Poker News

Sydney PartyPoker Qualifier Wins Aussie Millions

23-year-old Tyron Krost won a $640 online satellite to get into the main event at the Crown Casino and walked away AUD$2 million richer after besting a field of 746 this week.

"It feels like a dream and I don't want to wake up," he said moments after the win. "$2 million, it's amazing."

After a fairly lengthy feeling-out process, fellow Aussie Steven Shelley was the first player to get his walking papers from the final eight Saturday, running sevens into Krost's jacks.

But it wasn't long before he was joined on the rail by online superstar and 2007 World Series of Poker Europe champ Annette Obrestad.

The Betfair pro got into a flip for her stack with ace-jack against the PartyPoker qualifier's sevens and would have liked the straight draw she picked up on the flop if that same flop didn't give Krost a set.

The turn and river bricked out and Obrestad was sent back to Norway seventh.

Strangely, pocket sevens were involved in the next elimination as well, with Reno, Nevada's Steve Friedlander running them into Aussie Kostas Varoxis' big slick.

A king on the flop and another on the turn did the lone American at the final table in and play went five handed.

It stayed five-handed for quite a while until Canadian Peter Jetten appeared to implode, shipping it in with K♦ 5♦ against Krost's tens on a move and failing to improve.

Once the massive chip leader, Sorel Mizzi's downfall began soon after when he doubled up Frederik Jensen and before the Betfair Poker pro knew what had hit him, Krost had suddenly moved into the lead.

A few desperations shoves from Varoxis were next on the agenda, and although the first couple worked, his luck eventually ran out when he couldn't beat Jensen's deuces with A♥ 6♣.

Mizzi's downfall ended three-handed when he ran pocket sevens into Krost's ace-king and could not hold, leaving the two PartyPoker qualifiers to battle it out heads up.

Krost began heads up with better than 2:1 chip lead over Jensen and the Aussie began applying pressure on the Dane right from the outset, pounding him into submission before getting him all in dominated to book the win.

A humble Krost seemed to have the all big hands when he needed them throughout the final, beating some of the best young players in the game while following up Stewart Scott's 2009 win to become only the second Aussie to keep the title on home soil in Aussie Millions history.

"I just ran really well and got really lucky," he said. "I had a lot of big hands."

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Sydney PartyPoker Qualifier Wins Aussie Millions

23-year-old Tyron Krost won a $640 online satellite to get into the main event at the Crown Casino and walked away AUD$2 million richer after besting a field of 746 this week.

"It feels like a dream and I don't want to wake up," he said moments after the win. "$2 million, it's amazing."

After a fairly lengthy feeling-out process, fellow Aussie Steven Shelley was the first player to get his walking papers from the final eight Saturday, running sevens into Krost's jacks.

But it wasn't long before he was joined on the rail by online superstar and 2007 World Series of Poker Europe champ Annette Obrestad.

The Betfair pro got into a flip for her stack with ace-jack against the PartyPoker qualifier's sevens and would have liked the straight draw she picked up on the flop if that same flop didn't give Krost a set.

The turn and river bricked out and Obrestad was sent back to Norway seventh.

Strangely, pocket sevens were involved in the next elimination as well, with Reno, Nevada's Steve Friedlander running them into Aussie Kostas Varoxis' big slick.

A king on the flop and another on the turn did the lone American at the final table in and play went five handed.

It stayed five-handed for quite a while until Canadian Peter Jetten appeared to implode, shipping it in with K♦ 5♦ against Krost's tens on a move and failing to improve.

Once the massive chip leader, Sorel Mizzi's downfall began soon after when he doubled up Frederik Jensen and before the Betfair Poker pro knew what had hit him, Krost had suddenly moved into the lead.

A few desperations shoves from Varoxis were next on the agenda, and although the first couple worked, his luck eventually ran out when he couldn't beat Jensen's deuces with A♥ 6♣.

Mizzi's downfall ended three-handed when he ran pocket sevens into Krost's ace-king and could not hold, leaving the two PartyPoker qualifiers to battle it out heads up.

Krost began heads up with better than 2:1 chip lead over Jensen and the Aussie began applying pressure on the Dane right from the outset, pounding him into submission before getting him all in dominated to book the win.

A humble Krost seemed to have the all big hands when he needed them throughout the final, beating some of the best young players in the game while following up Stewart Scott's 2009 win to become only the second Aussie to keep the title on home soil in Aussie Millions history.

"I just ran really well and got really lucky," he said. "I had a lot of big hands."

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Poker2Nite Welcomes Mike Matusow

The Fox Sports Net poker news show “Poker2Nite” welcomed the always outspoken Mike “The Mouth” Matusow this week. The franchise airs at 11:00pm ET every Wednesday night and can also be seen on The Score at 3:00pm ET on Sundays.

This week’s installment began with a discussion of the $335 buy-in re-entry event that kicked off the L.A. Poker Classic. The tournament was the brainchild of Matt Savage and allowed players to buy back in on a later starting day should they be knocked out. On top of the unique formula, the tournament also guaranteed $1 million. Interviews were shown with David “Chino” Rheem, Amnon Filippi, Thor Hanson, and Andreas Hoivold. Filippi commented, “It’s so hard to get so many people in one place at one time. You have to have a 100-table room and you have to have the players. L.A. has both.” Darrell Cain ultimately took down the kickoff event for over $300,000.

Attention then turned to Betfair front woman Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, who won an Omaha event held during the Aussie Millions this month for $40,000. Obrestad, who won the inaugural World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event, became the first female ever to win an Aussie Millions tournament. “Poker2Nite’ co-host Joe Sebok explained, “She’s an absolute beast. She’s going to be a force at the Rio.” The 2010 WSOP will mark Obrestad’s debut in the annual U.S. series.

Matusow then joined the show and explained that his fortunes turned for the worst last year: “2007 and 2008 were the best years of poker I’ve ever had in my life. It spiraled downward starting with the $40,000 event in the WSOP [last year]. That beat led to another beat and another beat and the next thing you know, I was catching no cards and [recording] no cashes.” Matusow admitted that he made just $2,200 off of poker in 2009 after recording seven-figure years in 2007 and 2008.

As to what led to his dramatic downfall, Matusow explained that not working out every day and stiff competition contributed. His goal is to drop back to 185 pounds and run eight miles per day by the time the 2010 WSOP rolls around. He added, “Players have gotten better. There are so many great players.” One of those top minds in the game is its all-time money leader, Phil Ivey. Matusow commented on his fellow Full Tilt Poker pro: “I think that Phil Ivey, when he’s playing well, is probably the best all-around poker player I’ve ever played with.”

A new segment called “Mikey’s Meltdowns” featured Matusow against UB.com’s Phil Hellmuth during a taping of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” A 7-2 rule was in effect and any player who scooped the pot with the worst starting hand in Hold’em was paid $500 by each of their opponents. Hellmuth led out for a pot-sized bet of $40,000 on the river with 7-2 for air against Matusow, who had pocket kings. After much deliberation and a “This sucks,” Matusow folded his overpair face up. Hellmuth turned over 7-2 and the table exploded in commentary.

“All in Blind” featured Sebok and co-host Scott Huff debating a series of topics, including the aforementioned L.A. Poker Classic re-entry event, U.S. President Barack Obama being invited to play in the Irish Poker Open, and UB.com pro Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin donating $200,000 to his alma mater’s baseball program. Then, Dana Workman’s “Weekly Misdeal,” which provides a satirical look at the week’s headlines, poked fun at a topless home game raid, the Rio’s 20th birthday celebration, T.J. Cloutier selling a WSOP bracelet on eBay, and the popular video game system Sega entering the online poker marketplace.

Finally, “Poker2Nite” saluted Mike Hofer, the winner of the Absolute Poker College Challenge. Hofer earned $10,000 in college tuition and told “Poker2Nite” cameras, “The competition surprised me. They were all very competent players. Hats off to them. They played a great game.”

Catch “Poker2Nite” next Wednesday at 11:00pm ET on Fox Sports Net. Check your local listings for more information.

Cake Poker buy TJ Cloutier’s WSOP bracelet

Recently we reported that TJ Cloutier’s bracelet won in the 2005 WSOP $5,000 NLHE event was up for sale on eBay. A pawn shop in Texas was selling the prize, stating they received it from TJ himself. Reports that he pawned it for craps money are unfounded but likely true.

BoylePoker launches Irish Open qualifiers

The Irish Open is one of the top tournaments on the European circuit and Boylepoker.com is giving players even more incentives to qualify.

Young Stars Lead Aussie Millions Final

Betfair Poker pro Sorel Mizzi will come in to the final eight with a massive chip lead and all the confidence that comes with it following a day where it appeared he could do no wrong on the felt.

"Confident is definitely the one word to describe how I'm feeling right now," the 23-year-old Canadian said. "Everything is just going my way. I'm getting hands, I'm making the correct reads. I feel like I'm playing the most perfect poker I know how.

"I might not be playing perfectly, but it's the best that I know how to play and things are working out for me right now."

Using the screen names Imper1um and zangbezan24, Mizzi is one of the most feared tournament players in online poker history.

While he has also amassed more than $1.6 million in career earnings in live tournaments, a major title has escaped his clutches to date, making this shot at Aussie Millions glory even more desirable to him.

"How badly do I want this?" he asked. "On a scale from zero to ten, it's a ten."  

Mizzi holds close to half of the chips in play with eight players remaining, but said he has no plans to bully the table tomorrow.

"I'm just going to adjust to the situations when I see what they are," he said. "I don't really know my strategy going into tomorrow, but I'm really good at just feeling things out. Hopefully I feel things right and hopefully I keep hitting the cards I was hitting today."

In Mizzi's way stands fellow Betfair Poker pro and 2007 World Series of Poker Europe champ Annette Obrestad.

Considering she currently sits fifth in chips, Obrestad is being cautiously optimistic about her chances.

"I can't say I'm too confident, considering Sorel has six times the amount of chips I do," she said.

No less than an online poker legend, Obrestad, otherwise known as Annette_15, is hoping the experience of playing on a big stage in the past will pay off in Australia Saturday.

"I think it helps a lot because I'm not really nervous when I play," she said. "For me it's just another game of poker, just for a lot more money."

She's also banking on the deep structure here at the Aussie Millions allowing her to remain patient despite her stack size.

"I think people are going to be way too aggressive and try to outplay each other," the 21-year-old Norwegian said. "I don't really see the point in that because with my image, people think I'm nuts anyway, so I'll just wait for a hand and probably get it in good."

Also posing a major threat to Mizzi's lead is 24-year-old fellow Canadian Peter "Apathy" Jetten.

With a European Poker Tour High Roller and two World Series of Poker final tables on his resume, including a runner up finish in the 2008 WSOP $10k Pot-Limit Omaha, Jetten is another player hoping experience will help him get over the hump Down Under.

"I think that experience just helps so much, if not in my play then at least in making me more comfortable," he said. "The PLO event eluding me heads-up hurt a lot. It's really nice to be back with a shot at winning again and I want to win this one very badly."

Rounding out the final eight are PartyPoker qualifier's Tyron Krost and Fred Jensen, both of whom have a couple of small WSOP cashes on their sheets.

Plus Aussie Hold'em Poker group qualifier Steven Shelly, fellow local Kosta Varoxis and Reno Nevada's Steve Friedlander.

To follow all the action until the AUD$2 million first-place prize and 2010 Aussie Millions title is handed out, tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates beginning at 2 p.m. Melbourne time Saturday.

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Obrestad Avoiding Aussie Millions Déjà Vu

Among the chip leaders with 21 people left in the 2009 Aussie Millions, holding ace-ten, she pushed all in for around 350k over Canadian Zach Fellows' raise, expecting him to fold all but premium cards.

However, Fellows made the rather loose call with just pocket fives.

The fives held and an angry Obrestad had a few choice words for Fellows before running nines into jacks to bow out 21^st.

"It was a terrible call," she said. "It was really frustrating."

Thursday, a year later, she finds herself deep-stacked late in the 2010 Aussie Millions again and hoping this won't be a case of déjà vu.

"I hope not," she laughed. "I want to do well in every tournament I play. It doesn't really matter which one it is, but because I got deep here last year and I was so close to final tabling, I want to know what that feeling is like."

The Norwegian-born Betfair Poker pro says there's really no secret to why she's deep in the Aussie Millions main event in back-to-back years.

The tournament just sets up well for her game.

"I think the structure is just really good," she said. "And I've been running good too."

It certainly doesn't hurt that the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe main event champ has cultivated an image as a tremendously loose-aggressive player. Apparently no one ever puts her on a hand.

"They never think I have anything, no matter how I play a hand," she explained. "Even when I have the nuts and that's the only hand I could possibly have, they still don't believe me.

"It's really annoying at times, because I like to play a lot of pots. So getting involved without a hand is not a good idea. But why would I? They never believe me anyway. I don't have to. So I'm trying to tighten up a little and take advantage."

Like most of the new generation of Internet whiz kids taking over the poker world these days, Obrestad was weaned on No-Limit Hold'em.

But drawn in by its alluring action, she recently expanded her repertoire to include Pot-Limit Omaha and actually took down the $1k PLO prelim in Australia just days before the start of the main event.

"I was really excited," she said. "I've been playing a lot online. That's usually what I play if I play online these days, so I feel like I've been really improving my game.

"You can play a lot of pots. You can play really aggressively and you can bluff a lot in that game. There's a lot of action. I like it."

But for now, she's got a little Hold'em and the remainder of the Aussie Millions to contend with.

"I really want to do well here this year," she said. "And put last year in the past."

To follow Obrestad's progress and the rest of the 2010 Aussie Millions main event, tune in to PokerListings' Live Updates through the Jan. 30 final table.

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And the winners of the APAT Team Championship are … Team APAT

Manchester’s G Casino was the venue for the Amateur Poker Association and Tour (APAT) Team Championship event over the weekend and there was a familiar name at the top of the leader board.

Mizzi Finds Aussie Millions Magic in Melbourne

And after a final table appearance at a 2009 Aussie Millions prelim and a deep run all the way to 16^th in the main event last year, who can blame him?

"I hit a lot of sets in Australia," he joked. "But seriously, I have a really good feel for the table dynamic here. There's something about Australia. Maybe it's the air here that just helps me get in the zone a lot easier.

"Right now I'm playing the best poker I've ever played. Most of my reads are right on and feel like I have a good idea of where people are."

Wednesday, the 23-year-old Canadian found himself among the chip leaders on Day 2 of the 2010 Aussie Millions main event and appeared primed for yet another deep run.

"For some reason, every time I'm in Australia, I'm really focused," he said. "Maybe it's because I travel 25 hours to get here, so I might as well sit down and just focus on the task at hand."

Playing under the screen names Imper1um and zangbezan24, the Betfair Poker pro is nothing short of an online poker legend.

And while the live results have followed, including more than $1.6 million in career earnings over just the past four years, something is still missing from his resume.

Among several deep cashes, Mizzi finished third in the 2007 Irish Open, second in the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe's £5k Pot-Limit Omaha and second again in the 2009 WSOP's $5k PLO.

However, a major poker title still eludes him.

"If you look at my results I have a lot of finishes from 10^th to 30^th and it's funny, because online, that's usually where I dominate," he said. "When 10-30 people are left, I go in for the kill. But live, I've just been running really bad at the end of tournaments.

"It really bothers me that I've never won a major tournament. I've actually only won just one live tournament, a side event at Bellagio. It was nice, it was a $3k buy-in with 160 players, but, you know, it's not a big deal. You don't get that much satisfaction out of winning something like that."

The good side of coming so close, so many times is that Mizzi has stayed focused on his ultimate goal of winning a major title. But that certainly doesn't make him want it any less.

"I see lot of people that win a couple of tournaments and they lose that desire," he said. "I don't want to end up like that and having these close finishes just gives me more thirst and gets me more focused on achieving my goals.

"In the end, though, a title is very important to me. I really want to get that monkey off my shoulder. Hopefully I'll win a big event this year, maybe even this one."

To follow Mizzi's progress and comprehensive coverage of the entire 2010 Aussie Millions main event, tune into PokerListings' Live Updates through the Jan. 30 final table.

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European Poker Tour Deauville Day 5: Jake “neverbluff67″ Cody Takes the Trophy

The last eight players were back in the Casino Barrière on Monday to take their seats under the lights and TV cameras around the finale table of EPT Deauville. The lineup card was an impressive one, and it figured to be a great day of poker...

Brandon McSmith Claims Rights to Face the Ace

Recently, Poker News Daily reader Brandon McSmith wrote in claiming that Poker PROductions, which brought the NBC poker game show “Face the Ace” to life, took his idea for the series without permission. We sat down with Smith to get his side of the story in the lawsuit, which is currently pending in Nevada.

Poker News Daily: Thanks for writing in. Tell us about your claim against Poker PROductions.

Brandon McSmith: I created a show called the “All Star Poker Challenge.” I pitched it to Poker PROductions, specifically to Mori Eskandani. Mori said to send it over to him and he’d take a look. Subsequently, he rejected the concept, saying that a contestant risking everything to play on was a flawed concept.

PND: How did you find out about “Face the Ace” airing on NBC?

Brandon McSmith: While online, I read about “Face the Ace” and thought it was my show. I saw that Poker PROductions created it, so I contacted them and they responded with their general counsel stating that first and foremost, I contacted the wrong people. They said NBC brought the show to them. We contacted NBC, who said they were in discussions with Poker PROductions and Full Tilt Poker and Full Tilt came up with the concept. This is all documented in letters and e-mails.

Right now, I have a suit pending in the Eighth District Court in Nevada. I have paralegals drawing papers for me. I’m confident that the judge and jury will see that they lied three different times.

PND: How did NBC and Poker PROductions respond when you contacted them?

Brandon McSmith: I have Poker PROductions saying that NBC brought it to them. NBC said Full Tilt brought it to them, but I didn’t name Full Tilt in the lawsuit. Full Tilt tried to act like Big Brother and come in and protect Poker PROductions. They haven’t done anything in court, so I left them out of it. If they assert a claim to it, I’d be happy to ask the judge to amend the complaint to include Full Tilt.

PND: Were there any differences between the “All Star Poker Challenge” and “Face the Ace”?

Brandon McSmith: The prize structure was different. They also had one less door and two fewer matches. I had five doors and five matches, with $2,000 per match. On the fifth match, you’d win $10,000 plus a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event entry. Everything else was the same.

PND: How did you come up with your poker game show idea?

Brandon McSmith: I’m just an Average Joe who plays poker around Las Vegas. One day after playing in Tuscany, a small poker room, I was coming home and thought there was nothing out there like this. I’d love to play in the WSOP Main Event, but can’t afford the $10,000 buy-in. Everything on television is pros versus pros. Out of that, I sat down for an hour or so to hammer out the concept. I pitched it to several people and everyone was nice and loved the concept. Out of all the people I pitched it to, Mori was the only one who stole it.

PND: What damages are you seeking?

Brandon McSmith: I’m seeking fair compensation. Whatever the courts decide, I’m fine with. I think they’ll get hit on punitive damages. The compensatory part is what the show is worth. Once the judge and jury realize that two powerhouses stole the idea, they’re going to inflict a hefty punitive damage award to it.

PND: Did you have a dollar value in mind?

Brandon McSmith: I don’t have a number right now because I don’t know what the show has done. I also don’t know what the agreement is. What is a flop in the United States could be a hit in Europe and I don’t know the scope of their plans. I’m just a regular guy who pitched the show. The “Created By” credit is worth something to me since there would be something I created on television. I have several other concepts and it’d be easier to approach people or be represented by an agent.

We were supposed to go to court on January 4th, but court was shut down that day due to a security incident. Now, we’re waiting for the court to reschedule us.

Bluff Europe Weekend Round-Up

Most of the poker stuff that has been happening has been happening in Melbourne. The Aussie Millions is upon us, the $10,000 Main Event has kicked off and consequently the high-stakes action on Full Tilt has been subdued. PokerStars are still going strong on the tournament front, though:

McDonald, Eastgate Fall Short at EPT Deauville

Cody, a 21-year-old poker pro from Rochdale, U.K., outlasted a field of 768 players to claim the first place prize of €847,000.

Organizers had plenty of compelling story lines with McDonald looking to become the first two-time EPT winner and Eastgate trying to win his first major tournament since taking down the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Eastgate, a member of Team PokerStars Pro, entered the eight-player final table as the short-stack and couldn’t get anything going.

It didn't take long before Eastgate found himself on the rail in 8th place after his pocket tens were bested by K-9.

The Danish pro has never won an EPT title although he came close in London this year eventually finishing second to Aaron Gustavson.

McDonald entered the day with an average stack and made it considerably farther than Eastgate getting all the way to three-handed play.

Unfortunately for McDonald he ran into trouble at that point and finally lost a flip for his tournament life. The young Canadian pro claimed €295,000 for his efforts.

McDonald won EPT Dortmund in 2008 and very nearly won it again in 2009 but eventually finished in fifth place.

Despite the fact it was Cody's first time competing at the EPT, it took him less than an hour to beat heads-up opponent Teodor Caraba.

It was a disappointing event for French poker fans who saw a number of their most well-known players fall painfully short of the final table.

Most notably Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier who came in ninth place after running into pocket aces with ace-queen, effectively becoming the final table bubble boy.

Winamax Pro and actress Alexia Portal finished in 10^th place after losing a coin flip for her tournament life.

Meanwhile French poker legend Bruno Fittoussi, who came finished runner-up in the 2007 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. event, bombed out of EPT Deauville in 14^th place.

With Deauville complete the EPT will travel to Copenhagen for the Scandinavian Open, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 16-21.

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McDonald, Eastgate Fall Short at EPT Deauville

Cody, a 21-year-old poker pro from Rochdale, U.K., outlasted a field of 768 players to claim the first-place prize of €847,000.

Organizers had plenty of compelling story lines with McDonald looking to become the first two-time EPT winner and Eastgate trying to win his first major tournament since taking down the 2008 WSOP Main Event.

Eastgate, a member of Team PokerStars Pro, entered the eight-player final table as the short-stack and couldn’t get anything going.

It didn't take long before Eastgate found himself on the rail in 8th place after his pocket tens were bested by K-9.

The Danish pro has never won an EPT title although he came close in London this year eventually finishing second to Aaron Gustavson.

McDonald entered the day with an average stack and made it considerably farther than Eastgate getting all the way to three-handed play.

Unfortunately for McDonald he ran into trouble at that point and finally lost a flip for his tournament life. The young Canadian pro claimed €295,000 for his efforts.

McDonald won EPT Dortmund in 2008 and very nearly won it again in 2009 but eventually finished in fifth place.

Despite the fact it was Cody's first time competing at the EPT, it took him less than an hour to beat heads-up opponent Teodor Caraba.

It was a disappointing event for French poker fans who saw a number of their most well-known players fall painfully short of the final table.

Most notably coming up shy was Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, who finished in ninth place after running into pocket aces with ace-queen, effectively becoming the final-table bubble boy.

Winamax Pro and actress Alexia Portal finished in 10^th place after losing a coin flip for her tournament life.

Meanwhile French poker legend Bruno Fittoussi, who finished as the runner-up in the 2007 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. event, bombed out of EPT Deauville in 14^th place.

With Deauville complete the EPT will travel to Copenhagen next for the Scandinavian Open, scheduled to take place Feb. 16-21.

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EPT Deauville Day 4: “ElkY” Out in 9th, Final Table Set

The final 24 players in the European Poker Tour Deauville Main Event returned to the beautiful Casino Barriére on Sunday to play down to a final table. Team Pokerstars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and Mike “Timex” McDonald both began the day w

EPT Deauville final table set

Over the weekend we speculated that Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald becoming the first player to win two EPT Main Events was looking decidedly unlikely. The youngster started Day 3 in Deauville bottom of the chip counts in 133rd place but it looks like we may have been a little premature in writing off his chances.

Ivey Tops All Time Money List

“It’s exciting,” said the Team Full Tilt Pro. “I’ve been after that for a while now, so it feels good to get there.”

While Ivey was less than satisfied with losing heads-up to day trader Dan Shak for the title in Melbourne, his AUD$600,000 score, worth $544,219.50 in U.S. dollars according to the latest published exchange rates, pushed his career earnings up to $12,804,433 and into the top spot on the all-time list.

First place was held by Daniel Negreanu, who moved up to approximately $12,432,367 in career earnings and into the top spot this past September in similar fashion, when he finished runner-up to Barry Shulman at the World Series of Poker Europe main event.

Always all about business, Ivey said he doesn’t plan to spend very much time dwelling on the accomplishment.

“I don’t think I’ll celebrate too much,” he said. “I’m just going to go to dinner, maybe have a glass of wine or two and play some poker later.”

That poker game happens to be the Aussie Millions Million Dollar Cash Game, expected to feature some of the game’s top talent.

But for Ivey, it’s just another day at the office.

“It’s just another poker game,” he said.”I’m just going to play and try to win some hands.”

Knowing he’s now officially the top money earner in tournament poker history doesn’t appear to have had much of an effect on the steely Ivey’s day to day life either.

“I don’t really think, ‘oh I’m the best in the world,’” he said. “I just try to perform the best that I can day in and day out.”

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Bluff Europe Weekend Round-Up

Most of the poker stuff that has been happening has been happening in Melbourne. The Aussie Millions is upon us, the $10,000 Main Event has kicked off and consequently the high-stakes action on Full Tilt has been subdued. PokerStars are still going strong on the tournament front, though:

Poker Pro Canada Magazine Announced

It is only five years old, but Poker Pro Magazine has already established itself in the poker world with a circulation in excess of 150,000 copies per month.  The publication is already available in the U.S. and Canada, but the company is now offering a something special for its Canadian readership.

Poker Pro Media recently announced it will be a launching a regional version of its popular magazine entitled Poker Pro Canada.  The Canadian edition will feature in-depth profiles of Canadian players, updates and news from the growing Canadian poker scene and, of course, strategy and tips from the pros.

Canadian Poker Pro Executive Editor magazine John “JohnnyQuads” Wenzel elaborated on the motivation behind launching the new magazine in an official press release:   “Some say this is a time of contraction for print media, but we’re bullish on the Canadian market.  The game is exploding in Canada and we intend to provide enthusiasts with a slick, upscale magazine that will be fun to read and will also improve their bottom line at the tables.”  Wenzel also serves as Editor-In-Chief of Poker Pro Magazine.

Wenzel makes a valid point, as there have been a number of popular events in Canada in the past few months, including the British Columbia Poker Championship (BCPC) and, more recently, the Fallsview Poker Classic in Niagara Falls, Ontario.  Several big names turned out for the respective events, including Full Tilt Poker’s Gavin Smith, UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Scott “BigRiskky” Clements, Mike “SirWatts” Watson, and Brad Booth.  Smith had an exceptionally good showing at Fallsview, where he won a $2,500 buy-in event and placed fourth in a $5,000 buy-in tournament won by Simon “pokerbrat13” Charette.

“The Canadian poker scene is fascinating, but it doesn’t get a lot of publicity. We’re going to change that,” explained Wenzel.  The long list of top Canadian players includes Smith, Booth, Watson, Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, Full Tilt’s Greg “FBT” Mueller, Michael “Timex” McDonald, Nenad Medic, former European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo winner Glen Chorny, Steve Paul Ambrose, Evelyn Ng, Betfair pro Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi, and Shawn Buchanan.  The country is also home to the popular Canadian Poker Tour (CPT) and the newly launched PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) also has plans to expand its tournament schedule into Canada.

This is not the first time that Poker Pro has branched out with a new publication.  The media company also produces Poker Pro Europe and Online Poker Pro, the latter of which is a publication dedicated entirely to the internet poker scene.  Poker Pro Canada will be sold at bookstores and convenience stores alike, gracing the shelves of stores 7-Eleven, Wal-Mart, Costco, Indigo/Chapters, and Shoppers Drug Mart.  It will also be available in casino poker rooms across the country.  The new magazine is set to launch in March and an accompanying website should debut in the coming weeks.

Poker Pro Magazine is not the only publication betting on Canada.  Back in September, Canadian Poker Player Magazine announced that it was planning to expand its media operation by launching a 24-hour online television station dedicated to the Canadian poker scene.  Modeled after the popular Poker Channel in the U.K., the site is supposed to feature poker-themed movies and television plus television coverage of past Canadian tournaments like the Canadian Open Poker Championships.

To date, the site has not gone fully live, but the project itself is another indication that many poker companies are setting their sights on the Canadian Poker scene.  Another indication is the recent announcement by PartyPoker that Kara Scott was joining its slate of sponsored pros.  Scott is supposed to promote the room in her home country of Canada by taking part in a number of CPT events.

Poker News in Brief Jan. 18-24, 2010

The 2010 Aussie Millions main event kicked Sunday with hundreds of players looking to strike Australian gold.

You can read all about the tournament in our news section or live tournaments area, but as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature we’re going to take a look at a few lesser-known poker stories below.

This week we’ll look at Annette Obrestad crushing an Aussie Millions prelim, David Singer falling fourth on the Heartland Poker Tour, Phil Galfond doing some TV work and more.

Obrestad Wins Aussie Millions Pot-Limit Omaha Event

Annette Obrestad wasted no time getting busy at the 2010 Aussie Millions.

The former World Series of Poker Europe Main Event winner won the $1,000(AUD) buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha event for $40,000(AUD) this week.

Obrestad outlasted 159 players including a couple of veteran rounders in Emad Tahtouh and Tony Bloom.

Although Obrestad continues to find success online, the win in the Aussie Millions was actually her first live victory since winning the WSOPE.

Obrestad did, however, finish second at EPT Dublin in 2007 for €297,800.

This year, Obrestad will make her first appearance at the WSOP after finally turning 21 this past September.

Alec Torelli Moves to Victory Poker

Online star Alec “traheho” Torelli has parted ways with Doyles Room to sign a sponsorship deal with the up-and-coming Victory Poker.

Torelli was hand-picked by Doyle Brunson this summer to be a member of the Brunson 10.

The team has never come close to approaching 10 players, however, and currently Chris “Moorman1” Moorman, Zachary Clark, Amit Makhija and Dani “anksy” Stern are its only members.

Victory Poker has yet to be released, but it will be a part of the Everleaf Gaming network, which includes Red Cherry Poker and Poker Royale.

Torelli will join a Victory Poker team that is rumored to include Antonio Esfandiari, Brian Rast and Paul Wasicka.

Rousing Final to HPT Vegas

The blue-collar Heartland Poker Tour ventured into Vegas for the second time this week and the final table did not disappoint.

It included a bona fide pro in Full Tilt’s David Singer, an HPT veteran in Theodore Kearly and an inspirational story in unemployed Cambodian refugee Kimbo Ung.

Ung managed to outlast all five opponents at the final table and take down a first place prize of $125,901.

Singer finished fourth for $29,377, which brings his lifetime tournament winnings up to just over $4.3 million.

The event, which drew 433 players, was an overwhelming success according to organizers.

“We didn’t how the Vegas market would respond to our brand,” said HPT President Todd Anderson. “It turns out we blew the roof off.”

PKR TV Showcases Phil Galfond

Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond does not have a major poker room sponsor, but will be doing some work for PKR TV.

Galfond will be doing commentary on some of the best ring game action on PKR.com and footage from the special “Galfond TV Cash Game,” which saw some of the elite PKR players take him on.

“We are thrilled to have Phil in the studio to become a PKR TV commentator,” said PKR marketing manager Erika Schwartz. “It will be fantastic for our players to get someone of his reputation watching the action and giving some advice on their play.”

PKR TV and the Galfond TV Cash Game will be broadcast on The Poker Channel in 13 countries across Europe. Air dates have yet to be confirmed.

Police Raid South Carolina Poker Game

Police busted yet another poker game in South Carolina last week.

Officers confiscated more than $64,000 in cash, chips and tables from a Greenville County home.

Twenty-seven people were charged for unlawful betting after a citizen’s tip led deputies to the house.

The raid is nothing new for the region. In 2007, a game was busted in neighboring North Carolina that included noted poker pros Mike Gracz and Chris Bell.

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European Poker Tour Deauville Day 3: Down to Twenty-Four

There were 133 runners left in the EPT Main Event when we reconvened this morning at the Casino Barriere, and with the plan being to play down to 24, it was always going to be a long, long day. Only 104 places paid out, and so a fair few folks...

European Poker Tour Deauville Day 2: Home-Field Advantage For the French

The 395 players who survived their respective Day 1 flights were together under one roof as the Casino Barrière played host to Day 2 of the EPT Deauville on Friday. Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano was at the head of the Day 1b class, but everyone...

Everleaf Online Poker Network Merges with UPN

The Everleaf Gaming Network and Universal Poker Network (UPN) have combined forces to form a larger network that will attempt to attract more players. The new network, yet to be named, was officially formed on January 19th and will also be adding Victory Poker to the system on February 1st, according to Victory Poker officials.

The new network is expected to attract cash game traffic similar to Betfair, which averages around 600 real money ring game players at any given time. PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, started tracking UPN in October. It began with 60 to 70 cash game players and, just before the merger with Everleaf, the number grew to around 300. PokerScout reported that Everleaf had around 100 cash game players in October, but that number dipped to 70 to 80 before the networks combined.

Prior to the merger, UPN was a Europe-only network with the Euro as its currency. Everleaf Gaming allowed U.S. players and had the U.S. dollar as its currency. The new combined network will accept players from the U.S. and promises a multi-currency system as well as a new cashier with more deposit methods. Players can have their bankroll in Euros or U.S. Dollars and they can request a one-time change in base currency by e-mailing support with their user name.

The networks did not provide players with an e-mail about the merger, which created some confusion among customers who were unaware. "No emails were sent out regarding this as the date for the merge could have and was delayed," said a spokesperson for Everleaf. "We did have a pop up notice on our poker room for the last seven days to ensure everyone was made aware of this merger."

The unification will bring together more than two dozen rooms in the new network. UPN had eight rooms going into the merger: PokerDruum.com, 5Poker5.com, MyNamePoker.com, ABDigitalPoker.com, PokerKingBet.com, BrasilianPoker.com, FullKingsPoker.com, WarriorsPoker.com, WinPKR.com, and ThePokerPanther.com.

Everleaf Rooms had 21 rooms, including Poker4Ever, Raider Poker, and Minted Poker. According to a release from Minted Poker on January 21st, the new network has developed improvements to its software to ensure a better playing experience. The enhancements include table filters, an auto re-load option at cash tables, new avatar uploads, and a $1,000 freeroll to celebrate the new merger, which will take place on Saturday, January 23rd. The entry is 50 Player Points.

"We work hard at Mintedpoker to improve your playing experience," read a statement from the online poker site. "With these additional features Mintedpoker really is one of the best sites to play poker on the internet."

The new network is currently working out some minor software kinks, but is online and running games as scheduled.

Liv Boeree Appears in Maxim UK

Maxim UK describes this poker player as a “very sexy guitar-wielding, card-playing, telly-hosting farm girl.” Who is she, you ask? UB.com’s Liv Boeree, of course. Boeree appeared in a recent edition of the scandalous magazine.

The photographer in the Maxim UK shoot, Alan Barry, allegedly asked Boeree to pose on a toilet and the Brit obliged. She told Maxim UK, who inquired about the unique shot, “It seemed a shame to let such a lovely chrome toilet not be included in the shoot. It wasn't me that made the toilet sexy, it was the toilet that did all the work. It really was such a pretty thing.” Boeree appears in two colored dresses on Maxim UK’s website: red and black. In the now-infamous toilet shot, she is hunched over while wearing a skimpy black dress.

Boeree grew up on a farm, leading to a flurry of questions concerning her background. Maxim asked whether she enjoyed rolling around in hay. Boeree responded, “Hay is preferable to straw for sure, it's way less scratchy.” She revealed that her favorite farm animal is a pig, leading to a highly insightful question from Maxim: “Have you ever masturbated one, like Rebecca Loos? If you haven't but had to, would you?” Boeree bluntly responded, “No. And no. What is wrong with you people?”

Boeree also noted that she is a fan of strumming the guitar and her favorite riff is from “Cowboys from Hell” by the band Pantera. Maxim UK inquired as to whether she could play the guitar solo from the Guns N' Roses hit “Sweet Child of Mine.” The UB.com poker icon admitted, “I can't - it's never one I've really tried to learn. Give me a month and I'll play it for ya though.” Her ultimate rock superstar group would include James Hetfield of Metallica, Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom, Adam Duce from Machine Head, and Vinnie Paul from Pantera.

Maxim UK finally got around to asking about poker, Boeree’s profession. She revealed that the most she’s ever won in a day is $42,000 and recapped an interesting run-in with porn star Ron Jeremy: “He mentions how he's just learned to play poker so I ask him a particular hand related question: Which would you prefer... 6-9 or Jack King Off. Say those fast and what do you get? Well Mr. Jeremy didn't get the innuendo in the names and proudly stated that he'd always choose Jack King off over 6-9.”

On the online poker forum TwoPlusTwo, posters were buzzing over the shoot and its corresponding in-depth interview, a link to which was posted three days ago. TwoPlusTwo member “hdbets” critiqued the quality of the photo shoot: “pretty bad photos, they lack a decent production, lighting and wardrobe... even Liv being a very beautiful woman doesnt look that great.” Others were seeking out more skin: “Thats got to be the lamest Maxim spread i've ever seen, she's like fully clothed.”

Boeree has established herself as one of the top poker commentators in the business. She’s reported for outlets like WorldSeriesOfPoker.com, Gutshot TV, and Challenge TV. Her aforementioned $42,000 cash came in May 2008, when Boeree won the $2,000 buy-in Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship, defeating American Lenna Martyak heads-up.

Besides Boeree, other members of Team UB include Billy “Patrolman35” Kopp, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok, and Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, who is the reigning CardPlayer Player of the Year. UB.com and its sister site, Absolute Poker, comprise the CEREUS Network and happily accept players from the United States.

Bluff Poker Academy returns for a second year

If you’ve wondered just what it is that makes a top pro, well, a top pro then you’ve got the perfect opportunity to find out as the Bluff Europe Poker Academy makes a very welcome return next month.

Tony G joins Team PartyPoker

Earlier this week we brought you the news that Luke Schwartz and Phil Hellmuth would be taking part in the Party Poker Premier League IV. If the other players in the field thought that getting a word in edgeways would be difficult then they may as well forget it altogether now after the news that Tony G will be joining them.

Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno Fiasco Debated in Poker Community

If Facebook is any indication, the youth of America stand in strong support of comedian Conan O’Brien in his continued battle with former “The Tonight Show” host Jay Leno and the suits at NBC.  Not only are there almost 20,000 followers spread across the various “Team Coco” fan pages and Facebook groups, but also their members have hijacked Leno’s fan page and refuse to give it back until NBC leaves O’Brien alone.

The online poker community is a young one, so it is no wonder that when Poker News Daily inquired about their thoughts on the Leno-O’Brien debate, they all came out on the side of “Coco.”  Justin “jurollo” Rollo and Jason “JP OSU” Potter both proclaimed themselves to be members of Team Conan, as did World Poker Tour (WPT) Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman.  During last night’s broadcast of “The Tonight Show,” Leatherman Tweeted about the comedian on @mandaLeatherman: “Conan is f***king amazing.#teamconan.”  Potter claimed his allegiance to O’Brien on Twitter (@JPOSU) as well and added, “doubt you'll find many young people who disagree.”

Potter seems to be on to something.  Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar took a break from playing in the Main Event of the European Poker Tour (EPT) stop in Deauville to discuss his distaste for Leno with Poker News Daily.  “Jay Leno sucks,” claimed Aguiar.  “He's out of material and his only followers are old and dying.  NBC is being results-oriented and doesn't realize that the long-term success of ‘The Tonight Show’ is based on attracting loyal young viewers who will watch Conan for the next decade, not people who will be dead in a decade and somehow still find Jay funny.”

Aguiar makes a point that a number of people have cited when discussing NBC’s decision to buy O’Brien out of his contract for a reported $45 million.  O’Brien has always drawn a much younger audience than Leno, thanks, in part, to sketches and characters like In the Year 2000, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and the Masturbating Bear, who made an appearance on last night’s show.

Also making an appearance on Wednesday’s installment of the program was a Bugatti Veyron, supposedly the most expensive car in the world.  The vehicle was dressed up as a mouse and as the cameras panned over it, the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” played.  O’Brien strolled over to the vehicle and said, “Is this appropriate music for a car that looks like a mouse? No! Does it add anything at all to this comedy bit? No, it doesn't! Is it crazy expensive to play on the air - not to mention the rights to re-air this clip on the internet? Yep.”

Despite stunts like these, none of the poker players we chatted with seemed to think that O’Brien was doing anything wrong.  Poker reporter B.J. Nemeth shed some light on why he thinks Leno is coming out looking like the villain in this situation.  “[Leno] went back on his word,” Nemeth said, referring to Leno’s presumed retirement when O’Brien took over “The Tonight Show” helm in the summer of 2009.  “Obviously, going back on your word in Hollywood is not the same as going back on your word in poker, but it still has an impact.”

Nemeth asserts that he has been a loyal member of Team Conan since 1993 and said he had hoped Leno’s longtime competitor, David Letterman, would take over for Johnny Carson when the television legend retired.  Even though Nemeth is no Leno fan, he felt a little sorry for the talk show host when fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel appeared on Leno’s program and openly mocked the host during a “10 @ 10” segment last Tuesday.  “I enjoyed watching, but it was painful to see Leno crucified on his own show,” Nemeth admitted.

That is the most sympathy anyone Poker News Daily spoke with offered.  The 20-somethings that make up the bulk of the online poker world essentially grew up with O’Brien on their televisions and are remaining loyal to their comedic hero.  Brent “BHanks11” Hanks is one such example, telling Poker News Daily, “Put the babyboomer to the curb, bring back the ginger!”

European Poker Tour Deauville Day 1b: Pagano at it Again

After yesterday's impressive showing of 339 runners, today's Day 1b field at the Casino Barriere went and blew it out the water. Once all the late registrations and so on were over with, 429 players had paid their money and taken their Day 1b...

The Nightly Turbo: A Look at the LAPC, Busted Poker Game, and More

In tonight's Nightly Turbo you'll find a look at the LAPC, learn about a poker game that got busted, and more. In Case You Missed It The PokerNews Team is in full force. One team is in France bringing you updates from the European Poker Tour...

ElkY Goes Home Again

In fact, with 61 % of the field coming from within the country, including one of the best tournament players on the planet, one might even say French poker is on the rise.

“Deauville is a very good tournament to play, so I'm happy to be here,” said Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. “It's always very special to be back here in France. I rarely get the chance to play poker here, so it's important and means a lot to me.”

While tournament entry numbers are on a downswing in North America, the 768 entries in Deauville are better than 100 more than 2008, pushing the prize pool up to €3,686,400.

When the event is all said and done, a total of 104 spots will get paid, including €847,000 for first – the only number Grospellier seems focussed on.

“My motivation is very strong to do good here in Deauville,” he said. “I really want to win and play well here in France.”

Although it paled in comparison to the $3,686,476 in live tournament earnings he garnered in 2008, last year was still a banner one for Grospellier.

He followed up his 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event win with a victory in the PCA’s $25k High Roller event.

Plus, adding a third-place finish at the $25k World Poker Tour Championship in Las Vegas to his 2008 WPT Festa Al Lago win helped him take home Season 7 WPT Player of the Year honors.

Now, returning to Deauville after a third-place finish in the €20,000 High Roller event in 2008, Grospellier has his sights set on some new goals.

“There are always reasons to get pumped,” Grospellier said. “I spoke with (fellow Team PokerStars France Pro) Arnaud Mattern about who will be the next one to win a second EPT or the first one to win a bracelet. I really want to win one.

“I also want to get my first place back in the EPT ranking since (Luca) Pagano has got it now. Even if he has deserved it, I really want to win it back. So that's a lot of challenges for this year.”

While he has both an EPT and WPT title, a World Series of Poker Bracelet still eludes Grospellier, however, pushing that to number one on his list of goals for 2010.

“Clearly the WSOP is the main thing missing now,” he said. “Of course, you can't control everything, but I'm certainly going to do my best to win one.”

For now though, Grospellier has a massive field on home soil to contend with, heading into Day 2 in Deauville among the 400-odd survivors from two day on heats.

"I want to have really good results here," he added.

- With files from Fred Guillemot

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