Poker News

Olivier Busquet Leads WPT Borgata Poker Open Entering Day 3

A total of 167 players remain in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Borgata Poker Open. However, many of the tournament’s big names, including Gavin Smith and 2007 Borgata Poker Open Champion Roy Winston, were sent packing.

The story of the day was Jason “TheMasterJ33″ Dewitt, who was also in the final day of play of the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) and, according to WPT coverage, “took an extended two-level break before dinner and returned to a still-healthy stack that was well above average.” Dewitt was the chip leader late in the day at the Atlantic City Casino and ended play with the 15th largest tally at 357,500.

Dewitt told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman after play had concluded for the evening, “I basically had to build a big stack or bust. I got my big stack, so I could afford to sit out and miss my two hours of blinds. I came back and got the chip lead, although I did lose it at the end. I guess I can’t be too sad about it.” Dewitt battled in the WCOOP Main Event during the two hour period. WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy “atimos” Timoshenko ultimately took down the high-stakes online poker tournament and earned $1.7 million.

Many of poker’s greats were in London for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities. However, among those remaining in the United States for the Borgata Poker Open were Smith and Winston. The former tangoed with Bill Gazes late yesterday, losing his final hand with pocket aces against pocket sixes when a six hit the flop. The hand boosted Gazes to 140,000 in chips and he ended with 298,000, good for 26th place overall. Gazes has made a pair of WPT final tables during his career, including a fourth place effort during the Season II L.A. Poker Classic and a third place showing in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals during Season IV. All told, the poker pro has $1.2 million in career WPT earnings.

Earlier in the day, Ultimate Bet’s Michael Binger boosted his chip stack to 308,000 by flopping a set of deuces. Binger called his opponent’s all-in with A-J on a board of A-9-2-Q, securing the win in the hand. Binger’s stack dwindled from that point and he finished the day with 74,000 chips, good for 146th. Binger has never registered better than 10th place in a WPT event. His claim to fame is taking third in the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event for $4.1 million in a tournament ultimately won by Jamie Gold.

Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee was sent packing on Monday. The host of ESPN.com’s “Inside Deal” also had aces cracked for his tournament life, this time by pocket fives. Lee’s opponent flopped a five and, despite picking up a flush draw on the turn, he was ousted from the WPT Borgata Poker Open. Also hitting the skids yesterday were Theo Tran and 2002 WSOP Main Event Champion Robert Varkonyi. Here’s a look at the Top 10 survivors who will take to the felts today for Day 3:

1. Olivier Busquet - 524,600
2. Tony Moussa - 488,300
3. Danny Illingworth - 480,600
4. Ofir Mor - 452,800
5. Mike Summers - 450,500
6. Bartholomew Mikulski - 441,100
7. Mike Leah - 431,600
8. Barry Tremebetzky - 412,000
9. Allen Bari - 401,500
10. Ben Lin - 385,700

Other notable names remaining in the WPT Borgata Poker Open include:

15. Jason Dewitt – 357,500
26. Bill Gazes – 298,000
36. Kathy Liebert – 260,700
38. Gabriel Aminov – 258,700
50. Jonathan Little – 229,800
58. Steve Brecher – 220,300
72. David Chicotsky – 187,800
75. Chris Reslock – 179,400
146. Michael Binger – 74,000

Gabriel Aminov Leads WPT Borgata Poker Open

A total of 1,018 runners turned out for the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Borgata Poker Open. Now, 555 players remain, led by New York’s Gabriel Aminov. The winner of the $3,500 buy-in tournament will pocket $925,000.

Two starting days played out over the weekend at the Borgata Poker Open, the largest WPT tournament ever held. The top 100 players will take home money from the East Coast event, with the six best convening for the televised final table, which will air as part of Season VIII of the WPT on Fox Sports Net. Among those still in contention is Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and ESPN.com “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee, who will come armed to Day 2 play on Monday with 15,700 chips, good for 524th overall. Lee won a race late in the day holding pocket eights against A-10 when the board ran out 7-7-2-2-3.

On the atmosphere at the Borgata, Lee told Poker News Daily, “This feels just like the old days. We used to get 600, 700, or 800 people all of the time. It feels like it’s during the boom of the WPT. It just shows you the interest people have and that the Borgata runs a first-class operation.” Among those who hit the rails during play on Sunday on Day 1B were Will “The Thrill” Failla, who ran kings into aces, and Matt “All In At 420” Stout, who came out on the short end of a race holding A-K against Roy Winston’s pocket tens.

Many of the game’s top pros are not in Atlantic City for the Borgata Poker Open. Instead, they made the trek to London, site of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe. Lee, however, noted that the running of the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) may have also cut into attendance: “There was also the WCOOP Main Event going on yesterday and a lot of people had to make the decision to play in one or the other. Some people didn’t come here because it was a smaller buy-in event and the WCOOP Main Event will have a $10 million guarantee.” First place in the PokerStars tournament will pay $1.7 million, nearly double the grand prize at the Borgata.

Here’s how the field stacks up at the Borgata Poker Open entering Day 2:

1. GABRIEL AMINOV - 213,700
2. OFIR MOR - 183,450
3. FRANK CHARLES- 169,000
4. ANTHONY GREGG - 160,950
5. JEREMY BROWN - 156,425
6. SUNIL WALIA - 155,625
7. RHETT BUTLER - 153,325
8. ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN - 147,275
9. SOHEIL SHAMSEDDIN - 145,000
10. STEFAN MATTSSON - 143,500

Others who remain in contention include:
13. STEVE BRECHER - 139,150
44. MICHAEL BINGER - 110,325
81. TODD TERRY - 89,925
131. KATHY LIEBERT - 76,450
134. GAVIN SMITH - 75,715
156. DAVID “THE MAVEN” CHICOTSKY - 69,600
416. NANCY TODD TYNER - 29,675
461. ROBERT VARKONYI - 24,700
493. JOHN SPADAVECCHIA - 19,250
524. BERNARD LEE - 15,700

Among the highlights of Day 1B was a four-way all-in featuring three flushes and a set. After a flop of K-10-9, all diamonds, players pushed with J-3 of diamonds, 7-5 of diamonds, pocket tens, and A-8 of diamonds for the nut flush. The turn and river came the jack of hearts and three of clubs, respectively, and Andrew Interdonato scooped the massive pot with the nut flush. He now sits with the 390th largest stack at the Borgata, 33,150.

The action kicks off at 11:00am ET on Monday, with all players’ sights set on reaching the six-handed final table, where the following payouts will be up for grabs:

1st Place: $925,514
2nd Place: $453,519
3rd Place: $251,955
4th Place: $216,681
5th Place: $188,126
6th Place: $156,212

WPT Borgata Poker Open Attracts Over 1,000 Players

A $3,500 buy-in attracted over 1,000 players to the Borgata Poker Open, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT) circuit. As of Noon ET on Sunday, 1,003 players had entered, which included the 326 player field from Day 1A.

Over 675 players had thrown their hats into the ring on Day 1B. The tournament coincides with World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe festivities in London, but still attracted a bevy of poker superstars to the East Coast casino. At the end of Day 1A, Frank Molinari stood tall over the rest of the field with 169,000 chips. Hot on his heels was Jeremy Brown, who will come armed to Day 2 on Monday with 156,425. One of the top pros to survive Day 1A was Steve Brecher, the champion of the Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament during Season VII of the WPT. Brecher also made a final table during Season II of the WPT, taking sixth in the end-of-season Championship event for $232,000.

Among those making waves on Day 1A was 2008 WSOP November Nine member David “Chino” Rheem. A former WPT Champion, Rheem ascended to the top of the chip counts during play on Saturday, but found himself out of the tournament following the dinner break. Rheem ran a rivered flush into quad deuces after an error by Sonny Waila on the turn resulted in a string bet. Rheem bet the river after making a flush, but his opponent’s pocket twos had him dominated. Rheem pushed with a flush draw on the very next hand, but it failed to materialize against an opponent’s pocket aces.

Others who took to the felts on Day 1A were Ultimate Bet pro Michael Binger, Matt Matros, Kathy Liebert, and Nancy Todd Tyner. Holding one of the largest chip stacks after the first of two starting days is Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, a two-time WPT event winner. Little took down the Season VI Mirage Poker Showdown for $1.1 million and promptly emerged victorious from the field in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals last season for another $1.1 million. He is fresh off an eighth place showing in the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic for nearly $40,000.

Action has already kicked off on Day 1B, with WPT officials proudly promoting the presence of several pros at the Borgata. Among them are Bill Gazes, Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Bernard Lee, Allen Kessler, Bluff Online Poker Challenge winner Brian “SN8WMAN” Hawkins, and noted poker coach David “The Maven” Chicotsky. Also in the house are Season IV WPT Player of the Year Gavin Smith, Roy Winston, and bracelet winner Brian Lemke.

Players at the Borgata Poker Open start with 30,000 chips and blinds begin at 25-50, meaning each player starts with 600 big blinds. Levels last 75 minutes each, with a dinner break taking place after Level 6. Antes kick in during Level 5, when blinds are 100-200. First place will likely come with a $1 million payday despite the shrunken buy-in of just $3,500. Typical buy-ins for WPT tournaments are at least $10,000.

The four-figure turnout is a welcome sight for WPT officials, who have watched attendance drop steadily at recent tournaments. Attendance for last month’s Legends of Poker stop in Los Angeles was down 25% year over year to just 279 runners. The Bellagio Cup featured 268 players in attendance, down a staggering 40% from the field that took to the felts in 2008. The WPT was recently sold to a subsidiary of Party Gaming, potentially leading to a greater presence of the brand in the online marketplace. WPT Host Mike Sexton serves as the ambassador of PartyPoker, Party Gaming’s online poker arm.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WPT Borgata Poker Open.

Face the Ace to Return Saturday Afternoon

After a month-long absence from the airwaves, the NBC game show “Face the Ace” will return to the networks line-up this Saturday. Several changes are in store for the program, which struggled in the ratings when it first debuted back in August.

Most notably, the show is no longer airing on a weekly basis, but will instead be shown once a month on Saturday afternoons as part of the NBC Sports lineup. Previously, the show aired in a primetime time slot on Saturday evenings. For those who may not be familiar with the show, the basic premise offers contestants a chance to square off against some of the top poker pros in the world over a series of three matches. If the contestant is able to get the best of the first pro, they have the option to either take $40,000 or risk it all by playing a second pro in a match worth $200,000. Should the contestant win the second match, they will again be offered a chance to leave with the money or go for broke in a third and final showdown worth $1 million.

The first two episodes saw contestant Don Topel defeat both Erick Lindgren and Howard Lederer only to lose to Gavin Smith in the final million dollar match and walk away empty-handed. Over the course of the first two episodes only one contestant has actually won any prize money, opting to walk away with $40,000 after defeating November Nine member Phil Ivey in the first round.

Mori Eskandani, who produces “Face the Ace” spoke about some of the alterations to the show in a statement on NBC Sport’s official website. “Viewers of this week’s show will see that we’ve made some changes from the first two episodes which are designed to create even more excitement. For instance, the live audience, which is comprised mostly of the other qualifiers and their friends or spouses, will be far more vocal and have a greater role in maintaining a high energy level on the set”, Eskandani explained. “There are some other subtle changes also, and we think the viewers will like them.” Eskandani’s production company Poker PROductions also produces the popular NBC series “Poker After Dark” and Game Show Network’s “High Stakes Poker.”

One player who will be featured on Saturday’s episode is French native Nicholas Mamy who won his way onto the show via a satellite on Full Tilt Poker, the program’s sponsor. Mamy was urged by fellow online poker players David “The Maven” Chicotsky and “Bodog” Ari Engel to give the satellite a shot. Next thing he knew he was flying to Las Vegas for a July taping of the show where he rubbed elbows with Schirripa, co-hosts Ali Nejad and Megan Abrigo as well as the host of Full Tilt Pros on hand to participate in the show. The identity of Mamy’s first opponent has not been disclosed, as the surprise reveal of the pro is a major part of the show.

Saturday’s episode of “Face the Ace” is scheduled to air at 2 PM, preceding coverage of the BMW Championship golf tournament. The following episode is set to air on Halloween, October 31st, at 3:30 PM.

Bernard Lee Recaps the 2009 WSOP, ESPN Inside Deal Launch

With the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in the midst of a four month hiatus, the members of the November Nine are currently engaged in the inevitable media onslaught.  Of course, these players are also mentally preparing to return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino to battle for the coveted WSOP Main Event bracelet, the $8.5 million first prize, and instant poker stardom.  This year’s group is led by chip leader Darvin Moon, who has over 25% of the chips on the table, and poker superstar Phil Ivey.

To follow all of the exciting news and behind-the-scenes action, watch ESPN.com’s new weekly poker show, ESPN Inside Deal.  This weekly poker show, which airs online, debuted on Tuesday, August 4th with its first guest, the 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker.  I have significant inside information about this show since I am one of the co-hosts along with ESPN the Magazine contributor Laura Lane.  During the next few months, we will interview members of the 2009 November Nine, while giving the viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the WSOP.  You can send a question to us via e-mail, Twitter, or Facebook.  I hope you will join us each week, as I am sure that you will enjoy the show (look for our version of “This is Sportscenter” commercials).  Visit ESPN.com/InsideDeal or ESPN.com and search “Inside Deal”.

Beyond the November Nine, this year’s WSOP was known for its multiple bracelet winners, four to be exact.  Each player had their own interesting story prior to their incredible summer.  Here is a brief recap of each of them:

Jeffrey Lisandro (2009 WSOP Player of the Year and winner of three bracelets)

In 2007, Lisandro was still on the BPWB (Best Player Without a Bracelet) list.  However, later that summer, he was able to remove himself from this dubious group, which currently includes Andy Bloch, Michael Binger, Michael Mizarchi, Gavin Smith, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, and Jonathan Little, among others. Lisandro captured the win in Event #32 ($2,000 Seven Card Stud), outlasting 212 other players and taking home $118,426.  However, this year he outdid himself, winning three WSOP bracelets and capturing 2009 WSOP Player of the Year honors.  Positioning himself as one of the best Seven Card Stud players of all-time, Lisandro won all three bracelets in variations of this classic game (Event #16, $1,500 Seven Card Stud; Event #37, $10,000 Seven Card Stud 8 or Better; and Event #44, $2,500 Razz).  Oh, by the way, Lisandro also finished ninth in Event #6, $10,000 Seven Card Stud.  In total, he cashed six times this summer, pocketing over $800,000.

Greg Mueller (Winner of two Limit Hold’em bracelets)

This former professional hockey player from Canada had been a bridesmaid in back-to-back years at the WSOP.  In 2007, Mueller finished second in Event #1, $5,000 Mixed Hold’em, to Steve Billirakis, who still holds the record for being the youngest WSOP bracelet winner.  In 2008, he came ever so close again, this time losing to Phillip Tom in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout.  However, the third time was a charm, as he captured Event #33, $10,000 Limit Hold’em.  I had the pleasure of witnessing this victory first-hand, as I was the lead commentator on ESPN360.com.  The most critical pot occurred three-handed against the chip leader at the time, Chad Brown.  Mueller 4bet Brown, who made a crying call with an ace-high flush.  However, Mueller turned over a straight flush, allowing him to take over the chip lead.  From that moment on, he never looked back and took home his first bracelet along with $460,836.  However, he was not done for the summer, as he captured a second bracelet just 11 days later, when he took down Event #50, $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout, and another $194,909. Congratulations to a solid player and gentleman at the tables.

Brock Parker (Winner of two Six-Handed Hold’em bracelets)

Well-known online for years as “t soprano,” this 27 year-old from Maryland made his mark in live tournaments this summer at the 2009 WSOP.  Beginning with Event #14, $2,500 Limit Hold’em Six-Handed, Parker outlasted the popular Daniel Negreanu heads-up, capturing his first WSOP bracelet and $223,688.  Amazingly, three days later, Parker found himself at another WSOP final table, this time at Event #19, $2,500 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed.  Ten hours later, he had outlasted 1,067 other players and won his second bracelet in back-to-back events, cashing for 552,745.  Who says that online players can’t make the transition to live poker?

Phil Ivey (Winner of two bracelets and member of the 2009 November Nine):

Nicknamed the “Tiger Woods of Poker,” Ivey entered the 2009 WSOP with five bracelets; however, he had not won any hardware since 2005.  He ended his dry spell this summer with a vengeance.  First, Ivey captured Event #8, $2,500 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball, becoming the youngest player to own six WSOP bracelets.  Nine days later, he rewrote the history books once again, becoming the youngest ever to capture seven, prevailing in Event #25, $2,500 Omaha 8 or Better/ Seven Card Stud 8 or Better.  Ivey then outlasted nearly 6,500 players to earn a spot in the 2009 November Nine.  Amazingly, he has finished in 23rd place or better in the WSOP Main Event four times in the past eight years - 2002 (23rd place), 2003 (10th place), 2005 (20th place), and 2009 (at least ninth place).  Simply remarkable!  If he does capture the 2009 WSOP Main Event, it will amazingly be his first No Limit Hold’em bracelet and will surely cement his legacy as one of the best players of all-time.

As for me, my second WSOP trip and Main Event were filled with more bad beat stories.  There is no need to elaborate any further.  Suffice it to say, I did not have a good 2009 WSOP.  Oh well, there is always next year.

And as a final note, don’t forget to listen to my radio show, The Bernard Lee Poker Show, on RoundersRadio.com on Tuesday nights from 7:00pm to 8:00pm ET and repeated throughout the week.  Upcoming guests will include Tom McEvoy, winner of the 2009 WSOP Champions Invitational, and members of the November Nine.

Sports Legends Challenge Postponed Until 2010

Those players looking forward to a Caribbean vacation to the Bahamas to rub elbows with some of the biggest stars of the poker and sports world at the upcoming Sports Legends Challenge were let down when they received an e-mail from the event’s organizers informing them it was being postponed. No alternative date has been set, but the organizers plan on hosting the event at a new, yet to be determined U.S. location sometime in 2010.

Originally scheduled to take place from September 14th-17th at the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the Sports Legends Challenge intended to bring together big names from the poker and sports spheres for a few days of golfing, gambling and other antics. Those interested in joining the celebs for the festivities could buy-in to the event for $10,000 and take a stab at their share of $10 million in cash and prizes. Some of the big names in poker expected to attend were Ultimate Bet Pro Annie Duke, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, Full Tilt Poker Pro Gavin Smith, PartyPoker spokesperson Mike Sexton and Johnny Chan. A number of major sports stars were also expected to be on hand, including Tony Hawk, Troy Aikman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Randy Couture and Herschel Walker.

The four day event was supposed to feature contests of blackjack, golf, slots and poker, including the PokerNews-sponsored Sports Legends All-Star Poker Challenge which was going to be taped and broadcast on the Fox Sports networks. Online poker site Absolute Poker was running a number of satellites into the event, offering its users the chance to cash in their frequent player points for a chance to win their way into the Challenge.

The e-mail from Sports Legends Challenge organizers Bruce Bibbero and Larry Lubin hit the registered players’ inboxes on September 1st and informed them the event was being both rescheduled and relocated to a new site somewhere within the United States. The e-mail cited the difficulty of travelling abroad and the less than stellar weather of the Bahamas in September as the major factors behind the decision to postpone the event.

“The essence of the program will be unchanged - creating unique opportunities for sports and gaming fans to interact with some of the greatest Sports Legends of our time along with some of the world’s top poker pros while competing for major cash prizes,” wrote Bibbero and Lubin. “However, we plan to use the time leading up to the rescheduled event to add elements and make adjustments that will make it even more exciting.”

The e-mail concluded by assuring those involved that they would receive details about the new time and place for the event in the next few days. On September 3rd the Sports Legends Challenge’s official website posted a press release stating it would be another few weeks before details of the new event could be finalized. The organizers also promised to tinker with the event’s format and determine a specified guaranteed prize pool. Details on exactly how the money would be distributed for the original Bahamas event were never disclosed, which resulted in a lot of criticism from members of the poker community.

“In addition to the logistical changes, it is also an opportunity to respond to specific input from the poker world,” Lubin said in Sports Legends Challenge’s latest statement. “In discussions with players and Poker Pros around the world, it became clear that adding a guaranteed prize pool will be a major step forward.”

The press release concluded by informing those who registered for the Bahamas event would have their buy-in honored at the revamped Sports Legend Challenge, but made no mention of whether or not they would issue any refunds for players who no longer wished to participate. It is also unclear whether or not all of the sports and poker stars scheduled to participate in the event will still be taking part in the project.

Industry Reacts to Phil Hellmuth WSOP Main Event Tirade

It took all of three episodes of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on ESPN for 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth to get the industry buzzing. Hellmuth used a parade of words not fit for television during ESPN’s Day 1C recap. This article contains language that is not suitable for all audiences.

Known for his short fuse, Hellmuth was seated at Table Two on Tuesday night during Day 1C coverage. After a player holding K-8 bested his pocket jacks, Hellmuth went off the deep end. He commented, “What the fuck? Calling a fricking raise with K-8?” Hellmuth then strung together four expletives in a row followed by the word “man.” The Ultimate Bet pro returned to the table and, while taking his seat, muttered, “Fucking moron players.” No penalty was handed down.

In a separate hand, an opponent rivered a flush against Hellmuth, which once again sent the “Poker Brat” away from the table steaming: “Is this some kind of fucking joke? I can’t even fucking believe what I’m seeing.” Again, no penalty was assessed. WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky told Poker News Daily, “Our player conduct rule is about abusing tablemates and dealers. That’s what we’re trying to avoid so a person’s playing experience is not unpleasant. There is no anti-cursing rule. If it’s mean-spirited, then it’s a penalty, but it’s up to the discretion of the dealers and supervisors who are there to hear it.”

There were a total of 185 penalties and warnings assessed throughout the 2009 WSOP festivities at the Rio using a new database system to log infractions. Among them were players throwing cards at dealers, celebrating wildly, taunting opponents, loudly waving in order to attract the attention of ESPN cameras, and, in one instance, banging a set of cymbals. Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and Tournament Directors’ Association (TDA) co-founder Linda Johnson explained, “Hellmuth didn’t do anything terribly egregious. I possibly would have given a warning when he started talking about ‘morons.’ He’d better be talking about himself, which he wasn’t. I don’t have a problem with the ‘f’ word, although you should get a warning at some point.”

Given her association with the TDA, Johnson is typically by the book. The “First Lady of Poker” was outraged at antics by Hellmuth and Scotty Nguyen in 2008, but noted that the atmosphere at this year’s WSOP was much-improved: “I’m glad the WSOP cleaned up their act. It was a much more pleasant atmosphere this year. Kudos to their tournament officials for not allowing abuse.” In fact, the only actions that have raised Johnson’s eyebrows during telecasts of the 2009 WSOP on ESPN have involved players discussing the contents of their hands. She told Poker News Daily, “You have to be careful. There’s a rule that says you won’t tell someone what you have in your hand.”

PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Court Harrington, who has traveled the WSOP and World Poker Tour (WPT) circuits for the popular live coverage site, shared his take on Hellmuth’s antics: “For all of the publicity Hellmuth brings to the game, his antics surely cause passive players that might pull up a chair to stay away instead of putting themselves in an awkward situation with a top pro berating them.” On Tuesday night, ESPN announcer Norman Chad continuously reiterated Hellmuth’s now-famous “idiots from Northern Europe” quote from last year’s WSOP Main Event.

Harrington has seen novices and pros battle it out on the felts of the world’s most prestigious tournaments. He even broadcasts his opinions on PokerRoad, where he sits alongside industry staples like Joe Sebok, Gavin Smith, and Joe Stapleton. Harrington explained the dilemma that tournament officials often face: “Player conduct rules should be very situation-specific. In poker, keeping novice and amateur players comfortable is important. At the same time, pros have a responsibility to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner for the same reason - to make amateur players feel comfortable at the tables and more likely to return.”

Thanks from all of us here at Poker News Daily to Palansky, Johnson, and Harrington for their insight into the issue. Tell us what you think! Was Hellmuth out of line? Where should the line be drawn? Leave a comment and voice your choice.

Jimmy Fricke (Gobboboy) Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: How did you get your start in poker?

Fricke: Back in the day, it was basically out of necessity. Some friends of mine told me that they were going to be playing Magic a lot less and were going to be focusing on poker. I didn’t want to lose them, so I started going into poker with them. They taught me and supplied me with a little bit of a bankroll. I went through some bad money management, like playing a $20 multi-table tournament (MTT) on a $200 bankroll. I ended up getting second for $3,500, but lost most of that because of bad bankroll management. Eventually, I started playing MTTs on PokerStars with a $10 bankroll. I started talking about poker with a bunch of people and met more and more people. It basically exploded from there. A few lucky scores later, I was a known person, which was really crazy for me at the time.

PND: You had a weekly show on Poker Road Radio that you co-hosted with PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Courtney Harrington and Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire. Tell us how about the show and how you got started in it.

Fricke: The B Team Show, as we affectionately called it, was every Saturday during the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Devo, Court, and I do the show. We bring on people and talk about anything and everything like prop bets we have going with each other. It’s a lot of fun. It harkens back to the old Poker Road Radio shows, where it was a little bit more strategy-oriented. It’s a really great show and I love talking about poker with them.

It’s great being a part of poker media. I always wanted to be a poker commentator and talk to people about poker across a wide range of media. Back in the day, I used to listen to everything. I watched all of the poker television shows; “Celebrity Poker Showdown” was one of my favorites. I watched every episode of everything. I always wanted to be one of those guys who talked about poker with everyone. Now, I’m meeting a lot of people and networking really well, so I almost feel like my dream is coming true.

I started talking to Joe Sebok and Gavin Smith back in the day and they asked me to be their co-host a couple of times. It basically went from there.

PND: What did you see at the 2009 WSOP? We’ve heard the tournament structure this year was hard on players who had to grind long schedules.

Fricke: The WSOP is getting to the point where people are used to Harrah’s running it. A lot of the Harrah’s staff that has been part of the WSOP for the past four or five years feel like they know what they’re doing, which is great. However, they’re still trying out some newer things that really don’t make sense to me.

The structures are huge. Last year, people had problems with it ever since they doubled the starting stack. This year, they tripled the starting stack according to the buy-in, which I think is great, but they’re not leaving enough time for the tournament to finish. There are always going to be people talking about structures, especially in Limit tournaments because at the WSOP, there are a lot of Limit events. Everyone is confident that their way of designing the structures is right, so it’s going to take a little bit for things to get ironed out.

PND: You’ve had a ton of success in live poker, including a runner-up showing to Gus Hansen in the 2007 Aussie Millions Main Event. What advice would you have for those coming up in live poker and looking to improve their games?

Fricke: Play, play, play. You just have to play. If you’re not playing consistently – more than once, twice, or three times per week – you’re not going to get better at it. You need to get comfortable. I feel like people focus too much on trying not to give away tells, so they’re just not getting comfortable. That’s the most important thing. If you feel like everything that happens at the poker table is within your control, then you’re not going to get nervous and you’re not going to give away tells. Even if you do, they’re probably going to be wrong.

I don’t need sunglasses. I don’t need a hoodie. I don’t need any of that stuff at the poker table. All I need to do is feel confident. The poker table is your office, so treat it like one. You’re not some alien sitting there. I always laugh when I see younger kids with their hoodies, sunglasses, and iPods on. It doesn’t even seem like they’ve played poker before and they’re focusing too much on stereotypes and clichés. If you’re trying to make it like online poker, you’re never going to get used to it.

Gavin Smith - Poker Player Profile

Gavin Smith is a Canadian poker pro from Guelph, Ontario. At a young age, Gavin’s father taught him cribbage and rummy, which no doubt later facilitated his interest in poker. After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics, Smith got a job as a poker dealer, a position that would truly shape his future in the game. In 1998, after dealing for a year, and then running his own poker club for the year after that, Gavin Smith decided to take the plunge and play poker for a living.

In his initial stages as a pro, Gavin befriended fellow player Erick Lindgren, who helped him with both the strategic and financial aspects of the game. This friendship would later lead to the two men signing with Full Tilt Poker, where they’re both currently sponsored pros. After focusing on cash games for the first part of his career, Smith has since dedicated his game to tournament play after having success as early as 1999, winning events in No Limit Holde’m and Seven Card Stud in ’99 and 200 at the World Poker Finals hosted by Foxwoods Resort Casino. In 2005, Gavin Smith finally broke through, winning the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown for a cool $1.1 million, and finishing 3rd and 4th at two other WPT final tables. These accomplishments earned Smith World Poker Tour Player of the Year honors for Season 4.

In addition, Gavin Smith is credited with 14 WSOP cashes – his best finish is a 2nd in the 2007 $1500 Pot Limit Omaha – and a $500K win at the World Pro-Am Challenge event at the Poker Dome Challenge. In May 2006, Smith famously made a bet with Allie Prescott at the World Series of Poker circuit event, offering to pay her $70K for ten years if she won, on the condition that he’d get $100K for ten years from her should he win. Smith went on to finish 2nd for $294K, but the bet prompted a RawVegas.tv to hire himself and Joe Sebok to host a show called “Prop Bets.” On the show, the two pros go head-to-head in various ridiculous competitions, with the loser having to pay an equally crazy price, such as getting a tattoo, or wearing a bear suit to a live poker tournament.

Gavin Smith now resides in Las Vegas, but he still maintains his roots back in Canada, returning home a few times a year. And whether he’s playing poker, giving back to the community, or yakking it up on his show, Gavin is ever the gentleman, humanitarian and friend.

Face the Ace Episode 2 – Gavin Smith defeats brave Topel

Despite a lot of hype for episode two of Face the Ace, owing to the fact that it could potentially deliver a million-dollar win for amateur player Don Topel, the series continued to find itself at the bottom of the rating for its timeslot.

Face The Ace Finishes Last in Timeslot for Second Straight Week

After premiering to last place ratings last week, the new NBC poker show “Face The Ace” failed to increase viewers in its second run over the weekend, again finishing last in its timeslot on Saturday night.

According to the website TV By The Numbers, the August 8th broadcast of “Face The Ace” drew just 1.46 million viewers for a 0.3/1 (rating/share) with adults aged 18 to 49, the prime demographic for television advertisers and the basis for ratings. This was well short of its premiere on August 1st, when the show drew 1.59 million viewers and a 0.4/2 (rating/share). Airing in the 9:00pm ET hour on Saturday night, the perennially popular FOX program “America’s Most Wanted” again won the time slot, with repeat showings of the Disney film “Finding Nemo” and the CBS mystery program “48 Hours Mystery” surpassing NBC’s “Face the Ace” broadcast.

After the two episode tryout in the primetime arena, “Face The Ace” now will move to what could be a more ratings-friendly timeframe during weekend afternoons. From the start, the plan by NBC was to expose the program and test the waters for future poker programming in the primetime slot. The show will go on hiatus for over a month, returning on September 12th at 2:00pm ET.

After the September broadcast, there will be one broadcast per month of “Face The Ace,” which may not enable a following to build for the program; October 31st, November 14th, December 12th, and January 2nd are the scheduled dates. Even with the schedule set, local stations ultimately determine if they want to broadcast poker programming. This has been done in the past with NBC’s presentations of “Poker After Dark” and even the National Heads Up Championship.

Arguments on how to improve the show on Poker News Daily have ranged widely. Some readers asked why it wasn’t shown at all in the Houston and Detroit markets on August 1st, while others debated about what type of viewer it was targeting (a poker aficionado versus the casual player). What has been consistent is that many agree that host Steve Schrippa (formerly of “The Sopranos”) did little to add to the festivities. Some also thought that sending a losing player away with nothing was a bit harsh for what many view as a game show. This week, the show did not air in the Salt Lake City market.

On the episode shown this weekend, contestant Don Topel was stopped short of his $1 million dream when he chose to play Full Tilt Poker’s Gavin Smith for the final round. After jousting for several hands, the former World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year ground Topel down and defeated the challenger, forcing him to walk away with nothing for his efforts. Marcia Owens, the third contestant ever on “Face The Ace” and its first female player, was eliminated by Gus “The Great Dane” Hansen in the first match she played.

Episodes can be seen online at NBC.com.

Face the Ace: Don Topel Loses $1 Million Match

Full Tilt Poker pro Gavin Smith was the executioner of “Face the Ace” contestant Don Topel on Saturday night in the $1 million match; Topel walked away with nothing. The NBC poker show returns on September 12th.

A spoiler posted on Poker News Daily last week stated that Topel picked the door marked with the ace of clubs, which turned out to be Gavin Smith. Sure enough, Topel selected the ace of clubs and the World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year during Season 4 strolled out. On his opponent for the monumental $1 million match, Topel commented, “I like Gavin. I like the way he plays. We’re one in the same. I’m expecting a tough match.” Blinds began at 2,000-4,000, with Topel and Smith starting with stacks of 500,000.

Smaller pots between Smith and Topel characterized play in the early going. In one hand, Topel picked up pocket queens and raised to 30,000. Smith looked down at Q-10 and made the call. The flop came 10-8-K and the action went check-check. An ace hit the turn, a scare card for Topel’s queens, and the action once again went check-check. The river was a seven. Smith led out for 35,000 and Topel remarked that he thought the Full Tilt pro had a pair of 10s and made the call. “Face the Ace” commentator Ali Nejad called the move “a great read and a terrific play.”

Topel folded 2-9 pre-flop in a hand where Smith held pocket kings to avoid disaster. However, the Canadian sensation made his stand shortly thereafter. Topel picked up Q-9 pre-flop and called, while Smith checked his option with Q-10. The flop came 5-Q-10, giving Smith top two pair and the challenger top pair. Smith checked, Topel bet 15,000, Smith put in a check-raise to 43,000, and Topel called. The turn was a three, leaving Topel drawing dead. Smith led out for 86,000 and Topel quickly released his hand. Smith asked whether Topel wanted to see one or both of his cards and flipped up the winning hand.

An segue to commercial called Smith a “dream crusher,” a title he held true to after putting Topel all-in with A-6 against K-5. Nejad came to the table to explain the situation as “Face the Ace” host and former “Sopranos” star Steve Schirripa watched intently. The flop came A-3-4, leaving Smith as an 82% favorite to win the hand. A nine on the turn and four on the river didn’t change the situation and Topel departed with nothing. On his opponent, Smith commented, “I think he played great. I got hit on the head with the deck. I wouldn’t miss. If you always have the best hand, it’s hard to lose.” Topel defeated Erick Lindgren and Howard Lederer last week to set up Saturday’s match against Smith.

Marcia Owens was the third contestant to take to the felts on “Face the Ace.” An ER nurse from Troy, Illinois who played poker live and online, Owens selected the ace of diamonds, Gus Hansen. By the way, Hansen was voted one of People Magazine’s sexiest men of the year in 2004, something new I learned today. In the defining moment of the $40,000 match, the overly star-struck contestant put in min-raise with A-10 against Hansen’s pocket tens pre-flop. The flop came 3-3-10 and the action went check-check. The turn came a six and Owens bet 4,000. Hansen made the call with a boat and the river was an ace, improving Owens to aces-up. Owens bet 4,000, Hansen made it 10,000, and Owens called, leaving herself with just three big blinds.

After a double-up with A-8 against Hansen’s pocket fives, Owens was all-in with Q-8 against Hansen’s A-4. The flop came K-6-6, leaving Owens calling for a queen or an eight. However, the turn and river fell a nine and six, respectively, giving the $40,000 match to “The Great Dane.”

“Face the Ace” will now take a one month hiatus, returning to fill an afternoon timeslot on September 12th at 2:00pm ET. Here’s a look at the remaining schedule for NBC’s “Face the Ace”:

September 12th, 2009 – 2:00pm ET
October 31st, 2009 – 3:30pm ET
November 14th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET
December 12th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET
January 2nd, 2010 – 2:30pm ET

NBC’s <i>Face the Ace</i> premiers Saturday

NBC's prime-time poker-themed game show Face the Ace is set to premier this Saturday night Aug. 1 at 9 p.m. ET with a group of facetheace.com and Full Tilt Poker qualifiers taking on the some of the world's best poker players with $1 million on the line.

Hosted by The Sopranos Steve Schirripa, contestants on the show will first select a pro from behind four smoked-glass doors and then play that pro in a heads-up No-Limit Hold'em match with $40,000 up for grabs.

Should the contestant prevail, they can keep the $40,000 or choose another pro to play for $200,000. Contestants moving on to the third round will play for the $1 million top prize.

If the contestant loses at any point, they walk away with nothing and the winning pro takes $10,000 for their charity of choice.

"Most people don't get to compete against their favorite athletes in sports like football or basketball," said Schirripa.

"This show gives contestants an incomparable opportunity to test their skills against some of the best poker players in the world.  The same people they've read about or have watched on TV are the ones they have to defeat for chance at winning life-changing money."

The series will premiere with back-to-back shows Saturday evening and continue its seven-episode run on Saturday afternoons beginning in September.

Fifteen Full Tilt pros were chosen as "Aces," including Patrik Antonius, Andy Bloch, Allen Cunningham, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Gus Hansen, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Mike Matusow, Huck Seed, Erik Seidel, and Gavin Smith.

Collectively, the group has won 41 World Series of Poker bracelets, 11 World Poker Tour titles, and nearly $100 million in live tournament winnings.

Poker After Dark host Ali Nejad will act as the tournament director and provide additional commentary.

Plus, Deal or No Deal Briefcase Model Megan Abrigo will serve as the hostess.

Visit PokerListings.com

“Boosted J” Inks Deal With Full Tilt Poker

After an excellent performance at the World Poker Tour’s first stop of their eighth season at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, longtime online professional Justin “Boosted J” Smith has signed a deal to be a Full Tilt Poker sponsored professional.

Smith, who finished third at the Bellagio Cup behind runner up Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and eventual champion Alexandre “allingomes” Gomes, has a long history of success in the online game and has recently been transferring those skills over to the live poker world. At the most recent World Series of Poker, “Boosted J” finished with a highly respectable five cashes with his best finish an eighth place final table in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo World Championship. After his debut at the World Series of Poker Europe last year, Smith has earned almost $700,000 in live tournaments and has earned much more in the online game.

Although a young player that has been weaned on the online game, Justin has shown a propensity for all the disciplines of poker. In fact, his five cashes at the World Series ranged across the board, including Pot Limit Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Lowball and heads up Texas Hold’em. Befitting of his skills in multiple games and his new status as a sponsored Full Tilt pro, Smith has three tables of high stakes (one $1000/$2000 and two $400/$800) Mixed Game tables named in his honor.

“Boosted J” will have to drop his famous online moniker in exchange for seeing his real name in red on Full Tilt alongside perhaps the best stable of poker players in the game today. The “Friends of Full Tilt” encompass such notable celebrities as “Ocean’s Eleven” star Don Cheadle, Ultimate Fighting Championship ring announcer Bruce Buffer, “Poker After Dark” announcer Ali Nejad and author Jim McManus. There are also other levels of poker superstardom on Full Tilt Poker.

Full Tilt boasts one of the best poker training crews in CardRunners, made up of 2007 Online Player of the Year Isaac Baron, recent $25,000 Full Tilt Heads Up Poker Champion David Benefield and Taylor Caby (just to name a few). For those interested in international players, Full Tilt is the home of “The Hendon Mob,” the legendary English crew consisting of the Boatman brothers, Barny and Ross, as well as Joe Beevers and Ram Vaswani. When it comes to the Full Tilt sponsored pros, “Boosted J” will join the ranks including such players as Gavin Smith, 2008 WSOP Women’s Champion Svetlana Gromenkova and Chip and Karina Jett.

Finally, there are the players that are recognized as “Team Full Tilt.” The players who make up this group comprise thirteen of the finest players nowadays. Their combination of 36 WSOP bracelets is unequaled on any other online site and their resumes speak for themselves. Some of the players who make up “Team Full Tilt” include former World Champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, defending WSOP-Europe champion John Juanda and 2009 “November Nine” member Phil Ivey.

Congratulations to Justin on his new status as a Full Tilt pro and good luck on both the virtual as well as the physical poker tables worldwide.

NBC’s Face the Ace to Premiere August 1st

In online poker’s version of Iron Chef, Face the Ace will premier on NBC on August 1st. The show will air in the 9:00pm to 10:00pm ET time slot and is hosted by The Sopranos’ Steve Schirripa. It features pros from Full Tilt Poker.

In a conference call earlier this week, Schirripa noted that Face the Ace is the “first of its kind to air in primetime on a broadcast network.” At stake is a chance to win $1 million on national television and the series contains a total of seven episodes. To start Face the Ace, four pros will be stationed behind glass doors, hidden from view by a contestant, who will select one to play in a game of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em. If a contestant defeats the “ace,” they’ll receive $40,000 for their efforts. They can then elect to keep the $40,000 and walk away or face a second pro for a chance at $200,000. If they win once again, each contestant can take the money or play one last heads-up match for $1 million. If a contestant loses to an “ace” at any time, they’ll forfeit their winnings in a unique all-or-nothing proposition.

Each match that a pro wins means $10,000 will be donated to the charity of their choice. The pros who will participate in NBC’s Face the Ace include some of Full Tilt Poker’s top names: Durrrr Challenge participant Patrik Antonius, Andy Bloch, Allen Cunningham, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Gus Hansen, Jennifer Harman, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Phil Ivey, 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event winner John Juanda, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Mike Matusow, reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship victor Huck Seed, Erik Seidel, and Gavin Smith.

The show is co-hosted by Ali Nejad and Megan Abrigo, who holds case number six on the hit NBC game show Deal or No Deal, is Face the Ace’s hostess. Nejad gave his take on the caliber of contestants that viewers can expect to see: “The qualification process online is difficult. For these guys to have gotten that far - they’re either the luckiest guys we know or they’re good.” Schirripa added, “Personally, I thought some were pretty good. They didn’t seem intimidated and, if they were, they hid it pretty well.”

The show airs on August 1st and August 8th at 9:00pm ET. Then, it airs once per month through January, 2010:

August 1st, 2009 – 9:00pm ET
August 8th, 2009 – 9:00pm ET
September 12th, 2009 – 2:00pm ET
October 31st, 2009 – 3:30pm ET
November 14th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET
December 12th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET
January 2nd, 2010 – 2:30pm ET

Three of the seven episodes have already been filmed, with Schirripa describing the first two primetime broadcasts as opportunities to “test the waters.” When viewers tune in, they’ll witness high-stakes poker and life-changing money on the line. Nejad described what makes Face the Ace resoundingly successful: “There’s no safety net here like there is in other game shows. If you don’t win your match, you lose everything you’ve won. The pressure is really on and this isn’t a cakewalk.”

Face the Ace is not NBC’s first venture into the poker world. The massive U.S. network airs Poker After Dark weekly and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship once per year. Meanwhile, qualification for Face the Ace continues on Full Tilt Poker. The site, which serves as a presenting sponsor of the World Poker Tour (WPT) on Fox Sports Net, is holding Round Two Face the Ace qualifiers tonight at 21:15 ET and August 2nd at 21:15 ET. The next Face the Ace Final Qualifier takes place on August 3rd at 21:15 ET. The two former tournaments have a buy-in of 100 Full Tilt Points, while the Final Qualifier boasts a price tag of 2,500.

We’ll have full details of the inaugural Face the Ace episode right here on Poker News Daily.

Luke Schwartz and Annette Obrestad make Poker Million semi final

Peter Vasilou is the surprise name in the first semi final of the 2009 Full Tilt Poker Million. The online qualifier outlasted former Poker Million champion John Duthie, EPT winners Joao Barbosa and Mike McDonald and fellow qualifier Adam Carey before beating WPT winner Gavin Smith heads up in the runner up turbo qualifier.

Joe Sebok to Sign with Online Poker Site

Poker News Daily has learned that PokerRoad President Joe Sebok is on the brink of signing with a major online poker site. When the signing will occur and with what room is not yet known.

Sebok’s agent, 11Management President and CEO Matt Palmer, told Poker News Daily, “There are always conversations going on. We maintain open communication lines with all of the sites continuously assessing the best fit for Joe. Joe is always looking at his options and he is excited about potential scenarios. We’re pleased that Joe has reached a point where he is considered a valuable asset to sponsors and their brand objectives.”

Sebok recorded three in the money finishes at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), while at the same time performing his duties for PokerRoad. He made a deep run and finished 56th in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event, which played down to its final nine last night. He claimed 104th in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament for $3,300 and took 36th in a $1,500 buy-in Pot Limit Hold’em event for $4,800. Sebok’s top WSOP finish came as a result of taking fifth in a $5,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em event in 2005, a tournament ultimately won by Dan Schmiech.

Sebok has bubbled two televised final tables on the World Poker Tour (WPT). Sebok took seventh place in the Season VI Legends of Poker. Nevertheless, he banked $114,000 in the process from the Los Angeles tournament. Sebok also took seventh in the Season V Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament, a high-stakes bounty event in San Jose, California. All told, Sebok has nearly $600,000 in WPT earnings to his name. His 12 in the money finishes are good for the 16th most in WPT history. He has entered 52 WPT tournaments overall, good for the 60th highest tally.

The PokerRoad empire is primarily known for its radio arm. Sebok, Gavin Smith, and Joe Stapleton are just a few of the hosts that call PokerRoad home. Recent guests have included ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad, Krystal Seiling, Soheil Shamseddin, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, and top online poker player Shaun Deeb. At the 2009 WSOP, PokerRoad set up its broadcast booth in the hallway of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, attracting fans and curious onlookers alike while shows were in progress. PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Court Harrington, Jimmy “gobboboy” Fricke, and Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire hosted the B Team show on weekends throughout the festivities in Las Vegas.

Last night, PokerRoad correspondent and Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey became a member of the 2009 installment of the WSOP November Nine. The “Tiger Woods of Poker” is typically reserved around the media despite his groundbreaking success. However, Ivey holds recurring call-in segments with PokerRoad and has permitted the company’s cameras to catch a glimpse of the “Life of Ivey.” The Full Tilt Poker pro holds seven WSOP bracelets, two of which came in tournaments leading up to this year’s Main Event. Now, he will seek an eighth to add to his collection when the action resumes on November 7th.

In a Joe Sebok interview with Poker News Daily prior to the 2009 WSOP, he explained how he has developed such a loyal following: “When I got started in poker, I jumped into the media circle really quickly. The younger players know me from playing with me or dealing with me in a media sense. I like to think my reputation is similar to Barry’s: What you see is what you get.” The “Barry” in question is Sebok’s stepfather, Barry Greenstein, one of the game’s top minds. The pair affectionately call each other “Bear” and “Cub,” a play on Greenstein’s first name.

We’ll have full details on Sebok signing with an online poker site when it occurs right here on Poker News Daily.

Dream Team Poker WSOP Event Attracts 366 Players

The third Dream Team Poker event, held down the hall from the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), attracted 366 runners for a total prize pool of $177,000. Roberto Diaz from Team Reckless leads the way entering Day 2, when 27 players will take to the felts.

The field that turned out for the Dream Team Poker’s second open event was actually smaller than its last outing, which took place at Caesars Palace in March. Across Interstate 15, a total of 148 teams and 444 players turned out four months ago. This time around, 122 teams and 366 players entered, a drop of 17%. Nevertheless, play was fast and furious, as 27 players representing 26 teams survived the first day and will return on Monday to determine a champion. Tao of Pokerati is the lone squad to boast two players remaining.

The top overall team will earn $33,017. The runner-ups will take home $18,106, third place will pocket $10,651, fourth place will earn $7,988, fifth place will bank $7,455, sixth place will receive $6,923, the seventh place team will see their bank accounts grow by $6,390, eighth place will pocket $5,858, ninth place will earn $5,325, and tenth place leaves the Rio with $4,793 from the $560 per person buy-in event. The field of 366 players included 59 women and three all-female teams: Kegslist.info (lead by Lacey Jones), Tush Pushers (lead by Pam Brunson), and Wicked Chops Poker II (Lead by London Gallagher).

Here’s how the field stacks up entering Day 2 of the Dream Team Poker tournament:

1. Roberto Diaz (Team Reckless) - 332,000
2. Jordan Hill (Team Winner Winner Chicken Dinner) - 252,000
3. Ricardo Felix Matos (Machine Team) - 235,000
4. Matthew Woodward (Team 2 Kings) - 220,000
5. Peter Marvo (Team Min Cash Masters) - 193,000
6. Adam Wege (Team NLP FREE) - 177,000
7. Peter Lubrano (Team The Maven VT 2) - 165,000
8. Paul McGuire (Team Tao of Pokerati) - 158,000
9. Kenna James (Team Poker Host) - 140,000
10. Bryan Kessler (Team Those Guys) - 133,000
11. Terresa Gallagher (Team Wicked Chops Poker II) - 125,000
12. James Page (Team The Maven VT 3) - 124,000
13. Daniel Michalski (Team Tao of Pokerati) - 113,000
14. Bojan Miljkovic (Team Juzni Vetar) - 100,000
15. Glyn Ottofy (Team Poker) - 95,000
16. Brad Tolliver (Team Donkey Show) - 87,000
17. Andrew Colas (Team Poker Blazers) - 82,000
18. Maximilian Gsottschneider (Team Puerto Rico) - 81,000
19. Michael Shackelford (Team Sinistrals) - 79,000
20. Mary Jo Zogman (Team Team HTP) - 60,000
21. Omar Vachhani (Team Diabolocos) - 46,000
22. John Sayre (Team Home Gamers) - 40,000
23. Michelle Richey (Team Simpletrak) - 37,000
24. Antonio Ferreira (Team BOSS) - 37,000
25. David Hornsby (Team The Hangover) - Unknown
26. Judy Tejwani (Team SOCRR) - Unknown
27. Stephen Nelson (Team I Love it When a Plan Comes Together) – Unknown

Notable poker pros who entered the event, but did not survive to see Day 2, included Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Evelyn Ng, David Williams, Barry Greenstein, Gavin Smith, Liz Lieu, Jerry Yang, Marsha Waggoner, David “The Maven” Chicotsky, Susie Isaacs, Tom McEvoy, “Captain” Tom Franklin, T.J. Cloutier, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Amir Vahedi. Also taking to the felts was former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco, whose book “Juiced” ignited the crackdown on steroids in the game.

The tournament’s individual winner will earn $16,473 and the top 19 spots pay out. In order to curb collusion, Dream Team Poker events award prize money to the top players and teams. In addition, no team members are seated at the same table until 14 to 16 runners remain. No indication has been given as to when Dream Team Poker will hold its fourth event.

Jose Canseco Enters Dream Team Poker WSOP Tournament

Poker News Daily has learned that former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco has entered the third Dream Team Poker tournament, which will be held on July 12th and 13th during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Canseco, whose book “Juiced” helped fuel the steroid hunt in professional baseball, will take to the Dream Team Poker felts along with teammates Shane McDowell and Josh Clark. Canseco’s team, dubbed “On Tilt,” is one of over 100 that have already registered for the event, which will be the first of its kind at the WSOP. Each three-man Dream Team Poker squad will battle for individual and team prizes in the two-day contest, which comes with a price tag of $560 per person.

Attendees of PokerPalooza, formerly the WSOP Gaming Life Expo, will notice a wall of jerseys hanging outside its entrance. The spectacle has been on display all week, runs from floor to ceiling, and has become a popular stop for poker fans. Dream Team Poker officials are expecting over 300 players total at the Rio, including Daniel Negreanu, whose Team Poker VT has already paid its buy-in. 2007 WSOP Main Event Champion Jerry Yang will be in attendance, as will Team Bodog, which includes Evelyn Ng, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and David Williams.

Last time out, Dream Team Poker held its first open tournament at Caesars Palace. The event attracted 148 teams and 444 players, selling out the Caesars poker room. In the end, Team ACED, led by 2006 WSOP Main Event Champion Jamie Gold, took down the title. Although Gold has since parted ways with the Merge Gaming Network site, his name is forever entrenched in Dream Team Poker history. Gold and company pocketed $59,000 for recording the top team finish and Danny Nelson from Team BikerHaven.net grabbed $24,000 for claiming the individual title.

Coming in second place at Caesars in the team competition were the Claddaghs, who earned $33,000. Other top finishers included The Clones (third place for $15,000), Party at the Mansion (fourth place for $10,000), and the Hellmuth Busters (fifth place for $6,000). One-third of the 2008 WSOP November Nine turned out at Caesars, as did Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Todd Brunson, Paul Wasicka, Mike Matusow, Erica Schoenberg, and T.J. Cloutier. Also in attendance was Bonomo, who along with Matt Parvis and Eric Morris took down the inaugural Dream Team Poker event as part of Team Bluff.

Each player will begin with 10,000 starting chips and blind levels last 40 minutes. The price of poker begins at 50-100 and antes kick in at Level 3, when blinds are 150-300. A 10 minute break occurs after every three levels and teammates are not seated at the same table until 14 to 16 players remain. Teams that registered prior to July 1st received a customized jersey and play begins at 2:00pm Pacific Time on both July 12th and 13th. Individual payouts amount to 40% of the prize pool, while team payouts make up the remaining 60%.

Other players slated to enter the third Dream Team Poker tournament include Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok (Team PokerRoad), Gavin Smith (Team Zurvive), Pamela Brunson (Team Pushers), Liz Liu (Team Chili Poker), and Barbara Enright, Paul Darden, and David Levi, who will make up Team Bookmaker Poker.

July 12th also marks Day 5 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event, which kicked off on Friday with the first of four starting days. A total of 1,116 entrants took to the felts on Day 1A, down from 1,297 last year. Today’s field is expected to be smaller due to the July 4th holiday in the United States. The $10,000 buy-in tournament will play down to its final table on July 15th, when it will be paused for four months. Last year, Danish poker pro Peter Eastgate earned $9.1 million for the victory and became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever at age 22.

The Dream Team Poker event will be held inside the Amazon Room, home of the 2009 WSOP. Registration is now open at the Rio cage and can be paid via casino chips, cash, or cashier’s check. We’ll have full tournament results for you right here on Poker News Daily.

Pros gear up for 2009 WSOP Main Event

Thousands of hopeful rounders have swamped the Amazon Room at the Rio for the first of four Day 1s of this WSOP's $10,000 buy-in flagship event.

And the pros are licking their chops.

"This is the biggest tournament of the year," Full Tilt's Gavin Smith told PokerListings.com. "This is the one I always look forward to!"

Irish pro Andy Black echoed Smith's sentiments.

"It's the biggest tournament in the world and the best one. It's a great day, Day 1 of the Main Event."

The tournament is expected to attract more than six thousand players in search of a multi-million dollar first prize and a shot at poker immortality.

Last year, Denmark's Peter Eastgate defeated 6,843 other entrants to claim a $9,152,416 first prize.

In 2007, meanwhile, Jerry Yang came from nowhere to beat out 6,357 players, taking $8.25 million for first before disappearing from the poker landscape once more.

Yang is back for 2009 and told PokerListings he's eager to reclaim the top spot.

"I've been waiting for so long, waiting for one year," he said. "I'm going to play my best and see what happens."

Neither Yang nor Eastgate's purses hold a candle to the $12 million 2006 champ Jamie Gold earned for topping a field of more than 8,700 competitors.

But the former champs will have both have their work cut out for them if they want to make another deep run.

Since 2003, only Greg Raymer has been able to replicate his tournament-winning success in a later year, finishing 25th in the 2005 Main Event after winning in 2004.

Among those players to show up for Day 1a action are former L.A. Dodger Orel Hershiser, PokerListings blogger Jason Mercier, actors Jason Alexander and Brad Garrett and rapper Nelly.

This year's Main Event will see the field divided into four flights on Day 1 and two flights on Day 2, with the survivors coming together for the first time on Day 3 next Friday.

Tournament organizers have tweaked the structure and given players 30,000 in chips compared to last year's 20,000, but despite the deeper stacks the field will only play four two-hour levels on Day 1.

As in 2008, the Main Event will play down to a nine-handed final table before the tournament is suspended until November.

The new "November Nine" will then reconvene at the Rio to play out the tournament's climactic hands in what promises to be another raucous spectacle of an event.

PokerListings.com will have live and comprehensive coverage of the 2009 Main Event in the WSOP section.

Tune in throughout the tournament for live updates, chip counts, video features and cutting-edge blogs from the Rio.

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WSOP 2009 by the numbers

2009 might be forever remembered as the summer of multiple bracelets. Although every year since 2000 has seen one player with two bracelets, there's never been a year quite like this.

First, Brock Parker (infamous on PokerStars under the handle t_soprano) won a pair by taking down bracelets in back-to-back six-handed Hold'em events.

After winning his first bracelet of 2009, Phil Ivey shocked the poker world by claiming he would win a second in under two weeks. He accepted any bet players were willing to throw at him then made good on his claim, winning his second just 10 days after the first.

If you hadn't heard the name Lisandro before the 2009 WSOP, you've heard it now. Not only was Jeffrey "The Stud King" Lisandro the third player to win a second bracelet in 2009, he became the first to win a third. All three of his bracelets have come from 7-Card variations.

Finally, the latest player to double down was Full Tilt Pro Greg "FBT" Mueller. Mueller, whose nickname is an acronym for "Full Blown Tilt," has managed to keep his tilt under control, making 2009 the year he won both his first and second WSOP bracelets.

The Dominance of the U.S and A

When it comes to the race for bracelets by country, the USA has absolutely decimated the rest of the globe. With 33 won so far, the USA has almost double the number of bracelets than the rest of the world combined.

Nation	Bracelets
United States	33
Canada	3
United Kingdom	3
Australia	2
Russian Federation	1
Finland	1
Sweden	1
Mexico	1
Italy	1
Holland	1
Hungary	1
Iran	1
Germany	1

Note: Last year 19 of the 59 gold bracelet events were won by non-Americans.

Year of the Pro

Most likely due to the increased starting stack sizes and added blind levels, 2009 has seen the poker professionals dominating over the amateurs. Out of the 51 bracelets awarded this year, 37 have been won by professionals and 7 by semi-professionals.

More WSOP 2009 By the Numbers (Note: all following stats exclude event #49):

Most Cashes:

Darryll Fish	7
Fabrice Soulier	6
Jeffrey Lisandro	6
Daniel Negreanu	6
Brock Parker	6
Anthony Cousineau	6
David Fox	6
Barry Greenstein	6
Mitchell Schock	5
John Monnette	5
Ville Wahlbeck	5
Roland DeWolfe	5
Neil Channing	5
Nikolay Evdakov	5
Alexander Kravchenko	5
Phil Ivey	5
Robert Mason	5
Michael Binger	5
Ken Lennaard	5
Clark Hamagami	5

Most Final Table Appearances:

Mark Gregorich	3
John Juanda	3
Jeffrey Lidandro	3
Greg Mueller	3
Phil Ivey	3
Ville Wahlbeck	3

 

Most Events Played:

Nikolay Evdakov	33
Nikolay Isra	32
Jacobo Fernandez	29
Daniel Negreanu	28
Andrew Black	28
Erick Lindgren	28
Amnon Filippi	28
Daniel Heimiller	27
Soheil Shamseddin	27
Andrew Bloch	27
Gavin Smith	27
Tad Jurgens	26
Frank Kassela	26
Marco Traniello	26
Richard Geyer	26
Michael Binger	25
Jason Mercier	25
Chris Bjorin	25
Shannon Shorr	25
David Singer	25
Ryan Hughes	25
Berry Johnston	25
Michael Leah	25

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First bracelet of 2009 for Holland WSOP June 21

Naalden outlasted a field of 446 players to take his first WSOP title in the $2k Limit Hold'em event. The Dutch native takes home $190,770 for the first-place finish.

Naalden isn't very well known in the U.S., but he's earned more than $1 million in tournaments since turning pro in 2005.

Naalden had previously cashed five times at the WSOP, including one final table appearance.

"It's great," said the 40-year-old pro. "This is my fourth WSOP. I have played in a lot of events ... and third place was my best finish."

"It is very hard to win a WSOP event. Finally, after all of those efforts, it feels fantastic."

Naalden went into the final table with a sizeable chip lead and never looked back, eventually outlasting Steven Cowley in heads-up play.

"Yeah, you tend to over-exaggerate your chances because you have a big chip lead," Naalden said.

"But (I) only had 25 percent of the chips in play. So, I have only about a 25 percent chance of winning," he said

"And, plus the fact there are quite a few strong players - so I thought to myself, don't get too excited. But I went on a big heater."

Cowley cashes for $117,902 in second place, while former WSOP bracelet winner Ian Johns placed third.

Negreanu, who won this event last year, finished 26th.

Hellmuth finished in the money in 17th place, giving him 72 career cashes at the WSOP, the most all time.

Event 39 - $1,500 No Limit Hold'em

The latest $1,500 No Limit event began with another huge field, but now the original 2,715 have been whittled down to the last two tables.

Amazingly Nam Le was playing this event and the $10k Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship simultaneously all day long.

Notable names still in it include Raymond Davis, former WPT Championship winner Joe Bartholdi, Brandon Cantu, Alex Jacob and Benjamin Kang.

The bracelet will be awarded tomorrow, with play beginning at 2 p.m.

Event 40 - $10k World Championship Pot Limit Omaha

The $10k PLO championship is among the most prestigious events for the serious pro and this year saw another absolutely stacked field.

Nam Le was the unfortunate bubble boy in this event, having multi-tabled it along with the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event.

Erick Lindgren was next out as the first person to get paid.

Noah "fouruhaters" Schwartz is the overwhelming chip lead with Euros Stefan Mattsson, Marcus Golser, Vitaly Lunkin and Robin Keston close behind.

Matt Vengrin, Josh Arieh, Matt Graham, Barry Greenstein, Howard Lederer, David Williams and Nenad Medic are representing North America in the playdown to the final table, beginning at 2 p.m.

Click through for full live updates.

Event 41 - $5k No Limit Hold'em Shootout

Many big names started amongst the field of 280, but few made it to Day 2.

Phil Ivey will be going for bracelet number three of 2009 with Jennifer Harman, Barny Boatman, David "The Dragon" Pham and Neil Channing still in the hunt.

30 players are coming back at 2 p.m.

Event 42 - $2,500 Mixed Event

It's another all-star field for the $2,500 Mixed Event.

The mixed games seem to be a format that the pros love, and this tournament is no exception.

Day 1 kicked off today with Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, Gavin Smith, Phil Hellmuth, J.C. Tran and a host of other big names in the field.

Play resumes at 2 p.m. Monday, and the event is scheduled to play down to a final table, which will be played Tueday.

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Tran, Juanda at PLO final; Eise wins NLHE bracelet

Hendon Mobster Ross Boatman is chipleader with 718,000 to his name, with British pro Jeff Kimber and 2009 WSOP bracelet-winner Rami Boukai also in attendance.

"I'm trying to win it," Boatman told PokerListings.com. "Nothing less than that will do.

"Obviously, I'm delighted to be at the final table, but my aim is the same. I want to win."

2006 WSOP 11th-place finisher Leif Force bubbled the final table, with David Chiu and Steve Sung narrowly missing out on a berth as well.

Tran spent the day near the top of the leaderboard, but doubled up a number of short stacks late in the day. He enters Tuesday's action fourth in chips with 387,000.

He told PokerListings his approach doesn't change even with his stack having taken a beating.

"I'm still going to play," he said. "I'm not here to move up in the money. I'm here to win a bracelet."

The final table will commence at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Look for comprehensive live updates right here.

Here's how the rest of the WSOP played out in the Amazon Room on Monday:

Event 28 - $1,500 No Limit Hold'em

St. Louis-area pipefitter Mike "The Force" Eise took down his first WSOP bracelet and $639,331, defeating New York's Jeff Chang to claim the title.

Online pro Jason Potter finished fourth, taking $185,444 after getting one-outed with Q-10 against 10-10 in his climactic flop.

With a queen in the window, the dealer closed out the flop with the last ten in the deck and Potter couldn't recover, hitting the road and taking railbirds Cliff Josephy, Kevin Saul and Thayer Rasmussen with him.

Chang takes $392,494 for his second-place finish.

Event 29 - $10,000 Heads-Up World Championship

EPT founder John Duthie and UVirginia law student Leo Wolpert will face-off for a $625,682 in a best-of-three championship round at noon on Tuesday.

Check out what Duthie and Wolpert had to say about the road to the championship round here.

Event 31 - $1,500 H.O.R.S.E.

Twenty-three players remain in contention in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event after two days of play, including Shannon Shorr, Fabrice Soulier, Vanessa Rousso, James Van Alstyne and Bryan Micon.

The survivors will return to the Rio at 1 p.m. on Tuesday to play down to a champion.

Event 32 - $2,000 No Limit Hold'em

A total of 1,534 players paid the two large to play the latest No Limit Hold'em tournament and by day's end about 224 of their lot remained.

Among those still in contention are Scott Clements, Jon Turner, Theo Tran and Noah Schwartz.

In all, 171 players will be paid for their time, with first place amounting to $530,449.

Action will resume at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Event 33 - $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em

The World Championship LHE event attracted 185 entrants, including a multi-tabling John Juanda.

By day's end, 69 players had been eliminated, including Mike Matusow, Gavin Smith and Daniel Negreanu.

Meanwhile, Josh Arieh, Shaun Deeb and Greg Mueller have staked out a place at the top of the chip leaderboard.

Check out more exciting coverage from Las Vegas in the PokerListings 2009 WSOP section.

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Matchups key in WSOP Heads-Up event

"I think I'm fifty-fifty," he told PokerListings.com. "Either I win or I don't."

A tongue-in-cheek pronouncement, to be sure, but Tran - who beat Alec Torelli two out of three to win last year's Heads-Up World Championship and $539,040 in cash - has to be considered one of the favorites this time around.

Besides his bracelet win last year, Tran can boast a thirteenth-place finish in the 2009 NBC Heads-Up Championship earlier this year.

"I always like to start off slow and study my opponent," Tran said. "I like to see my opponent's style and play against it."

The World Championship pits 256 of the world's best and richest heads-up players against each other in a single-elimination format with the top 32 finalists getting paid.

With matchups determined by random selection, the pros agree that drawing good opponents is essential.

"Draw really good," said Gavin Griffin, when asked for the keys to success. "I wish I could say there was more to it than that, but the draw is really important."

The Team PokerStars Pro finished sixth in the 2008 event, cashing for $54,144.

"Last year I had a nice set of opponents," he said. "My first opponent was probably above average compared to the rest of the field, but was the easiest player I played all tournament."

"So it's important to get a good draw and run good."

"For sure, who your opponent is, is a massive factor," said Scott Montgomery. The former November Niner took 16th in 2008 for $36,096.

"Some of the best heads-up players in the world are playing in this event."

Tran said luck played a major factor in his victory as well.

"I was catching cards," he said. "I got lucky."

Beyond basic luck, Montgomery pointed to aggression as a vital component of his heads-up game.

"Controlled aggression is key," he said. "Try not to be stealing every pot, but know when to turn up the aggression."

Griffin, meanwhile, prefers to build a stack early and wait for the blinds to increase.

"I've played quite a few heads-up sit-and-go's on PokerStars so I feel like my game is strong," he said.  "I like to play small ball at first.

"I feel like most of the people in this tournament won't be as good when it gets to the jam or fold stage, so I think that's where I'll have an edge.

"Obviously, I'd like to have a chip lead when it gets to that stage, so that's where the small ball comes in."

Action in the Heads-Up World Championship kicked off at 5 p.m.

Phil Hellmuth, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Tom "durrrr" Dwan and Barry Greenstein were among the most noteworthy players to take part, with Dwan defeating Nam Le to advance to the second round and Barry Greenstein succumbing to Yevgeniy Timoshenko.

Evelyn Ng, Jason Mercier, Gavin Smith and Dario Minieri have also advanced.

Round 2 will begin at 10 p.m. tonight.

Check out the live updates in the WSOP section for full coverage.

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Schulman, Carris take down bracelets WSOP June 13

Schulman finished first in the $10,000 World Championship 2-7 final table with Wahlbeck taking second to grab control of the WSOP Player of the Year leaderboard with 255 points.

An especially impressive feat considering Erick Lindgren won POY last year with only 245 points.

Both players outlasted a stacked final table that included Steve Sung, John Juanda, David Benyamine and Rolande de Wolfe.

Click here for an extensive recap of the prestigious event.

Here's a look at what else happened on another busy day at the WSOP:

Event 22 $1,500 Shootout Final Table

The $1,500 Shootout final table didn't have a lot of star power, but you wouldn't have known that by looking at the railbirds.

More than 20 fans donned orange Jeff "Wildcat" Carris t-shirts to cheer on their horse while Chris Moore and Jason Somerville also drew a large crowd of fans.

The screaming was near Main Event level as Carris proceeded to outlast all of his competition, including WPT Five Diamond winner Eugene Katchalov, to take down the bracelet and the $313,673 that came with it.

Event 24 $1,500 No-Limit Day 2

Event 24 was of particular interest to PokerListings' fans because two of our bloggers, Martin Derbyshire and Olle Sundin, were looking to go deep.

Both players made it past the 40-player mark but Sundin busted soon after and Derbyshire ended up coming in 29th. Not bad for the PL.com crew.

Pretty much everyone was excited to see EPT Hostess Kara Scott go deep in the event, but she also busted out around 1 a.m.

By the end of the day, 19 players remained with no big-name pros in the running. Although Dean Hamrick did bubble the 2008 Main Event final table.

Also trying to win the bracelet are Michael Greco, Panayote "Pete" Vilandos and Andy "BKiCe" Seth. Day 3 of Event 24 starts at 1 p.m. sharp tomorrow.

Event 25 $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud HL/Eight or Better Day 2

Day 2 of Event 25 began with 153 players including pros like Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Gavin Smith and Chau Giang all vying to make another WSOP final table.

They made it all the way down to 14 players before opting to bag up the chips and come back tomorrow for what could be a long Day 3.

Jon "Pearljammer" Turner is your overnight chip leader with 365,000 chips. It could be an epic final table with Ivey, Blair Rodman, Chad Brown, Carlos Mortensen and Dutch Boyd still in the running.

Play resumes at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

Event 26 $1,500 Limit Hold'em Day 1

Event 26 drew 643 players, which once again proves that the No-Limit variant of poker is easily the more popular of the two.

That said, the field was rather compelling with actress Shannon Elizabeth, Lakers owner Jerry Buss and all the usual suspects with Teddy "Iceman" Monroe, Erica Schoenberg, Brock Parker and Barry Greenstein all in the building.

By the end of the day there would still be 124 players remaining with Bill Chen, Justin Bonomo and Nikki Harris all wielding big stacks.

Play resumes at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Event 27 $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split Eight-or-Better Day 1

For an obscure event with a buy-in of $5,000, Event 27 did very well to bring in 198 runners.

Among the field were well-known pros like Phil Ivey, who multi-tabled Event 25, Barny Boatman, Shannon Shorr, Amnon Filippi, Clonie Gowen, Kathy Liebert, Erick Lindgren and many others.

By the end of the day 60 players were left with the money starting at 18. Daniel Negreanu, Jeffrey Lisandro and Roland De Wolfe were all stacked.

Day 2 starts at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

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$10k Mixed event attracts cream of WSOP crop

The event uses a format where eight game variations are played at each level. The levels start with a mixed round of Deuce to Seven Triple Draw, Limit Hold'em and Omaha Eights or Better.

The next mixed round includes Razz, Stud and Stud 8, and the final mixed round of each level involves the big bet games, No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha.

With eight different games in the mix, some pros admit that their skill level in some games is higher than in others.

"This one here is a really interesting one," said Gavin Smith. "This one puts a lot of weight on big bet games.

"No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha are a lot more dangerous than all the Limit games. I think you have to be a lot more careful when you're playing the big bet games."

Smith spent some of Day 1 near the chip lead, but a tough run toward the end of the night left him short-stacked for Day 2.

"Al the guys that play the Big Game will have an advantage because they play these games all the time," Smith said. "The guys that you expect to go deep will probably be the guys that are going deep."

David Oppenheim enters Day 2 of the event with the chip lead, followed closely by Daniel Negreanu and Jimmy "Gobboboy" Fricke.

Negreanu told PokerListings he feels the mixed-game format suits him well. Despite entering late because of his participation in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud World Championship, he quickly worked his way up the leader board on Day 1.

"I came in 43rd in ($10,000 Seven Card Stud) so I started late, but I still was able to do really well," he said. "I'm more than comfortable, feel good, ready to kick ass.

"I play these games all the time. That's what I used to do for a living when I played poker for a living. So I feel more than comfortable playing all those games. I feel like a big favorite usually."

Fricke was all business at his table in the minutes before the start of Day 2.

"I feel like I have an edge in some of the games," he said. "I've played the same mix on PokerStars for the last couple of months.

"I feel like there are a lot of people that are strong in two or three games, and then the rest of them they're kind of just working their way through."

"PLO is my strongest game by far. No Limit I have a big edge. People have different skill sets, and I feel like I match up well against the field."

Lots of big names remain in the field, including Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman, Jeff Lisandro, Allen Cunningham, Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Erick Lindgren and Huck Seed.

The event is scheduled to play to the Final Table tonight before crowning a champion Saturday.

Check out the live updates for details.

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Matusow eyes WSOP Lowball repeat

"If I play well I give myself a chance," Matusow said.

This year the World Series of Poker added a new $2,500 Lowball event, while elevating the buy-in for the World Championship event from $5,000 to $10,000 and removing the rebuys.

A move Matusow disagrees with.

"They should have kept the $5,000 and they should have kept it with rebuys," Matusow said. "They should let everybody rebuy as many times as they want because [without rebuys] it ruins the event.

"If it's not going to be a rebuy event it needs to be at least a $20,000 buy-in with one optional rebuy. They don't need three or four events in deuce to seven. They just don't have the market for it."

A Lowball Triple-Draw event will also take place at the 2009 WSOP, giving players three Lowball bracelet events to choose from.

The $2,500 event began today drawing 122 entrants and a field top-heavy with pros.

Matusow, Huck Seed, Jennifer Harman, Greg Raymer and Gavin Smith were just a few of the big names on hand for the beginning of the event.

Lowball isn't a common game online or in casinos and previous events at the WSOP have drawn only top-notch fields filled with true professionals for what most agree is a strategy-intensive game.

Matusow won his bracelet last year fending off a stellar final table lineup including pros Jeff Lisandro, Barry Greenstein and Erick Lindgren.

"It's just a great game to read," Matusow said. "It's more of a game where you play position. The guy is drawing one card, and you really have to read his reaction to one card."

Matusow agreed Lowball games are hard to find, with only one known major live high-stakes game on the West Coast played in Los Angeles.

"The cash game is a lot different than a tournament," Matusow said. "In a tournament it's really a one-hand game, so you can't make a mistake on that one hand."

Despite the obscurity of the game, last year's star-studded final table drew big crowds, including several pros.

Matusow knows a repeat won't be easy in what is expected to be another difficult field.

"You have to be real lucky," he said.

Vanessa Rousso is playing in the Lowball event after opening the WSOP with a successful 27th place showing in the $40k anniversary event.

Unlike Matusow, she likes the idea of the added $2,500 event, but doesn't expect the tournament to draw major interest.

"I say the more the merrier," Rousso said. "Most players probably know the right way to play.

"The problem is it can get pretty boring just waiting for the right hand. Maybe they lose patience and push in with some rougher hands."

The first Lowball event of the WSOP will play to a final table Wednesday before crowning a champion Thursday.

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Sebok picks PokerRoad’s WSOP Best Bets

Seebs is bringing his gang of larger-than-life poker personalities back to the Rio Casino for the 40th Annual World Series of Poker and the PokerRoad president couldn't be more excited.

"The WSOP this year is going to be pure chaos," he told PokerListings.com. "Fun chaos, yummy chaos, like cotton-candy chaos, but chaos nonetheless. Be looking for 'PokerRoad Nation' to take the WSOP by storm."

Sebok founded PokerRoad in 2007 and the site has quickly become an essential bookmark for the hardcore poker fan.

Best-known for its namesake radio show, PokerRoad provides an entertaining and irreverent look inside the poker industry through a variety of multimedia forms.

This year, PokerListings and Poker Road are teaming up to provide poker fans with an all-access path into the poker lifestyle at the WSOP.

The agreement will see a PokerRoad presence on PokerListings.com in the form of strategy videos and preview articles and will put the PokerListings.com reporting team on PokerRoad radio in a weekly spot alongside Sebok, Gavin Smith and back-for-WSOP host Joe "Stapes" Stapleton.

"I couldn't be more fired up about the PokerRoad/PokerListings relationship that we're going to form this summer at the Rio," Sebok said.

"It's two awesome sites coming together to strengthen what really matters most: the experience for our users. I just hope you guys can hang with PokerRoad!"

To kick off the summer, Sebok agreed to provide his take on the "Best Bets" to take the Series by storm this summer:

Dan O'Brien

"I have a feeling this kid is going to bust out in a big way," Sebok said of O'Brien, a protégé of PokerListings blogger Jason Mercier who went deep in WPT events in Los Angeles and San Jose earlier this spring before taking 4th for $82,573 in a €5,000 event at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

"He's an awesome player who has already been making some noise on the tournament scene, so get ready for a BIG breakout.

"He can't beat me at racquetball, but he's tough on me on the felt!"

Jimmy Fricke

"You know him. You love him. He's going to be a beast at this year's WSOP, you'll see," said Seebs.

Gobboboy is best known in live circles for his second-place finish at the 2007 Aussie Millions, but the MTT wizard took first in a Bellagio Cup prelim for $443,155 last summer and is due for an even bigger summer in Vegas this time around.

"As well, he's going to be guest-hosting on PokerRoad Radio on Saturdays for the 'B-Team Special Shows,'" Sebok said.

Isaac Haxton

In early 2008, Sebok and Haxton feuded publicly after Sebok criticized some of Haxton's play on air.

The 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure runner-up responded by accusing the Cub of not being able to understand the mathematical side of poker and the beef was on.

Those days are over, says Sebok.

"The feud is over!" he told PokerListings. "It's all love with Ike and myself and I have a feeling he might be adding a little hardware to his wrist this summer.

"Yep, I think he might just lock that down...whether or not he really understands how to use math in poker."

In addition to his three young guns, Sebok also pointed to a trio of more established pros he expects will accomplish big things this WSOP:

Annie Duke

"Just have a feeling here," said Sebok of the Celebrity Apprentice runner-up.

"She's pumped. She's ready. She's going to abuse some people at the Rio."

Maria Ho and Kevin "BeLOWaBOVe" Saul

"I just have this feeling about my people," Sebok said of Ho and Saul, both of whom blog for PokerRoad.

Saul counts a World Poker Tour title on his resume, while Ho broke through in 2007 when she was the last female eliminated in the Main Event, banking $237,865 for her 38th place finish.

"Maria is going to do more than just be the 'last woman standing' and Kev is going to go 'above' his usual style of playing 'below' normal levels of patience," said Sebok. "Ha!"

You can listen to Sebok and the PokerRoad Radio crew broadcasting daily from the floor of the Rio.

And check out the PokerListings WSOP section for live coverage and features throughout the Series.

Related Articles:

• 2009 WSOP Best Bets: Vivek Rajkumar
• 2009 WSOP Best Bets: Chris Moorman
  
• 2009 WSOP Best Bets: Liv Boeree
• 2009 WSOP Best Bets: Isaac Baron
• 2009 WSOP Best Bets: Soren Kongsgaard
• 2009 WSOP Best Bets: Jason Mercier
• 2009 WSOP Best Bets: Carter King

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Griffin wins $25K Heads-up World Championship

A total of 63 players came in solely focused on the $551,250 first-place prize when play began Saturday.

However, as big names like Phil Ivey, Gavin Smith, Andy Bloch and Erick Lindgren all hit the virtual rail, PokerStars LAPT San Jose final tablist Griffin moved his way up the ranks, defeating GrindMode, Isaac "luvtheWNBA" Haxton, David Singer, and Past to push into Sunday's semifinals.

Meeting him there was Blair "yogiblair" Anderson, who had also beaten a stellar crew of rounders, including 2008 WSOP final tablist Scott Montgomery, to book his seat.

Griffin made quick work of Anderson, however, jumping out to an early lead and eventually moving on when his queens bested Anderson's fives.

The other semifinal saw Full Tilt Pro David Benefield taking on Jim "WinnerFish" Kilarjian.

However, it was Benefield making a date with Griffin when he took the lead making trips to beat Kilarjian's flopped pair of aces, then rode an overpair over his top pair.

After both semifinalists were sent packing with $165,375 in prize money, the final began with Griffin taking the lead holding two pair against Benefield's top pair.

A short while later, Benefield turned a pair to go with his open-ender and committed all his chips.

Griffin had trips, they held and the $551,250 first-place prize was his.

Benefield took $315,000 for second.

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A Poker Pro Mortgages His Life For a Trip To Vegas!

It is probably wrong to call Bo Fric a poker pro in a sense that we normally know it. He has never had big success in poker, actually he is almost broke. He calls himself “just a regular guy who likes to play poker”.

Mister Fric himself.

Many, or should I say all, poker players dream of a trip to Las Vegas to play the Main Event of WSOP. Fric, a fan of Eli Elezra (because he wears his hair the same way like Fric), is going to fulfill that dream and many others on this summer in a project he calls “My Poker Bucket List”.

Here is the list what Fric is planning on doing in Las Vegas:

# Take Doyle Brunson out for dinner
# Shoot craps with Phil Ivey
# Play Golden Tee, Wii, and Pool with Daniel Negreanu
# Win a hand in Bobby’s Room
# Have lunch with the Canadian heroes: Daniel, Brad, Gavin and Nenad and FBT
# Train MMA with Team Cardrunners and a UFC star
# Play a $10,000 hand of blackjack
# Have a drinking contest with Gavin Smith
# Go club hopping with Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Laak
# Play the main event
# Go to a gentlemen’s club with Layne Flack
# Drive cart for Patrick Antonius or David Benyamine in high stakes golf match
# Learn to pick up Asian women from Barry Greenstein
# Play a game of pickup basketball with Nenad, Grinder, Huck, J.C. and others
# Go suit shopping with Sammy Farha
# Get business advice from Eli Elezra and Howard Lederer
# Drink coronas with Scotty Nguyen
# Play Mike Matusow in a match play golf game
# Sweat $5,000 sportsbet with Erick Lindgren
# Spend an afternoon at the spa with Tom “Durrr” Dwan
# Play Chinese Poker with Poker Road crew Ali, Gavin, Joe, and Huff.
# Appear on Poker Road Radio
# ATV with the Poker Road Crew
# Cash in a WSOP event
# Ride in a Bugatti with Guy Laliberte
# Play Video Poker with Archie Karas
# Take a helicopter ride with Chris Moneymaker
# Go stockcar racing with Gus Hansen
# Take a balloon ride with Sam Grizzle
# Get Joel some female help
# Play Rock Band with Evelyn Ng
# Play blackjack with Andy Bloch
# Practice Yoga with Allen Cunningham
# Go out for an evening of swing dancing with Chris Ferguson
# Practice Buddhism with Andy Black
# Visit Fremont St. with Gabe Kaplan
# Meet the guy who got breast implants for a prop bet
# Get marriage advice from Norman Chad
# Have a smoke break with Eugene Todd
# Get publishing advice from Dan Harrington
# Host the world’s largest poker pro paintball game

Well, that is a long list to accomplish and he will need a lot of money to do all the stuff. Fric is planning on filming his trip and make a documentary about it afterwards and of course a book. But there are few problems in his plans:

1. I don’t know any of these people on a personal level and really don’t know how to begin.

2. I currently have a slight negative balance in my bank account, $30,000 in credit card debt, and less than $3,000 liquid cash.

3. I don’t know the first damn thing about writing a book or filming a documentary.

Mortgaging a house is a good start for making money. If you want to help Fric in this plan and find more information about him, check out the website of the Poker Bucket List and sign as a member for free.

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A Poker Pro Mortgages His Life For a Trip To Vegas!