Posts Tagged ‘deepstack’
Poker News In Brief: June 7-13 2010
We have WSOP news, videos and blogs keeping you up to speed with everything that's going on in Vegas right now.
The Poker News in Brief bulletin is designed to round up some of the other breaking poker news going on around the rest of the world.
This week, we'll hear about PokerStars' new Team Pro Ville Wahlbeck, hear about Party Poker's big game, find out about the PokerStars Baltic Festival and hear the latest deal the Canadian Poker Tour have struck.
PokerStars Sign Wahlbeck
PokerStars have just announced they have signed Finnish star Ville Wahlbeck as a Team PokerStars Pro.
Wahlbeck achieved great recognition following an excellent showing at the 2009 WSOP, picking up a bracelet in the $10k Championship Mixed event as well as making several other big final tables and winning over $1 million in prize money.
Runner-up for the 2009 WSOP "Player of the Year" slot, he went on to win "Best Live Tournament Player" and "Best Performance" in the Nordic Poker Awards.
"I am really proud to be part of Team PokerStars Pro," said Wahlbeck. "PokerStars has always taken good care of its players and has made an effort to ensure that all the players are treated equally and honestly."
PartyPoker Big Game IV Set To Broadcast
Boasting such talents as Luke Schwartz, Roland De Wolfe and Neil Channing, PartyPoker's "Big Game" is now about to be broadcast on U.K. television, having played out back in April at Les Ambassadeurs Club in Mayfair.
The game featured some novel twists, designed to create action and saw cash game specialists from both sides of the Atlantic do battle to win both money and the respect of their peers.
The action can be seen on U.K. television Channel 5, June 9th at 11.55 p.m.
Pokerstars Baltic Festival
A host of stars are playing next week's PokerStars Baltic Festival in Tallinn, Estonia - set to take place June 16-19. The €1,500 Main Event will see newly-signed up Team PokerStars Pro Ville Wahlbeck playing his first tournament as a 'Stars-sponsored player.
The tournament will also be attractive to many high-stakes Scandinavian players who have chosen to miss out on the World Series of Poker for tax purposes or other reasons.
Last year's Baltic Festival saw 307 players from 24 countries contend the title, creating a prize pool in excess of €300,000. Thomas Partridge from the U.K. was the man who eventually took 1st prize for €75,000.
Canadian Poker Tour Teams Up With Deepstacks Live
The Canadian Poker Tour has signed a deal with Deepstacks Live to host a live seminar at the Canadian Open Poker Championships.
Deepstacks live run seminars designed to radically improve the abilities of poker players. Team DeepStacks boasts such talent as Mike Matusow, Justin "Boosted J" Smith and TJ Cloutier in their ranks.
The team have 16 WSOP bracelets and more than $40 million in lifetime tournament earnings between them.
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Tags: 2009, 2010, canadian, deepstack, poker player, pokerstars, T.J. Cloutier, tournament, vegas, WSOP
Dusk Till Dawn launches new deepstack event
Ziigmund was Friday’s biggest winner by giving Ivey a lesson – “durrrr” lost over half a million
Ilari ”Ziigmund” Sahamies grinded Friday’s biggest profits by earning 386,000 dollars. Tom “durrrr” Dwan, in turn, lost more than half a million dollars.
241,000 dollars of Sahamies’s profits came from heads-up game against Phil Ivey. All 1 246 hands Ilari played were from heads-up $500/$1000 tables. Also the losses of ”durrrr” came mostly from same tables – which may mean that his edge is clearly in deepstack games.
TOP 5 winners:
* Ziigmund – 1246 hands - $386,523
* Urindanger – 182 hands - $202,617
* theASHMAN103 – 364 hands - $182,804
* Cole South – 198 hands - $37,073
* kmoneyk10 – 893 hands - $31,468
TOP 5 losers:
* durrrr – 1127 hands - -$582,573
* Phil Ivey – 235 hands - -$242,028
* 4th an 1 – 893 hands - -$31,635
* Gus Hansen – 2043 hands - -$28,401
* skjervoy – 244 hands - -$23,461
Tom Dwan managed to win $147k yesterday in only 34 hands, so maybe he is picking up the pace after the last terrible sessions.
Source: Highstakesdb
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Ziigmund was Friday’s biggest winner by giving Ivey a lesson – “durrrr” lost over half a million
Poker News in Brief: April 19-25, 2010
Liv Boeree won the European Poker Tour's San Remo title, David Williams took down the 2010 WPT Championship, the EPT Grand Final kicked off and the high stakes action on Full Tilt was running full force.
PokerListings had a beat on it all, but a few of the week's smaller stories managed to slip through the cracks.
Fortunately we've got them all below in our regular poker News in Brief feature.
This week we look at the World Series of Poker revamping its Academy for the summer, an Albanian winning in Australia, the Hard Rock in Vegas hosting a Supercross charity poker event and a whole lot more.
Matt Graham Joins DeepStacks Live
Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Matt Graham has joined the poker training group DeepStacks Live as an instructor.
A member of Team UB, Graham will lead poker seminars around the country, focusing on events in the Southern and Western United States.
"I'm looking forward to joining champions like Mike Matusow and Tom McEvoy, traveling the country helping passionate poker players get better," he said.
Graham's first classes will be at the DeepStacks Live 1-Day Tournament Primer Course at the Pala Hotel Resort and Casino near San Diego April 30.
For more information visit www.DeepStacks.com.
WSOP Beefs Up Academy
The World Series of Poker Academy has announced a new schedule of events at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino to coincide with the 2010 World Series of Poker.
It all starts with a 2-day Tournament Academy May 28-29 with two-time WSOP bracelet winner Mark Seif designed to get you deep in the preliminary events.
There will also be an Alumni Only Hand Analysis Academy, a one-day Ladies Only Academy, and a Mind and Body Academy featuring poker mindset coach Sam Chauhan.
Plus there will be a Cash Game Academy at Caesars Palace and the signature annual Main Event Primer designed by Greg Raymer, Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth, just before the Main Event begins.
For more information click through to the Academy's website or call 1-800-989-9767.
Four Aces Finds a Winner
The first Poker Pro Canada Classic poker tournament at Four Aces Card Club in Montreal drew 250 players from all over Canada and the U.S. and Europe to compete for a piece of a $369,000 prize pool.
Sponsored by UB and Bodog, it was the largest poker event ever held in Quebec with a buy-in of more than $1,500.
Local player Oliver "O.B." Baksic took home $96,400 for first after defeating 2008 EPT Grand Final third-place finisher Maxime Villemure heads-up.
Team PokerStars, Eh!
PokerStars has added four new additions to its Canadian Team.
Joining Daniel Negreanu and Darus Suharto are Greg DeBora, who has better than $350,000 in career earnings, three-time WSOP final tablist Patrick Pezzin, Marcello Del Grosso, who had deep runs in the WSOP Main Event in 2005 and 2006 and Anh Van Nguyen, a 14-year pro and former dealer.
All four Pros competed at the PokerStars.net North American Poker Tour event at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Apr. 6-13.
Hard Rock to Host Supercross Charity Event
The Hard Rock Poker Lounge Las Vegas and Feld Motor Sports are hosting the first Monster Energy AMA Supercross Charity Poker Tournament in Las Vegas May 6.
All proceeds from the tournament will go to benefit the Road 2 Recovery Foundation.
The $150 buy-in and $50 rebuy event is expected to draw stars of Monster Energy Supercross, professional poker players, and fans alike.
First pays $2,500 plus a number of sponsored prizes while the top twenty finishers will receive unforgettable products courtesy Hard Rock Poker Lounge, Monster Energy, Feld Motor Sports, Rockwell Time, Skullcandy, Ogio, DVS, Liquid Force, Metal Mulisha, Full Tilt, UB, and more.
For more information check out the Road 2 Recovery website.
Ex-pat wins in Australia
Albanian born Aussie Angelo Hanataj took down the PokerStars ANZPT Sydney main event this week.
He grabbed $219,432 for his efforts and rocketed into the top 5 in the ANZPT Player of the Year race.
After a win in Perth and another deep finish, last year's POY winner and Team PokerStars Australia Pro Tony Hachem holds a commanding lead in the battle for an AUD$100k sponsorship deal.
Europe's Biggest Tournament
The dates have been released for what was Europe's largest live No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament last year, the International Poker Open.
The €180+ €20 buy-in freezeout is set for Oct. 15-17, 2010 at the Regency Hotel in Dublin, Ireland.
Organizers are estimating the prize pool will reach up to €250,000 including €20,000 added by sponsors Boylepoker.
"Last year we set the record for the largest live tournament field ever assembled in Europe," said Paul Spillane, the site's head of poker.
"We're confident the 2010 event will prove just as popular and we expect another sell out field."
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Tags: 2008, 2010, analysis, Annie Duke, Australia, bodog, Canada, canadian, charity, charity poker, Daniel Negreanu, deepstack, european, high stakes, ladies, no-limit, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, pokerstars, Sydney, tournament, vegas, WSOP
Poker News in Brief: April 12-18, 2010
The Team PokerStars Pro and PokerListings blogger took down the NAPT Mohegan Sun $25k High Roller shootout event for $475,000.
Mercier understandably received a large amount of coverage in the poker media, but there several other lesser known stories that broke this week.
We've compiled a list below in our weekly Poker News in Brief feature.
This week we'll take a look at Annie Duke getting her own iPhone app, a new UKIPT winner and Nat Nast joining forces with the World Series of Poker.
Annie Duke Releases iPhone App
UB Poker pro Annie Duke launched a free iPhone poker app this week.
The Annie Duke Poker Tutor offers a variety of poker training including a new tip every day, a poker odds calculator and No-Limit Hold'em rules.
The app also offers content from Duke's website, Twitter and the UB website.
Annie Duke Poker Tutor users will also benefit from a freeroll on UB hosted by Duke on April 29 with prizes to be announced. The player who knocks out Duke will receive an extra $25.
To download the app visit the iTunes store or to learn more about the freeroll check out our UB Poker room review.
ChiliPoker VIP Wins French Deep Stack Open
French player Julien Subreville outlasted 500 players to win the first installment of the ChiliPoker Deepstack Open in Aix-En-Provence Pasino this week.
Subreville, who is a Chilipoker VIP, officially won €43,000 at the €550 buy-in tournament although there was a chop heads-up with Florent Aubert.
More than 15 different nationalities took part in the tournament with noted players Liz Lieu, Liv Boeree and Michelle Orpe hitting the felt.
The next DSO event is scheduled to take place in Portugal at the Vilamoura Casino from Sept. 23-26, 2010. All DSO events carry a fixed €550 buy-in.
To learn more take a look at our Chilipoker room review.
Belgian Wins UKIPT Coventry
Belgian Gilles Augustus outlasted a field of 367 players to win the PokerStars.net United Kingdom & Ireland Coventry event this week.
Augustus, a 22-year-old computer programmer, won £46,000 for taking down the £550 buy-in tournament.
Foreigners have been dominant in this season of the UKIPT as Dutchman Joeri Zandvliet won the Manchester stop back in February.
The tour now shifts to Nottingham where the Dusk Till Dawn casino will host a £560 tournament from May 12-17.
To qualify for the UKIPT go to our PokerStars room review.
WSOP Partners With Nat Nast
The World Series of Poker found another major corporate sponsor in the form of luxury men's clothing company Nat Nast this week.
The American Sportswear company designed an exclusive collector's series of embroidered shirts featuring WSOP artwork, which will launch in late 2010.
"We are delighted to be collaborating with the World Series of Poker in creating an exclusive collection of shirts that celebrates the game of poker and its ultimate challenge" said Lawrence DeParis, President & CEO of Nat Nast.
The collection will be available at select department and speciality stores as well as luxury resorts, casinos and online in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
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Poker in Twitter: Volcano Disrupts EPT San Remo Travel
For players traveling to the European Poker Tour (EPT) stop in San Remo, Italy, this week, the recent eruption of a volcano in Iceland threw a kink into their plans. The Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in southeast Iceland, which erupted just after Midnight on Wednesday, has caused thousands of flights to be delayed or cancelled and its effects could be felt on the European continent this weekend. Just after the eruption, however, several players found themselves seeking other methods of travel to Italy.
One of the people who was able to get to Italy before flights were disrupted was EPT and “High Stakes Poker” announcer Kara Scott. “Because of a volcanic eruption in Iceland, most flights from London are cancelled. I’m on one of the few squeaking through – phew,” tweeted Scott prior to arrival in San Remo. Barry Greenstein, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as fortunate. “San Remo EPT has started, but London airports were shut down because of volcanic ash from Iceland,” Greenstein tweeted prior to the start of Day 1B action early this morning. “So we had to drive. We are in the Alps in Italy as our chips are being blinded off. ETA 4:30 PM.”
Players were also finishing their preparations for the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship, which starts on Sunday from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Many players were taking part in a host of events in Sin City, including the final preliminary events of the Five Star World Poker Classic at the Bellagio, the Venetian Deep Stack tournament series, and the start of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit stop at Caesars Palace. For many of them, the additional practice prior to the start of the WPT Championship has been profitable.
Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad has been one player who has done well in tournaments at the Bellagio. She has already cashed in two events and tweeted, “Headin to Bellagio soon to play the 500. Also playing the 5k tomorrow and then ME on the 18th WEEE poker.” After 15 hours of play on Thursday, Obrestad was able to once again tweet her followers about her success when she wrote, “Down to 9, playing FT and the 5k tomorrow!” The top prize in the $500 buy-in tournament is $21,000.
Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little also played masterful poker in a run during another preliminary event leading up to the WPT Championship. “Heads up between me and Rene Angelil,” Little tweeted on Thursday night prior to the start of heads-up action. “He has 1.3 mil I have 700k. Playing 600/1200-100. Hopefully it will be a long boring match.” It turned out that the battle would last less than two hours, with Little turning the tables against the man best known as Celine Dion’s husband and manager. “Shipped the belt, title, and $67000. Got lucky to hit a flush, then had Q2 hold against J8,” Little tweeted following his win.
On the other side of the equation, poker player Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler seemed to have a bit of a tough run for his day in Las Vegas. “Wow three events in vegas today, bellagio 500nl, venetian dse 300, caesars circuit opener,” the man known as “Chainsaw” tweeted as he started the day. After busting from the Bellagio tournament only two hours later, Kessler entered the Venetian tournament, which started a discussion featuring B.J. Nemeth and tournament director Matt Savage.
“Venetian deepstack is hardly a deepstack,” Kessler, who is known for his prickly demeanor about poker’s rules and structures, tweeted while playing at the Venetian. “6 levels in the avg stack has only 25 blinds.” This prompted Nemeth to tweet, and Savage to re-tweet, “That’s what @SavagePoker & I have been saying! If you add play to start a tourney, it has to come from somewhere!”
On a couple of fronts not poker-related, Jeff Madsen’s reported prop bet about him going to Israel seems to be a long-running April Fool’s joke. Madsen tweeted on Thursday, “I’ve landed safely here in Israel everybody! This will be a great adventure!,” and included a doctored Twitpic of himself standing alongside actor Sasha Baron Cohen’s character Borat in what appears to be Israel. “Hollywood” Dave Stann was the first to comment on Madsen’s joke, tweeting, “Damn you @JeffMadsenobv!! I knew it was April Fool’s from the jump.”
On the hockey betting front, noted fan Daniel Negreanu was avidly watching the opening of the National Hockey League playoffs. Of particular interest to Negreanu was the Western Conference quarterfinal pitting the Vancouver Canucks against the Los Angeles Kings. “I bet another 5k on Vancouver tonight,” Negreanu tweeted to his followers. “If they lose game 1, I’ll be shocked.” The game was hard fought and went into overtime before Mikael Samuelsson netted the game winner, pushing the Canucks to a 3-2 victory. “Canucks win,” “Kid Poker” happily chirped after the game. “Phew close one. Loving the hockey games. So fun!”
Whether it is the action on the felt or other happenings in their lives, poker’s elite always keep their followers up-to-date through Twitter. Poker News Daily does the same with the latest poker news, so be sure to add @pokernewsdaily to follow the latest from the poker world through the medium of Twitter.
Tags: Barry Greenstein, bellagio, Daniel Negreanu, deepstack, european, high stakes, Hollywood, israel, kara scott, poker player, tournament, usa, vegas, WSOP
North American Poker Tour Heads to Mohegan Sun
On Wednesday, the Main Event of the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Mohegan Sun will kick off from Uncasville, Connecticut. Running April 7th through April 11th, the five-day No Limit Hold'em tournament will cost players $4,700 + $300.
The first two days of the Main Event will start at Noon and likely end sometime in the evening. Day Three on Friday will also begin at Noon, but will conclude when the tournament is down to 24 players. Day Four will go until there are only eight players remaining and on Sunday's Day Five, a champion will be crowned. The eight-handed final table, a format unique to the NAPT, will be filmed for broadcast later this year on ESPN2.
Fifteen preliminary events have already been contested at NAPT Mohegan Sun, including deepstacks, freezeouts, shootouts, and bounty tournaments. Most have been No Limit Hold'em, but Omaha Eight or Better, Seven Card Stud, Pot Limit Omaha, and H.O.S.E. have also been featured. The largest event to date was actually the very first one, the two-day $550 + $50 No Limit Hold'em Deepstack tournament that concluded on March 28th. Michael Hills outlasted 379 competitors to claim the $38,000 first prize from the $202,730 prize pool. In that event, the top three finishers - Hills, Aaron Smith, and Derek Buonano - received $38,000, $35,210, and $32,207, respectively. The drop off to the next finisher, Daniel Cai ($14,191), was fairly steep.
During and after the Main Event, there are seven side events to be played, the most anticipated of which is the $25,000 + $600 No Limit Hold'em Bounty Shootout, which will be contested on April 12th and 13th. NAPT organizers expect to be able to fill nine tables with nine players each. $5,000 of each player's buy-in will be a bounty on his head, awarded to the player who knocks him out. Each table will play down to a single winner and the nine survivors will battle it out at the final table. Every player at the final table will receive $50,000 and the eventual champion will take home the remainder of the prize pool. The $25,000 Bounty Shootout was introduced at the NAPT Venetian in February, with Ashton Griffin winning the first prize of $560,000. Like the Main Event, the Bounty Shootout will be televised on ESPN2.
DeepStacks Live Partners with PokerRoad
In a recent press release, poker training innovators DeepStacks Live announced a newly minted partnership with popular media provider PokerRoad. Under the terms of the deal, PokerRoad will serve as the official media partner of DeepStacks Live and DeepStacks University.
In return, Deepstacks will receive recognition from all of PokerRoad’s outlets, which consists of four radio programs, Twitter feeds, and the website itself. Additionally, PokerRoad Radio, hosted by Joe Stapleton and UB.com pro Joe Sebok, will broadcast from the Deepstacks Live sessions at the Commerce Casino on Saturday, April 10th and Sunday, April 11th.
PokerRoad’s popularity has been steadily on the rise over the last year and DeepStacks has done well to attach itself to the Sebok brand. “This partnership marks the natural combination of two innovative poker products that will benefit PokerRoad Nation and DeepStacks Live students,” said DeepStacks CEO Chris Torina in a press release. “Having PokerRoad Radio at DeepStacks events will give our training sessions the feel of a major tournament stop and help our students get better equipped for the poker success that DeepStacks is preparing them for.”
On the flip side, everything PokerRoad touches seems to turn to gold, which certainly bodes well for DeepStacks. “PokerRoad.com prides itself on highlighting the coolest things in poker and what is cooler than a poker training program based on military strategy? DeepStacks is a great innovator in poker education and we’re thrilled to be their official media partner,” said PokerRoad founder and host Joe Sebok. The PokerRoad personality also hosts the UB.com sponsored poker news show “Poker2Nite,” which airs on Versus every Wednesday at 11:00pm ET.
For those unfamiliar with DeepStacks’ teaching methods, the site uses scenario-based training and customized strategies that cater to all levels of cash game and tournament play. Armed with military savvy training techniques, the DeepStacks Pro Team, which includes names like Full Tilt Poker pro Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Justin “Boosted J” Smith, and Tristan “Cre8ive” Wade, can take anyone’s game to the next level.
Overall, the fact that RokerRoad and DeepStacks Live are joining forces is an extremely positive sign for poker. The game is thriving, poker businesses are expanding, and more people are being drawn to the tables every day. The Golden Age may be behind us, but given how much the industry is flourishing, who’s to say another one isn’t just around the corner?
Poker News in Brief: March 22-28, 2010
The Full Tilt pro won the inaugural WPT Hollywood event in Indiana for $393,820, which helped him surpass Daniel Negreanu as the WPT's all-time money winner with $5.7 million in career earnings.
Mortensen also tied Gus Hansen for the most WPT titles in history with three apiece.
But the Matador wasn't the only story in poker over the past week. And as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature we've compiled a list of lesser-known stories below.
This week we'll take a look at U.S. success in an APPT event, Tom Schneider trying to get into the WSOP Tournament of Champions and CardRunners absorbing another poker training site.
U.S. Player Wins APPT PAGCOR Chairman's Cup
Oregon-native Binh Nguyen outlasted 429 players to win the PokerStars.com Asia Pacific Poker Tour PAGCOR Chairman's Cup in Manila this week.
The $2,500+$200 buy-in event offered a $1 million prize pool and ran six days from March 20-25.
The event included such notable players as Barry Greenstein, "Mr. Macau" Charles Chau and PokerStars player Terrence Chan.
It was the first time that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and PokerStars had ever held the tournament.
Check out our PokerStars review to learn more about qualifying for the APPT.
StoxPoker Merges with CardRunners
CardRunners will take over fellow poker training site StoxPoker, according to an announcement this week.
"In light of recent events, it has been decided that StoxPoker website will be merged with CardRunners," said Alex Huang, StoxPoker Brand Manager. "This change will take full-effect on May 1, 2010."
Stoxpoker came under fire this year when founder Nick "Stoxtrader" Grudzien admitted he had been multi-accounting, which led to his resignation from the site.
Instructors Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt and Matt Bolt quickly left the site to become a part of DragTheBar.com.
All players with StoxPoker memberships will have their accounts transferred to CardRunners. The StoxPoker poker training videos will also be merged into the CardRunners database.
Schneider Looking to Buy TOC Votes
Tom "Donkey Bomber" Schneider is taking an unusual approach to getting himself into the upcoming 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions.
The 2007 WSOP Player of the Year is offering 50% of his winnings to people that vote for him, and only him, on the WSOP Tournament of Champions site.
Essentially if Schneider wins the $500,000 first place prize in the tournament he will take $250,000 for himself and spread the other $250,000 amongst fans who voted for him.
To get a piece of Schneider email tom@bigstackmedia.com with the verification message from the WSOP.
The top 20 most voted for players will qualify for the tournament, along with previous TOC winners Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, current WSOP champion Joe Cada, WSOPE champion Barry Shulman and two sponsor exemptions.
As of this weekend, Schneider was not in the top 50.
Flanders Wins PartyPoker Women's World Open IV
Pippa Flanders was unstoppable at the PartyPoker Women's World Open IV in London this week.
Flanders outlasted all 24 players, including Kara Scott and Annette Obrestad, in the $3,000 buy-in tournament that followed a heat-based structure.
"This was a wild merry-go-round," said Flanders. "It's absolutely brilliant to have won - this is so special to me."
Flanders won $30,000 for her first place finish in the women's event. She previously won the PartyPoker World Open II in 2006 for $200,000.
"She has been a permanent fixture at most of our live tournaments and always impresses - she deserves this victory," said a PartyPoker spokesman.
Coverage of the Women's World Open IV will be broadcast on Channel Five in the UK and then distributed internationally.
Springfest Begins on PKR
Online poker site PKR started its annual Springfest promotion this Friday with over $130,000 in guaranteed prizes to be won over two weeks.
The 11 events of Springfest will come in a variety of formats including Deepstack, Bounty, Omaha, Rebuy and Terminator.
The festival will conclude with the PKR Live IV freeroll where any player that enters at least six Springfest events will earn their way into the tournament. There will be three packages to PKR Live IV, including travel to London and expenses, up for grabs.
Visit our PKR review to learn more.
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Poker News in Brief: March 15-21, 2010
Poker fans had to be content with watching a new High Stakes Poker and waiting for the next WPT and EPT events to start.
As usual, however, there is always news that doesn’t make the front page of PokerListings.com and we’ve compiled it below as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature.
This week we’re going to take a look at Phil Ivey’s love for cigars, unusual sit and goes at bwin and a new tournament in Portugal.
Phil Ivey Makes Cover of Cigar Aficionado
Team Full Tilt Pro Phil Ivey joined the likes of Jay-Z, Tiger Woods and Alec Baldwin by hitting the cover of Cigar Aficionado this week.
Ivey was featured in a story titled, “America’s Poker King: Phil Ivey has parlayed his poker fame into business success.”
The article chronicles Ivey’s journey from small poker games in Atlantic City to the biggest games in the world and the lifestyle perks that come with being one of the world’s best poker players.
New Sit & Go's at bwin Poker
bwin Poker introduced yet another spin on the popular Sit and Go format this week.
The room launched “Nitro Boost” Sit and Go's which gives every player at the table a single 2,500 chip rebuy.
The rebuy can take place at any time but the tournaments are winner takes all. The room is emphasizing the strategy involved with rebuying at the best time.
The Nitro Sit and Go's are available in the bwin Poker lobby with a choice of $1.10, $5.50, $11 and $22 buy-ins.
You can get more information about Nitro Sit and Go's on the bwin site.
Chilipoker DeepStack Open Expands to Portugal
Chilipoker’s new DeepStack Open will venture into Portugal this fall.
Taking place in Vilamoura the event will take place Sept. 23-26. As with all DeepStack Open events, the Portugal stop will offer a reasonable buy-in of €550 combined with a deep stack structure.
“We are glad to launch one more stage of our international Chilipoker DeepStack Open,” said Chilipoker CEO Alexandre Dreyfus.
“The Casino of Vilamoura is an attractive destination for all Iberian players from Spain and Portugal but also for players from the rest of Europe.”
The next DeepStack Open is scheduled to take place in the Partouche Pasino of Aix-en-Provence in France from April 9-11.
Visit the Chilipoker website to learn more or sign up for a DeepStack Open satellite.
Playtech Receives Healthy Boost in Profits
Poker software company Playtech posted an impressive 71% rise in net profit for 2009 according to a recent financial statement.
Playtech, which designs and licenses software for the sites on the iPoker network, credited a joint venture with William Hill as one of the main factors that led to increased profits.
“This has been a significant year of growth for Playtech,” said Roger Withers, Playtech Non-executive chairman.
You can find more information on the Winner Poker website.
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V Foundation Charity Poker Tournament Set for March 24th at Grand Sierra
On March 24th, the Grand Sierra Resort Casino in Reno will host a $220 buy-in charity poker tournament benefiting the V Foundation. The event will be televised on ESPN2 and kicks off at 7:00pm local time.
A bevy of poker players are slated to appear in the name of charity, including Victory Poker front man Antonio Esfandiari, UB.com pro Adam “Roothlus” Levy, two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Jeff Madsen, poker instructor Alex Outhred, Alec “traheho” Torelli, former “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle, Erick Lindgren’s significant other Erica Schoenberg, 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year Sara Underwood, actor Mekhi Pfifer, embattled baseball great Jose Canseco, Absolute Poker’s Trishelle Cannatella, and Liv Boeree.
Outhred, one of the event’s promoters, told Poker News Daily, “Half of the prize pool will go to the V Foundation. On site, we’ll be selling raffle tickets for two spots for the race.” The tournament will have $100 rebuys and “the race” in question will be on skis at Mount Rose. Racers will run two at a time and among those likely to take part is recent World Poker Tour (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star winner Mclean Karr. Flanking him will be many of the aforementioned poker pros along with Maria Ho, Phil Laak, Ali Prescott, UB.com’s Matt “mattg1983” Graham, and “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok.
On Friday, Outhred proudly announced to cyberspace that Canseco had joined the ski lineup, Tweeting, “Ok folks. Our 14th ski race slot has just been filled by... Jose Canseco. Yes, Jose Canseco on skis. Now it's a race.” The race part of the event is dubbed “Take it Downhill,” a pun on the popular poker term, and Outhred explained the harmony between poker and skiing: “We’re trying to combine the two. A lot of poker folks like to ski and snowboard.” The race takes place one day after the charity poker tournament and a barbeque with flowing beer will follow it.
Because of the star-studded cast of celebrities and poker players as well as the involvement of the V Foundation, ESPN2 has allotted a 30-minute window for the event to be beamed into millions of households around the United States. Outhred explained, “The V Foundation would love to get involved in the poker world. There are already a number of different foundations and charity tournaments. We’ve gotten the thumbs up from ESPN for a 30-minute time slot on ESPN2. We just need to hand deliver them a fully produced show.”
Prizes for the V Foundation charity poker tournament include cash payouts, seats in upcoming events, and lessons from poker pros. A cocktail party will kick off the festivities at 5:30pm and, an hour and a half later, the poker tournament will begin. The entire gala marks the first tournament for Check-Raise Events, which is looking to make a splash in the poker world. The winner of the charity poker tournament will have a cancer grant created in their name.
The V Foundation supports cancer research and is named in honor of Jim Valvano, who won the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament in 1983 with North Carolina State. The Foundation receives a considerable amount of support from ESPN and holds several high-profile fundraisers including an annual golf outing and a college basketball tournament dubbed the Jimmy V Classic. Tickets for the ski portion of the event will be available at Mount Rose.
Outhred is a pro at Deepstacks University along with major poker names like Mike Matusow, T.J. Cloutier, Michael Binger, Tom McEvoy, and Jon “pokertrip” Friedberg. The 14 members of Team Deepstacks have more than $30 million in live and online poker winnings. Learn more about the V Foundation Charity Poker Tournament.
Poker News in Brief: Feb. 22-28, 2010
The NAPT held its first exclusive event at the Venetian and more than 800 players paid the $5,000 buy-in.
Meanwhile the stars were indeed shining bright at the WPT Invitational with Tia Carrera, Trishelle Cannatella, and Marlon Wayans coming out to play.
With all the excitement over the competing poker tours there were several poker stories that were almost forgotten.
Fortunately as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief we’ve compiled a list of the lesser-known stories below.
This week we’ll take a look at PartyPoker running an endurance promo, new schedules for two PokerStars tournaments, a training seminar by Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and more.
Class in Session for Mike “The Mouth” Matusow
When The Mouth talks you’d better listen.
That’s what organizers are hoping participants will take out of the upcoming Mike “The Mouth” Matusow poker training session in California.
Matusow, who is the dean of DeepStacks University, will teach a special five-hour session that covers winning strategies for tournament and cash game poker in addition to giving one-on-one poker analysis at the tables.
The training session will cost $495 to attend and every contestant will receive a copy of the Team Full Tilt Pro's new book Check Raising the Devil.
The event will take place March 12 at the Palo Casino Spa and Resort.
Big Names Headline The Poker Show Live
One of the poker's most popular radio shows is returning with Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Galfond, Tony G, David Benyamine and Luke “FullFlush” Schwartz all coming along for the ride.
The Poker Show Live, sponsored by Boylepoker, will feature all the aforementioned poker players in new episodes for the show’s third season beginning March 2.
Hosted by Jesse May, The Poker Show Live has interviewed almost every well-known poker player over the span of its first two seasons.
Tom Dwan, Vicky Coren, Andrew Feldman, Huck Seed, Neil Channing, Erik Seidel have all taken their turn on The Poker Show Live microphone.
The show is available on ThePokerShowLive.com, BoylePoker.com and iTunes.
Ontario Considers Online Gaming
The Canadian province of Ontario is taking a serious look at running its own official online gambling service that could potentially include poker.
Ontario Lottery and Gambling chairman Paul Godfrey and Premier Dalton McGuinty want the province to provide Internet gambling instead of letting potential revenue go to offshore gambling sites.
In Canada, British Columbia and Atlantic Lottery Corporations already officially allow online gambling. The BC Lottery Corporation offers a limited poker game called Pacific Hold’em Poker, which is played against the house.
Loto-Quebec’s poker site is set to launch this fall and analysts are estimating it could potentially net $50 million in revenue for the government over the next three years.
Gladiator Promo Returns to PartyPoker
One of the most popular promotions on PartyPoker is returning this March.
The Gladiator promo rewards players who generate at least 10 PartyPoints every day for a minimum of five days. There are potentially bigger rewards available for players who earn up to 2,000 PartyPoints.
“The Gladiator is back and the rewards are greater than ever before,” said a PartyPoker spokesman.
“This promotion is about spreading play over a period of time for maximus rewards! It is simple and offers great value and we encourage players to challenge themselves and take a closer look.”
If a player manages to earn 2,000 PartyPoints a day from March 3 to April 1 they will instantly earn a $12,500 package to the 2010 WSOP Main Event.
To learn more about The Gladiator check the PartyPoker website
PokerStars Releases SCOOP, NAPT Mohegan Sun Schedules
PokerStars announced the dates for one of its biggest online series and its burgeoning North American tour this week.
The PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker will take place over 14 days from May 3-16 with 33 events. Like last year, each event will have a low, medium and high buy-in variant.
The series will culminate with the Main Event on May 16, with guarantees of $1 million, $3 million and $5 million for each buy-in level.
Meanwhile the PokerStars.net North American Poker Tour’s next stop, at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, will take place April 7-11. The main event carries a $5,000 buy-in and there will be a $10k High Roller Bounty Shootout.
To see the complete schedules for the upcoming SCOOP or NAPT check the PokerStars website.
Versus Picks Up Season 2 of Poker2Nite
Poker news show Poker2Nite is returning for another season, but leaving Fox Sports Net behind for Versus.
Poker2Nite follows an informal news format with UB Poker pro Joe Sebok and poker personality Scott Huff acting as hosts. Dana Workman also produces the satirical Weekly Misdeal for the program.
All 13 episodes of the first season were shown on Fox Sports Net. The second season will kick off this Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET on Versus, which was formerly OLN.
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Poker News in Brief: Feb. 15-21, 2010
Rumored to be Swede Victor Blom, Isildur1 disappeared from the high-stakes games after he went on a devastating multi-million dollar downswing in late 2009.
He returned with a vengeance this week with huge matches against Justin Bonomo and Brian Townsend.
With all the attention focused on Isildur1 there were a few poker stories that were nearly forgotten. Fortunately, as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature we’ve compiled a list below.
This week we’ll look at another winner on the UKIPT, a notable player winning at the LAPC, the record-breaking sale of a poker domain and more.
Dutch Student Wins UKIPT Manchester
Twenty-one-year-old Dutch student Joeri Zandvliet outlasted 517 players to win the inaugural UK & Ireland Poker Tour Manchester event this week.
The final table was dominated by residents of the UK with only Zandvliet and Julian Hasse of Germany coming from Europe.
Zandvliet beat Newcastle native Jack Ellwood heads-up to claim the £63,200 first place prize.
“I feel very happy and lucky,” said Zandvliet after his big win. “There were five relatively strong players at the final table. Whatever I did today didn’t really work too well but I managed to get lucky a couple of times.”
The £550 buy-in event drew several big name players including John Duthie, Victoria Coren and Julian Thew.
To learn more about UKIPT qualifying visit the PokerStars website.
ChiliPoker Launches DeepStack Open
ChiliPoker released the schedule for a new French tournament this week.
The Chilipoker DeepStack Open will take place April 9-11, 2010, in the Partouche poker room in France.
The tournament will offer a deep structure of 50,000 starting chips, 50/100 starting blinds and 60 minute levels.
In contrast to large buy-in tours like the EPT and WPT, the Chilipoker DeepStack Open will offer a more affordable buy-in of €500+€50. There will be a maximum of 500 players allowed into the event.
Chilipoker will also introduce a couple unique elements to the tournament.
The first called “Extra Ball” which will see the online poker site throw in an extra 50% of the first place prize. Half of this will go the winner while the other half will go to all the players who qualified on Chilipoker.
The second feature is called “Knock-Out Insurance” and it rewards players who finished out of the money but managed to bust five opponents. Each player performs this feat will receive a free seat in the next Chilipoker DeepStack Open event.
To qualify for the ChiliPoker DeepStack Open visit the poker room’s website.
Jonathan “Fatal Error” Aguiar Wins LAPC 8-Game Event
You can add another well-known poker player to the list of players who have cashed in on the LAPC preliminary events.
Jonathan Aguiar, who plays online as Fatal Error, outlasted 106 players to win the $34,800 first place prize in the LAPC 8-Game Mix side event.
With the victory Aguiar is quickly approaching $1 million in lifetime live tournament winnings with $722,351.
Joe Tehan also made the final table of the Eight Game event but crashed out in fourth place for $9,460.
PokerListings’ blogger Jason Mercier came in 14th place and blogged about it here.
The LAPC has already seen some notable victories with Carlos Mortensen, “Miami” John Cernuto and Chino Rheem all taking down tournaments.
Betfair Poker to Sponsor Amateur Poker Association & Tour
Betfair Poker announced this week it will be the headline sponsor of one of the leading amateur poker tours.
The London-based online poker site will be the exclusive sponsor of Season 4 of the Amateur Poker Association & Tour (APAT).
“Our tie-up with APAT signals our commitment to grass roots poker,” said Matt Mowlam, head of U.K. poker for Betfair. “APAT are a professionally run, fun tour, and one that has been keenly contested by thousands of players in the three seasons to date."
Season 4 will see the APAT host 28 live tournaments in the U.K., Ireland and Europe with buy-ins ranging from £25 to £250.
The APAT has seen rapid growth over the last three seasons and is currently home to over 20,000 registered members.
The first event on the Season 4 APAT schedule will be the Welsh Amateur Championship in Aspers, Swansea on March 20. Check APAT website for the complete schedule.
Poker.org Sold for $1 Million
Poker.org became the most expensive .org domain ever sold this week when PokerCompany.com purchased it for $1 million.
PokerCompany.com, which already owns BlackJack.org, EveryPoker.com and Rakeback.org, did not announce their plans for the domain.
Previous .org sales pale in comparison with Engineering.org the closest, selling for $198,000.
The most expensive website ever sold was Sex.com, which went for $14 million in 2006.
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Tags: 2009, 2010, buy-ins, deepstack, Justin Bonomo, Online Poker, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, usa
Frederic Brunet is European Deepstack champion
Bedi and Sparks victorious this weekend
Tags: deepstack
UB Poker Event Tops Record Books
The Deepstack No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament drew 628 players, creating a prize pool of $1.57 million – the richest in UB’s 10-year history.
Online player SEBBAU was the biggest winner taking down the tournament and the $330,900 that came attached to first place.
Celebrated UB player DOOSHDOTCOM1 also made an appearance at the final table but ended up finishing in fifth for $86,350.
"Despite going out just before the money in UBOC 8, the tournament still left me with an incredible feeling as we ended up building the richest prize pool in the history of UB," said Joe Sebok.
"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."
Team UB was out in full force with Phil Hellmuth, Sebok and Liv Boeree all playing the tournament.
Boeree was the only UB pro to cash, coming in 42nd place for $6,280.
UBOC 4 continues all week with the $1 million-guaranteed $1,050 buy-in main event scheduled for this Sunday.
Click here to learn more about the UBOC schedule or sign up for an account.
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Tags: 15, 2010, 5, deepstack, Joe Sebok, king, no-limit, Online Player, Phil Hellmuth, player, Poker, Pro, tournament, UBOC
Hassan Irfan wins Dusk Till Dawn Deepstack
UB Online Championship Schedule Set
The 18-event schedule takes place Jan. 20-31, 2010 and will include over $4 million in combined tournament guarantees.
Plus, 16 Mini-UBOC events with buy-ins at 10% of the UBOC tournaments have been added for those with bankroll limitations.
Highlights of the 2010 UBOC include the $1,000+50 $1 million Guaranteed No-Limit Hold 'em UBOC Championship on Jan. 31 hosted by 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, and the $2500+100 $1 million Guaranteed Deepstack No-Limit Hold 'em Six-Max event Jan. 24 hosted by UB's Cardroom Consultant Annie Duke.
"With UBOC heading into its fourth year and Aruba coming up to year nine, UB now has two amazing series,” said Duke. “Whether you are a diehard poker player or a weekend warrior, UBOC and mini UBOC offer something to excite everyone.”
The schedule will also deliver a mix of events including No-Limit Hold'em, H.O.R.S.E., Pot-Limit Omaha, 8-Game Mix, Four-Max, Six-Max, and Heads-Up.
Plus, there are several competitions designed to reward players for UBOC success offering cash prizes for multiple UBOC cashes, STEP and satellite wins.
UBOC satellites and STEP tournaments are already available now.
For the day-to-day schedule and further details on the UB Online Championship, check out the UB website.
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Tags: 2010, 5, Annie Duke, buy-ins, deepstack, no-limit, Omaha, Phil Hellmuth, player, Poker, poker player, tournament, UBOC, WSOP
Alexander Jobling wins Dusk Till Dawn deepstack
Details of third European Deepstack Poker Championships announced
UK player in line for consecutive Venetian honours
Alex Outhred Discusses Deepstacks University
Known as “The Insider” for his efforts in cataloging hands at every final table of the early years of the World Poker Tour (WPT), Alex Outhred went on to create the curriculum for and become one of the preeminent instructors for the WPT Boot Camp, which has taught the intricacies of poker to thousands of players. Then, he moved on to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Academy, where he was critical in the implementation of its study guide. Outhred now has some other “pots on the stove,” both inside and outside of the poker world, including a new teaching outlet.
One of his latest endeavors, Deepstacks University, had been keeping him in the recording studios. Deepstacks University is an online and live poker school slated to open at the beginning of November. What makes Deepstacks University different is that it offers players poker instruction for a cost that is vastly less than the various boot camps that are available. It was easy to see Outhred’s enthusiasm for the new teaching tool after only a few moments of talking to him.
“Deepstacks University, in my opinion, is truly a quality product,” Outhred stated immediately. “We have some of the best minds in the game in Tom McEvoy, T.J. Cloutier, Mike Matusow, and the Binger brothers (Michael and Nick). I have played and worked with everyone involved with Deepstacks University and it’s truly an honor to work beside them.”
Outhred’s desire to teach poker stems from his background, which included everything from studying psychology at the University of Michigan to being exposed to the wealth of teachers and psychologists within his family. “It is really a great feeling when you see someone who benefited specifically from your instruction win a big tournament or a WSOP bracelet or Circuit ring. To illuminate poker concepts and theory that play a factor in taking down a title is definitely a point of pride for me, for the student, and the process itself.”
He’s also quick to note, however, that there is something in it for himself. “When I am teaching my courses on Deepstacks University, it does help me out,” Outhred said. “All of the things that I tell students help to reinforce the same ideas in my head, which then run over into my play at the tables. By keeping these ideas and concepts fresh and accessible in my head, I can only play better. An important aspect of this cycle that has developed lately has been bringing fresh lessons that I’m learning at the live tables directly to the Deepstacks University videos.”
With a wealth of players around him (in addition to the professionals listed before, other top pros such as Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Andrew “Browndog19” Brown, Jon “pokertrip” Friedberg, and Liv Boeree round out Team Deepstacks), Outhred has found that there is always room to improve his game. “It’s tough to pick just one (of my associates), but Nick Binger is someone I learn from because I believe we have a uniquely similar style of play,” Outhred said. “We both seem to have that knack for going with our reads and knowing when to drop a big hand or kick into that purely aggressive mode that it takes to do well in tournament poker. Seeing his style of play and the corresponding results embolden my confidence in my own game and my likelihood for future success.”
In the past three years, Outhred has pulled in approximately $300,000 from tournament poker (he was 54th in last year’s WSOP Main Event) and also earned $500,000 from the FOX television game show “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” The money earned has allowed him to become part owner in a restaurant, Stout Burgers and Beer, in Hollywood, California. The establishment is set to open next month.
“I’ve been thinking about the future and the restaurant was something I wanted to do,” Outhred admitted. “I have been on a bit of a bad streak results-wise since the WSOP last year and I really wanted to see the restaurant and Deepstacks University get off the ground. To be able to do that, I really put my attention on them and put playing high buy-in poker events on hold until next year.”
Starting the restaurant while maintaining a place in the poker world was critical for Outhred: “I wanted to be able to take care of my future and be secure. By getting these things in line, I’ll be able to do that. People sometimes forget that poker will always be there and I didn’t want to be one of the people who forgot that.”
Outhred seems to be demonstrating that someone can combine life and poker and be successful at both. With Deepstacks University and his restaurant set to open for business within a couple of weeks, “The Insider” will be busier than ever and we can only hope to see him back on the felt soon.
Tags: 5, actor, Adam, Alex Outhred, California, deepstack, Hollywood, king, Mike Matusow, player, Poker, Pro, T.J. Cloutier, Tom McEvoy, tournament, usa, World Poker Tour, WSOP
DeepStacks University beta goes live
"Serving as Dean of DeepStacks University is one of the most exciting projects I've ever been part of," said Matusow.
"The team, from the experienced instructors to the talented executives running the company, is first class all the way.
"I've been around a long time, seen tons of ideas and projects come and go, but when it comes to online poker education, nothing compares to what DSU has to offer. I'll be able to transfer my years of knowledge, experience and strategy development to you in a way that is not possible anywhere else."
The key feature of DeepStacks University is something the site is calling Reactive Training Technology, which essentially allows players to interact with a training video.
Players are able to use separate "modules" to help work on a specific part of their poker game. The University is scheduled to release new modules every week.
DeepStacks University instructors include the aforementioned Matusow, TJ Cloutier, Michael Binger and Adam "Roothlus" Levy.
"DeepStacks University is going to be one of the best training sites around," said Levy. "With interactive modules letting players really feel a part of everything and a team of top-notch professionals, DeepStacks University is sure to be around a long time."
Special early access offers are available for first time users and registered customers through the beta site found at www.deepstacks.com.
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