Poker News

Dream Team Poker Ends 2009 at the Bicycle Casino

It was a big year for Dream Team Poker.  In addition to holding successful events at Caesars Palace and as part of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) festivities, Dream Team ended the year on a high note with a tournament at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles that awarded its winners a couple thousand dollars and tickets to the 2010 Super Bowl.

The recent tournament was held as part of the casino’s Ho Ho Hold’em Series and featured a $67 buy-in for each individual.  If players could not form their own team of three players, the casino helped to group them into teams.  In total, 162 runners took part, generating an individual prize pool of $3,561 and a team prize pool of $5,340.  That amounted to $8,901, including $2,000 and four Super Bowl tickets added by the casino.

WSOP Academy coach Alex Outhred’s team, “Voltron,” was one of 54 that took part in the event.  Of those, six walked away from the tournament with money in their pockets and the winning team, “Met,” took down the top prize of $2,190 and three Super Bowl tickets.  Tony Hinojos was the highest finisher on the “Met” squad, coming in 12th place, while teammate Eric Lucero was hot on his heels in 13th.  The team’s third player, Michael Leidelmeyer, fared less well, busting out in 120th, but thanks to the strong showing by the other two, the team was able to beat out second place finishers “777” for the title.  On the individual front, Iris Gomez of “Team Come and Get It” took top honors along with $1,086 and a Super Bowl ticket of her own.  The top 12 finishers in the individual contest each won at least $105.

This past year may not have been Dream Team’s first year on the scene, but it was certainly the year that the team poker concept really took hold and gained popularity.  After holding its first tournament at the Hard Rock Casino in November of 2008, Dream Team returned to Las Vegas in March for a tournament at Caesars Palace.  A number of top poker pros and celebrities turned out for the event, which featured a $550 per person buy-in.  UB.com’s Phil Hellmuth and Joe Sebok, Full Tilt Poker pros Paul Wasicka and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, T.J. Cloutier, Jerry Yang, and Team PokerStars Pro Dennis Phillips could be found on the felts.

It was a recognizable face in the winner’s circle as well, as 2006 WSOP Main Event champ Jamie Gold captained “Team Aced” to victory and the top prize of $59,940.  Danny Nelson of “Team BikerHaven.net” took the individual honor, while Gold’s girlfriend and teammate Ashley Nataupsky finished in fourth.

Just a few months later, Dream Team held an exhibition tournament as part of the WSOP festivities.  Although there was no bracelet on the line for the winners, the tournament provided a little fun and entertainment for players who had already busted out of the Main Event.  The pros once again took part and it was PokerHost’s Kenna James who took down the individual title and $16,473.

The team event was won by “Tao of Pokerati,” a trio comprised of Tao of Poker’s Dr. Paul Maguire, Pokerati’s Dan Michalski, and Lana Maier of CardRunners.  The trio had a little extra practice for the team event, as they were all members of the WSOP media, who took part in a Dream Team event of their own just a few days prior.  The media tournament did not offer the lucrative payouts of the other Dream Team events, but it did help raise money for charity.

Once the WSOP wrapped up, Dream Team rolled out a weekly series of events hosted by the Bicycle Casino.  The nine-week series began in October and the Ho Ho Hold’em Dream Team tournament served as the series’ championship event.  Teams that took down the weekly events earned the prize money and a free entry into the December 19th tournament.

There has been no official announcement about the future of Dream Team at the Bike, but considering the rave reviews it got from pros like Gold, Lacey Jones, and James, it seems like it will continue to be a presence on the live tournament circuit in 2010.

Top Ten Poker Events of the Decade: Part 1

As 2009 prepares to fade into the pages of history, it will also close the doors on a decade that has been like no other for the sport of poker.

When the Third Millennium began a short ten years ago, poker could arguably be said to be on life support. A poker room in a casino was hard to find, there was only one prominent tournament schedule on the poker professional’s calendar, and the game had no place in the media. Poker was reviled as a pursuit of degenerate gamblers; those considered to be the best at the game had very little attention paid to them.

A decade later, the situation has completely reversed itself. Even the smallest casino, wherever it may be in the world, has a poker room. Bookstores have dedicated sections to house their wares of poker books and poker programming airs daily on television. Instead of just one tournament schedule, there are several offerings that require players to choose which one to participate in. Finally, poker pros are respected as adventuresome mavericks whose abilities, education, and intelligence are critical to their success.

With this in mind, Poker News Daily decided to look back at the last decade in an attempt to figure out what were the catalysts for such a return to prominence and what nearly derailed it.

10. Poker Rooms Make a Comeback

At the start of the 21st century, casinos across the United States didn’t consider poker to be a moneymaker for their operations. With that in mind, poker rooms were closed and slot machines began to invade their territory.

By the end of the decade, poker rooms, which had been near extinction only ten years earlier, obtained a greater prominence than they ever had in a casino. The live poker room should continue to be a staple of the casino world in the future.

9. Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker Superuser Scandals

The ugly head of corruption and scandal arose when two of the most popular online poker rooms in the industry, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, succumbed to “superuser” cheating rings. These cheating scandals allowed players to see their opponents’ hole cards, making it impossible to lose a hand. These rings - the Ultimate Bet group, which was allegedly led by former World Champion Russ Hamilton, and the Absolute Poker team allegedly led by former employees Scott Tom and A. J. Green - took millions of dollars off of unsuspecting players and gave ammunition to anti-poker zealots in the war against the game.

After outrage from the online poker community, both organizations made financial amends to those affected, but didn’t prosecute anyone for the operation of either scam. Today, the two sites are part of the same network and have seemingly recovered some of their former respect (including the recent certification from eCOGRA, the online gaming watchdog). Still, the scandal could have had a devastating effect on the online game and it has cast doubt as to the legitimacy of online poker, much like the Mississippi riverboat games of centuries ago almost stopped poker from becoming what it is today.

8. Amateurs Dominate WSOP Main Event

Throughout its early history, poker, and in particular the World Series of Poker (WSOP), it was the bastion of professional rounders willing to live life on the edge, to take thousands of dollars out of their own pockets and risk that they were the greatest poker player in the world. With the advent of satellites and online poker, where a player could get into a tournament for a significantly smaller fee, amateur poker players began to take a shot at the upper echelons of the game.

Since 2002, an amateur or previously unknown player has won the $10,000 Main Event at the WSOP and been crowned World Champion. Some, such as Jerry Yang and Jamie Gold, have stayed on the peripheral of the poker world and have arguably not done much since their victories. Others, such as Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, and Chris Moneymaker, have continued to be at the forefront of the game, advocating in political circles for the regulation of online poker as respected professionals in their own right. Whether they have experience or not, amateurs have become a part of the WSOP.

7. New Blood Infuses the Game

All forms of business need an infusion of new customers to continue to drive their endeavors. Poker is no different. For some time, older players, mostly men, populated the game and the required influx of “new blood” was seemingly missing. Through the development of online poker, new players, both male and female, have made their marks.

In what was perhaps the most stunning tournament win of the decade, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad’s victory at the inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event made her the youngest player to win a major championship and demonstrated that the youth movement in poker had arrived. In the last two WSOP Main Events, Phil Hellmuth’s longstanding record as the youngest ever champion has been eclipsed twice. As we look at the next decade, young players will continue to make their names in an arena that previously had been dominated by the “Old Guard” of the game.

6. Twice is Nice – Dan Harrington, Mike Matusow, and Jeff Shulman

With the growth of the WSOP Main Event, the odds of a player repeating as champion, as Johnny Chan did in 1987 and 1988, are nearly infinitesimal. The feat of making two final tables is nearly as difficult, but three men - Dan Harrington, Mike Matusow, and Jeff Shulman - managed to pull off the feat. While none won the tournament, the ability to make two final tables during the decade, against such sizeable fields, is definitely a significant achievement.

Harrington’s feat is arguably the best of the three players. Battling through, at the time, the two largest WSOP Main Event fields ever, the 1995 champion nearly captured his second title in consecutive years (2003 and 2004). Matusow announced his presence on the game with his first final table in 2001 and marked his resurrection as a poker player by returning in 2005. Shulman finished seventh in 2000 and came back in 2009 with a fifth place finish.

Mr Cada goes to Washington

Unlike certain – cough Jerry Yang cough – previous winners of the World Series of Poker Main Event, 21-year-old Joe Cada seems to be doing a Peter Eastgate. The $25/$50 cash game regular is taking his role as “poker’s ambassador” seriously, travelling to Washington in order to discuss the legality of the game.

Todd Brunson Interview with Poker News Daily

Among those present at a press conference welcoming the newest member of the DoylesRoom Brunson 10, Dani “ansky451” Stern, was Todd Brunson, son of poker legend Doyle Brunson.

Brunson owns over $723,000 in lifetime earnings from World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments and captured a bracelet in 2005 in a $2,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Eight or Better event for $255,000. He finished 13th in the 1992 WSOP Main Event and grabbed 459th 15 years later when Jerry Yang took home the crown. Along the way, Brunson won the 2006 Poker Superstars Invitational for $500,000 and took down the series’ Las Vegas stop the same year for another $400,000. In the 2007 Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT), the younger Brunson earned $96,000 for his 15th place showing.

Nowadays, Brunson serves as a recurring participant in the DoylesRoom weekly Bounty Tournament, a $27.50 buy-in contest that takes place each Wednesday on the USA-facing online poker site.

Poker News Daily: Give us your thoughts on Dani “ansky451” Stern becoming the newest member of the DoylesRoom Brunson 10.

Todd Brunson: He’s a great player and we’re glad to have him. I hope it works out well.

PND: Tell us about your latest travels.

Brunson: It’s been busy, so I hope it slows down a little bit until February. I need a rest.

PND: You’re a sponsored pro of DoylesRoom. What makes the site a good place for poker players to head to as opposed to some of the larger rooms like PokerStars and Full Tilt?

Brunson: It’s a smaller community where you get to know your players better. On a lot of the other sites, if you’re playing $5/$10 No Limit, there are so many other players that you have to make notes on, so it’s harder to find your games. DoylesRoom is a little smaller. It’s a little easier to keep track of people and jump in.

Not to bash PokerStars, but I’ve been playing on DoylesRoom and their site at the same time and I get so frustrated with PokerStars. It’s so much slower than DoylesRoom, it’s unbelievable. I could probably get in 50% more hands at DoylesRoom.

PND: You mentioned that you’re looking for a break. What are your plans in the coming months and what have you been doing recently?

Brunson: There are just busy times of the year. We’re just concluding one and the next one is going to be in January for the L.A. Poker Classic. I just got back from Europe, I had my tournament in Montana, and then I filmed 12 episodes of “Poker After Dark.” I’ve had a ton of stuff to do and haven’t really had a rest, so I’m worn down.

PND: How will the Brunson family celebrate Christmas?

Brunson: It’ll probably be at my house. We’ll have everyone over and do the Christmas thing.

Yang says Cada got lucky to win WSOP Main Event

Jerry Yang, who won the 2007 WSOP Main Event, is certainly one.

Yang watched it all go down on ESPN the very next night from his newly opened Pocket 8's Sushi & Grill restaurant in Merced, California and enjoyed every minute of it.

"It was very interesting," Yang told PokerListings from Harvey's Lake Tahoe, where he had come to play in the WSOP Circuit event this weekend. "Overall I think it was a great tournament. It was very exciting."

Yang has always admitted his path to the 2007 title and its $8.25 million prize was paved with a lot of luck.

What he saw on this year's ESPN broadcast appeared no different to him.

"I think all the guys played really well and obviously two of them got really lucky," he said.

"Joe Cada is a good player, but he got incredibly lucky. Especially with the pocket threes (all in pre-flop against Jeff Shulman's pocket jacks) and the pocket deuces (all in pre-flop against Antoine Saout's pocket queens). I'm happy it worked out for him.

"Moon had a good shot, but I think he made a couple of mistakes and I'm sure he's thinking about them right now."

Yang was criticized by some in the poker media for not playing as many major tournaments as they would have liked in the year following his win.

However, the father of six children, who escaped war-torn Laos as a child and spent four-and-a-half years in a Thai refugee camp before immigrating to the United States, makes no apologies for following a different path.

"Since winning I have personally helped raised more than $700,000 for charity, namely the Make-A-Wish foundation, the Ronald McDonald House and Feed the Children, so that took a lot of my time away," he said.

"I made a promise that I would donate a lot of my time and money to charity. That's what I'm passionate about; giving back to the community, especially underprivileged kids."

If he has any advice for the new World Champion, it's that he follow his heart as well.

"Just follow your passion," Yang said. "If poker is your passion, then hey, you know what, be a good ambassador. Do whatever you can to promote poker and carry the game to the next level.

"I know a lot of young players today look up to somebody like me or Joe Hachem, or whoever the champion is and they want to follow in our footsteps. So do whatever you can to really help that community."

Yang's victory came in the final year before the WSOP began delaying the final table four months, creating what is now known as the November Nine.

The 2007 World Champion says he loves the idea and the boxing-style hype that is created during the four-month break.

"I wish they had done it a couple of years before I won, although it may have changed my results," he laughed. "I think it will only help poker grow, survive and thrive even more."

These days, Yang spends the majority of his time at his restaurant, with his family, playing poker for charity and putting the finishing touches on his biography, All In: The Jerry Yang Story, expected to be published sometime in early 2010.

But a passion for the game still got him out of bed at 4 a.m. Sunday to make the drive to Lake Tahoe from his Fresno home to play a little poker on the World Series Circuit.

"The bottom line is I love poker," he said.

To follow Yang and all the action from the Lake Tahoe World Series of Poker Circuit championship event, click through to PokerListings' Live Coverage.

Visit PokerListings.com

Late Night Poker final airs: Luke Schwartz wins biggest pot

Late Night Poker is as big a fixture in the poker community as Rounders, Phil Ivey or Jerry Yang. OK, maybe not that last one. However, the historical programme (in 1999 it was the first televised poker show to use the now taken-for-granted hole card cameras) has commenced the grand final of its most recent run.

Hevad Khan Joins ESPN Inside Deal

This week on the ESPN.com poker show “Inside Deal,” Team PokerStars Pro member Hevad Khan relived some of his memorable antics from the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and gave his take on this year’s November Nine.

“Inside Deal” began by rehashing the week’s news, starting with the massive 730 player turnout in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) London stop. Aaron Gustavson took down the event, besting 2008 WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate heads-up. “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee explained, “With 730 players, EPT London had a tremendous turnout, but it utilized several factors to its advantage.” Among them were that it piggybacked on the WSOP Europe festivities in London, the buy-in was only ?5,000, and 200 players qualified online through PokerStars, which sponsors the EPT.

Daniel Negreanu was quoted on the Hardcore Poker Show as saying, “Personally, I don’t think [Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker] should exist anymore, especially considering what happened at Ultimate Bet. I don’t feel we owe them any favors.” The sound byte led Lee to speculate that players will ultimately continue playing at the two sites as long as their present management, Tokwiro Enterprises, properly oversees the operation. Russ Hamilton was fingered as the main man responsible for the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal.

Then, an interview with Phil Ivey aired in which he noted that he’s third in line for the Durrrr Challenge behind Patrik Antonius and David Benyamine. Ivey told “Poker Edge” host Phil Gordon, “[Tom Dwan] is probably going to have an advantage on me in the beginning because I’m not used to playing four games.” Dwan is halfway through his match against Antonius and leads by $700,000 after 25,000 hands. The contest pits the two pros against each other across four tables of $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha for 50,000 hands.

Khan joined the “Inside Deal” set to talk about the “Hevad Khan Rule,” which bars excessive celebration at the WSOP. On the rule, Khan told Lee and “Inside Deal” host Laura Lane, “I like the rule. I had a rule named after me.” Khan lived in New York when he final tabled the 2007 WSOP Main Event, but has since moved to Las Vegas. On delaying the final table until November, Khan admitted, “Momentum is a big thing in poker. This whole period can turn amateurs into pros and pros into disasters. For me, I’m glad I got to play the next day.” Jerry Yang took down the 2007 WSOP Main Event to the tune of $8.25 million, his only WSOP cash to date.

Khan is 24 years-old and a former StarCraft aficionado. As such, he’s been able to take advantage of several aspects of StarCraft that translate to the poker world. Khan explained that StarCraft’s requirements of “multitasking and fixating yourself in front of a computer for hours on end with no other misdirection” have helped him succeed in poker. Other high-profile StarCraft players include Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, one of Khan’s close friends.

On the success of younger pros in today’s poker scene, Khan explained, “Young guys are able to play poker when they’re 18 and that’s a three year boot camp before they can enter the live felt.” Khan added that Darvin Moon, one of the elder statesmen at the WSOP Main Event final table, will finish third or better when the smoke clears in the $10,000 buy-in tournament next month, rationalizing, “People with big chip leads usually win the tournament.”

On which of the short stacks – James Akenhead, Antoine Saout, or Ivey – will be eliminated first from the Main Event, Khan explained that Ivey would: “You can imagine the amount of money he has on prop bets.” Therefore, Ivey’s focus would be on winning, which could result in an early exit as he attempts to double up.

Khan gained fame after recording a video while playing 30 sit and gos at once on PokerStars, which thought he could be a bot. When asked what the most number he ever played at a time was, Khan answered 43, with 32 to 38 being common. Nowadays, he refrains from playing sit and gos altogether.

Finally, Khan admitted that he is rooting for Ivey to take down the 2009 WSOP Main Event, saying, “It’ll bring the public together more.” Ivey is seeking his eighth bracelet overall and third of 2009; he also won three in 2002.

“Inside Deal” is released every Tuesday on ESPN.com.

Travolta, Sinbad to play charity poker event

John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Sinbad, Kelly Preston, Patrick Cassidy, Brad Garrett and Catherine Bell will all be making an appearance at the charity event, which takes place Oct. 3 at Cartwright's residence in Northridge, California.

Joining the celebs will be poker pros Jamie Gold, Todd Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Men "The Master" Ngueyn, Jerry Yang, Kenna James and Sammy Farha.

The evening will include live music from MC Tom Kenny, Nathan Osmond and Dee Dee O'Malley all leading up to a No-Limit Hold'em tournament where fans will be able to play cards with the aforementioned celebrities and poker pros.

Prizes in this year's Monte Carlo Night include five seats in a WSOP satellite tournament, signed scripts and memorabilia and a day on the set of top TV shows like The Simpsons, Castle, American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.

This is the fourth time that Cartwright, who voices Bart Simpson on The Simpsons, has held the tournament.

Tickets for the event are $250, which includes the tournament buy-in, or $150 just for the party.

Devonshire PALS is an Los Angeles Police Department activity group that provides after school and weekend enrichment programs for at-risk children and teens.

For more information check out the Devonshire PALS website.

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Don’t be a Wildebeest!

It took The Lord six days to create the earth and after that he needed a day of rest, so I imagine that he was admitted to Heaven’s equivalent of The Priory after arranging the remarkable set of circumstances that resulted in Jerry Yang's victory in the WSOP Main Event.

ESPN 2009 WSOP Ratings Fall 4%

The 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) debuted on cable station ESPN on Tuesday with a $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the prestigious series. In the end, ratings fell by 4%, but were up in several key demographics.

In 2008, the WSOP on ESPN began airing one week earlier than this year’s festivities. Nevertheless, ratings in 2009 were off by 4% for the premier episode and household impressions were down 2%, according to ESPN Media Contact George McNeilly. However, numbers for two key demographics increased year over year, an encouraging sign for the Bristol-based cable network. McNeilly told Poker News Daily that viewers were up 2% among men ages 18 to 34. In addition, the number of men ages 25 to 54 who tuned into the 2009 WSOP on ESPN grew by an astonishing 16%. Meanwhile, in men ages 18 to 49, the number of viewers was on par with last season’s telecast. Six players at the $40,000 buy-in tournament’s final table were in their 20s, with 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer serving as its elder statesman at 44 years-old.

Despite overall ratings being down, McNeilly remains optimistic about the remainder of the 2009 WSOP on ESPN schedule. He commented, “We have a long season of outstanding events and great storylines to go.” Last year, the finale of the 2008 WSOP Main Event, which occurred after a 117 day delay at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, turned in a 1.9 rating, up 46% from the rating that conclusion of the 2007 Main Event received (1.3). The latter tournament featured Jerry Yang defeating Tuan Lam. In total, pushing the final table of the Main Event back to coincide with its television broadcast paid off. Instead of viewers asking how a player won, they were left wondering who would win poker’s most prestigious title.

In 2008, the average rating for the 32 episodes that made up the WSOP broadcast was 0.9. That figure represents 919,000 households and 1.55 million viewers, which were up 13% and 15%, respectively, in comparison to 2007 figures. Next Tuesday, the WSOP Champions Invitational will air. The invite-only tournament attracted 20 former Main Event winners to the Rio to battle for a vintage Corvette from the Imperial Palace car collection and the Binion Cup. The tournament’s final nine include Dan Harrington (1995 Main Event Champion), Carlos Mortensen (2001), Huck Seed (1996), Tom McEvoy (1983), and Doyle Brunson (1976 and 1977). The spectacle kicks off at 8:00pm ET on ESPN and runs for two hours.

ESPN’s poker offering will also include the annual Ante Up for Africa charity tournament. The $5,000 buy-in event that raises money and awareness for the crisis in Darfur will pan out on television screens around the country on August 11th at 8:00pm ET. The tournament featured a “who’s who” of the celebrity world, including Mike Tyson, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Sarah Silverman, Doug Benson, Nelly, and Jason Alexander, whose “Seinfeld” reunion on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” later this year has been the talk of the television industry.

ESPN will air 24 hours of the 2009 WSOP Main Event between August 18th and November 3rd. On November 10th, the conclusion of the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament will play out, with chip leader Darvin Moon taking on a final table that also includes Full Tilt Poker pro and 2009 two-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey and controversial CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman. The latter has threatened to trash his bracelet should he win due to an ongoing rift with Harrah’s, which owns the rights to the WSOP. Other members of the November Nine are James Akenhead, Kevin Schaffel, Steven Begleiter, Eric Buchman, Joe Cada, and Antoine Saout.

Bicycle Casino to run celebrity invitational

The tournament is a regular fixture of Legends and this year will include some big name celebrities like Keyshawn Johnson, Cheryl Hines, Michael Collier, Bud Friedman, Karri Turner, JK Simmons, Carol Fenelon, Camryn Manheim, Eric Dickerson and Damion Marzett.

You can't keep poker players away from these events and Annie Duke, Jerry Yang, Men "The Master" Nguyen and numerous others will be a part of the festivities as well.

First place will net the winner $2,500 with another $2,500 to go to their chosen charity.

The event will be held in the Bike's brand new Event Center, which should offer significantly more space for tournaments held in the popular casino.

"We've already had an amazing poker facility here for a long time but with this newly-expanded and luxurious Event Center, we now step ahead of the class for not only Southern California but the country," said Bicycle Casino director of marketing Kelly O'Hara. "This grand event center will be the future home of our Legends of Poker tournament, our World Poker Tour televised events and numerous other first-class, large-scale poker tournaments and special events held here throughout the year."

The celebrity event kicks off at 3 p.m. but the public will also get a chance to play in the new facility when a $335 No-Limit Hold'em event with a $100,000 guarantee begins at 7 p.m.

Legends of Poker runs from July 28 to Aug. 30 with the WPT Main Event starting on Aug. 22 and the final table playing out on Aug. 26.

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Kenna James Wins Dream Team Poker WSOP Event

“Cowboy” Kenna James won the third Dream Team Poker event, held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas down the hall from the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Tao of Pokerati emerged victorious in the team competition.

Tao of Pokerati was the lone team to boast two members in the final 27 players. Dr. Pauly McGuire recorded a 13th place finish, while Dan Michalski earned 17th. Michalski showed prowess of the Dream Team Poker concept after folding pocket kings face up to assure moving on when his team had a chance to secure the first place prize. In the end, Tao of Pokerati earned $33,000 for the win. In Dream Team Poker, each squad’s two best finishes are recorded and the lowest score wins. For Tao of Pokerati, a score of 30 (the sum of 13th place and 17th place) was good enough to take home the title.

Here’s how the team competition stacked up. The buy-in for the third Dream Team Poker tournament was $560 per player, or $1,680 per team:

1. Tao of Pokerati - $33,017
2. Team Simpletrak - $18,106
3. Diaboloco’s - $10,651
4. Machine Team - $7,988
5. Team Puerto Rico - $7,455
6. 7 Kings - $6,923
7. 2 Kings - $6,390
8. The Maven VT 4 - $5,858
9. The Maven VT 3 - $5,325
10. Min Cash Masters - $4,793

In an interview after the tournament with Dream Team Poker emcee Alex Outhred, James explained, “I have to hand it to the Dream Team Poker team, they really run a class event. From all the information they provide, to having them out there, to having the music in the background, they really know how to generate the feeling that this event is all about. It was really special.” In the end, it was a gender versus gender clash, with James defeating Judy Tejwani of SOCRR heads-up. James, who played as part of Poker Host, banked $16,000 for the win, while Tejwani earned $7,800 for her runner-up showing.

The top individual finishers at the Rio were as follows:

1. Kenna James (Poker Host) - $16,473
2. Judy Tejwani (SOCRR) - $7,810
3. Stephen Nelson (I Love it When a Plan Comes Together) - $5,680
4. Peter Mavro (Min Cash Masters) - $4,260
5. Ricardo Felix Matos (Machine Team) - $3,621
6. Bojan Miljkovic (Juzni Vetar) - $3,160
7. Terresa Gallagher (Wicked Chops Poker II) - $2,485
8. David Hornsby (The Hangover) - $1,775
9. James Page (The Maven VT 3) - $1,598
10. Adam Wege (NLP FREE) - $1,598

The event brought out some of poker’s brightest stars. David Williams, Evelyn Ng, and Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo competed as part of Team Bodog. Barry Greenstein and Joe Stapleton joined forces on Team PokerRoad.com. Jerry Yang, Christina Lindley, and Eric Aude formed Team Six Hands, Four Nutz, and a Rack on Tilt. Marsha Waggoner, James Worth, and Young Phan made up Team True Poker and Barbara Enright, Paul Darden, and David Levi brought Team Bookmaker Poker to life. “Captain” Tom Franklin and Poker Hall of Fame member T.J. Cloutier competed under the Captain Krunch banner, while Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Rick Fuller battled as part of Bike.com.

A total of 122 teams and 366 players entered the Rio event, down sharply from the 148 teams and 444 runners who turned out for Dream Team Poker’s last competition, held at Caesars Palace in March. Among those in attendance was newly-minted Absolute Poker pro Lacey Jones, whose team took down the WSOP media event held last week. Jones commented in a press release, “This is my third time playing a Dream Team Poker event and I have had the most fun playing these events than any other poker tournament. I can’t think of any better way to enjoy the game of poker than to play with your friends and have them cheer you on!”

Visit the official website of Dream Team Poker for more information.

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.

Déjà vu at the 2009 WSOP Main Event

The final first day of the 2009 Main Event was a complete sellout bringing the total number of players up to 6,494.

But while late entrants were being turned away at the door unhappy, Russ "Dutch" Boyd, who made 12th here in 2003, began climbing the leaderboard once again.

By the time five levels of play were through it appeared Boyd was in the top ten in chips, although he told PokerListings his previous Main Event experience hasn't become a factor just yet.

"To be honest, the experience doesn't really become a factor until Day 4," right now it's just another day one of another tournament."

When Boyd ran deep in 2003, Phil Ivey was right there as well, finishing 10th.

In a strange twist of fate, the two spent the last few levels sharing the felt today and Ivey also ended play with a healthy stack heading into Day 2b Wednesday.

"The one thing experience can give you is the ability to focus," Boyd said. "Phil Ivey and I have both tasted the pain of what it's like to bust from the Main Event that deep and I think that helps us both focus.

"We know this opportunity doesn't come around every day. The Main Event only comes once a year, we all wait for it and we're going to take it very seriously.

"That's what a lot of these players don't realize. They think they're living the dream already. Experience teaches us something different."

Englishman Jon Kalmar has tasted a Main Event final table before, finishing 5th to Jerry Yang in 2007.

A few tables over from Boyd and Ivey, Kalmar also amassed a massive stack by the end of play.

He now sits among the early contenders and told PokerListings things are beginning to look awfully familiar.

"I've definitely got a strong feeling of déjà vu," he said. "I'm dreaming about the final table. You're weird if you're not thinking about that. I definitely fancy myself for another deep run."

Several big time poker pros with a little less Main Event experience also built stacks today, including PokerListings' WSOP Best Bet Carter King, WPT and EPT title holder Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, 2008 WSOP bracelet winner Blair Hinkle, and J.C. Tran, who has already taken one bracelet home from the Series this summer.

These players will return for Day 2b Wednesday, but PokerListings' continuing coverage of the 2009 WSOP Main Event will be back Tuesday at 12 p.m. PT for the start of Day 2a.

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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.

World Series of Poker Main Event Kicks Off

The 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event got underway Friday afternoon as 1,116 players took to the felts on the first of four Day Ones. The $10,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament World Championship attracted a number of celebrities on Day 1a, which turned out to be the main story as a couple of them finished the day among the chip leaders.

Actors Brad Garrett and Jason Alexander, former Major League Baseball player Orel Hershiser, cricket star Shane Warne, and musician and rapper Nelly were just some of the stars seated among the pros and amateurs taking a shot at the biggest tournament of 2009. Alexander and Warne each finished in the top 35 of the 821 players that survived, while Garrett ended the day above the starting stack. Nelly and Hershiser were unable to advance to Day 2. Nelly has been a familiar face on the circuit this year, participating in several WSOP Events as well as the WPT Invitational and the EPT Grand Final at Monte Carlo. Hershiser is a friend of Team PokerStars and as is his custom he gave a signed baseball to the player that knocked him out of the tournament.

Of course, numerous poker pros took their seats on Day 1a as well. Former world champions who played were Berry Johnston, Johnny Chan and Jerry Yang. Johnston and Chan advanced to Day 2 but Yang will not return. He lost most of his stack early in the afternoon after running pocket kings into pocket aces and was eliminated later on. Other prominent pros in the field were Greg “FBT” Mueller, Vitaly Lunkin, Andy Black, Roland De Wolfe, and Full Tilt Pros Allen Cunningham and Eli Elezra, who were seated together at the ESPN featured table.

For the first time ever at the WSOP Main Event, players were given 30,000 in chips to begin play. The Main Event from 1971 through 2005 gave players 10,000 in starting chips and from 2006 through 2008 players started with 20,000.

Even with the bigger stack it didn’t take long to lose the first player. Just 10 minutes in Rafael Zimmerman, from Oneonta, NY was sent to the rail. Other early exits included John Phan, Mike “SowersUNCC” Sowers, Chris Moorman, and Pieter de Korver. Freddy Deeb, Mark Vos, Davidi Kitai, Matt Glantz, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Isaac Haxton and Cunningham were eliminated after the dinner break.

The chip leader at the end of Day 1a was Eric Cloutier, from Mont-Laurier, Quebec (Canada). Cloutier is a former professional hockey player who played briefly for the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Cloutier has been playing poker on the tournament circuit for about five years and has more than $160,000 in live tournament winnings. He will take 150,750 into Day 2.

Here’s a look at chip counts of some notables that survived Day 1a:

Jason Alexander - 89,575
Shane Warne - 87,625
Lex “RasZi” Veldhuis - 84,000
Tom Schneider - 79,600
Andy Black - 56,475
Phil Laak - 53,025
Tony G - 42,325
Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi - 41,375
Mike Sexton - 41,000
Gus Hansen - 38,075
Brad Garrett - 36,625
Dewey Tomko - 34,275
Roland De Wolfe - 31,000
Sam Farha - 30,425

Day 1b will kick off at around Noon Vegas time on Saturday. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for updates throughout the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

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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40 years of the WSOP: The new millenium

Back in 1991, Jack Binion was asked to look into the future and see where the WSOP might go.

Jack had no way of knowing how the WSOP would explode in popularity, bringing thousands to his casino in search of fame and fortune and said he expected a slow, steady 10 to 15 percent growth rate.

The last winner of the twentieth century was Jesus himself, Chris Ferguson.

He took home $1.5 million after outlasting 512 other players in the 2000 Main Event.

Poker author and fifth place finisher Jim McManus chronicled the final table in his book Positively Fifth Street.

The final battle between Ferguson and T.J. Cloutier was epic, with T.J. overcoming Ferguson's huge chip lead only to lose when his A-Q was out-flopped by Fergusons' A-9.

In the preliminary events, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer each won their first bracelet and Ferguson won another in 7-card stud.

Carlos Mortenson won the title in 2001 playing at the first final table with nine players, including poker standouts Mike Matusow, Phil Gordon, Phil Hellmuth and Dewey Tomko.

An unknown patent attorney Greg "Fossilman" Raymer came in 12th in the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo event that year.

2002 saw a whopping 39 preliminary events, three of which were won by Phil Ivey.

Robert Varkonyi was the Main Event champion, besting 631 hopefuls on his way to winning a then-record $2 million in his first ever WSOP event.

"I won my buy-in in my first ever single-table satellite," Varkonyi told PokerListings.

"I was extremely surprised to make the final table, it was completely unexpected. I was totally pumped with adrenaline, not nervous, just totally out of control excited to be there."

The fact that Varkonyi was a recreational - not professional - poker player caused some to doubt his chances, including Phil Hellmuth, who Varkonyi had doubled through earlier with Q-10 against his A-K.

During the televised final table, Hellmuth memorably promised to shave his head if Varkonyi were to pull out a win.

Eventually Hellmuth was forced to get a trim, but the name Robert Varkonyi was really lost in the shuffle with what happened next.

There is no poker aficionado who does not remember every moment of the 2003 Main Event.

The final nine, outlasting the record 839 who started, included Sammy Farha, Dan Harrington, Jason Lester, Amir Vahedi, David Grey, and David Singer.

But in their midst was a mild-mannered accountant who had dreamed of playing the Main Event since he saw the movie Rounders years earlier.

When Chris Moneymaker turned his online-qualifying win into $2.5 million, poker would never be the same.

Somewhat forgotten was the fact that Layne Flack had his second consecutive two-bracelet WSOP that year or that Ferguson, Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, Men "the Master" Nguyen and John Juanda each won two bracelets as well.

Women poker players did well in 2004 with Kathy Liebert, Cyndy Violette and Annie Duke each winning bracelets in open-field events.

But the story that year was the phenomenal increase in Main Event participants due in no small part to Moneymaker's historic win.

A total of 2,576 played and of course Greg Raymer won the $5 million dollar prize. Just like Moneymaker, Raymer had won his seat through an online satellite at PokerStars.

The 2005 WSOP was held outside of Binions for the first time, though the final two days of the Main Event took place in the old haunt.

Aussie Joe Hachem came out on top of the 5,619 person field, taking home $7.5 million.

His supporters' cheers are now legendary as was the final table that had a wide array of talent from the recently paroled Mike Matusow to the loveable everyman Steve Dannenmann.

The final table was also the site of the memorable meltdown from Ireland's Andy Black.

Raymer made a believer of everyone by coming close to repeating, finishing 25th in the big show.

Jennifer Tilly became the first celebrity player to win a bracelet and Doyle and Todd Brunson became the first father/son combo to win bracelets the same year.

If it were not for Jamie Gold, the 2006 WSOP would be remembered for its Player of the Year, Jeff Madsen.

Madsen became the youngest bracelet winner in history taking down the $2,000 NLHE, then won his second bracelet in Short-Handed NLHE six days later.

He also had two third place finishes - one in Omaha 8 and another in Stud Hi/Lo, an astounding feat at any age.

But Gold's $12 million win, outlasting the largest Main Event field ever at 8,773, is the story of 2006 as much for Gold's brash and controversial style as for the legal dustup that his win caused when another player claimed Gold had promised him half.

As if preordained, 2007 Main Event winner Jerry Yang was the anti-Gold. Quiet, pious, unassuming, Yang won $8.25 million with an aggressive, steam-roller approach to the final table that his co-finalists could not match.

With 6,358 players entering, there were 2,415 fewer than the previous year, only the second time in WSOP history that the number of entrants to the Main Event decreased.

Steve Billirakis was crowned the new-youngest bracelet winner in history, breaking Madsen's record from the previous year. Hellmuth won his record 11th bracelet and had a then-record 63 WSOP cashes.

Last year's WSOP set records for attendance (58,720), countries represented (118), and prize pool ($180,676,248).

It also saw the introduction of the November Nine, which ratcheted up the interest in and attention to the final table.

For poker purists who had been decrying the lack of "professional" winners of the Main Event, this final table had many players for whom poker was not just a hobby.

Runner-up Ivan Demidov went on to place third at the WSOP-Europe, David "Chino" Rheem is a respected pro, and eventual $9.1 million winner, the taciturn Dane Peter Eastgate, has proved himself a worthy title-holder.

2008 had a rash of memorable bracelet winners in preliminary events from the brothers Hinkle (Grant and Blair) to first-time bracelet-winners Erick Lindgren, David Singer, Kenny Tran, Nenad Medic, David Benyamine, JC Tran, and John Phan all breaking their "one of the best to never win a bracelet" record - now currently held by Andy Bloch.

So what is in store for 2009?  What records will be set, which will be broken?  Who will be the big story, the one talked about another forty years from now?

Will a big name take the big title, or will another "relative" unknown take poker's biggest prize?

For those answers and a whole lot more, follow PokerListings' Live Reporting from the Rio throughout the 2009 WSOP.

Related Articles:

• 40 years of the WSOP: The beginning
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 70s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 80s
• 40 years of the WSOP: The 90's

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Phil Hellmuth Favored to Win WSOP Champions Invitational

According to betting lines posted on Bodog, Ultimate Bet pro and 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth is the favorite to win the WSOP Champions Invitational, fetching 9:1 odds. The tournament will consist solely of former Main Event champions.

Hellmuth took down the 1989 Main Event, earning an automatic entry into the WSOP Champions Invitational. The non-bracelet event kicks off at the beginning of the 2009 festivities on May 31st and crowns a winner the next day. The “champion of champions” will take home the Binion Cup along with a brand new car. Jack Binion will be on-hand for the festivities and present the trophy. A total of 34 players have won the previous 39 Main Events, although seven have since passed away (Johnny Moss, Puggy Pearson, Stu Ungar, Hal Fowler, Jack Strauss, Jack Keller, and Bill Smith).

Hellmuth leads the field at 9:1 odds. Just behind him and coming in at 23:2 (or 11.5:1) are 2005 WSOP Main Event winner and Team PokerStars Pro member Joe Hachem, 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer, new Expekt Poker pro and reigning HORSE Championship winner Scotty Nguyen, 2009 Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Huck Seed, 1995 WSOP Main Event victor Dan Harrington, and 10-time bracelet winners Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan. Last year’s Main Event winner, Peter Eastgate, is fetching 13:1 odds and holds the record as the youngest champion of the feature tournament ever at age 22. Eastgate took home $9.1 million for his efforts in the second largest Main Event field in history, 6,844 runners.

Four former Main Event champs sit at 15:1 odds. Jerry Yang trumped the field in 2007 for $8.25 million, his lone WSOP cash to date. Members of that final table watched Team PokerStars Pro member Hevad “RaiNKhaN” Khan boisterously play his way through the event, ultimately grabbing sixth place for just under $1 million. Jamie Gold, the winner of the largest Main Event field ever in 2006, is also generating 15:1 odds. Gold is a former ACED Poker pro, but recently parted ways with the Merge Gaming Network site. Tied in odds with Gold and Yang is the man many would credit with sparking the modern poker boom, former Tennessee accountant Chris Moneymaker, who won it all in 2003. Full Tilt Poker pro Chris Ferguson is also fetching 15:1 odds. The man they call “Jesus” took down the first Main Event of the new millennium.

Robert Varkonyi and Tom McEvoy, who won the 2002 and 1983 WSOP Main Events, respectively, are both going off at 19:1 odds. Also seeing 19:1 odds is 1991 World Champion Brad Daugherty, who took home an even $1 million for his efforts and bested Don Holt heads-up. Several brand name pros are coming in at 24:1, including Noel Furlong, Jim Bechtel, Hamid Dastmalchi, Mansour Matloubi, Berry Johnston, and Bobby Baldwin.

At the bottom of the field and coming in at 65:1 is Russ Hamilton, the 1994 Main Event Champion. Last September, Hamilton was found to be “the main person responsible for and benefiting from the multiple cheating incidents” on Ultimate Bet, according to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. The revelation came after members of the online poker community linked Hamilton’s Las Vegas home to one of the accounts involved in the scandal, Sleeplesss. The events were revealed to the entire world as part of a November feature story on the CBS News program “60 Minutes” and a joint investigation with the Washington Post newspaper.

The WSOP Champions Invitational is one of four tournaments that will comprise ESPN’s television coverage this year. It will air on August 4th from 8:00pm to 10:00pm ET. Also seeing time in the spotlight will be the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP, the Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament, and the Main Event. The tournament series itself begins on Wednesday, May 27th with the $500 Casino Employees event. The $40,000 festivities begin the following day.

PokerPalooza to Debut at 2009 WSOP

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Gaming Life Expo is no more. In 2009, the world’s largest poker expo will be re-branded PokerPalooza and debuts at the Rio in Las Vegas on July 2nd, one day before the start of the prestigious $10,000 buy-in Main Event.

Harrah’s officials tout PokerPalooza as being geared towards “everyone from the professional to those who have not yet taken up the game.” WSOP bracelet winners and Main Event champions are slated to be on-hand signing autographs and imparting their poker knowledge on PokerPalooza attendees. A special “Bad Beat Bar” will also be set up, in addition to a full food court. The Rio Pavilion, which is around the corner from the Amazon Room at the Las Vegas hotel, will host PokerPalooza.

A variety of non-poker activities can also be found at the event formerly known as the Gaming Life Expo. Guests can try their luck on a mechanical bull, put their nerves to the test in the Richard Petty Driving Experience, don oversized sumo wrestling outfits, and take home prizes in a series of carnival games. Appropriately, Ty Stewart, Marketing Director for the WSOP, commented in a press release distributed by Harrah’s this week, “It’s going to be part trade show, part carnival, all fun.”

Last year, the Gaming Life Expo attracted 50,000 visitors to the Rio. A total of 165 booths could be found over the Pavilion’s 50,000 square feet of space. Exhibitors drumming up sales and awareness included New Balance, Bass Pro Shops, McFadden’s, Gamma-O, and All-In Energy Drinks. The Aussie Millions, a high-stakes poker tournament that takes place every January, even set up shop. In January, its Main Event attracted 681 entrants (down from 780 the year before) and was won by Australian native Stewart Scott. ESPN Radio broadcasted from the Expo; its television arm will air the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament, the Ante Up for Africa charity festivities, the WSOP Champions Invitational, and the $10,000 buy-in Main Event this year. Television coverage begins on July 28th.

All-In and Poker Pro Magazine were two of a handful of industry publications scurrying around last year’s event to boost readership. Signing autographs were a bevy of poker pros including 10-time WSOP bracelet holder Doyle Brunson, Full Tilt Poker pro Gus Hansen, Celebrity Apprentice runner up Annie Duke, 2008 HORSE Championship winner Scotty Nguyen, 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer, 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem, 2007 WSOP Main Event Champion Jerry Yang, and Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari. Master Toddy’s Muay Thai Academy dispatched its “Fight Girls” to the Rio to teach martial arts to guests.

One of the highlights from 2008 was a “Man vs. Machine” poker competition. The “Machine” in question was from the University of Alberta; it squared off against several brand name poker pros including Nick “Stoxtrader” Grudzien, the face behind the popular training site StoxPoker. According to the Rio’s website, Full Tilt Poker pro Matt Hawrilenko and StoxPoker instructor Jay Palansky also competed against the computerized poker mind. The crowd watching man and machine battle included belly dancers on loan from the Gaylord India Restaurant (which makes its home at the Rio) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) stars Josh Burkman and Grey Maynard.

Here are the hours of operation for the inaugural PokerPalooza:

Thursday, July 2nd: 11:00am – 8:30pm
Friday, July 3rd: 11:00am – 8:30pm
Saturday, July 4th: 11:00am – 8:30pm
Sunday, July 5th: 11:00am – 6:00pm

Booths run $2,500 each, with a $200 surcharge for a corner space. Vendors can pay using a major credit card. Interested companies are asked to contact Sharon Wayne, the WSOP’s Expo Manager, at (702) 777-2310 for more information. The event is free and open to anyone age 21 and up.

Top 5 least popular WSOP Main Event winners

Most people would cite Chris Moneymaker's win at the 2003 WSOP as the catalyst to the poker boom that occurred shortly thereafter.

Moneymaker's amateur status, passion for the game and fortuitous name all helped turn poker into a multi-billion dollar industry and he has to be considered one of the Main Event's most popular winners as a result.

But there have been some winners, especially recently, that have done little to grow the game and, in fact, may have even kept poker from becoming more mainstream.

With the 40th anniversary of the WSOP just weeks away and plans in place to bring every living Main Event champion back for the 2009 Champions Invitational freeroll, the debate has been opened yet again as to the top five least popular WSOP Main Event winners in history.

The top candidates, by common consensus:

5. Jerry Yang (2007)

There's no question Jerry Yang brought his A-game to the final table of the 2007 WSOP Main Event. The social worker entered the day as the short-stack but quickly went to work knocking out seven of the eight final table players.

He was the most aggressive player and walked away with the biggest prize as a result. Yang also had a fairly inspirational background, including spending four years in a refugee camp in Thailand and winning a $225 satellite into the tournament.

Unfortunately Yang never really embraced his status as an ambassador for poker. And since winning $8.25 million at the 2007 WSOP, Yang has one cash - $1,324 at the Binion's Poker Open.

Yang's religious nature proved difficult to market and even when he took on a poker nickname (The Shadow) it failed to gain him much credibility.

Some poker sites called Yang "a bigger bust then Jamie Gold" and in 2008 Wicked Chops Poker dubbed him "the most anonymous WSOP Main Event winner in recent history."

Yang is an outstanding person and a good citizen, but his contributions to the poker world have been minimal. He will likely go down in history as one of the most forgettable Main Event champions.

4. Amarillo Slim (1972)

Amarillo Slim (born Thomas Austin Preston, Jr.) was one of the most popular WSOP champions when he won back in 1972.

He went on talk shows and was the face of poker for some 30-odd years.

Although he was often branded a hustler and his character was questioned throughout his life, it wasn't until much later things really went bad for Preston.

In August 2004 Slim was indicted on three charges of indecency with a 12-year-old family member. The charges were reduced to a misdemeanor assault in a plea bargain.

"Slim is a great character and was crucial to the growth of poker and the WSOP in the seventies, but darker recent chapters in his life have tarnished his reputation," explained ESPN columnist Gary Wise, who also runs www.wisehandpoker.com.

"There are many poker players who won't associate with him as a result of the charges brought against him in 2004."

Slim is another classic case of a missed opportunity. The outspoken Texan could still be one of the ambassadors for the game, but instead was cast as a villain.

There were even rumors that Nicolas Cage was set to play Slim in an motion picture before the charges were laid and the movie was canned.

Poker players have long debated Slim's level of guilt and he did explain himself in an exclusive interview with PokerListings.

But at this point it would likely take a miracle to completely clear his name.

"With that in mind, Slim did a lot to grow the game while there have been a number of champions who did little in that regard," added Wise.

3. Robert Varkonyi (2002)

Robert Varkonyi outlasted 630 players to take down the 2002 WSOP Main Event and the $2 million that came along with it.

Varkonyi was so new to poker and considered by so many people to be a fish that Phil Hellmuth agreed to have his hair shaved off for charity if the MIT graduate won the Main Event. Varkonyi won and Hellmuth made good on his promise.

That was essentially the peak of Varkonyi's poker stardom.

Possibly due to his uninteresting nature, many in the poker industry have Varkonyi pegged as the worst overall champ.

"Not really sure how anybody could make an argument for anyone other than Robert Varkonyi," said Steve "Chops" Preiss of Wicked Chops Poker. "Varkonyi almost single-handedly made poker uncool."

What makes Varkonyi even more intriguing is the fact the very next year another virtually unknown player won the Main Event and changed the landscape of the poker world forever. His name was Chris Moneymaker.

"Had Chris Moneymaker not come along in 2003 and erased the memory of Varkonyi from the collective consciousness, where would the game be today?" Preiss asked.

"Varkonyi seems like a nice enough guy. But there isn't one cool thing about him. If anything, he probably would've turned away all of the hipsters that flooded the game and made it so big.

"Not to mention Varkonyi is probably recognized as the worst player of any winner. So, this one is really a no brainer."

2. Jamie Gold (2006)

The WSOP Main Event peaked in 2006 with 8,773 players. The halls of the Rio were overflowing with sponsors, online poker rooms and professional poker players. In many ways it was the biggest year in the history of poker.

The final table had some compelling stories with Michael Binger, Paul Wasicka and Full Tilt Pro Allen Cunningham all gunning for title.

Instead it was monster chip leader and former Hollywood agent Jamie Gold who took home championship honors and the whopping $12 million that came along with it.

Gold wasn't exactly known as the most honorable player during the tournament as many accused him of angle-shooting and taunting other players. But it was what happened less than a month later that seriously damaged his reputation and his bankroll.

In mid-August, Crispin Leyser, who had allegedly partnered with Gold for half the winnings, sued Gold for not paying up.

Gold eventually settled out of court with Leyser, but the damage to his reputation was already done.

There are a lot of shady moves in the poker world, but the cardinal sin in many players' eyes is welching on a debt.

To make matters worse, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement act was passed in the fall of 2006 and the start of Gold's reign as champion seemed to usher in a dark time for poker.

He wasn't exactly the type of character poker players wanted on late night TV and ESPN promoting the game. Gold was almost universally trashed in the poker world with people calling him a "donk," a "chump" and worse.

In September, an article written by Stanley R. Sludikoff for www.pokerplayernewspaper.com seemed to encompass what most poker players were feeling at the time.

"Now we have a new champion, Jamie Gold, who is leaving a bad taste in our collective mouths, by showing us a side of his character that appears to be despicable," wrote Sludikoff.

It didn't help Gold's case that he came directly after Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem, considered by most industry insiders to be huge advocates for the game.

Gold won the biggest tournament in poker history and yet most people in the poker industry seem to prefer to forget about him completely, speaking volumes about his marketability.

1. Russ Hamilton (1994)

So you've heard it all. Some of the worst WSOP champions in history. In all their boring, controversial and distasteful glory.

But there's one name that rises above the rest.

Only one of those Main Event winners would go on to help run one of the most popular poker rooms on the Internet and allegedly cheat players out of their money.

Russ Hamilton won the 1994 WSOP Main Event and the $1 million that came with the title. Strangely, Hamilton also won his body weight in silver thanks to a promotion run by the World Series.

At the time, many considered Hamilton a great champion as he was a popular Las Vegas insider with plenty of poker experience.

Everything changed in the fall of 2008 when the Kahnawake Gaming Commission claimed it had found evidence that Hamilton was the main person behind the multiple cheating incidents that had occurred at ((Ultimate Bet)).

The reaction from the poker world was both predictable and passionate.

"I gotta think that Russ Hamilton is clearly the worst for poker," said Dan Michalski, founder of the popular Pokerati.com blog.

"Who would have thought when he won in 1994 and received a hefty overlay in silver - a celebration of his gluttony - that he would later become the poster boy for just how bad poker can be sometimes."

Hamilton was slagged by almost every media source in the poker world and some players were even less kind.

2006 WSOP Player of the Year Tom Schneider was particularly incensed by Hamilton's bad behavior.

"He has done more to hurt poker than the next 100 worst [players] combined," said Schneider.

"He has tainted poker nearly beyond repair and has ruined and hurt more poker player's lives than anybody else."

According to Schneider the damage went deeper than simply taking a few bucks.

"He made winning players question their abilities, had people borrow money to pay him off and had people questioning their whole existence," he said. "No one is even close."

Hamilton's fall from grace proves that when large amounts of money are being traded back and forth, there's always the risk of corruption.

On the plus side, the situation has reminded poker players around the world to be ever-vigilant and always aware of what's going on in their poker game.

That's the list. Glaring omissions, bad picks and new suggestions are all welcome in the comments below.

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Pieter de Korver Wins EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final

The 2009 installment of the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final wrapped up over the weekend. In the end, Team PokerStars Netherlands Pro Pieter de Korver triumphed over the 935 player field en route to a €2.3 million payday.

De Korver was nearly bumped from the final table when he was down to just three big blinds remaining. However, the old adage “All you need is a chip and a chair” held true and the Netherlands native mounted a comeback of epic proportions to take down the finale of the fifth EPT season. On the final hand, de Korver knocked out Matthew Woodward. After a flop of 5-10-6, all hearts, de Korver checked and Woodward bet out 700,000. De Korver promptly put his opponent all-in and Woodward called, flipping over 6d-4h for middle pair and a baby flush draw. De Korver turned over 6-9 of spades for middle pair with a better kicker. The turn and river came the queen of spades and seven of spades, respectively, handing the 26 year-old the win in the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final.

De Korver was down to his final 400,000 chips when blinds were a healthy 80,000-160,000. However, he tripled his stack holding Q-4 through Woodward and poker pro Dag Martin Mikkelsen and never looked back. Here were the results from the eight-handed final table:

1st Place: Pieter de Korver (Holland) - €2,300,000
2nd Place: Matthew Woodward (United States) - €1,300,000
3rd Place: Mikhail Tulchinskiy (Russia) - €800,000
4th Place: Dag Martin Mikkelsen (Norway) - €600,000
5th Place: Eric Qu (France) - €470,000
6th Place: Alem Shah (Germany) - €350,000
7th Place: Daniel Zink (Germany) - €250,000
8th Place: Peter Traply (Hungary) - €170,000

Mikkelsen was the aggressor early on, bumping Traply from the final table in eighth place after the Hungarian entered play with the chip lead. He also sent Zink packing in seventh place, leading many to believe that Mikkelsen would walk away from Monaco as the EPT Season 5 champ. De Korver then flopped a boat with pocket sixes and stole a massive pot off of the Norwegian, who was ultimately sent packing by Woodward in fourth place. Mikkelsen took 42nd in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event for $237,000 in a tournament eventually won by Jerry Yang. Woodward also ousted Tulchinskiy, this time coming out on the winning end of a race with pocket threes against the Russian’s Q-10.

The Monte Carlo Grand Final marked the end of the fifth season of the EPT. The tournament series traversed more than 13,000 miles across two continents. Its Main Event winners over the course of the nine month-long season included Sebastian Ruthenburg (Barcelona), Michael Martin (London), Will Fry (Hungary), Joao Barbosa (Warsaw), Salvatore Bonavena (Prague), Poorya Nazari (PokerStars Caribbean Adventure), Moritz Kranich (Deauville), Jens Kyllönen (Copenhagen), Sandra Naujoks (Dortmund), and Jason Mercier (San Remo). A special £1 Million Showdown held during the EPT festivities in London was also won by Mercier, who defeated a final table that included 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event victor John Juanda, World Poker Tour Bellagio Cup IV winner Michael “SirWatts” Watson, reigning WSOP HORSE Champion Scotty Nguyen, 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure runner up Isaac Haxton, Full Tilt Poker pro David Benyamine, and Isabelle Mercier.

The 2008 installment of the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final attracted a field of 842 entrants. This year, that number grew by 11%. The very first end of season EPT event generated 211 runners in 2005 and was won by Rob Hollink. At the time of writing, no schedule for Season 6 has been posted on the EPT’s website, although the Barcelona tournament has traditionally kicked off the schedule each September.

Bertrand Grospellier (Elky) Second in WPT Championship After Day 2

On Monday, the second day of play in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship played out at the Bellagio. Sitting with the second largest chip stack when the action concluded was a familiar name in the live poker world: Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier.

A member of Team PokerStars Pro, Grospellier already has wins in the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $2 million and the Season VII WPT Festa al Lago Main Event for $1.4 million. His win in the Bahamas saw him blast through a field of 1,136 entrants and defeat Hafiz Khan heads-up. Also at the final table, which played out at the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island, were David “The Dragon” Phan and online poker pro Christian “charder” Harder, who took fourth and seventh, respectively. Grospellier doubled up through Shawn Cunix on Monday by drawing out after Cunix flopped the nuts. Grospellier sits with a stack of 678,300, trailing Jean-Noel Thorel’s 743,500. He will be flanked by Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer at Table 57 on Tuesday.

Also still in contention is Poker News Daily guest columnist and “Celebrity Apprentice” candidate Annie Duke. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner will have the 87th largest stack when play resumes, 162,900. Comedian Joan Rivers comparing Duke to Hitler highlighted the latest “Celebrity Apprentice” episode. Duke told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman on Monday, “She Twittered, ‘I compared Annie to Hitler last night. I’m so sorry; my apologies to Hitler’… In the heat of the moment, it’s terrible to say that. I just assumed that when she saw it, she’d regret it. I think it trivializes the Holocaust, which is terrible.” Rivers’ comments marked her second World War II dictator comparison; she also likened Duke to Benito Mussolini. Joining Duke at Table 63 on Tuesday will be Phil Laak, fellow Ultimate Bet pro Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Matt Glantz, and Phil Ivey.

In a battle of heavyweights, J.C. Tran eliminated online poker legend Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy near the end of play on Monday. Josephy was all-in pre-flop holding pocket eights against Tran’s A-K. The flop came a benign 9-9-5, but an ace on the turn sent Tran into the lead for good. The hand gave Tran 220,000 chips, although he ended the day with just 125,500. In September of 2006, Josephy, at the time an Ultimate Bet pro, finished second in the site’s Aruba Poker Classic for $446,000. Two months later, he was again the runner up, this time in a $4,800 buy-in preliminary tournament held during the World Poker Finals, for $187,000. The winner of that event was none other than Poker News Daily guest columnist Bernard Lee.

Here are the top 10 players on the leader board entering Day 3 on Tuesday:
1. Jean-Noel Thorel - 743,500
2. Bertrand Grospellier - 678,300
3. Steve Billirakis - 672,400
4. Dan Heimiller - 655,700
5. Justin Young - 621,800
6. Fred Berger - 598,500
7. Jimmy Fricke - 583,800
8. Steve Sung - 529,300
9. Joseph Parker - 505,500
10. Jeff Madsen - 479,200

Other notable names in the top 50 include:
12. Nenad Medic - 455,000
16. Johnny Chan - 404,500
20. David Singer - 370,700
22. Vadim Trincher - 365,200
25. Jennifer Harman - 341,300
26. Freddy Deeb - 338,400
28. Mike Matusow - 331,700
38. Kathy Liebert - 282,400
39. J.J. Liu - 281,900
46. Jerry Yang - 255,000
47. Joe Sebok - 253,900

Trincher is fresh off a win in the WPT’s Foxwoods Poker Classic, where he defeated a field of 259 entrants en route to a $731,000 payday. Heads-up at the Connecticut casino, Trincher defeated Amnon Filippi, who busted Phil Hellmuth on Day 1 from the Bellagio after just 15 minutes of play. Liebert took second to Steve Brecher in the Bay 101 Shooting Star event, which played out in March from San Jose, California; Liebert pocketed $550,000 for her runner up showing. Brecher sits with the 113th largest stack at the Bellagio, 136,200, well below the average stack size of 210,000.

Day 3 picks up today at Noon Pacific Time. A winner will be crowned on Saturday.

Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament Returns for Third Year

Jennifer Harman and her many friends are back to raise money for a good cause.

The third annual Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament will be held at The Venetian Poker Room on Friday, April 17, in Las Vegas. The event, which benefits the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), raised more than $130,000 for the organization last year alone.

Poker celebrities that have already reserved seats for the charity tournament include Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Chris Ferguson, Hoyt Corkins, Jerry Yang, Andy Bloch, David Williams, Eli Elezra, David Oppenheim, Lee Watkinson, Jeff Madsen, Karina Jett, Todd Brunson, Brad Booth, Joe Sebok, and many others. Defending champion Seth Dupre, a recreational player from Las Vegas, will also participate. The event is open to the public.

A red carpet walk featuring players accompanied by animals from the NSPCA shelter is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., while emcee Matt Savage will kick off the $300 No Limit Hold'em tournament at 5 p.m. The tournament will include unlimited $100 rebuys for the first three levels and then a $100 add-on worth twice the starting stack.

The grand prize of a seat in the $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event, along with a Curtis & Co. watch, will be awarded to the winner. Each player will receive a generous gift bag courtesy of the Nevada SPCA and its sponsors. The silent auction, hosted by Nevada SPCA and Triumph Sports, will feature autographed sports and poker memorabilia items. The auction will run from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The following sponsored prizes will be awarded to those that reach the final table:

1st Place -- $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event seat, Legacy Alliance custom designed crystal trophy, Curtis & Co. sports watch, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

2nd Place -- WSOP Academy certificate, Legacy Alliance custom designed crystal trophy, Curtis & Co. sports watch, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

3rd Place -- WSOP Academy certificate, Legacy Alliance custom designed crystal trophy, Curtis & Co. sports watch, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

4th Place -- Two nights luxury accommodations at the Venetian, dinner for two at a Delmonico Steakhouse (pending approval), certificate to Venetian’s Canyon Ranch Spa Club (pending approval), Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

5th Place -- Autographed complete home poker chip set, tickets for two to David Spade Live at the Venetian (pending approval), Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

6th Place -- Tickets for two to Phantom at the Venetian (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

7th Place -- Tickets for two to Wayne Brady at the Venetian (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one Cushion Backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

8th Place -- Tickets for two to Madame Tussauds (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

9th Place -- Tickets for two to Jersey Boys (pending approval), autographed complete home poker chip set, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

10th Place -- Tickets for two to Blue Man Group, SuperSystem leather-bound autographed by Doyle Brunson, Doyle Brunson autographed cowboy hat, Quad Queens all-in-one cushion Backpack, Life’s A Bluff autographed Limited Edition Lithograph.

There will also be a “Last Woman Standing” prize and “Jennifer Harman Bounty” prize sponsored by 2-Step Images. More information, including tournament structure, prizes, and contacts, can be found at http://www.jenniferharmancpt.com.

Imper1um Hosts Stem Cell Research Fundraiser on Betfair

Tonight on Betfair, Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi will host a charity fundraiser benefiting stem cell research. The tournament kicks off at 20:00 U.K. time on one of the world’s largest online poker sites.

Mizzi, together with Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, John “kunku wap” Tabatabai, and Peter “Zupp” Jepsen, make up Team Betfair. The site dubs these up and coming poker players the “New Breed.” In celebration of Good Friday, Betfair will offer a $10 buy-in tournament that kicks off at 20:00 U.K. time with proceeds funding stem cell research. The winner receives a once-in-a-lifetime coaching session with one of the four Betfair pros. The tournament does not have a house fee.

The winner will be able to claim their prize at a live event, which consists of a three hour coaching session by the pro of their choice along with travel and accommodation if required. The member of the New Breed will also review a hand history prior to the coaching session. The runner up and third place finisher in the charity poker tournament will receive a hand reviewed by a Betfair pro.

Mizzi commented in a press release distributed by the independent online poker site, “It is with great pleasure that I announce my chosen charity for the Betfair Charity Tournament. There are so many worthy causes in the world like Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. Donating money to any of these charities would help find a cure for it, but funding Stem Cell Research could help find a cure for all of these devastating diseases.”

The tournament has its own Facebook page. At the time of writing, 124 members say they will be attending the stem cell research fundraiser, 385 are not attending, and 1,307 have not yet weighed in. Mizzi commented on the new Obama Administration in the United States: “I hope that with the actions taken recently by Barack Obama and his reversing the ban on Stem Cell Research, we will all see the unlimited potential for this research and the benefits it will bring to the world!”

Betfair is hard at work sending its members to the upcoming 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. A $550 buy-in tournament on April 19th will award two packages to the WSOP in Sin City; each is valued at $15,000. Satellites begin at $2.20 and run daily Monday through Saturday. The 2009 WSOP kicks off on May 27th with a $500 buy-in Casino Employees event. The next day marks the start of the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP. The final table of the prestigious Main Event will once again be pushed back until November, continuing a tradition that began last year.

Mizzi grabbed second in a £5,000 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha tournament held during the 2008 WSOP Europe festivities in London, banking £132,000 for his efforts. The tournament marked the first bracelet win for Theo Jorgensen, who defeated Full Tilt Poker pro Gus Hansen in a boxing match in London a few months later. The Pot Limit Omaha tournament’s final table also included Erik Friberg, Max Pescatori, and Chris Ferguson, who took fourth, fifth, and seventh, respectively. Mizzi took 208th in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, which ended with Jerry Yang defeating Tuan Lam heads-up, and also chopped the Irish Poker Open. Online, Mizzi won the $100 rebuy on PokerStars in February for $34,000. Two weeks earlier, he grabbed third in the site’s $200 rebuy for $23,000.

Mizzi holds two victories in Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) tournaments. He took down a $216 No Limit Hold’em Rebuy contest during FTOPS III for $90,000 and also won a $216 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha event during FTOPS IV for $40,000.

Team ACED Wins Dream Team Poker Caesars Palace Tournament

A total of 148 teams, or 444 players, entered Dream Team Poker's second tournament, which was held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas over the weekend. It was the first installment open to the public and, when the final cards were dealt, Team ACED took down the event for nearly $60,000.

2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Jamie Gold headlined Team ACED, which also included Ashley Nataupsky and Houston Waldie. The team's name is a reference to Gold's sponsorship by the Merge Gaming Network site of the same name, an agreement he inked in February. The Network accepts players from the United States and also includes Carbon Poker, IronDuke, Poker Nordica, and Rumble Poker, among others. ACED recently sponsored a charity fundraiser for Children Uniting Nations that was held after the Oscar festivities in Los Angeles and emceed by Gold.

Gold actually took ninth in the event, while Nataupsky finished in fourth. The 2006 Main Event winner commented in a press release distributed by Dream Team Poker on Monday, “It’s the most fun you can have without $12 million on the line. My WSOP bracelet is in a vault, but my Dream Team Poker trophy will be on my mantel for all to see.” Gold bested a field of 8,773 players in poker's most prestigious tournament in 2006 and took home the largest prize ever given out at the WSOP.

In order to preserve the integrity of the game, Dream Team Poker also awards prizes for the top individual tournament finishers. At the Caesars event, Danny Nelson emerged victorious from the pack, taking home nearly $24,000. Heads-up, he went toe to toe with Philip Rousseaux for 45 minutes in front of a throng of onlookers. In the final hand, Rousseaux pushed with J-8 on a board of K-8-4, only to see he was dominated by Nelson's K-9. A six on the turn and a seven on the river sealed the win for Nelson, who played as part of Team BikerHaven.net.

Teams were given jerseys to hit the felts with, creating a unique atmosphere. A team's overall score is determined by the two best finishes of its members and teammates are not seated at the same table until 14 to 16 players remain in order to stunt collusion. The runner up finish by Rousseaux was enough to earn The Claddaghs the second best team score and its corresponding $33,000 prize. Here were the top five teams at Caesars in the second Dream Team Poker tournament, a $550 per person buy-in affair:

1st Place: Team Aced - $59,940
2nd Place: The Claddaghs - $33,300
3rd Place: The Clones - $15,984
4th Place: Party at the Mansion - $10,656
5th Place: Hellmuth Busters - $6,660

The top five individual finishers were:

1st Place: Danny Nelson (Team BikerHaven.net) - $24,063
2nd Place: Philip Rousseaux (Team Claddaghs) - $13,320
3rd Place: Jerry Percival (Team Runner, Runner) - $7,922
4th Place: Ashley Nataupsky (Team ACED) –$ 6,666
5th Place: John Regis (Poker Masters) - $5,328

The very first Dream Team Poker event was held at the Hard Rock Casino in November and was won by Team Bluff, which consisted of Matt Parvis, Eric Morris, and Bodog poker pro Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo. Despite being open to the general public, the second installment of Dream Team Poker brought out some of the top names in poker. Former WSOP Main Event Champions in attendance over the weekend included Gold, Jerry Yang, Tom McEvoy, Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth, and Johnny Chan. Also making the trek to Caesars were three members of the inaugural November Nine: Dennis Phillips, David “Chino” Rheem, and Kelly Kim. Other poker pros that competed included Todd Brunson, Paul Wasicka, Full Tilt Poker front man Mike Matusow, Erica Schoenberg, T.J. Cloutier, David Williams, and the last woman standing in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, Tiffany Michelle.

No date for the third Dream Team Poker tournament has been announced. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this unique spin on the game.

Rivalries fuel Dream Team competition

The sellout event will see 170 teams of three throw down for a share of an estimated $250,000 prize pool.

The cash, and a cheap shot at felting the likes of Phil Hellmuth, has generated an altogether unexpected buzz surrounding this tournament.

Unlike traditional tournament poker, the team format fosters a real sense of camaraderie. Players are rallying behind their team flags and, as one might expect, taking every opportunity to deride the opposition.

Leading this exhibition of maturity is Joe Sebok, who will be representing PokerRoad.com.

"To think that any of the other aforementioned 'teams,' if you can even call them that, have any chance of beating PokerRoad Radio is laughable," Sebok asserted when asked how he likes his team's chances.

Sebok goes on to call out one team in particular.

"WickedChopsPoker? What the hell is a wicked chop anyway? An angry sushi chef?" he said.

Firing right back was Matt "All In At 420" Stout, who will be representing Team PokerListings along with poker diva Liz Lieu and 2005 WSOP bracelet winner Quinn Do.

"Sebok going deep in this tournament is about as likely as Gavin Smith folding a gut-shot straight draw," he said.

Stout joined Sebok in his skepticism regarding Team WickedChops' likelihood of success, citing their preoccupation with the female form as the major obstacle they'll need to overcome.

"It's going to be tough for them since they'll barely be able to focus on playing cards between snapping photos of girls on the rail and trying to convince the cocktail waitresses to take off their clothes," Stout said.

Chops, one of the three entities who are WickedChopsPoker, was unfazed by the criticism.

He chose to go after the reigning Dream Team champions from Bluff Magazine rather than dignify his detractors with a response.

"Really, if Bluff Magazine won the previous Dream Team Poker event, can't we all agree this is just a crapshoot?" he said.

"Wouldn't a team consisting of Scott MacIntyre, Bernie Lomax and Robert Varkonyi have just as good of a chance?"

Lampooning aside, the tournament is shaping up to be the most publicized $500 buy-in event in the history of live poker.

Former World Champions Phil Hellmuth, Jerry Yang, Jamie Gold and Tom McEvoy are all confirmed, along with a long list of name pros and celebrities.

PokerListings.com will be on location to bring you live updates and photography starting tomorrow at 12 p.m. PT.

You can follow Team PokerListings and everyone else who's playing in our Live Tournaments section.

 

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