Poker News

Well, How Did I Get Here by Lee Jones

I made a pretty big laydown recently and was probably as proud of it as I was of any big pot I’ve won recently. Long ago, David Sklansky reminded us that a bet you don’t lose spends just as well as a bet you win.

This happened in a regular home game of mine; my knowledge of the players certainly helped my decision and emphasized the importance of paying attention to your opponents and learning their habits.

We were playing $1-$1 No Limit Hold’em, but that doesn’t really tell the story. As will happen in games without a buy-in cap, we had all ended up with stacks much bigger than the $100-ish that’s typical in online games with those blinds. I had over $400 and the stacks around me were of similar size or bigger.

Rory limped in for $1. Rory likes to play pots and could have just about anything. In middle position, Ben raised to $6, a fairly standard raise in this game. I looked down at J-T suited. Ben doesn’t usually open very light and big pairs made up a meaningful percentage of his pre-flop raising range. Those were exactly the hands that I was hoping to beat if I could hit a flop; I didn’t want a 4bet from Ben shutting me out of the pot early. I flat called.

Now, Steve called behind me. That made me upset. I should have looked left and thought about him. Steve likes to gamble, but he’s nobody’s fish and tends to do his gambling with position. I was stuck between Ben’s raise and Steve’s call behind me. I wished I had 3bet Ben and gotten the button; Steve would have folded anything but a premium hand to my re-raise. Now I’d made my bed and would have to lie in it.

My bed started to look like a feather mattress with silk sheets when the flop came down T-T-2 with two spades. My cards were red, but what did I care? I had just out-flopped all three of them (Rory had called the raise, saying something about pot odds). In particular, I thought I could stack Ben and his pocket queens or whatever big hand he had. Rory checked (as expected), but then Ben checked. Ruh-roh. If he had something like A-K, he wasn’t going to plow forward on a flop like that against three opponents. On the other hand, it would be very much in Steve’s idiom to pick up the $25 in the pot with a button bet and at least I could trap Steve for the probe bet he tossed out. I checked.

As he was supposed to, Steve bet $20. Then things really looked up. Rory called the $20.  Rory probably suspected Steve of the same thing I did and was hoping he could get Steve to slow down. Rory would make that play with as little as A-2 for bottom pair. I mentally locked and loaded a check-raise to about $75. That would blow them off whatever they had and I’d… “I’m all in.”

What?

Ben had paused briefly and then announced he was all-in for about $250. Suddenly, my world made far less sense. Ben is a thinking, competent player. He knows that Steve, Rory, and I are thinking competent players.

“Sorry, guys. This is going to take me a minute.” For years, when you needed an extra thought to make my playing decision, you simply said, “Time.” That would freeze the action for the extra handful of seconds and then you could act. However, in this world of televised poker tournaments, people confuse that announcement with somebody “calling the clock” on another player. “Are you calling the clock on yourself?” I’ve been asked. So, I’ve become more specific in my requests.

Ben would not play a big pair that way. If he had queens, he’d fire right into that pot and plan (hope) to take it down on the flop. Check-raising like that would only play right into the hands of somebody holding a ten. Either Steve or I could hold a ten and all of us knew it.

As I was pondering the situation, I experienced one of those exquisite moments of synchronicity that make you wonder about life. The Talking Heads were on the stereo and I found myself singing out loud along with David Byrne, “And you may say to yourself, ‘Well, how did I get here?’” Everybody chuckled and I relaxed. I couldn’t put Ben on a big pair no matter how hard I tried. He wasn’t making some Nth level sophisticated play against the entire field. He had the case ten and it was bigger than mine; he didn’t raise with T-9.

“I fold.”

Now it was Steve’s turn to tank. He didn’t take as long as I did, but he was obviously struggling. Odd – I thought that he was on a stone-cold steal. He folded relatively soon and it was on Rory. Even Rory had to have a think. Finally, he showed Ben a flush draw, threw it in, and said, “I don’t want to gamble.” “You’ve got a big ten,” I told Ben. “Close,” he replied, turning up pocket deuces; he’d flopped the full house. “Wow, I had jack-ten. I had four outs.” “No,” said Steve, “One out – just like me. I had pocket jacks.” Ben stared at us. “You folded jacks and you folded jack-ten?” We nodded.

You could see the wheels turning in Ben’s head. “What if I’d flatted Steve’s bet?” I laughed – “Oh, I check-raise to $75. Steve calls because he thinks I think he’s stealing. Rory calls for pot odds. You shove and who knows what happens at that point, but if we call, you have to fade two whole outs. You probably win a $500 or $600 pot.” Ben shook his head saying, “I guess I pulled the trigger too soon.”

I honestly don’t know if I could have made that laydown in the heat of a 15-second online decision. Fortunately for me, it happened where I had the time and the graciousness of my fellow players to let me work through the possibilities and make the right decision… instead of burning down the house.

Lee Jones is the Card Room Manager of Cake Poker and has been in the online poker business for over six years. He is also the author of “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” which is in its 15th year of publication.

Gap Concept: Always Watch Out for the 3Bet

If you have played any serious poker in your lifetime, then you have seen the following situation occur at the tables. A player either limps in or raises the pot in early position with a small pocket pair and gets re-popped by another player. As others muck, suddenly a third person joins the battle with a re-raise of their own. The first person calls (or moves all-in), the second person makes their decision, and the third person turns up pocket kings or aces. After the carnage is done, the inexperienced player who was just crushed usually says, “How was I supposed to know he had a big hand?” He should have known what the situation was easily because you always must watch out for the 3bet.

Whether you are playing Limit or No Limit Texas Hold’em, the player willing to take the chance with a 3bet usually has an extremely strong hand because of a philosophy known as the Gap Concept. This theory, originally espoused by noted poker author David Sklansky, opines that a player has to have a stronger hand to make a call or re-raise after there has been action in front of them. In other words, if there has been a raise and a re-raise in front of my action with A-J, I can pretty much count that my cards aren’t going to be good.

A perfect example of this principle in action occurred this summer during the World Series of Poker Main Event. Down to two tables, a player raised with pocket eights and brought a re-raise out of November Niner Steven Begleiter, who held pocket kings. The next three hands after him – pocket jacks, A-K, and pocket tens – took their time to analyze the situation and, one by one, found the muck. Begleiter would go on to win the hand.

What the three players did after Begleiter was take into account the Gap Concept. Because Begleiter was three betting the pot, signaling a big hand, the jacks, Big Slick, and tens knew that they were at the minimum facing pocket queens. In fact, one of the players who folded his hand, 2009 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Cada (who held the A-K), would not have been around to play for the title had he played his hand.

Even in the current age of aggressive online play, the Gap Concept still has value. If in late position a player holds a mid-pair and sees a raise and a re-raise in front of him, there has to be credit given to the 3bet most of all. In Limit, a player may be able to call the bet and at the minimum see a flop. If the player misses, the hand can easily be mucked. In No Limit, however, the player who calls or re-raises the 3bet could very well be massively behind and/or out of the tournament when they run into a larger pair or A-K.

Even putting the Gap Concept into practice, there are times when a player is short stacked and has to take a shot. In most situations, such as in the early or middle segments of a tournament, a shrewd player will take the time to break down the playing style of the opponent and the situation to determine the price they are getting to make the correct decision.

Exercising the Gap Concept theory may be elementary to many longtime players, but newcomers to the game still make the error in not giving credence to the 3bet. For a player to come over the top of a raise with a re-raise signifies a strong hand that will have most holdings crushed. Therefore, players must be attentive to their opponents’ style at the table.

David Sklansky’s Las Vegas House Robbed

Word has spread like wildfire that respected Two Plus Two poker author David Sklansky was recently the victim of a home invasion outside of Las Vegas on July 25th. According to reports, Sklansky was asleep when two men broke into his home near Wigwam and Bermuda shortly after 3:00am. It was one of several violent robberies that took place in the Las Vegas Metro area in July. Fortunately, Sklansky was not hurt during the break-in.

“The guy burst into the bedroom; it was very dark, but I did see what appeared to be a gun,” Sklansky told a local NBC affiliate. “This is something I have visualized over the years. I always knew this was a possibility. I actually played it over in my mind of what I would do if it happened. I realized the most important thing was to keep him calm.”

Sklansky, a three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner and master game theorist, described how he used his skills at the poker table to stay composed during the terrifying ordeal: “During the time he was there, my main focus was to make sure that he didn’t think that I was panicking or that I would do something silly,” Sklansky explained. “The advice is the same as in a poker game; you try and figure out what the other guy is thinking and then act accordingly. I can imagine if he was doing this same robbery with someone who didn’t behave the way I did, it could have turned out terribly.”

Sklansky has authored or co-authored 13 books on gambling theory and poker and contributed a section to the first edition of Doyle Brunson’s “Super/System.” Two Plus Two publishes Sklansky’s books and he is also a moderator at the reputable Two Plus Two online poker forum. There, he commented about the July robbery:

“I have no personal animosity toward these guys. They used the absolute lowest level of force necessary to accomplish their purposes. In one of my books, I wrote that there is not enough difference in the punishment of criminals who harm victims and those who don’t, using Steve Wynn’s daughter’s kidnapping as an example. I’m not going to change my mind just because I am now one of those victims. In this case, I doubt they will be caught anyway since I never saw them and they let the other person in the house sleep through it! Meanwhile, if this is being read by the robbers or someone who knows them, I would request that they mail me those few things (photos, etc.) that are of no value to them, but are to me.”

During a two-week span, six incidences took place around the Metro Las Vegas area, many inside gated communities. A week before Sklansky’s home was robbed, three men tried to steal from a home near Fort Apache and Patrick, but were caught after the homeowner fought back. Not all of the victims were so fortunate, however. One couple was tied up and robbed in their home near Buffalo and Lake Mead. A day later, robbers stole cash and jewelry while two women and a number of children were asleep at their residence near Washington and Tenaya. Metro police are still on the lookout for suspects involved in each of those robberies, including Sklansky’s case.

David Sklansky Confronts Armed Robber

A string of burglaries in the Las Vegas Metro district has authorities worried, as some violent robberies have occurred in gated communities – including the house of poker pro and 'Theory of Poker' author David Sklansky.

Testimony in Colorado Poker Case Comes Under Fire

District Court Judge James Hartmann recently ruled that the testimony of University of Denver Statistics Professor Robert Hannum proving that poker is a game of skill should not have been allowed in a case involving Kevin Raley in Colorado.

Despite the ruling, charges will not be re-filed against Raley, according to Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Colorado State Director Gary Reed, who told Poker News Daily, “We went to trial, won, and the State appealed. All they appealed was allowing the testimony of Hannum. Now, we’ve gone to the Appellate Court saying that we want to appeal Judge Hartmann’s ruling. Having been acquitted at trial, Raley can’t be retried and charges won’t be re-filed.” The timeline for an appeal has not been announced.

In January, a jury found Raley not guilty of illegal gambling for operating a poker league in a bar. According to a PPA statement released earlier this year, illegal gambling in Colorado is defined as follows: “Risking any money, credit, deposit, or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, the operation of a gambling device, or the happening or outcome of an event, including a sporting event, over which the person taking a risk has no control, but does not include bona fide contests of skill.”

The PPA dispatched Hannum to testify on Raley’s behalf that poker is a game of skill and therefore not subject to Colorado gambling statutes. Hannum presented the results of a December study by Cigital and PokerStars that examined 103 million cash game hands on the world’s largest online poker site. In the end, three-quarters did not go to showdown. Instead, the process of betting and bluffing won pots prior to the cards being turned over. In the remaining 24.3% of hands, the player with the best five card hand won just 50.3% of the time. In the other 49.7% of pots, the player with the best five card hand folded prior to showdown.

An article that appeared in the Greeley Tribune explained the fallout from the appeal of Hannum’s testimony: “Anyone else charged with gambling for hosting or playing in a poker tournament will not be able to use Raley’s argument.” The news outlet summarized Judge Hartmann’s ruling: “The fact that the participants were playing for money — and the fact poker was partly a game of chance — meant the participants were gambling.”

Reed, however, told Poker News Daily that additional pressures contributed to Judge Hartmann’s ruling: “Politically and economically, the big casinos here in Colorado do not want to see open poker. They’ve been putting pressure on the government to shut down poker games outside of their locations. You have politicians’ pressure brought to bear and I think that’s why the judge ruled the way he did.”

In January, the PPA boasted 13,000 members in Colorado, including Raley. Before the case can be reviewed, Reed explained that the Colorado Supreme Court must first give the Appellate Court permission to do so. On a timeline, he explained, “Courts run on their own clocks and it depends on their case load.”

Reed explained the benefits of legalized poker in Colorado: “The more people we introduce into the game, the more people will sit down at a licensed poker room. While they’re doing that, they’ll feel more comfortable. Most poker room managers agree.” He explained that the conflict stems from the casino ownership, which is leery of any un-raked form of poker that could potentially lure customers away. Reed cautioned, “You don’t grow your base by denying the game to people, who will then be less comfortable when they come to casinos.”

The PPA filed an amicus brief on behalf of Raley when it learned that the State would dispute Hannum’s testimony. The brief quotes a bevy of poker literature, including books by Doyle Brunson (“Super System”), Gus Hansen (“Every Hand Revealed”), Dan Harrington (“Harrington on Hold’em”), David Sklansky (“The Theory of Poker” and “Tournament Poker for Advanced Players”), and Blair Rodman and Lee Nelson (“Kill Phil”).

We’ll keep you posted on the latest from the Colorado poker case on Poker News Daily.

Ivey, Dwan headline Hall of Fame nominee list

This year, for the first-time ever, the public was invited into the nomination process and asked to vote on WSOP.com for the player they believed most deserving of the honor.

Voting was open from May 29th to July 2nd, and now after a month of collecting votes, WSOP.com has released the names of the top 10 most-nominated players.

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

• Tom Dwan
• Barry Greenstein
• Dan Harrington
• Phil Ivey
• Tom McEvoy
• Men Nguyen
• Scotty Nguyen
• Daniel Negreanu
• Erik Seidel
• Mike Sexton

Once these nominations have been vetted by the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council, a final list of candidates will be compiled.

The final vote will then be done by the 15 living members of the Hall of Fame along with a 15-person media panel, with the chosen player or players announced at an induction ceremony in concert with the WSOP Main Event Final Table in November.

In total, over 41 different names received multiple nominations during the public process including:

• Patrik Antonius
• Humberto Brenes
• Mike Caro
• Norman Chad
• Allen Cunningham
• Ivan Demidov
• Eric Drache
• Annie Duke
• John Duthie
• Sam Farha
• Chris Ferguson
• Ted Forrest
• Andy Glazer
• Bertrand Grospellier
• Gus Hansen
• Jennifer Harman-Traniello
• Jay Heimowitz
• Rob Hollink
• Jesper Hougaard
• Phil Laak
• Howard Lederer
• Marcel Luske
• Mike Matusow
• Chris Moneymaker
• Luca Pagano
• Greg Raymer
• Matt Savage
• David Sklansky

To be considered, a poker player must have the following qualifications:

• Must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
• Played for high stakes
• Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
• Stood the test of time
• Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.

All of the above names remain eligible for future consideration.

Visit PokerListings.com

Nominees Announced for Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Sexton Reviews the 2009 World Series of Poker

It’s once again time for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) – the 40th edition.  For poker players, the WSOP is the ultimate in “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”  It’s where dreams come true and also where dreams are shattered.  Many of us dote about the bracelets, the history, and the tradition that set the WSOP apart from other tournaments, but the beauty is that most players really can win life-changing money.

This year’s kickoff event was a $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th annual WSOP.  Personally, I think it’s a dumb idea to ever have a bigger buy-in for a No Limit Hold’em tournament than the Main Event, so I wasn’t for it.  I didn’t play in it because I missed the first week of the WSOP this year.  I took a vacation with my wife Karen and son Ty (nine months old) to Yellowstone National Park – and it was great!  It was a vacation for our second anniversary and Ty is the first child for either of us.  It’s official - my priorities have changed from poker to parenting!

I do love the WSOP, though.  I’m guessing I will play in 10 to 12 events this year.  It may be their 40th, but it’s my 25th WSOP, my Silver Anniversary.  One thing’s for sure: I will never forget my first-ever WSOP.  It was 1984.  I lived in North Carolina back then and had been a professional poker player for about six years.  I always wanted to go the WSOP and play against the best.  I never went, though, because I was an avid Little League coach back then (which, incidentally, was the greatest joy of my life).  We started practicing in April and our season started in May – the same time as the WSOP in those days – and, therefore, I couldn’t go.

In 1984, I finally decided to take a week off from Little League and go to my first WSOP.  Back then, they only had one tournament every other day.  That meant in a week’s time, you could only play in three events.  So, I entered three events, made two final tables, and was hooked for life on the WSOP.  Because of my success in that first WSOP, I decided to move to Las Vegas a few months later and I’ve lived there ever since.  I’ve often wondered where I’d be today if I hadn’t cashed in any of those three tournaments.

Here’s the bad part: 25 years later, I still remember how I was knocked out of those tournaments at my first WSOP – and it still hurts!  Why can’t I just let it go?  Because it’s my Silver Anniversary WSOP, I’ll relive the pain and tell you what happened (If you don’t like bad beat stories, skip the next couple of paragraphs).

With five players left in the Pot Limit Omaha tournament, I was average in chips and the leader was Tom McEvoy, who happened to be the reigning World Champion of Poker at the time.  Noted author David Sklansky was also still there as well as a high-stakes Pot Limit Omaha player named Bill Bennett, the eventual winner.

McEvoy was playing extremely aggressive, too much so for Pot Limit Omaha, in my opinion. Even though he was the World Champion at No Limit Hold’em, I wasn’t convinced he played Pot Limit Omaha that well.  Tom was raising nearly every pot and once again raised the max pre-flop.  I was on the button and picked up a nice hand, A-K-Q-8 (A-Q of diamonds, K-8 of Clubs).  I called, as did the big blind.  The flop was Q-8-3 with two hearts and one club.  The big blind checked and McEvoy led out and bet the pot.  I was contemplating raising and going for it all right there.  McEvoy must have sensed it because he blurted out, “If you raise it, I’m going to put you all-in.”  After that statement, I decided to go with this hand for sure.  So I then said, “Well, I guess you’re going to put me all-in then, because I’m raising it!”  I raised, the big blind folded, and true to his word, McEvoy set me all-in.  I can still remember how much my heart was pounding when I called him.

I was shocked and thrilled when he turned up his hand.  He had a 3-4-5-8 and no heart draw!  Yippee!!  I had the top two pair and he had the bottom two pair.  Then it happened - a seven came on the turn and a six on the river.  Wham!  Bam!  He made a straight and won the pot.  Instead of me being the chip leader, I was out.  I won’t forget that hand as long as I live.  That bracelet could/should have been mine!

Even with all the pain, I love the WSOP.  I like that, for the first time ever at the WSOP, there are no rebuys in any tournaments.  I’ve always campaigned for that because I think everyone should have an equal chance to win a bracelet. Rebuy tournaments are not equal to everyone; they favor the deep pockets.

Sadly, I must say that I can’t believe the $50,000 HORSE tournament is not being televised this year.  In my opinion, this is a poor decision and not good for poker.  And even though they’re doing it again, I still think it’s a bad idea to put the Main Event final table four months down the road. Whether or not I like the final table in November, however, you can be sure of this: If I’m breathing, I’ll be playing in the Main Event.  Needless to say, it would be a dream come true to get to that final table.  If it happens, I hope to meet you there!

Netherlands’ Marc Naalden Wins WSOP $2,000 Limit Holdem Event

In winning only the second World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in the history of his country, the Netherlands’ Marc Naalden dominated final table play, suffered a slight setback during heads-up action, and came back to win Event #38, the $2,000 Limit Hold’em tournament.

The final table was determined early Sunday morning from the original 446 runners. Naalden, who had dominated the field since action was at 25 players, came to the featured table with a sizeable chip lead. His two closest competitors, Danny Qutami and Steven Cowley, didn’t even have as many chips combined as Naalden with his stack of 755,000. When play began at 2:00pm Sunday afternoon, the players went to work quickly, with Cowley eliminating pro Rep Porter in ninth place after an hour of play.

Naalden extended his lead when he crippled Jared O’Dell with pocket aces, jumping up over one million in chips. O’Dell was eliminated soon afterwards in seventh place and was immediately followed by Naalden’s elimination of Qutami, who bled chips at the final table. After Naalden eliminated Alex Keating in fifth place, he held over half of the chips in play.

Once Tam “Tommy” Hang (who finished in third place in last year’s $10,000 World Championship of this discipline) was eliminated in fourth and 2006 WSOP bracelet winner Ian Johns dropped in third, heads-up play came down to Naalden and Cowley. While it seemed that it would be a quick ascension to the bracelet for Naalden, who had Cowley dominated by over 7:1, it would actually prove to be one of the more exciting battles of this year’s WSOP.

Over the first 30 minutes of heads-up play, Cowley put on a surge that actually pushed him into the lead. In that time span, he either won or chopped every pot that was contested and had the Scandinavian scratching his head. After an hour, Naalden gathered himself and pushed back the Cowley assault, retaking the lead that he had held for much of the late action in Event #38. Naalden continued to batter the valiant Cowley until after two hours of heads-up play, he was able to catch a queen against Cowley to win the gold WSOP bracelet and $190,770 first place payday.

Two tournaments enter their final day of action with quite a bit of work to be done. Event #39, a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament that started with 2,715 players on Saturday, could only get down to 26 by the 3:00am WSOP curfew. There is some controversy as to the chip count of the player at the top of the leaderboard, Michele Iacovone, as he has quoted his stack at 1,605,200 and there are no tournament chips of the 100 denomination in play. Nevertheless, he is atop the remainder of the field, with former World Poker Tour (WPT) champion Joe Bartholdi, veteran Raymond Davis, Alex Jacob, Nam Le, and WSOP bracelet holder Brandon Cantu in hot pursuit of the $657,787 first place prize.

Stacked tables of professional players remain in Event #40, the $10,000 World Championship of Pot Limit Omaha, and they were also unable to work their way down to the final table on Day Two. There are still 43 players remaining in the fight from the 295 starters. Noah Schwartz is at the head of the field, which also includes bracelet holders such as Full Tilt Poker’s Howard Lederer, PokerStars’ Barry Greenstein, Bodog’s David Williams, and Josh Arieh. The $40,000 Anniversary Special champion, Vitaly Lunkin, and Padraig Parkinson are a couple of the European players also in the mix. At the end of the rainbow when the tournament ends tonight: a highly prestigious gold WSOP bracelet and a $679,379 bankroll boost.

A total of 280 players stepped up to take part in Event #41, the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout, and after the carnage of Day One was finished, 30 players remain on five tables. There are some notable names that are alive as Day Two starts, such as Peter “Nordberg” Feldman, Mark Teltscher, Barney Boatman, Jennifer Harman, Amit “amak316” Makhija, Jean “Prince” Gaspard, and David “The Dragon” Pham. Even with this much star power, the attention of fans gathered at the Rio will be on 2009 double bracelet winner Phil Ivey as he aims for a third this year, a feat no one has accomplished since Ivey in 2002.

Day One of the $2,500 Mixed Game tournament, Event #42 on the WSOP schedule, drew a 412 player field eager to attack the eight disciplines of poker that it features. The combination of games could conceivably be a more difficult challenge than HORSE and the quality of some of the remaining players in the tournament shows the skill necessary to battle in this arena. 2009 WSOP double bracelet winner Jeff Lisandro, David Sklansky, John Juanda, Robert Williamson III, Marcel Luske, and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi are just a few of the top names that are still in contention for this championship.

Two tournaments will start play today in the Amazon Room at the Rio: the $1,000 Seniors No Limit Championship and the $2,500 Razz tournament, Events #43 and 44 respectively. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the 2009 WSOP.

40 Years of the WSOP: The 80s

The first World Series of Poker of the 1980s is most remembered for its Main Event winner, 26-year-old Stu Ungar.

Part poker genius, part enigma, Ungar would amaze and baffle throughout his lifetime and his first of two back-to-back Main Event wins ushered in the second decade of the WSOP.

There were 73 entrants that year, including players from outside of the U.S for the first time.

In the end, Ungar beat a final five that included Johnny Moss and runner-up Doyle Brunson to take down the $365,000 top prize.

"Stu Ungar's first WSOP victory in 1980 marked the beginning of a new era in poker," said Nolan Dalla, author of One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player.

"It arguably slammed the door shut on the good old days, symbolized best perhaps by Ungar actually defeating the representation of all that the WSOP was before, personified in Doyle Brunson.

"The magnitude both actual and symbolic of this victory cannot be overstated. Ungar not only went on to revolutionize poker and strategy, he quickly became an icon for his eccentricities and unprecedented accomplishments."

1981 saw barely a ripple of an increase in Main Event entrants, as 75 ponied up the $10K buy-in.

This year is best remembered for Ungar's successful defense of his title, which was aired as an hour-long broadcast as one of CBS' sports specials.

"All one must do is look at the champions before and after Ungar," Dalla said. "The previous winners were mostly table-hardened, nerve-tested older men in cowboy hats from the American South.

"But Ungar, being young, from New York, Jewish, and unlike any of his contemporaries in the way he acted at the table, left an indelible impression on the game unlikely ever to be equaled."

The very next year was one for the books.  With over 100 entrants, the 1982 WSOP Main Event had its biggest top prize ever at $500,000 and an all-star final table including Brunson, Dewey Tomko, Jack Straus, Berry Johnston and Brian "Sailor" Roberts.

The legend of "a chip and a chair" was born that year when Straus came back from a single $500 chip to win it all.  Bill Baxter and David Sklansky each won two bracelets and Vera Richmond became the first woman to win a bracelet in an open-field event.

The biggest change for the WSOP came in 1983 with the introduction of the satellites, which is exactly how Main Event winner Tom McEvoy snagged his seat.

McEvoy told PokerListings he had tried to win a seat in one of the four $100 satellites held at the Bingo Palace earlier that year, just as eventual runner-up Rod Peate had.

He was unsuccessful and therefore signed up for a one-table $1,160 satellite at the Horseshoe, but not before some quick thinking.

When McEvoy saw that up-and-coming player Johnny Chan was signed up for the same satellite, he approached Chan.

"I don't want to play it if you're going to play it," he said to Chan. "So if you're going to take the seat, I'll wait until the next one."

Chan sat out and McEvoy beat out David Sklansky, James Doman and six others to win his seat to the big show.

"Winning the Main Event did not have the impact then, of course, that it does now, with so much money at stake," McEvoy said. "Then there was not much TV coverage to speak of. Winning wasn't nearly as dramatic as it is now."

1983 also saw the first bracelet won by an African-American as Carolyn Gardner took the Ladies 7-Card Stud event. Two new games were introduced, Match Play and Omaha, and the heads-up Main Event match between McEvoy and Peate set a record at seven hours.

CBS did not cover the Main Event in 1984, so future Hall-of-Famer Jack Keller's championship win, and the fact he had also won a bracelet in stud, did not get widespread attention.

Then in 1985, Bill Smith won the Main Event, but runner-up T.J. Cloutier is by far the more famous figure today.

Johnny Chan won his first bracelet that year and Johnny Moss, who went on to win his ninth and final bracelet three years later, made his last Main Event final table.

Twice runner-up Berry Johnston finally won the Main Event in 1986 and in 1987, ESPN took over coverage of the WSOP, introducing the viewing public to Johnny "The Orient Express" Chan for the first time.

A year later, a watershed moment in WSOP history occurred when ESPN aired Chan's final table showdown with Erik Seidel at the 1988 Main Event, bringing him back-to-back titles.

The scene was immortalized in the movie Rounders years later, becoming one of the main catalysts to poker's big boom with a whole new generation of players wanting to be Matt Damon and stare down Chan.

But even before Rounders came a win for the ages.

It was 1989 and a 24-year-old Wisconsin student named Phil Hellmuth became the youngest champion in WSOP history, derailing The Orient Express and closing out the 1980s.

Related Articles:

• 40 years of the WSOP: The 90s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 70s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The beginning

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Bodog Unveils 2009 WSOP Prop Bets

If you've ever wanted to rail your favorite poker stars without having to be at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, head to Bodog. The online poker site and sports book recently opened up betting on the WSOP. The festivities at the Rio begin on May 27th.

Among the wagers available on Bodog is what poker pro will win the most money during the 2009 WSOP. The leader in the clubhouse is 11-time bracelet holder Phil Hellmuth, who is currently going off at 5:2. Other players that are available to bet on include Doyle Brunson (7:2), David Sklansky (12:1), Barry Greenstein (5:1), Mike Caro (12:1), Phil Gordon (10:1), T.J. Cloutier (6:1), and Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, who is fetching 3:1 odds.

The question of “Will Phil Hellmuth win his 12th bracelet at the 2009 WSOP occurring in Las Vegas beginning May 27th?” is paying +300 for Yes and -500 for No. Hellmuth made three final tables last year, taking third in the $1,500 buy-in HORSE event for $93,000. You can also bet on whether Brunson or Johnny Chan will score their 11th bracelets. The +300 figure means that a player must bet $100 to get back a total of $400. The -500 figure means that a player must bet $500 to get back a total of $600.

A special last longer wager is also available on the prestigious $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship, which was infamously won last year by Scotty Nguyen. He has 5:1 odds in the bet, the favorite among the pros available. Others include Brunson (6:1), Hellmuth (7:1), Chan (7:1), Freddy Deeb (11:2), Phil Ivey (6:1), David Williams (11:2), Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo (11:2), and Negreanu (6:1). Deeb won the event in 2007 and the late Chip Reese took down the inaugural HORSE Championship in 2006. The trophy given to the winner of the event is named in his honor.

Another unique bet asks wagerers to select what pair will rack up the most winnings in the 2009 WSOP. Patrik Antonius and Kathy Liebert are the current favorites, going off at 4:1. Other pairings available include Doyle and Todd Brunson (6:1), the husband and wife team of Marco Traniello and Jennifer Harman (6:1), father and son Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok (9:2), brother and sister Annie Duke and Howard Lederer (15:2), Bodog pros Evelyn Ng and Justin Bonomo (15:2), Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly (6:1), mother and son David and Shirley Williams (6:1), engaged couple Chad Brown and Vanessa Rousso (10:1), and Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Tiffany Michelle (9:2).

Players can even bet on what game will be played when the final hand is dealt during the HORSE Championship. Hold'em, Razz, and Seven Card Stud are all paying 5:2, while Omaha High-Low and Seven Card Stud High-Low are both going off at 15:4.

Bettors will also be keeping their eyes on the female contingent in the Main Event, as a special women's-only last longer bet is available on Bodog. Jennifer Harman and Kathy Liebert are the current favorites; both are 5:1 to remain in contention in the Main Event the longest. Others include Duke (7:1), Tilly (10:1), Cyndy Violette (7:1), Isabelle Mercier (7:1), Clonie Gowen (7:1), Ng (7:1), Liz Lieu (7:1), Mimi Tran (7:1), Katja Thater (7:1), Rousso (7:1), and the last woman standing in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, Maria Ho (10:1).

One prop bet on Bodog centers wholly on Bodog pro Jean-Robert Bellande's finish in the Main Event. Bellande was a contestant on CBS' “Survivor: China,” one of the 18 seasons of the show that have aired. “No Money” is paying 1:20; finishing in the money, but no better than 10th place is paying 8:1; making the final table is paying 150:1; and winning the 2009 WSOP Main Event is fetching 1,000:1 odds. Bellande took 442nd in the Main Event last year.

The first wager listed in Bodog's poker section is, “Will Scotty Nguyen reach his stated promise that he will earn $4,000,000 or more in combined winnings at this year’s WSOP?” Yes is paying out +2,400. The bet stems from an interview Nguyen had with PokerListings that he would retire from poker if he does not amass $4 million in winnings at the 2009 WSOP. Whether he will follow through on his promise is anyone's guess.