Poker News

Tiffany Michelle Talks Politics on Fox Business Network

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

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

Some tidbits:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Judge the Tiffany Michelle Fox Business interview for yourself.

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

Poker in Twitter: Deauville, Football, Kat von D and Victoria Coren’s duck.

Poker News Daily scours the Twitter feeds of hundreds of poker players to bring you the funniest, most interesting, weirdest Tweets of the last few days. This weekend saw many players tweeting about the tournaments they were in, which included the UBOC, the LAPC and the EPT Deauville. Other popular topics this week were football (the poker world seems to support the Saints almost unanimously) and other sports, as well as new houses, tattoos by Kat von D, and a river card made to measure for Eric Mizrachi.
The online cards were good for some and cruel to others: while Dave “Hollywood_Dave” Stann challenged players to face him at Ultimate Bet: “Rockin UBOC on UB right now...come join so I can felt you, too ”, Liv Boeree was not having such a great day: “finished 42nd in UBOC 8 for $6300. Set of 33s get it all in on turn... he rivers 9 for higher set. Laptop across the room time.” Eric Mizrachi could have shared some of his luck with her, as he boasted a screenshot from a spectacular river card in Poker Stars:  “Deliver the nice river, Ty @pokerstars_com http://twitpic.com/zmlrd”

Tournament manager supreme Matt Savage kept the world informed of the progress of the LAPC, starting with a comment on his famously grueling schedules: “We have completed days 1A/1B or .5 of the 51 events at this years @LAPokerClassic! Not sure what I was thinking when I made this schedule?” Apparently Mr. Savage is superstitious, since he made Dave Stann back off from certain comments that might bring the tournament ill luck: “@Hollywood_Dave please do NOT mention LAPC = Going Well and Obama Presidency = F'ing Up Country in same tweet! You may jinx us here in LA.” No jinx was apparent to Rob Perelman, who tweeted in delight: “Heads up pot. Final board A4444. Check check. Then 2nd guy tries to muck. This is why I love the @LAPokerClassic!” Some of poker’s hottest ladies were in attendance after trotting the globe in The Amazing Race last year; Tiffany Michelle posted a picture of her view from the table: “http://twitpic.com/z4bfu - Playin the 1st LAPC event, nice view - this girl follows me everywhere ”

The poker world followed the NFC very closely last weekend, and the general feeling seemed to favor the Saints, although Doyle Brunson voiced his admiration for the Vikings’ legendary quarterback: “Brett Favre has balls the size of basketballs.” Favre was the man of the day, with praise and heckles piled on him via Twitter. Gene Bromberg tried to be fair: “I gleefully join in on Favrebashing, but that should've been a flag. Low, late hit, gotta call that”, Justin “BoostedJ” Smith blamed it on the team: “@shannonelizab The vikings aren't even giving Favre a chance to win”, and Joe Sebok cheered and booed: “yes, saints! boo favre & vikings. city of new orleans deserves this... ” Shannon Elizabeth, who tweeted throughout the game, was a happy fan when the fat lady sang: “Congrats Saints! GREAT GAME!!”

The EPT Deauville had two excellent commentators in Vicky Coren and Isabelle Mercier, both of whom tweeted frequently with updates on their own performance and those of friends and team members. Coren had never been able to survive Deauville’s Day 1, and was hoping this year would be it: “It's Day 1 of the Deauville EPT. I've played this three times before and never survived Day One. Let's see if I can break my duck” (“Breaking one’s duck” is a British expression, originally from cricket, that means doing something for the first time.) Coren tried hard, and kept updating on her status to add to the suspense: “We started with 30k in chips. I went down to 4k, now up to 20k, tiptoeing between the outdraws. Two more levels and the duck gets it...” The duck, however, remains unbroken, as she got busted out in Day 1 once more. Fellow Brit Matthew Grant commiserated with some historic consolation: “@VictoriaCoren Nevermind, the only victory that matters near Deauville happened in 1944 ” Coren marveled at Mercier’s youthful looks when they sat together: “Ex Team Pro Isabelle Mercier is on my table, looking incredible. She just doesn't age, that woman. Is it a French thing?” It may have been Mercier’s joy at playing in Deauville, which she tweeted happily about: “Deauville Deauville! Always loved this French little piece of paradise... Especially when it's GAME DAY !!!! ... http://bit.ly/5V41EV” Mercier’s joie de vivre did not last very long, however, as she tweeted from her Facebook account: “Busted out few hours ago holding pocket 10's against poker Jacks and pocket Aces!!! Turned blue and slowly getting... http://bit.ly/4sN0Rb”

Celebrity tattoo artist Kat von D, from the TV show LA Ink, has been leaving her mark on the poker world. First she tattooed Tiffany Michelle, who shared a photo of her tattoo: “Pics of my tatt that Kat did on her show are on my website www.tiffanymichelle.com under the 'Film, TV, Shows' Gallery ” and more recently on Pearl Aday, as tweeted by heavy metal poker star Scott Ian: “Kat Von D shooting Pearl right now.” If he does not shape up to his crazy prop bet, Joe Sebok could be next.

Sebok got some unflattering tweets regarding his stunning new LA home – @DougLeePoker remarked acidly: “@JoeSebok Wow, sick place! and all you had to do was align yourself with a company that has stolen millions from their customers. Well Done!” Sebok’s affiliation with Ultimate Bet is evidently not well accepted by the poker world.

There were many random tweets on off topics that seemed too interesting to pass by, so here is a brief overview of the weird and wonderful tweets of this weekend. There is the cheerful but always cryptic Marcel Luske: “Just an other day,,, more news ,, more twitters , more closely 2 Our goalls & destiny,so enjoin the day & feel great & help others . {;”, a very happy tweet from Eric Mizrachi: “Got some GREAT NEWS today, my friend Myrielle "Meeyu" Pierre survived the earthquake. C U tomm Meeyu! http://twitpic.com/y267b”, some naughtiness from Gavin Griffin: “We just backed into someone's driver's side door and left an 8 square inch dent. Gave em 100 bucks. Win”, and a recognition of friendship from Daniel Negreanu: “I just counted. The number of good friends of mine that are unabashed media whores: zero! All my friends are so normal”, while Doyle Brunson experienced new things: “Got back from a recording session. I'm just a West Texas hillbilly, all that chit amazes me.”

The Tweet of the day is a tie between Jeff Madsen and Howard Lederer. Madsen quipped: “Tiger woods supposedly in Mississippi for sex Rehab. I'll b in Biloxi soon, maybe I need to check myself in?”, while Lederer pointed out: “Went to see Nadal tonight at Aussie Open and saw the best homemade fan sign ever at the match. It read "Go Nad." LOL”
If you are as addicted to Twitter as we are, be sure to follow us @PokerNewsDaily so you can stay up to date on all the breaking news in the poker world and be a part of some PND Twitter exclusives in the coming weeks.

UBOC Event #8 Features Largest Prize Pool in UB.com History

The $2,600 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament (Event #8) held as part of the ongoing Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC) featured a $1.57 million prize pool, the largest in the 10-year history of UB.com.

Newly minted UB.com pro Joe Sebok gave his take on the record-shattering prize pool in a press release distributed by the USA-friendly online poker site on Tuesday: "Despite going out just before the money in UBOC Event #8, the tournament still left me with an incredible feeling as we ended up building the richest prize pool in the history of UB. I think it sets the tone for what I think will be the best UBOC ever for our players. 2010 is just the beginning of great things to come for UB and our community." A total of 628 players competed in the $2,600 buy-in affair, which easily surpassed its $1 million guaranteed purse.

When the smoke cleared, it was a battle between two Germans heads-up, as SEBBAU bested PHILBORT to scoop a $331,000 first place prize after a heads-up chop. As part of the deal, PHILBORT took home $250,000, more than a traditional chip chop would have given him, and SEBBAU banked $291,000. Then, the duo played on for $40,000 in prize money. In the final hand of UBOC event #8, PHILBORT was all-in with pocket fives against SEBBAU’s A-7. The flop came 2-7-K, giving SEBBAU a pair; he never looked back, earning $331,000.

UB.com pro Liv Boeree bumped Sebok from the $2,600 buy-in Six-Max event to claim Sebok’s $2,500 bounty. Boeree was the only UB.com sponsored pro to make the money. Here’s how the final table shook out in the richest tournament in the history of UB.com:

1st Place: SEBBAU - $330,900
2nd Place: PHILBORT - $250,000
3rd Place: GROENGRAS - $146,010
4th Place: GIT PAPER - $102,050
5th Place: DOOSHDOTCOM1 - $86,350
6th Place: UPAY4RHINOS - $70,650

In UBOC Event $10, a $150,000 Guaranteed Mixed Pot Limit tournament, a total of 422 players threw their hats into the ring. Although the tournament fell short of its guarantee, Jack “011POKERDR” Pan banked a healthy $40,500 for the win. Pan final tabled an event held during the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) in September for $23,000 and finished second in the Full Tilt $200 rebuy last May for $43,000. Heads-up, Pan defeated KANYEKWELI, who earned $23,000.

Other UB.com members who made the final table of Event #10 included ALL_DAY_DHI3 (third place for $16,125), SAILORLOBELL (fourth place for $11,625), Scott “SCOTTYTHEFISH” Sitron (fifth place for $8,625), JOES2828 (sixth place for $6,150), Justin “TRUESYALOSE” Truesdell (seventh place for $4,650), and ROCKRAINES (eighth place for $3,150). Sitron finished 32nd in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event for $253,000, while Truesell won a Circuit gold ring in Tunica one year ago in a $1,080 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event.

The UBOC and its corresponding MiniUBOC series continue through Sunday, January 31st. On that day, the $1,050 buy-in UBOC Championship Event will kick off. The two-day tournament begins at 4:00pm ET and will likely see some of the top names in poker take to UB.com’s virtual felts.

Two UBOC events will play out today. Event #11 is a $215 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha Cubed tournament (one rebuy plus one add-on). At least $100,000 will be up for grabs and accomplished pro Matt “mattg1983” Graham will serve as its host. Event #12 is a $215 buy-in HORSE tournament with at least $50,000 up for grabs. UB.com blackjack guru “Hollywood” Dave Stann will host the contest, which kicks off at 8:05pm ET concurrently with Event #11.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest UBOC results.

Amir Vahedi Dies After Diabetes Complications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker Community Makes New Year’s Resolutions for 2010

As the new year begins, people are beginning to think about their goals for 2010 and, in this instance, the next decade.  Generally, people have a hard time following through with their New Year’s resolutions after the first or second week of January, but there are a few poker players out there who have set goals for 2010 and seem intent on seeing them through to completion.

One such goal-setter is Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu.  He dedicated an entire blog entry to his eight poker goals for the year.  Several center on moving up or maintaining his spot on various records lists, including all-time money earners and most World Series of Poker (WSOP) cashes.  Negreanu currently holds the top spot on the all-time money earners list with $12,427,047, but Phil Ivey is nipping at his heels with $12,236,714.  As for career WSOP cashes, Negreanu is currently 16th on that list with 43 cashes.  In his blog, the poker pro said he’d like to pass Mike Sexton and Thor Hansen to move up to 12th, but thinks he’ll have to rack up around seven cashes in order to achieve his goal.

He also set his sights on a number of accolades, including two WSOP bracelets and a win on one of the major poker tours.  Negreanu currently has two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles and four WSOP bracelets to his credit, but is clamoring for more.  He is also looking to move up in stakes in his personal challenge to turn $10 into $100,000.  Negreanu has worked his way up to the $0.10/$0.25 level and has a bankroll of just under $200, but he hopes to be up to $3/$6 by the time 2011 rolls around.

Full Tilt Red Pro Jeff Madsen’s goals for 2010 may not be as detailed as Negreanu’s, but a recent post in his PokerRoad blog indicated some of the things he’d like to accomplish in the next 365 days: “This year, I will figure out if being single is something I should stick to, I’ll finish my poker book like I say every year, I will improve my rapping hopefully, win a bracelet or WPT or both hopefully…  In the end, I hope it just goes as well as it can.  It’s all love,” wrote Madsen.

Fans of Madsen’s video blogs were likely happy to hear that the 24 year-old is still focused on his rhyming skills, as his raps have developed a loyal following among poker fans.  His most recent installment featured a guest appearance from poker pro Layne Flack and Madsen indicated that the new “guest format” might be something he’ll be doing again in the future.

“Hollywood” Dave Stann also set some goals for the year in his blog, both personal and professional.  In addition to taking better care of himself, Stann is also aiming to reduce his stress levels and increase his confidence in 2010.

Not everyone is keen on making New Year’s promises and setting goals for the next decade, though.  Online poker pro Jon Wein told Poker News Daily that he hasn’t made any resolutions for the new year.  UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin isn’t looking towards 2010 just yet either, as he is still relishing his achievements in 2009, including being named CardPlayer Magazine’s Player of the Year.  Baldwin posted his thoughts on his Twitter account (@basebaldy) early Thursday morning: “Can we run 2009 again at midnight please? What a great year. Excited to make 2010 just as fun.”

2010 UBOC Schedule Features $4 Million Guaranteed

The schedule for the 2010 Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC) was recently released and features more than $4 million in guaranteed prize money up for grabs across 18 events. The festivities will span the course of a dozen days.

Two of the 18 events have prize pools that are guaranteed to be at least $1 million. The schedule also features 16 MiniUBOC tournaments, mimicking a large portion of the UBOC schedule, but with buy-ins that are one-tenth as large. The UBOC Championship is a $1,050 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament that takes place on January 31st and features a $1 million guaranteed purse. Appropriately, 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will host the prestigious tournament.

UB.com and Absolute Poker pros Joe Sebok, Michael Binger, Gary “Debo34” DeBernardi, Lacey Jones, Trishelle Cantanella, Brandon Cantu, Scott Ian, Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire, Matt “mattg1983” Graham, Hollywood Dave Stann, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp, and Liv Boeree will all host events.

Duke commented in a press release from UB.com, “With UBOC heading into its fourth year and Aruba coming up to year nine, UB now has two amazing series. Whether you are a diehard poker player or a weekend warrior, UBOC and MiniUBOC offer something to excite everyone. Just as Aruba awarded millions in tournament prize money, UBOC 4 is about to break records again and this year you don’t even have to make a final table to cash big.”

Without further adieu, here’s a look at the 2010 UBOC schedule:

January 20th at 20:05 ET
Event #1: Sniper No Limit Hold’em
$300+20 buy-in
$250,000 Guaranteed

January 20th at 20:05 ET
Event #2: Eight Game Mix
$150+12 buy-in
$50,000 Guaranteed

January 21st at 20:05 ET
Event #3: No Limit Hold’em Four-Max
$300+20 buy-in
$100,000 Guaranteed

January 22nd at 20:05 ET
Event #4: Sniper No Limit Hold’em
$120+10 buy-in
$30,000 Guaranteed

January 23rd at 13:00 ET
Event #5: Heads-Up Two-Day Event
$1,000+50 buy-in
$128,000 Guaranteed

January 23rd at 14:00 ET
Event #6: No Limit Hold’em Triple Chance
$150+12 buy-in
$100,000 Guaranteed

January 24th at 14:00 ET
Event #7: No Limit Hold’em
$200+15 buy-in
$300,000 Guaranteed

January 24th at 16:00 ET
Event #8: Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Six-Max
$2,500 +100 buy-in
$1 Million Guaranteed

January 25th at 20:05 ET
Event #9: Limit Hold'em Six-Max
$100+9 buy-in
$30,000 Guaranteed

January 25th at 20:05 ET
Event #10: Pot Limit Championship
$300+20 buy-in
$150,000 Guaranteed

January 26th at 20:05 ET
Event #11: Pot Limit Omaha Cubed
$200+15 buy-in
$100,000 Guaranteed

January 26th at 20:05 ET
Event #12: HORSE
$200+15 buy-in
$50,000 Guaranteed

January 27th at 20:05 ET
Event #13: Omaha 8/b and Stud 8/b Mix
$150+12 buy-in
$30,000 Guaranteed

January 27th at 20:05 ET
Event #14: Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
$1,000+50 buy-in
$300,000 Guaranteed

January 28th at 20:05 ET
Event #15: Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better
$300+20 buy-in
$100,000 Guaranteed

January 29th at 20:05 ET
Event #16: Deep Stack Pot Limit Hold’em Six-Max
$500+30 buy-in
$100,000 Guaranteed

January 30th at 14:05 ET
Event #17: No Limit Hold’em Turbo with Rebuys
$100+9 buy-in
$100,000 Guaranteed

January 31st at 16:00 ET
UBOC Championship
$1,000+50 buy-in
$1 Million Guaranteed

The 18 UBOC winners will take home a Championship Watch made by Tourneau. In addition, the USA-friendly online poker site will hold the Bubble Buster, a rewards challenge for players who cash in UBOC events. Players who cash in 10 UBOC events will take home $100,000, while those who manage to make the money in at least 11 of the 18 events will earn $1 million. Cashing in just two UBOC events will generate a prize in the Bubble Buster contest.

A single event satellite contest, STEP contest, and early registration discounts are also available. Visit UB.com for full details.

WPT signs on for Annie Duke Charity Tournament

The WPT is putting up a seat in its exclusive Celebrity Invitational tournament to the winner of the charity event.

Organizers have also released an updated list of celebrities to attend the Duke charity tournament.

It now appears Amazing Race competitors Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho will be buying in, along with fellow reality TV star Trishelle Cannatella, Magician Penn Lillette, world champion snowboarder Jeff Brushie, supercross icon Jimmy Button, actor Joshua Malina and several others.

The usual assortment of poker players will also be lining up to play with Duke, Howard Lederer, Dan Harrington, Joe Sebok, Greg Mueller, Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Andy Bloch and "Hollywood" Dave Stann scheduled to appear.

The public will be able to buy in for $330 and rub shoulders with all the aforementioned celebrities and poker players.

The top 10 finishers will receive prizes from sponsors WSOP Academy, ClubWPT.com, Rockwell Time, Crown Royal, Team UltimateBet, Cartwright Entertainment, Hardcore Elegance, AMA Supercross Anaheim and Commerce Casino.

Taking place at the Commerce Casino in L.A., the Annie Duke Celebrity Poker Night is set to benefit the Decision Education Foundation, which teaches young people to make smart decisions.

The WPT Celebrity Invitational takes place Feb. 20-21, 2010. Also held at Commerce Casino, the Celebrity Invitational is recognized as one of the biggest celebrity tournaments in the world.

The event has drawn the likes of Ben Affleck, Tobey McGuire, Vince Vaughn and Mena Suvari. Former winners include Phil Laak, Van Nguyen and Freddy Deeb.

To sign up for the the Annie Duke Celebrity Poker Night or learn more about it, click here.

Visit PokerListings.com

PokerPages.com to Close October 31st

Along with the influx of players to the world of poker, the past decade has also seen an increase in the number of poker-related media, magazines, and informational web sites for fans to peruse. Since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, however, many of these businesses have fallen victim to lean times. One of the recent casualties was also one of the first to set out into the poker information business back before the poker boom began.

It was announced on Friday that the longtime poker information site PokerPages.com, which has been in business since the late 1990s, would be ceasing operations come the end of October. In a brief statement on the site, PokerPages management said, “For many years Poker Pages has enjoyed providing the best source of poker related content, arguably the internet’s largest and most complete live poker tournament results and listings database, as well as a place to play poker for free. These services will certainly be missed, but we realize that the most appreciated benefit of our products and services has been the community created by our user base. We thank you for the many great years you allowed us to provide you with the best poker content on the internet and wish you all the best in your future poker endeavors. It has been a pleasure and a privilege serving you over the years!”

PokerPages.com was arguably one of the top sites for tournament schedules and reporting. Its international tournament listings were second to none and the history of many of the events in its database stretched back to the 1970s. PokerPages.com was also the home of Poker School Online, which featured poker instruction from poker veteran Al Spath and provided new players a place to hone their skills online for free before stepping out into the world of live cash poker.

Such noted players as poker legend T. J. Cloutier, 2008 “November Nine” member Dennis Phillips, pros Kenna James and “Hollywood” Dave Stann, and top female players Erica Schoenberg and Maria Ho added their insights through writing articles for the site. At one time, in addition to the numerous professional players and their thoughts, its writing staff featured such notable names as Mike Paulle, who was the originator (along with Max Shapiro and the late Andy Glazer) of the “tournament reporter” position that is commonplace in today’s poker media, and author Amy Calistri, who recently teamed with Tim “The Poker Shrink” Lavalli to pen “Check Raising The Devil,” the autobiography of Mike Matusow.

The original ownership of PokerPages.com, Mark and Tina Napolitano, recently sold the company, which was headquartered in Austin, Texas, and the site’s quality had begun to decline. Calistri noted on her blog that, in commenting on the death of Las Vegas legend Bob Stupak, “I knew it would be too much to ask to find one (a story on Stupak’s passing) on PokerPages, which is rehashing a lot of old articles and posting week-old news these days.”

In a comment to Poker News Daily, Paulle summed up his thoughts on PokerPages’ demise by stating, “Tina Napolitano was the heart and soul of PokerPages.com. When you lose your heart and soul, you die.”

PokerPages.com will cease operations on October 31st and, according to announcements on the site, there is no information as to what will become of the wealth of history that it has accumulated.

Hellmuth, Michelle headline Aruba Poker Classic

In fact, tournament organizers are expecting a record number of pros to make the trip to sunny Aruba.

"This is one of my all-time favorite poker tournaments," said Annie Duke, UltimateBet's Cardroom Consultant and member of Team UB.

"While the UB community is famous for gathering together at all sorts of other poker tournaments like the WSOP, Aruba is all about celebrating the successes of UltimateBet's online poker players. I can't wait to meet the people I play against online, party with old friends on the beach and make some new ones."

The entire Team UB roster is scheduled to appear including Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Joe Sebok, Adam Levy, Billy Kopp, Bryan Devonshire, Brandon Cantu, Hollywood Dave Stann, Live Boeree, Matt Graham, Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon, Scott Ian, Michael Binger, Gary "debo34" Debernardi and Shawn Rice.

Also confirmed to play are Amazing Race stars Tiffany Michelle (who is also a UB pro) and Maria Ho.

Michelle mentioned she was looking forward to the event when interviewed by PokerListings regarding her Amazing Race experience.

"We've been doing a lot of press to support the show so it will be exciting to go to Aruba," said Michelle. "I'm excited to sit back down at a poker table and see if I still got it."

Lacey Jones and Matt Vengrin, who represent Absolute Poker on UB's CEREUS network, will also make an appearance at the tournament.

The Aruba Poker Classic began in 2002 and has since seen a number of high profile winners including Juha Helppi, Erick Lindgren, Freddy Deeb and Travis Rice.

Last year, online pro Matt Brady outlasted 550 players to win $1 million out of a prize pool of over $2.6 million.

Taking place at the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa, the 2009 Aruba Poker Classic will run Oct. 3-10 with the $5,500 main event starting Oct. 5. For the complete schedule go to the Aruba Poker Classic website.

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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.

Kopp signs with Team UB

A University of Kentucky student, Kopp has earned more than $2.6 million over the past few years in both online and live poker.

He finished runner-up in a prelim event at the Harrah's New Orleans WSOPC stop for $127,832 and managed an 8th-place finish in a $5k No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2009 WSOP before finishing 12th in the Main Event for $896,730.

Along the way, Kopp knocked out 2009 WSOP Main Event champ Peter Eastgate and 2005 champ Joe Hachem.

He has also amassed eight Top 10 finishes in major online poker events in 2009.

Other members of Team UB include Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Brandon Cantu, Hollywood Dave Stann, Matt Graham, Michael Binger, Scott Ian, Tiffany Michelle and the recently signed Liv Boeree.

Kopp will be playing under the screen name billy_kopp, and UB claims he is both known and feared for his loose-aggressive style of play.

Visit PokerListings.com

Liv Boeree Joins Team UB

Liv Boeree, formerly an ambassador of Absolute Poker, has become a card-carrying member of Team Ultimate Bet (Team UB), officials of the Tokwiro-owned online poker rooms announced this week.

In a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet, Boeree noted that she was looking forward to joining “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke and 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, among others, on the Team UB roster: “It’s an honor to play with the two people who helped launch my poker career. Annie and Phil are two of my favorite players, so to sit on the same team as them is a bit of a surreal experience, but one I’m definitely proud of.” While on the show “UltimatePoker.com Showdown” in 2005, Boeree received poker coaching from Duke. The same press release explains, “It was [also] on UltimatePoker.com Showdown that Liv also earned the respect of 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.”

Boeree has worked for various media outlets throughout her career, including Gutshot TV, the Daily Express, and Challenge TV. Her reporting career has led her to become successful on the felts of live poker tournaments around the world. In January, she finished seventh in an AUD $1,100 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament held during the Aussie Millions for AUD $19,000. In April, she caught fire at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship, winning a preliminary tournament, taking third in another, and finishing 37th in the $25,000 buy-in televised Main Event for over $80,000 total. In May of 2008, Boeree won the $2,000 buy-in Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship for $42,000. The event drew 52 runners and culminated with Boeree besting Lenna Martyak heads-up.

In an August 8th blog on Ultimate Bet, Boeree noted that she had just returned from Sonisphere, a music festival near London. Among those who took to the stage was the band Anthrax, which features fellow Team UB member Scott Ian. On Anthrax’s set, Boeree recalled, “These guys are as hard and heavy as ever and it was a real treat to watch them play with their old singer, John Bush.”

Besides Ian and Boeree, other members of Team UB include Adam “Roothlus” Levy, who made a deep run in last year’s WSOP Main Event, ultimately finishing 48th for $135,000. He made the final table of the WPT Festa al Lago in October of 2008, banking $266,000 in a tournament won by Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier. Online, Levy has been a stud. He finished as the runner-up in an event held during the quarterly Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) in February for $387,000. One week later, he took third in the marquee PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up for another $53,000. He’s ranked 95th in the world according to PocketFives.com.

Brandon Cantu joined Team UB in June. That month, he won a $1,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha High-Low Split tournament for $228,000 during the 2009 WSOP, besting Lee Watkinson heads-up for his first bracelet. Nine events prior, Cantu was the runner-up to Ray Foley in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament, where he cashed for $403,000.

Fellow bracelet winner Matt “mattg1983” Graham also calls Team UB home. Graham won his second piece of hardware in 2009 by taking down the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Omaha for a rousing $679,000. He’s defeated two of the game’s best in his bracelet wins, outlasting Vitaly Lunkin in the Pot Limit Omaha event and beating “Survivor: China” castaway and Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande in a $1,500 buy-in Limit Shootout last year.

Other members of Team UB include “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Michael Binger, Gary “Debo34” Debernardi, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, Shawn “westtexasman” Rice, and Tiffany Michelle, who will compete on the upcoming season of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race.”

Boeree joins Team UB

An astrophysics grad from the University of Manchester, Boeree got her start on a UK based poker reality game show where she was schooled by Team UB stars Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke.

She went on to become a brand ambassador for Absolute Poker and has now moved over to Team UB.

"It's an honor to play with the two people who helped launch my poker career," Boeree said.

"Annie and Phil are two of my favorite players so to sit on the same team as them is a bit of a surreal experience, but one I'm definitely proud of."

Boeree took down the Ladbrokes European Ladies Championship in May 2008, and recently made two side-event final tables at Bellagio in Las Vegas before finishing 37th in the 2009 WPT Championship.

She has also worked as a TV presenter, writer and interviewer on several poker broadcasts including UltimatePoker.com Showdown, Gutshot TV, Daily Express, Challenge TV, Gala ((UK Poker)) Tour, Sky Poker TV, Poker Verdict, Ladies' World Poker Open and the WSOPE.

Other members of Team UB include Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Brandon Cantu, Hollywood Dave Stann, Matt Graham, Michael Binger, Scott Ian and Tiffany Michelle.

In related news, Ultimate Bet is celebrating its 10th Anniversary by offering a $10 Million cash bonus to any player who qualifies online for the Aruba Poker Classic starting with a 10 cent Step 1 satellite and goes on to win the event.

The 8th annual Aruba Poker Classic is set for October 3-10 at the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa, and Boeree is expected to play.

PokerListings also made Boeree one of the site's Best Bets at the 2009 ((WSOP)).

Visit PokerListings.com

Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho May Compete on Amazing Race

Poker News Daily can confirm that Ultimate Bet Star Player Tiffany Michelle will compete on the upcoming season of the CBS reality series “Amazing Race,” according to anonymous sources inside the industry. The show debuts on September 27th at 8:00pm ET following “60 Minutes.” Michelle’s partner, according to Bluff Magazine and various television news outfits, is Maria Ho.

The upcoming season is the 15th for the “Amazing Race,” which pits teams of two against each other for a race around the world – literally. Last season, contestants traveled to diverse destinations that included Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Romania, Russia, India, Thailand, and China before crossing the finish line at the King Kamehameha Golf Club in Maui, Hawaii. Michelle and Ho represent the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively. Michelle gained notoriety last year by calling the clock during a hand she wasn’t involved in, an act that was criticized by tablemate and November Nine member Craig Marquis.

An e-mail sent to Michelle seeking comment about the rumors resulted in an auto-response that read, “I’ll be off shooting for the next month, till mid August, and may be away from my computer and out of touch during that time.” An image that appeared on RealityFanForum.com showed Ho at Los Angeles International Airport allegedly for the start of “Amazing Race.” In a blog entry dated June 27th, Michelle indicated that she would not defend her title of Last Woman Standing in the Main Event: “It’d have to be something pretty big to deter me from the WSOP Championship Event this year and trust me, IT IS! I can’t disclose much right now, but I’ll be leaving the country to film a project for a month and it conflicts with the Main Event.”

In May, Jean-Robert Bellande, who appeared on CBS’ “Survivor: China” in 2007, posted on the online poker forum TwoPlusTwo that “two hot poker girls” were wanted for an “upcoming reality show.” Bellande, a Bodog pro, noted that the ideal candidate is “a respected pro, young, hot, single, [and] engaging.” The Bad Boy of Poker suggested Kristy Gazes and Team PokerStars Pro member Vanessa Rousso, although the latter is engaged to Chad Brown. Last season on the “Amazing Race,” former NFL cheerleaders Jaime and Cara finished as the runner-ups to siblings and lawyers Tammy and Victor.

A representative from Ultimate Bet told Poker News Daily, “I know Tiffany is away working on a project, but unfortunately that is all we know at this point. We can’t comment on any such rumors.” Michelle signed with the Tokwiro-owned online poker room one year ago, joining a Team UB roster that includes Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Brandon Cantu, Gary “debo34” Debernardi, “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Matt “mattg1983” Graham, Michael Binger, Mark “P0ker H0″ Kroon, Scott Ian, and Shawn “westtexasman” Rice. The site’s two main faces are 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke.

At the Dream Team Poker event held at Caesars Palace in March, Michelle and Ho joined forces to bring Team Yo Mama to life. The all-female squad also featured Lacey Jones. No female team has ever won “Amazing Race,” which first aired in 2001. That season, contestants traveled 35,000 miles around the world, led by Rob and Brennan. For its 11th season, favorites from the first 10 cycles of “Amazing Race” convened for a special All-Stars edition. Notable teams included Rob and Amber of “Survivor” fame and Season 7 winners Uchenna and Joyce, who were eliminated at the end of the ninth leg.

During each episode, teams compete in “Detours,” which is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In addition, they’ll stumble upon “Road Blocks,” which are challenges that only one team member can perform. Each “Detour” and “Road Block” typically focuses on the local culture, giving the show a unique flair. New Zealander Phil Keoghan serves as its host and the show will return to its Sunday night timeslot on September. “Amazing Race” serves as the lead-in for the new CBS drama “Three Rivers.”

Brandon Cantu Joins Team UB

Ultimate Bet, one-half of the CEREUS Network, has signed World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Brandon Cantu to become the newest member of Team UB. He can be found playing under the screen name “brandon_cantu” on the USA-friendly site.

Cantu burst onto the live poker scene by winning a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament during the 2006 WSOP for $757,000. He stormed through the 2,776 player field and a final table that also included Carlos Mortensen. He finished 20th in the 2008 WSOP Main Event for $257,000 and has a total of eight in the money finishes in the Las Vegas tournament series. Cantu is also a World Poker Tour (WPT) event winner, having taken down the Season VI Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament for $1 million. In that event, Cantu defeated WSOP Stimulus Special winner Steve Sung heads-up and squeaked by John “The Razor” Phan and Jennifer Harman at the final table. He’s one of only a handful of players to have won WSOP and WPT events.

Ultimate Bet Card Room Consultant and “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke commented in a press release, “This is an exhilarating time for Team UB. We’re constantly on the lookout for poker players who have real integrity, unquestionable talent, and an incredible passion for the game and we’ve found it all in Brandon Cantu.” Cantu’s poker resume also includes a victory in a $300 buy-in tournament held as part of the 2006 Ultimate Poker Challenge for $9,000 and a runner-up showing in the Scotty Nguyen Poker Classic $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event in 2007.

Cantu will be donning Ultimate Bet gear in this year’s tournament series, including the Main Event, which kicks off on July 3rd with the first of four starting days. In a trend that began last year, the 2009 WSOP Main Event’s final table will once again be pushed back until November in order to coincide with television coverage on ESPN. Among those in the field also sporting Ultimate Bet gear will be Duke and Phil Hellmuth. The former finished as the runner-up to comedian Joan Rivers in the finale of NBC’s second season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” The reality show helped raise $730,000 for Refugees International, Duke’s chosen charity. Hellmuth is an 11-time WSOP bracelet winner, the most all-time.

Team UB also includes online poker aficionado Adam “Roothlus” Levy, blackjack expert “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Gary “Debo34″ DeBernardi, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Tracy “Fatcats” Scala, and Tiffany Michelle. The latter was the last woman standing in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, where she earned $334,000 for her 17th place showing. Scala won the first season of Ultimate Bet’s “Best Damn Poker Show,” which airs on Fox Sports Net and recently completed its second season. Patrick Karst won the series’ newest installment.

Ultimate Bet is fiercely qualifying its members to head to the 2009 WSOP Main Event. To date, it has stamped the entry forms of 113 players to the $10,000 buy-in tournament. A 50 Package Guaranteed event will take place this Sunday, June 21st, at 5:30pm ET. The tournament boasts a $530 buy-in and a bevy of satellites are available.

Players who qualify through Ultimate Bet and win the WSOP Main Event by wearing the site’s gear at the final table will qualify for an extra $10 million prize. Online qualifiers will also receive 15% off their stay at the MGM Grand and free shuttle service to and from the Rio; as well as be included in the exclusive guest list for the Ultimate Bet party at Studio 54 on Monday, June 29th. Finally, players will receive access to the Phil Hellmuth Suite at the Rio to unwind during breaks during the Main Event.

CEREUS Network Traffic Rises with Celebrity Apprentice

Among those tuned in to the season finale of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice was Tokwiro COO Paul Leggett. Finalist Annie Duke is a sponsored poker pro of Ultimate Bet, which is owned and operated by Leggett’s company. He watched as comedian Joan Rivers became the Celebrity Apprentice winner and shared his thoughts with Poker News Daily.

Sunday’s boardroom played out in front of a live studio audience in New York City. Show host Donald Trump asked the two finalists from last season’s Celebrity Apprentice, Piers Morgan and Trace Adkins, who should take home the show’s $250,000 check for charity that goes to its winner; both said that Rivers should. NBA star Dennis Rodman and figure skating legend Scott Hamilton agreed, while West Coast Choppers CEO Jesse James advised the real estate mogul to select Duke. Leggett told Poker News Daily who should have won Celebrity Apprentice: “I think Annie deserved to win. In my opinion, she was the best competitor with the most business acumen.”

Duke represented the poker community, whose members came out on multiple occasions to help raise money for charity. Perry Friedman paid $10,000 for a wedding dress in one episode. Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel purchased a single cupcake for $5,000, while Ultimate Bet’s Phil Hellmuth bid $25,000 for a round of golf with LPGA pro Natalie Gulbis, a contestant on the show. In a blog by Daniel Negreanu on Full Contact Poker, it was revealed that Howard Lederer, Duke’s brother, contributed $100,000 during the final episode to help his sibling.

On how poker was cast during Celebrity Apprentice, Leggett commented, “Annie showed that poker players are extremely intelligent and competitive. Despite the many negative comments from Joan Rivers, I think that Annie’s success on the show has cast poker in a positive light and shown players as a cohesive and generous group that has a sense of community and a charitable spirit.” A pre-taped segment that aired during the finale included “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, and Matt “mattg1983” Graham sending their best wishes to Duke.

As a sponsored pro of Ultimate Bet, Duke serves as one of the main faces of the U.S.-friendly online poker room. As such, Leggett was overjoyed when he learned that the World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner would head to New York City to begin filming. Leggett told Poker News Daily, “We were excited about the prospect of seeing Duke compete on Celebrity Apprentice. We saw Annie’s appearance as an opportunity to go beyond our usual reach of the poker world to non-poker playing America for some fantastic brand exposure.”

Leggett revealed that a “a major increase in traffic” has occurred as a result of Duke’s weekly exposure during the two hour NBC reality series. The show began airing on March 1st. According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, between March 13th and March 25th, the CEREUS Network boasted over 4,000 real money ring game players on eight days. Since then, the 4,000 mark has been broken just once (April 13th). CEREUS is currently the seventh largest online poker network worldwide and the third largest that accepts U.S. players behind PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. The new network was formed back in November after the player bases of Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker were merged. On Sunday nights, Ultimate Bet qualified players for an opportunity to win an Aruba Poker Classic prize package. The Main Event of the promotion, which takes place next Monday, is dubbed “Annie Duke’s Apprentice Challenge.”

In an interview with Poker News Daily last week, Hellmuth stated that he would consider becoming a member of the cast of Celebrity Apprentice Season 3 if asked. The series’ third celebrity version and ninth overall installment is slated to hit television airwaves in the beginning of 2010. Leggett gave his two cents on how Hellmuth would fare: “Phil would be great, but very different. He is much more expressive and explosive. The audience couldn’t help but be engaged by his antics and outbursts, which would be inevitable if he competed in Trump’s boardroom. Phil is passionate about everything he does and is just as charity-minded as Duke.  I think he’d go deep if he went on the show.” Hellmuth owns the record for number of WSOP bracelets won at 11 and has made three World Poker Tour final tables.

Duke and Hellmuth collaborate on Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Poker Show.” In addition, Duke has appeared on NBC’s “1 vs. 100,” serving in the “mob,” and also on a bevy of televised poker tournaments. Leggett noted that Duke’s vast experience in front of television cameras was beneficial during Celebrity Apprentice: “I think Annie’s experience with the Best Damn Poker Show has helped her in some ways because she was already comfortable in front of a camera. She was also very aware of how perceptions can be created or skewed by the editing process.”

A special thank you from all of us here at Poker News Daily to Tokwiro COO Paul Leggett.

Joan Rivers Defeats Annie Duke in Celebrity Apprentice Finals

The finale of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice wrapped up on Sunday night with comedian Joan Rivers besting poker pro Annie Duke. Rivers’ charity, God’s Love We Deliver, will receive $250,000 plus money raised earlier in the season.

The setting of the live three hour Celebrity Apprentice finale was the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The competition began on March 1st with 16 contestants, eight men and eight women. Ten weeks later, Rivers emerged as its champion. After West Coast Choppers CEO Jesse James and Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick were fired last week, Rivers and Duke returned to their suite in Trump Towers. The duo was anything but pleasant to each other, with Rivers summing the mood up, “I think you’re really smart. I think you’re going to be fabulous competition, but we don’t have to be best friends.”

Six former contestants returned to help Duke and Rivers in their final task. A coin flip was used to determine who would receive the first pick. Duke chose heads, won, and selected Roderick, Rivers selected Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, Duke picked NBA legend Dennis Rodman, Rivers selected country music star Clint Black, Duke chose comedian Tom Green, and Rivers selected her daughter, Melissa, with the final pick. The younger Rivers told her mother not to select her early on since previously calling Duke a “whore pit viper” would mean the World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner would likely not pick her.

The task was to host a VIP party and silent auction featuring celebrity experiences. Teams were asked to incorporate a Limited Edition Celebrity Apprentice Kodak digital picture frame and also sell tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show Wintuk. Duke and Rivers would be judged on five criteria – the amount of money raised, level of Kodak product integration, level of charity integration, the celebrities in attendance, and the overall guest experience. Rivers dubbed the battle “good versus evil” and Duke made it a goal to raise $500,000. The Ultimate Bet pro commented, “I want to beat Joan Rivers with an exclamation point. Unless she raises $700,000, I know I’m going to win.”

After both teams had met with Kodak executives, Duke immediately put her cell phone to work, calling fellow poker pro Perry Friedman, who had already appeared on two episodes during the second season of Celebrity Apprentice. Duke commented, “The fact that Joan Rivers called all poker players ‘white trash’ helps me because I can call up my poker player friends and say, ‘I’m playing against Joan Rivers and guess what she said about you?’” Friedman offered to donate $20,000 to the cause.

Rivers also got on the horn, telling one prospective donor, “I’m doing the Celebrity Apprentice and it’s between me and a girl who’s the biggest piece of shit in the world.” At the same time, she quickly grew tired of her assigned event planner, as a lack of vision allegedly led to the event planning company pulling out of the Celebrity Apprentice finale. Meanwhile, Duke, who was seeking to purchase ice sculptures, visited the event planning offices and was promptly shown the exit. She told NBC cameras, “The other team didn’t like them and so the event company has quit. This is fucked up.” The incident occurred after 5:00pm on a Friday, leaving both Rivers and Duke scrambling to organize the massive fundraiser the next day.

Duke lashed because of her predicament, commenting, “Now I’m freaking out because I have a raw space. I can’t believe that because Joan Rivers doesn’t know how to treat another human being, I became collateral damage.” The live studio audience in attendance in New York cheered loudly at the comment. Duke then asserted, “It was war before this happened, but now I am going to crush her like nothing you’ve ever seen.” The WSOP veteran continued to vent her frustration, telling one phone call recipient, “This woman needs to die,” a comment that was later frowned upon by show host Donald Trump during the live boardroom.

Rivers tackled the dilemma of not having an event planning company onboard by turning to her charity for help. The President, CEO, and a bevy of volunteers from God’s Love We Deliver came to the rescue. Duke received a breakthrough of her own when she made contact with an event planner that owned a warehouse full of supplies. She explained, “The number of people who have dropped their lives to come out for me is amazing.”

The morning of the event, Duke left Trump International Hotel and Tower with Green. Duke filled the comedian in on the Celebrity Apprentice gossip since Green was fired in Week 3: “I have been maligned and my character has been assassinated every week. She started attacking me in the most personal way.” Green retorted, “That’s not personal; it’s just a joke.” At the venue, Rivers’ setup involved each guest walking through an oversized Kodak picture frame to bid on auction items such as an Amsale dress, a game-worn Brett Favre jersey, and a necklace worn by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Rodman donned his signature drag queen outfit and took pictures with those walking the red carpet at Duke’s event, who included her brother Howard Lederer, Ultimate Bet Star Player “Hollywood” Dave Stann, 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, Full Tilt Poker pro Andy Bloch, boxers Bernard Hopkins and Joe Frazier, and figure skating champion Oksana Baiul. Characters from Wintuk also turned out, interacting with guests and even juggling with Duke.

Hellmuth bid on a round of golf with Natalie Gulbis, a former contestant on Celebrity Apprentice who was one of three candidates not to appear at the finale (Khloe Kardashian and Tionne Watkins were the others). He commented, “$25,000 for a round of golf with Natalie? That should get it done.” Rivers commented on those in attendance at Duke’s gala: “Annie has people that have cash stuck in their shoes. I don’t have those people, so if we’re going to win, we’re going to win on all of the other criteria.” Rivers’ event featured “Desperate Housewives” star Kyle MacLachlan, comedian Kathy Griffin, “American Idol” contestant Constantine Maroulis, and the cast of the Broadway hit “Chicago.”

The final boardroom began with Duke defending poker as a game of skill separate from gambling. She explained to Trump, “Poker is a skill game, so you can think of [my friends] as investors.” Trump then inquired, “Poker is also a gamble?” Duke responded, “Less than the stock market.” Referring to Duke, Rivers chimed in, “This is so disgusting. This is everything I did not believe in for 75 years. I’ve lived my life with honor.” She then insinuated that poker players are members of organized crime, noting, “I was told your money is all Mafia money.”

In the end, Rivers’ team raised $150,830 for her charity. Duke tripled that total, recording $465,725. Kodak executives also gave the nod to Duke on charity integration using digital picture frames as well as in-party signage. The other three categories – celebrities in attendance, Kodak integration, and overall guest experience – all were won by Rivers, giving the longtime comedy staple a 3-2 edge. Nevertheless, Duke remained optimistic. The Poker News Daily columnist remarked, “I’m really happy. I came away with really great friends. Charity and friends: That’s what makes the world go round.”

Trump then brought in the winner and runner up of Celebrity Apprentice Season 1, Piers Morgan and Trace Adkins (respectively); both said they would hire Rivers. Rodman and figure skating legend Scott Hamilton, who was fired in Week 2, agreed. Contrastingly, James suggested that Trump hire Duke. Rivers argued that she should be the Celebrity Apprentice because she represents “winning and business in the new way that this country is taking on.” Duke responded, “If it’s about raising money, I did better. If it’s about winning more challenges, I did better.” Donald Trump, Jr. gave his two cents: “As a business person, I really respect that Annie lives and breathes game theory: No emotion; she just makes decisions.”

In the end, however, Rivers was crowned the Celebrity Apprentice for Season 2. The two adversaries embraced after Trump announced his decision. Duke’s charity, Refugees International, received over $700,000 from the NBC reality show, while Rivers’ charity gained over $500,000. Celebrity Apprentice will return in one year for Season 3, its ninth overall.

Poker News in Brief: April 20-26, 2009

Every week we compile a collection of stories that didn't quite make the cut for the front page but were worth mentioning nonetheless.

In these week's edition it turns out that a certain Bodog has its bite back, French poker players are actually really, really good (at least one of them) and the WPT Championship wasn't the only major tournament won by a TV pro.

Bodog.com returns along with Bodog Open

The Morris Mohawk Gaming Group announced this week that it reached a resolution of all litigation relating to 1st Technology, LCC and will be getting the Bodog.com domain back.

The settlement ends the series of 1st Technology's lawsuits alleging the online poker site used patents in the 1st Technology portfolio. It also means Bodog.com will be returned to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group which now runs the Bodog sites.

Despite not being a part of the original lawsuits, the MMGG said it stepped in to settle the matter because the lawsuit cast a shadow on the Bodog brand it had been running.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be able to return the Bodog experience to its rightful home - the reaction of staff and key suppliers has been thunderous," said Alwyn Morris, MMGG chief executive.

The return of Bodog.com is just in time for the 26-event Bodog Poker Open III. The series begins today and ends with the championship event on May 3.

The Bodog Poker Open III will feature three concurrent series during the week offering a Mini-Bounty Tournament Series, Mid-Stakes Tournament Series and the Championship Tournament Series.

In all there is more than $280,000 in guaranteed prize money, plus the varying levels of buy-ins offer a little something for everyone.

For more information, check out Bodog Poker.

Hollywood Dave Stann wins prelim event at WSOPC Caesars Las Vegas

Although the big news over the weekend was Yevgeniy Timoshenko winning the WPT championship another well-known pro took down a tournament with more than 370 runners.

"Hollywood Dave" Stann won Event 18 of this year's WSOPC Caesars Las Vegas after he outlasted a final table that included Eskimo Clark and Steven "Stevie G" McKoy.

It was the third major tournament that Stann has won and his first WSOPC ring. The 35-year-old former blackjack player officially collected $26,398 for his first place finish.

The WSOPC Caesars Las Vegas Championship Event kicks off on tomorrow at 12 p.m.

Florida man predicts online poker to be legalized in the U.S.

Once again an expert in internet law is suggesting the U.S. government may move to legalize online gambling in an effort to raise revenue.

In a story with 24 Hours online Lawrence Walters suggested that intrastate online poker games may be the future for online gambling in the U.S.

Law professor Ed Morse of Creighton University in Nebraska was quick to point out that legalizing online gambling would not only help a cash-strapped government but it would help create jobs and economic expansion during a recession.

To read the complete story click here.

PR Web declines online gambling releases

Popular press release website PR Web announced this week it will no longer be accepting submissions from online gambling companies.

PR Web is based in Washington and decided to ban online gambling related pressreleases due to the murky legislation surrounding online gambling in the U.S.

Prior to the ban PR Web was one of the most prominent methods of advertising for sites like Full Tilt Poker and Everest Poker.

Visit PokerListings.com

CEREUS Unveils $530,000 Points Race

Starting on Wednesday of this week, players on CEREUS Network sites Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker began competing in a high-stakes two month Points Race worth $530,000. The prize pool will be divided among the top Status Point earners.

While many people in the United States were busy scrambling at the last minute on Wednesday to file their taxes, players on Tokwiro-owned online poker rooms Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, both part of the CEREUS Network, were racking up Status Points and watching their names climb the UB 500 and AP 500 leader boards. The Points Race concludes on June 15th with the top 500 earners splitting a $500,000 prize pool. First place will grab $25,000, second place takes home $22,000, and third place will see their online poker bankroll grow by $20,000. Everyone who makes the leader board will receive at least $150 and the top 10 will pocket five-figure paydays.

Tokwiro Chief Operating Officer Paul Leggett told Poker News Daily, “Our players truly enjoy rake races and we wanted to give them one of the largest races in online poker history. Our $500,000 rake race is just one of the many promotions we will run this year to make online poker more exciting and competitive.” That’s not all, however. The top 1,000 Status Point earners will receive an invite into a special $30,000 freeroll scheduled for June 28th at 2:00pm ET. In total, $530,000 is up for grabs as part of the promotion, which more than doubles the prize money given away in last month’s CEREUS rake race.

Just a few days into the competition, SOUTHCJAY7 leads the pack in the UB 500, generating 14,116 Status Points. Right behind him is MAKE_IT_RAIN, who holds 10,679 Points. If the contest were frozen today, VOSS1313 (8,967), ANEW (8,862), MERKER1 (7,860), AIRKID3 (7,558), Z06FANATIC (6,699), MINUTEMAN233 (6,287), DURZAAAA (6,180), and JAMESRED111 (5,790) would all take home over $10,000. A total of 74 players will earn at least $1,000.

CEREUS was formed in November with the merging of the player bases of Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. According to PokerScout.com, which ranks traffic across the major sites, CEREUS is the seventh largest worldwide with a seven day running average of 2,250 real money ring game players. Its 24 hour peak is 3,416 and at the time of writing, which is mid-afternoon Eastern Time, there are 2,561 cash game players on its virtual felts. A press release distributed by Tokwiro this week reads, “Thanks to CEREUS, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker's Rake Race promotion continues to deliver on the promise of a bigger and better online poker experience for players at both online poker sites. So, settle into the driver’s seat and just keep earning STATUS Points to participate and secure a share of the $530,000 prize money up for grabs.”

“Celebrity Apprentice” candidate Annie Duke and 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth serve as the front men ultimate Bet. This week on the popular NBC reality show, the two may square off on national television. In an ongoing task that asks teams to raise money for charity by auctioning off pieces from Ivanka Trump’s jewelry line, Duke’s opposition has solicited Hellmuth to come to New York and place a bid. Whether Hellmuth will actually turn out for the show is unknown. “Celebrity Apprentice” airs at 9:00pm ET on Sunday nights on NBC.

At the end of March, Ultimate Bet signed Matt “mattg1983” Graham to become the newest member of its Star Player Team, which also includes Adam “Roothlus” Levy, “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Tiffany Michelle, “Best Damn Poker Show” Season 1 winner Tracy Scala, and Michael Binger.

Matt Graham (mattg1983) Joins Ultimate Bet Star Players Team

On Thursday, online poker room Ultimate Bet announced that it had signed World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder and top online poker player Matt “mattg1983” Graham to its roster of Star Players. He joins Tiffany Michelle, Tracy Scala, James “P0KERPR033” Campbell, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, “Hollywood” Dave Stann, and Michael Binger.

Graham's WSOP bracelet came after a grueling heads-up match against Bodog pro and “Survivor: China” contestant Jean-Robert Bellande in a $1,500 buy-in Limit Shootout event last year. Graham's win was worth $278,000, solidifying his name as a major force in both the live and online poker worlds. Graham also took down a $5,000 buy-in event held during the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic in December for $320,000, besting David Matthew heads-up. Finishing in the top ten of that tournament were a talented group of pros including David “The Dragon” Pham, Hafiz Khan, Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, and Marco “CrazyMarco” Johnson.

In a statement released by the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, Annie Duke welcomed her new colleague to Ultimate Bet: "I am so thrilled to have Matt Graham on the team. Matt epitomizes the all-around poker player. He has great results in all of the games, live or online. Matt is an amazing addition to the UltimateBet.com team." Duke and Phil Hellmuth serve as the primary faces of Ultimate Bet, which makes its home on the USA-friendly CEREUS Network. Late last year, the site combined its member base with that of Absolute Poker, creating the popular Network.

Michelle was the last woman standing in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, ultimately finishing 17th and taking home $334,000. Scala won the first season of “Best Damn Poker Show,” a reality series on Fox Sports Net pitting Duke and Hellmuth against each other to see who can groom poker's next superstar. The second installment of “Best Damn Poker Show” just wrapped up and was won by Patrick Karst.

Campbell is one of the top online players and can be found battling it out under the alias “P0KERPR033.” Levy finished fifth in the World Poker Tour's Festa al Lago event last year, banking $266,000. Stann was a contestant on “Best Damn Poker Show” Season One and is well-known for his skills at the blackjack table. Binger has nearly $5 million in career WSOP earnings, although he has not yet won a bracelet.

On his new employer, Graham noted, "I look forward to the opportunity to represent UltimateBet.com both online and in the live arena. I never would have thought I would be a site pro when I began my online poker career at UltimateBet.com four years ago, but now here I am. I am very excited to be a part of the future of this site." Online, the poker prodigy took down the Sunday Second Chance on PokerStars in August for $53,000. In the same month, he also won the PokerStars $100 rebuy, one of the most challenging tournaments in all of poker, for $38,000.

According to PokerScout.com, which ranks online poker traffic, CEREUS sits at number seven worldwide with a seven day running average of 2,400 real money ring game players. Its 24 hour peak, which occurs during prime time hours in the United States, is 3,321. The CEREUS Network is the third largest that accepts players from the United States, trailing only PokerStars (24,400 cash game players on average) and Full Tilt Poker (11,000). Both Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet are owned by Tokwiro Enterprises. The Network's Bad Beat Jackpot was hit last week for over $800,000 when a Royal Flush defeated a jack-high Straight Flush.