Poker News

Ryan D’Angelo, Tyler Reiman Lead PCA Entering Final Table

Eight players remain in the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). Online poker pros Ryan “g0lfa” D’Angelo and Tyler “puffinmypurp” Reiman lead the eight-handed final table by a comfortable margin.

For Reiman, a massive pot against European Poker Tour (EPT) founder John Duthie gave him the ammunition to nip at D’Angelo’s heels entering Monday’s final table. Duthie was all-in pre-flop holding pocket aces, the best starting hand in Texas Hold’em, and held a 4:1 advantage over Reiman’s pocket queens. The flop, however, contained a queen and propelled Reiman into the lead in the hand for good. Duthie was out two hands later, finishing in 12th place for $130,000. Reiman owned a stack of 9.35 million entering the final table, trailing only D’Angelo’s 10.09 million.

D’Angelo comes to the 2010 PCA Main Event with top-tier credentials. He was one of only two dual winners during the 2009 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), taking down a $320 buy-in Eight-Game event and a $320 buy-in Mixed tournament. The only other player to accomplish the feat in the September tournament series was Team PokerStars Pro member and former PCA winner Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, who took down two No Limit Hold’em events.

In third place on the 2010 PCA Main Event leaderboard is Barry Shulman, who is fresh off a victory in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event for £801,000. He defeated PokerStars sponsored pro Daniel Negreanu in the finale of that tournament, which also saw Jason Mercier, Praz Bansi, and WSOP Main Event November Nine members Antoine Saout and James Akenhead reach the final table. Shulman owns a stack of 6.81 million entering Monday’s play.

Benjamin “xthesteinx” Zamani sent longtime PCA Main Event chip leader Wayne Bentley packing on Sunday. The 23 year-old called Zamani’s all-in on a flop of 3-8-2, showing pocket deuces for a flopped set. In a scene reminiscent of Joe Cada in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, Bentley turned over pocket jacks and watched in agony as the board ran out 6-7. Bentley, a Brit, took home an even $100,000 consolation prize for his 16th place showing.

Poker pro Jeff Madsen hit the rails in 19th place, pocketing $87,500 from the $10,000 buy-in poker tournament. Norwegian poker player Aage Ravn called Madsen’s all-in with pocket fours and Madsen flipped up A-J for an old fashioned race. The board ran out K-7-9-5-9 and that was all she wrote for the poker rapper.

Who will join D’Angelo, Reiman, Ravn, and Shulman at the eight-handed final table of the 2010 PCA, a stop on the EPT and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT)? Here’s a look at the leaderboard:

1. Ryan D'Angelo – 10,090,000
2. Tyler Reiman – 9,350,000
3. Barry Shulman – 6,805,000
4. Harrison Gimbel – 6,000,000
5. Thomas Koral – 5,370,000
6. Benjamin Zamani – 3,700,000
7. Zachary Goldberg – 2,340,000
8. Aage Floenes Ravn – 1,690,000

Ravn is the only non-American at the final table. A total of 57 countries were represented among the 1,529 players who entered the 2010 PCA Main Event. About half of those players were from the United States. Now, seven out of eight finalists, or a hefty 88%, hail from the North American nation. Similarly, Shulman, who is 63 years-old, is the only member of the final table older than 26. Gimbel is the baby of the group at 19, while Reiman and Goldberg weigh in at the tender age of 21.

Regardless of a player’s age, life-changing money is on the line when play kicks off this afternoon from the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Each player remaining is guaranteed to earn at least $201,000:

1st Place: $2,200,000
2nd Place: $1,750,000
3rd Place: $1,350,000
4th Place: $1,000,000
5th Place: $700,000
6th Place: $450,000
7th Place: $300,000
8th Place: $201,300

The final table kicks off at Noon ET from Atlantis and will continue until a champion is crowned. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest PCA coverage.

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure final table set

Online Rounders Dominate PCA Final

The chip leader going in will be the same man who led the final 24, Ryan “g0lfa” D’Angelo.

An online pro for the past six years, D’Angelo has two PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker titles on his resume, but his live experience also includes a third-place finish at a World Series of Poker $2k event in 2008.

Considering the more than 750 online qualifiers at the event and the wealth of online players in the field, D’Angelo said the 2010 PCA has played a lot more like an online MTT than your typical live tournament.

“In a lot of other tournaments you can’t get away with raise sizes like you would online,” he said. “Here it plays pretty much like an online tournament. A lot of three-betting and cold four-betting. I really haven’t taken part in that though. I guess I’m not as crazy as some of these younger Internet kids here who just spit fire and get in there with nothing.”

Thanks to the flopped queen he used to crack EPT Founder John Duthie’s aces and rake a ten-million-chip pot, another online pro will come into Monday’s final eight second in chips.

Morton, Illinois’ Ty Reiman has almost $1 million in online earnings and actually won the first live tournament he ever played at the Heartland Poker Tour’s Turning Stone $1k in 2007.

Like D’Angelo, he feels the PCA has played much like an online tournament so far.

“I really don’t feel like it’s that different from any other online tournament,” he said. “Maybe it’s just because that queen hasn’t really set in yet.”

Fellow U.S. online regulars Tom Koral, Harrison Gimbel, Benjamin Zamani and Zachary Goldberg join PokerStars qualifier Aage Floenes Ravn from Norway in rounding out the final eight.

But it’s 2009 WSOPE champ and CardPlayer publisher Barry Shulman who will come into the final table third in chips and on the hottest streak of his poker career.

The suddenly resurgent Shulman won a WSOP bracelet in 2001 before most of these players had even heard of poker.

Now, despite being the least experienced player when it comes to the online style, he appears to have adapted.

“Historically I play better against better players,” he explained. “(The WSOPE) was the toughest field I’ve ever played with. It was impossible to find people just dumping off chips. Here is a whole different story, because it’s such an aggressive situation.

“My own play was actually the same, but this was different because they just play so differently. There is so much action versus what I saw in London.”

The action could slow down when the final table begins, however, as the online players adapt a strategy similar to playing Sit & Go’s.

“I tend to play final tables like a Sit & Go,” said D’Angelo. “I just like to see what everyone is doing, try and feel everybody out and play a solid game. Once the blinds get higher that’s when we start moving chips.”

“The table is really good,” added Reiman. “There are a lot of online players who I’ve played with. I’m just going to try and play my game, not get into too many big pots and let the smaller stacks dwindle out. Then, once we’re four-handed or five handed, we go to battle.”

To follow all the action and see who takes down the 2010 PCA and its $2.2 million first-place prize, tune in to PokerListings’ Live Updates beginning at 12 p.m ET Monday.

Ryan D’Angelo, John Duthie Lead PCA Main Event into Play Down Day

Today, the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event enters its play down day, as the 24 remaining players will become eight when all is said and done. At stake is a $2.2 million first place prize and the title of 2010 PCA Champion.

Ryan “g0lfa” D’Angelo leads the field entering Sunday’s action at the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. His chips number 7.5 million, while the next closest competitor, European Poker Tour (EPT) founder John Duthie, owns just 5.3 million. D’Angelo scooped a blockbuster pot late in the day on Saturday after putting in a check-raise to 310,000 on a flop of 5-A-9. Dimitri Hefter called and the turn was a king. D’Angelo bet 500,000 and Hefter called to see a three hit on the river. The action slowed down, as both players checked, but the damage was done and D’Angelo’s A-Q was enough to rake in the chips.

Meanwhile, Duthie amassed a chunk of his chips after cracking Swedish poker player Kent Lundmark’s pocket aces. Duthie’s opponent led out for 100,000 on a flop of 7-2-8 with two spades. Duthie raised it up to 300,000 and Lundmark pushed all-in over the top for 2.2 million. Duthie called and showed 7-8 of diamonds for top two pair, while Lundmark turned over his wired pair of aces. The board ran out K-6 and Lundmark hit the rails in 29th place for $66,000.

Wayne Bentley, who held a commanding chip lead after the combined Day 1 field, continues to fly high in the 2010 PCA Main Event. Heading into Sunday’s play down day, Bentley owns a stack of 2.9 million, good for third overall. Three tables will accommodate the field this afternoon and Bentley heads to #1, where D’Angelo and Harrison Gimbel, who led the field entering Day 4, will join him. Bentley’s chip stack was chopped down to just 75,000 at one point on Saturday after his A-K could not withstand pocket queens. The board ran out five cards nine or lower and Bentley was crippled before mounting an epic comeback to land in third on the leaderboard entering today’s action.

Speaking of the leaderboard, here are the 24 players remaining in the 2010 PCA Main Event:

1. Ryan D'Angelo - 7,483,000
2. John Duthie - 5,304,000
3. Wayne Bentley - 2,878,000
4. Thomas Koral - 2,438,000
5. Barry Shulman - 2,433,000
6. Aage Floenes Ravn - 2,282,000
7. Zachary Goldberg - 2,195,000
8. James Tolbert - 2,016,000
9. Benjamin Zamani - 1,905,000
10. Robert Mizrachi - 1,823,000
11. Harrison Gimbel - 1,803,000
12. Tyler Reiman - 1,796,000
13. Darren Keyes - 1,614,000
14. Luc Greenwood - 1,528,000
15. Dimitri Hefter - 1,350,000
16. Matthew Haugen - 1,161,000
17. Jimmie Guinther - 932,000
18. Jeff Madsen - 896,000
19. Gijs Verheijen - 882,000
20. Bo Schultz - 720,000
21. Tamas Lendvai - 662,000
22. Praz Bansi - 542,000
23. Richard Toth - 488,000
24. Kenny Nguyen - 242,000

Eight nations are represented in the final 24. Duthie is the only member of Team PokerStars Pro remaining in the field after his comrades like 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Joe Cada, 2004 Main Event winner Greg Raymer, 2003 World Champion Chris Moneymaker, and former PCA victor Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier busted in prior days.

The elimination of Amanda Baker in 38th place set up a male-only field on Day 5. Poker pro Praz Bansi sent her packing after Baker pushed all-in with Q-J and Bansi made the call with pocket rockets. The board came K-2-4-4-3 and the last woman standing in the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament saw her title hopes evaporate.

Every one of the 24 remaining players is assured a payday of at least $75,000. The top four finishers will earn $1 million from the record-setting PCA Main Event field of 1,529 entrants. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest 2010 PCA coverage.

2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event Payouts, Nationalities Announced

Although attendance at the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) out-paced last year’s tally by 13.5%, this year’s champion will earn a whopping $800,000 less. In 2009, Canadian poker player Poorya Nazari earned $3 million after defeating American Anthony Gregg heads-up.

Gregg took home $1.7 million, while Benjamin Spindler boosted his bankroll by $1.1 million for third place. Nazari, Gregg, and Spindler were the only three players to cross the seven-figure threshold. This year, the top four finishers in the PCA Main Event will earn at least $1 million, with first place taking home $2.2 million, second place earning $1.75 million, third place grabbing $1.35 million, and fourth place realizing an even $1 million.

In 2010, the top 199 players out of the 1,347-player field, or 14.8%, finished in the money. This time around, 224 out of 1,529 players will take home a cash prize, or a similar 14.7%. The top four players will bank $6.3 million, or 42.6% of the total prize pool of $14.8 million this year. During the 2009 PCA Main Event, the top four earned $6.55 million, or nearly 52% of the prize pool. This year, the more even structure means that the top prize will shrink by 26.7% despite the larger turnout.

Here’s a look at what’s at stake in the 2010 PCA Main Event:

1st Place: $2,200,000
2nd Place: $1,750,000
3rd Place: $1,350,000
4th Place: $1,000,000
5th Place: $700,000
6th Place: $450,000
7th Place: $300,000
8th Place: $201,300
9th to 10th Places: $150,000
11th to 12th Places: $130,000
13th to 14th Places: $115,000
15th to 16th Places: $100,000
17th to 20th Places: $87,500
21st to 24th Places: $75,000
25th to 32nd Places: $66,000
33rd to 40th Places: $59,000
41st to 48th Places: $52,000
49th to 56th Places: $45,000
57th to 64th Places: $38,000
65th to 72nd Places: $33,000
73rd to 80th Places: $28,000
81st to 88th Places: $23,500
89th to 96th Places: $23,500
97th to 104th Places: $23,500
105th to 112th Places: $23,500
113th to 120th Places: $20,000
121st to 128th Places: $20,000
129th to 136th Places: $20,000
137th to 144th Places: $20,000
145th to 152nd Places: $17,500
153rd to 160th Places: $17,500
161st to 168th Places: $17,500
169th to 176th Places: $17,500
177th to 184th Places: $15,000
185th to 192nd Places: $15,000
193rd to 200th Places: $15,000
201st to 208th Places: $15,000
209th to 216th Places: $15,000
217th to 224th Places: $15,000

Also revealed by PokerStars officials were the nationalities of the 1,529 entrants, who hailed from 57 countries around the world. A total of 739 players hailed from the United States, or 48%, with Canada being the next most represented country at 164. Other nations that sent players to compete in the 2010 PCA Main Event included Germany (100 players), the Netherlands (60), United Kingdom (56), France (44), Brazil (37), Spain (27), Sweden (27), Argentina (21), and Italy (21).

Although six entrants were from unknown lands, curiously absent from the list of countries represented was the Bahamas, the host nation of the annual PCA, which pans out at the Atlantis Resort and Casino in Nassau. Nearby countries represented in the $10,000 buy-in poker tournament included the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, and Bermuda.

The PCA Main Event field numbered 62 when it entered Day 4 play on Saturday, with the action continuing until 24 players remained. As of 6:45pm ET, online poker pro Ryan “g0lfa” D’Angelo led the way with a stack of six million chips, comfortably ahead of European Poker Tour (EPT) founder John Duthie’s 4.6 million.

Harrison Gimbel, Barry Shulman Among PCA Day 4 Leaders

A total of 62 players remain out of the 1,529 who began the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event. A host of brand name players survived Day 3, including 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event winner Barry Shulman.

Day 3 played out on Friday from the Atlantis Resort and Casino, just across the harbor from Nassau in the Bahamas. One of the final eliminations of the day was Amnon Filippi, who shoved all-in over the top of a raise by Bryce Yockey. His opponent came along and Filippi showed pocket eights against Yockey’s K-Q of spades, setting up a classic race situation. The flop came king-high, propelling Yockey into the lead, and a running 10-3 didn’t help Filippi’s cause. His 67th place finish was worth $33,000 in the $10,000 buy-in poker tournament.

Shulman, whose son Jeff Shulman reached the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, sent Greg Dyer packing during the last level of play and crossed the one-million chip threshold. He finished with nearly 1.7 million, with the entire field trailing Harrison Gimbel’s tally of 2.6 million. Gimbel trumped former Bodog pro Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo in one hand after Bonomo check-called a bet of 25,000 on a flop of Q-4-6 with two hearts. The turn was the deuce of spades, leading to another check-call from Bonomo, this time for 41,000. The river was the three of hearts and Bonomo checked. Gimbel fired out a bet of 70,000 and Bonomo called, only to see his opponent flip up Q-J for top pair.

Eliminated in 91st place in the Bahamas was 2009 WSOP Main Event November Nine member and Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey. Ivey doubled up Bill Gazes with A-Q against Gazes’ K-J when a king hit on the river. Ivey had Gazes covered by a minuscule 2,000 chips and Ivey hit the rails on the next hand. Ivey, considered by many to be the world’s premier all-around player, added another $23,500 to his bankroll for his efforts in Nassau.

Two women remain among the 62 Day 3 survivors, Amanda Baker and Liz Lieu. Lieu owns a stack of 536,000 entering the fourth day of play in the 2010 PCA Main Event and will head to Table 7, where her competition will include Shulman. Meanwhile, Baker will come armed with 1.3 million chips and be seated at Table 6, which also features Gimbel, Eric “EFro” Froehlich, and Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar.

Here are the top ten chip stacks entering Day 4 on Saturday:

1. Harrison Gimbel - 2,625,000
2. Matthew Haugen - 2,149,000
3. Ryan D'Angelo - 2,092,000
4. Praz Bansi - 2,003,000
5. Barry Shulman - 1,655,000
6. Eric “EFro” Froehlich - 1,331,000
7. Amanda Baker - 1,306,000
8. James Tolbert - 1,284,000
9. John Duthie - 1,210,000
10. Kent Emil Lundmark - 1,158,000

Notable names remaining in the 2010 PCA field, along with their chip counts, include:

Jeff Madsen - 930,000
Robert Mizrachi - 876,000
Amit “amak316” Makhija - 800,000
Aaron “aejones” Jones - 651,000
Alex Brenes - 559,000
Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar - 544,000
Liz Lieu - 536,000
Wayne Bentley - 509,000
Dean Hamrick - 433,000
Bill Gazes - 288,000
Johnny Lodden - 286,000
Peter “Nordberg” Feldman - 221,000
Huck Seed - 216,000

Among those whose 2010 PCA Main Event title hopes were dashed on Friday included Daniel Negreanu, 2008 WSOP Main Event November Nine member Dennis Phillips, Victor Ramdin, Dario Minieri, Russian sensation Ivan Demidov, Vicky Coren, Luis Medina, ESPN baseball analyst Orel Hershiser, and PokerStars poker pro Steven Paul-Ambrose.

At the time of writing on Saturday, players remaining in the Bahamas poker tournament were in Level 23 and blinds were 12,000-24,000 with a 3,000 ante. All Day 4 runners were assured a payout of at least $38,000.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest PCA coverage.

2010 PCA: Island Vibe Perfect for Poker

“I don’t know what it is,” said the 35-year-old software analyst turned poker pro from Stockton, California.  “I guess I really like this place.”

After finishing runner-up to Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier at the 2008 PCA, Khan went deep at Atlantis again last year, making 21^st place.

This year, he managed another strong finish, busting out 37^th on Day 4 Saturday.

“The fact that I’ve been here before and gone through such a big field, I feel that it helps me,” he explained. “It helps me remain calm and patient.”

Calm and patient is the exact same vibe Floridian poker pro Robert Mizrachi said he feels while playing in the Caribbean, and the results have followed.

Mizrachi managed a fourth place finish at the 2007 PCA and in late 2009, he finished runner-up at Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic.

“I guess it’s more relaxing,” he said of playing on the islands. “You’ve got nothing on your mind and it’s easy to focus on poker.”

Just 24 players remain in the hunt for the title and $2.2 million first-place prize headed into Day 5 Sunday and Mizrachi is still deep-stacked and in the hunt.

The 1,529 entrants this year have made the 2010 PCA the largest tournament ever held outside the United States.

Like Aruba, the PCA sees more people win their seats online than the average big buy-in tournament.

In fact, with a total of 756 online qualifiers, almost half of the field won their way into the 2010 PCA on the virtual felt.

A fact Mizrachi said sets up well for his game.

“They are actually very aggressive players and I just know how to pick my spots against them,” he said. “I guess I play better against more aggressive players. My style of play is very effective against 18-21-year-old Internet players. With their style of play, I just know how to beat them.

“I play sometimes more aggressive than them, and other times I just try to trap them - Mixing it up works very well.”

No matter how calm and relaxed the island vibe is, wading your way through such a massive field is no easy task, even for a man who seems to do it every year.

“It’s a huge tournament so you are dodging land mines every day,” said Khan. “I really don’t know what it is for me here. I guess it’s a matter of running good and playing good.”

Joining Mizrachi among the leaders heading into Day 5 are two-time PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker event winner Ryan D’Angelo, Team PokerStars Pro and EPT founder John Duthie and WSOPE main event champion and CardPlayer publisher Barry Shulman.

To catch all the island poker action at the 2010 PCA as the remaining 24 play down to a final table of eight Sunday, tune in to PokerListings’ Live Updates.

Kevin Saul, Amnon Filippi Among PCA Day 1A Leaders

Day 1A of the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) played out on Tuesday, with 668 players taking to the felts inside the Atlantis Resort and Casino in the Bahamas. Wayne Bentley, a PokerStars qualifier from Britain, leads the way with 329,500 chips.

Bentley nearly amassed 11 times the starting stack of 30,000 in the $10,000 buy-in poker tournament after eight levels of play. He held pocket aces and eliminated a player with pocket kings within the first few minutes of Day 1A, doubling his stack to 60,000, and he never looked back. Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu issued the traditional “Shuffle up and deal” command moments earlier. At the end of Day 1A, 430 players remained in the hunt.

Bentley sits comfortably in front of the second place stack of Amnon Filippi, who held a pile of 220,100 chips at the end of Day 1A. The accomplished poker pro was nearly 50,000 chips ahead of online poker pro Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul, the winner of the 2007 installment of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bellagio Cup for $1.3 million. Last year, Saul finished eighth in the PCA Main Event for $234,000, outlasting all but seven of the 1,347 players who entered.

Team PokerStars Sports Stars will be out in full force on Wednesday for Day 1B, as German tennis legend Boris Becker, Swedish NHL star Mats Sundin, Dutch hockey pro Fatima De Melo, baseball commentator Orel Hershiser, and U.K. football legend Teddy Sheringham will all take to the felts. Also entering on Day 1B is Mike Kosowski, the winner of Season 1 of the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.” Kosowski earned $1 million after defeating Negreanu heads-up in the finale of the poker game show last month.

2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Eric Buchman sits in sixth place after Day 1A with 159,100 chips. The PokerStars sponsored player finished fourth in the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament in Las Vegas in November, adding $2.5 million to his net worth. The event was ultimately won by Joe Cada, who will take to the felts for Day 1B today. Joining him will be pros like Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, Humberto Brenes, and Victor Ramdin. Also playing is rapper Nelly, who has become somewhat of a staple on the poker circuit in recent months.

Here were the top ten chip stacks in the Bahamas after the smoke had cleared on Day 1A of the 2010 PCA Main Event:

1. Wayne Bentley - 329,500
2. Amnon Filippi - 220,100
3. Kevin Saul - 175,500
4. Eric Froehlich - 166,000
5. Dustin Dorrance-Bowman - 163,700
6. Eric Buchman - 159,100
7. Garðar Geir Hauksson - 138,900
8. Jacob Avital - 137,700
9. Christian Schwarz - 133,200
10. Rafal Michalowski - 129,300

The PCA is a stop on both the European Poker Tour (EPT) and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) and, as such, has attracted a global field. Still remaining after Day 1A are players from the United States, United Kingdom, Iceland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Ukraine, Brazil, Canada, Sweden, Mexico, Turks and Caicos, Russia, Finland, Argentina, France, Norway, Switzerland, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Czech Republic, Ireland, Belgium, New Zealand, Romania, Australia, Slovenia, Greece, Costa Rica, Austria, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Curiously absent is a representative from the host nation, the Bahamas.

Last year’s champion, Poorya Nazari, hails from Canada and nearly tripled his stack on Day 1A. Notable players who survived the first starting day, along with their chip counts, include:

Dennis Phillips – 113,000
Dario Minieri – 109,800
Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar – 106,400
Poorya Nazari – 89,300
Barry Greenstein – 89,200
Jeff Madsen – 79,400
John Duthie – 60,100
Marcel Luske – 55,600
Gavin Smith – 54,000
Jean-Robert Bellande – 53,900
Kevin Schaffel – 53,200
Bernard Lee – 46,800
Amit “amak316” Makhija – 42,000
Steven Paul-Ambrose – 37,900
“Miami” John Cernuto – 36,500
Chris “moorman1” Moorman – 34,700
Ivan Demidov – 27,600
Tom McEvoy – 19,900
Huck Seed – 16,000
Jeff “yellowsub” Williams – 13,100

Play wrapped up in Level 8, when blinds were 400-800 with a 100-chip ante. Day 1B will encompass the same eight levels before the field merges for Day 2 on Thursday.

PCA Boom Continues

And as Day 1a of the PokerStars Caribbean adventure kicked off in the Bahamas Tuesday, every indication is that growth is not about to slow down.

In 2005, the tournament got off the boat and moved to its current home at the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

But it wasn’t until 2007 that the real growth began.

The 937 registrants that year helped the PCA break the record for the largest poker tournament ever held outside the U.S. for the first time.

And after becoming a stop on the PokerStars European Poker Tour schedule in 2008, the event has broken the record every year since, including last year when Canadian Poorya Nazari beat a massive 1,347-player field to bank a $3 million first-place prize.

EPT Founder John Duthie says it’s the PokerStars part of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure that has truly made the difference.

And with 735 online qualifiers making the trip in 2009 and another 750 expected this year, it’s hard to disagree with him.

“I think it being connected to the largest poker site in the world gives it a critical mass that can’t be competed with,” he said. “When you have so many millions of people playing online you have a huge pool of people from which to send to live events and that’s exactly what we see here.”

Because of the event’s connection to the European Poker Tour and the Bahamas close proximity to the United States, the PCA has grown into a popular destination for poker players from both sides of the Atlantic.

In fact, Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier says it appears the entire poker world now descends upon the Bahamas annually for the event.

“It’s like nothing else because you run into people that you’ve met everywhere,” he explained. “Pretty much everybody in poker comes to the PCA. You run into people that you’ve met in Vegas, on the European Poker Tour or the World Poker Tour. Everybody is here.”

This year the PCA is an entire poker festival, boasting as many as 50 events, but with Atlantis’ huge marine habitat, marina, water attractions, beach, spa and casino, Duthie says it’s more than just poker that’s attracting people to the PCA.

“For one reason or another, more people seem to bring their girlfriends or wives and families,” he said. “So it has much more of a feeling like an outing or a holiday and the poker just happens to be part of it.”

Close to 700 players sat down for Day 1a Tuesday and with as many as 900 expected for Day 1b Wednesday, the event appears poised to smash records again.

Now, the incredible growth the PCA has enjoyed has helped grow the EPT into the biggest poker tour on the planet.

A fact Duthie never imagined he’d see.

“First of all, I didn’t think we would ever come to the Caribbean, because I never considered the Caribbean part of Europe, but it became an addition to the EPT because of PokerStars’ involvement. I always thought it would get big in Europe because poker was really taking off. But I never thought it would get as big as it has become.

“It’s an interesting feeling looking at it now because it bears no resemblance to what it was when we started.”

And as far as Mercier can tell, the growth will continue.

“I expect it to keep on growing because PokerStars keeps running so many satellites and it just grows every year,” he said. “PokerStars keeps growing, so more people qualify and poker is not declining; it’s sort of leveling off. So as long as PokerStars continues to grow, the PCA should continue to grow as well.”

To follow the growth and all the action at the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, tune into PokerListings’ Live Updates today and throughout the next week.

EPT Headed to Berlin

Replacing the tour’s annual pilgrimage to Dortmund, Germany the EPT announced this week a €5,000+300 Berlin event will be held March 2-7, 2010.

“We are excited to be making our first stop in the beautiful city of Berlin,” said PokerStars EPT CEO John Duthie.

The Marlene-Dietrich-Platz at Potsdamer Platz, a two-story glass palace with enough space for 1,000 players being built especially for the EPT, will play host to the event.

A variety of side events will also be played at the venue starting on the third day of the tournament.

With up to 1,000 players expected, including tennis legend and Team PokerStars SportStar Boris Becker and all of Team PokerStars Germany – including Berlin native and Season 5 EPT Germany winner Sandra Naujoks, the tournament should break records as the largest ever held in Germany.

Plus, a €1 million guaranteed first-place prize should attract poker’s elite.

Next up for the EPT is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure held in the Bahamas Jan. 4–14.

The tour has planned stops in Deauville from Jan. 20–25 and Copenhagen Feb. 16-21 before heading to Berlin.

The PokerStars European Poker Tour is headed to Berlin and guaranteeing a massive €1 million first-place prize to the winner there.

Replacing the tour’s annual pilgrimage to Dortmund, Germany the EPT announced this week a €5,000+300 Berlin event will be held March 2-7, 2010.

 

“We are excited to be making our first stop in the beautiful city of 

Berlin,” said PokerStars EPT CEO John Duthie.

The prestigious Marlene-Dietrich-Platz at Potsdamer Platz, a two-story glass palace with enough space for 1,000 players being built especially for the EPT, will play host to the event.

A variety of side events will also be played at the venue starting on the third day of the tournament. 

 

With up to 1,000 players expected, including tennis legend and Team PokerStars SportStar Boris Becker and all of Team PokerStars Germany – including Berlin native and Season 5 EPT Germany winner Sandra Naujoks, the tournament should break records as the largest ever held in Germany.

Plus, a €1 million guaranteed first-place prize should attract poker’s elite.

 

Next up for the EPT is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure held in the Bahamas Jan. 4–14.

The tour has planned stops in Deauville from Jan. 20–25 and Copenhagen Feb. 16-21 before heading to Berlin.

PokerStars UKIPT Kicks Off

The four-day tournament, running until Dec. 14, drew players from 22 countries, including 104 online qualifiers.

“Given it's the first event of a brand new tour, it is really exciting that so many players have qualified for the event and from so many countries,” said newly named UKIPT host and veteran European Poker Tour commentator Nick Wealthall.

“As the tour becomes established and builds its reputation, we look forward to welcoming more and more new players to big time live poker.”

Team PokerStars Pros John Duthie, J.P. Kelly, and Jude Ainsworth joined a field that included 147 players from Ireland and a total of 52 from the United Kingdom.

The group is vying for a piece of a €471,400 prize pool, including €125k for first.

Galway is the first of eight stops on the newly launched UKIPT. The tour will also visit Manchester, Nottingham, Killarney, Brighton, a city yet to be named in Scotland, Dublin and London, where the PokerStars EPT London main event will act as the Grand Final next October.

More on the tour can be found on the UKIPT website.

The PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) kicked off in Galway, Ireland Friday, drawing 259 players for its €2,000 Main Event.

The four-day tournament, running until Dec. 14, drew players from 22 countries, including 104 online qualifiers.

“Given it's the first event of a brand new tour, it is really exciting that so many players have qualified for the event and from so many countries,” said newly named UKIPT host and veteran European Poker Tour commentator Nick Wealthall.

“As the tour becomes established and builds its reputation, we look forward to welcoming more and more new players to big time live poker.”

Team PokerStars Pros John Duthie, J.P. Kelly, and Jude Ainsworth joined a field that included 147 players from Ireland and a total of 52 from the United Kingdom.

The group is vying for a piece of a €471,400 prize pool, including €125k for first.

Galway is the first of eight stops on the newly launched UKIPT. The tour will also visit Manchester, Nottingham, Killarney, Brighton, a city yet to be named in Scotland, Dublin and London, where the PokerStars EPT London main event will act as the Grand Final next October.

Becker Getting Better With Each Stroke

And while his teaming with PokerStars was widely criticized for being more of a publicity stunt than a legitimate move into the poker world when he first sat down to play at the European Poker Tour’s Grand Final in Monte Carlo in 2008, it’s obvious now he’s taking the game seriously.

“I have a better feel for the game and understanding at the table,” Becker told PokerListings at EPT Prague. “It naturally comes with the territory. The more you play, the better you get and I think I’m much better than I was last year.”

Becker fizzled out fast in that first appearance on the felt, but did manage a final table finish at a €500 side event in Monte Carlo that year.

However, his first real sniff at poker success came at the $25,000 WPT Championship in April of this year when he made the money finishing 40^th for $40,855.

While he’s enlisted the aid of several Team PokerStars Pros to help him learn the intricacies of the game, there are certain things the former World No. 1 tennis player and six-time Grand Slam champion already brought to the table.

“The mental game is very similar to tennis,” he explained. “You shouldn’t be afraid of big table or the big stage. For me it’s more about learning the details of the game, not so much about overcoming a fear of being on a big table or playing for a lot of money. That’s not something I worry about. It’s more about understanding the game better.”

Learning the game is one thing - having a passion for it another. But if there were ever any doubts Becker has a love for poker, one need only look inside his London home.

This past summer, Becker moved into a $9 million shrine to the game that brought him worldwide recognition.

The seven-bedroom home sits about 100 steps from Centre Court at Wimbledon, where Becker rose to tennis prominence winning the game’s most coveted title at age 17.

Wimbledon’s indoor practice courts are visible from the yard, but tennis isn’t the only game being played there.

Becker has built a room dedicated to poker inside, complete with a classic table, plush chairs and enough chips to get a serious game going.

“It’s really coming along,” he said. “My wife is a great player and we have many games together with friends. It’s nice because we are at home and it’s a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere. We have a lot of fun and some pretty good cash games there too.”

Becker’s home games are played mostly for fun, but with EPT founder John Duthie and fellow German Team PokerStars Pros Sandra Naujoks, Sebastian Ruthenberg and Florian Langmann having already stopped by to play, he’s been able to pick up a few tricks along the way.

Becker and his wife Lilly Kerssenberg are expecting a baby this February, but the New Year has even more for him to be excited about.

For the past two years, illness has kept Becker from playing the EPT’s annual trek to Germany.

But this year, with rumors the tour will be stopping in Berlin in March instead of Dortmund, he’s hoping to have the chance to show his native country a little bit of what he’s learned.

“I really hope to be willing and able to play,” he said. “I want to show the German fans that there is more to Boris Becker than tennis.”

Becker busted from EPT Prague before the money bubble burst, but the event continues with just 24 players left and Israeli Eyal Avitan holding a massive chip lead. For comprehensive coverage click through to PokerListings' Live Updates.

Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Challenge: Tom Dwan Takes Sammy George for $750,000

The finale of the Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Challenge in London featured sponsored pro Tom “durrrr” Dwan taking Sammy “Any Two” George for a colossal $750,000. Dwan entered the contest up over $40,000 after facing Marcello “luckexpress” Marigliano and Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies.

The battle between Dwan and George featured a 7-2 bonus, similar to a promotion you’d find at some of the world’s largest online poker sites. If either Dwan or George scooped a pot with the worst starting hand in poker, they’d claim a $10,000 reward. Dwan, as expected, went all-out to claim it, including pushing for $400,000 on a board of J-A-6-3-3 with three hearts with just 7-2. George tanked for over five minutes before finally releasing A-6 for two pair. Dwan flipped over his bluff, raking the pot and the $10,000 bonus.

George commented after his nearly $1 million thumping, “The turning point was the bluff with the 7-2 when I had the two-pair, but I cannot call there for three times the pot. The game was in his favor, he was hitting cards and rivering cards, but I respect Tom a lot and always will. He’s one of the best in the world and I think he’s up there with Phil Ivey and Patrik Antonius. I think when people see the show, they will have a different opinion of me from what they had before.” George was originally slated to appear on the sixth season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” joining Dwan, Ivey, and Antonius, but was a no-show when taping commenced in Las Vegas.

Dwan and George bought in for $500,000 each and blinds began at $500/$1,000. Marigliano bested Dwan to the tune of $22,500, while Sahamies dropped $68,000 to his young opponent over 500 hands of Pot Limit Omaha. The action unfolded at the Les Ambassadeurs Club in Mayfair and featured pros such as Roland de Wolfe and European Poker Tour founder John Duthie turning out to catch a glimpse of the action.

In another key hand during Dwan’s match against George, the challenger was down 10:1 in chips, $900,000 to $90,000. George shoved all-in with 9-4 for bottom pair after the flop came 7-6-4, but ran into Dwan’s A-7. The hand boosted Dwan’s stack to nearly $1 million and ensured that George would be funding the youngster’s online bankroll for some time to come.

Early on, George ran A-K into Dwan’s pocket aces. George put in a raise pre-flop, Dwan bumped the action to $30,000, George re-raised to $113,000, Dwan shoved, and George made the call. The flop came 5-6-7, no help to George, but an eight on the turn left the possibility of a chopped pot if a four or a nine came off on the river. However, the final card was a 10 and George lost his initial $250,000 buy-in. Coverage on Matchroom Sport candidly noted, “[George] grabs the $250k behind him and off we go.” Neither player was allowed to leave the table until one was broke or 500 hands were completed.

In another pot, George held pocket kings and led out for $26,000 on a flop of 3-2-9 with two clubs. Dwan made the call with J-5 of clubs and the five of hearts fell on the turn. The action went check-check to the nine of clubs on the river, filling Dwan’s flush and also pairing the board. George bet $50,000 and Dwan moved all-in over the top. George debated for several minutes before folding. That hand gave Dwan a $357,000 lead; he’d more than double that by the time the 500 hands were up.

All told, Dwan won nearly $800,000 over the course of the Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Challenge, which will hit television airwaves next year.

Million Dollar Challenge: Durrrr Earns $68,000 Against Ziigmund

Day Two of the Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Challenge played out in London, with Tom “durrrr” Dwan taking on Power Poker front man Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies. In the end, Dwan owned a $68,000 edge.

The 12-hour battle began with Dwan showing up to the match drowsy, fresh off a high-stakes online duel with Swedish poker player Isildur1. A press release distributed by Million Dollar Challenge organizers Matchroom Sport explained, “Overnight, he resumed his online battle with Isildur1 on Full Tilt and, after showing up without any sleep, the strain began to show towards the end of the encounter, as he admitted to feeling delusional… At one stage, it looked like he would not be able to finish, but he dug deep to not only keep the pace, but also come out on top.”

In Day One of the challenge, Dwan dropped $22,500 to Marcello “luckexpress” Marigliano over 500 hands, mostly No Limit Hold’em. Against Sahamies, the action was entirely Pot Limit Omaha, a game that Dwan has been able to master as part of the online version of the Durrrr Challenge against Patrik Antonius. In a pot that occurred late in the day in London, with the board reading 3h-Kd-Kh-8h-5d, Sahamies bet out $60,000, Dwan raised to $194,000, and Sahamies made the call. With a massive pot up for grabs, Dwan showed Kc-Jc-8c-7h for a boat, kings full of eights, while Sahamies flipped up Ac-Ks-7c-3d for a smaller full house.

In another hand, Dwan held Qc-9h-7h-5d against Sahamies’ Ad-As-9d-8c. The flop came 9d-Jc-3h and Dwan led out for $20,000. Sahamies called with his pocket rockets and the turn came the 10d, adding a straight draw for the challenger. Dwan once again led out, this time for $46,000, and Sahamies called behind to see the 7c hit the river. Dwan fired a third bullet to the tune of $129,000 and Sahamies made the call with a straight, scooping the enormous pot to put a dent in Dwan’s earnings for the day.

Dwan, the newest member of Team Full Tilt, told Matchroom Sport after play had concluded for the day, “It was a tough game, but a great one at the same time. There were some huge pots and in the end it could’ve gone either way really, but after losing out against Marcello, I’m delighted to have won today and I’m looking forward to taking on Sammy tomorrow.” On his state of mind following an overnight session against Isildur1, Dwan added, “I was a pretty tired after playing 12 hours the night before on Full Tilt, but I think the fact I was playing Ziigmund and that the challenge is an important one helped me through.”

Dwan nearly went broke early on, which would have ended the second day of the challenge, as he shoved all-in with Qs-Td-8s-5h after the flop fell 5s-9h-3s. Sahamies made the call with As-Ah-6d-Js, counterfeiting Dwan’s flush draw, but the 5d came on the turn to double Dwan up and keep the match going. Million Dollar Challenge rules state that the heads-up matches last for 500 hands or until a player has gone bust. Those who turned out to watch the melee unfold on Wednesday included Roland de Wolfe, Tony G, Ian Frazer, John Duthie, and Sammy “Any Two” George.

Dwan and George will conclude the Million Dollar Challenge today. Only a few hands have played out so far, but the action is already fast and furious. With the board reading 7-9-9-10-Q, Dwan had 7-2 for nines-up, while George held 8-5 for what ESPN announcer Norman Chad would dub “nuclear squadoosh,” a busted straight draw. Nevertheless, George led out for $66,000 and Dwan released his hand.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Challenge.

Full EPT Season 6 Schedule Announced, Features Snowfest Stop

Come one, come all to the first ever European Poker Tour (EPT) Snowfest stop, scheduled to take place from March 21st to 26th at the Alpine PalaceSaalbach-Hinterglemm ski resort in Austria.

EPT Snowfest was part of the second half of the schedule of the roving tournament series released this week. The six latest additions bring the total number of tournaments to a baker’s dozen. The Austria event takes place at one of the country’s premier ski resorts, so players who bust out can hit the slopes in earnest to burn off tilt. PokerStars is offering prize packages to the event that include its €3,750 buy-in, bus transfer to and from the airport in Salzburg, and a six-day ski package complete with lift tickets and snow attire.

The Snowfest event seems to parallel the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, also a stop on the EPT circuit, in that the poker tournament takes a back seat to the bevy of extracurricular activities available. As was the case in London, several stops on the upcoming EPT schedule will feature a “Festival of Poker,” as founder John Duthie outlined in a press release distributed by PokerStars: “There has been huge enthusiasm for the new EPT schedule and also for the bigger ‘Festivals of Poker’ like the one we held in London and will be holding at the PCA, Sanremo, and Monte Carlo events.”

Nine locales make up the remainder of the sixth season of the EPT. Next up for players and tournament officials alike is the series’ first ever trip to Portugal for EPT Vilamoura. The €5,300 buy-in event kicks off on November 16th and will crown a champion five days later. Here’s a glimpse at the remaining slate of events:

EPT Portugal: November 16th to 21st
Casino Vilamoura
€5,000 + €300 buy-in
Cap: 600

EPT Prague: December 1st to 6th
Golden Prague Poker
€5,000 + €250 buy-in
Cap: 600

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure: January 4th to 14th
Atlantis Resort and Casino
$10,000 + $300 buy-in
Cap: 1,600

EPT Deauville: January 20th to 25th
Casino Barrière de Deauville
€5,000 + €300 buy-in
Cap: 600

EPT Copenhagen: February 16th to 21st
Casino Copenhagen
35,000 + 2,250 DKK buy-in
Cap: 500

EPT Germany: March 2nd to 7th
Details Not Yet Announced

EPT Snowfest: March 21st to 26th
Alpine PalaceSaalbach-Hinterglemm
€3,500 + €250 buy-in
Cap: 500

EPT Sanremo: April 15th to 21st
Casino Sanremo
€5,000 + €300 buy-in
Cap: Not Yet Announced

EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final: April 25th to 30th
Monte Carlo
€10,000 + €600 buy-in
Cap: 1,000

The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is also a stop on the current season of the PokerStars-sponsored Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT). The event is sure to break nearly every record that the LAPT has to offer and is regularly one of the largest live tournaments held outside of the United States. In 2009, a record-breaking 1,347 players participated in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event and Canadian Poorya Nazari emerged victorious, banking $3 million for his efforts. A total of 746 PokerStars qualifiers were in the field, or 55% of those in action.

Four events have taken place so far during the EPT’s sixth season. Maxim Lykov bested the field in Kiev, a tournament that replaced the Russian Poker Open after casinos in the latter country were shut down. Then, American Carter Phillips outlasted his opponents in Barcelona and Aaron Gustavson triumphed over the field in London. Wrapping up two weeks ago was EPT Warsaw, which Christophe Benzimra took down for 1.5 million PLN.

Stay tuned for the latest updates from the EPT, LAPT, and other tournament series right here on Poker News Daily.

EPT 6 second-half schedule released

Saalbach-Hinterglemm is one of Austria's premier ski areas and PokerStars qualifiers will also win a six-day ski package for this event.

Traditional stops in France, Denmark, Italy and the Grand Final in Monaco remain on the schedule, but the German leg of the tour will see a city and venue change.

The EPT will not be returning to Dortmund and although the new location has yet to be finalized, it appears it will likely be held in Berlin or Hamburg.

The second half of the schedule will also see the addition of several side events.

"There has been huge enthusiasm for the new EPT schedule and also for the bigger 'Festivals of Poker' like the one we held in London, and will be holding at the PCA, San Remo and Monte Carlo events," said EPT CEO John Duthie.

"The spectacular success of the EPT London Poker Festival a few weeks ago shows that players really relish the chance to play more side events, with a variety of games and buy-ins."

Last season's EPT proved a success with 11 events generating an overall prize pool of almost €55 million - more than any other poker tour.

Almost 8,000 players from 97 countries participated and with 13 events now on the schedule for Season 6, organizers believe the EPT is certain to smash records again.

Online satellites for EPT Portugal and the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure are running now and others are planned in the coming months for future events.

Below is a look at the remainder of the EPT schedule. For more information the EPT website can be found here.

PokerStars Ante Up for Africa Airs on CBS Sports

On Saturday afternoon, CBS Sports aired the second of two episodes of the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa tournament that played out during the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo festivities.

Kara Scott served as the host of the event as it played out on the CBS Sports Spectacular broadcast. The nine-handed final table began with Daniel Negreanu holding a commanding chip lead with 151,100, well ahead of the 49,000 stack of EPT founder John Duthie. Alexander Armstrong and David Tuckman had the call of the event, which featured on-screen card backs with Ante Up for Africa logos and player names shown alongside their native country’s flag.

In the night’s first elimination, Teddy Sheringham raised with K-Q of clubs and rugby player Sebastien Chabal shoved with A-9. Team PokerStars Pro member Luca Pagano pushed over the top and Sheringham quickly folded. The flop came 4-J-2 and a running 10-8 gave Pagano a flush in the hand. Chabal was out in ninth and told Scott, “I’m disappointed because I wanted to win the whole thing. I’m happy, had a great time, and made some great friends.”

Meanwhile, Duthie hit the rails in eighth place after shoving pre-flop with A-K. Poker pro Tony G made the call with pocket jacks and turned a third jack. Duthie was drawing dead to the river and hit the exits. French journalist, writer, and presenter Patrick Chene was eliminated in seventh place at the hands of Dario Minieri’s A-J. Despite having a new arsenal of chips, Minieri folded to a re-raise by new Betclick pro Isabelle Mercier holding pocket eights. Minieri was getting 2:1 to call and Mercier held A-J for what would have been a coin flip situation.

Pagano was ousted after pushing pre-flop for 23,000 chips. Minieri called from the big blind at a discount holding J-3. The board ran out 2-A-3-J-J, giving Minieri a boat. The hand moved Minieri to second on the PokerStars.net Ante Up for Africa leaderboard, with Negreanu now the tournament’s short stack. Negreanu was sent to the rails at the hands of Mercier, who won a coin flip with pocket eights against K-Q. Negreanu told CBS cameras, “I was the chip leader and I seemed to be dominating and all of a sudden, the blinds went up and I folded and folded like a little wimp.”

Tony G was ousted in fourth place holding Q-6 against A-8 after an eight-high flop. Observing the action was “Heroes” star James Kyson Lee, who told Scott, “There are a lot of people here from all different fields. It’s great that we’re able to come together, do something fun, and raise awareness for Ante Up for Africa.” Norman Epstein, Full Tilt Poker pro Don Cheadle, and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke founded the charity in 2006. It is the centerpiece of an annual $5,000 buy-in gala during the World Series of Poker (WSOP), which aired in 2009 on ESPN.

Mercier and Sheringham both doubled up at the expense of Minieri, who was ultimately eliminated after running pocket tens into Mercier’s pocket queens. Mercier promptly doubled up with K-4 against Sheringham’s A-5 after the flop came 4-J-J. Then, the former member of Team PokerStars Pro called Sheringham’s all-in with A-2. Sheringham turned over 10-4 and the board ran out 6-8-Q-J-10 with four diamonds. Mercier’s deuce of diamonds was the only card of the suit held by either player and Mercier took down the inaugural Ante Up for Africa event in Monte Carlo.

Over €250,000 was raised for the Ante Up for Africa charity in Monte Carlo and no prize money was doled out to players. Instead, Mercier, who battled through a field of 43 runners, claimed a crystal trophy in the shape of a PokerStars logo.

FullFlush, durrrr set to clash at PKR Heads Up

While each has his work cut out to get there, Dwan and Schwartz will finally meet face to face should each make the semifinals at the Slam.

But first, Schwartz will have to take on WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy Timoshenko and Dwan is matched up with 2009 WSOP Heads-Up runner-up John Duthie in the first round.

Other first round match-ups include 2008 WSOP Main Event champion Peter Eastgate taking on fellow Team PokerStars Pro and first lady of British poker Vicky Coren, while Academy Award nominated actress and WSOP bracelet winner Jennifer Tilly takes on the always entertaining Tony G.

In the meantime, should John Tabatabai beat Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott and Annette Obrestad defeat Ian Frazer in the first round, the two will meet in a rematch of the 2007 WSOPE main event final.

"There are some really exciting clashes lined up for the first round of the PKR Heads Up Grand Slam, but it's also interesting to see what could happen as the tournament develops," said Matchroom Poker's managing director Eddie Hearn.

"The connotations are endless but each match will carry plenty of drama."

The $10k buy-in event will feature just 32 players, including four PKR qualifiers.

The PKR Heads Up Grand Slam will take place from Oct. 8-10 in London's 3 Mills Studios. It will air in eight two-hour episodes on Sky Sports in the UK and be distributed to various International broadcasters.

Ray Davis wins inaugural WCOOP Badugi event

Known for his sense of style and outspoken personality, Davis has taken down six-figure scores in the 2008 $50K H.O.R.S.E. and the 2007 WPT Five Diamond event at Bellagio, but this is his first WCOOP title.

A total of 376 players paid the $320 buy-in to take part in the event, which was added to the WCOOP schedule, in part due to Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein's constant requests.

Because Badugi, a four-card draw lowball game, is such an unusual variant of poker, the field contained a high ratio of pros including Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso, Chris Moneymaker, Gavin Griffin and many others.

Greenstein hosted the event and proceeded to taunt close-friend Davis throughout the final table.

"Normally I would congratulate all of you, but you're behind Raymond Davis, which is quite embarrassing," wrote Greenstein in the chatbox at the start of the final table. "I have to root for you Raymond. No one else owes me money."

Argyros, who is commonly referred to as Billy the Croc, entered the final table as one of the short stacks and didn't make it long until he was eliminated in 7th place. Argyros later admitted in the chatbox that it was his first Badugi tournament.

The other well-known pro at the final table, Ryan is known as a sit-and-go master, but also finished fifth in the 2008 EPT Copenhagen event. Ryan entered the final table with a medium stack but was eventually ousted by Davis in fifth place.

In the end, Davis entered heads-up play against bobsmith166 with a small chip lead.

The two agreed to an almost even chop, but still played one hour and 30 minutes heads-up before Davis finally landed the knockout blow, winning both the WCOOP title and the $19,912 that came with it.

Here are the complete final table results:

1. Raymond "raydavis77" Davis - $19,912

2. bobsmith166 - $17,312

3. goleafsgo41 - $11,844

4. Cordelia - $8,460

5. Danny "THE_D_RY" Ryan - $5,640

6. JP OSU - $3,948

7. Billy "crocky" Argyros - $2,820

8. MadisonAce29 - $2,820

WCOOP Notes

In other WCOOP news, Kevin "BeLOWaBOVe" Saul managed to finish third in the first high roller event of the 2009 WCOOP.

The final table of the $10,300 No-Limit Hold'em event was not exactly a cake-walk, with EPT founder John Duthie, Peter "Belebacsi" Traply, Scott "SCTrojans" Freeman and Mike "Sowerss" Sowers all vying for first place.

In the end, unknown online player Sumpas beat Sowers in heads-up play to take the title and the $611,455 that came with it.

Sumpas Claims WCOOP High Roller Title; ternoplayer Wins Event #9

It was a busier Sunday than normal on the virtual poker felts as the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) recommenced with three events, two of which played down to a champion early Monday morning. The $215 No Limit Hold ‘em (Event #9) drew a field of 11,131 players, while the $10,300 No Limit Hold ‘em High Roller (Event #10) attracted nearly 300 of the wealthiest and most respected poker players in the world.

The $10,300 High Roller Event easily surpassed its $2 million guarantee as 299 entrants produced a prize pool of $2,990,000. A first-place prize of $611,455 of was on the line as well as the coveted WCOOP gold bracelet, which was won by Scott “dorinvandy” Dorin in the High Rollers event in 2008.

Several Team PokerStars Pro members participated in the tournament, including Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem, Peter Eastgate, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Barry Greenstein, Vanessa Rousso, Ylon Schwartz, Steve Paul-Ambrose, J.C. Alvarado, Katja Thater, William Thorson, Dennis Phillips, Alexandre Gomes, and Hevad Khan. Fellow team member John Duthie made the final table, taking eighth place for $74,750.

The final table was loaded with big names as it formed late into the night. Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul entered with the chip lead, while Scott “SCTrojans” Freeman, Peter “Belabacsi” Traply, Mike “Sowerss” Sowers and Dustin “DDBeast” Dorrance-Bowman were among the others vying for the title.

Sumpas, hailing from Sweden, took the chip lead into three-handed play and eliminated Saul shortly after Saul declined a three-way chip chop of the remaining prize money. With the blinds at 5,000/10,000 and a 1,250 ante, Sumpas raised to 21,400 on the button and Saul re-raised to 56,530 from the small blind. Sowers folded his big blind and Sumpas called to see a flop of Ad-Qs-3h. Saul checked, Sumpas fired 46,500 into the pot and Saul called. The 3d fell on the turn and Saul check-called again, this time a bet of 125,000. The river brought the 10h and Saul checked to Sumpas for a third time. The Swede moved all in, putting Saul to a decision for his remaining 453,000 chips. Saul took some time before deciding to call with Ac-8s for aces up, but Sumpas tabled Kd-Jd for a rivered straight to scoop the pot and send Saul on his way with $337,870.

Sumpas had a 5-1 chip lead over Sowers going into heads up play but the short stack battled for nearly an hour before ending his tournament on a bluff. On a board of Ks-4s-4d Sumpas bet 30,000 and Sowers check-raised to 90,000. Sumpas re-raised to 165,000 and Sowers moved all in for 748,250. Sumpas called with Kd-Tc, which had the Jh-10d of Sowers drawing nearly dead. The 7s turn and 3d river sealed the deal for Sumpas, who earned a WCOOP bracelet and $611,455 for his victory. Sowers walked away with $448,500.

The massive score was the biggest ever online for Sumpas, who also made the final table of last year’s WCOOP Main Event, taking sixth place for $415,150. Here’s a look at the final results of WCOOP Event #10:

1. Sumpas - $611,455
2. Mike “Sowerss” Sowers - $448,500
3. Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul - $337,870
4. Scott “SCTrojans” Freeman - $254,150
5. Peter “Belabacsi” Trapley - $173,420
6. Kevin “KevBoyStar” Stani - $134,550
7. Matias “Festivuss” Gabrenja - $104,650
8. John Duthie - $74,750
9. Dustin “DDBeast” Dorrance-Bowman - $56,810

Event #9 more than doubled its guarantee as an astounding number of players took part in the $215 No Limit Hold ‘em tournament on Sunday. The 11,131 generated a prize pool of $2,260,200, with the winner collecting $303,876.

It was a long, protracted day for the nine players that reached the final table. The tournament began at 1:00 ET Sunday afternoon and play didn’t conclude until after 8:00 a.m. The final table lacked the power punch of the High Rollers Event but high-stakes tournament specialist Grayson “graybone” Nichols managed to take fifth place for $89,048.

When heads-up play began Slovakia’s ternoplayer was at a considerable chip disadvantage to France’s maxisou, but the tables turned quickly. Ternoplayer doubled up holding As-Qc against maxisou’s Ah-3s and then gained the chip lead by winning a few small pots. On the final hand, maxisou raised in position preflop and ternoplayer called. The two saw a flop of Qs-Js-5h and ternoplayer checked to maxisou, who led out for 1.6 million. Ternoplayer raised to 4 million and maxisou moved all in for around 18 million. Ternoplayer called with Kc-Qd and had his opponent’s Jc-8h in bad shape. The 8d landed on to turn to give maxisou the lead but the river brought the Kd, giving ternoplayer the pot, the WCOOP title and the first-place payday of $303,876.

WCOOP Event #9 Results:

1. ternoplayer - $303,876
2. maxisou - $214,828
3. micha88 - $155,834
4. r&g2007 - $111,310
5. Grayson “graybone” Nichols - $89,048
6. akilam77 - $66,786
7. PanjoDeLuxe - $44,524
8. masterpice - $22,262
9. SoulMaster7 - $13,913

Season six structure debuts at EPT Kyiv

In response, EPT founder John Duthie, Tournament Director Thomas Kremser and Winamax pro and 2007 EPT Prague champion Arnaud Mattern helped design a new structure featuring 30k stacks, adjusted blind increases and 15 minutes added to the normal 60-minute levels after Day 1.

The new structure was rolled out first at the Season 5 Grand Final and Mattern says it definitely had the desired effect.

"I was sitting next to Thomas Kremser on the plane to Kyiv," Mattern said from the Ukranian capital.

"We discussed the Monte Carlo Grand Final, where the new structure was first tested, and agreed that things went according to plan in every regard: How long the days lasted, how fast the players got knocked out, how interesting the play was at the TV table compared to previous tournaments, etcetera.

"The final table lasted for six hours - not too long, and it showcased good quality of play."

Mattern said the structure was designed to ensure that losing a few pots early doesn't mean losing a chance at an EPT title and that's exactly the way things played out on the first day in Kyiv.

"I lost several small pots to fall from 30,000 to 23,000," he said. "Well, it wasn't a big deal. The table was soft. There was no reason to panic. With the previous structure, I would have been left with 3,000, a tough position to go back from.

"Today, I was still well in contention. I kept seeing flops until I found opportunities to chip back."

Arnaud ended Day 1a with 54,700 in chips and although things have not gone that well for him since, now headed in the tournament's third day with one of the shortest stacks, he believes the structure still holds advantages for seasoned pros.

"I would say that I'm happy with the structure I helped create," he said. "In theory, pros should get an advantage from it. But it's not a given.

"To perform well in this kind of structure, you have to be expert at all stages of a tournament: deep stack, medium stack and short-stack. During the course of this long tournament you'll face all of those situations and have to put your A-game on at all times.

"Some good players are great with a short and medium stack, but they can't handle a big one. Others are amazing at playing deep-stacked poker, but start making tons of mistakes when they get short."

EPT Kyiv heads into Day 3 Friday with 71 of the 296 starters remaining.

The leader board is littered with relatively unknown Russians, including overnight chip leader Vitaly Tolokonnikov.

But Arnaud still joked about the new structure paying dividends throughout the rest of the season.

"I fixed the whole thing in order to secure myself a second EPT win," he laughed.

The PokerStars EPT moves on to Barcelona next Sept. 4-9 before heading to London Oct 2-7.

EPT London: Bigger than ever before

Plus, PokerStars will include the first-ever £2k European 8-Game Championship, a £500 8-Game event, a £1k Pot Limit Omaha High-Low event, a £1k No Limit Hold'em Six-Max event, and a £2k Pot Limit Omaha event in a series of various preliminary tournaments.

"The PokerStars.com EPT London Poker Festival will have a rich mix of games and buy-ins to cater to the most players possible in a compelling schedule - by poker players, for poker players," said EPT founder John Duthie.

"This continues on the fundamental programming shift made for last season's EPT Grand Final where we tried to create the best opportunity for all our players, not just higher-rollers, to play a wide mix of poker games and formats at a variety of accessible buy-ins."

Held in the past at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino, this year EPT London is moving 300 metres up the street to the London Hilton Metropole Hotel to accommodate the increasing amount of players expected.

Last year almost 600 players played the main event, won by American Michael Martin.

The Hilton will allow for 200 more players and PokerStars estimates the prize pool will swell to as much as £4 million.

Cash games will be held at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino and the Hilton Metropole will play host to single-table satellites throughout the festival.

PokerStars is running online satellites now.

Below is a schedule of starting days for the 16 events:

Luke Schwartz and Annette Obrestad make Poker Million semi final

_FullFlush1_ advances at Poker Million

Players can qualify for a seat in the event by winning a $500+$35 satellite. The winner will sit across the table from some of the world's most prestigious online pros, in an effort to come out with the first prize of $1 million.

In one of the latest preliminary heats, Mark Vos was the first player to bust from the 6-max SNG, donating what remained of his chips to John Duthie.

Tony G managed to eliminate Bill Edler in fifth, while online qualifier Mark Denmark hit the rail in fourth. After the elimination of Tony G, Duthie was unable to use his 3:2 chip lead to put Schwartz away, eventually losing in a flush over flush situation.

Schwartz, known as much for his brief spurts of high-stakes online domination as his excessive trash talking, has been stirring the pot again claiming that he's better than Phil Ivey, loves to tilt Tom Dwan, and feels he should get more respect in the poker world.

In an attempt to back up his self-righteous claims, Schwartz finished his rant by threatening to busto all of his online competitors.

Heats continue today.

One seat to the Poker Million is guaranteed in each of the next real-money qualifiers at Full Tilt.

Upcoming dates are:

• August 2nd
• August 30th
• September 13th
• September 27th

Visit Full Tilt Poker for more information.

EPT Founder John Duthie Discusses Season 6 Schedule

The sixth season of the PokerStars-sponsored European Poker Tour (EPT) kicks off on August 18th with a brand new stop in Moscow, Russia. The tournament series will also make its first sojourn to Portugal. Poker News Daily sat down with EPT Founder and Team PokerStars Pro member John Duthie to get his take.

Poker News Daily: Talk about the planning that went into the EPT Season 6 schedule.

Duthie: This is now the sixth season of the tour and the majority of our events are held in well-established venues with people we are used to dealing with, which makes the planning stage much easier. Scheduling itself becomes more of an issue as more and more events need to be accounted for.

PND: Talk about the additions of stops in Portugal and Russia. What makes them appealing for poker players?

Duthie: Both new venues have their own unique appeal to players and to us as emerging markets. Russia has enormous potential, where many people have been brought up playing games like chess. It is a natural transition to poker, evident by the phenomenal success of Russian players on the worldwide stage. There are already some exciting new events in Russia, namely the PokerStars-sponsored Russian Poker Tour, and we hope to add to this with the new EPT event in Moscow in August.

Portugal has always been one of my favorite destinations in Europe and I am delighted that we are finally going to be holding an event there. This will be a wonderful opportunity for players to take in the sights of Vilamoura and maybe get a few rounds of golf in. Poker in Portugal is growing day by day. Hopefully, the EPT will act as a catalyst and we will see poker booming there in the years to come.

PND: What has made the EPT such a phenomenal success, breaking records for prize pools and fields across Europe?

Duthie: The support of the players is the simple answer to this. The EPT offers so much more than simply a major poker tournament circuit. We offer venues in some of the most beautiful and inspiring cities in the world, which is where we differ from the U.S. tours. Combine this with the fact that you can play in European casinos at the age of 18 and this represents the perfect opportunity for younger players to see the world for nothing if they qualify on PokerStars.

PND: Tell us how the EPT began.

Duthie: I simply put the existing individual tournaments in Europe into an organized tour and then negotiated the filming of them for broadcast. The partnership with PokerStars has always been crucial, as they provided the critical mass of players the tour needed from the outset to make it such a success. It grew exponentially from there.

PND: Are there any visa requirements or other legal obstacles for players wanting to compete in the Moscow stop?

Duthie: Yes. Visas are required for traveling to Moscow. These can easily be obtained from your local Russian consulate or by using one of the many “Visa Express” services available for a small fee. It’s a good stamp to have in your passport too!

PND: Talk about your runner-up performance to Leo Wolpert in the No Limit Hold’em Heads-Up Championship at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Duthie: It was a great moment in my poker career and, while I was disappointed not to win, I felt I played my best poker and was unlucky not to take it down. Leo was a formidable opponent and played some great poker.

PND: How did you get started in poker?

Duthie: I saw some guys playing Seven Card Stud at the Victoria Casino about 15 years ago. I started chatting with them and the rest is history.

PND: The first seven events of EPT Season 6 have been released. Are there any details you can share about the final six stops?

Duthie: They will almost definitely be the same as last season, with one special surprise event, but until the dates and venues are secured, I would prefer not to shed too much light.

Ivey, Dwan headline Hall of Fame nominee list

Voting was open from May 29th to July 2nd, and now after a month of collecting votes, WSOP.com has released the names of the top 10 most-nominated players.

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

• Tom Dwan
• Barry Greenstein
• Dan Harrington
• Phil Ivey
• Tom McEvoy
• Men Nguyen
• Scotty Nguyen
• Daniel Negreanu
• Erik Seidel
• Mike Sexton

Once these nominations have been vetted by the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council, a final list of candidates will be compiled.

The final vote will then be done by the 15 living members of the Hall of Fame along with a 15-person media panel, with the chosen player or players announced at an induction ceremony in concert with the WSOP Main Event Final Table in November.

In total, over 41 different names received multiple nominations during the public process including:

• Patrik Antonius
• Humberto Brenes
• Mike Caro
• Norman Chad
• Allen Cunningham
• Ivan Demidov
• Eric Drache
• Annie Duke
• John Duthie
• Sam Farha
• Chris Ferguson
• Ted Forrest
• Andy Glazer
• Bertrand Grospellier
• Gus Hansen
• Jennifer Harman-Traniello
• Jay Heimowitz
• Rob Hollink
• Jesper Hougaard
• Phil Laak
• Howard Lederer
• Marcel Luske
• Mike Matusow
• Chris Moneymaker
• Luca Pagano
• Greg Raymer
• Matt Savage
• David Sklansky

To be considered, a poker player must have the following qualifications:

• Must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
• Played for high stakes
• Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
• Stood the test of time
• Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.

All of the above names remain eligible for future consideration.

Nominees Announced for Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009

Public nominations for the 2009 Poker Hall of Fame class closed on July 2nd. One week later during the off-day of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, the Top 10 nominees were announced.

The criteria for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame are as follows: “A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition, played for high stakes, played consistently well, gained the respect of peers, [and] stood the test of time. For non-players, [they must] contribute to the overall growth and success of the game of poker with indelible positive and lasting results.” The 2008 class included three-time WSOP bracelet winner Dewey Tomko, who first recorded a cash in poker’s most prestigious tournament series 30 years ago. Inducted along with Tomko was hole card camera inventor and WSOP bracelet winner Henry Orenstein.

Two players that online poker sites fiercely lobbied for lead this year’s nominating class: Mike Sexton and Tom McEvoy. Sexton earned a WSOP bracelet 20 years ago by virtue of taking down a $1,500 buy-in Limit Seven Card Stud High-Low event for $104,000. He is going on his eighth season as voice of the World Poker Tour (WPT) alongside Vince Van Patten. Sexton’s easy-to-understand analysis of the game led many of today’s top players to try their hand.

The Poker News Daily Guest Columnist is an ambassador and Card Room Manager for PartyPoker. Site spokesman Warren Lush told Poker News Daily, “I’m absolutely delighted to see Sexton on the list. He showed he’s the ambassador of poker by helping rectify the problems on Day 1D of the Main Event. Sometimes when you have public votes, they can go any way.”

PokerStars lobbied for McEvoy to be inducted. The four-time WSOP bracelet winner recently took down the Champions Invitational, a tournament that will be beamed into households across the United States on ESPN. McEvoy won the 1983 WSOP Main Event, defeating a challenging final table that included Doyle Brunson and Rod Peate. He has over 20 Top 10 finishes in WSOP tournaments and authored a bevy of poker literature including “How to Win No Limit Hold’em Tournaments” and “Championship Hold’em.”

Others who will be considered for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame include Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Barry Greenstein, “Action” Dan Harrington, Phil Ivey, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, and Erik Seidel. Of that esteemed group, Seidel leads the way with eight WSOP bracelets and Scotty Nguyen owns the most career WSOP earnings at $4.7 million. Now, the fate of the Top 10 nominees lies in the hands of 15 media personnel and 15 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame. I am proud to be one of the group that will select the 2009 induction class.

A total of 41 players and personalities received nominations and are still eligible to be inducted in future years. Among those receiving votes, but falling outside of the Top 10, were poker authors Mike Caro and David Sklansky. Caro has seven WSOP in the money finishes to his name spread out over a 26 year period. He’s the author of “Mike Caro’s Book of Poker Tells” and “Caro’s Fundamental Secrets of Winning Poker.” Sklansky authored such poker gems as “Theory of Poker,” “Tournament Poker for Advanced Players,” and “No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice.” He also owns three WSOP bracelets.

Others receiving votes included Durrrr Challenge participant Patrik Antonius, ESPN commentator Norman Chad, 2008 WSOP November Nine member Ivan Demidov, “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, European Poker Tour (EPT) Founder John Duthie, 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker, and popular tournament director Matt Savage. In addition, the public also cast votes for Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, and Stu Ungar, who are already enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame.

The Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will be inducted in November during the final table of the WSOP Main Event.

Leo Wolpert (Pechorin) Interview with Poker News Daily

It isn’t often you hear that a young 20-something is semi-retired, but Leo “Pechorin” Wolpert is just that.  Wolpert went from being a full-time online poker player to a law school student at the University of Virginia.  Wolpert hasn’t given up on poker entirely, but he has cut back drastically on cards while interning with the Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and finishing up law school.  One of the events he found time to play in at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em, which he won after four long days and nine individual matches.  Wolpert took some time to discuss his strategy in the event and his plans for the rest of the 2009 WSOP.

Poker News Daily: Congratulations on your bracelet.  You had to get through nine matches to win it.  Which matches were the toughest?

Leo Wolpert: It’s tough to choose.  I would say definitely John Juanda.  He’s at the top of the list.  He’s just amazing all-around.  He really gets tournaments inside and out.  Also, with all of his live experience, he could probably pick up on all my myriad tells.  I had to flip for my tournament life against him and luckily I won.

Jamin Stokes played really well.  He was really tough.  He really trapped me well with pocket kings against his top pair.  I mean he just totally owned me that hand.  He made me think he was floating me and I just spazzed off with the hero call.  Kudos to him for playing that hand really well.

PND: You’re friends with Steve “MrTimCaum” O’Dwyer, who played your final opponent, John Duthie, in the quarterfinals.  Did he give you any tips heading into the finals?

Wolpert:  He gave me a few tips.  One was not to really value bet super thin.  Another was that he suspected, but didn’t really know for sure, that Duthie’s betting range was rather polarized, so I could feel a little more comfortable calling him down light if it was one of those boards where there is the nuts out there and he could be trying to represent it, but just couldn’t have it.

PND: We know you were initially planning to play a limited schedule of events.  Does the bracelet change those plans now?

Wolpert: I haven’t really decided yet.  I might play in a couple more, but I might actually play in a couple less because I am just not as motivated for the $1,500s.  As for other games, I am pretty much terrible at everything but Hold’em and [so playing other events] is essentially burning money.  And I’m not going to play any of the weekday events because of my internship [with the Nevada ACLU].  I’ll probably try to play in a couple more events, like the $5,000 Shootout, and see if I can make the final table again.

PND: Oh that’s right! You have to defend your third place finish from last year.

Wolpert: Yeah, maybe I’ll play that.  Or, maybe I’ll just stay home and grind online (laughs). Maybe I’ll just play the Main Event, though.  Who knows?

PND: If I remember correctly, after you final tabled the Shootout last year, you basically said, “Yeah I’m here for the money.  I don’t care as much about the final tables and the titles.”  Now that you have the bracelet, have you changed your mind?

Wolpert: Not really, I’m still really all about making money by playing poker.  The bracelet’s really nice and I’m proud to get it.  What actually motivated me a little more was almost, like, redemption.  I felt like last year was going to be my one big chance to get the bracelet.  So, even though the bracelet means not quite as much as making a good living from poker, just having the opportunity to go for it and knowing I didn’t blow the opportunity again feels really good.

James Van Alstyne Wins First Bracelet; Wolpert Defeats Duthie in $10K Heads-Up

Just days after finishing runner-up to Zac Fellows in the $3,000 buy-in HORSE event, poker pro James Van Alstyne made another HORSE final table, this time in the $1,500 buy-in HORSE tournament. While he just missed the mark at the former final table, he finally captured the elusive gold bracelet in this most recent event.

Van Alstyne has a long list of poker accomplishments to his name, including over $3 million in tournament winnings and six World Series of Poker (WSOP) final tables, but he was missing that final piece of the puzzle – the bracelet. So far this Series Van Alstyne has been close to the title on several occasions; in addition to finishing second in the $3,000 HORSE event, he also took 6th in the $10,000 Mixed Games championship event which was won by Ville Wahlbeck.

At Monday night’s final table Van Alstyne started out near the bottom of the chip counts, but managed to rally back once play got down to the final six players. After the other big names at the table, online pro Shannon Shorr and Bryan “The Icon” Micon, were eliminated in 5th and 4th place respectively, Van Alstyne made quick work of his two remaining opponents Mitch Schock and Tad Jurgens. Schock went out in third place and Jurgens was eliminated in second just half an hour later. Van Alstyne earned $247,033 for his victory. With his win, Van Alstyne is now tied with Brock “t_soprano” Parker for third in the WSOP Player of the Year race with 220 points.

Just a few tables away from Van Alstyne’s HORSE final table, another gold bracelet was on the line. Play in the $10,000 buy-in Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em event was initially scheduled to end Monday, but after a long day of matches, the two finalists, semi-professional online poker player Leo “Pechorin” Wolpert and EPT co-founder and PokerStars Pro John Duthie, were given a night to rest up before playing out the championship match.

Play in the finals kicked off at noon on Tuesday where the players played a total of three matches before a champion was crowned. While the rest of the tournament was single elimination, the finals were conducted in a best-of-three format.

Wolpert jumped to an early lead in Match One, but doubled Duthie back up to even when his A-Q lost a race to Duthie’s pocket tens. From that point forward, Duthie proceeded to chip away, eventually taking down Match #1 in a matter of 96 hands. The players took a short break and returned for Match #2 which was done in a flash. Match #2 lasted a grand total of nine hands before Wolpert put it away with a monster hand.

With the blinds at 15,000/30.000 Wolpert raised to 90,000 and Duthie called from the big blind. The two then proceeded to get it all-in on the flop with Duthie holding for top pair, top kicker and Wolpert holding for a set of sixes. The set held and Wolpert was right back in the thick of things in a matter of minutes.

The end of the tournament was still a long ways away though. The third and final match lasted an astounding 191 hands and several hours before a winner was determined. On the final hand of play, Wolpert got it all in on a holding for two pair versus Duthie’s for top pair. The treys and fives held to give Wolpert his first WSOP bracelet at his second WSOP final table.

Wolpert, who divides his time between playing online and attending law school at the University of Virginia, was ecstatic after his big win. However, in his post-victory interview he remained level headed about his achievement. “[Life] won’t change”, he explained. “I will have more money in the bank. But I am still going to be in law school next year.” Wolpert is right, he will definitely have more money: he earned $625,682 for his win while Duthie took home $386,636 for second.

Wednesday will see two more bracelets awarded. The twelve players remaining in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Limit Hold’em will return at 1PM to play down to a winner. Kenny Hsiung is the current chip leader, but several other known pros including Full Tilt Pros Jennifer Harman and Greg “FBT” Mueller as well as Daniel Alaei and PokerStars Pro Chad Brown remain in the field.

A winner will also be crowned in the $2,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Event. Chip leader Jason Boynes and Peter “Nordberg” Feldman are amongst the 19 players still in contention for the bracelet.

With a little more than half of the events in the books, the WSOP has awarded $64,293,644 in cash prizes and drawn 32,136 participants. There are still a couple dozen more tournaments to go, including the Main Event, so expect those numbers to grow substantially as play continues into July.

JC Tran wins WSOP Event #30 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha