daniel Negreanu, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Liv Boeree, Theo Jorgensen and veteran Thor Hansen, who is sponsored by PokerStars at EPT Barcelona to celebrate the publication of his new book Uncensored.
The event will run through Nov. 27 with EPT Live broadcasting the action on the final day.
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Phil Hellmuth and UB.com Parting Ways?
Rumors circulating around the poker world have 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth potentially parting ways with UB.com. Hellmuth has been spotted at recent live events, including the televised PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles Bounty Shootout, void of UB.com logos.
Hellmuth wore Aria and WSOP Academy patches at the NAPT Bounty Shootout, which was filmed in front of ESPN2 cameras. The absence of UB.com patches caught the eye of many in the community, including a wealth of posters on TwoPlusTwo. As to where Hellmuth could end up, one TwoPlusTwo member remarked, “I really cannot see him with Full Tilt because he doesn’t really fit their image, but I can see him on the Cake Network or PokerStars (although if Daniel Negreanu keeps criticizing him, this might be a problem).”
UB.com officials told Poker News Daily that Hellmuth remains a sponsored pro of the USA-friendly online poker site. His likeness still adorns the skinned background of Poker News Daily and Hellmuth is still listed as a member of Team UB on the CEREUS Network’s website.
On his affiliation with Aria, Hellmuth commented in a blog written on August 10th that he met Bill McBeath, President of Aria, and the two hit it off. “While we had a few drinks, we negotiated a deal whereby I would wear an Aria logo on the side of my hat for a year whenever I could,” Hellmuth wrote. “My wife is happy because the Aria is a ‘Green Hotel’ and it has amazing technology.” Hellmuth wore a black Aria hat during the NAPT Bounty Shootout.
Longtime tournament reporter B.J. Nemeth added that Hellmuth was spotted without UB.com logos during a recent taping of “Poker After Dark,” which airs on NBC. In a blog of his own, Nemeth speculated on where Hellmuth could head to if he parts ways with UB.com: “Neither of the two big sites in the U.S. (PokerStars and Full Tilt) really seem like a great match for Hellmuth. Sure, he’d be an asset, but he doesn’t really match up with their current marketing, and Hellmuth, as we know, always likes to be featured front and center – something that wouldn’t happen at either Stars or Tilt.”
The details of Hellmuth’s contract with UB.com aren’t known, but it’s believed to be a five-year deal that was negotiated in 2009. However, regardless of what Hellmuth’s contract situation may be, Nemeth believes that his future could lie with WSOP.com: “I’ve contended before that one of the first sites likely to pass the Commerce Department’s regulation board would be WSOP.com. Harrah’s has done everything ‘right’ in terms of respecting the UIGEA, and as a corporation, they already have legal and regulated casinos scattered around the United States.”
A for-profit WSOP.com online poker site currently makes its home on the 888 Network and does not accept players from the United States. However, if online poker were to be legalized in the USA, then it could seemingly be a short turnaround to open the site to American-based players. Nemeth explains, “With all its history and TV exposure, the WSOP has been pre-sold to the American gambling public. But what the site would need is a face, and a spokesperson. And all-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth would fit that role perfectly.”
Many posters on TwoPlusTwo argued that Full Tilt could be a proper fit as well. One poster summed up the primary arguments for Hellmuth joining the world’s second largest online poker site: “Makes the most sense for Tilt to sign him IMO. They already have the best stable of cash players. They are way behind on tournament players though. Getting Phil is a big step in the right direction from a PR standpoint. Hellmuth is probably the most televised tournament player. FTOPS Main Events would always be hosted by Hellmuth from that point on.”
Hellmuth wore UB.com logos during the 2010 WSOP and in a recent cycle of the PokerStars-sponsored “Big Game,” which airs on FOX.
Tags: 2009, 2010, Daniel Negreanu, legal, Online Poker, Phil Hellmuth, pokerstars, tournament, usa, WSOP
Daniel Negreanu Trumps Ray Reid on PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge
Sunday marked the second to last episode of the season for the PokerStars sponsored “Million Dollar Challenge,” which flanks NFL coverage on FOX. Ray Reid, a 29 year old son of a pastor from Canada, was the show’s challenger and told host Chris Rose that he wanted to use any money earned to turn his life around and help his father build a church.
Reid faced off against celebrity defender Gary Payton in the first round. In each of the matches, both players began with 20,000 in chips and the blinds started at a hefty 400/800. In the opening round, show front man Daniel Negreanu was seated alongside the contestant and could offer advice, but was unable to see any hole cards. In addition, the challenger had one timeout to confer with “Kid Poker.”
The match against Payton lasted all of one hand. On a board of K-9-7-4, Reid bet 4,000 with J-9 for second pair and Payton shoved all-in with A-10 for ace-high. Reid asked for time and Negreanu told him to call given the size of the pot. Reid obliged and the river was a five, giving the challenger the win in the match and a $5,000 trip to the Bahamas for the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January.
Next up was pro defender Barry Greenstein, a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner. Negreanu moved to an isolation booth where he could communicate with Reid through and earpiece and see his hole cards. To counter, Greenstein could shut off communication between Negreanu and Reid twice using the “Dome of Silence.”
Like the match against Payton, Reid’s tangle with Greenstein was abbreviated. On a flop of 8-9-4, Reid checked with Q-10 for a gutshot straight draw and two overcards and Greenstein bet 4,000 with 9-7 for top pair. Reid min-raised to 8,000 and Greenstein invoked the “Dome of Silence,” forcing the amateur to finish the hand on his own. Greenstein shoved over-the-top all-in and Reid called, putting Greenstein at risk. The turn card was a jack, filling Reid’s straight, and Greenstein was drawing dead to the river.
For beating the PokerStars pro, Reid earned $25,000. He was then faced with a tough decision: take the cash and dash or risk his payday for a $100,000 match against Negreanu and a shot at $1 million. His friends and family reminded him that the show wasn’t called the “$25,000 Poker Challenge” and encouraged him to go for broke. Reid agreed to set up a heads-up showdown with Negreanu.
The key hand between Reid and Negreanu saw Reid flop a flush with 9-7 of spades on a board of A-10-K, all spades. Negreanu, holding A-10 for top and bottom pair, checked and Reid checked behind to another ace on the turn. Negreanu, now holding an unbeatable boat, checked and Reid bet 3,000. Negreanu check-raised to 6,000 and Reid shipped it in. Negreanu called all-in and doubled up, crippling Reid’s stack to just three big blinds.
Reid committed his remaining chips before the flop with 6-3, but ran into Negreanu’s 7-6 and could not improve when the board came 2-5-10-A-Q. However, he still received a $5,000 trip to the Bahamas for his efforts.
On December 12th, the finale of the second season of the PokerStars “Million Dollar Challenge” will air. The Challenge of Champions will see the show’s top winners vie in a sit and go whose victor will play Negreanu heads-up for $1 million. In the meantime, you can catch Season 1 of the poker game show on GSN. Check your local listings for more details.
EPT Barcelona starts today
World Poker Tour Signs Extension with Bicycle Casino
This week, the World Poker Tour (WPT) and the Bicycle Casino announced a five-year extension to their longstanding contract. The deal will see the Legends of Poker tournament attached to the WPT brand through 2015.
“The Bicycle Casino has been an enthusiastic and devoted venue partner and the WPT is proud to continue its association with the incredibly popular Legends of Poker event and the team behind it,” said WPT President Adam Pliska. “The Bicycle Casino is a charter member of the WPT and this extension will allow us to build on a tradition of collaboration and best-in-class poker started in 2002.”
The Legends of Poker takes place at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California each year and has been won by big names like Doyle Brunson, Dan Harrington, Prahlad Friedman, and John “The Razor” Phan. Most recently, Andy Frankenberger took down the $5,000 buy-in Main Event for $750,000. Frankenberger beat Kyle Wilson heads-up for the title and is the current leader in the WPT Player of the Year standings going into WPT Marrakech. The Legends of Poker, along with most WPT events, will air on the Fox Sports Network in early 2011.
This year’s Legends of Poker drew 426 players, a 66% attendance increase over the previous year’s total of 279. It should be noted, however, that the 2010 version had a $5,000 buy-in, while $10,000 per seat was charged in previous years. As a result, the tournament’s prize pool dropped from $2.63 million to $2.15 million. Friedman, the 2009 champion, earned more than $1 million for his victory.
Despite the drop in buy-in, the biggest names in the game still made the trek to Los Angeles this year. Among those who took part in the 2010 Legends of Poker were Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Allen Cunningham, Phil Hellmuth, Jeff Madsen, Joe Sebok, and Kathy Liebert, who was playing in her 100th WPT event.
The WPT and the Bicycle Casino were very pleased with the overall result. “It is very evident that the WPT made significant enhancements across the board this year and has plans to continue to do so in the future,” said Bicycle Casino Director of Marketing Kelly O’Hara. “We believe these changes are resonating with our players and with us. We’ve had nine great seasons together and look forward to at least five more. I believe together we’ll continue to offer players a better experience during every year of this deal.”
The announcement of the contract extension came at a very interesting time for the Bicycle Casino, as it played host to the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles Main Event earlier this week. However, due to a television exclusivity clause between The Bike and the WPT, the ESPN-televised final table was moved to Compton, California at the Crystal Casino.
As Poker News Daily reported on Tuesday, PokerStars officials sent out an e-mail that read, “Please be advised that the final table of the NAPT Los Angeles Main Event has been relocated to the Crystal Casino and Hotel. The final table is being filmed for broadcast on ESPN2. The cards will be in the air at 2:00pm PT.”
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest World Poker Tour headlines.
Baldwin Books NAPT Bounty Win
The Team UB pro outlasted eight other finalists in what was a marathon final table to collect the winner-take-all $134,280 prize.
Baldwin, a former college baseball player who won a WSOP bracelet in 2009 and finished runner-up in the WPT Championship en route to CardPlayer Player of the Year honors, now has better than $3.3 million in career earnings.
The Bounty Shootout format saw 81 players seperated into nine tables of nine with a $1,000 bounty on each player and the survivors earning $20k and a seat at the final table.
All the action was recorded for broadcast on ESPN2.
Names like Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Barry Greenstein, Liv Boeree, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, actor Jason Alexander, Phil Hellmuth, Michael Mizrachi and Annette Obrestad all took part.
While Baldwin won, Justin Young collected the most bounties earning him a free seat in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Bounty Shootout event in the Bahamas this January.
Here's how the final nine finished:
1 Eric Baldwin $134,280 + $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties
2 Justin Young $20,000 + $6,000 in bounties
3 David Williams $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties
4 Mohsin Charania $20,000 + $5,000 in bounties
5 Tom Marchese $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties
6 Clint Coffee $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties
7 Pat Pezzin $20,000 + $2,000 in bounties
8 Michael Mizrachi $20,000 + $4,000 in bounties
9 Kevin MacPhee $20,000 + $3,000 in bounties
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Daniel Negreanu Trumps Johnny Whitt on PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge
On Sunday flanking NFL coverage on FOX, a new episode of the PokerStars “Million Dollar Challenge” aired. The Chris Rose-hosted show has become one of the industry’s staple television series and last week, Johnny Whitt from Houston, Texas challenged a stable of PokerStars pros and celebrities. On the line was a $100,000 match against Daniel Negreanu and a shot at $1 million.
Whitt faced off against a half-dressed Sara Underwood in the first round. Negreanu sat beside Whitt throughout the match, which saw Underwood take an early lead after Whitt’s open-ended straight draw failed to come through. Underwood opened up a 2:1 chip advantage as a result, but could not hold up. The Victory Poker pro moved all-in with 10-8 on a board reading Q-8-5-6 for a pair of eights. However, Whitt had her dominated with Q-8 for top two pair and Underwood was drawing dead to the river. Whitt received a $5,000 trip to the Bahamas for the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
After getting through the former Playboy Playmate of the Year, Whitt squared off against PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein. This time, Negreanu moved to an isolation booth where he could communicate with Whitt through an earpiece. In turn, Greenstein could suspend all communication between the two by invoking the Dome of Silence twice during the match. Greenstein scooped two pots worth a combined 20,000 in chips early, leaving Whitt treading on thin ice.
Greenstein used his Dome of Silence twice pre-flop; both times he peeked down at 7-2 and gave Whitt a walk. Ultimately, the challenger was all-in pre-flop with 4-3 and up against the pocket sixes of Greenstein, but flopped the nuts when the first three cards came 5-2-A. The pot resulted in a 2:1 chip lead for the amateur and, in the match’s final hand, Whitt’s A-7 held against Greenstein’s Q-5 when the Texan made a flush on the turn. He picked up $25,000 to go along with the trip to the Bahamas.
Rose asked Whitt if he wanted to risk his $25,000 payday to face Negreanu heads-up for $100,000 and a chance at $1 million or take the money and run. Whitt’s family encouraged him to take the plunge and Whitt obliged, setting up a “Star Wars”-esque master versus apprentice showdown on the “Million Dollar Challenge.” After Whitt took the chip lead, Negreanu raised to 4,000 before the flop with A-10 and Whitt 3bet to 8,000 with Q-J. Negreanu called to set up the game-changing pot.
The flop came 4-5-8 with two clubs and Whitt open-shoved all-in. Negreanu, remarking that there were too many chips in the middle to fold, called all-in as a 70% favorite. Another club on the turn gave Whitt a flush draw, but a red nine on the river gave Negreanu a pot of 37,000, or 93% of the chips in play. Whitt, whose stack totaled less than one big blind, then staked his tournament life on 6-5, but could not draw out on Negreanu’s 8-5. “Kid Poker” scooped $10,000 for charity.
The PokerStars-backed “Million Dollar Challenge” will next hit airwaves on November 21st flanking NFL coverage on FOX. Then, on December 12th, one contestant will battle Negreanu for a $1 million top prize. Last season, 9/11 first responder Mike Kosowski earned the seven-figure jackpot after spiking a four-outer on the final hand. You can catch Season 1 of the “Million Dollar Challenge” on GSN.
PokerStars is holding qualifiers for the poker game show online until December 8th. Check out a brand new episode in two weeks on FOX.
Poker Industry Reacts to WSOP Main Event Results
On Monday night, Jonathan Duhamel became the first ever World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion from Canada, banking nearly $9 million following a 90-minute heads-up session against John Racener.
Despite taking second place, Racener was gracious in defeat. He posted on Twitter this afternoon, “Congratulations to Johnathan Duhamel. Still very happy with 2nd place. Would have loved to win it tho. I’ll be back to get it next year.” Racener doubled up early on in heads-up play with pocket queens against Duhamel’s K-4, but could not gain any traction from there.
Also weighing in was fellow Canadian poker player Daniel Negreanu, who, like Duhamel, is a sponsored pro of PokerStars. Negreanu Tweeted, “WSOP spoiler alert: just woke up and saw that PokerStars has now produced 6 of the last 8 WSOP champs and Canada its 1st. Congrats kid!” Negreanu and the rest of the online poker community can now watch the Main Event final table with hole cards tonight on ESPN at 10:00pm ET.
Full Tilt Poker pro Gavin Smith, who was decked out in a blue Toronto Maple Leafs hockey jersey on Monday night at the Rio, commented on Wednesday, “Congrats to Duhamel, and enough with the Canadian shots. Racener is my friend and I have never met Jonathon, besides Leaf fans detest Habs” Smith rooted on Racener in the Main Event and wore his blue hockey jersey to stand out in stark contrast to Duhamel’s fans, who were decked out in red Montreal Canadiens gear.
Also gracious despite not winning the Main Event title was Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, the tournament’s fifth place finisher. Mizrachi posted, “Waking up!! Congrats to John Duhamel!!! Well done!! Great game Racener!! It’s all over… Now it’s time to grind!! Next Stop @ Bike in LA.” The PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles stop at The Bike, whose $5,000 Main Event begins on Friday, will be the landing spot for many in the poker community now that the WSOP has wrapped up.
Racener donated 1% of his winnings to Prevent Cancer, which Tweeted, “Congratulations and thanks to 2nd place winner of #WSOP, John Racener, for pledging 1% of poker winnings last night #2preventcancer!” Ninth place finisher Soi Nguyen also pledged 1% of his earnings to the organization.
Before the Main Event’s conclusion kicked off on Monday night, Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. DoylesRoom namesake Doyle Brunson gave the introductory remarks for the former and commented via Twitter that he wasn’t a fan of public speaking. Now, “Texas Dolly” and a host of poker pros are in transit to the Dominican Republic for the Punta Cana Poker Classic. Brunson chirped, “Off to Punta Cana. We got two great pros into the Poker HOF last night. Next year Barry Greenstein goes in. Anybody want to bet no?”
Pulling for Joseph Cheong throughout the Main Event final table was Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson. Cheong wore a patch for Poker Gives and nearly claimed the title, ultimately busting out in third place. Johnson Tweeted on Saturday as play passed the dinner break, “Go Joseph Cheong… He caught a river card he needed, though he did start with best hand.”
On the popular poker forum PocketFives.com, a November Nine sweat thread attracted over 500 responses. Duhamel received a fair share of flak on the site, but one poster defended the first Canadian Main Event winner: “I’m surprised how much hate Duhamel is getting. Mostly from him beating Affleck, but hey sh!t happens in poker. So far from what I’ve seen/read, I think Duhamel played a great FT. Overall it was a great FT! It’s a shame Cheong or Mizrachi didn’t make it HU, but I think Racener played a great short stack when it was 7 handed to make it HU.” Racener is a longtime PocketFives.com member.
Check out our 2010 WSOP Main Event final table coverage.
PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge: Johnny Whitt
The Sunday Scoop: Annette_15 Misses in the Mulligan
The $200+$16 Mulligan drew 1,197 players creating a $239,400 prize pool that paid 135 spots.
Signed as a Full Tilt pro this summer, the Norwegian finished runner-up to augie00.
First paid $52,668 while Obrestad picked up $33,516 for her second-place effort.
Swedish Full Tilt pro Michal Tureniec also made the final table finishing tenth.
Full Tilt's $750k Guaranteed drew 4,085 players yesterday, creating an $817k prize pool that paid 585 places.
salue held on to book the win there and collect $144,274.03.
But the PokerStars Sunday Million was the biggest draw Sunday as 8,260 players jumped in on the action creating a $1,652,000 prize pool.
The top 1,260 paid and with three players left a chip-chop deal was struck leaving $30k for first.
In the end, NickDandolos took the title and $195,647.93 while strassa2 got $185,266.58 for finishing runner-up and mcst0002 was left with $163,584.69 in third-place money.
The $750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up on PokerStars also ended in a three way deal.
This time LeComptedeMC took $120,982.68 for first while Unicum next grabbed $114,000.00 finishing second and Bremers collected $114,000.00 for third.
Back on Full Tilt, The Sunday Brawl drew 2,881 creating a $576k prize pool and ensuring the winner would walk away with six figures. That winner was dDeoxyribo, who happily collected $116,968.60 in first-place prize money.
Meanwhile, the PokerStars Sunday 500 drew 1,039 creating a $519,500 prizepool. KidPoker Daniel Negreanu was among the leaders for a while but flamed out 78th as pdrsn8 went on to book the win and $89,665.70 in first-place cash.
Finally, DOKTORZH took down the $200k Guaranteed on UB for $45,553.20 by deafeating a 1,020-player field.
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NAPT Adds Bounty Shootout Event
The just-announced $5,250 Bounty Shootout event will take place at Crystal Casino on Nov. 16 and Nov. 18 and be televised for ESPN2.
Organizers are recommending interested players register early because the event will have a maximum capacity of just 81 players spread over nine tables.
“We are looking forward to another star-studded event at the Crystal Casino & Hotel,” said Mark Kelegian, president of Crystal Casino.
The complete NAPT L.A. festival will run Nov. 8-21 with a wide selection of side events.
Meanwhile the NAPT L.A. $5,000 Main Event will take place Nov. 12-17 with some of poker’s biggest stars including Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso and Jason Mercier set to take part.
Every event except for the Bounty Shootout will take place at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens.
The last NAPT event, which took place at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, saw Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst outlast 716 players to win a first place prize of $750,000.
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Jeff Forrest wins WPT Foxwoods - Tom “kingsofcards” Machese ends up third
Tom “kingsofcards” Marchese started the final table in a huge chip lead, just like Daniel Negreanu (who was 4th) in EPT Vienna few days ago. But what do you know, the big chip leader and favorite to win couldn’t finish the tournament victoriously and ended up in the third place.
Marchese won 211,759 dollars, while the winner, Jeff Forrest got a really nice paycheck worth of $548,752. In the crucial hand Forrest and the second place finisher Dave Inselberg went all-in on the flop: 9d-8s-5c.
Forrest had: Qd-Qh
Inselberg held: 9h-6s
Turn was Qs and river Ac, and the tournament was over.
It’s easy to smile while you’re winning, Jeff Forrest
Final results (buy-in $10,000, 242 total players):
- Jeff Forrest $548,752
- Dave Inselberg $325,608
- Thomas Marchese $211,759
- Nikolai Yakovenko $170,773
- Keven Stammen $128,650
- Mohsin Charania $104,741
Source: Pokerista.net, WPT
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Jeff Forrest wins WPT Foxwoods - Tom “kingsofcards” Machese ends up third
BLOG – Slowrolls and live etiquette; the fine line between genius and idiocy
Daniel Negreanu angered by Hruby slowroll at EPT Vienna
Near Miss for Negreanu at EPT Vienna
Negreanu had the chip lead five-handed in Austria when disaster struck as he got it in with a turned two-pair against Czech Team PokerStars Pro Martin Hruby's turned straight and Italian Luca Cainelli's pocket aces.
Cainelli was sent to the rail, Hruby rocketed into the chip lead and a rather short-stacked Negreanu busted fourth soon after.
In the end, 20-year-old German economics student and former Sunday Million winner Michael “MAE9690” Eiler beat Hruby heads up to take the title and €700,000 first prize.
Eiler won his seat at EPT Vienna on PokerStars.
"It was my first EPT but I'm definitely going to play more now," he said. "This is really a happy moment for me. The money is great obviously but the title is worth so much to me; an EPT title is a dream for a poker player."
Negreanu added €175,000 to his now more than $13 million in career tournament earnings that includes four WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles.
He still sits second on poker's all-time leading money winners list, a little over half a million dollars shy of Phil Ivey.
Set in the Renaissance-style Kursalon in Vienna’s Stadtpark, the €5,300 EPT Vienna main event drew 587 players creating a €2,935,000 prize pool.
Here's how the final table finished up:
1 Michael Eiler €700,000
2 Martin Hruby €470,000
3 Konstantinos Nanos €265,000
4 Daniel Negreanu €175,000
5 Luca Cainelli €140,000
6 Andreas Wiese €105,000
7 Matthias Lotze €76,000
8 Bruno Launais €60,000
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Michael Eiler wins PokerStars EPT Vienna for €700,000
Daniel Negreanu leading EPT Vienna final table
PokerStars.net EPT Vienna Day 4: Negreanu Leads Final Table
PokerStars.net EPT Vienna Day 3: Online Qualifier Konstantinos Nanos Leads the Way; Negreanu on His Heels
24 left at EPT Vienna – Negreanu second
Tags: Daniel Negreanu