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Face the Ace Lawsuit Dismissed in Nevada’s Eighth District Court
On Monday, Poker News Daily learned that the Eighth District Court in Nevada dismissed a lawsuit filed by Brandon McSmith, who claimed ownership of the idea for the NBC poker game show “Face the Ace.”
McSmith can now file an appeal or seek the intervention of a federal court. McSmith told Poker News Daily that while he was disappointed in the decision, he’s optimistic an appeal will be successful: “Judge Michelle Leavitt dismissed the case on the basis that I didn't state a claim. Leavitt has her fair share of appeals that have gone against her.”
McSmith purportedly created a show dubbed the “All Star Poker Challenge” in which five pros would take on contestants in a series of heads-up matches similar to the structure of “Face the Ace.” Each match was worth $2,000 in prize money and players who fought through all five pros would take home a trip to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. On “Face the Ace,” the top prize was $1 million and only three matches were held.
On why Leavitt may have dismissed his case, McSmith told Poker News Daily, “She didn't want to listen to any of the evidence before her. Under Nevada procedures, you state a claim that's plausible. I'm trying not to be negative, but it looked like it was stacked against me. I will either appeal it or file in federal court. It gives the FBI a little more time to investigate.”
The FBI became involved in the copyright infringement case late last week, when McSmith successfully contacted Arlo Devlin-Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Devlin-Brown was one of the primary forces behind a $30 million online poker funds seizure last July that affected more than 24,000 players. It’s speculated that Devlin-Brown’s interest in the case may stem from the involvement of Full Tilt Poker, which sponsored “Face the Ace” and lent its pros to the program. 2009 WSOP Main Event November Niner Phil Ivey was the series’ very first pro challenger.
Poker PROductions brought “Face the Ace” to life. The production company also creates new episodes of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” and NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and is headed by Mori Eskandani. On a timeline for his next move, McSmith forecasted, “I have my people working on it right now. It’ll be less than three weeks. We’re pulling everything together. I won't sit back and wait, but I want to make sure to cross my T’s and dot my I’s first. I'm not too worried about going to federal court. The big decision is if I want to get [Judge Leavitt's] decision overturned.”
McSmith sent a package to an FBI Special Agent containing hard copies of e-mails and other correspondence related to his claims to “Face the Ace.” The agent actually asked him why he didn’t file his copyright infringement case in federal court in the first place, an avenue that McSmith may now take. The plaintiff is a security worker at a casino in Las Vegas by trade.
“Face the Ace” debuted with a paltry 0.4 rating and a 2 share, equating to nearly 1.6 million viewers. It squared off against “America’s Most Wanted” on FOX, the Rachel McAdams movie “Red Eye” on ABC, and a re-run of “Numb3rs” on CBS, falling short in the ratings against all three programs. The series, which featured host Steve Schirripa of “The Sopranos” fame, has not yet been renewed for a second season. McSmith noted that despite the relative failure of the show, its worldwide syndication and being its creator make a lawsuit worthwhile.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest developments in the “Face the Ace” lawsuit.
High Stakes Poker: $1 Million Vegetarian Prop Bet Agreed To
Large pots were few and far between on Sunday night’s episode of the GSN series “High Stakes Poker.” Instead, a vegetarian prop bet between Full Tilt Poker pros Phil Ivey and Tom “durrrr” Dwan took center stage.
After being discussed non-stop for a half-hour of the 60-minute program, the vegetarian prop bet was finally agreed upon. Ultimately, Ivey would become a vegetarian for one year for $1 million. In a sit-down interview with “High Stakes Poker” hostess Kara Scott, Ivey told viewers, “I was thinking about doing it for a while, so this is an added incentive.” Dwan was confident that he’d win the bet, but nonetheless expressed a degree of doubt: “He’s got a lot of will power and he might go out and prove me wrong.” Any creature that moves is off limits for Ivey.
Back on the felts, Ivey proved why he’s one of the top names in the game by raising to $3,000 pre-flop with 7-2 and receiving four callers. The flop came 4-9-A with two hearts and Ivey put in a $12,000 continuation bet. Italian poker stud Dario Minieri, who held 10-8 of hearts, came along to see another ace hit the turn. Ivey bet out $30,000 and Minieri folded. “High Stakes Poker” host Gabe Kaplan commented, “Most players would turn over the 7-2 there, but not Phil Ivey.”
Then, Team PokerStars Pro front man Daniel Negreanu raised to $3,000 with 9-6 of hearts and Eli Elezra came along with 9-8 of diamonds. The flop came 10-5-7, giving both players straight draws, and Negreanu bet $5,500. Elezra pushed the action to $13,000 and Negreanu came along to see a king on the turn. Elezra checked and Negreanu accidentally exposed his nine while reaching for a stack of $100 bills. He promptly checked and an eight hit on the river, filling his straight. Negreanu bet $20,000 and Elezra tanked before folding. Negreanu told the table, “That was the weirdest hand I’ve ever played.”
Minieri was overly active throughout the episode and set the tone after Gus Hansen made it $3,500 pre-flop with A-8. Minieri, sensing weakness, made it $11,500 with A-9. Then, fireworks went of, as Hansen re-raised to $35,500 and Minieri shoved all-in for $213,000. Hansen quickly mucked, leaving Kaplan to remark, “That’s either a good read or a moment of insanity.” Negreanu would later try to force an all-in from Minieri when “Kid Poker” held pocket aces, but the Italian instead folded.
In one of the larger pots of the episode, which aired at 8:00pm ET on Sunday on GSN, Ivey raised to $3,000 with pocket eights, Negreanu called with A-7 of spades, and Dwan called with Q-J. The flop came A-J-4, and Ivey checked his pocket pair. Negreanu led out for $8,000 with top pair, while Dwan made the call with middle pair. Ivey got out of the way and a queen hit the turn to improve Dwan to two pair. Negreanu fired out a bet of $18,000 and Dwan called. The duo both checked a river five, shipping the $63,800 pot to Dwan.
In the final hand of the hour, Elezra raised to $3,000 with 9-7, Negreanu called with Q-9, and Dwan called with K-Q. The flop fell K-8-10 and Elezra put in a $7,200 continuation bet with an open-ended straight draw. Dwan came along with top pair to bring a jack on the turn, filling Eleza’s straight. However, with three spades now on the board, the action went check-check. The river was a six and Dwan bet $8,400. Elezra raised to $28,400 and Dwan released his hand.
Next time, four “High Stakes Poker” players get felted and an epic hand brews between Dwan and Ivey. New episodes of “High Stakes Poker” air on Sunday nights at 8:00pm ET on GSN.
FBI Joins Face the Ace Copyright Infringement Investigation
Recently, Poker News Daily brought you the story of Brandon McSmith, who had a lawsuit pending in the Eighth District Court in Nevada charging that Poker PROductions used his idea for the NBC poker game show “Face the Ace” without compensation. Now, the FBI has become involved in the case.
McSmith told Poker News Daily that he originally created a series dubbed the “All Star Poker Challenge,” which featured five pros taking on contestants in a series of five heads-up matches. Players would win $2,000 per match and, after their fifth win, would take home a seat in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. On “Face the Ace,” three matches were held, with a top prize of $1 million up for grabs.
McSmith explained that he’s been pursuing a copyright infringement claim in Nevada. Among those law enforcement officials he contacted was Arlo Devlin-Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. McSmith commented, “This week, the FBI got in touch with me twice and asked for all of the information. They’ll be launching an investigation of the copyright infringement charges.”
Back in July, the Southern District was behind a massive $30 million seizure of online poker funds destined for 24,000 players. Banks affected by Devlin-Brown’s actions included Citibank, Goldwater Bank, Alliance Bank of Arizona, and Wells Fargo. Major sites affected included Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars. McSmith explained, “They’re investigating everyone. An FBI Special Agent told me to forward everything to him. I read an article about Arlo Devlin-Brown freezing the assets of online payment processors. That’s why I chose to contact him.”
Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars reimbursed players for bounced checks and other payment issues at the time and in some cases issued a 10% bonus to offset any hassle. Meanwhile, McSmith continues to pursue his claims of ownership of “Face the Ace.” He told Poker News Daily, “At a certain point in time, you get tired of people lying about this. These guys knew I wanted to prosecute them. In order to prosecute a copyright infringement charge, you have to know you’re right. I’m not hiding anything. I put it out there and they’re on notice. The FBI is involved and my intent is to prosecute.”
Poker PROductions brings shows like “Face the Ace,” GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” and NBC’s “Poker After Dark” to life. Mori Eskandani is the leading man behind Poker PROductions, but according to McSmith, Eskandani has dismissed his claims. McSmith added, “They didn’t contact me. Everything they’ve said is ridiculous and it’s a lie. It’s documented in letters and e-mails.” Besides Poker PROductions, NBC and Full Tilt Poker, which sponsored the show, have been brought into the mix.
It remains to be seen if Devlin-Brown is interested in the case because of the involvement of Full Tilt Poker, the industry’s second largest site. McSmith sent e-mail correspondence and other materials to the FBI via Next Day Air on Thursday. He originally requested $85 million, but then realized that according to Nevada state law, damages over $10,000 do not require an exact dollar figure. McSmith lamented that the situation was not resolved sooner: “Everybody could have done the right thing on this and brought me in to settle it. These guys choose to conspire and lie. When they first started denying and lying about it, I wanted to get the Feds involved.
On the future steps in the process, McSmith remarked, “The first step was printing everything out and forwarding it to them. I sent it Next Day Air, so they probably won’t get it until this week. The FBI Agent also gave me his direct line.”
“Face the Ace” featured Full Tilt Poker pros and was largely a ratings flop. It debuted with a 0.4 rating and a 2 share, the equivalent of 1.59 million viewers. The series originally aired in a Saturday night time slot in August before shifting to the afternoon.
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New Poker Pair: Erick Lindgren and Erica Schoenberg
Not all the interesting news in the world of poker occurs at the tables or in the halls of government. Sometimes, it is simply people themselves that catch our attention. Case in point: the budding romance between Team Full Tilt member Erick Lindgren and fellow pro Erica Schoenberg.
Our friends over at PokerListings.com were the first to provide the evidence to the general poker public. At the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, Lindgren was spotted "railing Erica as she played deep in the LAPC main event," was the first to console her after she busted out, and most notably, they were seen kissing.
Schoenberg, a model turned poker pro, had previously formed half of one of poker's power couples, as she was once engaged to recent PartyPoker Premier League IV champion and "High Stakes Poker" fixture David Benyamine. Their relationship was one of the central themes of the September 6th, 2009 episode of G4TV's "2 Months, 2 Million," a show in which four online poker pros - Dani Stern, Jay Rosenkrantz, Brian Roberts, and Emil Patel - lived together in Las Vegas and attempted to win $2 million playing poker in two months. Rosenkrantz, one of the founders of the poker coaching site DeucesCracked.com, had once played Benyamine online when, to his disappointment, Benyamine left for a higher stakes table. Upset about the apparent "hit and run," Rosenkrantz berated Benyamine in the chat box, calling him a "fish." Schoenberg then proceeded to stand by her man, calling Rosenkrantz "just a typical NL a**-clown" in her blog.
In the "2 Months, 2 Million" episode, Rosenkrantz saw Schoenberg at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Pool and reached out to mend fences. The two let bygones be bygones and Schoenberg set up a time for the two men to play heads-up online. Benyamine ended up winning $60,000 from Rosenkrantz.
The details behind the Schoenberg/Benyamine break-up are not known, but their relationship was rumored to have ended in October.
Schoenberg's new companion is no step down at the poker tables. Lindgren has won two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles and was named WPT Player of the Year in 2004. In 2008, he finally earned his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, capping a fantastic WSOP in which he made three final tables, cashed five times, and was named 2008 Player of the Year. On the live tournament circuit, Lindgren ranks 22nd on the all-time money list.
Schoenberg, while perhaps best known for being one of the most attractive poker players in the industry, is no slouch on the felts, either. Even though she is relatively new to the game, she has three six-figure tournament cashes. The first was for a 16th place at the 2006 $25,000 WPT Championship ($117,165) followed by a victory in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em event at the 2007 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship ($105,875). Her largest cash to date is $261,646, earned by placing third in a $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event at the 2007 WSOP.
Poker In Twitter: Winter Olympics Wrapup, WPT LAPC, and a New Hostess For Poker2Nite
With the advent of the world of Twitter, people can fill you in on their lives in quick, 140-character bursts. Poker’s royalty have taken to the medium to inform their fans of their latest activities as well as their views on different issues. Poker News Daily continually tracks these Tweets to let you know what the latest buzz is in the poker community.
Last weekend, poker players were torn between performing their jobs on the felt and following the end of the Winter Olympics. Of particular interest to many was the gold medal hockey game between the favored Canadian national team and the upstart Team USA. A week prior to the game Sunday, the Americans had surprised the Canadians by defeating them 5-3 in pool play and the gold medal match – which was also the last medal awarded at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver – was a chance at redemption for the boys from the Great White North.
As the game began on Sunday, poker players announced their allegiances across the Twitterverse. Unlike many who watched the gold medal game on television, poker player Terrence Chan was one of the fortunate who saw the game live at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver. “Sec 120 row 4 seat 106. Ten feet from (Canadian goalie Roberto) Luongo,” Chan Tweeted prior to the start of action, drawing a reaction of, “So jealous you’re there,” from fellow pro Shaun Deeb. Lining up on the Americans’ side were poker players such as Deeb, Eric Mizrachi, and Joe Sebok, while the Canadians held a rooting section that included Chan, Brad “Yukon” Booth, and Isabelle Mercier.
As the game played out, Tweets flew nearly as fast as the pucks and Canada moved out to a 2-0 lead. Playing in the L.A. Poker Classic at the time, UB.com pro Annie Duke took the time to jokingly Tweet, “LOL! I'm a little surprised team USA can't find a goalie fat enough to block the entire net.” The Americans grinded their way back and, with less than 30 seconds to go in the game, tied the score at 2-2. Even L.A. Poker Classic tournament director Matt Savage was sidetracked by the gold medal game as he Tweeted, “Tournament room @LAPokerClassic went crazy when USA tied the game 2-2. @RealKidPoker (Daniel Negreanu) not happy!”
As the sudden death overtime period played out, many of the top names in poker were on pins and needles as the game continued. “High Stakes Poker” hostess Kara Scott alluded to this when she Tweeted, “Ugh, so tense with the Hockey. Come on CANADA.” After Canada’s Sidney Crosby slipped the game winner past Team USA’s Ryan Miller almost eight minutes into overtime, the victorious Canadian poker players/fans had much to say. “Yaaaaaaaaa!!!! What a game. Canada continues to reign supreme on the ice. Oh that was so awesome!,” Daniel Negreanu fired out over the Twitterscape after the win. “Poker2Nite” host Scott Huff was less than impressed when he Tweeted, “Oh come on. Canada celebrating winning the gold in hockey is like me celebrating paying my bills on time.”
Poker’s best also found some time to play in the L.A. Poker Classic while the Winter Olympics were wrapping up. Duke, who played deep into the WPT championship tournament, noted in her Tweet, “HowardHLederer just got drawn to my table. Luckily he's on my right lol.” Adam “Roothlus” Levy admired the chip stacking skills of Full Tilt’s Carlos Mortensen in his Tweet and accented it with a picture, saying, “Carlos Mortensen's stack. He should be an architect. Such vision.”
Negreanu lamented his table on Sunday when he Tweeted, “Brutal seat @lapokerclassic Steve Sung on my right Carlos Mortensen on my left, and to his left the guy who crushed me yesterday.” The table must have been difficult, as soon after “Kid Poker” came back and Tweeted, “Very disappointed on how I played the last hand. Going to cool off by chilling in LA for a bit. Weather is awesome. Should have shoved!” The pros didn’t do badly during the LAPC WPT Main Event, with Negreanu cashing in 66th place, Duke dropping out in 19th place, and Sung and Mortensen falling short of the WPT final table in eighth and ninth place, respectively.
On the lighter side of Twitter, players Lacey Jones and Alex Outhred bantered about Outhred potentially having to sit in for Jones on “Poker2Nite.” With Jones facing flight delays in Canada and potentially missing the taping of the popular poker show, Outhred volunteered to take her place. “@Poker2Nite get me a wig, razor, man-spanx, and make-up. I think I could double for @LaceyJones,” Alex Tweeted to the producers. Lacey was quick to fire back, “@alexpokerguy Ur a life saver. But don't forget to stuff your bra! Haha.”
Twitter continues to provide entertainment for millions around the world and the poker community just makes it better. Poker News Daily follows poker in Twitter and adds to the enjoyment itself. Be sure to follow @pokernewsdaily on your Twitter account for all the latest news and information from the world of poker.
Tags: Annie Duke, Canada, canadian, Daniel Negreanu, high stakes, kara scott, poker player, poker show, skill, tournament, usa
A.J. Benza Levels About High Stakes Poker
“High Stakes Poker” Season 6 is currently underway on cable station GSN. One notable difference from the first five seasons is the absence of commentator A.J. Benza, who was let go in favor of bringing on floor reporter Kara Scott. Poker News Daily sat down with Benza to get his take on the show’s sixth cycle, which airs on Sundays at 8:00pm ET.
Poker News Daily: What are your thoughts on the sixth season of “High Stakes Poker,” which kicked off on February 14th on GSN?
A.J. Benza: I saw the premiere. When Gabe Kaplan was speaking, I was sitting on my couch and making the same comments I would have if we were taping it. I called Gabe and said it was different. He’s one of the best commentators of our time and I’m lucky to have been with him for five seasons. I missed that most of all - we had a lot of chemistry from being from the same neighborhood in Brooklyn.
I wish I could speak to GSN about why they did what they did. When I got the call that they were going another direction, I was more than mildly upset, not to mention financially upset. I knew it wasn’t a money thing and you can’t help but take it to heart. I said the show wouldn’t be the same. Nothing against Kara Scott, but you fall into the mold of the other shows.
I know that the ratings [for “High Stakes Poker” Season 6] aren’t what they were. It doesn’t mean that I’m the best guy to have in your poker studio, but it means that Gabe and I had a chemistry that worked. The only problem with having a floor reporter is that it’s like having a sideline reporter in a football game. It’s hard to stick a microphone in someone’s face and ask them how they feel after they’ve gotten felted or lost $200,000. GSN knew they were doing something controversial, but I don’t think they understood how controversial it was until the show aired.
PND: How did “High Stakes Poker” change your broadcasting and media career?
A.J. Benza: When I was a journalist in New York, I was always doing television appearances. I came out to L.A. for a show on the E! Network called “Mysteries and Scandals” and that put me on the map in Hollywood as an on-air personality. I hosted a few other shows in Hollywood and was fortunate in that respect. By the same token, network executives step in and try to do things different ways. It taught me a lesson – that’s showbiz. It’s like the phrase “That’s poker.”
PND: What about the first five seasons of “High Stakes Poker” stands out the most and why?
A.J. Benza: I’ve gambled all my life on football and go to Las Vegas a lot. I never saw men and women that could be down a few hundred thousand dollars without any perspiration at all. I have a huge amount of respect for them. They’re all immensely talented. There is so much to learn about poker. It’s brutal, it’s messy, it’s very mathematical, and it’s a nasty game, but you have to be a gentleman about it.
PND: What’s next on your agenda?
A.J. Benza: I’m writing a screenplay. This all happened in the middle of me writing a book, so now I am balancing that as well. There are a few radio personalities doing things with me and I’m doing a play out in Hollywood. I’ve been busy.
PND: We’ve had a tidal wave of comments from PND readers calling for your return to “High Stakes Poker.” Is it flattering to see that kind of support from the poker community?
A.J. Benza: It’s beyond words. I didn’t know anything about high-stakes poker when I started. From reading TwoPlusTwo and other forums, poker players hated me at first. Gabe was off and running and I didn’t know much more than flop, turn, and river. Once I knew the game to an extent, I wanted to stay true to the guy at home who doesn’t know everything about poker. I wanted to be the armchair quarterback who asked the questions and let Gabe take it from there.
Blog – swings and roundabouts. Mostly swings
Tags: high stakes
Dwan vs. South: The $1.2 Million Dollar Day
Ever since his massive string of losses to Isildur1 in late 2009, Dwan's online results have been inconsistent at best, leading many skeptics to believe he no longer had what it takes to beat the biggest games online.
In a mid December interview with PokerListings Dwan seemed confident and unfazed by his negative results, addressing his skeptics who had been anonymously flaming him across multiple poker forums.
"It hasn't been the best year," he said. "But if anyone doesn't think that it's a downswing then they are welcome to cross book me in any game I play in. That's all I have to say."
It's beginning to look like Dwan was telling the truth, stealing fifth spot on the 2010 high stakes leaderboard last night after taking a massive bite out of South, the year's top performer so far.
South, who had been leading all high-stakes comers with $3.5 million in profit, lost a total of $1.2 million yesterday across two sessions, one in the early morning and the other late last night.
Out of the $1.2 million, Dwan is responsible for over $800k, won mostly playing heads-up Pot Limit Omaha.
Last night's heads-up match on Full Tilt came after Dwan lost $156,386 playing $200/$400 Cap-PLO, and South dumped $25,418 from a variety of PLO games.
The two moved to $200/$400 heads-up PLO where Dwan proceeded to crush South for $457,852 over a 668-hand session.
The largest pot of the session came in at over $130k after both players got it all in with straight draws and over-pairs. Even though South led on the flop with a pair of kings, one of Dwan's many outs came through on the river as he spiked a nine for the nut straight.
The two-hour heads-up session would be the last hands either player would play on the day.
Below are three of the largest pots of the match. To view more high-stakes online hands, head to MarketPulse.
Visit PokerListings.com
Erick Lindgren is with David Benyamine’s ex-girlfriend?
Erica Schoenberg, who has been single for a while, is rumored to have a new man. Of course he’s another poker professional, the two-time WPT winner Erick Lindgren.
Lindgren and Schoenberg were seen having some intimate moments at the LAPC Main Event where Lindgren was railing Erica, who actually lasted longer in the tournament. E-dog offered his resorting shoulder after Schoenberg was eliminated.
There’s not any proper news about the couple, but it seems that Schoenberg has indeed found another high profile poker professional by her side. Schoenberg’s former boyfriend was the high stakes player David Benyamine.
Source: Pokerlistings
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Antonio Esfandiari Interview with Poker News Daily
Poker News Daily: You’ve had a couple of sponsorship deals in the past, but you are generally known as one of the top unsigned players. What prompted you to settle down with Victory Poker?
Antonio Esfandiari: Well, there was no right fit for me. I was with Ultimate Bet many years ago. That was cool, but I’m glad that I wasn’t with them when the whole [cheating scandal] went down. I had nothing to do with that.
Then I was with World Poker Tour (WPT) because I was their one and only main guy. I didn’t want to be on a team with a bunch of other pros. Like Full Tilt has a gazillion pros and I didn’t want to be just another guy. So I was kind of holding out for another opportunity and then Victory came along and it was a perfect fit. It’s all my buddies. Dan [Fleyshman] and I have known each other for years and he is a great businessman; when he told me about it I was super interested and here we are. We’ll see where it goes.
PND: What do you think sets Victory Poker apart from the other online poker rooms out there?
Esfandiari: Our software is really good, our artwork is great. The guys in operations who are behind it know what they’re doing, so I think we’re going to stand out on that front. We’re not trying to be Full Tilt or Poker Stars. We’re just trying to get in there and make some sort of a splash. I think we have a certain draw to us that other sites don’t.
PND: The site is really big on the lifestyle of pro poker players. Do you think that is part of the draw?
Esfandiari: Sure. My lifestyle is basically living in Vegas, going out, being social. Now they want to just film all that and create traffic to the site and I’m okay with that. If you want to put a camera on my life, go ahead.
PND: What kind of stuff have they filmed so far?
Esfandiari: Us going out, us betting on everything. A lot of random stuff. The other day I put on a bulletproof vest and got shot with a real gun. We blew up an RV.
PND: Let’s go back to you getting shot. How did that end up happening?
Esfandiari: My friend Dan “Blitz” Bilzerian, a sponsored pro as well, is a sicko. At his house, he had a bulletproof vest on the ground and he took a gun and shot it. I was like “I can’t believe you just shot that thing in your house.” He’s like, “it’s bulletproof.” I said, “So, if I wear it, it’s ok right?” He’s like, “Absolutely!” He’s a former Navy SEAL so he’d love to shoot me. I’m like, “Alright.” So I put on the bulletproof vest and he shot me.
PND: Was this part of a bet or just curiosity on your part?
Esfandiari: It was just curiosity. I didn’t always want to get shot, but I was like, “Hey, may as well get shot.”
PND: You took part in Victory’s high stakes cash game at the Hard Rock Casino. How did that go for you?
Esfandiari: Not so well. I got punished.
PND: Who were the big winners?
Esfandiari: Alan Meltzer and Bob Wright.
PND: We’ve been asking the other Victory Poker Pros what kind of car they’re going to buy off Craig’s List for your upcoming demolition derby in the desert. Have you picked out a car yet?
Esfandiari: No, I’ve actually never been on Craig’s List, so I don’t even know where to start. I’m not very internet-friendly. I did do a demolition derby before with Phil Laak for “I Bet You” though.
PND: Do you think that you’ll have the advantage come derby-time then?
Esfandiari: I think I’m going to win anything I do. Always positive thinking.
Jason Mercier Joins High Stakes Poker Cast
The third episode of Season 6 of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” aired on Sunday night at 8:00pm ET. Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier joined the set and Daniel Negreanu pushed all-in, but ultimately chopped the pot.
Two players had gone broke in the first two episodes, as UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth and Andreas Hoivold each dropped $200,000. The latter’s seat remained empty as Sunday night’s “High Stakes Poker” kicked off, but Mercier soon joined the fray. “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan commented on Mercier’s appearance: “He looks more like a swimmer to me than a poker player.”
While Mercier was busy stacking his pile of $100 bills, he picked up pocket twos and raised to $5,500. Tom “durrrr” Dwan came over the top to $19,200 with A-3 and Mercier folded. Curiosity began to build as to what Mercier had, with Eli Elezra laying 3:1 odds that the newcomer held a better hand than Dwan. Victory Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari and others at the table took Elezra up on his bet, with Mercier later admitting that he had pocket deuces, setting up what would have been a coin flip.
2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey tangled with Danish poker superstar Gus Hansen, who raised to $5,600 pre-flop with A-K. Ivey made the call with pocket eights and the flop came 5-J-J. Ivey check-called a $6,800 bet from Hansen to bring another five on the turn. Ivey once again check-called a bet from the Dane, this time $13,200, and a seven hit on the river. The action went check-check and Ivey scooped the $54,000 pot. He entered the episode up more than $250,000.
In the episode’s second largest pot, Hansen raised to $4,200 pre-flop with 6-4 of spades, Dwan made the call with A-6 of clubs, and Elezra came along with K-8 of hearts. With each player holding suited cards, the flop came K-9-3, giving Elezra top pair. He checked the action to Hansen, who bet $9,900. Dwan got out of the way and Elezra called to bring another three on the turn. Elezra check-called a bet of $25,500 and an ace hit on the river. Elezra once again checked the best hand, Hansen fired out a third bullet to the tune of $62,200, and Elezra insta-called.
The pot totaled $209,800 and after it panned out, Hansen sat down with “High Stakes Poker” floor reporter Kara Scott to relive the hand. On the failed triple barrel bluff, he explained, “I stuck to my plan, which from the beginning was okay, but in the end with the cards on the board was horrible.” Hansen left the table after the hand was over and did not return for the duration of the episode.
Then, it was Negreanu’s turn to take center stage. After being active throughout much of the hour-long show, he raised to $3,000 pre-flop with 9-7 of diamonds and Dwan made it $11,200 after picking up pocket queens. Ivey came along with pocket eights and Negreanu called. The flop came 4-9-J, giving Negreanu middle pair, and Dwan made an $18,200 continuation bet with his overpair. Ivey folded and Negreanu moved all-in for $88,400. Dwan quickly called and the pair agreed to run the board twice.
The first board filled out 2-J, giving Dwan half of the pot. On the second board, an ace hit the turn, but Negreanu spiked a five-outer on the river when a nine fell. The $212,200 pot, the largest of the night, was chopped as a result.
Two vignettes appeared during Sunday’s installment. “30 Seconds with Kara Scott” focused on the competitors’ most memorable winning sessions. Meanwhile, the PokerStars-sponsored “Did You Know” discussed the five-month marathon poker session between Johnny Moss and Nick “The Greek” Dandolos. Both were charter inductees into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Next week on “High Stakes Poker,” Dario Minieri gets aggressive and Negreanu stumps Elezra. The cash game franchise airs at 8:00pm ET on Sunday nights on GSN.
High Stakes Poker hostess Kara Scott returns to Irish Open
Peter Eastgate, Scott Seiver Reach NAPT Bounty Shootout Final Table
Scott Seiver stormed through the competition on Day 1 of the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) $25,000 High-Roller Bounty Shootout at the Venetian. Seiver ousted all six opponents at his starting table to move on to Day 2.
Seiver collected a $5,000 bounty for each player knocked out, or $30,000 total. In addition, his appearance at Thursday’s final table in the $25,000 buy-in event is worth another $75,000. All told, he’s a very happy camper heading into the finale, which will air as part of ESPN2’s coverage of the NAPT beginning in April. Seiver didn’t knock out a bunch of amateurs, either. Instead, he defeated Betfair pro Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi heads-up. Also a victim of Seiver’s bloodbath was Season 7 World Poker Tour (WPT) Festa al Lago winner Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier.
Seiver sent Team PokerStars Pro member and “High Stakes Poker” regular Barry Greenstein to the rails first, followed by Victory Poker front man Antonio Esfandiari, cash game specialist Chau Giang, and online poker pro Brian “tsarrast” Rast. Seiver won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in 2008, when he took down a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event for $755,000.
Joe Cassidy defeated Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo heads-up at Table 1 to move on to Thursday’s finale. Cassidy knocked out four of his six opponents, including reigning WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko, Bodog poker pro David Williams, and Unabomber Poker namesake Phil Laak. Cassidy finished 13th in the inaugural $50,000 HORSE Championship during the 2006 WSOP for $137,000. Also eliminated from Table 1 were “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok and Tommy Vedes.
2008 WSOP Main Event champ Peter Eastgate emerged victorious from Table 2. Eastgate defeated fellow young gun Isaac Haxton heads-up to collect his $5,000 bounty. Haxton sent Alec “traheho” Torelli and poker bad boy Tony G packing in third and fourth places, respectively, to give Eastgate a run for his money. The table also featured James Calderaro, Italian stud Dario Minieri, and WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic winner Daniel Alaei.
Ashton Griffin outlasted 2003 WSOP Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker at Table 3 to advance. Moneymaker eliminated fellow Main Event champion Joe Cada along with Hasan Habib and Jason Mercier before Griffin took out the former Tennessee accountant. Griffin finished 12th in the 2009 WSOP Europe £5,000 Pot Limit Omaha tournament for £15,000.
Over at Table 4, Brett Richey defeated three consecutive players down the stretch for the win, including Victory Poker’s Lee Markholt. Richey also sent Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond home in third place and Andrew “good2cu” Robl out in fourth. Markholt, meanwhile, eliminated rumored new DoylesRoom Brunson 10 member Alex “AJKHoosier1” Kamberis and poker veteran John “World” Hennigan.
An epic battle between Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka and UB.com’s Annie Duke unfolded at Table 5, with the former finally reigning supreme. Jaka busted four players from his table, including Jennifer Tilly, Vanessa Rousso, and 2006 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event winner J.C. Tran. Oddly enough, only three women competed in the 49-player event; all of them were seated at the same table and eliminated by Jaka. You can check out Annie Duke’s evaluation of Jaka’s poker game.
Finally, DoylesRoom pro Hoyt Corkins, fresh off of taking down the WPT Southern Poker Championship in Biloxi, bested European Poker Tour (EPT) founder John Duthie at Table 7 to move on to the finale. Corkins amassed five bounties in the process, including Adam Richardson, Hevad “RaiNKhaN” Khan, 2004 WSOP Main Event champ Greg Raymer, and Steven Paul-Ambrose (who now goes as Steven Paul).
PokerStars is awarding $100,000 to the player with the most number of bounties when the tournament concludes. As it currently stands, Seiver leads the way with six and Corkins has five. Cassidy and Jaka each own four bounties.
The tournament resumes at Noon PT on Thursday, as all eyes today are focused on the Main Event of the NAPT Venetian. The winner of the Bounty Shootout will earn $460,000 in addition to the $75,000 reward for making the final table.
Høivold’s Experience
"I had the honor of playing in what probably is the best poker game ever assembled," he told PokerListings. "I don't regret anything."
The Ladbrokes sponsored pro lasted just two episodes of the increasingly popular cash game show, dumping the last of the $200,000 he bought in for when he called all in on the turn holding A♥ Q♣ on a queen-high board against Full Tilt's Gus Hansen.
Unfortunately for Høivold, Hansen held a raggedy two pair and despite running the river twice, it held.
Outside of that hand, Høivold said he simply couldn't catch anything. Looking back now he is at least a little disappointed he didn't try to mix it up more.
"I was completely card dead and didn't flop a pair during the 4-5 hours I played," he said. "But I should have played better and more aggressively."
Like Phil Hellmuth on this season of HSP, Hoivold left his seat after losing a single $200k buy-in, choosing not to rebuy.
But that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be back for more.
"I will probably have the chance if I want to," he said. "Time will tell if I take it or not. It all depends on what happens with poker in the future, not the least financially."
High Stakes Poker airs Sunday's at 8 p.m. on GSN.
- With files from Erik Pedersen
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Blog - online tournament special/High Stakes Poker
NBC Heads-Up Field Released
Familiar faces like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson will be back to compete in the bracket-style head-to-head format for $1.5 million in combined prize money Mar. 5-7.
Plus, several newcomers including PokerListings Blogger and Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier, 2009 World Series of Poker champion Joe Cada, 2009 WSOP Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon, and High Stakes Poker host Kara Scott will be in the field of 64 trying to take down last year's champ Huck Seed.
"The lineup of competitors for this year's event is the best yet," said Jon Miller, executive vice president of NBC Sports.
"Continually bringing together the best of the best to compete in this unique format has made the National Heads-Up Poker Championship one of the most anticipated poker events of the year."
The event will be taped for broadcast on NBC over six consecutive Sundays in April and May.
The first round opponents for the brackets will be chosen at random during the GoDaddy.com Draw Party held at PURE Nightclub at Caesars Palace Mar. 4.
Below is a list of the entire 64-player field less seven spaces for online qualifiers.
Patrick Antonius Eric Baldwin Andy Bloch Doyle Brunson
Joe Cada Johnny Chan Don Cheadle Allen Cunningham
Pieter De-Korver Annie Duke Tom Dwan Peter Eastgate
Eli Elezra Antonio Esfandiari Sam Farha Chris Ferguson
Ted Forrest Jamie Gold Phil Gordon Barry Greenstein
Bertrand Grospellier Joe Hachem Gus Hansen Jennifer Harman
Phil Hellmuth Orel Hershiser Jesper Hougaard Phil Ivey
John Juanda Gabe Kaplan J.P. Kelly Phil Laak
Howard Lederer Erick Lindgren Mike Matusow Jason Mercier
Dario Minieri Chris Moneymaker Darvin Moon Greg Mueller
Daniel Negreanu Scotty Nguyen Annette Obrestad Brock Parker
Dennis Phillips Greg Raymer Vanessa Rousso Kara Scott
Huck Seed Erik Seidel Mike Sexton Gavin Smith
Jennifer Tilly Paul Wasicka David Williams Leo Wolpert
Jerry Yang
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High Stakes Poker, Season 6, Episode 2: A High Stakes Funeral
William Thorson didn’t want to play in High Stakes Poker
Swedish William Thorson, who has cashed over 2,3 million dollars from live tournaments, got an invite to play in High Stakes Poker but he refused the honor.
Thorson told about the invitation during the PokerStars.tv live broadcast of the EPT Copenhagen final table.
He thinks he is not good enough cash game player in NL Hold’em so that he could sit at the same table with Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius or Tom Dwan.
But he is intrigued to play Omaha against the top pros. But who is the best Omaha player? Thorson says that the best PLO player is Ilari Sahamies.
Source: PokerStars.tv
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Andreas Hoivold Goes Broke on High Stakes Poker
Two episodes of “High Stakes Poker” Season 6 have aired and two players have already dropped $200,000. Last week, UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth went busto on the popular GSN cash game show. This week, that distinction belonged to Ladbrokes pro Andreas Hoivold.
As Sunday night’s episode of “High Stakes Poker” began, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey was up $300,000, while Hoivold was down $90,000. Ivey picked up right where he left off, being selectively aggressive. With a board reading J-4-A-4-9 with two spades, Ivey bet $25,000 with just K-2 and Tom “durrrr” Dwan folded Q-10 of spades for busted flush and straight draws. Then, Dwan raised to $3,300 pre-flop with K-J and Ivey pumped it to $15,000 with just 5-2. The action folded around and “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan noted, “Phil Ivey right now is in the zone.”
Dwan held pocket kings and raised to $3,200 pre-flop, while Hoivold made the call with pocket fours. The action was checked down to the river, with the board filling out A-9-5-K-Q. Dwan led out for $5,700 with a set and Hoivold called, telling “High Stakes Poker” sideline reporter Kara Scott that he called in order to extract information about Dwan’s hand. Kaplan called $5,700 a hefty price to pay for information.
In a hand that showed the power of Ivey’s presence, the Full Tilt Poker pro raised to $3,000 pre-flop with Q-8. Daniel Negreanu called with A-4, including the ace of clubs, and Dwan came along with J-10. The flop came 2-4-J with two clubs. Ivey led out for $17,000 and both opponents called to see the nine of clubs fall on the turn, putting three of the suit on the board. Ivey bet $23,000, Negreanu called with the nut flush draw, and Dwan got out of the way, bringing the ace of hearts on the river. Ivey checked and Negreanu checked right behind despite holding aces-up, bringing the following comment from Kaplan: “That’s the Phil Ivey effect. He did not want Ivey to come over the top and raise it. He wouldn’t know what to do.”
Eli Elezra, who has appeared on all six seasons of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” joined the table to fill Hellmuth’s spot, telling Scott, “I don’t care if it’s a tough lineup or an easy lineup. I like to play.” He quickly tangled with PokerStars pro Dario Minieri, who held pocket eights and raised it up to $3,000. Elezra called with Q-10 and the flop came Q-7-7. Minieri made a $4,500 continuation bet and Elezra called. The turn was a five, prompting an $11,500 bet from Minieri. Elezra once again called to bring an eight on the river, giving Minieri a boat. The Italian checked, trying to set a trap for Elezra, but the wily poker veteran wisely checked behind.
With the board reading 3-10-6-Q with two hearts, Danish poker superstar Gus Hansen led out with 6-3 for $11,100 and Dwan called with Q-4. Hoivold, holding A-Q for top pair, made his move and raised to $50,000. Hansen, holding bottom two pair, pushed all-in, Dwan folded, and Hoivold called with his chip stack on the line. The duo agreed to run it twice, with the winner of each river scooping half of the pot. The first river was a nine, giving Hansen 50% of the $190,000 pot. The second river was an eight and Hoivold was busto.
New episodes of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” air on Sunday nights at 8:00pm ET. Next week, 2009 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year Jason Mercier enters the fray, while Negreanu and Dwan build a massive pot when one goes all-in.
Tags: 2009, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, high stakes, kara scott, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, pokerstars, WSOP
Otis Hincks Leads WPT Celebrity Invitational After Day 1
The busy weekend of poker includes the World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Invitational, which is emanating from the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. Day 1 of the invite-only event took place on Saturday.
Otis Hincks came out on top after one day of play, holding a stack of 242,000 chips as Day 2 kicked off on Sunday. NFL Network personality Rich Eisen owns the second largest stack at 215,500. When play kicked off today, Eisen, a former ESPN anchor, was seated at Table 16 alongside Andrew Franklin, two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Jeff Madsen, John Kevin Hughes, Farrell Hinkle, David Hutchinson, UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle, Michael Mellon, and Amir Ghazvinian.
WPT Founder Steve Lipscomb was one of the final eliminations of the evening on Saturday. Lipscomb ran A-J into Victory Poker pro Sara Underwood’s A-K in the mogul’s final hand. A total of 567 players entered the 2010 WPT Celebrity Invitational, which will air as part of Season 8 of the WPT on Fox Sports Net. Play on Saturday brought the field all the way down to 161, with Danial Cordi serving as the tournament’s short stack at 7,500.
Facing elimination on Saturday, “The Simpsons” co-creator Sam Simon was all-in with J-9 against two other players. Miraculously, the flop came 7-8-10, giving Simon the nuts and tripling up his stack. However, he did not reach Sunday’s action. Simon briefly competed on Season 5 of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” but abruptly departed in the middle of an episode. Simon finished 329th in the 2007 WSOP Main Event for $39,000.
In the waning moments of Saturday, Unabomber Poker pro Phil Laak doubled up through industry veteran Jay “WhoJedi” Newnum. Laak pushed pre-flop with K-10 and Newnum made the call with A-J of diamonds. Newnum’s hand was sitting pretty until the river, when a king peeled off to give Laak a pair. Laak finished the day with 99,500 chips, while Newnum ended up with 41,500, good for 106th overall.
To kick off play on Saturday, UB.com “Poker2Nite” co-hosts Scott Huff and Joe Sebok were ironically seated next do each other at Table 10. The duo was part of the largest WPT Celebrity Invitational field in history, as this year’s grid of 567 entrants blew away last year’s tally of 433, an increase of 31%. It is unknown when “Poker2Nite” Season 2 will air on Fox Sports Net.
One of the first eliminations on Day 2 on Sunday was “The Notebook” director Nick Cassavetes, who finished fifth in the Season 5 version of this tournament. Cassavetes, who has also appeared on “High Stakes Poker,” served as a director for “My Sister’s Keeper,” “Alpha Dog,” and “John Q” in addition to his work on "The Notebook." Eliminated shortly thereafter was “Desperate Housewives” actress Teri Hatcher, who chopped pots with pocket tens and A-K before bowing out of the Season 8 WPT Celebrity Invitational. Hatcher held the 90th largest chip stack when play kicked off.
Entering this afternoon’s action on Day 2, here’s how the top 10 chip stacks looked:
1. Otis Hincks - 242,000
2. Rich Eisen - 215,500
3. Scott Vener - 185,000
4. David Marshall - 185,000
5. Kirk Acevedo - 163,500
6. Greg Gayheart - 161,000
7. Will "The Thrill" Failla - 159,000
8. Colin Cooley - 159,000
9. Bob Safai - 150,000
10. Matt Brady - 148,500
Other notable names who survived to Day 2 included:
15. Jeff Madsen - 126,000
24. David Ortiz - 108,500
32. Phil Laak - 99,500
43. Trishelle Cannatella - 86,500
50. Matt Glantz - 80,000
51. Lacey Jones - 78,500
65. Ricki Lake - 69,000
66. Roy Winston - 69,000
69. Erik Seidel - 66,000
76. Eric Dane - 61,000
97. Liv Boeree - 45,000
104. Tiffany Michelle - 42,000
113. Sara Underwood - 39,500
119. Jack McClelland - 36,500
122. Prahlad Friedman - 35,000
149. Marsha Waggoner - 20,000
153. Todd Brunson - 17,500
155. Jennifer Tilly - 16,500
Sunday will see the field trimmed from 161 players to just six. Then, the final table of the WPT Celebrity Invitational will play out on March 3rd and be filmed for television. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WPT coverage.
Sahamies knocks out Brian Hastings - Wins $722k
Ilari Sahamies and Brian Hastings have been playing against each other countless times on Full Tilt Poker’s high stakes tables. Yesterday they clashed heads up yet again and Ziigmund crushed his Hastings.
Hastings & Ziigmund
Sahamies wins the biggest pot of the session, $426k
Sahamies makes a great call on river:
Full Tilt Poker $300/$600 Pot Limit Omaha Hi $100 Ante – 2 players
Brian Hastings (BB): $128297.50
Ziigmund (BTN/SB): $680069.00
Pre Flop: ($1100.00)
Ziigmund raises to $2000, Brian Hastings calls $1400
Flop: ($4200.00) Ad 6c 5d (2 players)
Brian Hastings checks, Ziigmund bets $4200, Brian Hastings raises to $16800, Ziigmund calls $12600
Turn: ($37800.00) 2s (2 players)
Brian Hastings bets $37800, Ziigmund calls $37800
River: ($113400.00) 6s (2 players)
Brian Hastings bets $7159
7.50 all in, Ziigmund requests TIME, Ziigmund calls $71597.50
Final Pot: $256595.00
Brian Hastings shows Qd 7d 8s 7c (two pair, Sevens and Sixes)
Ziigmund shows 5s 9d Tc As (two pair, Aces and Sixes)
Ziigmund wins $256594.50
(Rake: $0.50)
Ilari has a nice stack after the session:
Ziigmund: y0
Brian Hastings: eh gonna call it quits i guess
Brian Hastings: gg wp
Ziigmund: nono
Ziigmund: lets play
Ziigmund: ok?
Brian Hastings: well i already stopped once cuz i didnt wanna 1 table
Brian Hastings: i got stuff to do anyway
Ziigmund: lets play 2table
Ziigmund: ok?
Brian Hastings: na im done
Brian Hastings: we’ll play soon
Brian Hastings: gg
Source: Highstakesdb
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Petition to Bring Back A.J. Benza to High Stakes Poker Gains Steam
The current season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” is off to a flying start, with one important change. Prior to the recording of the program in Las Vegas last November, longtime host A.J. Benza was dropped in favor of having analyst Gabe Kaplan run solo in the booth and veteran poker announcer Kara Scott interviewing players from the floor. This has led to a petition to return Benza to the program.
An online petition to bring Benza back to the popular cash game show is currently garnering a great deal of support from its fans. To many viewers, “High Stakes Poker,” which is now in its sixth season, was a program that didn’t need any changes to make it more appealing. Furthermore, the idea of following the trend of other poker shows - which normally have a female hostess who interacts with players or commentators - was something that many viewers didn’t want to see happen, especially at the cost of Benza being in the booth.
At this point, over 400 people have stated in a thread on TwoPlusTwo that they have signed the petition for Benza’s return or sent their opinions to GSN. In a poll regarding the decision, almost 600 people responded overwhelmingly (nearly 9:1) against the dismissal of Benza, even though Scott is a highly respected broadcaster in her own right. Scott has extensive broadcasting experience on the European Poker Tour (EPT) and currently can be seen on ESPN's production of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe. The general mood of the crowd regarding the change at “High Stakes Poker” seemed to be “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The comments indicate that the dismissal of Benza and the addition of Scott have weakened a previously strong show. Poster “Golfing_Stud” commented, “I love Gabe. He’s by far the best poker announcer there is but A.J. was his straight man… we need him back. Kara can stay or go she doesn’t add a lot.” Fellow poster “EGarrett” agreed, stating, “Please don't mess with success in entertainment. It's so easy to screw things up. And do not make the show more like Poker After Dark by adding an interviewer. Something about PAD is lifeless and boring... apparently designed to get you to fall asleep in front of the TV and give them long term ratings.”
The “High Stakes Poker” Season 6 premiere aired last Sunday on GSN and, whether intentional or not, there was what seemed to be a “tip of the hat” to Benza. As the program opened, Kaplan stood alone on one side of the shot - as if he were making room for a second person - instead of being centered in the frame. This, for longtime viewers of “High Stakes Poker,” was quite odd. Poster “Dromar” saw this peculiarity and wrote, “It’s too overt to anyone who’s ever seen HSP before, and just looks weird to anyone who hasn’t. I would be delighted if AJ walked in at the beginning of the next episode and they were like 'lol just kidding, why the f*** would we copy PAD?'" “Dromar” finished off his post by stating, “I’m not holding my breath, though.”
Back when the change from Benza to Scott was announced, GSN Vice President of Programming and Development David Schiff told Poker News Daily, “We’re into the sixth season and we felt like it was time to freshen it up. Our feeling was that we wanted viewers to be in the room with the players. Gabe and A.J. did a good job, but they were disconnected from the action.” With the addition of Scott, who handles floor interviews, GSN has apparently achieved that goal. Whether viewers stick with future episodes of “High Stakes Poker” without Benza in the booth remains to be seen.
Marc “_myst_” Karam is the new Full Tilt Poker pro signing
The Canadian born Marc Karam is the latest addition to the Full Tilt Poker pro team. Karam has been playing professionally for years and in 2007 he placed second in the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Finale where he won €1,061,820. His current live tournament winnings are over 2,3 million dollars.
Karam hasn’t been that lucky always. Last year, when his former sponsor Eurolinx ran into economic problems, thousands of players lost their whole bankroll, including Karam.
So Karam must be really happy about his new sponsorship deal and let’s see if the new contract inspires him to play in the FTP high stakes games as well.
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WSOP Europe on ESPN Ratings Fall 25% Amid Stiff Competition
The 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe has been airing on ESPN2, with three hours of coverage shown last Sunday. The ratings for the annual tournament series have dropped 25% year over year due to stiff competition.
ESPN officials haven’t been shy about putting WSOP Europe programming up against some of the world’s most watched television shows. The first installments hit airwaves on January 31st and featured a recap of the inaugural Caesars Cup, pitting top pros from North America against counterparts from Europe. The night marked the annual Grammy Awards on CBS, while the NFL Pro Bowl appeared on ESPN. On the heels of two staunch competitors, the WSOP Europe Caesars Cup on ESPN2 kicked off at 11:00pm ET and ran for two hours.
On February 7th, the most watched NFL Super Bowl in history featured the Indianapolis Colts taking on the New Orleans Saints. More than 106 million people tuned into the extravaganza, which saw a Tracy Porter interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter seal the Saints’ first Super Bowl title. Three hours of coverage on ESPN2 began at 10:00pm ET, about the same time as the Super Bowl ended, with exhausted poker fans asked to camp out for another 180 minutes to watch the WSOP Europe Main Event kick off.
Last weekend, Sunday marked both Valentine’s Day in the United States and the 2010 NBA All Star Game in Dallas, which drew the largest crowd ever for a basketball game at over 100,000 people. The NBA All Star Game aired on TNT and featured a who’s who of the sport, including Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and Canada’s Steve Nash. ESPN2 aired another three hours of WSOP Europe Main Event coverage beginning at 11:00pm ET that night. By the time the telecast wrapped up, the field was trimmed down to the final nine players, led by Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier, who held 30% of the chips in play.
Meanwhile, Valentine’s Day typically features couples spending quality time together, taking in pricey four-course dinners at restaurants and then curling up by the fire and watching Nick Cassavetes’ classic “The Notebook.” Accordingly, ESPN2 aired the male-dominated poker in a late night timeslot.
On February 12th, the 2010 Winter Olympics kicked off from Vancouver, pitting 82 nations against each other in sports like alpine skiing, curling, figure skating, and snowboarding. NBC has virtually abandoned all other programming in favor of the Olympics, including the poker franchise “Poker After Dark.” The Winter Olympics take place just once every four years.
A representative of ESPN told Poker News Daily that, despite the rigorous competition, the network was pleased with its showing for the 2009 WSOP Europe broadcasts: “It's no surprise that the ratings are down this year when we've been up against the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and the NBA All Star Game. We’re pleased with the production.” ESPN’s WSOP Europe coverage features Norman Chad providing commentary alongside Lon McEachern, with new “High Stakes Poker” floor reporter Kara Scott filming player interviews and other vignettes.
On February 28th at 9:00pm ET, ESPN2 will bring the final table of the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event to primetime, as the telecast will run for two hours. Its competition that night will include the closing ceremonies of the Olympics and a men’s college basketball game pitting #6 Duke at ACC rival Virginia starting at 7:45pm ET.
ESPN officials stated that in 2009, WSOP Europe coverage ran head-to-head with the Super Bowl and NBA All Star Game. However, no Olympics were held last year. The network declined to release specific ratings figures until after the final two episodes aired at the end of February.
ESPN2 will also broadcast the first season of the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) beginning in April.
Poker in Twitter: Bonomo Versus Isildur1, LAPC Versus NAPT, and PartyPoker Premier League
With each new week, a fresh batch of Tweets from players lets us know what is going on in their lives and their poker games. Poker News Daily is here to let you know what the most interesting subjects are and where the players’ minds are at.
The return of the online phenomenon known as Isildur1 has been drawing the attention of poker fans around the world. Over the past week, the unknown Swede has stepped back into the limelight at Full Tilt Poker and there has been no lack of challengers for him to face. One of those players is noted online and live player Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo.
On Tuesday, Bonomo found Isildur1 on the virtual felt at Full Tilt and had a tough time overall. “Played Isildur1 yesterday,” Bonomo began his Tweet on Tuesday after losing over $500,000 to the Swedish sensation. “Was my biggest poker loss ever. I'm still up money overall for February. I will play him again.” Sure enough, Bonomo began his comeback against Isildur1 late on Wednesday night and the outcome was a bit different. “Crushed Isildur today. Can't wait to play him again,” “ZeeJustin” reported. He was cheered on by top flight cash game player Brad “Yukon” Booth, who commented, “Good on ya brotha !!”
The PartyPoker Premier League, which was in play over the weekend and will wrap up this evening at the M Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, has provided the Twitterverse with plenty of updates on the action. Perhaps the best demonstration of the swings of the Premier League matchups were Tweeted by Daniel Negreanu, as he kept his fans in tune with his play during the special invitational tournament. On Sunday, soon after losing out to eventual Heat #1 winner Phil Laak, Negreanu Tweeted, “Out 8th in Heat 1. Cooler hand: Flop 10 6 5 two clubs. I had 56 Laak had 66.” “Kid Poker” was able to turn it around later in the event, Tweeting, “YES! I won my heat today and knocked out PH who came 2nd. Playoff tomm vs JC Tran. I finish as the 5 seed after awful start.”
Perhaps the best Tweet about the PartyPoker Premier League has been from its hostess, new “High Stakes Poker” in-action interviewer and poker player Kara Scott. Scott has been at the tables for all of the preliminary heats - which are being taped for broadcast - and pointed out some of the oddities at an invitational event with such prestige. Scott’s Tweets didn’t take note of any of the play at the tables but accurately relayed the atmosphere of the Premier League scene. As the final preliminary event was in progress, Scott pointed out to her Tweeps, “It's 100k buy in event and (Roland) De Wolfe is wearing a Darth Vader costume and there's a stuffed monkey in Luke Schwartz's seat. Ummmm ok.”
The L.A. Poker Classic is currently grinding its way along to its WPT Main Event, but this weekend’s PokerStars North American Poker Tour stop at the Venetian has tournament director Matt Savage in a fighting mood on his Twitter feed. Savage, who has put together a 51-tournament schedule for the Los Angeles event, knows that he may lose some players to Las Vegas when the NAPT starts on Saturday. “Is hard to tell right now how much PS NAPT will screw over the LAPokerClassic as of now,” Savage Tweeted on Wednesday night. “I assume I will know more in the coming days.” After a quick poll of players around the Commerce Casino, where the L.A. Poker Classic is being played, Savage seemed much calmer when his Twitter buzzed, “Players WILL make short trip back to Commerce Casino as soon they bust NAPT and should make for an interesting Ironman event on Sunday.”
The winner for Tweet of the Week is 2008 World Series of Poker November Nine member Dennis Phillips. With the 2010 Winter Olympics in full swing in Vancouver and ESPN’s Gary Wise debating the merits of poker being in the Olympics, Phillips had the last word as to the logic of the issue. “Olympic Poker?,” Dennis Tweeted. “I told Gary Wise: “Any game where Phil Hellmuth could be an Olympian shouldn’t be an Olympic sport.”
Wherever they may be and whatever they may be doing, poker’s top names always let their fans know what is going on through the Twitterverse. Poker News Daily continues to monitor the top names in the game for their varied and sometimes hilarious thoughts. Poker News Daily contributes to the world of Twitter also, so be sure to add @pokernewsdaily for the latest information on the world of poker and the Twitter scene.
Tags: 2008, 2010, Daniel Negreanu, high stakes, interview, kara scott, Phil Hellmuth, poker player, pokerstars, tournament, vegas, WSOP
Phil Laak Headlines PartyPoker Premier League IV Final Table
The first four spots at the final table of the PartyPoker Premier League are set, with Unabomber Poker front man Phil Laak leading the way. The top four players after six matches automatically qualified for the finale and best of three heads-up events will determine the rest of the table.
Laak ran away from the field and finished with 48 points, well ahead of David Benyamine’s second place tally of 38. Laak took down his first three preliminary heats after serving as a last-minute replacement for poker legend Doyle Brunson, who was feeling the effects of dental surgery and may be out of live action until the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The PartyPoker Premier League boasts a prize pool of $1.5 million, with each player remaining guaranteed to secure at least a $108,000 payday.
Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu took down Heat 6 on Wednesday and sits in fifth place on the leaderboard. At one point during the match, poker pro Roland de Wolfe donned a “Star Wars” Darth Vader helmet and Tony G dressed up as Kermit the Frog. To make matters even more interesting, Luke “Full_Flush” Schwartz failed to show up for several levels and was replaced by a happy-go-lucky stuffed monkey.
Laak, Benyamine, Schwartz, and online satellite winner Giovanni Safina automatically qualified for the six-handed final table of the PartyPoker Premier League. Safina told PartyPoker officials following Wednesday’s match, “I am going to do this for Italy and for myself. It was emotional to play with the world’s top pros at the start, but now I am confident.” To qualify for the unique tournament, which is unfolding from the M Casino in Las Vegas, Safina took down a €100 satellite.
Negreanu won Heat 6 and consequently finished in fifth place on the leaderboard, knocking Phil Hellmuth to ninth and ensuring that the UB.com pro would not make the final table. Hellmuth remained optimistic about his game despite poor performances at the Premier League and GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” commenting in a press release, “I can’t be too disappointed really. I feel good with the way I’ve played. I love playing under the heat of pressure and I feel I’m on the path to achieving great things this year, but it just didn’t happen to me here.” Hellmuth dropped $200,000 in the kickoff episode of “High Stakes Poker” Season 6, which aired last weekend.
Best of three heads-up matches between Negreanu and J.C. Tran will determine one spot at the final table, while Ian Frazer and de Wolfe will tango for the other. In December 2008, Tran defeated Tony G in the PartyPoker Premier League III finale to claim the title and take home $300,000. An eclectic group took to the feature table in 2008, including Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Finnish superstar Juha Helppi, and then-reigning WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate. The heads-up matches start at 2:30pm ET on Thursday.
Here were the final standings for the fourth running of the PartyPoker Premier League:
1. Phil Laak – 48 points
2. David Benyamine - 38 points
3. Giovanni Safina - 29 points
3. Luke Schwartz – 29 points
5. Daniel Negreanu – 26 points
6. Ian Frazer – 26 points
7. Roland De Wolfe – 22 points
8. J.C. Tran – 20 points
9. Phil Hellmuth - 19 points
10. Yevgeniy Timoshenko – 16 points
11. Vanessa Rousso – 16 points
12. Tony G - 11 points
The M Casino is located 10 minutes off the Las Vegas Strip and features the Ravello Lounge, which, according to PartyPoker, has “floor to ceiling windows with views of the Las Vegas Strip.” In addition, the Lounge is playing host to Premier League action.
On selecting the casino instead of a staple of Las Vegas Boulevard, Eddie Hearn, Director of Matchroom Sport, explained, "When we decided to take the Premier League to Las Vegas, we needed a venue to match this prestigious event. The M Resort is a stunning location and the perfect place for the players to relax while they are [in] the heat of battle in what has become the world's biggest televised poker spectacle." The M offers a dozen poker tables and an in-room texting service for players waiting for a spot on the felt.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest PartyPoker Premier League IV coverage.
Tags: 2008, 2010, aced, Daniel Negreanu, David Benyamine, Doyle Brunson, high stakes, Phil Hellmuth, pokerstars, tournament, vegas, WSOP